The Japanese language borrowed Chinese characters, and out of those Chinese characters, it evolved two original systems of phonetic writing, the kana syllabaries. In those syllabaries, each graph represents either a vowel alone or a syllabic combination of vowel plus consonant. Because of Japan's economic success, the number of people who study the Japanese language is increasing year after year, and Japanese has now become one of the most popular languages in the world for learners. The traditions of Japanese art, music, architecture and literature are well-known all over the world, from haiku poetry to porcelain ceramics, from the tale of Prince Genji to Zen Buddhist temples.
Language is the way in to understanding Japanese culture.