transcript question

[jasonbTX]

In the transcripts, the hiragana は is used when the spoken dialogue is "wa" as in "kore wa" or "watashi wa". Why is わ not used here? This keeps tripping me up when I try to read.

Thanks.

[jkeyz15]

SHORT ANSWER:
Because it just is that way. The particle /wa/ is not written as pronounced. Same with /e/, /o/ (written with he and wo respectively). This is just something that must me memorized


LONG ANSWER (explanation):
A long time ago in Classical Japanese, in ye olde Japanese, The は row was pronounce "wa, i, u, e o." But these pronunciations changed over time. The old ways were preserved for grammatical particle.