Most newspapers in Japanese are written vertically and are read from right to left.
Many magazines, on the other hand, are written horizontally and are read from left to right.
Whether to write vertically or horizontally is often determined by genre, content, and readership, but in recent years, more and more magazines are written horizontally.
Originally, Japanese is written vertically, and Japanese textbooks are also written vertically. In the past, writing letters was also generally written vertically.
Japanese characters are structured to be written from top to bottom, so it is easier to move on to the next character when writing vertically.
Japanese calligraphy is said to be an art of writing that expresses beauty and individuality, and it is thought to have developed because of vertical writing.
The reason why Japanese can be read both vertically and horizontally without any problems, is due to the characteristics of the Japanese language.
English pronunciation and letters are grouped together by word.
So, for example, the pronunciation of “a” changes from word to word, as in [ei] in “take” and [oː] in “talk.”
On the other hand, in Japanese hiragana and katakana , one sound is assigned to each character, and “ta ” is read only as “ta .”
Japanese words are made up of a combination of individual letters (sounds), so breaking them down does not interfere with reading.
It doesn’t matter if you write it vertically or horizontally, because you can read any part of it separately.
新聞の
shinnbunn no
newspapers
縦書き
tate’gaki
are written vertically
読み進めていきます。
yomi’susumete iki masu.
are read
一方、
ippou,
on the other hand
横書きのものも
yoko’gaki no mono mo
are written horizontally
読み進めていきます。
yomi’susumete iki masu.
are read
縦書きにするか
tate’gaki ni suru ka
whether to write vertically
横書きにするかは、
yoko’gaki ni suru ka ha,
or horizontally
読者層
dokusha’sou
readership
決められることが
kime rareru koto ga
is determined
近年は
kinnnenn ha
in recent years
横書き雑誌が
yoko’gaki zasshi ga
magazines written horizontally
増えてきました。
fuete ki mashita.
more and more are
日本語は
nihonngo ha
Japanese
縦書きが基本
tate’gaki ga kihonn
is written vertically
教科書
kyoukasho
textbooks
縦書き
tate’gaki
written vertically
以前は
izenn ha
in the past
手紙
tegami
writing letters
縦書きが
tate’gaki ga
written vertically
一般的
ippann’teki
generally
日本語の
nihonngo no
Japanese
書くように
kaku you ni
to be written
構成されている
kousei sarete iru
are structured
移りやすいのは
utsuri yasui no ha
easier to move on
縦書き
tate’gaki
(when) writing vertically
書道は
shodou ha
Japanese calligraphy
個性を
kosei wo
individuality
表現する
hyougenn suru
that expresses
芸術と
geijutsu to
to be an art
縦書き
tate’gaki
vertical writing
だからこそ
dakara koso
because of
発展したと
hattenn shita to
to have developed
考えられます。
kanngae rare masu.
it is thought
日本語が
nihonngo ga
Japanese
縦書き
tate’gaki
(both) vertically
横書きでも
yoko’gaki demo
horizontally
問題なく
monndai naku
without any problems
読めるのは、
yomeru no ha,
the reason why can be read
日本語
nihonngo
the Japanese language
特徴
tokuchou
the characteristics
発音
hatsuonn
pronunciation
ひとまとまりになっています。
hito’matomari ni natte i masu.
are grouped together
発音は、
hatsuonn ha,
the pronunciation
単語によって
tanngo ni yotte
from word to word
変わります。
kawari masu.
changes
一方、
ippou,
on the other hand
日本語の
nihonngo no
Japanese
カタカナ
katakana
(and) katakana
1文字
hito’moji
each character
当てはめられている
atehame rarete iru
is assigned
日本語の
nihonngo no
Japanese
1文字
hito’moji
individual letters
組み合わせ
kumiawase
a combination
できている
dekite iru
are made up
分解しても、
bunnkai shite mo,
breaking them down
支障はありません。
shishou ha ari masenn.
does not interfere
どこで
doko de
any part of it
区切っても
kugitte mo
separately
書いても
kaite mo
if you write it
横に書いても
yoko ni kaite mo
or horizontally
問題ないのです。
monndai nai no desu.
it doesn’t matter