Journal articles on the topic 'Japanese language Readers Law'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Japanese language Readers Law.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 journal articles for your research on the topic 'Japanese language Readers Law.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse journal articles on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Ellis, Tom, Chris Lewis, and Mai Sato. "The Japanese Probation Service: A third sector template?" Probation Journal 58, no. 4 (December 2011): 333–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0264550511420750.
Full textAbstract:
The use of probation in Japan is similar in some respects to probation in England and Wales (E&W) and unrecognizable in others. This article provides an outline of the structure and operation of probation in Japan and draws comparisons and contrasts with probation in England and Wales. It is intended to provide an overview for those who know little about Japanese criminal justice in general and about Japanese probation in particular. The focus in on accessible English language sources that will enable readers to follow up their interest and deepen their knowledge.
2
Mack, Edward. "The Japanese-Language Newspaper Novel Abroad." Humanities 11, no. 6 (December 13, 2022): 158. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/h11060158.
Full textAbstract:
This article presents initial findings about the history of the publication of serialized novels in Japanese-language newspapers published in North and South America. An under-studied publishing venue for literature to begin with, even less is known about the serialization of novels in these diasporic communities despite them being the most widely circulated fiction. Focusing on what can be reconstructed of the history of these works and their publication, this study focuses on five newspapers and their serialized novels during the 1930s, with a particular focus on the novel Constellations Ablaze by Ozaki Shirō and the lesser-known author Nakagawa Amenosuke. This preliminary survey suggests an industry that navigated international copyright law, reader’s tastes, and the interconnection of different local readerships.
3
Таїчі Ямашіта and Гсіао Гсуан Гунґ. "The Investigation of Learning Strategies of American Learners of Chinese and Japanese for Character Learning." East European Journal of Psycholinguistics 3, no. 1 (June 30, 2016): 140–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.29038/eejpl.2016.3.1.tai.
Full textAbstract:
It has been widely recognized that Chinese and Japanese languages are exceptionally difficult to learn. One of the reasons is their logographic characters (i.e. hanzi in Chinese, kanji in Japanese) that are extremely different from alphabet-based orthography (Tong & Yip, 2015; Xu & Padilla, 2013). Accordingly, there have been research investigating how L2 learners of Chinese and Japanese deal with the difficulty by exploring learners’ strategy (Gamage, 2003; Shen, 2005). However, learning strategies for a certain aspect of characters (i.e. shape, sound) have not been investigated as much as learning strategies in general (but see Shen, 2005). In addition, there are limited longitudinal research exploring how learners change their strategies. Therefore, the researchers investigate strategies that L2 learners of American university students are using most frequently for Chinese and Japanese character learning. The study had 66 L2 learners taking either Chinese or Japanese course at an American university. They took a questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of a semester. It was found that reading, context, decomposition, rote-writing, and listening were the most frequently used strategies. Moreover, the results indicated that strategies vary depending on which aspect of characters they learn. Furthermore, learners did not change their learning strategies over three months to a notable extent.
References
Chikamatsu, N. (1996). The effects of L1 orthography on L2 word recognition: A study ofAmerican and Chinese learners of Japanese. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 18,403–432.
Everson, M. E. (1998). Word recognition among learners of Chinese as a foreign language:Investigating the relationship between naming and knowing. The Modern LanguageJournal, 82, 194–204.
Everson, M. E. (2011). Best practices in teaching logographic and non-Roman writingsystems to L2 learners. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 31, 249–274.
Haththotuwa Gamage, G. (2003). Perceptions of kanji learning strategies: Do they differamong Chinese character and alphabetic background learners?
Hayes, E. B. (1988). Encoding strategies used by native and non‐native readers ofChinese Mandarin. The Modern Language Journal, 72, 188–195.
Ke, C. (1998). Effects of language background on the learning of Chinese charactersamong foreign language students. Foreign Language Annals, 31, 91–102.
Liskin-Gasparro, J. (1982). ETS Oral Proficiency Testing Manual. Educational TestingService, Princeton, NJ.
McGinnis, S. (1999). Student goals and approaches. Mapping the course of the Chineselanguage field, 151–188.
Mori, Y., Sato, K., & Shimizu, H. (2007). Japanese language students' perceptions on kanjilearning and their relationship to novel kanji word learning ability. LanguageLearning, 57, 57–85.
Packard, J. L. (1990). Effects of time lag in the introduction of characters into the Chineselanguage curriculum. The Modern Language Journal, 74, 167–175.
Rose, H. (2013). L2 learners' attitudes toward, and use of, mnemonic strategies whenlearning Japanese kanji. The Modern Language Journal, 97, 981–992.
Shen, H. H. (2005). An investigation of Chinese-character learning strategies among nonnative speakers of Chinese. System, 33, 49–68.
Tong, X., & Yip, J. H. Y. (2015). Cracking the Chinese character: radical sensitivity inlearners of Chinese as a foreign language and its relationship to Chinese wordreading. Reading and Writing, 28, 159–181.
Yuki, M. (2009). Kanji Learning Strategies: From the Viewpoint of Learners with Nonkanji Background. 関西外国語大学留学生別科日本語教育論集, 19, 143–150.
Xu, Y., Chang, L. Y., & Perfetti, C. A. (2014). The Effect of Radical‐Based Grouping inCharacter Learning in Chinese as a Foreign Language. The Modern Language Journal, 98,773–793.
Xu, X., & Padilla, A. M. (2013). Using meaningful interpretation and chunking to enhancememory: The case of Chinese character learning. Foreign Language Annals, 46, 402–422.
4
Sagan, Galyna, and Ganna Semekha. "The establishment of gender principles in education in japan at the beginning of the 20th century." Kyiv Historical Studies, no. 2 (2018): 15–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.28925/2524-0757.2018.2.1518.
Full textAbstract:
User Username Password Remember me Language Select Language Information For Readers For Authors For Librarians Open Journal Systems Article Tools Print this article Indexing metadata How to cite item Email this article (Login required) Email the author (Login required) Home About Login Register Search Current Archives Announcements Home > No 1 (7) (2018) > Sagan THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GENDER PRINCIPLES IN EDUCATION IN JAPAN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY Galyna Sagan, Ganna Semekha Abstract Now the principle of gender equality is a well-established phenomenon in the educational scheme of Japan. Starting from secondary and higher education, there is practically no difference in the ratio of enrollment of students between men and women. However, historically, especially at the beginning of the formation of the modern education system, the opportunities for girls to get education were less favorable than for boys. Even in the compulsory primary school, the frequency of girls attending educational institutions was very low. Access to secondary education for girls was also limited. The situation began to change at the turn of the 19–20 centuries. In Japan, a number of laws were passed that opened the doors of educational institutions for girls. In September 1872, the Law on Education was passed, which introduced compulsory primary education for all. Representatives of all social groups, as well as women received the right to education. According to this law, by 1880, 25,000 primary schools should be created in the country. It is important to remember that then almost all children began to attend school. At that time, foreign specialists are actively involved, who help to adapt to the new system, and teach in schools. Education along with military service and the taxes payment became the third important duty of the Japanese. Japan has achieved gender equality in education, at least provided equal opportunities for access to every level of education. There was an imbalance in the gender distribution of students at some faculties and departments in higher education institutions. Thus, for example, women were prevailing in the field of education, literature, nursing, men were prevailing in science and technology. However, thereafter, the number of female students specializing in science and technology substantially increased. Today, many girls are studying at the National Defense Academy and the University of Marine Science and Technology. All this became possible thanks to the reforms that the Japanese educational system began in the early twentieth century
5
Newsham, Grant Frederick. "Japan’s Yakuza – still alive, and yes, they do matter." Journal of Financial Crime 26, no. 4 (October 7, 2019): 938–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jfc-12-2018-0138.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose This paper aims to inform the reader of the nature of Japanese organize crime (“the Yakuza”) and the extent to which it has penetrated and is a powerful force in nearly all facets of Japanese society – with particular focus on the “legitimate” business and financial worlds. The paper also describes in detail the actual harmful effects of Yakuza influence and also provides a cautionary note for foreign business ventures in Japan. Design/methodology/approach The paper offers an in-depth narrative description based on the author’s over 20 years’ experience researching the topic along with practical experience gained while working in the business risk mitigation field in Japan and assisting private entities in avoiding underworld entanglements. Findings The paper demonstrates how the Yakuza remains a potent force with widespread influence in Japan, despite the government’s enactment of specific regulations designed to pressure underworld organizations. Research limitations/implications The paper offers insights into an aspect of Japanese society that receives limited examination, and the information contained in the article is potentially useful to other scholars and the foreign business community as well. The Yakuza are a broad topic, and the author’s perspectives are necessarily focused on cases of Yakuza involvement in the legitimate economy and political world rather than the entire panoply of underworld activity. Practical implications The insights and descriptions of underworld involvement in “legitimate” parts of Japanese society might encourage Japanese authorities to assess why the Yakuza remain entrenched and take appropriate counter measures. Social implications The paper is potentially of use to foreign business and governmental organizations in better understanding and countering risks and threats posed by the Japanese underworld, both in Japan and beyond its borders. Originality/value This topic is infrequently covered in any depth in English language sources and seldom if ever by someone with over two decades of practical experience identifying and helping private entities navigate around Yakuza dangers.
6
Yum, Yen Na, and Sam-Po Law. "N170 reflects visual familiarity and automatic sublexical phonological access in L2 written word processing." Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 24, no. 4 (February 4, 2021): 670–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1366728920000759.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThe literature has mixed reports on whether the N170, an early visual ERP response to words, signifies orthographic and/or phonological processing, and whether these effects are moderated by script and language expertise. In this study, native Chinese readers, Japanese–Chinese, and Korean–Chinese bilingual readers performed a one-back repetition detection task with single Chinese characters that differed in phonological regularity status. Results using linear mixed effects models showed that Korean–Chinese readers had bilateral N170 response, while native Chinese and Japanese–Chinese groups had left-lateralized N170, with stronger left lateralization in native Chinese than Japanese–Chinese readers. Additionally, across groups, irregular characters had bilateral increase in N170 amplitudes compared to regular characters. These results suggested that visual familiarity to a script rather than orthography-phonology mapping determined the left lateralization of the N170 response, while there was automatic access to sublexical phonology in the N170 time window in native and non-native readers alike.
7
AKAMATSU, NOBUHIKO. "A similarity in word-recognition procedures among second language readers with different first language backgrounds." Applied Psycholinguistics 23, no. 1 (March 2002): 117–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0142716402000061.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigated word recognition among fluent readers of English as a second language (ESL). Specifically, the study examined whether ESL readers' first language (L1) affects the procedures underlying second language word recognition, with respect to the effects of word frequency and regularity on word recognition. The results revealed a similarity in word-recognition procedures between fluent ESL readers with various L1 backgrounds (i.e., Chinese, Japanese, and Persian). In processing high-frequency words, all the ESL groups recognized exception words as quickly as regular words; low-frequency exception words, on the contrary, took longer to recognize than low-frequency regular words.
8
Upton, Thomas A., and Li-Chun Lee-Thompson. "THE ROLE OF THE FIRST LANGUAGE IN SECOND LANGUAGE READING." Studies in Second Language Acquisition 23, no. 4 (December 2001): 469–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0272263101004028.
Full textAbstract:
Reading in a second language (L2) is not a monolingual event; L2 readers have access to their first language (L1) as they read, and many use it as a strategy to help comprehend an L2 text. Owing to difficulties in observing the comprehension process, little research has been conducted to determine what role the L1 plays in the reading strategies of L2 readers. Using think-aloud protocols and retrospective interviews with 20 native speakers of Chinese and Japanese at three levels of language proficiency studying in the United States, this study explores further the question of when L2 readers use their L1 cognitive resources and how this cognitive use of the L1 helps them comprehend an L2 text. We conclude by suggesting that the results support a sociocultural view of the L2 reading process.
9
Klassen, Kimberly. "Exploring How Japanese Second Language English Readers Respond to Proper Names." Onomástica desde América Latina 3, no. 6 (October 10, 2022): 77–106. http://dx.doi.org/10.48075/odal.v3i6.29367.
Full textAbstract:
An assumption in second language (L2) vocabulary and reading research is that L2 readers can easily understand the proper names they encounter, though empirical support for this conjecture is lacking. The aim of this study is to explore how L2 English readers perceive and respond to proper names. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Japanese low-intermediate L2 English readers (N = 4) to investigate: the affective factors involved when encountering unknown proper names in texts; what strategies they use when encountering new names; and any difficulties they experience in proper name processing. The participants were also asked to read aloud a short text and report the referents of several proper names, using modified think-aloud protocol. It was found that main source of confusion for the interviewees stemmed from their inexperience with proper names; that is, uncertainty about which proper names are family names and personal names; the gender of names; nicknames; and proper name phonology. Participants also reported on various strategies they use when encountering novel proper names, such as doing online searches, and using contextual and orthographic clues. The findings suggest that it may be incautious to assume unfamiliar proper names are a low burden to L2 readers of English.
10
Li, Wenchao. "Text genres, readability and readers’ comprehensibility." European Journal of Computer Science and Information Technology 10, no. 4 (April 15, 2022): 52–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.37745/ejcsit.2013/vol10n45262.
Full textAbstract:
This study applies mathematical linguistics to explore the association between text genres, readability and readers’ comprehensibility. The target readers are students from Korea, Thailand and China, studying in Japanese universities, pursuing 20 different disciplines. Japanese is their third language, and all students have passed the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Level 1. The textbook’s readability and readers’ comprehensibility are measured at two levels using two metrics. Mean dependency distance (MDD) is employed for measuring syntactic diversity; moving-average morphological richness (MAMR) and moving-average mean size of paradigm (MAMSP) are calculated for measuring lexicon diversity. The findings indicate that in terms of lexical diversity, textbooks of humanities seem simpler than natural science and engineering. In syntactic complexity, the textbook of informatics shows the simplest structure while that of social welfare presents the highest. Text genres relate to a textbook’s readability and eventually influence readers’ comprehensibility. Moreover, lexical diversity is not corelated to syntactic complexity.
11
Ramseyer, J. Mark, Percy R. Luney, and Kazuyuki Takahashi. "Japanese Constitutional Law." Journal of Japanese Studies 21, no. 2 (1995): 483. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/133029.
Full text
12
Levin, Mark A., and Yuji Iwasawa. "International Law, Human Rights, and Japanese Law: The Impact of International Law on Japanese Law." Journal of Japanese Studies 28, no. 1 (2002): 198. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/4126790.
Full text
13
Chow, Yean Fun, Haslina Haroon, and Hasuria Che Omar. "Reaching out to the readers: The translation of Japanese manga in Malaysia." Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics 10, no. 2 (October 18, 2020): 538–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v10i2.28605.
Full textAbstract:
One of the most recognisable aspects of Japanese pop culture which has invaded Malaysia is the Japanese comic or manga. It appears in translation in both Malay and English in Malaysia. Taking into account its foreign origin and the fact that translated manga is targeted at a local readership, translators often resort to the use of notes in the translations in order to assist the readers. This study, thus, intends to examine the type of notes used in the Malay and English translations of Japanese manga, and to determine items in the Japanese manga which required clarification and for which notes are provided. To analyse the use of notes by the translator in the translated manga, this study adopts a qualitative content analysis approach. The analysis involves six Japanese manga and their corresponding translations in Malay and English. The findings show that the translators employ the use of three different types of notes in the translation: notes on the image, notes in the gutter and notes at the end of the text. The analysis also shows that the elements in the Japanese manga which require clarification in translation are giongo/gitaigo, inscriptions, culture-specific elements, wordplay, technical terms and honorifics. There is also a minor difference between the Malay and English translations where the use of notes is concerned. Based on the findings, it is concluded that notes are important in translated versions of the manga in Malaysia in that they provide assistance to readers in understanding certain aspects of the manga.
14
Koda, Keiko. "The Use of L1 Reading Strategies in L2 Reading." Studies in Second Language Acquisition 12, no. 4 (December 1990): 393–410. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0272263100009499.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigated first language (L1) orthographic influence on cognitive processing involved in second language (L2) reading. Using a fundamental unit of representation, three orthographic systems (i.e., alphabet, syllabary, and logography) can be categorized into two types: morphography and phonography. Previous L1 reading research has suggested that different strategies are used for phonological recoding by morphographic and phonographic readers. This study tested the possibility that these L1 recoding strategies are transferred and utilized in L2 reading. A cross-linguistic experiment involving adult L2 learners of English with contrasting L1 orthographic backgrounds (Arabic, Japanese, Spanish, and English—for native control) was conducted. The results indicate that reading among phonographic readers (Arabic, Spanish, and English) is seriously impaired when essential phonological information is inaccessible. Similar phonological inaccessibility, in contrast, apparently does not affect the reading performance of Japanese, or morphographic, readers. Further, the study demonstrated, first, that phonological inaccessibility exerts differential effects on the reading processes of phonographic and morphographic readers and, second, that L2 readers from different L1 orthographic backgrounds utilize their L1 strategies in reading English as an L2. Hence, the findings of the study verify cognitive strategy transfer during L2 reading.
15
CHIKAMATSU, NOBUKO. "Developmental Word Recognition: A Study of L1 English Readers of L2 Japanese." Modern Language Journal 90, no. 1 (March 2006): 67–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2006.00385.x.
Full text
16
Xie, Yuyang. "Viewing Japanese People's Cognitive Concept From Japanese Proverbs —— Taking "View of Nature" and "View of Emotion" as Examples." Asian Journal of Social Science Studies 7, no. 3 (March 28, 2022): 56. http://dx.doi.org/10.20849/ajsss.v7i3.1037.
Full textAbstract:
Proverbs are a vital component of Japanese language culture, and their breadth encompasses all facets of human existence. Proverbs are the result of years of understanding growth, the crystallization of life experience, and a source of information. Proverbs are ingrained in the Japanese people and culture. This article uses the study objects "view of nature" and "view of emotion" to integrate language culture theory with information about natural things and family culture in order to help readers better comprehend the Japanese cognitive notion.
17
Penner, David. "Linguistic and contextual factors that affect Japanese readers of EFL." Language Teacher 35, no. 1 (January 1, 2011): 23. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jalttlt35.1-3.
Full textAbstract:
By exploring the linguistic and contextual factors that cause problems for Japanese readers of EFL, this essay adds support to the sociocontextualists’ side of the ongoing debate regarding the scope of SLA research – that is, should SLA research be limited to the study of language use or should it include language-learning in context? In support of a more global approach, linguistic factors and contextual factors that cause Japanese readers difficulty are explored, including differences in orthography, morphology, orthographic depth, and phrasal structure, as well as ethnocentric influences, enculturated writing patterns, non-motivating classrooms, and enculturated learning strategies. Since Japanese readers are affected, not only by linguistic factors, but social factors as well, both linguistic and contextual factors should be considered when teaching and researching second language acquisition. 本論は外国語としての英語学習（EFL）環境にある日本人の読解に関する問題の原因となる言語学的・状況的要因を調査する。さらに、第2言語習得（SLA）研究は言語使用の研究に限定されるべきか、状況に応じた言語学習も含めて行うべきかという昨今の議論において、「社会的文脈」派の立場を支持する。本論ではより包括的なアプローチで、正字法、形態論、正字法深度、句構造等の違いに加え、自文化中心主義の影響、文化適応したライティングパターン、動機づけの低い教室、文化適応した学習ストラテジー等、日本人の読解に関する問題の原因となる言語学的・状況的要因を検討する。日本人の読解力は言語学的要因だけではなく社会的要因からも影響を受けているので、第2言語習得を指導研究する際には、言語学的・状況的要因を考慮すべきである。
18
Horiba, Yukie. "Comprehension processes in L2 reading: Language competence, textual coherence, and inferences." Studies in Second Language Acquisition 18, no. 4 (December 1996): 433–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0272263100015370.
Full textAbstract:
The study reported in this paper examined four groups of readers (L2-Intermediate, L2-Advanced, L1-Japanese, and L1-English) when they processed and recalled two passages that varied in degree of causal coherence (Trabasso & van den Broek, 1985). Concurrent verbal reports and recall data were collected. It was found that L1 readers used much of their attention for higher level processes such as the generation of inferences and general knowledge associations. They processed the high- and low-coherence texts differently, generating more elaborations for low-coherence texts than for high-coherence texts. Furthermore, L1 readers generated backward inferences according to the text's causal structure and recalled events with many causal connections more frequently than events with few connections. These findings confirm L1 research findings (Fletcher & Bloom, 1988; Goldman & Varnhargen, 1986; Graesser & Clark, 1985; Singer, 1995; Trabasso & van den Broek, 1985; van den Broek, 1994). On the other hand, L2 readers paid more attention to lower level processes and did not process differently between the high- and low-coherence texts. L2-Advanced readers generated both backward and forward inferences during reading, whereas L2-lntermediate readers did not. Although L2-Advanced readers' generation of backward inferences did not correspond to the text's causal structure, their second recall indicated they were sensitive to it. A closer look at the data suggests that there were some delays in lower level processes such as understanding words and sentences, as well as resolution of anaphoric relations by these readers.
19
Levin, Mark A., J. Mark Ramseyer, and Minoru Nakazato. "Japanese Law: An Economic Approach." Journal of Japanese Studies 26, no. 2 (2000): 510. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/133303.
Full text
20
West, Mark D., and John Owen Haley. "The Spirit of Japanese Law." Journal of Japanese Studies 26, no. 2 (2000): 514. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/133304.
Full text
21
Moore, Harumi. "Word-attack skills in beginners’ Japanese reading comprehension." Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 19, no. 1 (January 1, 1996): 73–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/aral.19.1.05moo.
Full textAbstract:
This paper advocates the promotion of teaching word-attack skills, among other reading skills, in a beginners’ Japanese program. The paper argues that even first-year students with limited knowledge of kanji (Chinese characters) can use such strategies successfully, and that formal training in such skills helps foster autonomous readers who approach reading tasks with a positive attitude. The feasibility of teaching word-attack skills to beginners is supported by the results obtained in an experiment conducted in the introductory Japanese course at the Australian National University (ANU). The paper takes a detailed look at various word-attack skills used by students in this experiment, in the light of universal reading strategies as well as strategies specific to reading in Japanese.
22
Ide, Sachiko. "Takesi Sibata, Sociolinguistics in Japanese contexts. Ed. by Tetsuya Kunihiro, Fumio Inoue, & Daniel Long. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1999. Pp. xvi, 489. Hb DM 248.00." Language in Society 29, no. 4 (October 2000): 602–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0047404500274046.
Full textAbstract:
The assumptions made by readers of Language in Society and other English-language academic publications, when they begin to read, are so widely shared that they are seldom reflected on or made explicit. These assumptions have to do with European traditions of scholarship; and over time, they have made their way around the world because of the unquestioned belief in their universal applicability. But other approaches do exist, although most are never featured in publications in Western languages. I commented on this situation long ago, but it persists to this day: “The work done by Japanese sociolinguists is virtually unknown to non-Japanese readers. The reason is probably that this work has developed independently of the Western disciplines. The fact that Japanese researchers have worked independently of the Western tradition has inevitably resulted in unique assumptions, orientations or approaches when viewed from an international perspective”.
23
Ramšak, Polona. "Ishiguro’s Japanese-English Identity and His Reception Internationally and in Slovenia." Acta Neophilologica 54, no. 1-2 (December 7, 2021): 99–114. http://dx.doi.org/10.4312/an.54.1-2.99-114.
Full textAbstract:
Kazuo Ishiguro is a British author of Japanese descent who has established himself globally as an award-winning writer of bestselling books. This article deals with the hybridity of the author, who is both Japanese and English, a popular writer who stirs reader emotions but is at the same time respected by critics. The article begins by addressing the ‘Japaneseness’ in Ishiguro’s work that is both obvious and skilfully concealed. In the second part, the article examines the reception of Ishiguro’s work by Slovenian readers and discusses potential reasons for their seeming lack of response.
24
Lee, Seokwoo. "The Views of Korean International Law Scholars Regarding the 2012 Supreme Court Decisions on Compensation for Forced Labor." Korean Journal of International and Comparative Law 2, no. 2 (November 18, 2014): 193–201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/22134484-12340039.
Full textAbstract:
Among the victims of the Japanese occupation of Korea were those who were forced to work for Japanese corporations against their will by the Japanese government. After unsuccessfully seeking recourse in Japanese courts, some forced labor victims filed suit in Korean courts, seeking compensation from the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Corporation and the New Nippon Steel Corporation. In two groundbreaking decisions, the Supreme Court of Korea ruled in favor of the plaintiffs on May 24, 2012. This note offers non-Korean readers a survey of the views of Korean international law scholars on the issues and implications of the Court’s rulings.
25
YAMADA, Megumi, and Jun-ichi ABE. "Sublexical strategies for recoding CVC words by Japanese readers of English as foreign language." Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the Japanese Psychological Association 74 (September 20, 2010): 1EV131. http://dx.doi.org/10.4992/pacjpa.74.0_1ev131.
Full text
26
Powell, Richard. "Language, Imagery and Ideology in Japanese Law and Administration." International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique 32, no. 4 (July 23, 2019): 767–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11196-019-09641-4.
Full text
27
Sonnenberg-Musiał, Katarzyna. "Z japońskiej perspektywy." Między Oryginałem a Przekładem 28, no. 4(58) (December 18, 2022): 127–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.12797/moap.28.2022.58.06.
Full textAbstract:
FROM A JAPANESE PERSPECTIVE: THE WESTERN INFLUENCES IN THE WORKS OF ŌGAI
The article focuses on how Mori Ōgai (1862-1922), a Japanese writer, translator and literary critic, incorporated references to European literature and culture in his novellas: Maihime (The Dancing Girl, 1890), Mōsō (Delusion, 1911) and Hanako (1910). The hermeneutic approach sheds light on the Japanese author’s vivid interest in foreign languages, cultural symbols, philosophy and arts which contributes to the intricate image of foreign influences in his oeuvre and invite his readers and translators in Europe to revisit their own cultural tradition.
28
Toyota, Tetsuya, and Hajime Nobuhara. "Analysis and Visualization of Japanese Law Networks Based on Granular Computing -Visual Law: Visualization System of Japanese Law-." Journal of Advanced Computational Intelligence and Intelligent Informatics 14, no. 2 (March 20, 2010): 150–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.20965/jaciii.2010.p0150.
Full textAbstract:
In order to grasp a perspective of the over 7,000 laws in Japan, and to find the relationships between law and laws, a method of creating a hierarchical network of laws using granular computing, is proposed. The proposed method analyze hierarchical networks by using an index of network science such as degree distribution and closeness centrality. Furthermore, it visualizes the hierarchical structure within the setting of granular computing. Using the JAVA-based language ‘Prefuse,’ a law network visualization system ‘Visual Law’ is implemented, and it is confirmed that users can easily analyze/understand the law network structure using our proposal.
29
Barbee, Matthew. "Page to Stage: An Empirical Study of Foreign Language Learning (FLL) and Motivation Through Playwriting, Readers Theatre, and Stage Production." JALT PIE SIG: Mask and Gavel 10, no. 1 (February 7, 2022): 7–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltsig.pie10.1-1.
Full textAbstract:
This article describes a set of lessons used in a university EFL course and presents empirical, classroom-based research. The set of lessons, Page to Stage, was designed to teach English through the use of drama, dramatic activities, and theatre production—more specifically: dramatic adaptation of Japanese folktales, playwriting, readers theatre, and the rehearsal, memorization, and performance of original, student-written plays. At the end of the lesson and course, students were surveyed on their beliefs regarding the lesson’s effects on their motivation, level of English, use of prosody, and confidence when speaking in public. The students’ enjoyment of certain aspects of the lesson as well as the lesson as a whole was also surveyed. Results showed that the students saw self-improvement along all points, while they feel that their motivation and use of prosody improved most. Regarding enjoyment, students most enjoyed (from most enjoyable to least enjoyable) watching other students perform, working together in groups, using Japanese folktales as reference for the playwriting, the readers theatre, the final performance, and playwriting. Students least enjoyed memorizing the scripts in preparation for the final performances. Based on the results, a case is made for the benefits of drama, readers theatre, and theatre production in the EFL classroom.
30
Ramonda, Kris. "Extensive reading and class readers: the case for no choice." ELT Journal 74, no. 3 (June 12, 2020): 277–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccaa017.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract The benefits of extensive reading (ER) are well known, yet integrating ER into curricula has been problematic. One factor is the adherence to the principle that students should freely choose what to read, which complicates connecting out-of-class reading with in-class content. Class readers, however, can more easily tie in book content with classroom activities, thereby allowing students to discuss their shared knowledge in a way that might foster motivation for reading and add legitimacy to ER as part of the curriculum. To investigate this further, in the current study, 137 undergraduate Japanese students of English were assigned six class readers and then freely chose six more graded readers. Using a mixed methods approach, student perceptions were collected, coded, and analysed. Contrary to expectations, many learners indicated a preference for class readers for numerous reasons. These findings suggest that class readers should not be discounted in ER programs.
31
Miller, Russell A. "Remarks at the Opening of the Symposium Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the German Law Journal – The German Law Journal as “Lived” Comparative Law." German Law Journal 10, no. 10 (October 1, 2009): 1309–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2071832200018216.
Full textAbstract:
It is proper that we have come to Berlin to celebrate this remarkable transatlantic enterprise. It is true that the German Law Journal was born in Karlsruhe and that it emerged in its current form – as an online, monthly, peer-reviewed, English-language forum for commentary on developments in German, European and International law – at the University of Frankfurt. But one advantage of Internet publishing is the detailed information editors can gather on their readers, including the almost absurd statistic that tracks the frequency with which the German Law Journal website is accessed from each of Germany's Postleitzahl districts. Berlin is the right place for this event because we know from that data that the largest block of our German readers, by far, is based here in the German capital.
32
Yamashita, Junko. "Reading Strategies in L1 and L2." ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics 135-136 (January 1, 2002): 1–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/itl.135-136.01yam.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract This study compared LI (Japanese) and L2 (English) reading strategies reported by four groups of readers with different reading ability backgrounds. Information on the strategies was extracted by a think aloud method. The following points emerged. (1) Generally speaking, readers tend to transfer their LI reading strategies to their L2 reading. (2) Language independent strategies are more likely to be transferred from LI to L2 than language dependent strategies. (3) High LI reading ability compensates for weak L2 reading ability, but there is a limit to this compensation. These results suggested a stronger relationship between LI and L2 reading processes than is predicted by the linguistic threshold hypothesis. The possibility that we can explain the results by combining the linguistic threshold hypothesis and the linguistic interdependence hypothesis, which have often been treated as conflicting, was discussed.
33
Ardiati, Riza Lupi. "Apology Speech Act in Indonesian and Japanese Language: A Comparative Method." Theory and Practice in Language Studies 13, no. 1 (December 31, 2022): 192–201. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1301.22.
Full textAbstract:
The speech act of apologizing is an expressive speech act that functions to maintain harmony between the speaker and the addressee. The speech act of apologizing is closely related to the politeness aspect, so it is necessary to pay attention to the strategy used. The strategy chosen must also reflect the true feelings for the effect of the apology to be conveyed. The pattern of speech act tends to be different in every language and this will give different impact on the readers. This research will discuss the apology speech act in two languages, Indonesian and Japanese, with their own uniqueness in delivering the messages. By referring to the approach of Cooperative and Politeness Principles from Leech (1993), the apologies that violate and obey the maxims will be found. This research is based on the data taken from novels and various “billboard” in Indonesia and Japan. The result of the research proves that the strategy of apologizing in Indonesian tends to be given directly by obeying the Cooperative Principles using the irony principle. On the other hand, Japanese language obeys more on the Politeness Principles because it has the element of hairyo hyougen or expression of consideration.
34
Istrate, Sandra-Lucia. "Pictures in Words – Kanji, Images in Literature – Sōshi." Ars Aeterna 6, no. 2 (December 1, 2014): 11–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/aa-2014-0009.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract From ancient times, the Japanese have been exploiting the image in as many ways as possible. They have used it in linguistics, literature, art - and the list is certainly much longer. Thus, the first part of my work tries to explain the importance of the kanji writing system and the “image” of a kanji, so that readers who do not understand the Japanese language can become familiar with it (origin, structure, mnemotechnics etc.). The second part of my work explains that later, in the 14th century, when “sōshi”or “zōshi” literature was born, n all of its books the relation between the text and the image was more than important. In the end, I conclude that the “image” is a defining element in understanding Japanese language and literature even in the 21st century.
35
Detey, Sylvain, and Isabelle Racine. "Learning to read liaison in French as a Foreign Language." French liaison in second language acquisition / La liaison en français langue étrangère 10, no. 1 (2019): 96–116. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/lia.17020.det.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractMany of the studies devoted to the acquisition of liaison in French as a foreign language have been carried out with advanced learners, whose first languages were often typologically close to French, and typically without much consideration to the graphophonemic dimension, which is an essential part of the learning process. In this article, we provide a brief overview of the linguistic and contextual factors in the acquisition of liaison by Japanese learners of French in Japan, with a particular focus on the connection between literacy and phonological skills. We then present initial results of a two-year longitudinal study (four sessions) of text-reading tasks with beginner Japanese learners of French (n = 12) in Tokyo, using the same tasks employed in two large corpora of French native (PFC) and non-native (IPFC) speakers/readers. Our data offer a glimpse into the evolution of these learners during the initial acquisition of L2 phonological/literacy skills.
36
KUROSAWA, Aki. "Beyond “Sex Work”: Japanese Night Work and “Shakai-Keiken”." Asian Journal of Law and Society 7, no. 2 (June 2020): 209–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/als.2020.9.
Full textAbstract:
AbstractThis article rethinks the hegemonic “sex-work” discourses—popular sex-work discourse and radical-feminist discourse—that associate Japanese night work with prostitution and consider young women workers in this industry as victims. These discourses reinforce sex-work oppression–empowerment paradigms, which limit workers’ experiences to either oppressive/empowering, good/bad, and positive/negative. This research draws on transnational feminism and a polymorphous approach to the complex nature of sex work. In doing so, this article addresses three aspects of Japanese night work, including young Japanese women’s motivation to go into night work, their conceptualization of work they engage in, and shakai-keiken (social experience) that they gain out of doing night work. This article encourages readers to step away from dominant Western discourses and look closely at the nuanced nature of Japanese night work in its own context.
37
Kaneyasu, Michiko, and Minako Kuhara. "Regularity and variation in Japanese recipes." Register Studies 2, no. 1 (April 10, 2020): 37–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/rs.18014.kan.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract This paper investigates the similarities and differences between three sub-registers of Japanese recipe texts: cookbook recipes, online commercial recipes written/edited by professionals, and online user-generated recipes. Past studies on Japanese recipes do not distinguish different sub-registers, and they tend to focus on a single feature. The present study of the sub-registers examines a group of frequently appearing linguistic features and uncovers functional links between observed features and situational characteristics. The comparative perspective contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of Japanese recipe language as well as universal and language-specific aspects of register variation. Shared traits among the three sub-registers are tied to the common topic of cooking and the central purpose of providing easy-to-follow food preparation instructions. Varied linguistic and textual features are motivated by different production circumstances, mediums, and relations among the participants. Professionally edited cookbook and online commercial recipes show a much higher uniformity in their grammatical features than unedited/self-edited user-generated recipes. Online sub-registers share a role of serving as a repository and reference center for numerous recipes and related information. Relationships among writers, readers, and other participants such as publishers and site organizers differ among all three sub-registers, resulting in some unique linguistic patterns.
38
Steenstrup, Carl, and John Owen Haley. "Authority without Power: Law and the Japanese Paradox." Journal of Japanese Studies 19, no. 2 (1993): 481. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/132663.
Full text
39
Jama'an, Fairuz, and Firza Firza. "METAPHOR ON JAPANESE SONG LYRIC BY MIWA: A STYLISTIC STUDY." Journal of Cultura and Lingua 2, no. 1 (January 28, 2021): 26–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.37301/culingua.v2i1.21.
Full textAbstract:
The uniqueness of literary language is full of ambiguity, having no rule, sometimes irrational, and connotative. Figurative language is not only referential that refers to certain thing but it has also expressive function that shows the author behavior. Various kinds of technique had been created by the author; he used figurative languages, imageries, and certain diction to attract the readers. Stylistic is a science that study the use of language and language style in literary work including sound, diction, sentence, discourse, figurative language, and imageries. This research aims to unveil figurative languages used in Japanese song lyric written by Miwa entitled, Kimi ni Deaeta Kara, and to observe the objective of using connotative language as expression of the author to express his ideas. This research used was stylistic theory to analyze figure of speech and its meaning. The result found that the use of metaphor to express something as the same thing or equal too another thing that is actually not the same. Metaphor gives freshness in language, animates the lifeless, keeps away the boredom because of monotone, and actualizes something. Based on the result of the analysis, the song written has a theme of love; a lot of dictions symbolize love. Figure of speech used by the author adds aesthetic value of the song lyric and the message of the author is well delivered.
40
Cho, Sang-Eun. "Translator’s Creativity found in the Process of Japanese-Korean Translation*." Meta 51, no. 2 (August 14, 2006): 378–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.7202/013263ar.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract It has been commonly understood (in Korea) that Japanese and Korean’s linguistic similarities make Japanese-Korean translation easier than translations from other languages into Korean. However, this does not concur with the fact that Japanese-Korean translations are not better compared to other language combinations from the readers’ point of view. This might be due to the problem of translationese caused by language interference, but the present research zooms in on translator’s ‘creativity’ and observes the effects of translator’s creativity on translation quality. The method of research involves analyzing transcriptions gathered through Think Aloud Protocol (TAP) from thirteen professional translators for the purpose of evaluating the strategies used by the translators and examining the occurrence of shift. The research confirms that Japanese-Korean translator creativity is restricted, and such result demonstrates the need for scholars and educators in translation education to recognize and appreciate the concept of creativity and to devise new educational approaches for nurturing creativity.
41
Shen, Huijia. "A Study on the Readability of the English Versions of Chinese Red Tourism Based on Readers’ Response." Journal of Practical Studies in Education 2, no. 3 (April 13, 2021): 5–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.46809/jpse.v2i3.23.
Full textAbstract:
The year 2021 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. With the rapid development of red tourism in China, the importance of red publicity translation has become increasingly prominent. How to evaluate the readability of red publicity translation has gradually become a hot issue. Taking the English versions of Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Jinggangshan Revolution Museum, Chongqing Hongyan Revolution History Museum and Nanhu Revolution Memorial Museum as examples, this article collects 16 target language readers’ feedbacks on the red tourism publicity translations through questionnaire and interview. The results show that the readability of the translation is influenced by many factors such as the quality of the text, the length of the text and the background of the readers. Due to the lack of understanding of the target language and text functions, there are various problems in the translation of words, sentences and discourses. Studies show that the emphasis of the importance of target language readers in quality assessment of red tourism publicity texts may effectively prevent researchers from substituting their own subjective judgments for readers’ feedback, thus; it is important to provide a more readable publicity text. This article attempts to improve the readability of red publicity translation, so as to better promote Chinese red tourism and spread Chinese red culture.
42
Feng, Tao. "A Comparative Optimization Model of Japanese Literature Characteristics for Cognitive Retrieval of Cross-Language Information." Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience 2022 (September 14, 2022): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/8195075.
Full textAbstract:
Cross-language information cognitive retrieval has grown in importance as a study area due to the multilingual character of Internet resources and the diversifying languages spoken by users. This paper analyses and illustrates the key characteristics of Japanese literature from three aspects: ideological structure, structural form, and emotional expression, and makes a straightforward comparison with Chinese literature using a number of well-known Japanese literary masterpieces as examples. An important aspect of this literature is that it is full of lingering feelings, leaving room for the readers to imagine. The lingering charm is endless, obscure, and meaningful, which is the traditional style of Japanese literature. It also focuses on the depoliticization of Japanese literature, that is, the relative separation between literature and politics. The subjectivity of Japanese writing, which goes beyond just conveying feelings but involves less objective description, is related to this. The process of cross-language information retrieval in foreign nations is primarily separated into three stages, according to the changes in research objects. Currently, adding a language conversion mechanism to a monolingual information retrieval system serves as the primary language information retrieval solution. Currently, nearly 40% of the global popularity of literature comes from Japan. In this article, the background and concept of cross-language information retrieval are introduced, and its types, system models, and several key cross-language information retrieval methods are explained, and some solutions to the factors influencing the cross-language information retrieval effect are suggested.
43
Ivanova, Gergana E. "Reading the Literary Canon through Manga in the Twenty-First Century." Japanese Language and Literature 55, no. 1 (April 21, 2021): 163–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.5195/jll.2021.160.
Full textAbstract:
This special section of Japanese Language and Literature, “Heian Literature in Manga,” attempts to offer tools for understanding the multiple functions that manga appropriations of literary texts written over a millennium ago perform in present-day Japan. Focusing on manga adaptations of six Heian-period (794-1185) works, the contributors examine how and why these classical writings have been rewritten for readers in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. They present six international perspectives on the influence manga has had in popularizing Heian classics by exploring modern interpretations as well as which aspects of the ancient texts have been promoted for readers in Japan today.
44
Scholes, Robert J., and Brenda J. Willis. "Invisible speech — Oral language skills in blind braille readers." Interchange 20, no. 1 (March 1989): 1–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf01808327.
Full text
45
Sato, Eriko. "A translation-based heterolingual pun and translanguaging." Target. International Journal of Translation Studies 31, no. 3 (July 29, 2019): 444–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/target.18115.sat.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract This paper examines six English translations of the Japanese novel Botchan with a focus on a complex pun that pairs a multi-morphemic sentence-ending in the Matsuyama dialect with the name of a traditional Japanese food. One English translation renders it as a heterolingual SL-TL pun, which is made comprehensible for TT readers without using footnotes and without distorting the culture of the ST. The SL item in this pun is seamlessly integrated into the TT’s linguistic environment at the morpho-syntactic level and is provided with layers of scaffolding at varied linguistic levels which are naturally presented as if they are a part of textual message. This heterolingual pun is analyzed as a manifestation of translanguaging. The paper proposes a research methodology whereby translanguaging perspectives are applied to translation studies in order to explain varied heterolingual translation phenomena, including foreignization.
46
Friman, H. Richard. "The Japanese Mafia: Yakuza, Law, and the State (review)." Journal of Japanese Studies 31, no. 1 (2005): 155–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/jjs.2005.0007.
Full text
47
BUCHWEITZ, AUGUSTO, ROBERT A. MASON, MIHOKO HASEGAWA, and MARCEL A. JUST. "Japanese and English sentence reading comprehension and writing systems: An fMRI study of first and second language effects on brain activation." Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 12, no. 2 (April 2009): 141–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1366728908003970.
Full textAbstract:
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to compare brain activation from native Japanese (L1) readers reading hiragana (syllabic) and kanji (logographic) sentences, and English as a second language (L2). Kanji showed more activation than hiragana in right-hemisphere occipito-temporal lobe areas associated with visuospatial processing; hiragana, in turn, showed more activation than kanji in areas of the brain associated with phonological processing. L1 results underscore the difference in visuospatial and phonological processing demands between the systems. Reading in English as compared to either of the Japanese systems showed more activation in inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, and angular gyrus. The additional activation in English in these areas may have been associated with an increased cognitive demand for phonological processing and verbal working memory. More generally, L2 results suggest more effortful reading comprehension processes associated with phonological rehearsal. The study contributes to the understanding of differential brain responses to different writing systems and to reading comprehension in a second language.
48
Klassen, Kimberly. "Orthographic Processing of Proper Names: A Proposal to Investigate the Orthographic Cue for Second Language Readers." Vocabulary Learning and Instruction 11, no. 2 (December 31, 2022): 94–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.7820/vli.v11.2.klassen.
Full textAbstract:
A standard treatment of proper names in second language (L2) vocabulary analyses is to categorize them as known items. This treatment is often supported by the assumption that the form of the proper name (i.e., the initial capital letter) and the context will indicate to the L2 reader that the item is a proper name. The aim of this work-in-progress report is to propose a methodological approach for investigating the claim that form facilitates proper name recognition for L2 readers, in particular for those whose first language (L1) employs a different orthography and writing system than English. While previous research has looked at the orthographic processing of proper names for L1 users, a gap exists in the literature for L2 readers. The assumption that L2 readers are skilled at identifying proper names from the initial capital warrants investigation as there are implications for the processing load in both pedagogical and testing situations. A proposed method to investigate the initial capital letter as a cue for L2 English proper name recognition is a name decision task, a variation on a lexical decision task, using English proper names and common nouns that are familiar to Japanese participants. Reaction times and error percentages to proper names with case type as a factor (i.e., initial capital letter or all lowercase) will be submitted to a linear mixed effects analysis.
49
Söderblom Saarela, Mårten. "A Guide to Mandarin, in Manchu: on a Partial Translation of Guanhua zhinan (1882) and Its Historical Context." East Asian Publishing and Society 9, no. 1 (February 26, 2019): 1–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/22106286-12341327.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract This paper describes and contextualizes Guwan hûwa jy nan, a partial Manchu translation, hitherto unidentified as such, of a Japanese-authored Mandarin primer —Guanhua zhinan—from 1882. In so doing, the paper will highlight certain characteristics of the language primer in Northeast Asia and their consequences for our conceptualization of Mandarin Chinese as China’s national language. East Asian primers in dialogue form moved between communities of readers and even languages with remarkable ease. Not only did the same Chinese texts reach places far apart, they were also adapted for the teaching of languages entirely different from those of their original composition. The Manchu translation of the Japanese Mandarin primer is one example of this phenomenon. It represents the confluence of a pedagogical tradition of teaching the Qing dynastic language and a growing foreign interest in Beijing Chinese, manifest here through the text’s origin in the Meiji government’s interpreter corps.
50
Inoguchi, Takashi. "The Nature and Functioning of Japanese Politics." Government and Opposition 26, no. 2 (April 1, 1991): 185–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1477-7053.1991.tb01132.x.
Full textAbstract:
JAPAN'S INCREASING AFFLUENCE AND ITS INFLUENCE IN world affairs have led many to inquire about the functioning of Japanese politics and how one should deal with the Japanese in government or business negotiations. With the steady rise of such interest in Japan, the study of Japanese politics has started to flourish at home and abroad. It was impossible to predict one or two decades ago that one would find so many students, many of whom have a good command of the Japanese language, enrolled in a graduate course on Japanese politics in major US universities. Writings on Japanese politics have started to attract many more general readers, not just a small group of specialists in Japanese politics whose number would not reach, by any method of calculation, one thousand in the whole world. In this article I shall summarize and discuss some major debates on the nature and functioning of Japanese politics with some recent illustrations. The following three subjects have been chosen: decision-making and policy implementation, power structure and the nature of democracy.