Tom: I heard that the katakana “ ヴ ” that is “ ウ ” (u) with two dots, making it sound like (vu), will no longer be used. Is this true? Miho: This is because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided not to use it for the names of nations. Tom: For instance? Miho: In the past, instead of using “ ベ ” (be) for Vietnam and Venezuela, “ ヴ ” (vu) was used to make a “ ヴェ ” (ve) sound. Tom: How come? Miho: You know that foreign words are converted into katakana, don’t you? In Japanese, the “v” sound does not exist, so, an “ ウ ” (u) sound was augmented into a “ ヴ ” (vu). Tom: But, Louis Vuitton uses “ ヴ ,” doesn’t it? Miho: That’s because the names of individuals and corporations can be written any way they want. Tom: Ah ha, there are no restrictions. Miho: So that’s why Japanese people can make a variety of subtle allusions. Tom: I also understand that the nuance can be altered by using hiragana, katakana, kanji or the alphabet to express the same thing. Miho: Generally, as they sound almost the same to Japanese people, with the alphabet, K is used to replace C and R for L, but nowadays usage has changed. Tom: How? Miho: For instance, with the name りか . People used to write it as R I K A, but nowadays, some people write L I C A. I think it is because many people view L and C as being more fashionable. Tom: People often say that “words have lives of their own,” and I realize that scripts also have lives. Don’t you think so?