Japanese and Chinese are languages that differ entirely in terms of grammar and pronunciation.
Originally, Japan did not possess its own writing system.
Legends were transmitted orally through generations by individuals called “storytellers.”
As Japan began to engage with the Chinese mainland, it imported the Chinese script. The Japanese language remained the same, but Chinese characters (kanji) were used with multiple readings, including on’yomi (Chinese-derived readings) and kun’yomi (native Japanese readings).
Moreover, the kanji characters were simplified and transformed into two new simplified scripts known as “hiragana” and “katakana.”
Each individual character came to represent a single syllable.
These three writing systems continue to be used today.
The purpose behind creating these scripts was to compile Japan’s history.
In 712, the oldest Japanese historical book called “Kojiki” was completed. It is a compilation of Japanese myths and legends.
In 770, the anthology of poems called “Manyoshu” was completed. Prior to this, the Japanese people had been imitating Chinese poetry, but due to the differences in sounds between Chinese and Japanese, they couldn’t achieve the rhymes and various rhetorical techniques required in Chinese poetry.
However, in the “Manyoshu,” a new form of poetry called “waka” was developed, consisting of 31 syllables that better suited the sounds of the Japanese language.