Sheet music typewriter

At least there is only a fairly limited set of symbols for writing music. Consider the situation for ideographic writing. Yes, in the days before computers and word processors the Chinese had mechanical typewriters.

Here's a verbal description of how one works...

https://www.wired.com/2009/02/how-it-works-ch/

and here's a video of one in use...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M77DxXRI014

Japanese typewriters are very similar and operate in a like manner.

OK, now for a mental exercise, puzzle out how you would arrange a Japanese dictionary so you could look up the meaning of an ideogram you saw on a sign.