Janoschka magazine_Linked_V2_2017

42
n e t w o r k & p e o p l e
japan
It is quite different in Japan. As is typical for this country,
complexity is met with purism. A single line pattern is sufficient
for Japanese children to master the great challenge
of their written language. This is basically made up of four
different systems: the two syllabic scripts of Hiragana and
Katakana, with 46 characters each, the Chinese characters,
Kanji, and from the Latin letters, Romaji.
Kanji mostly express whole words and are correspondingly
complex. They have their origin in Chinese characters, of
which there are between 50,000 and 80,000. The Japanese
adopted around 15,000 of them. To read a simple
newspaper article in Japan requires knowing over 2,000
kanji. In daily life, the characters of these four systems are
all mixed in together, so that Japanese texts make particularly
high demands of the pupils
Such a large number of characters can only be mastered
with constant practice and repetition. Japanese line layout
is a simple but clever tool for this. Squares with sides
of two centimetres are divided into four equal squares by
two lines that cross at the centre. This cross gives those
who are learning an orientation for the correct proportion
of the character and for the positioning of the individual
elements. This can be repeated column by column. At the
next exercise level, the characters can each be written,
substantially smaller, four times in the box.
With pen and paper for more
expression and self-confidence
The skill of handwriting is, meanwhile, regarded almost as
a traditional cultural technology and teaching how to write
is regularly questioned: the digital being swipes, clicks and
types. However, it seems that not only personality can be
inferred from handwriting: studies have shown that people
who have developed a handwriting style, also possess
many abilities and potential; they have better powers of
concentration, can remember and understand texts better,
achieve better academic results and experience an
increase in their self-confidence as well as in their ability
to express themselves creatively. It only remains to hope
that many generations of pupils still learn to write with
classical school exercise books – on whatever manner of
lined page.
Few guide lines – great effect:
all the strokes have their exact
position and proportion.