Japanese Honorifics Research Articles

Exploring Japanese Cultural Representation In Anime: A Linguistic Analysis Of One-Piece Wano Kuni Arc

This research aims to identify the use of the traditional Japanese language in the popular anime One Piece, especially the Wano Kuni arc by Eiichiro Oda. The research method used is descriptive analysis, which aims to examine the use of Japanese honorifics, ancient samurai terms (samurai terminology), and dialect in dialogue in the Wano Kuni arc. Data collection will be carried out by direct observation and note-taking techniques with an emphasis on sociolinguistic elements. Based on the results, there are several sociolinguistic elements that Eiichiro Oda uses to convey the story in his anime, namely, traditional Japanese honorifics, dialects, speech patterns, and samurai terminology. This shows that the plot of Wano Kuni presents the use of the traditional Japanese language accurately and depicts the cultural hierarchy and traditional values of Japanese society.

The Shift in the Use of Keigo by Migrant Care workers on TikTok Social Media

Honorifics are one of the causes of stress for migrant care workers in Japan. To alleviate stress, they play TikTok, a social media platform widely used to upload videos of conversations between care workers and the elderly. From the videos, this study scrutinized how language was used between care workers and the elderly in communicating. This research explored video displays on TikTok based on the use of language in conversation services between care workers and elders based on culturally based concepts around the usage of Japanese honorifics in constructing social identities. The data were obtained from 35 TikTok accounts used through an online survey. The data, in the form of videos on TikTok social media, showed language use between care workers and the elderly, and were then analyzed using a sociolinguistic framework. Findings have shown that in the communication, the care workers manipulated honorifics (keigo). The results of data analysis show that in the TikTok videos, there is a language shift from keigo form (sonkeigo 'respect form', kenjōgo 'humble form') to teineigo 'polite form' and even shifted to futsuutai 'plain form'. This shift in honorifics is influenced by changes in (1) social position, regard (2) power, and intertwined, but the major (3) age, and (4) formality. The results of this research can educate migrant care workers in selecting a language appropriate to social factors to create a good relationship between care workers and the elderly in delivering services to the elderly in-home care.

A Learner Needs Analysis for Business Japanese Honorific Language Related Subjects

A Learner Needs Analysis for Business Japanese Honorific Language Related Subjects

Do Large Language Models Understand Japanese Honorifics Based on Contextual Information?

Do Large Language Models Understand Japanese Honorifics Based on Contextual Information?

An Error Analysis of Acquisition of Japanese Honorifics Pragmatic Knowledge in Chinese Learners

An Error Analysis of Acquisition of Japanese Honorifics Pragmatic Knowledge in Chinese Learners

Analisis Kontrastif Verba Khusus Keigo dengan Verba Khusus Undak Unduk Basa

This study discusses the contrastive analysis of Japanese honorific (keigo) with Sundanese honorific (undak unduk basa). This research was conducted to obtain similarities and differences between the two types of honorific. The data used in this study are sentences and dialogues that use a variety of honorifics in Japanese and Sundanese corpus, movies, and books. This study used a descriptive method and data collection was carried out through recording techniques. Based on data analysis, similarities and differences can be found in both types of honorific. From the four pairs of special verbs contrasted, it can be concluded that there are similarities including the verbs meshiagaru/pour, itadaku/neda, irassharu/angkat and mairu/mios can be translated as equalized, but the four pairs of special verbs have different contexts in their use due to the steps that can be used in the uchi environment (closest to the speaker) while keigo cannot be used in the immediate environment.

Revisiting the binary view of honorifics in politeness research

Abstract In this paper, we revisit the popular assumption that politeness in languages such as Japanese and Korean with a complex honorific system is crucially different from politeness in languages with no comparably rich honorific repertoires, such as Chinese. We propose a bottom–up, contrastive and corpus-based model through which we challenge this binary view. This model combines interaction ritual and speech acts. As a case study, we compare a set of expressions representing lexico-grammatical honorifics in Japanese and Chinese, i.e., in a so-called “honorific-rich” and a “non-honorific-rich” language. Our results show that the group of honorifics studied work in an essentially comparable fashion, hence disproving the above-outlined binary view.

The Internal Structure of Copular Sentences with desu and da in Japanese

Japanese is a language known for its rich honorific morphology. Different from many Indo-European languages, Japanese language has its honorifics built into the grammar system. Japanese honorifics have many different forms and their usages are not always clearly predictable, which makes it quite challenging for second language learners to grasp. This paper introduces a less-known honorific pattern that clearly shows how Japanese honorifics behave grammatically. The copula verb be in Japanese has two forms: a non-honorific form da and an honorific form desu. Da is used under conditions where the speaker indicates an informal or casual talk, while desu is used when the speaker intends to present good manners to the listener. From a formal linguistic perspective, a sentence with the plain copula form and one with the honorific copula form have a different underlying structure represented in the grammar of native Japanese speakers. The paper explains such difference between copular sentences with desu and da by presenting a syntactic structure analysis. It proposes a different internal structure for a copular sentence with desu and da, and further argues that the sentence with desu has more structure in the left periphery and presents a different verb position in the internal structure in comparison to the sentence with da. The analysis motivates a syntactical way to present and explain the differences in grammatical structures and social contexts of copula use when teaching honorifics in Japanese second language classrooms. It suggests that modern Japanese second language education start teaching honorifics with copular sentences where the distinction between honorific and non-honorific use is very clear and simple.

Politely warning?

Abstract Taking a usage-based approach, this study examines the social meaning of Japanese honorifics when they are used in call-to-action statements in official disaster warnings on Twitter. This study finds two honorific request constructions, Verb-te kudasai and o-Verb kudasai, to be dominant directives used in the data collected for this study. Discourse analysis of the texts found the two honorific request constructions signaling different levels of severity of the impending threats in accordance with the different degrees of freedom of actions given to the warning recipients upon complying with the recommended actions. The findings also suggest the use of honorifics helps maintain the warning sender’s institutional identity as they communicate safety information to the public on behalf of the meteorological agency. This paper extends the discussion of the multifunctionality of honorifics by highlighting the use of them in digitally mediated institutional discourse contexts.

Research on the impact of honorifics in Japanese on social relationships

Research on the impact of honorifics in Japanese on social relationships

The Effects of Grammatical and Pragmatic Knowledge on the Acquisition of Japanese Honorifics

The Effects of Grammatical and Pragmatic Knowledge on the Acquisition of Japanese Honorifics

Being polite and subordinate: Morphosyntax determines the embeddability of Utterance Honorifics in Japanese

Utterance Honorifics (UHs) are generally regarded as a main clause phenomenon as they reflect the speaker’s attitude towards the addressee/audience. UHs in Japanese present a challenging problem to this view, however, as it has been reported that they can be embedded under some circumstances (Miyagawa 2012; Yamada 2019 and references therein). In this paper, we closely examine the embedding patterns of the three UH markers in Japanese, the verbal UH, the UH copula for a noun, and the UH copula for an adjective, and show that there are considerable variations among the three UH markers. We argue that their distributional differences are intimately tied to their morphosyntactic characteristics and their interaction with the tense and finiteness specifications in the language. More specifically, we propose that there is a close, though possibly not perfect, correspondence between the degree of embeddability of the UH markers and the syntactic size of constituents that contain them. The proposed analysis is couched within Porter et al’s (2019) syntactic analysis of UHs which posits the UH head, c°. It will be demonstrated that the varying embeddability of the Japanese UH markers is, for the most part, consistent with Porter et al’s proposal that c° is projected only at the root level, but we identify a few exceptional cases in which some radically ‘root-like’ embedded clauses can have their own cPs. We further suggest that an embedded UH is licensed via multiple Agree from the matrix clause, which makes the Japanese UH marking a kind of concord phenomenon.

Neural correlates of Japanese honorific agreement processing mediated by socio-pragmatic factors: An fMRI study

Socio-pragmatic factors, such as social roles and language experience, could be key variables influencing language processing. However, little is known regarding the neural correlates of syntactic processing mediated by socio-pragmatic factors. Honorific agreement in Japanese is well-suited for the investigation of this issue. Japanese honorifics are governed by socio-pragmatic and syntactic rules. Lower social status speakers are expected to address higher social status counterparts in accordance with these rules. This linguistic skill is typically developed through language experience accrued in social contexts. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging study investigated the neural correlates of the honorific agreement processing mediated by socio-pragmatic factors. Thirty-three native Japanese speakers performed a socio-pragmatic judgment task containing sentence conditions manipulated by conventionality (i.e., conventional vs. unconventional) and speaker (lower-status vs. higher-status). The lower-status conditions elicited significantly more activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), bilateral insula, and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex than the higher-status ones, irrespective of conventionality. This suggests that social cues (i.e., speaker social status) trigger computation of honorific agreement via the left IFG. Furthermore, the conventional conditions significantly enhanced activation of the bilateral anterior temporal lobes (ATLs), compared with the unconventional conditions. Finally, the listener's experience with honorific use in the workplace was positively correlated with activation of the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) during comprehension of conventional honorific utterances. Our findings demonstrate the importance of socio-pragmatic factors in Japanese honorific agreement processing, which involves the ATLs and IPL. • Speaker-related social cues mediate neural processing of Japanese honorific agreement. • Left IFG, dmPFC, and insula are jointly involved in processing Japanese honorific agreement. • Language experiences of honorific use influence left IPL activity.

Honorifics and the Japanese Bible: Goliath is “Ruder” than Pharaoh?

This paper is dedicated to the study of honorifics (lexically, morphologically, and/or grammatically marked polite/appropriate speech or language) in Bible translation. It includes a brief history of honorific studies, definitions of important terms (e.g., honorifics vs. politeness), challenges of honorifics in general, sociolinguistic factors or rules in Japanese honorifics, how honorifics are reflected in the Japanese Bible (e.g., pronouns, titles, familial terms, in-group vs. out-group, verbal honorifics including prefixes, suffixes, benefactives, imperatives), and specific issues or challenges found in the Japanese Bible. Unfortunately, the original languages of the Bible do not have much to say about honorifics. As such, translators are faced with difficult decisions, as the language may require every utterance to be marked as either “polite” or “casual” to some degree, i.e., one cannot keep the level of politeness “neutral.” I approach this issue of honorifics in Bible translation by observing how honorifics are reflected in one of the most read versions of the Japanese Bible, Shinkaiyaku Seisho 2017 ‘New Japanese Bible 2017,’ mainly focusing on the conversational discourse found within the New Testament, and particularly the Gospel according to Matthew. My hope is that this paper will contribute to raising awareness of honorifics, and at the same time provide some clues and a framework for those who are translating the Bible into languages which utilize them.

Language ideologies among Japanese foreign language teachers: Keigo and L2 speakers

AbstractThis study reports findings of a survey about keigo, Japanese honorifics, and L2‐Japanese speakers; survey respondents were teachers of Japanese as a foreign language (JFL). Researchers have studied keigo ideologies within Japanese society and documented approaches to keigo instruction and learners' efforts to master or resist keigo. However, researchers have not studied teachers' beliefs about keigo and neither the impact of keigo ideologies on classroom practice nor teachers' views of students as legitimate Japanese speakers have been studied. The survey examines JFL teachers' beliefs about keigo, approaches to teaching keigo, and beliefs about keigo's relevance for L2 speakers. Conducted within a qualitative framework, analysis of thematic coding and descriptive statistics demonstrate that respondents report different standards for L2 speakers that convey implicit native‐speaker bias. Findings underscore the importance of foreign language teachers reflecting on language ideologies that affect classroom practices and advocating for L2 speaker legitimacy.

The Education of Japanese Honorifics and Cultivating Intercultural Communication Competence

Japanese honorifics which symbolizes the social culture of Japan are linguistic forms that are indispensable in the Japanese language education. Hence, the Japanese language education requires an improvement of previously solidified teaching methods with the cultivation of students’ intercultural communication competence, in order for students to understand Japanese honorifics in-depth and apply them in practice. This paper analyzes the necessity of cultivating students’ intercultural communication competence, the difficulties in Japanese honorifics education, and proposes specific training methods to help students improve their competence.

Teaching Japanese Honorifics Based on Situational Approach

Japanese honorifics are essential language tools that Japanese people often use in communication. The use of these honorifics is extensive especially in Japanese business settings. Hence, to improve students’ proficiency, Japanese language teachers need to emphasize on the education of Japanese honorifics, in addition to implementing the situational approach in their lessons. This article investigates and analyzes the development of Japanese honorifics as well as to propose effective strategies for the implementation of the situational approach in this aspect, in hope to promote the progress of Japanese language education.

The structural change of Japanese society and the simplification of honorific language. Including coverage of the university exchange programme and teaching of Japanese to foreign students

When learning a foreign language, it can prove difficult to become completely familiar with the intricacies of meaning and politeness as these elements have their roots in social and cultural contexts. In Japan, honour and politeness are of particular importance and, indeed, there exist honorific forms of the language. In the Department of Japanese Literature, Japan Women's University, Dr Kazuko Tanabe is working to improve the provision of language education for international students, which involves imparting understanding of Japanese society's honorifics. In her work, Tanabe is exploring the simplification of Japanese honorifics, looking at how far the language has transformed and the parallels with social changes. She is keen to shed light on the relationship between shifts in attitudinal expressions and social changes and is using a variety of analytical methods combining quantitative and qualitative research. In addition to analysing data, Tanabe constantly re-evaluates research methods and is not afraid to make changes. It is her belief that creating new research methods leads to new research fields. In order to advance the field, Tanabe is interested in collaborating with other researchers, particularly those involved in attitudinal expressions in foreign languages.

Your politeness is my impoliteness

It is often noted that usage of Japanese honorifics has been changing over the years (see, for example, Keigo no Shishin ‘Guidelines on honorifics’, Kokuritsu Kokugo Kenkyujo 2007), Yet, ‘average’ Japanese adults are expected to use honorifics correctly, observing their rules, or grammar. But do they all share the same understanding of honorific rules, especially given the ongoing change in usage? If they do not, why? What are its consequences? To address these questions, this study examines native speakers’ metapragmatic comments on honorifics expressed in blogs. In particular, it focuses on their understandings of grammatical categories and indexical meanings of honorifics – a topic largely understudied. The analyses show wide diversity in the interpretation of same honorific forms, including contrary interpretations concerning politeness, which is highly related to the divergent understandings of honorific categories, the ambiguity of concepts such as respect and politeness, and language ideologies that mediate honorific forms and their meanings.

An EEG Analysis of Honorification in Japanese: Human Hierarchical Relationships Coded in Language.

This study examines the neural substrate of the understanding of human relationships in verbal communication with Japanese honorific sentences as experimental materials. We manipulated two types of Japanese verbs specifically used to represent respect for others, i.e., exalted and humble verbs, which represent respect for the person in the subject and the person in the object, respectively. We visually presented appropriate and anomalous sentences containing the two types of verbs and analyzed the electroencephalogram elicited by the verbs. We observed significant parietal negativity at a latency of approximately 400 ms for anomalous verbs compared with appropriate verbs. This parietal negativity could be a manifestation of the pragmatic process used to integrate the linguistic forms with the human relationships represented in the sentences. The topographies of these event-related potentials (ERPs) corresponded well with those of ERPs for two second-person pronouns in Chinese (plain ni and respectful nin). This correspondence suggests that the pragmatic integration process in honorific expressions is cross-linguistically common in part. Furthermore, we assessed the source localization by means of independent component (IC) analysis and dipole fitting and observed a significant difference in ERP between the honorific and control sentences in the IC cluster centered in the precentral gyrus and in the cluster centered in the medial part of the occipital lobe, which corresponded well with the functional magnetic resonance imaging findings for Japanese honorification. We also found several significant differences in the time-frequency analyses for the medial occipital cluster. These significant differences in the medial occipital cluster suggested that the circuit of the theory of mind was involved in the processing of Japanese honorification. Our results suggest that pragmatic and syntactic processing are performed in parallel because the person to be respected must fulfill the grammatical function appropriate for the honorific verb.