What makes Japanese writing easy to read? A professional writer shares tips on how to write effectively.

As a Japanese teacher and web writer, I will show you some tips on how to write easy-to-read sentences.

1. Use hiragana, katakana, and kanji appropriately.
2.  Let’s learn the basic rules for using punctuation marks such as “。” and  “、”
3.  Japanese is an SOV language. Let’s learn about the principle of “one sentence, one idea”!

Hello, before I became a Japanese teacher, I was a writer. I wasn’t particularly skilled at writing and didn’t pursue it intentionally, but I was presented with an opportunity. At first, I struggled, saying things like, “Japanese is so complicated; there are too many similar words.” However, through the job, I came to appreciate the charm, interesting aspects, and depth of the language.

Although I’ve given a lengthy introduction, today I will show you three tips on how to create easy-to-read sentences, based on my personal beliefs. Additionally, I will cover the basic rules for punctuation marks such as “、” and “。” , as well as the aspects I pay attention to when writing.

In my line of work, I encounter many opportunities to read. What is considered ‘easy-to-read’ can vary depending on individual preferences and may differ from person to person. Therefore, I can’t simply say, “This is the answer” or “It has to be like this!” However, there are some tips that can help you. I will introduce three of them here.

1. A sentence with a good balance of hiragana, katakana, and kanji.
2. A sentence with commas placed appropriately.
3. Each sentence is neither too long nor overloaded with information.

Let’s review each one thoroughly. 

Which do you think is easier to read: a sentence written only in hiragana or one that includes katakana and kanji?

・わたしはきょうにほんごがっこうでかんじのてすとをうけました。
・私は今日日本語学校で漢字のテストを受けました。
(Watashiwa kyo nihongogakkode kanjino tesutowo ukemasita.)
→ I took a Kanji test at the Japanese language school today.

If you only see hiragana, it can be difficult to identify where each word begins and ends, and you have to read each hiragana character individually. Including kanji or katakana helps because it makes it easier to guess the meaning and understand the context of the words.Let’s move on to the next topic.

・たいせつなきかいをうしなった。(Taisetuna kikaiwo ushinatta.)
・そのきしゃはらいげついどうする。(Sonokishaha raigetsu idousuru.)
・あしたはいしゃにいく。(Ashitawa ishani iku / Ashita haishani iku.)

Have you noticed? All three sentences can have two different meanings.

「大切な機会を失った(Taisetsuna kikaiwo ushinatta)」
→ I lost an important opportunity.
「大切な機械を失った(Taisetsuna kikaiwo ushinatta)」
→ I lost an important machine.

「その記者は来月異動する(Sono kishawa raigetsu idosuru)」
→ The journalist is leaving next month.
「その汽車は来月移動する(Sono kishawa raigetsu idosuru)」
→ The train is leaving next month.

「明日は医者に行く(Ashitawa ishani iku)」
→ I am going to see a doctor tomorrow.
「明日歯医者に行く(Ashita haishani iku)」
→ I am going to see a dentist tomorrow.

When a sentence contains only hiragana, it can be difficult to understand its meaning, but with kanji, the meaning becomes clear.

Japanese is a language with many homophones because it has a limited number of sounds. Japanese has only five vowels and thirteen consonants, whereas English and Chinese have more.

※Japanese language enthusiasts who find it interesting when a word has different meanings should look up “confusing homophones” or “ginata-yomi”. You’ll find more examples!

There are too many words with different meanings, so you might want to avoid writing sentences using only hiragana, as it could lead to misunderstandings. Therefore, here’s what happens if a sentence contains too many kanji or katakana.

・喫茶店で焼魚定食と烏龍茶を注文して食後に苺大福を食べた。
(Kissatende yakizakanateishokuto uronchawo chumonshite shokugoni ichigodaifukuwo tabeta)
→ I ordered a grilled fish set meal and oolong tea at a cafe, and had strawberry daifuku for dessert.

・スーパーのタイムセールでスイカやキウイなどフルーツをたくさん買った。
(supano taimuserude suikaya kiuinado hurutsuwo takusan katta)
→ I bought a lot of fruit, including watermelon and kiwi, during a time sale at the supermarket.

When I was a writer, I was advised to stick to a basic guideline: use hiragana for 70% of the text, kanji for 30%, and pay attention to the balance. Additionally, incorporate katakana intentionally.

Finally, as a bonus, I will introduce some tongue twisters. Although this is an extreme example…

・にわにはにわにわとりがいる。 (Niwaniwaniwaniwatorigairu)

If I pay attention to the balance, I would rewrite it like this:

・庭には2羽ニワトリがいる。(Niwa niwa niwa niwatoriga iru)
→ There are two chickens in the yard.

Using the number “2” is easier to understand than the kanji 二, as the katakana ニ (ni) looks almost the same. Additionally, the kanji 鶏 (chicken) can be a bit complicated, so I would prefer to use ニワトリ (chicken) in katakana for clarity. As I mentioned earlier, there is no single correct way to use all three scripts—hiragana, katakana, and kanji. You could write “二羽にわとりがいる” or “二羽鶏がいる”.

「。」is used to mark the end of a sentence. 「、」is used within a sentence to make the meaning clearer.

「、」: Known as “読点” (とうてん, touten), read as “ten” – This is the Japanese comma.
「。」: Known as “句点” (くてん, kuten), read as “maru” – This is the Japanese period.
「、」「。」: Known collectively as “句読点” (くとうてん, kutouten), read as “kutouten” – This term refers to punctuation marks in general.

Here are the basic rules for using the comma「、」 (読点, touten).

1) When you want to clarify the meaning.

・今日、母と父の誕生日プレゼントを買いに行く。
→ Today, I am going to buy birthday presents for my mother and father.
・今日母と、父の誕生日プレゼントを買いに行く。
→ Today, I am going to buy a birthday present for my father with my mother.

・先生は、笑顔でスピーチをする学生を見ていた。
→ The teacher was watching the student who was giving a speech with a smile.
・先生は笑顔で、スピーチをする学生を見ていた。
→ The teacher, with a smile, was watching the student give a speech.

2) When the same kanji are repeated or when there are many kanji.

・私は今日、日本語学校で勉強しました。
→ Today, I studied at the Japanese language school.
・会議終了後、至急確認致します。
→ After the meeting ends, I will confirm it urgently.

3) After a conjunction

・一生懸命勉強した。しかし、試験に合格しなかった。
→ I studied hard. However, I couldn’t pass the exam.
・彼は日本で建築の技術を学んだ。そして、母国で建築家になった。
→ He studied architectural technology in Japan. Then, he became an architect in his home country.

4) After word such as「～とき（toki）」「～が（ga）」「～ので（node）」「～たら（tara）」

・日本へ初めて来たとき、カルチャーショックな出来事がたくさんありました。
→ When I first came to Japan, I encountered so many cultural differences.
・資料を作成したので、添付いたします。
→ I’ve prepared the materials, so I’ve attached them.

5) When placing multiple nouns together

・今度の休みに京都、奈良、大阪へ旅行にいく。
→ On my next vacation, I will travel to Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka.
・カレー、ラーメン、とんかつ、どれを食べようか迷う。
→ Curry, ramen, or tonkatsu—what should I choose?

6) The ren’yō-chūshi form (a form that stops a conjugated verb in its ren’yō form within a sentence).

・朝６時に起き、シャワーをあび、コーヒーを飲む。
→I wake up at six, take a shower, and have a coffee.
・この家は駅に近いのに家賃が安く、住むのに快適だ。
→ Despite being close to the station, the rent is reasonable, and the place is comfortable to live in.

Additionally, I would like to share the tips I keep in mind to ensure that my writing is read without causing stress.

7) In cases of confusing words.

・今日本に住んでいます(Ima nihonni sundeimasu)。This makes it clear that while 今日 can be read as ‘today,’ the kanji 日 is actually part of 日本, which means ‘Japan.’
↓
・今、日本に住んでいます。
→ Now, I live in Japan.

8) When making clear what you want to emphasize

・私は、今日JLPTのテストを受ける（Watashiwa kyo JLPTno tesutowo ukeru）。
→ I am the one taking the JLPT test today :  Emphasizes  私( I )
・私は今日、JLPTのテストを受ける。
→ Today, I will take JLPT test. :  Emphasizes 今日(today)

・田中先生は、職員室で学生を怒った(Tanaka senseiha shokuinshitude gakuseiwo okotta)。
→ It was Professor Tanaka who scolded the students in the staff room. : Emphasizes “who”
・田中先生は職員室で、学生を怒った。→どこで怒った？を強調。
→ Professor Tanaka scolded the students in the staff room. : Emphasizes “where”

Just by addressing these eight points when writing, the readability will improve. Please be sure to keep this in mind.”

The Japanese language follows an SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) structure, where predicates such as verbs and adjectives come at the end. You won’t understand the meaning of the sentence until you read it all the way to the end. Have you ever experienced forgetting the context in the middle of a sentence while reading something long, or getting completely lost and not understanding what the text is about?

When I was a beginner, I was encouraged to practice the principle of “one sentence, one idea”—writing only one piece of information per sentence. Never put too much information in a single sentence. Use a comma up to once or maybe twice per sentence if necessary. On the other hand, some people believe it’s better to avoid commas altogether; there’s no definitive right or wrong.

・私は、TCJの学生です。／私はTCJの学生です。
(Watashiwa TCJno gakuseidesu)
→ I am a student at TCJ.

・私は、TCJで1年間、ビジネス日本語の勉強をしました。／私はTCJで1年間ビジネス日本語の勉強をしました。
(Watashiwa TCJde 1nenkan bizinesunihongono benktowo shimasita)
→ I studied business Japanese at TCJ for a year.

Finally, my boss, who is also a writer, used to say, “A reader is not just someone who reads. They are the person who picks and reads your sentence among many others. Always think about the person who reads your sentence. The more you consider them, the easier it will be to write sentences that are easy to read.” I totally agree with what he said. I would say that “caring” is key. Also, I’d like to express my gratitude to the readers. Thank you for reading this far.

“Short sentences are better” and “one sentence, one idea” are general writing principles for casual contexts. Different types of writing, such as essays, business emails, and short reports, require different approaches. If you want to develop the writing skills you need or engage in more practical writing practice, join us at TCJ and take your studies to the next level!

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