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23
Aug 2025
(Sat)

On the Orthographic Issues of the Japanese Language

Event of
Humanities and Law Open Day (August 2025)
Subject
Japanese
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Date & time
23Aug 2025 (Sat)14:30 - 15:30 Free
Type of Event
In-person Attendance
Venue
Professor and Mrs Enouch Young Lecture Theatre (Room 204), 2/F., Admiralty Centre;
Speaker
  • Mr TANABE Tomonari (Japanese-Language Advisor of Japan Foundation)

Mr TANABE Tomonari

Mr Tanabe Tomonari is the Japanese-Language Advisor of Japan Foundation, offering guidance and assistance for Japanese language education in Hong Kong and Macau. His responsibilities include Japanese teacher training, visits to Japanese language education institutions, and classroom observations.

Enquiry
37620820 (jolang@hkuspace.hku.hk)
Relevant Programmes
Certificate in Japanese (Introductory) 日語證書(基礎) 日語證書(中級) 日語證書(高中級) 日語證書(高級) 日語高等文憑 網上日語入門 1 網上日語入門 2
moreRelevant Programmes

Modern Japanese employs a combination of multiple writing systems—kanji, hiragana, and katakana—resulting in a uniquely complex orthographic structure. For instance, the greeting “こんにちは (kon ni chi wa)” is written using the particle “は(ha)” but pronounced as “wa,” highlighting a divergence between written form and spoken language. Additionally, the way in which new objects and concepts from abroad are represented and translated in Japanese poses further linguistic challenges. This talk explores the intricacies of contemporary Japanese orthography through the lens of its historical development.

Language: Japanese (with Cantonese interpretation)