Why do you say hello on the phone?
The first telephone line in Japan was opened about 100 years ago, in 1890, between Tokyo and Yokohama.
In those days, people did not say "Moshi moshi" (hello) on the phone, but "Moshi moshi, moshi moshi" or "Hey, hey, hey".
At first, only very rich people could use the phone. When they said "moshi moshi," they might have been trying to be cheeky.
As for when this changed to "Moshi Moshi," I am not sure. The truth is that many people gradually began to use the telephone, and it became so before we knew it.
The word "moshi moshi" is now used only on the telephone. However, it seems to have been commonly used a short time ago.
For example, nowadays, when you call out to someone, if it is a friend, you use words like "hey" or "hey. If it is a stranger, we say, "Excuse me.
When the telephone was first introduced, people often used "moshi" or "moshi moshi" to call someone. Therefore, it seems that only the telephone language of those days remains.
