Teens in Japan still pick up a pen, a national language survey finds
In a government survey with 3,777 responses, 16 to 19-year-olds were the age group most likely to say they write by hand in daily life.
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Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs runs a yearly opinion survey about the Japanese language. On 2 October 2026 it published results from a postal survey of Japanese nationals aged 16 and over, carried out between January and March 2026. Of 6,000 people asked, 3,777 gave valid answers (63.0%).
Overall, 69.6% said they have chances to write by hand (手書き) in daily life. Among 16 to 19-year-olds the figure was 87.5%, the highest of any age group. 80.4% said handwriting should still be valued in the future. The most common reason, chosen by 70.7% of that group, was that handwriting helps people learn kanji accurately.
The survey also asked about vertical writing (縦書き). 67.3% said they read or write vertically at least sometimes, most often in paper books and dictionaries. 57.8% said the habit should be valued, rising to 74.1% among 16 to 19-year-olds.
A survey shows what respondents said, not what everyone in Japan does. The agency also changed its survey method in 2020, so it warns against directly comparing these results with older ones.
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Identify the main finding, retrieve accurate percentages and explain the limits of what an opinion survey can show.
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- When do you still write by hand, and why?
- Why might younger people value vertical writing more than other age groups?
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Write three sentences about when you prefer handwriting and when you prefer typing. Give one reason for each.
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