In this course, we will move away from Japanese language textbooks and investigate how the language is used in modern-day Japanese society by looking at various themes.
The “Japanese language” is not static; it has been constantly undergoing change down the ages. Moreover, even today there are language variations depending on age differences, regional differences, gender differences, and various other factors.
It would be impossible to live modern-day lives without numbers. This theme covers what numbers are called and how they are counted; what numbers are auspicious and what numbers are inauspicious.
Japanese names comprise a family name (surname) and given name. Under current Japanese law, names may be written using Kanji, Hiragana, or Katakana characters. Let’s examine Japanese names while also looking at the naming of creatures other than humans.
In Japan, each region has its own diarect. Apart from Kansai-ben, there are many dialects throughout Japan.This thema introduces the classification of Japanese dialects and the various problems of modern dialects.
In Japanese, there are ways of speaking that are unique to women and to men. We will consider the historical transition of gender-related expressions in Japanese as well as contemporary expressions and usage.
We introduce that Japanese idioms link to language and physicality. The lecture will consider the need for a society and Japanese language that guarantees everyone a place where they can be themselves without physical, intellectual, or emotional discrimination in a multicultural society.
We explain that humans have always been surrounded by animals, but as the lives of humans themselves have changed, so too has the relationship between humans and animals. and will consider the historical changes in Japanese expressions for animals.
We introduce the fact that Japanese kanji have both on reading and kun reading, and that there are many "homonyms," meaning different things with the same pronunciation, gives rise to word play in the Japanese language and introduces the historical humor of the Japanese language.
We explain that there are many styles of Japanese characters and that they are used in different ways, but that they express camaraderie. He will show how new ways of using characters are emerging in the increasingly digitalized world.
We introduce the verbalization of sounds that humans actually hear also varies greatly from mother tongue to mother tongue, and the role played by Japanese onomatopoeia.
We introduces color expressions found in the Japanese language. Derived from its color and used as an expressive metaphor, consider the Japanese expression.
We introducing the fact that the Japanese language has many words peculiar to the seasons, and consider the fact that words expressing the seasons work as a characteristic of the Japanese language even though the times have changed.
Japanese language differs from spoken and written language. We will show that this difference is not only a characteristic of modern Japanese, but also of historical Japanese.
We will show that lexical features have a strong influence on the rhythm of modern Japanese. Explain that the concept of beat, rather than accent, underlies the Japanese language.
We will introduce the fact that the Japanese language has Japanese, Chinese, and foreign vocabulary types, and that different vocabulary types give different images of the same thing. Consider which types of Japanese, Chinese, and foreign vocabulary words are easier for whom to understand.
jp-kyoten@un.tsukuba.ac.jp
