Japanese forgetting how to write traditional characters

So many Japanese are forgetting how to write kanji characters that cultural experts believe the country may eventually scrap the use of Chinese pictograms in favour of the 46 simplified hiragana characters.

Software maker Kanken DS has released a title that enables people to test their knowledge of characters - but was surprised to find that 90 per cent of the 400 people aged between 35 and 40 who took part in a study were unable to recall all the correct number and positioning of strokes for the 1,945 characters that are taught in public schools.

And although many have been quick to blame the increasing use of computers in the home and workplace, and mobile phone texting, Japanese are also reading less and no longer penning letters.

'We had to study really hard 30 or 40 years ago and learn 10 kanji every day, but youngsters today are not forced to study and they never write letters or essays by hand,' said Toshiko Marks, a professor at Shumei University.

'The problem among middle-aged people is not as bad as among young people, but kanji are one of those things that, if you don't use them regularly, you forget them. They may be able to recognise them in a sentence, but writing them down is beyond a lot of people now.

'It's actually quite embarrassing sometimes. Computers have this automatic function so you can punch in a character and get numerous different characters with the same sound but very different meanings. That means if you want the character seiko, it will give you both 'success' and 'sex' - and that's when it becomes very dangerous.'