Overview
- The Cultural Affairs Agency published results on October 2 showing 83.1% of respondents say they have an interest in the Japanese language, the highest share since the question began.
- The postal survey of 6,000 people aged 16 and older was done in March 2026 and returned 3,777 valid responses, a 63% response rate.
- About 31.7% of respondents said they have no opportunity to encounter vertical (tategaki) text in daily life, with a sharp age gap: teens report 79.5% exposure while people in their 20s report 54.8%.
- Daily handwriting opportunities have fallen to 69.6%, a 3.1 percentage-point drop from a comparable prior question, and the survey documents shifts in stroke direction and katakana shapes among younger writers.
- The agency and language and calligraphy educators link reduced tategaki contact to smartphone and SNS use, warn of effects on calligraphy and instruction, and say they will monitor trends with future surveys.