Kaoru

Kaoru is a unisex Japanese given name. It can be written with different kanji, most commonly 薫 or 香, both associated with fragrance or scent. Other kanji spellings exist, and the reading Kaoru may appear in various name combinations or in non-Japanese contexts.

Several notable people bear the name. Kaoru Ishikawa (石川 薫) was a pioneering figure in quality management, renowned for the Ishikawa diagram, a tool used to analyze root causes of problems. Kaoru Mori (森 薫) is a manga artist known for Emma and A Bride’s Story. These examples illustrate the name’s cross-disciplinary presence in Japanese culture, spanning science, industry, and the arts.

Fictional characters named Kaoru appear in anime and manga as well. One well-known example is Kaoru Kamiya (神谷 薫), the female dojo head in Rurouni Kenshin, where her given name uses the same kanji associated with fragrance. The name also appears in other stories and media, reflecting its enduring appeal and versatility in Japanese fiction.