JAPANESE AND CHINESE - Same symbols!

This is Chineasy. But is it Japaneasy?

I can read a few of them. The crown is on the king, three horizontal lines with a connecting line down. The symbol looks a bit like a crown turned on its side. On the Singapore MRT (train) map I can see that on the blue Downtown line, station DT3 is called Hillview. On the Chinese index DT3 starts with hill or mountain symbol. 

The Chinese names are longer, with an extra symbol. I noticed the last symbol in every station name is the same. The  last sign is the word for station. 

Next to him, moving to the right, is an ordinary person. I shall look for that on a bus or in a lift. Number, of persons.

Then a fire or flame. 

On the next line from the left is a mountain or hill. I see that on the MRT station map index and when I reach the station on the Downtown line called Hillview. 

So the Japanese can read the Chinese station map. The Chinese, if they can read and write Chinese as well as speak it, can read the Japanese station names, and the station map. 

Problem
Some people think Chinese is difficult, and find it easier to speak Japanese.

Yes, learn to read and write either Japanese or Chinese and you can read or write the other. It's like the signs for no smoking. Each language speaker will see the sign, the cigarette and the negative, and think of the words in their own language.

Two languages for the price of one. See my last post on Chinese for more and my next post on Japanese.

Sayonara!

Useful websites:
chinese-word.com
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2018/01/japanese-three-kinds-of-writing.html

Japanese National Tourist Office is JNTO for short. JP in websites stands for Japan.
see-japan.co.uk
us,jnto.go.jp

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, speaker and raconteur. For workshops on the English language, learning other languages - or any subject, please contact me.