May 2nd, 2009
How to Learn Hiragana and Katakana
The Japanese writing system uses two phonetic syllabaris, together called kana. It is quite easy to learn hiragana and katakana. Their number is small compared to the huge number of Chinese characters making it a realistic task to learn hiragana and katakana in few days.
For foreign travellers in Japan, it is recommended to master at least these simple parts of the Japanese writing system. Outside the big cities, there are many signs that are not written in roman letters. Being able to read the kana alphabet can help a lot. An normal student of the Japanese language will usually need 4 to5 days to learn hiragana and katakana. This should be the first step when starting to learn Japanese.
