How to politely inform other people of acceptable alternative ways of addressing you?

Question

Being a foreigner often comes with having a name/surname that doesn't quite roll off the tongue in Japanese.

So for example if my name/surname is "ABCDEFG", I'd like to say (after introductions) "Addressing me by ABC is fine too."

My intent for this is not to introduce an increased sense of familiarity (although that might occur implicitly) but rather a convenience in communication.

Thus I'm looking for how one would express this in a perhaps more formal environment than everyday chatter. (But informal ways are welcome too.)

Answer 1

1) For business settings, or in private life when you meet an important person like your GF's parents:

After introducing yourself by saying:

「(Position/Department name) + の + ABCDEFG + と + [申]{もう}します。」

you could add:

「[長]{なが}い[名前]{なまえ}ですので、ABC とお[呼]{よ}びいただければ[結構]{けっこう}です。」　or

「長い名前ですので、ABC とお呼びいただくようお[願]{ねが}いいたします。」

I might actually use 「長めの」 instead of 「長い」 to make it sound somewhat less stiff if I were you. (I am a Japanese-speaker in case you are wondering.)

2) General, non-formal adult-to-adult self-introduction:

「ABCDEFG と申しますが、長めなので、ABC と呼んでください。」　 or

「ABCDEFG と[言]{い}いますが、長すぎるので、ABC と呼んでいただければ結構です。」 ← Used a bit of humor in 「長すぎるので」. Should work as a nice ice-breaker.

3) With much younger people than yourself:

「ABCDEFG って言うんだけど、長すぎるから、ABC って呼んでね（or 呼んでくれればいいよ）。」

「ABCDEFG って言うんだけど、長いから[縮]{ちぢ}めて ABC って呼んでね。」

or you could just use your first name if that is what you prefer to do. Japanese people do not mind addressing foreigners by their first names with 「さん」.

(DO NOT use the first- or second-person pronouns in any of the phrases above if you want to sound natural.)

Answer 2

If you want to only be called ABC, when introducing yourself, you can simply say something like

私はABCDEFGと申します。ABCと呼んでください　→　My name is ABCDEFG. (But) Please call me ABC.

If you want to tell them that either is acceptable

• ...。ABCと呼んでも{いい・全然大丈夫・オッケー}です。 or
• ...。ABCと呼んでもかまいません。

Answer 3

We could discuss levels of formality since in Japan calling one by their last name is par for the course, and there aren't that many last names that are difficult to pronounce once any phonetic mysteries are cleared up. So any of these might seem rather informal by definition.

Very simply, you could say

ABCで結構です。(ABC is fine).

Another more colloquial way might be

ABCで[通]{とお}っています。(I go by ABC).

In the spirit of being formal (read: over explain things) just say something akin to

ABCDEFGでは長くなりますので、ABCで結構です。