The symbols seen above are written in katakana and will be used to comprise a phrase in Japanese. If you don't know Japanese, then it's a guessing game for you (but the answer will be translated if you win). If you do know Japanese, then this will be the easiest game you'll ever play.

Katakana (literally "side script"), is the more angular of the phonetic syllabaries and was the first of the Kana syllabaries. It was invented by Kibi no Makibi (AD 693-755) by the simplification of a single element or radical from each of the phonetic Kanji. Each Katakana symbol was derived from a Chinese character and were initially used only as a pronunciation aids in Buddhist scriptures, but were mixed with Chinese characters as they are now from the ninth century on.

In modern times, the two syllabaries have differentiated into distinct usages within written Japanese. Katakana are now used to write loan words (foreign words brought into Japanese). Such borrowing usually occurred when the Japanese language lacked a native word to express a foreign idea. Though loan words have come from Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and other languages. The modern post-war history of Japan's relationship with the United States has in fact led to English origin loan words being in the majority of foreign words expressed in Japanese. Hence, modern Japanese has a large number of words that English speaking people can easily recognize. As they are generally rendered in Katakana, it is quite logical for English speaking people to begin their study of written Japanese with the Katakana script.

the preceding text was kindly provided by Jôyô 96