Perspectives of a Naturalized Japanese By ARUDOU

WHO OWNS LANGUAGE?
Perspectives of a Naturalized
Japanese
By ARUDOU Debito
Associate Professor, Hokkaido Information University
Linguapax Asia 2006 Third International Symposium
Tokyo University, Saturday, October 7, 2006
Download this paper in Word format at
www.debito.org/arudoulinguapax2006.doc
"He won't comprehend our
words or feelings."
(「言葉も気持ちも通じない」)
--Yaeyama Shoukou High School coach Ishimine Yoshimori, regarding Lotte
baseball coach Bobby Valentine, after Valentine's high school draft pick coup
disrupted the process of letting star player Ohmine Yuuta go to his preferred
team, the Softbank Hawks. On these grounds, Coach Ishimine refused to
meet Valentine on September 26, on the grounds of his foreignness, citing an
inevitable language barrier as an excuse. (Sports Houchi Sept. 27, 2006)
八重山商工・伊志嶺監督がロッテを門前払い宣言ﾉ大嶺強行指名「言葉も気持ちも通じない」
２５日の高校生ドラフトで強行指名の末、ロッテが交渉権を獲得した八重山商工・大嶺祐太投手（１８）について
、伊志嶺吉盛監督（５２）が２６日、国体終了後に同校で行われる予定の初交渉に、出席しない方針を示した。
（中略）ロッテからはバレンタイン監督、瀬戸山球団代表が初交渉の席に着く予定だが、伊志嶺監督は「監督と球
団代表には会いたくない」と語気を強めた。欠席の意思は、永野スカウトが“指名予告”をした２５日の電話の中でも
伝えており「もういいでしょう。アメリカ人とは、言葉も気持ちも通じないよ」と堂々の“門前払い”
を宣言した。（後略） http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/baseball/npb/news/20060927-OHT1T00081.htm
"...charenji... toppu riidaa... riidaashippu... inobeishon... terewaaku...
contentsu... paatonaashippu... zero beisu... puraimarii baransu... gurando
dezain... seifutii netto... receputo... f urendorii... meido in japan... kantorii
aidentiti..."
--Prime Minister Abe's opening speech (èäêMï\ñæââê‡ ) September 29, 2006 (Courtesy
http://www.sank ei.co.jp/news/060929/sei004.htm).
"This is Japan. Speak in a language we can understand."
--DPJ Dietmember October 2, 2006 in Diet ses sion, making political hay of the language,
ignoring the fact that several of the Japanese ka nji words in Abe's
spee chÅi ê^ùïÅiÇµÇÒÇµÅjÅAô zÅiÇËÇÒÅjÇ²ÇµÇžçëÅAêÿ·ˆëÙñÅÅiÇšÇ¡Ç
ÇžÇ°Ç‹ÅjÅAâbíqÅiÇ¶Ç¢ÇøÅjÅj
were also incomprehensible to many people without a dictionary.
(Courtes y Toku Da Ne TV show Octo ber 3, 2006)
“That’s not Japanese!”
(それは日本語じゃない）
Cornell: “If your Japanese is
not perfect, Japanese people
are not going to accept it.”
Courtesy “Koko Ga Hen Da Yo, Nihonjin” TBS Feb 28, 2001
Courtesy “Koko Ga Hen Da Yo, Nihonjin” TBS Feb 28, 2001
(Sample imperfect Japanese speaker)
Typical example of small talk (in Japanese):
Aさん: What country are you from?
Me: Nippon.
Aさん: Um, er, where were you born?
Me: America.
Aさん: Um, er...?
Me: Because I’m a naturalized Japanese.
Aさん: Oh, so that’s why your Japanese is so good!
Deconstructing possible presumptions
behind this type of exchange:
We were clearly communicating in Japanese,
therefore my language fit an accepted paradigm.
2. Speakers were curious how I slotted into this
paradigm, inquiring beyond the regular small talk
about country of origin, and into how I could claim
to be Japanese.
3. Once established I am a naturalized Japanese, all
fell into place. I must be good at Japanese because I
am Japanese. QED. I had now established a form of
"entitlement" to possess the language.
1.
Going beyond small talk...
(Photo courtesy Kyodo News/Kumanichi Shinbun, from nationwide feature article Jan 12, 2002)
Again, that example of small talk:
Aさん: What country are you from?
Me: Nippon.
Aさん: Um, er, where were you born?
Me: America.
Aさん: Um, er...?
Me: Because I’m a naturalized Japanese.
Aさん: Oh, so that’s why your Japanese is so good!
Nationality and “language possession”
When Japanese study the Japanese language in
schools, it is called "kokugo", the national language.
When non-Japanese study it, it becomes "nihongo".
2) When registering inkan stamps (印鑑登録) in Japan, for
use in official documents, foreigners not Chinese or
Korean cannot register inkan in kanji or hiragana.
3) For those Chinese and Koreans in Japan, they can use
(and register) kanji as written in overseas registers, if
they do not have Japanese citizenship. But if they take
Japanese citizenship, they are required to register in
Japanese legally-sanctioned kanji (登用漢字) and
readings. “Entitlement” with Japanese characteristics.
1)
How I “enfranchised” my name
David Aldwinckle
= アルドウィンクルデビット
あるどう
でびと
有道出人
Why?
a) I am a kanji maniac.
b) I was sick of having a katakana name.
I am a Japanese. I wanted kanji to reflect that.
Survey:
“Who qualifies to be a Japanese?”
 In-class, orally, show-
 Overwhelmingly male,
of-hands informal
survey with discussion.
 HIU regular and
senmon gakkou
intensive classes.
 Nationwide: Sapporo,
Niigata, Nagoya,
Hiroshima, Kokura
(recorded), plus
Sendai, Osaka,
Fukuoka, and Oita (not
recorded).
lower-income bracket,
non English majors,
ages 18-25 (plus a few
shakaijin).
 1995-2005, with little
significant change over
time.
Students’ answers
(in no order of preference or importance)
A person who has lived in Japan
日本に住んだことがある人
A person who considers him/herself "Japanese"
自分が「日本人だ」と思う人
A person who has Japanese citizenship
日本国籍を有する人
A person who has assimilated into Japan
日本に溶け込んでいる人
A person born in Japan
日本で生まれた人
A person who has spent the majority of his/her life in Japan
人生の大半を日本で過ごした人
Students’ answers (2)
(in no order of preference or importance)
A person who likes Japan
日本が好きな人
A person who has Japanese blood
日本の血が入っている人
A person who knows a lot about Japan
日本について詳しい人
A person using Japanese in everyday conversation
日常会話で日本語を使う人
A person with Japanese parents/grandparents
両親・祖父母に日本人がいる人
A person who is proud of Japan
日本について誇りを持つ人
じゃあ、Are these people Japanese or not?
Wada Akiko
Entertainer
Miyazawa Rie
Actress
Umemiya Anna
Model, Tarento
Oh Sadaharu
Baseball hero
Kinugasa Sachio
Baseball hero
Alberto Fujimori
Fmr. Peru Prez
じゃあ、Are these people Japanese or not? (2)
Konishiki
Tarento
Akebono
Pro Fighter
Ramos Rui
Soccer Hero
Amy
Daughter
Anna
Daughter
Arudou Debito
Yours Truly
Survey Results (1)
Person
Is Japanese
Is NOT
Japanese
Total
Votes
31 stude nts
Cannot
say/
Don't
know
39 stude nts
205
Highest
Vote's
Percent
of Total
65.9%
Wada Akikoa
òaìcÉAÉLéq
Miyaza wa Rieb
ã{ëÚÇËÇ¶
Umemiya Anna b
î~ã{ÉAÉìÉi
Kinugasa Sachiob
à½ä}èÀóY
Oh Sadaha rua
â§íÂé°
Alberto Fujimoric
135 stud ents
207
4
8
219
94.5%
184
7
18
209
88.0%
47
4
22
73
64.4%
138
47
34
219
63.0%
69
78
41
188
41.5%
ÉAÉãÉxÉãÉgÅEÉtÉWÉÇÉä
NOTES:
a) Zainichi without Japanes e citizenship
b) Mixed -blood person with Japanese citizenship, born in Japan.
c) Naturalized Japanese citizen
d) Daug hters Amy and Anna were included because of their equal status as born in Japan, raised in
Japan, native speak ers of Japanes e, same parents, but with differen t phenotypes. Before voting,
students wer e shown the same photos as those included in this Powerpoi nt presentation.
Survey Results (2)
Person
Konishikic è¨ã—
Akebonoc èå
Ramos Ruic
ÉâÉÇÉXó¹àÃ
Daughter A myb
àüî¸ÇøÇ·ÇÒ
Daughter A nna b
à«ì¼ÇøÇ·ÇÒ
Arudou Deb itoc
óLìšèoêl
Is Japanese
Is NOT
Japanese
Cannot
say/
Don't
know
Total
Votes
Highest
Vote's
Percent
of Total
117
131
174
12
35
22
17
35
23
146
201
219
80.1%
65.2%
79.5%
200
3
18
221
90.5%
194
5
18
217
89.4%
176
16
29
221
79.6%
NOTES:
a) Zainichi without Japanes e citizenship
b) Mixed -blood person with Japanese citizenship, born in Japan.
c) Naturalized Japanese citizen
d) Daug hters Amy and Anna were included because of their equal status as born in Japan, raised in
Japan, native speak ers of Japanes e, same parents, but with differen t phenotypes. Before voting,
students wer e shown the same photos as those included in this Powerpoi nt presentation.
Interpretations of the data
 People voted clearly Japanese, registering
more than 85% of the total votes, were the
“mixed children” (Miyazawa Rie 95%,
Daughter Amy 91%, Daughter Anna 89%,
Umemiya Anna 88%).
 Almost everyone in the survey was voted to
be “a Japanese”, even if they did not have
Japanese citizenship (Wada and Oh).
Interpretations of the data (2)
 The lone exception, even with “citizenship”
was Alberto Fujimori. Even with blood,
students said it was his lack of language
Japanese ability.
 However, Arudou Debito was granted
“Japaneseness”, because of his language
abilities. This would not have happened if
students had only just met him, or had only
seen a photo of him, they said.
Conclusions
“Possessing” Japanese language ability
is the qualifier to “entitlement” for
“Japaneseness”. If you want to be
considered a Japanese, you had better
speak out and claim it.
Conclusions (2)
“Japaneseness” and “language
possession” may in fact not be a
racially-based social construct, as more
non-native speakers and multiethnic
natives continue to appear.
This is good news for Japan’s emerging
multicultural, multiethnic, and
multilingual society.
Downloads
 Download this paper in Word format at
www.debito.org/arudoulinguapax2006.doc
 Download this Powerpoint Presentation at
www.debito.org/arudoulinguapax2006.ppt
--Thank you for listening to my presentation!

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