Japanese Script since 1900

Abstract

The postwar Toyo kanji reforms were successful in helping very substantially to simplify the writing of ordinary, non-specialist Japanese texts by restricting the number of kanji in use, their readings, and their form (jitai). In 1891 the Toyo kanji List of 1946 was replaced by the more extensive Joyo naji List. The compilation of the new list over a period of eight years, and its formal adoption, were the subject of much debate. This article gives an account of the new list in terms of its developments through two draft stages to the final version, examines its contents and nature, and provides a comparison with the Toyo kanji List. By way of introduction, a summary is given of changes in the Japanese script from 1900 onwards.