The Japanese text can be written horizontally or vertically. When texts are written vertically, they are written top to bottom, starting with the rightmost column. When written horizontally, they are written from left to right just like English. Both texts below mean Is it a school? --- Yes, it is. Note that there are no spaces between words in Japanese.

► がっこうですか。 ► はい、そうです。	When you write horizontally (left to right), the Japanese period and the comma are written at the lower left corner of the full-size space designated for each character. Note that the small /tsu/ representing double consonants is also written at the lower left of the full-size space.
	When you write vertically (top to bottom), it is read from top to bottom starting with the rightmost column. The Japanese period and comma are written at the upper right corner of the full-size space. The small representing double consonants is also written ar the upper right of the full-size space.
	Japanese books written vertically open in the opposite direction from books written in English. Japanese books written horizontally open in the same direction as books in English.