Japanese Writing Systems - Yokogaki and Tategaki

Writing Systems Explained - Additional Information (Lesson 2)

Japanese is traditionally written in a format called tategaki (vertical writing), which originates from Chinese. Tategaki is commonly used in Japanese novels, newspapers, magazines, and manga. See the diagram below for an example:

Tategaki example. In this format, text flows in columns from top to bottom, and the columns are arranged from right to left. Finally pages are read from right to left

Japanese can also be written in a format called yokogaki (horizontal writing) which is used often in websites, e-mails, texting, and scientific writing. This format is similar to the one used when writing English. See the diagram below for an example:

Yokogaki example. In this format text flows in rows from left to right, and the rows are arranged from top to bottom. Finally pages are read from left to right.

Furthermore, Japanese does not use spaces between words. Instead, readers rely on context to determine word boundaries.

Finally, Japanese also uses its own set of punctuation marks. See the table below for more details:

Japanese vs. English Punctuation

Punctuation	Japanese Form	English Form	Notes
Comma	、	,	Full-width in Japanese; used similarly but with slight stylistic differences.
Period	。	.	Full-width; marks the end of a sentence.
Quotation Marks	「」	" "	Used for direct speech, book titles, or emphasis.
Parentheses	（）	()	Full-width required in Japanese; same usage as English.
Question Mark	？	?	Full-width; sometimes omitted in formal writing.
Exclamation Mark	！	!	Full-width; used similarly to English.