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A Brief Exploration Of The Development Of The Japanese Writing System, Brianna Jilson

Anthropology

This paper is an introductory look at the development at of the Japanese writing system. I will explore the development of kanji, katakana and hiragana from their first introduction to Japan until modern times. My primary focus is on the mixed use of katakana, hiragana, and Chinese characters. I will also explore how the specific symbols used in the two kana syllabaries were developed. My goal is to provide a brief, general overview of the writing system’s development as a basis for further study.