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History of Japanese scripts - Kanji - Hiragana - Katakana -Kanji was originally introduced from China via Korea around the beginning of the 3rd century AD. Before this time, all communications in Japan were oral, and news of important events was conveyed through professional narrators travelling from district to district. Initially, pronunciation and reading order followed the Chinese model,
but as time passed, the original users of Kanji in Japan found them
inadequate to represent their own language and, as a result, new and
unique Japanese systems of pronunciation, word order, and punctuation
emerged. From there, Kana (Hiragana) were invented, transforming the
shape of the existing Chinese characters. Finally, the use of Kanji and Kana in combination, and Kana alone, became the written Japanese system. (Diagram: Example of Japanese writing) Eventually, Katakana were developed, mainly to represent foreign words that had been incorporated into the Japanese language from outside. Modern Japanese therefore consists of three written scripts, used side by side in most texts - Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana. The Appearance of Kana (Hiragana)Kana (Hiragana and Katakana) was converted from Kanji (originally from China.) The transformation of Kana from Kanji can be described as "becoming cursive". The standard angular calligraphic form for Kanji, called Kaisho, became semi-cursive Gyosho with brush writing, and then gracefully cursive Sosyo. Sosyo became the base of stylised modern Kana. (Diagram: The transformation of Kanji into Kana) The transition from angular to cursive can be described as stylistic, but the shift from Kanji to Kana is more accurately described as a metamorphosis. These transformed objects, like the mirror that easily rusts in the damp Japanese climate, symbolise a metamorphic force. Kanji, unyielding in form were transformed into gentle and mutable Kana through the mirror of Japan. About Kanji Like the Egyptian hieroglyphics, Kanji (Chinese characters) began
as drawings of natural objects, such as 'mountain', 'moon' and 'gate'.
These drawings - called ideograms - evolved over the years to incorporate
much more complex and abstract ideas and now comprise the basis of Kanji.
(Diagram: The root of Kanji) Author's commentFor English names, grammatically, it is correct to use Katakana in modern Japanese but I like the ''cursive'' Hiragana, especially as drawn with a Fude. The writing characters are very symbolic and expressive. At present, people benefit from different fonts and choose appropriate styles to suit to their feeling or purpose. Kana's gentle form simply expresses my concept for this web site. Useful links for Japanese language
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