> On a slight side note, kids can't even write their own names in kanji. You can imagine how happy we got when we were taught kanjis that were part of our name.

> On a slight side note, kids can't even write their own names in kanji. You can imagine how happy we got when we were taught kanjis that were part of our name. Do you have any thoughts on the implications (social, mainly) of logographic writing systems? Also would be interested in having a sense of the historic patterns of literacy in Japan in context of Tokugawa caste system. /tia