What style of romanization is used when writing Japanese names in essays?

Question

Right now I'm using an anecdote about the Japanese Akita, Hachikō. The dog's name contains an "おう" (ou) in Japanese. What is the standard way to romanize this? Should I use a macron (ō) or "ou"? The same goes for the president of Japan, Shinzō Abe.

Answer 1

Hello! Since not all apps/programs have the macron option, using "ou" would allow everyone, regardless of the app/program being used, to consistently romanize the names. I believe this is the best way to translate names between languages as disparate as Japanese and English.

I hope this helps.

Michele