Japanese language: Quick Facts

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Japanese calligraphy

Map of Japan and surrounding seas, showing and labeling the major Japanese islands including Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Sado, Tsushima, Okinawa, Tanegashima, Yakushima, Amami Great Island, as well as the Ryukyu, Izu, and Bonin Islands. Neighboring countries such as Russia, China, North Korea, and South Korea are also partially visible.

Tokugawa Nariaki: calligraphy

A crowd of spectators watches as bonfires form the Japanese character for large, dai, illuminated on Mount Nyoigatake during Kyoto's Gozan Okuribi Bonfire Festival at night.

Site of the outbreak of the Ōnin War

Six red kanji characters are shown in two rows, each labeled in English: bridge, flower, moon, friend, eye, and color. The note below states that kanji characters stand for words.

Calligraphy from the 11th century

A pathway lined with numerous bright orange torii gates inscribed with black Japanese characters at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, Japan.

Yellow letter tiles on a teal background spell 'what is a haiku?' with abstract calligraphic scribbles in the background

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Topics

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Key People

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Arthur David Waley

British translator

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Ernest F. Fenollosa

American orientalist and art critic

Hearn, Lafcadio

Lafcadio Hearn

British-born writer and translator

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Futabatei Shimei

Japanese author

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Tsubouchi Shōyō

Japanese author

portrait of Klabund by Orlik

Klabund

German writer

Buddhist engravings on wall in Thailand. Hands on wall. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, science and technology, geography and travel, explore discovery

Languages & Alphabets

Hand with pencil writing on page. (handwriting; write)

Word Nerd Quiz

Many slips of paper with "thank you" in different languages written on them. Thumbnail for the Dutch, Yiddish, Japanese, or Hindi Quiz.

Dutch, Yiddish, Japanese, or Hindi? Quiz