この論文は、世界中のバイリンガリズム（二ヶ国語併用・使用） の研究によって得られた理論を概説し、これらを日本のバイリン ガリズムの現状を把握に適用することを目的とする。更に、日本 で用いられているバイリンガリズムの用語を再点検するとともに、 日本における二言語・二文化併用に見られる諸現象を述べるに必 要な新しい用語についてもいくつか紹介したい。 Research paper on bilingualism and biculturalism. Because the author prioritized getting…[Read more]

Syllabus for Japanese Mythology Spring 2021

In Nobel laureate Kawabata Yasunari’s novel Snow Country, the protagonist Shimamura refers to an “old book” which gave him in-depth knowledge about the region known in Japan as the “Snow Country”. The name of the book is not disclosed by Kawabata, but it is now known that the “old book” is Hokuetsu Seppu (first published in 1837), written by Su…[Read more]

Between the end of May and the beginning of June, 2020, we performed individually, filmed, synced together, edited and presented a quarantine version of John Cage’s Cartridge Music. Uploaded on YouTube, the performance was broadcast on 1 June, as part of the 4th Research Colloquium of the Postgraduate Programme in Music of the Federal University o…[Read more]

Picture a world with no mobility. Planes are landed. Urban transportation stopped. Large gatherings are non-existent and everybody is at home. That’s 2020, today. Most countries have reduced social interactions to a minimum. Food markets, drugstores and gas stations remain open. But shopping malls, cinemas, coffee shops and pubs have closed t…[Read more]

The essay is the first of a projected series of essays collectively entitled ‘The Uesugi: a study of a Japanese warrior family’s political and military involvement in eastern Japan, 1252-1455’. It examines the Uesugi family’s early history from around the time of its establishment to early 1336, the year war broke out between the Ashikaga and the…[Read more]

The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will finally come into force after the 50th country (Honduras) ratified it over the weekend. The treaty will make the development, testing, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons illegal for those countries that have signed it. This is an extraordinary achievement for those who have suffered the…[Read more]

The ancient intuitive language of images is still within us. People have always lived myths and taken lessons from legends. The lore and iconography of the Pilgrimage of Shikoku provide vivid examples. Poetry relies on metaphors, while true haiku communicate through nature symbolism.

Linguistic diversity of Japan from prehistoric to recent times, officially denied or disregarded out of an unstated assimilationist policy.

English translation of a famous but unorthodox haiku by Masaoka Shiki in the late 19th Century, with photos and references for further research on the pilgrimage island of Shikoku.

Traditional music theory curricula are increasingly scrutinized. Students regularly misunderstand the scope of epistemology and scope of theory, find theory intimidating and difficult, and fail to see its relevance to their career goals. In this essay, I outline a modular music theory curriculum, which works to address these negative perceptions…[Read more]