The name is the bond between an individual and the society,and it also is a proof of personal existence.Address terms mark and identify the relationship between the speaker and his or her relatives or other speakers.Therefore,they are of great significance both in China and Japan.Since the value orientation and culture are quite different,the cognition of names and address terms are not the same by Chinese and Japanese people.Naming taboo is common in ancient China:names of the emperor,ancestors and respected people should be avoided speech or writing,characters or even homophonies of their names should not be used when naming a child.This social convention is imprinted on kinship,social addresses and appellation.From the perspective of cultural comparison,this article analyses the features,differences and causes between Chinese and Japanese names and address terms.The research is conducive to a systemic understanding of names and address terms both in China and Japan,which facilitates a deep comprehension of Chinese and Japanese social,traditional cultures.