Kufamba: mavara echiChinese akashandiswawo kunyora mazwi echiJapan, zvichikonzera musimboti wemazuva ano kana syllabaries. Munenge muna 650 AD, nzira yekunyora inonzi man'yōgana (inoshandiswa mune yekare nhetembo anthology Man'yōshū) yakashanduka iyo yakashandisa huwandu hwevatambi vechiChinese kurira kwavo, pane zvavanoreva. Man'yōgana yakanyorwa muchitaera che cursive yakashanduka ikava hiragana, kana onna-de, ndiko kuti, "ruoko rwemadzimai", nzira yekunyora yaiwanikwa nevakadzi (avo vakarambidzwa dzidzo yepamusoro). Mabasa makuru ezvinyorwa zveHeian-era nevakadzi akanyorwa mu hiragana. Katakana yakabuda nenzira yakafanana: vadzidzi vemamongi vakarerutsa man'yōgana kuita chinhu chimwe chete. Mamwe masisitimu maviri ekunyora, hiragana, uye katagana, pamwe chete anonzi kana, anobva kuna kana. Kuenzaniswa ne kana, mazita e kanji anobva ku hiragana.
chiKanji