kanji w/ hiragana captions?

[ValentineTheory]

Ive noticed this some time ago but.....Do most texts in Japan that have Kanji include Hiragana captions to help those who don't know enough Kanji? Or is this just in mangas and "childrens" books?

I know that in elementary reading this is to help young (and new to japanese language) learners to read and understand, but is this usual with Things like Newspapers, magazines, TV captions, and more "sophistcated" texts like Novels and books?

BTW Im been taking my first year of Japanese already, but as luck would have it, no one in my classes has been to Japan to confirm it (he, ironic isn't it?)

If it wasn't for the hiragana, i wouldn't be able to read at all, Kanji is the devil!:mad

[Sho]

The furigana on top of the kanji is only in children's books and the younger shonen mangas. It sometimes is on top of other kanji that aren't very well known either. But in newspapers, books, TV captions (except for children shows), and the older mangas for the 16+ crowd it's just kanji without the furigana.

You can check out some Japanese newspapers on the web too. You don't have to be in Japan to read it. But you'll have to look up any kanji you don't know of course.

[Mugiwara]

I've read (Not exactly read, I only know almost half of hiragana :P) a japanese newspaper.. And no... There aren't those "help-hiragana"

I get a headache when I think about learning kanji (I'm at my first year japanese class :P)

[Kaki]

and I think okurigana is the kana that is used to conjugate verbs and stuff right?

[Tatsuki]

furigana. You seem them on top of kanji. good for kids and people who dont know past grade 2 kanji

[The Black Knight]

and I think okurigana is the kana that is used to conjugate verbs and stuff right?

yes that is okurigana

....but the thread creator is talking about furigana, which is the pronunciation of the kanji written above or beside it (in vertical text)

[WHEATTHlNS]

Without kanji, the context of complex sentences would be nearly impossible to understand. Japanese spellings FREQUENTLY repeat themselves; kanji is their to convey meaning.

As for Furigana, you will see it in text past 2nd grade levels, but yes it generally does taper off at some point.

[the_invisible_men]

lol that cleared up another question on my head. thx for making this thread =D