This question comes up with more regularity than a scandal in the 
White House. Anyway, we've all gone through and given definitons and basically 
hashed this thing to death. Well I'm still going to hash it, but in a 
different way. I've been looking into Japanese culture and language as much as 
I can, and I recently bought a book. I'm going to retype a section in thet 
book that deals with Japanese honourifics. I hope it is helpful and 
enlighhtening.

	From: NTC's Dictionary of Japan's Cultural Code Words
	   by Boye Lafayette De Mente. (c) 1994
	   pub by National Textbook Company a div. of NTC Publishing Groups

	Section 14 San (sahn) A Little Word with a Big Role

	The Japanese language is far more culturally oriented, or "culturally 
pregnant," than English. By this I mean that it is far more important to the 
Japanese that the language be used in a culturally correct manner.
	For centuries the Japanese were totally conditioned in an etiquette 
system that required the most careful and precise use of the language in the 
informal as well as formal situations.
	Society was divided into precise levels of inferiors and superiors 
based on class, sex, age, position and kinship, with each level-as well as 
variations within levels-requiring a specific language made up of the right 
words, with the right endings, and, of course, the right tone of voice.
	Japanese were so thoroughly programmed in both the physical and verbal 
etiquette making up the county's social system that the slightest deviation 
was noticeable, and made the people extremely susceptible to reacting 
negatively to any variation from the very high norm.
	The "correct" use of the language was not just a cultural skill that 
indicated one's level of education or natural talent, or gave one a social or 
economic advantage. Using the language at a level that was acceptable for the 
circumstances at hand was essential for staing out of trouble.
	Social changes in Japan since 1945 have greatly reduced the intensity 
and duration of the language programming undergone by the Japanese, but it 
remains a conspicuous element in their attitudes and behaviour, and continues 
to be an important factor in the attempts of foreigners to learn and use the 
language properly.
	One of the Japanese terms that often trips up the novie in Japan is 
san (sahn), that ubiquitous little word that seems to be attached willy-nilly 
to people's names, company names, and sometimes titles as well.
	The san we are talking about here means "Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss" and 
something like "esquire" when it is attached to a company name (other san in 
the Japanese language mean"three, a crosspiece, confusion, childbirth, 
brilliant, mountain").
	Japan's traditional etiquetterequired an extraordinary degree of 
formality and the politeness that precluded referring to people, including 
family memebers, just by their names. People were called by their title, by 
their title plus san, or by their name plus san.
	Using san in addressing people became so deeply embedded in the 
cultural system that it was done without thinking, as if the term was a 
required addition to a person's name and had little or nothing to do with 
personal feelings or the relationship between the people concerned.
	Thus it came about that parents habitually add chan (chahn). the 
diminutive of san, to their shildren's names, and children add either san or 
chan to the words for mother, father, older or younger brother or sister, 
grandmother, granfather, aunt and uncle.
	Younger Japanese are gradually giving p the habit of addressing each 
other as san in informal situations, using either first names, nicknames or 
last names, as Americans do. But in formal situations and in the business 
world in today's Japan, the last name (ot title) plus san remains the rule. 
Sama (sah-mah), a highly honorific form of san, is used primarily in personal 
references-to someone else's spouse or children; not in business situations.
	A key point: one NEVER attaches san to one's own name-a very 
conspicuous mistake often made by foreigners. for example, I introduce myself 
as "De Mente desu" (De Mente dess), or "I am De Mente," but NEVER as "De Mente 
San desu." Another honorific suffix used often by men in place of san, usually 
superiors to long-time subordinates and among close male friends, is kun 
(koon), a term that apparently came into use to distinguisg males from 
females.


	---end excerpt

	I hope this helps. It does not cover every little nuance behind san 
and the honourifics, but it does give an insight into why they are there and 
how they are used. 

	Until next time

	Joseph Kohle