In which of the following non-alphabetic writing systems does each character represent a syllable?

The correct choice is Japanese, specifically referring to the writing systems known as hiragana and katakana. In these syllabaries, each character corresponds to a specific syllable, making them distinct from alphabetic systems where characters typically represent individual phonemes. For instance, in hiragana, the character か (ka) represents the syllable "ka," while き (ki) represents "ki."

The use of these syllabaries allows for phonetic representation of the Japanese language, complementing kanji, which is logographic and represents whole words or concepts but involves multiple characters and can be complex. In contrast, the other options involve different systems; for example, Korean uses Hangul, where characters form syllabic blocks but are based on individual phonemes rather than entire syllables. Chinese characters are logographic as well, meaning each character represents a whole idea or concept rather than a sound. Arabic, on the other hand, operates primarily with an alphabetic system, where each letter typically represents a consonant sound, and the vowels are often omitted in writing.

This distinction is key to understanding why Japanese is the correct answer, as its writing system is specifically designed around syllables.