Takeshi

Takeshi is a classic Japanese boy's name most often written with a kanji meaning warrior or fierce, though the same sound can be spelled with characters for bamboo or military strength. Three crisp syllables land with quiet precision, a name as trim as a well-kept garden. Filmmaker Takeshi Kitano, known internationally as Beat Takeshi, helped carry the name across borders through his gangster films and deadpan comedy. It was common among boys born in the Showa era and still feels at home in contemporary Japan. Disciplined in sound, generous in association. A name with a straight back.