In Japanese schools, the way numbers were written emphasized form over individuality.

The Active Learning: What About This? Institute launched at DENTSU SOKEN INC. We propose ideas about active learning from various angles. This column introduces methods, approaches, and individuals that could be useful for making learning more active.

Numbers written somewhat casually. If I were to write them, maybe like this? Over time, your own style emerges. Writing stiffly, writing with curves, adding a bit of decoration. Just like different fonts, handwriting develops its own personality.

A few years after developing my own style, I transferred to a Japanese school. Then came math class. On my very first day, there was a surprise test, and the problem sheet was handed out. Oh, I can solve these! Unlike other subjects, my motivation was sky-high. Alright! Done! I felt a bit confident. But my confidence was shattered for an unexpected reason. Every single answer was marked wrong. But my answers couldn't be wrong. Why? It must be the teacher's mistake. I immediately protested to the teacher. And an unexpected answer came back. Your written answers might be correct, but the way you wrote the numbers is wrong. As long as you write them that way, even if the answer is correct, I can't mark it right. Meaning it's wrong.

What the hell? I couldn't believe it. I kept protesting that there are various ways to write numbers. I'd actually encountered many different number writing styles in other countries before, and even if someone wrote differently, it wasn't a problem as long as it was readable. In fact, the numbers I write are perfectly legible. What's wrong with that?

Then the teacher declared that in Japan, there's only one way to write them. Huh? But they're Arabic numerals! They're not even Japanese, so why? But it was true—every other classmate wrote the numbers exactly the same, almost as if using the same computer font. Their handwriting was nearly identical too. This is... incredible! Where did individuality go? I was shocked.

 

I couldn't accept it for a while, but I ended up learning the Japanese-style numbers just for math tests. The biggest problem was the 7. Yes, the horizontal line. In Russia, adding a horizontal line is standard. It was the same in France. This style is quite mainstream in Europe. There's a good reason for adding the horizontal line: to make it easier to distinguish from the number 1. In these countries, the number 1 is often written not as a simple vertical line, but with a small hook at the top. Because this shape resembles the number 7, they add the horizontal line to the 7.

That meant my way of writing the 1 was also no good. Oh dear. Because then, wouldn't it become difficult to distinguish it from the letters l or L? It might be fine if I only used Japanese, but I use other languages too, and who knows when I might go abroad again. I felt reluctant to change it.

Next came the problem with the number 2. It has more curves than the Japanese style. The teacher said it resembles the Greek letter alpha and is confusing. But people write it that way in Russia and America too, so it shouldn't be a problem.

I managed to clear 3, but then came a complaint about 4. Apparently, the horizontal stroke must pierce through the vertical stroke. Hmm. That might actually make some sense. But it still reads the same either way. I somehow cleared 5 too.

But 6 and 9 apparently didn't pass. Yes, in Russia, the top part of 6 and the bottom part of 9 are written with curves. They said 9 looks like a g and is confusing. But doesn't 6 look like a b if you don't round it? I didn't get their agreement. Oh well, guess I'll have to fix this one.

So for a while, I ended up using two different fonts. One for myself and one for tests (the teacher). It was silly, but I believed my handwriting was my personality, so I kept up this hassle for a while.

Nowadays, I've settled into a sort of compromise font and don't worry much about individuality anymore. But maybe that's become my individuality instead. I can almost hear someone saying, "Shouldn't you focus on fixing your messy handwriting instead?"

But thinking back, Russians all write numbers in a similar way too. You can tell immediately when a number was written by a Russian. This isn't limited to numbers. English letters are the same. Even when writing English, you can tell it was written by a Russian.

Once, in an English class at a Russian school, I was told my English alphabet writing was wrong. I'd just returned from England and had just learned the British way of writing letters. It was the correct way to write English letters, but it wasn't the Russian way. At that time, maybe because I'd just come back from England, I didn't have to correct it, but even then, there was a tendency to consider that country's way of writing as correct.

The writing styles are completely different, but the situation is similar to Japan. When Japanese people write numbers or English letters, you can tell they were written by Japanese people (people who learned numbers in Japan). It's quite strange.

In the US, Canada, and the UK, people wrote in all sorts of ways, and as far as I could tell, no teacher tried to enforce a specific style. Everyone freely expressed their individuality in their fonts.

Japan, with its kanji culture where stroke order and hooks are crucial. Perhaps this spirit carries over even to numbers and the alphabet. On the other hand, Western countries where learning the basics is important, yet individuality in writing is allowed. This might symbolize a culture that values diversity.

It's fascinating to think that handwriting continues to evolve based on where you live. Some countries favor cursive as the standard, others use block letters. Some use both depending on the context. This leaves a significant amount of freedom to the individual.

Learning about different writing styles and the meanings behind them might allow us to touch upon various ways of thinking around the world. It might also help us experience diversity.

The way I write now might not actually be the best fit for me. Realizing that each country's culture and mindset is reflected in its writing style makes me want to learn more about the world's diverse writing methods. I feel inspired to try out different styles. Thinking about it this way, even the way numbers are written becomes incredibly fascinating.