Abstract
According to a prediction made in the mid-20th century, Chinese characters were expected to vanish from Japanese sentences by the end of the 22nd century. This prediction was based on research on the usage rate of Chinese characters in Japanese sentences. However, this is now doubtful because although more than half a century has passed, the use of Chinese characters in Japanese is still widespread. This study examines the rates of Chinese character usage in Japanese sentences in the past three decades. Through the examination, this study concludes that the hypothesis of decreasing rates, in accordance with the prediction, was not supported because a year-by-year analysis of the usage tendencies suggested that the rates have not substantially decreased. Moreover, the analysis suggested the possibility of the rates becoming stable.
https://ror.org/02956yf07 
