How is the Japanese language written and read?

How is Japanese reading done? Is it backwards? Is it read from back to front? What is the most common way to read Japanese? Vertically or horizontally? How is the Japanese language written? We will answer this and other questions in this article.

Many people believe that the Japanese language is written and read from back to front like Arabic. This idea arises due to manga and some traditional books, opened from back to front, but is it true?

We also recommend reading:

• Japanese Writing – Difficult? Necessary?
• KANA: Definitive Guide to Hiragana and Katakana – Japanese Alphabet

Is Japanese read or written backwards? From back to front?

The answer to the question “Is Japanese read from back to front?” is a definitive no. Japanese is not read from back to front, and there are several reasons for this.

The writing of the Japanese language and its reading is done like in most Western languages, from left to right. It is not like Arabic where reading and writing is done backwards.

Many believe that Japanese is read from right to left due to manga, light novels, and other traditional books that are indeed read this way, but there is a reason and it does not mean they are written backwards.

Tategaki – Reading from Right to Left Vertically

The traditional form of Japanese writing in newspapers and some books is vertical, in this case, reading is indeed done from right to left, as we can see in some manga.

This form became standard because in the past things were written with a brush on rolled paper like a scroll.

This type of reading is called tategaki [縦書き] which literally means vertical writing. Where all text is written in columns from top to bottom from right to left.

This writing is mainly found in newspapers, manga, light novels, traditional books, pamphlets, advertisements, and others. Generally, the covers of publications are found opposite to Western books.

The fact that text written vertically is read from right to left does not mean it was written backwards. In fact, the writing of an ideogram or kana usually starts from the left.

The truth is that unlike the Roman alphabet, Japanese does not connect its letters when writing, which gives certain flexibility when reading. It is as if everything were written in block letters.

The image below shows the Hiragana alphabet where the order of reading and writing is in tategaki, but as you can see in its letters, they are written from left to right.

Yokogaki – From Left to Right Horizontally

The horizontal writing from left to right as is customary in the West is called Yokogaki [横書き] which literally means horizontal writing.

This form of writing prevailed after World War II, with foreign influence and the westernization of Japan. Not that this writing did not exist, but it was not common before.

Today, horizontal writing is so common that it is used by students in schools, in textbooks, in pamphlets, signs, and practically everything that exists in Japan.

With the advancement of technology, messaging apps and other social networks use horizontal writing. Books and publications translated into Japanese also come in horizontal format.

Which writing is more common in Japanese? Vertical or Horizontal?

There is no better or greater than the other, both tategaki and yokogaki are used, it all depends on the author’s preference, and also on editorial customs.

Generally, both writings can be used together, and fit into the appropriate space of the place where it is printed or written.

For the Japanese, the order in which it is written does not make much difference, since the ideograms are written separately without any connection. Some older Japanese may find it easier to read texts with vertical writing.

We recommend reading: Mokkan – Wooden Tablets of Ancient Japan

Reading from Right to Left Horizontally

Before World War II, when vertical reading was more common, the custom of reading from right to left meant that horizontal writing was already done from right to left.

Vertical was common, but when there was a lack of space, or for design reasons, horizontal writing and reading was done from right to left.

The Japanese did not think of this form of writing as something different from vertical, they just viewed it as new lines of a column. Today this form of writing is outdated and used only when one wants to convey a retro idea.

The grammar is backwards

Although the writing is from left to right, one thing that usually confuses foreigners studying the Japanese language is its SOV grammar, where the verb is usually at the end of the sentence.

Even though Japanese grammar is quite simple, this small change can end up causing confusion in the minds of some students.

We recommend reading the following article that will help you understand how the grammatical structure of sentences in the Japanese language works: SOV Structure – How to Create Sentences in Japanese