Writing direction
Direction to write
Traditionally, Japanese was written in “vertical writing”. The document is divided into vertical lines, each vertical line is written from top to bottom, and between vertical lines is written from right to left. After reading to the bottom of a column, the next step is to the top of the column to the left.
Modern Japanese is called “horizontal writing”, which is also adopted by other methods, and is the same method as European languages such as English. Horizontal lines written from left to right are lined up from top to bottom.
In Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, the lines were originally written vertically from right to left. However, since modern times, it has been used in combination with horizontal writing in all countries. Written languages that can be used in both vertical and horizontal writing are relatively rare in modern times, and can be said to be a feature of Chinese characters (and phonetic characters used in combination with Chinese characters) in which characters are arranged as if they were square squares.
Vertical writing and horizontal writing in Japanese
Originally, Japanese is written in the same way as Chinese writing, with characters moving from top to bottom and lines moving from right to left. Kanji and kana are in stroke order assuming vertical writing, and some typefaces cannot be written horizontally.
At first glance, the titles of the biane and stone monuments look like right-to-left writing, but in the pre-modern period, these were written in “vertical writing, one character per line,” that is, written according to the norm of vertical writing.
It is usually not written horizontally. If there is a height in the space, the line will advance from right to left with two or more characters per line. For both Chinese characters and kana, all horizontal strokes are written from left to right, and all vertical strokes are written from top to bottom. Occurs.
Right-to-left writing seen as a special case
Notation on the right side of the bus. When writing characters on objects that have a clear front-back concept, such as automobiles and ships, right-to-left writing may be used on the right side in consideration of ongoing reading. Of course, on the other side, it is written horizontally on the left, which means that it is written symmetrically. However, as lettering displays are being replaced by the concept of logotypes, this practice is also becoming obsolete.
Proper use of vertical writing and horizontal writings
In modern Japan, both vertical and horizontal writing are used.
Vertical writing is used in most calligraphy works, Japanese textbooks, literary arts, newspapers, etc. The manga also follows the tradition from before the war, and the standard is to carry the frames horizontally to the right, and the lines of the blowout are written vertically, but when the book is bound to the left, only the frames are moved to the right. May also progress to the left. In addition, although the lines are basically written vertically, there are also manga works in which only the balloons of the lines are written horizontally in the scene where some foreign languages are spoken. In this case, vertical writing and horizontal writing are mixed on one page.
Even in books related to natural science, there are still many examples of vertical writing in enlightenment books that do not use mathematical formulas. Most books on social sciences are written vertically, except for specialized books on mathematical economics and accounting. In official documents, laws, bills, official bulletins, or resolutions and resolutions in the Diet are written vertically. Vertical and right-to-left binding books are bound to the right.
Horizontal writing is used, for example, in most specialized books on foreign languages, mathematics, science, music, etc., that is, documents that include horizontal writing languages, mathematical formulas, sheet music, and so on. Computer output is also mostly horizontal. Horizontal writing is the mainstream for movie and game information magazines due to the nature of the layout that handles horizontally long screen shots. Left-horizontal bindings are bound to the left.
Thank you for reading! ありがとう。 Namu Shinnyo ■
