CAPE TOWN - The Taiwanese government has officially urged its citizens on Thursday to stop changing their names to “salmon” in order to take advantage of a free sushi promotion.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), more than 150 young people made their way to the government offices to officially register their name change to be entitled to a two-day all-you-can-eat sushi promo at Sushiro restaurant.
That entitled guest would be allowed to bring along up to five friends who would also receive free meals with proof of the name change "gui yu" – which translates to salmon – on their identity document.
“This kind of name change not only wastes time but causes unnecessary paperwork," the deputy interior minister, Chen Tsung-yen, told reporters.
“I hope everyone can be more rational about it,” he said.
Central News Agency, a state-owned news agency, reported that each person only has three chances to change their name in accordance with the Justice Interpretation and Name Regulations.
Meanwhile, amid the salmon chaos, a Taiwanese man who changed his name to "Salmon Dream" was unable to change his name back after being informed by officials that he had used his maximum quota of three name changes.
Salmon Dream's attorney, Lin Chih-chun, later posted on Facebook that he was able to find a solution for his client and often had to find creative solutions for these situations.
He noted that in Article 9, Item 2 of the Name Act, it states that "a person may change their name if they have the exact same given name as an elder relative within three degrees of kinship".
ANA