The Japanese Alphabet
"Japan's art and culture are beautifully combined in the nation's calligraphy and complex writing systems. Written Japanese consists of early Chinese ideograms - kanji and two polysyllabic alphabets, hiragana and katakana, which, though derived from Chinese characters, have an exclusively phonetic value." This book is a comprehensive guide to all of the characters (kana) of the alphabet, presented in the traditional order and declined in both the hiragana and katakana versions. The author...
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"Japan's art and culture are beautifully combined in the nation's calligraphy and complex writing systems. Written Japanese consists of early Chinese ideograms - kanji and two polysyllabic alphabets, hiragana and katakana, which, though derived from Chinese characters, have an exclusively phonetic value." This book is a comprehensive guide to all of the characters (kana) of the alphabet, presented in the traditional order and declined in both the hiragana and katakana versions. The author clearly indicates the correct sequence for writing the individual strokes, and provides each character with the Chinese kanji (ideogram) from which it was derived. With a historical introduction by the author and a foreword by the well-known Japanese designer Isao Hosoe, Japanese Alphabet is an ideal primer for the beginner, as well as a convenient reference for a more advanced student.
Foreword Isao Hosoe Hosoe, Isao 8Origins and development of Chinese writing 11Origins and development of Japanese writing 18The influence of Japanese calligraphy on European arts 25Synoptic tables 30Pronunciation guidelines 31Phonetic shifts 31Numbers 40Radicals 42The alphabet 45The letters in their traditional sequence 45Writing characters [kana and kanji] 46
