Before we all get too enthused ... Kanji is not without its limitations, though, is it ?

Apart from the fact that the learning period required to amass a reasonable working vocabulary (which doesn't seem to hinder Japanese or Chinese speakers to any great degree, I admit....) is a little prolonged... there is the problem of obsolescence.

It is my understanding that, fairly recently, a team of engineers, craftsmen and enthusiasts were restoring a WWII Mitsubishi A6M5 "Zeke" aircraft (the famous "Zero"). They had at their disposal, old drawings, mauals and design documents from the 1940's to assist in their task .....

.... but they couldn't read half of it !

The Kanji was out-dated and long out of use - particularly many of the 1940's-era technical terms. (Any of you folks in your teens know what an "advance-retard" control does ? - or even ... what is a carburetor ? - but I bet you all drive ... !).

They got over the problem by sniffing out a few old guys (much older than Uncle Frank or myself !) to read it for them ! And there weren't many left !

I think that this could well be the "Achilles Heel" of any pictographic form of writing in a technological age, where terminology comes, goes, evolves, dies and changes on almost a daily basis.

Just think about it for ten minutes ....

Regards,

ジョン