A History of Writing in Japan

By Christopher Seeley

This book deals chronologically with the history of writing in Japan, a subject which spans a period of 2,000 years, beginning with the transmission of writing from China in about the first or second century AD, and concluding with the use of written Japanese with computers. Topics dealt with include the adoption of Chinese writing and its subsequent adaptation in Japan, forms of writing employed in works such as the "Kojiki" and "Man'yoshu," development of the "kana" syllabaries, evolution of mixed character-"kana" orthography, historical "kana" usage, the rise of literacy during the Edo period, and the main changes that have taken place in written Japanese in the modern period (ca. 1868 onwards). This is the first full-length work in a European language to provide the Western reader with an overall account of the subject concerned, based on extensive examination of both primary and secondary materials.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 082482217X
• ISBN13: 9780824822170
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Good for overall history

This book is a great resource for the reader/researcher who is looking for a general overview of the history of writing in Japan. It is one of the few books on the subject that is in English, which is a big plus. However, if you are looking for details of a specific period of the writing this book is not for you.