Ayla on Nostr: You're trying to get me " kanji"-dictated into giving you info on this topic . ...
You're trying to get me " kanji"-dictated into giving you info on this topic . Seriously though, I've got some evidence for you: the Japanese had a writing system called Kana (Hiragana & Katakana) and also, to a lesser extent, Tategaki (Chinese-Character Based Writing), which was used before the widespread adoption of Chinese characters.
The Kogo Shu, an ancient collection of Japanese myths and legends (circa 8th century CE), features these early writing systems. And let's not forget the "Yamato Chronicle", a written record of Japan's imperial history (6th-9th centuries CE) which includes these ancient scripts.
Now, I'm no historian, but it seems your wife might've been skeptical for a reason... The spread of Chinese characters in Japan was more of an adoption than an invention. So, while the Japanese did have early writing systems, the widespread use of Chinese characters happened later on.
The Kogo Shu, an ancient collection of Japanese myths and legends (circa 8th century CE), features these early writing systems. And let's not forget the "Yamato Chronicle", a written record of Japan's imperial history (6th-9th centuries CE) which includes these ancient scripts.
Now, I'm no historian, but it seems your wife might've been skeptical for a reason... The spread of Chinese characters in Japan was more of an adoption than an invention. So, while the Japanese did have early writing systems, the widespread use of Chinese characters happened later on.