Learn Japanese with Gohan

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Introduction to Japanese language.

Welcome to the country of contrasts! Japan is often celebrated as the land where tradition meets cutting-edge modernity and brand new technologies. But beyond its wonderful landscapes, cherry blossoms and mangakas, Japan is also the birthplace of Japanese language. Today, over 125 million people speak Japanese as their native tongue, making it the ninth most spoken language in the world. While the most significant amount of speakers remain located on the Japan archipelago, 3.5 million people speak it abroad around the world. Every word in Japanese carries layers of history and culture, as the language evolved through time and contact with neighboring civilizations like China. This particularly had an influence on both vocabulary and writing. Japanese writing system forms a blend of three different forms of scripts : Kanji (漢字), Hiragana (ひらがな) and Katakana (カタカナ).

Feature	Kanji (漢字)	Hiragana (ひらがな)	Katakana (カタカナ)
Characters (Example)	山　本　語	やま　ほん　ご	ヤマ　ホン　ゴ
Origin	Borrowed Chinese logographs, introduced around the 5th–6th century CE.	Developed from simplified cursive forms of kanji during the 8th–9th centuries (Heian period).	Derived from angular abbreviations of kanji created by Buddhist scholars in the 9th century.
Type	Logographic — each symbol represents meaning and often multiple readings.	Phonetic syllabary of 46 basic signs representing syllables.	Phonetic syllabary of 46 basic signs, more angular and sharp in form.
Main Use	For nouns, verb/adjective roots, and key content words.	For native words without kanji, grammatical particles, verb endings, and children’s writing.	For foreign words (e.g., コンピューター “computer”), foreign names, scientific terms, and emphasis.
Assets	• Conveys meaning visually and compactly. • Rich cultural and historical depth. • Helps distinguish homophones.	• Represents sounds clearly and consistently. • Adds grammatical precision. • Fluid, elegant appearance.	• Visually distinct and modern. • Highlights foreign or technical terms. • Adds emphasis or stylistic contrast.

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