Why are CD booklets left-to-right?

[Zeke.]

Well, why are they? Magazines and books are right-to-left, so why have the CD booklets so "American-like"?

[appears]

dunno, probably because the lyrics themselves are written horizontally, left-right maybe but shiina ringo has them "traditional" style, its kinda neat...

[Delirium-Zer0]

I think it's mostly cuz of how they slide into the case, to be honest. Ayu's A single insert opens the japanese way and it's a pain in the butt to slide back into the case cuz it wants to like, fold back open again.

That and alot of pop-culture stuff is doing things in western ways, and lyrics are printed as appears says most of the time.

And Shiina Ringo is definitely a different case, she loves going traditional on her releases. I've never seen an artist with more all-japanese language CD covers & posters.

[sxesven]

I think it's mostly dependent on the fact that it's the most convenient way in combination with the standard jewelcase - that is, if you're right-handed. Being right-handed, it's easier to hold the case in your right hand and open it with your left than the other way around. Knowing this, it'd be odd to place the booklet in entirely differently, which would be the case if you were going to go right-left.

And as has been pointed out, Shiina Ringo does have some right-to-left booklets. Her Karuki Zamen Kuri No Hana albums is probably the prime example of this.

[cleftjuston]

i prefer it from left to right, standard

[hopeorpain]

it's the standard format

[Brittany]

Because they just want it that way and I prefer it that way. It makes sense to me, because reading/looking through a CD booklet is like reading a book.

[jerms]

haha good question! now that you point it out i find it quite interesting indeed.

It makes sense to me, because reading/looking through a CD booklet is like reading a book.

in most of asia, books are writtin backwards, so 'reading a book' would not be like lookin through a cd booklet in japan.