"Characters" in Japanese Communication and Language: An Overview
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4312/ala.5.2.9-28Keywords:
character, style, personality, identity, JapaneseAbstract
There are various ideas related to characters in modern Japan (dramatis personae, Ito's (2005) Kyara and its self-professed successors' ideas, and situation-based self). This paper will introduce these ideas, address my definition of character (situation-based self) in detail, and discuss its significance for communication and linguistic research.
The major characteristics of this definition are: (i) it is based on the traditionally taboo idea that "humans can change in response to the situation," and (ii) it is not something created by a researcher (the author), but was rather formed by speakers of Japanese in the course of daily life. I merely employed this word as it is, as a technical term.
Japanese speakers are keenly conscious of the self’s situation-sensitiveness, but there is no need to think of Japanese society as unique just because it was the first to come out about this fact to the world. This characteristic of Japanese society can be understood as a difference of degree; that is, there is "a low degree of freedom in style, and a correspondingly large degree of freedom in character."
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Aihara, H. (2007). Kyara-ka suru Nippon. Tokyo: Kodansha.
Aoki, S. (2014). Kyarakutaa, pawaa: Yuru-kara kara kokka burandingu made. Tokyo: NHK Books.
Azuma, H. (2003). Doubutsukasuru otakukei bunka. In H. Azuma (Ed.), Moujougenron efu kai: Posuto modan, otaku, sekushuariti (pp. 19-38). Tokyo: Seidosha.
Doi, T. (2009). Kyara-ka suru/sareru kodomotachi: Haijogata shakai niokeru aratana ningenzou. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten.
Fujiwara, Y. (1994). Bunpougaku. Tokyo: Musashino Shoin.
Grice, H.P. (1957). Meaning. Philosophical Review, 66 (3), 377-388. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2182440?origin=JSTOR-pdf&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Inuyama, A., & Sugimoto, M. (2012). Yuru-kyararon: Yurukunai "yuru-kyara" no jittai. Tokyo: Voyager.
Ito, G. (2005). Tezuka izu deddo: Hirakareta mangahyougenron e. Tokyo: NTT Publishing Co.
Iwasaki, S. (2005). Multiple-grammar hypothesis: A case study of Japanese passive constructions. Paper presented at Phylogeny and Ontogeny of Written Language, Kyoto University, August 17, 2005.
Iwashita, H. (2013). Shoujomanga no hyougenkikou: Hirakareta mangahyougenshi to "Tezuka Osamu". Tokyo: NTT Publishing Co.
Kawasaki, M. (2012). Hanyu "juese yuyan" yanjiu (Unpublished dissertation). Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China.
Kuresawa, T. (2010). Kyarakutaa bunka nyuumon. Tokyo: NTT Publishing Co.
Miura, J. (2004). Yuru-kyara daizukan. Tokyo: Fusosha.
Odagiri, H. (2010). Kyarakutaa towa nanika. Tokyo: Chikuma Shobo.
Ogiue, C. (2008). Netto ijime: Webushakai to owarinaki "kyara" sensou. Tokyo: PHP Institute.
Okamoto, Y. (2009). Juunisaikara no gendaishisou. Tokyo: Chikuma Shobo.
Sadanobu, T. (2006). Kotoba to hatsuwa kyarakuta. Bungaku, 7 (6), 117-129.
Sadanobu, T. (2007). Kyara-joshi ga arawareru kankyou. In S. Kinsui (Ed.), Yakuwarigo kenkyu no chihei (pp. 27-48). Tokyo: Kurosio Publishers.
Sadanobu, T. (2009). Metamorphosis in Japanese manga and our daily communication. Studii de Ştiinţă şi Cultură, 5 (1) 16-25. http://www.revista-studii-uvvg.ro/images/stories/16/metamorfoza.pdf
Sadanobu, T. (2011). Nihongo shakai nozoki kyarakuri: Kaotsuki, karadatsuki, kotobatsuki. Tokyo: Sanseido.
Sadanobu, T. (2010, Mar 14-2012, Feb 26). An unofficial guide for Japanese characters. (English translation of the draft of Sadanobu (2011)) Senseido Word-Wise Web. Retrieved from http://dictionary.sanseido-publ.co.jp/wp/author/sadanobu-e/
Sadanobu, T. (2012, Feb 5-2015, Dec 6). Nihongo shakai nozoki kyarakuri hoi. (A supplement to Sadanobu (2011)) Sanseido Word-Wise Web. Retrieved from http://dictionary.sanseido-publ.co.jp/wp/author/sadanobu/
Sadanobu, T. (2015). Kandoushi to naibujoutai no musubitsuki no meikakuka nimukete. In K. Tomosada (Ed.), Kandoushi no gengogaku (pp. 3-14). Tokyo: Hitsuji Shobo.
Saito, T. (2011). Kyarakutaa seishinbunseki: Manga, bungaku, Nihonjin. Tokyo: Chikuma Shobo.
Senuma, F. (2007). Kyararon. Tokyo: Studio Cello.
Senuma, F. (2009). Naze wakai sedai wa "kyara"-ka surunoka. Tokyo: Kasga Publishing Inc.
Shinjo, K. (2009). Monogatari kougakuron: nyuumonhen kyarakutaa o tsukuru. Tokyo: Kadokawa Gakugei Shuppan.
Siewierska, A. (2004). Person. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sperber, D. & Wilson, D. (1986). Relevance: Communication and Cognition. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Uno, T. (2008). Zeronendai no souzouryoku. Tokyo: Hayakawa Shobo.
Aoki, S. (2014). Kyarakutaa, pawaa: Yuru-kara kara kokka burandingu made. Tokyo: NHK Books.
Azuma, H. (2003). Doubutsukasuru otakukei bunka. In H. Azuma (Ed.), Moujougenron efu kai: Posuto modan, otaku, sekushuariti (pp. 19-38). Tokyo: Seidosha.
Doi, T. (2009). Kyara-ka suru/sareru kodomotachi: Haijogata shakai niokeru aratana ningenzou. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten.
Fujiwara, Y. (1994). Bunpougaku. Tokyo: Musashino Shoin.
Grice, H.P. (1957). Meaning. Philosophical Review, 66 (3), 377-388. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2182440?origin=JSTOR-pdf&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Inuyama, A., & Sugimoto, M. (2012). Yuru-kyararon: Yurukunai "yuru-kyara" no jittai. Tokyo: Voyager.
Ito, G. (2005). Tezuka izu deddo: Hirakareta mangahyougenron e. Tokyo: NTT Publishing Co.
Iwasaki, S. (2005). Multiple-grammar hypothesis: A case study of Japanese passive constructions. Paper presented at Phylogeny and Ontogeny of Written Language, Kyoto University, August 17, 2005.
Iwashita, H. (2013). Shoujomanga no hyougenkikou: Hirakareta mangahyougenshi to "Tezuka Osamu". Tokyo: NTT Publishing Co.
Kawasaki, M. (2012). Hanyu "juese yuyan" yanjiu (Unpublished dissertation). Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China.
Kuresawa, T. (2010). Kyarakutaa bunka nyuumon. Tokyo: NTT Publishing Co.
Miura, J. (2004). Yuru-kyara daizukan. Tokyo: Fusosha.
Odagiri, H. (2010). Kyarakutaa towa nanika. Tokyo: Chikuma Shobo.
Ogiue, C. (2008). Netto ijime: Webushakai to owarinaki "kyara" sensou. Tokyo: PHP Institute.
Okamoto, Y. (2009). Juunisaikara no gendaishisou. Tokyo: Chikuma Shobo.
Sadanobu, T. (2006). Kotoba to hatsuwa kyarakuta. Bungaku, 7 (6), 117-129.
Sadanobu, T. (2007). Kyara-joshi ga arawareru kankyou. In S. Kinsui (Ed.), Yakuwarigo kenkyu no chihei (pp. 27-48). Tokyo: Kurosio Publishers.
Sadanobu, T. (2009). Metamorphosis in Japanese manga and our daily communication. Studii de Ştiinţă şi Cultură, 5 (1) 16-25. http://www.revista-studii-uvvg.ro/images/stories/16/metamorfoza.pdf
Sadanobu, T. (2011). Nihongo shakai nozoki kyarakuri: Kaotsuki, karadatsuki, kotobatsuki. Tokyo: Sanseido.
Sadanobu, T. (2010, Mar 14-2012, Feb 26). An unofficial guide for Japanese characters. (English translation of the draft of Sadanobu (2011)) Senseido Word-Wise Web. Retrieved from http://dictionary.sanseido-publ.co.jp/wp/author/sadanobu-e/
Sadanobu, T. (2012, Feb 5-2015, Dec 6). Nihongo shakai nozoki kyarakuri hoi. (A supplement to Sadanobu (2011)) Sanseido Word-Wise Web. Retrieved from http://dictionary.sanseido-publ.co.jp/wp/author/sadanobu/
Sadanobu, T. (2015). Kandoushi to naibujoutai no musubitsuki no meikakuka nimukete. In K. Tomosada (Ed.), Kandoushi no gengogaku (pp. 3-14). Tokyo: Hitsuji Shobo.
Saito, T. (2011). Kyarakutaa seishinbunseki: Manga, bungaku, Nihonjin. Tokyo: Chikuma Shobo.
Senuma, F. (2007). Kyararon. Tokyo: Studio Cello.
Senuma, F. (2009). Naze wakai sedai wa "kyara"-ka surunoka. Tokyo: Kasga Publishing Inc.
Shinjo, K. (2009). Monogatari kougakuron: nyuumonhen kyarakutaa o tsukuru. Tokyo: Kadokawa Gakugei Shuppan.
Siewierska, A. (2004). Person. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sperber, D. & Wilson, D. (1986). Relevance: Communication and Cognition. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Uno, T. (2008). Zeronendai no souzouryoku. Tokyo: Hayakawa Shobo.
Downloads
Published
29.12.2015
How to Cite
SADANOBU, T. (2015). "Characters" in Japanese Communication and Language: An Overview. Acta Linguistica Asiatica, 5(2), 9–28. https://doi.org/10.4312/ala.5.2.9-28
Issue
Section
Research articles
License
Copyright (c) 2015 Toshiyuki Sadanobu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors are confirming that they are the authors of the submitting article, which will be published online in journal Acta Linguistica Asiatica by Ljubljana University Press, Faculty of Arts (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Aškerčeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia). Author’s name will be evident in the article in journal. All decisions regarding layout and distribution of the work are in hands of the publisher.
- Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit their self to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
