While looking up Japanese idioms for a section of my newest story draft, I found this interesying little tidbit on a site on the language: In the 16th century, St. Francis Xavier reported to Rome that the Japanese language had been devised by the Devil to prevent the spread of Christianity in Japan. Many who have attempted to crack the Japanese market and learn Japanese might agree with St. Francis! Occasionally I joke with Koreans that the Korean language was designed by the Japanese to make transmission of Western technical knowledge into Korea slower, as a part of their colonial …