| You might be reading this article because you already | | | | As for the written language, Japanese is composed of |
| have a vast interest in Japanese culture. Perhaps you | | | | Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Hiragana and Katakana |
| a fan of Japanese animation or comics. Or you could | | | | are phonetic and have set pronunciations (more or |
| be an avid video game player with an affinity for | | | | less), whereas Kanji are Chinese characters that |
| Japanese games. Or perhaps you just stumbled here | | | | represent an idea or image and can have different |
| for another reason. Whatever your interest, it's likely | | | | meanings and pronunciations depending on how it's |
| you have at one point or another wished you knew | | | | used and contextual factors. The difference between |
| more about the Japanese language or their society. | | | | Hiragana and Katakana is a little tricky to explain, but |
| Prehistory and Written Language | | | | as a general rule, native Japanese words are written in |
| For starters, I should give you a quick background on | | | | Hiragana (or Kanji), and loan words as well as names |
| the country behind the people. Japan, known as 'Nihon' | | | | of some locations, people, animals, plants, ect may be |
| or 'Nippon' by the Japanese people, is an island nation | | | | written in Katakana. There are always exceptions |
| of the coast of East Asia. The actual meaning of its | | | | though, for example some Japanese people may write |
| Japanese name is "sun-origin", aptly named because its | | | | their name in Katakana to seem trendy or unique, or a |
| eastern location. The English name 'Japan' evolved | | | | word that might have been a loan word originally, like |
| from Marco Polo's dubbing of 'Cipangu' likely stemming | | | | "tobacco", would be written in Hiragana. It may help to |
| from the pronunciation of 'Zeppen' in the dialect of the | | | | think of Hiragana as a smooth, 'cursive' style used for |
| then native Chinese he encountered. | | | | most common writing, and Katakana as a sort of |
| The prehistoric people themselves probably moved | | | | 'block' print used to show distinction. Kanji is used when |
| from the Korean or Chinese mainland to what is now | | | | a Japanese word has a Kanji counterpart that can |
| Japan somewhere between 100,000 and 30,000 BC. | | | | replace the Hiragana (or in some rare instances, the |
| The Japanese people have the longest known | | | | Katakana). This is done in adult Japanese writing as |
| recorded history, going back almost 2600 years! The | | | | much as possible. Kanji usage shows an increase in |
| lineage of their emperors supposedly traces back to | | | | articulation, if everything was written in Hiragana |
| the very first emperor, Jimmu. According to Shinto | | | | Katakana, it might seem like it was written for a child |
| belief, he was the direct descendant of the sun | | | | to read, or that the writer was unintelligent. Kanji also is |
| goddess Amaterasu. Japan has been historically | | | | said to improve the flow of the sentence, making it |
| isolated for most of its existence, only receiving its first | | | | easier to understand and read quickly. Traditional |
| verified visitor from China around 499 A.D. | | | | Japanese is written vertically, top to bottom, although it |
| In fact, Japan had no formal writing system until it | | | | is no longer uncommon to see Japanese written |
| borrowed from existing Chinese characters. Even | | | | horizontally, left to right. In either case though, books, |
| modern Hiragana and Katakana are evolved, simplified | | | | pamphlets, ect are written with the content leading right |
| forms of what was originally Chinese 'hanji'. However, | | | | to left, opposite of how western books are written. |
| it should be noted that the actual spoken language | | | | This concludes the first part of my introduction into the |
| evolved completely independent of other languages, | | | | various aspects of the Japanese language and culture, |
| and is unique in that linguists are still debating what, if | | | | please make sure to check back for future |
| any connection Japanese has to languages of other | | | | installments. |
| nations. | | | | |