The Japanese language is written using three scripts: kanji (Chinese characters), hiragana, and katakana (both phonetic scripts).

During the Edo period, which lasted from the 17th to the mid-19th century, Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate and experienced a period of peace and stability.

In the 12th century, the samurai class emerged in Japan, with warriors serving as protectors for the aristocracy.