How come misono and Koda Kumi have different last names?
 

I did a search through many day after tomorrow websites including the official one, and it appears that misono's full name is Kanda Misono (神田美苑) while her sister's is Kouda Kumi (倖田來未), but why? I find it really odd; were they born of the same father?

That is weird indeed. o_O'

Perhaps that's why they sound and look so different.

Perhaps one, or both, use a stage name?

i really don't know.
that's quite interesting though!

Take a closer look at dat's "futurity" PV, there she does resemble her sister in terms of the way how she poses and sings (well it's sort of quite nasal)... o_O

I think they actually look pretty alike, and there is some resemblance in the voice, although misono's is alot weaker.

i think koda kumi is a stage name..

This could have something to do with it. Or maybe not.

The kanji Misono uses can actually be read at least 2 ways: 'kanda' and 'kouda'. And as we know, when romanised Japanese tend to drop the extra vowel giving you 'koda'. Anyway, this could perhaps be a way for one of the two to more or less keep their original name in some form, yet have that difference by changing the pronounciation and kanji.

Or, it could be something totally different.

Like what matt said.

Anywho, on one of the japanese fansites:
神田美苑(こうだみその ) <-- Kouda Misono / Koda Misono
[from dear another triangle]

Koda Kumi's real name it Kumiko Koda. So its Misono Koda and Kumiko Koda

lol i didnt even know koda kumi had a sister who was a singer. u learn something new every day lol

ahh
i knew they were sisters but didn't realise about their last names was different
very interesting
i didnt think koda kumi was a real name cos it sounded so odd lol
it's nice but dosen't sound real *giggles*

Oops I forgot 神田 can also be pronounced as Kouda, cuz in most common occasion we say it Kanda. Still, why did they two choose to write it in different ways in terms of kanji? o_O

It could just be a way of keeping their careers seperate and not having to be compared (ie. western singers Kylie and Dannii Minogue for example).

Like I said, it could be (this would be for Kumi's case) Avex, or she herself, wanted a stage name of sorts. By using a different reading for 'koda', she gets to keep an essence of her real name (koda being one way to pronounce/read the kanji) but using different kanji in the written form.

Lol.. funny. I always get Japanese names screwed up because I forgot that last name goes first :laugh

Anyways.. I prefer listening to Koda Kumi instead of her sister.. :p

ok yet again Did anyone Pay attention
KODA KUMI'S REAL NAME IS:Kumiko Koda
MISONO'S REAL NAME IS: Misono Koda

its on Misono Official Avex website

Umm... we already know that. :P

And it's not just misono's official site, it's day after tomorrow's [dat-net.jp].

Akurei, since she wants to use Kouda Kumi as her stage name, we'll keep it that way.