Word count of a JLPT paper?

[Muz1234]

How do you count Japanese words in word processing? If I write an essay in Japanese in college, does the Japanese professor always indicate a word count for their essays and requirements?

 

[joadbres]

In Japanese, character count is more useful, and used more often as a criterion.

This topic was touched on in a recent thread:

What is the definition of 単語 in Japanese language?

The dictionary or the translation usually says it is a word in the English language Bearing that in mind a word in Japanese language could be one kanji or more than one kanji's, one kana or more than one kana's. So how would Japanese people define it? Should we say a term instead?

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