Kasumi

Kasumi is a term and name with several uses in Japan and beyond. In Japanese, kasumi means mist or haze and is commonly written with the kanji 霞. The word has permeated popular culture as a feminine given name in Japan, where it can carry associations with beauty, softness, or nature.

As a given name, Kasumi is widely used in Japan and among Japanese communities abroad. Notable real-world individuals with Kasumi as a given name include actors and public figures such as Arimura Kasumi. The name is also used in fictional settings, where characters named Kasumi appear across anime, manga, and video games.

In technology, KASUMI refers to a symmetric-key block cipher designed for mobile communications. KASUMI is a Feistel-based cipher that was standardized for 3G networks and is used to provide confidentiality in some mobile systems. The cipher's name evokes the Japanese word for mist, aligning with its origin and branding.

In fiction, Kasumi is the name of several characters in video games and other media. The most prominent is Kasumi, a playable character in the Dead or Alive fighting game series, who is a young ninja from the Mugen Tenshin school. Another well-known usage is Kasumi Goto, a companion character in the Mass Effect video game series.

Kasumi is also a place name in Japan, used for various towns, districts, or neighborhoods in different prefectures. The best-known usage among places is a town or locality bearing the name Kasumi, reflecting its geographical distribution in the country.