Jindai moji
Encyclopedia : J : JI : JIN : Jindai moji
Jindai moji (Japanese: 神代文字 “script of the age of the gods”), also read as kamiyo moji, are characters (moji) comprising a fictional writing system promoted by Japanese nationalists in the 1930s as a native Japanese script predating Japan's exposure to Chinese writing. They are now generally acknowledged as a historical hoax, but are still found in various Shinto shrines, including the Ise Shrine, and used in some Shinto ceremonies and amulets.
Most versions are copies or derivatives of the Korean phonetic script Hangul, which was created by King Sejong in the mid-15th century. Others are vaguely pictographic or runic in appearance.
Jindai moji were taught during the height of Japanese nationalism before World War II and mentioned in Japanese scholarly books. Today, they are acknowledged as recent fabrications, although some nationalists and Shintoists still argue for their authenticity.
Sources
- http://www.docoja.com:8080/jisho/mainword?dbname=histg&mainword=Jindai_moji
- http://www.ontopia.net/i18n/script.jsp?id=3226
External links
- http://www.langmaker.com/db/alp_jindaimoji.htm
- http://www.mmtaylor.net/Literacy_Book/DOCS/Jindai_Moji.html
- http://www.page.sannet.ne.jp/tsuzuki/sinmoji.htm - Japanese only, but shows many different scripts, not just Hangul derivatives
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