Hello everyone！ and welcome to Japanese at work.
Today I would like to introduce why do we Japanese use KANJI.
Let's go!
The reasons why the Japanese use kanji are a combination of historical and cultural factors. Below are some of the reasons why kanji is considered important.
Historical background: Kanji was introduced to Japan from China. Kanji first came to Japan around the 1st century AD. Later, during the Nara period (around the 8th century), Japan adopted Buddhism, during which Buddhist scriptures and sutras were imported from China in kanji. As a result, two sounds are used in kanji in Japan.
Ideality and abbreviation: kanji are ideographic characters, meaning that a single kanji can represent a meaning. This allows words and concepts to be expressed concisely. In addition, in Japanese, where many words have the same sound but different meanings (heteronyms), the use of kanji makes it easier to distinguish between words.
Diverse readings and meanings: a single kanji can have multiple readings and different meanings. This allows different meanings to be taken in different contexts, thus broadening the range of expression.
Cultural importance: Kanji is deeply rooted in Japanese tradition and culture. Artistic expressions such as calligraphy and Chinese poetry, as well as historical documents and classical literature, also use kanji. Kanji symbolises Japanese identity and cultural links.
Correspondence to foreign words: In modern times, as new concepts and technologies develop, many words and technical terms from foreign countries have been introduced. Kanji is also used for these foreign words and serves as a means of expressing new concepts.
By the way, first-grade kids learn 80 kanji characters; second-grade learn 160 in Japan.
That wraps up our guide for today.
I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed creating it. Your support means the world to me. Stay tuned for more exciting content, and I can't wait to share new information and ideas with you in the next post. Until then, take care and thank you for being a fantastic part of our community!
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