Easy Japanese in Focus as Way to Deliver Info to Foreigners

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)--Easy Japanese is in the spotlight as a way to disseminate information to foreigners in Japan, especially at the time of disasters such as a recent powerful earthquake that hit the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto.

According to a survey targeting foreigners living in Tokyo, 41.3 pct said they want to read information written in easy Japanese, higher than 35.9 pct seeking information in English.

"It's probably because the nationalities of foreigners living in Japan have diversified, and fewer people are from English-speaking countries and regions," said Nobuko Inoue of Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation Tsunagari, which conducted the survey and works to promote and raise awareness about easy Japanese.

The crux of giving out information in easy Japanese is to avoid using onomatopoeia, mimetic words, words adopted from foreign languages and ambiguous expressions, and to use short and clear sentences, according to the foundation.

For example, "kyanseru," which derives from the English word cancel, can be replaced with "yameru" in easy Japanese. "Moraeru," meaning "you can get," can be used for "teikyo-suru," which means to provide.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]