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Japanese culture

Learn about Japanese culture from this Japanese language blog by the JOI's professional Japanese teachers.

Posted by on in Japanese culture

What is Japanese Kanji?

The word for Kanji in Japanese comes from two characters, Kan = the ancient name for China, and Ji = which means script of style of writing.

The style of writing was brought to Japan in the 5th Century. Much later after the second World War,it was simplified into the Japanese style that is used today.

Most Kanji characters have two ways to read them, and these are called the on'yomi (音読み, literally "sound reading", from Chinese) or kun'yomi (訓読み, literally "meaning reading", native Japanese).

This blog is about a problem that many Japanese people face recently, can you guess what it is? Even for a Japanese teacher like the professional tutors at JOI have this problem!

Read the blog to find out what it is. And you can also listen to the blog by watching the YouTube video attached.

漢字が書けない・・・
Can't write Kanji

takase

By TAKASE Chiharu

kanji-takase-2022

 みなさんは「漢字」についてどう思っていますか。「難しい。漢字がなければもっと日本語は簡単なのに!」とか、「自分の国にはない形の文字だ、かっこいい!」とかいろんな意見があると思います。私は日本人ですが、少し漢字で困っていることがあります。この悩みを抱えている人は私だけではないはず・・

 それは、漢字はわかりますが、難しい漢字を書こうとすると正しく書けないという悩みです。原因ははっきりしています。コミュニケーションの習慣の変化です。スマホやパソコンでメールが送れるようになって、また、やりとりの中心がチャットになって、少しずつ難しい漢字の形を忘れていきました。もちろん、メールやチャットを書くときに正しく変換することはできますから、日々の生活で困ることはありません。でもいざホワイトボードに書かないといけないとき、手紙を手書きで書かなければならないとき、あれ?どうだったかな?ということが増えてきました。小さいころあんなに書いて覚えたのに。とほほ・・

 どうしたらいいでしょう?習字をしたり、学生みたいに漢字ドリルでしょうか・・・日本人ですが、漢字のことで困っています。

To listen to this blog, please watch our Youtube video.

漢字(かんじ)が書(か)けない・・・

 みなさんは「漢字(かんじ)」についてどう思(おも)っていますか。「難(むずか)しい。漢字(かんじ)がなければもっと日本語(にほんご)は簡単(かんたん)なのに!」とか、「自分(じぶん)の国(くに)言葉(ことば)にはない形(かたち)の文字(もじ)だ、かっこいい!」とかいろんな意見(いけん)があると思(おも)います。私(わたし)は日本人(にほんじん)ですが、少(すこし)し漢字(かんじ)で困(こま)っていることがあります。この悩(なや)みを抱(かか)えている人(ひと)は私(わたし)だけではないはず・・

 それは、漢字(かんじ)はわかりますが、難(むずか)しい漢字(かんじ)を書(か)こうとすると正(ただ)しく書(か)けないという悩(なや)みです。原因(げんいん)ははっきりしています。コミュニケーションの習慣(しゅうかん)の変化(へんか)です。スマホやパソコンでメールが送(おく)れるようになって、また、やりとりの中心(ちゅうしん)がチャットになって、少(すこ)しずつ難(むずか)しい漢字(かんじ)の形(かたち)を忘(わす)れていきました。もちろん、メールやチャットを書(か)くときに正(ただ)しく変換(へんかん)することはできますから、日々(ひび)の生活(せいかつ)で困(こま)ることはありません。でもいざホワイトボードに書(か)かないといけないとき、手紙(てがみ)を手書(てが)きで書(か)かなければならないとき、あれ?どうだったかな?ということが増(ふ)えてきました。小(ちい)さいころあんなに書(か)いて覚(おぼ)えたのに。とほほ・・

 どうしたらいいでしょう?習字(しゅうじ)をしたり、学生(がくせい)みたいに漢字(かんじ)ドリルでしょうか・・・日本人(にほんじん)ですが、漢字(かんじ)のことで困(こま)っています。

Can't write Kanji

What do you think of Kanji characters?There are many opinions about it. Some people I think "It's difficult. And if we didn't have Kanji, Japanese would be so much easier to learn!" And others think "We don't have this form of writing in my country. It's cool! " I am Japanese, but even I have a little trouble with Kanji. I don't think that I am the only with this trouble but...

The trouble is, I can understand Kanji characters, but when I try to write difficult Kanji characters, I have trouble writing them correctly. The reason for this is clear.It is due to the changes in our communication habits. Since I can now send e-mails on my phone or computer, and since the focus of our correspondence has become text chats. I have gradually forgotten difficult forms of Kanji. Of course, I can convert them correctly when writing e-mails and chats, so I don't have any trouble in my daily life. But when it comes to write them on a whiteboard, or when I have to handwrite a letter, I'm like, "Wait a minute...How do you write it again?!? And this kind of thing is becoming more and more common for me. I spent so much time learning how to write them all when I was younger...its a little embarrasing.

What should I do? I am Japanese, but I have trouble with Kanji characters.

悩(なや)み trouble; worry; problem

変換(へんかん)change; conversion; transformation

手書(てが)き handwriting

習字(しゅうじ)calligraphy

漢字(かんじ)ドリル kanji workbook

Konnichi-wa, everybody. Hajimemashite. My name is Chiharu Takase.
I was born in the spring, that's why my parents decided to include the the Kanji for spring (haru) in my name. My hometown is in Yamaguchi prefecture on the western coast of Honshu, but now I live in Kyoto, one of Japan's early capital cities. I'm married with one son, and my hobby is the Japanese tea ceremony.

Learning a new language, including Japanese, can be tough at first, but once you start comprehending the patterns and rhythm, you'll find that there is nothing more interesting. Do what you can, when you can, and enjoy the challenge. I'm really looking forward to meeting you in our online Japanese classroom. Let's spend an enjoyable 50 minutes together. Dozo yoroshiku onegai-shimasu.

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Recent comment in this post - Show all comments
  • Akio Maruta says #
    Thank you Chiharu-sensei and team. Your sincere and beautiful story encourage us to study kanji harder. I am a retired teacher tha