Japanese Studies Commons^™

The Japanese Approach To The End Of The Pacific War, Atsuo Hirano

Dissertations and Theses

Before World War II ended with the Japanese surrender to the Allied Nations on August 15, 1945, the United States dropped the atomic bomb on a Japanese city of Hiroshima. For fifty years, the question of whether the atomic bomb was necessary to end the war has been discussed by historians and journalists.

The purpose of this thesis is to clarify the Japanese situation in the spring and summer of 1945 by reading the statements and ideas of the Japanese Emperor, government officials and military officers at the time.

Since the Japanese Emperor was believed to have played a significant …

Multiple Code Switching In An Okinawan Speech Community: An Ethnographic Perspective, Izumi Kawamitsu

Dissertations and Theses

The ethnography of communication is a mode of inquiry which investigates relationships between language and culture in a particular speech community. Based on the ethnographic perspective, this study examines a certain way of speaking at a specific historical moment in a specific community. The major focus is two disc jockeys who are characterized as "trilingual" speakers (Japanese-English-Okinawa dialect) and their code switching activities in an Okinawan local radio program.

The three-month field study took place on the island of Okinawa. Data were collected from observations at the two radio stations, transcriptions of the program, and interviews with the DJs, the …

Intercultural Communication Competence And Intercultural Adjustment Of Japanese Business Sojourners And Their Spouses, Muneo Hotta

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the relationship among intercultural communication competence, attitudes toward the U.S. culture, and linguistic skills in English for Japanese business sojourners and their spouses living in the United States.

Cross-Cultural Differences In Written Discourse Patterns : A Study Of Acceptability Of Japanese Expository Compositions In American Universities, Hiroko Kitano

Dissertations and Theses

Since Kaplan started the study of contrastive rhetoric, researchers have investigated Japanese and English compositions and have found some differences between them. However, few studies have investigated how these differences are perceived by native English readers when the different rhetorical patterns are transferred to English writing.

Drawing from Hinds' study, this research focuses on the following: how the Japanese style of writing is evaluated by Japanese and American readers, especially in academic situations, how Japanese rhetorical patterns are perceived by American readers, and how a change of organization affects the evaluation by American readers.

The Expression Of Politeness In Japan: Intercultural Implications For Americans, Emiko Tajikara Nelson

Dissertations and Theses

This descriptive study focuses on expressions of politeness in the Japanese language and their relevance to social structure and intercultural communication. The study is designed to help students of the Japanese language learn rules of politeness which fall outside the domain of grammatical rules.

Modification Of The Western Approach To Intercultural Communication For The Japanese Context, Eiko Tai

Dissertations and Theses

The field of intercultural communication has recently been introduced to Japan from the United States. The theories and concepts of this field have been developed based on Western social sciences, and they are likely to be culture-bound. This thesis investigates the possibility that modifying Western ideas in the field of intercultural communication would make the study of this subject more effective for Japanese learners.

The Japanese/American Interface: A Crosscultural Study On The Approach To Discourse, Hitomi Tamura

Dissertations and Theses

This study attempted to explore one aspect of the communicative styles of Japanese and Americans: their approach to discourse. In a literature review, four distinctive characteristics were surveyed: linear/nonlinear presentation, inductive/ deductive reasoning, explicit/implicit communication, and analytical/emotional statements. The American style of argument was characterized by:

1) a linear presentation as evidenced by its preference for a sequential paragraph development, its reliance on logic, and its direct introduction of the subject.

2) either inductive or deductive reasoning.

3) explicit communication as shown by its emphasis on the use of concrete language, definite qualifiers, clearly stated conclusions and a wider perspective. …

The Degree Of Acculturation And Success Patterns In Three Generations Of The Japanese Americans In The Portland Area, Toshimasa Fujii

Dissertations and Theses

Past research shows that Japanese Americans have been successful occupationally, financially and educationally. This thesis examines factors leading to this success. It is generally argued that the greater the congruence between minority and majority value systems, the less likely conflict would be generated in the minority group's acculturation. There appear to be two opposed aspects in the acculturation of the Japanese Americans, relinquishment or retention of traditional Japanese values. Also important is the degree to which Japanese Americans identify themselves as American, or Japanese, or some mixture. This thesis focuses on the following questions: What types of values have been …

A Comparative Study Of Communication Style In Japan And The United States As Revealed Through Content Analysis Of Television Commercials, Noriko Huruse

Dissertations and Theses

This study is an empirical analysis of communication styles in Japan and the United States. In particular, the study deals with communication styles in Japanese and American television commercials as a reflection of human communication styles in the two countries.

An Investigation Of Similarity Of The Value System Of The American And Japanese College Students, Hiroyoshi Taguchi

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the present research was to investigate whether or not there is similarity of values between American and Japanese college students. The following research hypothesis was established:

There is a positive relationship between the value system of the Japanese college students and that of American college students.

To test the above research hypothesis, the following three null hypotheses were tested in the present research:

1. There is no similarity between the value system of the Japanese male college students and that of American male college students whose ages are between 18 and 22.
2. There is no similarity between the …