Presences of Orality

I noticed vestiges of the oral tradition, particularly that involing names, while watching "Spirited Away" on Sunday. Those of you who haven't seen the movie should. The bathhouse was a primarily oral cutlture but I noticed something interesting, which would be impossible for an oral culture. When Chihiro's name is taken away her new name becomes Sen. This is because the Japanese Kanji (Chinese character) for Chi can also make the sound Sen. With out literacy this distinction would be impossible.