Earticle

Since the Meiji Restoration, there have been various debates over the characters used to describe Japanese. In 1935, Entomologist and member of Kanamojikai, Tsunetaro Okazaki embarked on a research project related to Kanji. In a Kanji writing test conducted on 1479 elementary school students in Tokyo, the average number of correct Kanji per person was only 631. As a result of having 424 ordinary people select 1929 Kanji including regular use Kanji, the number of Kanji selected by 50 or less is 809, accounting for 42% of the total. As a result of examining the 60-day Chinese words in five newspapers, the total number of Kanji was 3542, of which 100 characters had an appearance frequency of 38.7% and 500 characters had an appearance frequency of 77.3%. Based on these results, Okazaki created a proposal to limit 500 Kanji characters. The proposed restrictions based on Okazaki’s empirical research are quite convincing. However, as can be seen from the results of the newspaper survey, it seems that the 500 character limit proposal is somewhat impossible in the situation where about 79% of the Chinese words are read aloud. Currently, the number of common use Kanji in Japan is 2136. Compared to the number of common use Kanji in the 1930s, it increased by 278 characters. Through empirical surveys, Okazaki was trying to reduce the number of Kanji that would be a substantial burden on learning. Now that we can enter a lot of Kanji using machines, we should take a serious look at Okazaki’s proposal.

The purpose of this paper is to clarify what is necessary to reorganize the curriculums of Japanese language departments in South Korea. In this point, we carried out an survey on the degree of satisfaction targeted three universities in Seoul, South Korea. As a result of survey, we clarified three points for reorganization of curriculums of Japanese language departments in South Korea. One is a system for gathering needs of students, and monitoring the present curriculums. The other is education of Kanji based curriculums. Another is supporting program for students who have an underachievement, especially for freshmen and sophomores.

It is widely said that conjunctive postposition kara means subjective cause and reason while another conjunctive postposition node also means cause and reason but objective one. This subjective versus objective frame work does not tell us clearly when we should use each one. In this article I suggest that we should first make the difference between ‘cause’ and ‘reason’ clear to define the difference between these two controversial postpositions which carry very similar meaning.

“Saichongseol(四夷総説, The outlines of surrounding barbarians)” is one of books written by Lee Hyeongsang(李衡祥). This is about information on ethnic groups and nations around Korea and China, and the part named “geumsai(Modern barbarians)” consist only of information about Japan. In this section, there is a chapter called “gieo(寄語, lexicon)”, which describes the Japanese words and its pronunciation with Chinese characters. But actually it is almost the same contents as a book called “rìběn jìyú(日本寄語, lexicon of Japanese).” It appears in books on Japanese affairs and geographies represented by “Rìběnguó kǎolüè(日本国考略, The Study of Japan)”, which was compiled during the Ming dynasty. In this article, I investigated and discussed the “gieo” in the Japanese article of “Saichongseol”, what they are derived from, if there are any features that can be said to be unique to “gieo”, and if they contribute to the text revision of “rìběn jìyú”, etc. As a result, I found that “gieo” in “Saichongseol” is very similar to the “Jìyú zálèi(寄語雑類, miscellaneous Lexicon)” in “Dēng tán bì jīu(登壇必究)”, one of books on military published in the end of the Ming dynasty. I assert the former must be reprint of the latter.

From its usage as a topic marker to its usage as a sentence-ending particle, I described how the various uses of the postpositional particle “ttara” overlap and expand. First of all, I showed that “ttara” went from being the contracted form of “toittara”, to acquiring an independent meaning that cannot be expressed by “toittara” and, doing so, started to be used as a topic marker, which is its main usage. Furthermore, I showed that, while conserving its evaluative properties, alongside the loss of the predicate, it is being used to “present” or “call again”, and through this is in the process of turning into a sentence-ending particle. Regarding its usage as a sentence-ending particle, adding to its usage as a “re-presentative”, which has already been described in the past, another usage as a marker of “intensity” is also presented in this manuscript. The topic marker “ttara” can be understood in two different ways. On one hand, it is a “re-presentative”, on the other hand, I shed light upon its continuity in relation to “intensity”.

In Japanese, Sokuon and Hatsuon are two special sounds that are written in single characters and have different pronunciations according to the environment of their location. Single characters have diverse pronunciations, which is a universal phenomenon found in Korean as well. Two final consonants that look the same can be pronounced differently according to different methods of pronunciation even under the same environment, which points to a difference between final consonants in Korean and special sounds in Japanese. In Korean, final consonants make up a single syllable, which means that the entire syllable is pronounced as a sound. In Japanese, special sounds have two-beats. Although they seem to comprise a single syllable, in entirety, they are not pronounced in a single sound. As special sounds settled down in the pronunciation environment of Japanese with an open syllable structure, they developed different pronunciation characteristics from final consonants sounds in Korean. Korean people can acquire Japanese pronunciation quite accurately, but the two languages have no complete correspondence in terms of pronunciation. Special sounds in Japanese need to be taught more accurately to Korean learners in two aspects of ‘diversity of pronunciations’ and ‘length of sound’ so that they will acquire natural pronunciations. Sokuon and Hatsuon can be acquired right through the educational methods of providing accurate knowledge and promoting repetitive training to prevent interference from the mother tongue.

日本語の特殊音と言われる｢促音｣と｢撥音｣は、ともに一つの文字で表すが、位置する環境によってその発音が異なっている。いくつかの異音があるということである。一つの文字が状況によって多様な発音を持つのは韓国語においても存在する言語の普遍的な現象であろう。しかし、環境が同じであっても発音の仕方が異なっていれば、同じ音のように見えても異なった発音になることもあり、これが韓国語の終声(バッチム)と日本語の特殊音の間に存在する違いであろう。韓国人の日本語学習者において｢促音｣と｢撥音｣の発音教育は、この点をどういう理解でもって教えるかに関わっていると言えよう。 韓国語の終声は一つの音節を構成する要素であるだけに音節全体(CVC)が一つの音として発音されるが、日本語の特殊音(｢促音｣と｢撥音｣)はそれ自体が一つの拍という長さを持っており、一つの音節を構成する要素のように見えるが、実は全体(CVC)が一つの音として発音されないのである。特殊音の発音が開音節構造である日本語の発音環境の中で使われてきながら、韓国語の終声とは異なった日本独特の発音上の特徴を構築するようになったのではないかと考えられる。 韓国人において日本語の発音はほぼ完全か形で習得できる言語であるが、日韓両言語の発音が完全に対応しているわけではない。特に、韓国人学習者には 日本語の特殊音を｢発音の多様性｣と｢音の長さ｣という韓国語にない発音上の二つの特徴を踏まえた上で、正しく教育しなければ自然な発音を習得させることはできないであろう。両言語の真の違いに基づいた正確な知識の提供と母国語の干渉が排除されるような反復的な練習こそが｢促音｣と｢撥音｣を正しく習得させられる教育方法であろう。

Among the conventional studies on composition, the analysis of misuse produced by Japanese learners has been actively conducted, but very few studies have reviewed effective guidance methods based on the results of the study. Accordingly, this study was to extract linguistic items through the investigation and analysis on the composition data prepared by Korean beginner Japanese learners, and to grope for the teaching method of effective composition by reviewing the characteristics and causes of misuse by each item. As a result of the investigation, for the linguistic items of high misuse frequency, this study has shown that it took (1) particles, (2) misuse in expression, (3) verbs, (4) いadjectives, (5) transcription of foreign words, (6) Chinese characters, (7) な adjectives (8) demonstratives, (9) giving and receiving expressions, (10) conjunctions in order. It is true that there are many elements common to Korean and Japanese, so it is advantageous to Korean learners, but by recklessly translating directly, we can see that there is a lot of misuse. Therefore, in the case of composition education, it would be necessary to present the items of composition error as language items that should be particularly noted to learners and to provide intensive guidance. In addition, it needs to exclude the influence by the learner’s mother tongue as well as it will have to guide natural Japanese expressions at the same time.

從來作文に関する研究のうち、日本語学習者の産出した誤用についての分析は盛んに行われてきたが、その研究の成果をもとにした效率的な指導方法を検討した研究はごく少ない。 そこで本稿では韓國人初級日本語学習者の書いた作文の誤用實態を調査するだけでなく、誤用の頻度の高い言語項目を抽出し、分析することによって誤用の特徵と原因を明らかにした。なお、それらをもとに韓國人初級日本語学習者のためのより効率的な作文指導方法を摸索した。 今回の調査結果、誤用頻度の高い言語項目としては(1)助詞(2)表現上の誤用(3)動詞(4)い形容詞(5)外来語表記(6)漢字(7)な形容詞(8)指示詞(9)授受表現(10)接続詞の順であることがわかった。韓国語と日本語は共に漢字と語彙、語順、文法等において多くの類似点が見られる。それで、韓国人學習者の多くは日本語は易しいと感じるようであるが、似ているからこそ間違えてしまうことが多いようである。 従って、作文敎育の時、以上の作文の誤用項目については學習者に特に留意すべき言語項目として提示し、集中的に指導する必要がある。なお、母語の影響を排除し、日本語らしい表現を身につける訓練をさせるべきであろう。

As a result on considering the bibliographic research method about the works that show the situation before and after the publication of Jippensya-ikkuⅡ of Itoi-takesi in 1833, it was found　the following things. I pointed out that, in the case of Ninzyobon “Adakurabe-imayogusi”, it is presumed that the second volume was published in 1832, and he proposes that he has named himself “Ikku Ⅱ” in the two volumes. Then, as a result on considering in order to consolidate his position as Ikku Ⅱ,　I examined the identity of “Yomono-masaki” who conveys his name in a three-volume epilogue, and it was found　the following things. (1) “Yomono-masaki” would not be Gohensya-hankyu. (2) “Yomono-umehiko” was the successor of “Yomo”, who had been selling sake called Takisui, and would be a different person from Yomono-masaki.

In this article, I examined the “literature(芸文)” section of “Cheong-ryoung-guk-ji (蜻蛉国志)” by LEE Deok-mu(李德懋), a literary figure in the Joseon era. I also pointed out that there was a reference to “The Tale of Genji(源氏物語)” in it, and further analyzed its implications. Until now, it has been said that “The Tale of Genji” was read in Korea from the Japanese colonial era. However, according to my research, there are examples that are much earlier than that. I also analyzed that LEE Deok-mu understood the phase of “The Tale of Genji” in Japanese society and regarded its author, Murasaki Shikibu, as a representative of Japanese “literature(芸文)”.

With the globalization of the world and the generalization of international movement, it is difficult to find popular songs based on migration. The longing for home is created through the experience of moving from where people were born and raised to a strange country or city. Songs about migration from Korea appeared around 1930 when foreign migration began in earnest. During the period of liberation, the Korean War, and industrialization, various popular songs and songs about families who left their hometowns appeared in Korean popular songs, but it was hard to find after the 1980s. Meanwhile, Japan, like Korea, had various migration experiences, but songs related to hometown were hardly found until the 1950s. However, songs related to hometown that appeared in the 1960s during the high growth period are still loved today. This is because the middle-aged are living as consumers of music. In addition, since the 1990s, the Japanese government’s multicultural coexistence policy and social status of Korean residents improved in Japan have also gained popularity, as in the case of Arai Eiichi. Although few songs based on migrants or hometowns have appeared in South Korea, as the social status of migrants, including North Korean Defectors, and multicultural societies mature in the future, I expect a song on the theme of migration or a song by migrants to appear in Korea.

Noh entered the modern era under the Meiji Restoration which meant a loss of protection from its patron, the TOKUGAWA Bakufu and now it had to form a new relationship with the new power. With the royal family and the nobility as the central figures, Noh was protected and fostered by the establishment and adapted itself with the new epoch; however, apart from forging a relationship with the top, it also had to deal with new challenges from the bottoms and surroundings about the reorganization of order. The first was the power to issue a license when the learner gets a sustained ability by learning Utai and second was the power to publish Utaibon (text of utai) which was a script as well as an Utai textbook for the teaching. These were invincible power and right of the Soke (originator, the head family) in the Edo period when the Noh was the official music as well as the performing art of the Bakufu. However, in the modern era, these were also conducted by the non-Soke which should not be just seen as a conflict over the economic loss, but a challenge to the Soke through the intellectual property right and the copyright - the modern ideas. From this, an aspect of the formation of the cultural power can be explored through the transition from TOKUGAWA Shogun to the Japanese emperor of the modern Japanese empire, and modification from the Sarugaku in the Edo period to the Noh in the modern period.

In the imperial era, Japanese children’s culture had depicted Africa and the South Sea Island as dangerous and marginal regions where wild beasts and “barbarians” lived and aggressively threatened visitors that came from civilized areas. Since Imperial Japan lost WWⅡand the Allied Forces, mainly the United States, occupied Japan, Japanese society has accepted various kinds of influences from the United States. The children’s culture also adopted several American characters, such as Tarzan, and gave new forms to cultural imagination, which connected new Americanism and prewar colonialism. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the postwar children’s culture maintained/deconstructed the colonial imagination toward marginal regions, such as Africa, focusing on Tezuka Osamu’s The Jungle Emperor, which had been serialized in the magazine the Manga Shonen from 1950 to 1954. In this manga, Tezuka narrated various adventurous stories and depicted Africa as “the Dark Continent,” which is similar to other works in the children’s culture. But simultaneously, he allegorically exhibited a resistance to such a typical representation of Africa by adopting a lion as the protagonist. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze how Tezuka inherited and deconstructed such a colonial imagination, formed and flourished in the imperial era, and clarify the cultural significance of this text in the history of Japanese children’s culture.

The present paper examined the acceptance of psychological theories in the writing of Akutagawa Ryunosuke. The arrival of psychological science in Japan is linked to the work of Motora Yujiro in the Meiji period and, much like Fechner and Wundt, he was initially concerned with the analysis of physical reactions to external stimuli. With the advent of the Taisho period, applied psychology came to influence a range of fields, including education, medicine, law, and manufacturing, while at the same time Freudian psychoanalysis was gradually gaining attention. Perhaps because of such developments, Akutagawa’s depictions of madness may have borne some relation to these coinciding trends in psychology. The present paper analyzed Akutagawa’s descriptions of madness in the novels Loyalty(Chūgi, 1917) and A Bizarre Reunion(Kikai na saikai, 1921), written early and midway through Akutagawa’s career, respectively. In Loyalty, the trigger for the main character’s descent into madness is an external stimulus, consistent with the theories of Wundt, while the Freudian concept of repression is the cause of madness in A Bizarre Reunion. Akutagawa’s depictions of madness were thus transformed by the writer’s progressive adoption of contemporaneous trends within the field of psychology.

Soseki wrote the premonition of death and the fear for the fate that is destined to die in the literature of Sanshiro, Memories and Mon and he wrote about the death of his daughter Hinako in the literature of Higansugimade after that. What he wrote about the death of child as the stories in Kotonosorane, Sanshiro and Mon came true in Higansugimade. How should we understand this miraculous happening which happened to occur to Soseki? We can regard it as the fate of Hinako or the premonition of Soseki for the future like as prophecy. Soseki started to write Mon after the birth of Hinako who was born 10 months later after the publish of Sanshiro. Namely Mon was written in the progress of Hinako and after the publish of Mon the tragedy happened to Hinako. Fiction became nonfiction in the literature of Soseki. As a result Soseki wrote the fate of Hinako and his writing came to show his premonition of death. So we do not know whether the sense of Soseki made the phenomenon nor the sense of Soseki knew the coming phenomenon in the future but it is clear that this mysterious happening gave the decisive shock to Soseki who was interesting in the sense of human.