Abstract

Contemporary Japan forms in many ways a particular cultural space like the “Galapagos Islands”. One of the fields where Japan is very particular is arguably its writing system. The existing writing conventions are among the most complicated in the world, and it is therefore rather unsurprising to find that script and orthography are causing a number of problems to diverse groups in Japan. The existing writing system constitutes a barrier to foreigners, in particular those from non-kanji countries, such as the nikkeijin. It is also a problem for visually impaired people, a challenge for IT developments and adaptations, but also mainstream and healthy people having grown up in Japan are prone to experience difficulties in daily life. Learning how to read and write takes long hours of ardent and intensive study. This experience, too, is a mechanism that sets “Japanese” apart from “foreigners”, rendering the latter “cultural outsiders” in Japan.