Imagine trying to write a kanji that you have known for years, but suddenly you cannot remember how to write it. This can happen when people usually type Japanese on a smartphone or computer. When we type, we can enter the reading and choose the correct character without writing it ourselves.

A recent government survey found that many people still want opportunities to write by hand. Some said that writing helps them remember characters and think more carefully about what they want to say. This is especially interesting for younger people, who use digital devices every day.

Writing a message by hand may feel slow, but it gives us time to organise our thoughts before sharing them. In a world of smartphones, handwriting may be more useful than we think.