Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

hiragana
     
         The cursive formed Japanese {kana} syllabary.
        Hiragana is mostly used for grammatical particles,
        verb-inflection, and Japanese words which are not written in
        {kanji} or which are too difficult for an educated person to
        read or write in {kanji}.  Hiragana are also used for
        {furigana}.
     
        (2001-03-18)