Japanese in Writing
Bequeathed our writing system, we are easily able to describe what we see, hear, feel, smell, taste, and think. In the West, our alphabet's phonetic design allows individual sounds to be represented and combined in countless possible ways. The Roman alphabet is also helpful when pronuncing words in other languages.
Japanese writing is often cited as one of the most complicated in the world. Comprised of a combination of three different types of characters —
Travelers in Japan will surely get a sense of what it is like to be illiterate. Although most major cities now have public signs written in Roman letters, there are still many others that are written exclusively in
Restaurant menus are often entirely in Japanese with no Roman lettering. Luckily, most eating establishments have plastic replicas of their specialties in a glass case outside the restaurant. Simply point at what looks most appetizing and hope for the best.
