Japanese is an East Asian language spoken by 128 million people, primarily in Japan, where it is the national language. The origins of Japanese are somewhat unclear, with theories suggesting influences from various language families, including Altaic and Austronesian. Japanese first appeared in written form in the 8th century using Chinese characters. Over time, two phonetic scripts, Hiragana and Katakana, were developed to supplement these characters. Japanese has evolved through several stages, from Old Japanese to Middle Japanese and then to Modern Japanese, each marked by distinct linguistic changes. The language has been influenced by Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, and English, particularly in vocabulary. Modern Japanese is known for its complex honorific system, reflecting the hierarchical nature of Japanese society, and its use of three writing systems: Kanji (Chinese characters), Hiragana, and Katakana.