2663


Why are manga read right to left? Has it always been so? Are there any
exceptions?

(Flipped mangas are excused from this question.)


CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-25T18:33:57.567
2662
2015-10-26T03:30:43.217
247
question
manga-history
Why are manga read from right to left? Has it always been so?


The traditional Japanese written language goes from right to left.

Books in Japan tend to start from the "right-most" side. It's only natural
that manga publications follow the same format.

> Traditionally, Japanese is written in a format called tategaki (縦書き?), which
> copies the traditional Chinese system. In this format, the characters are
> written in columns going from top to bottom, with columns ordered from right
> to left. After reaching the bottom of each column, the reader continues at
> the top of the column to the left of the current one.
>
> Modern Japanese also uses another writing format, called yokogaki (横書き?).
> This writing format is horizontal and reads from left to right, just like
> English.
>
> A book printed in tategaki opens from what a Westerner would call the back,
> while a book printed in yokogaki opens from what traditionally in Japan
> would have been considered the back.
>
> —[Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_writing_system)


CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-25T18:45:30.910
2663
2013-02-26T16:20:02.500
2020-06-17T09:17:53.303
-1
260
2662
answer


["Manga textbooks"](http://www.kenleewrites.com/2010/03/manga-textbooks.html)
for studying science and math are nice examples of what would be an exception.
It's troublesome to keep the tategaki if you want to have some equations in
them.


CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-20T04:32:08.127
4877
2013-08-20T04:32:08.127
2248
2662
answer