[filoleg]

Again, even in the scenario you are describing, it is right-to-left when it comes to organizing columns/page layout (just like it would be with manga), but the text is still not right-to-left. It is top-to-bottom text vertical columns going left-to-right horizontally.

There is not a single instance I can think of where the actual text in Japanese would be read/written horizontally right-to-left.

[hnfong]

My original comment only mentioned traditional Japanese text layout. Let's just look at the text in the Great Wave:

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3...

Per https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%A5%9E%E5%A5%88%E5%B7%9D%E6... , it is read 「冨嶽三十六景 / 神奈川沖 / 浪裏 」 which is top to bottom, then right to left, i.e. "神奈川沖" before "浪裏".

Arguments about modern Japanese text layout is beyond the scope of my original comment, and I don't think it's meaningful to discuss it anyway. Those who know and use Japanese know, and those who don't, don't need to know.

[mitthrowaway2]

Did you read the article I linked? Or even the third sentence of my comment? The scenario I'm describing is horizontal text! It was common pre-war.

If you'd like to have an instance, here's a sign written horizontally from right to left.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_and_vertical_writin...