Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2005. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 257-267). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Japanese honorifics (JH) are challenging for learners of Japanese language to acquire due to their complex grammatical formulas. Textbooks tend to assume that the explanation of grammatical rules and drill exercises focusing on the rules are sufficient for learners to be competent in JH. However, functional issues related to honorifics such as how to use honorifics in socioculturally appropriate ways or how to deal with non-linguistic aspects of honorifics are likely to be ignored. The present study questioned the assumptions entailed in the traditional formoriented approach to teaching language, and examined an oral interview activity carried out by 24 students in a Japanese language course at a Canadian university. In this activity, the students interviewed Japanese professors using JH, and several types of data (i.e., the researcher observations and interviews with the participants and student written reflections on the interviews) were analyzed in order to find out students' practice (i.e., what students did) of and theory (i.e., how students perceived) about JH and oral interviews. The findings of the study present a very complex picture of students' practice and theory; they were engaged not only in the formation of the rules of JH but also in the functional areas such as non-verbal behaviour and conversation management. The data also revealed that students were very much concerned with functional areas during the interviews. From these findings, the study emphasizes the importance offunctions embedded in JH, and suggests that the Japanese teacher help learners acquire the functional competence dealing with JH as well as the linguistic competence. / Education, Faculty of / Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of / Graduate

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Noh is often described as a drama of the exploration of the soul. This focus on the human soul is largely attributed to Zeami Motokiyo ä (c. 1363-c. 1443), the greatest playwright in the history of noh drama. This thesis, however, attempts a more comprehensive examination of the characteristics of noh plays by including works by Kanze Nobumitsu (1435-1516). Zeami and Nobumitsu wrote several demon noh plays, which are plays whose primary characters are demons. There are significant differences in characterization and dramaturgy between Zeami's demon noh in the early Muromachi period, the era of noh's founding, and Nobumitsu's onitaiji-mono noh (demon killing noh) in the late Muromachi period, two generations later. In this thesis, I analyze three works by each of those two eminent noh playwrights in order to identify similarities and differences among their works and to compare their styles, structure, theatrical conventions, and use of literary sources. Each of these playwrights represents his era in Japanese literary and political history. By examining socio-cultural aspects of these plays, this thesis will illuminate the changes in Japan's core values over a span of two generations. Nobumitsu's demon noh plays represent these shifting core values among his patrons who were, like Zeami's, comprised of samurai elites. The social ethos of unification and inclusion in the cultural circle of shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358-1408) significantly impacted Zeami's plays. For his patrons like Yoshimitsu, the integration of the aristocratic aesthetics into his plays was essential. Zeami emphasized aristocratic beauty, mysterious gracefulness (yugen), spiritual salvation, and the Zen Buddhist tenets of non-duality, creating complex, humanized demon characters. However, the warrior elite changed significantly in two generations. Nobumitsu's major patrons were powerful warlords during the period when private ambition and revenge prevailed among the samurai and political and military authority was much more fluid than in Zeami's era. For Nobumitsu's patrons, samurai's bravery and resourcefulness were crucial. His waki warrior heroes engage in spectacular combat on stage, fighting and killing powerful, evil demons and kill them. Regional warlords presented these plays to impress their allies, rivals, and their own retainers to expand their prestige in the age of chaos. New developments in Nobumitsu's noh, make his plays more kabuki-like than Zeami's noh had been. Later forms of theater, kabuki and puppet theater (ningyo joruri) assimilated noh's aesthetics by adapting some noh and kyogen plays throughout its history. Noh drama provided compelling characters and fictional worlds for a variety of plays in kabuki and puppet theater. As early as the mid-Muromachi period, Zeami created humanized demon characters which later playwrights of later genres appropriated for their plays. Nobumitsu created spectacular stage which re-shaped theater and prepared the way for later developments of kabuki and puppet theater in Edo period (1600-1868).

Transitions from the first kabuki performance abroad in Russia in 1928 to the recent performances around the world show various changes in the purpose and production of kabuki performances overseas. Kabuki has been performed as a Japanese traditional art in the U.S. for about 60 years, and the United States has seen more kabuki than any other country outside of Japan. Those tours were closely tied to national cultural policy of both Japan and the USA in the early years. The first kabuki tour to New York in 1960 helped to reestablish the U.S-Japan relationship after the war. However, recently kabuki performances in the US have shifted into entertaining and educational events with regional rather than national import. This thesis will investigate productions of large scale Grand Kabuki (Shochiku corporation performers and management) and small scale kabuki related events in the United States, demonstrating how the purposes and the productions have changed throughout the 21st century as compared to the 20th century. The investigation will focus on (1) event management (2) program selection (3) technology (4) audiences' knowledge and experience. After Chapter Two introduces international kabuki tours in the early stage, Chapter Three will explore the two large-scale U.S. tours in the 20th century: the first U.S. tour in 1960 and the 1990 tour which covered widest area in the USA. In the 21st century, three large scale productions came to the U.S. over six times. Heisei Nakamura-za (troupe) visited New York in 2004, 2007 and 2014. Chikamatsu-za came to three cities in 2005. Kabuki joined the Japan kabuki festival in Las Vegas in 2015 and 2016 with two different productions. Chapter Four will investigate these large-scale tours and Chapter Five will look into small scale Shochiku-related kabuki events using Portland, Oregon as a sample city. Shochiku organized kabuki events in Portland in 2002, 2009, and 2017. These events included dance performances, make-up demonstrations, and in 2017 a costume exhibition. Research on small scale events is also important to understand new ways to present kabuki abroad.

Loanwords have been entering Japanese for centuries but the rate has accelerated postwar and the predominant source is English. Gairaigo have received a mixed response from scholars, government, the media and the public. Opponents claim they cause confusion and have called for limits to protect the language and culture. From the 1980s, language planning bodies turned their attention to gairaigo and, in the early 2000s, took steps to limit their use. This research examines and evaluates the perceptions and responses of Japanese people and language planners to gairaigo over this period. Scholarly and popular works, the media, and policy discussions by language planners were analysed under the rubric of corpus planning proposed by Ferguson (1979) and Cooper (1989). The level of purism was evaluated within the framework of Thomas (1991). To obtain quantitative data on public perceptions of gairaigo, a survey was conducted and the results compared with published opinion poll data. Scholars who supported gairaigo concentrated on its enrichment of the corpus, imagery, nuance, and its internationalising effects. Opponents focused on the confusing nature of new gairaigo particularly for older people, damage to the language and culture, creation of social divisions, and excessive Westernisation. Both globalisation and universal English education were considered causes of the influx. Policy discussions focused on comprehension levels of new gairaigo, generational differences, and overuse of gairaigo by government, especially in aged care. Lists of replacement words were produced but public response has been mixed. A majority of people surveyed expressed negative views of gairaigo, but only a small minority held strong views. Most were tolerant of gairaigo use and were willing to use new gairaigo. Tolerance decreased with age but there was no clear relationship with English language ability. Opinion poll data did not demonstrate any longitudinal increase in negative views of gairaigo over the 1980s and 90s. It was concluded that public support for government intervention was generally weak and was not assisted by the archaising approach taken to replacing gairaigo with kango. Recommendations for alternative responses were made.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Appendices are translation of Japanese articles. Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 366-381). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Language Studies, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-65).