A Consideration of Honorific Language as Viewed by Korean Learners of Japanese

등원지영미 ( Chiemi Fujiwara ) 아시아.유럽미래학회 2011 유라시아연구 Vol.8 No.4

With approximately 960,000 South Koreans studying Japanese as of 2009, they comprise 26.4% of the total number of all learners of Japanese as a second language, more than any other nationality (The Japan Foundation, 2009). For Korean learners of Japanese, the similarities in the structure of Japanese-vocabulary and grammar, etc.-with their native Korean are factors that further their language acquisition. However, it is not uncommon for Korean learners of Japanese to find the characteristics of Japanese communication involving speech levels, particularly honorific language, to be difficult. Although the Korean language has also developed a system of honorific language, it has many disparities with the structure and usage of Japanese honorific language. In addition, differences in normative consciousnesses regarding honorific language are considered to possibly be a frequent trigger for miscommunication. This paper considers the influence that their view of honorific language has upon Korean learners of Japanese with regard to their selection of speech levels when communicating with Japanese people. While much research in which qualitative studies were conducted on consciousness pertaining to Japanese honorific language has already been done, there has been little research with aqual it ative examination focusing on Japanese language learners` consciousness of honorific language. Through quantit ative research alone, it is difficult to gain acomprehensive understanding of aspects of “consciousness,” which change due to the influence of various contributing factors. Therefore, this paper will utilize the Analysisof Personal Attitude Construct(below, PAC analysis), which inrecent years has come to be used as a psychological approach to analyzing Japanese language education, to examine Korean learners` of Japanese consciousness pertaining to the view and usage of honorific language. A survey was conducted from August 2009 to January 2011 in Japan and South Korea. The survey respondents were four intermediate to advanced Korean speakers of Japanese, each of whom had studied in Japan. The survey followed the PAC analysis format with “What is your image of honorific language and its usage?” as the stimulus term. The results of the analysis will be given below. Sixty-six free association items were found in dendrograms of respondents` answers. Overall, they showed a positive view of honorific language with 42 items for a “positive image,” 10 for a “negative image,” and 14 for “neither.” The first common characteristic among respondents was the appearance of the two items: “manners,” and “feeling of distance.” From the appearance of these two items in all of the respondents` answers, it can be understood that, for verbal communication, honorific language is an important means of showing politeness and that respondents are aware that it has a function of maintaining and adjusting the degree of intimacy and psychological distance between speakers. In terms of the “feeling of distance,” there was also mention of the advantageousness of honorific language for keeping a comfortable level of distance, thus, respondents did not necessarily evaluate “feeling of distance” to be a negative thing. The second common characteristic of the free association items was a strongly positive image of users of honorific language. In presentations or in business, there was a shared impression among respondents of honorific language users being professional, disciplined workers who get the job done, belong to a higher class, and have refinement. The view of honorific language that emerged among respondents is clearly connected to an impression of its users as being intelligent and sophisticated. Furthermore, it was confirmed that respondents view honorific language use as a sense and skill for language and that correct usage of honorific language in communication situations connotes sociolinguistic competence-the ability to use language. In this way, honorific language users are viewed from the perspective of their ability. The tendency to tie honorific language usage to ability of speakers, sophistication, and intelligence could stem from the consciousness of Korean respondents, which is of “sophisticated, intelligent honorific language users” as having received a solid at-home education on honorific language in South Korea, and their positive image of that education in the home. The third characteristic was that respondents identified honorific language as a characteristic shared by Japan and South Korea, evincing their broad perspective that views honorific language in an overall sense as an East Asian characteristic. This differs greatly from Taiwanese speakers of Japanese, who tend to view honorific language as a characteristic limited to Japanese culture as shown by the research by Fujiwara using PAC analysis to clarify their view of honorific language (under review). The disparity between these two sets of research results indicates the possibility that the similarities between Korean and Japanese honorific language influence the way Koreans view the honorific language of Japanese. As for the fourth characteristic, just as in previous research (Fujiwara, 2011, under review), responses showed an image of honorific language as “difficult” and “complicated.” However, rather than the difficulty of honorific language itself, this refers to the difficulty of knowing when to correctly use respectful and/or humble honorific words. As Japanese humble honorific expressions display greater variation than those of Korean (Hekyon Ka, 2001), this can possibly be considered the most difficult part of Japanese honorific language for Korean learners. As seen above in the characteristics of the way in which Korean learners of Japanese view honorific language, there was a tendency to have a positive image of honorific language itself, as seen in responses to the free association items for observing the image of honorific language in native-language situations. As for Taiwanese learners of Japanese, many negative-image responses appeared, such as those indicating that honorific language “should be simplified” and “should be done away with” (under review). Whereas in data on Korean learners, items were observed stating that honorific language is “something that shouldn`t be lost” and is “a must-have skill,” reflecting a tendency to view honorific language usage as a vital part of cultural heritage necessary for running social lifestyles. Along with influencing this positive consciousness, it is possible that similarities between the structure of honorific language in their native language of Korean and their second language of Japanese also leads to a consciousness of honorific language, which is informed by a general image that lumps the honorific language of the two languages together. In addition, it can also be surmised that honorific language education within Korean families as well as daily lifestyles, which are deeply-rooted in Korean social/cultural characteristics, and the positive consciousness toward such things, also exerts an influence on the consciousness regarding honorific language. In the future, the results and observations of this paper should be pursued in greater depth through studies conducted with respondents from different groups (for example, Koreans who have not stayed in Japan) including larger groups of respondents and incorporation of qualitative analysis.

Olaparib plus bevacizumab as maintenance therapy in patients with newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian cancer: Japan subset from the PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial

Keiichi Fujiwara,Hiroyuki Fujiwara,Hiroyuki Yoshida,Toyomi Satoh,Kan Yonemori,Shoji Nagao,Takashi Matsumoto,Hiroaki Kobayashi,Hughes Bourgeois,Philipp Harter,Anna Maria Mosconi,Isabel Palacio Vazquez 대한부인종양학회 2021 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.32 No.5

Objective: The addition of maintenance olaparib to bevacizumab demonstrated a significant progression-free survival (PFS) benefit in patients with newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian cancer in the PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial (NCT02477644). We evaluated maintenance olaparib plus bevacizumab in the Japan subset of PAOLA-1. Methods: PAOLA-1 was a randomized, double-blind, phase III trial. Patients received maintenance olaparib tablets 300 mg twice daily or placebo twice daily for up to 24 months, plus bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks for up to 15 months in total. This prespecified subgroup analysis evaluated investigator-assessed PFS (primary endpoint). Results: Of 24 randomized Japanese patients, 15 were assigned to olaparib and 9 to placebo. After a median follow-up for PFS of 27.7 months for olaparib plus bevacizumab and 24.0 months for placebo plus bevacizumab, median PFS was 27.4 versus 19.4 months, respectively (hazard ratio [HR]=0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.11–1.00). In patients with tumors positive for homologous recombination deficiency, the HR for PFS was 0.57 (95% CI=0.16–2.09). Adverse events in the Japan subset were generally consistent with those of the PAOLA-1 overall population and with the established safety and tolerability profiles of olaparib and bevacizumab. Conclusion: Results in the Japan subset of PAOLA-1 support the overall conclusion of the PAOLA-1 trial demonstrating that the addition of maintenance olaparib to bevacizumab provides a PFS benefit in patients with newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian cancer. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02477644

The Effect of Vespa simillima Extracts on Long-Term Memory and MK-801-Induced Learning Disability in Mice

Fujiwara, Yumiko,Kobayashi, Haruo,Kawai, Shigenao,Suzuki, Koichi Korean Society of Sericultural Science 2007 International Journal of Industrial Entomology Vol.15 No.1

Extracts of adult worker bodies of Vespa simillima in 2 % NaCl or acidified methanol were administered orally to mice for 70 days. Following this period, memory at one-day and one-month periods, and the effects on scopolamine-induced amnesia were examined using a step-through passive avoidance task. Changes in MK-801-induced disability after 8 days of training, and in memory one month after the trial were also assessed. Mice treated with the 2% NaCl extract showed significant improvement in memory in the behavioral tests one month after the trial, whereas mice receiving the extract in acidified methanol, did not differ from the controls in any trial. The results inidicate that Vespa simillima contains substances acting favorably on the cerebral functions of mammals.

Cyclization Characteristics of Cyclodextrin Glucanotransferase Are Conferred by the NH₂-Terminal Region of the Enzyme

FUJIWARA, SHINSUKE,KAKIHARA, HIROFUMI,KIM, BYUNG WOO,LEJEUNE, ANDRE,KANEMOTO, MITSUHIDE,SAKAGUCHI, KENJI,IMANAKA, TADAYUKI 동의대학교 기초과학연구소 1993 基礎科學硏究論文集 Vol.3 No.1

Cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase; EC 2.4.1.19) is produced mainly by Bacillus strains. CGTase from Bacillus macerans IFO3490 produces α-cyclodextrin as the major hydrolysis product from starch, where as thermostable CGTase from Bacillus stearothermophilus NO2 produces α- and β- cyclodextrins. To analyze the cyclization characteristics of CGTase, we cloned different types of CGTase genes and constructed chimeric-genes. CGTase genes from these two strains were cloned in Bacillus subtilis NA-1 by using pTB523 as a vector plasmid, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. Three CGTase genes (cgt-1, cgt-5, and cgt-232) were isolated from B. stearothermophilus NO2. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the three CGTase genes have different nucleotide sequences encoding the same amino acid sequence. Base substitutions were found at the third letter of five codons among the three genes. Each open reading frame was composed of 2,133 bases, encoding 711 amino acids containing 31 amino acids as a signal sequence. The molecular weight of the mature enzyme was estimated to be 75,374. The CGTase gene (cgtM) of B. macerans IFO3490 was composed of 2,142 bases, encoding 714 amino acids containing 27 residues as a signal sequence. The molecular weight of the mature enzyme was estimated to be 74,008. The sequence determined in this work was quite different from that reported previously by other worker. From data on the three-dimensional structure of a CGTase, seven kinds of chimeric CGTase genes were constructed by using cgy-1 from B. stearothermophilus NO2 and cgtM from B. macerans IFO3490. We examined the characteristics of these chimeric enzymes on cyclodextrin production and thermostability. It was found that the cyclization reaction was conferred by the NH₂-terminal region of CGTase and that the thermostability of some chimeric enzymes was lower than that of the parental CGTases.

R&D Sustainability of Biotech Start-ups in Financial Risk

Fujiwara, Takao Asian Society for Innovation and Policy 2018 Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy Vol.7 No.3

This paper's objective is to draw a decision guideline to continue research and development (R&D) investments in biotech start-ups facing the "Valley of Death" syndrome - a long negative profit period during a financial crisis. The data include financial indices as Net income, Revenues, Total stockholders' equity, Cash & equivalents, and R&D expenses of 18 major biotech companies (nine in negative profit and nine positive, in FY2008) and 15 major pharmaceutical corporations as benchmarks both in FY2008 and in FY2016 derived from the US SEC Database, EDGAR. A first methodology dealing with real options analysis assumes Total stockholders' equity as a growth option. And a second methodology, Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) analysis, is applied to test the probability relationship between the Total stockholders' equity and the R&D expenses in these three groups. This study confirms that Total stockholders' equity can play the role of a call option to support continuing R&D investments even in negative profits.

Reproduction of Epstein-Barr Virus Infection and Pathogenesis in Humanized Mice

Fujiwara, Shigeyoshi The Korean Association of Immunobiologists 2014 Immune Network Vol.14 No.1

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is etiologically associated with a variety of diseases including lymphoproliferative diseases, lymphomas, carcinomas, and autoimmune diseases. Humans are the only natural host of EBV and limited species of new-world monkeys can be infected with the virus in experimental conditions. Small animal models of EBV infection, required for evaluation of novel therapies and vaccines for EBV-associated diseases, have not been available. Recently the development of severely immunodeficient mouse strains enabled production of humanized mice in which human immune system components are reconstituted and express their normal functions. Humanized mice can serve as infection models for human-specific viruses such as EBV that target cells of the immune system. This review summarizes recent studies by the author's group addressing reproduction of EBV infection and pathogenesis in humanized mice.

Regional Resilience of Industrial Ecosystem in Financial Crisis: Comparison between Toyota-Kariya Automotive Subcontractor Cities and Hamamatsu Start-Up City

Fujiwara, Takao Asian Society for Innovation and Policy 2018 Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy Vol.7 No.1

Japan's manufacturing is mostly dependent on the automotive industry in Toyota-Kariya cities. However, the nearby city of Hamamatsu is the home of a start-up ecosystem known as Japan's Silicon Valley. How is it possible to evaluate the innovative potential of each regional industry? What kind of guidelines exist for continuing R&D investment when companies' net incomes are negative in the face of the 'Valley-of-Death' or financial crisis? Is it possible to measure the regional resilience ability in the context of the financial crisis? Entrepreneurial innovation is defined as a real-option portfolio consisting of investment decision to commercialize R&D findings. The subcontractor system implies a vertical and tight industrial group. However, a start-up ecosystem means a platform for horizontal and flexible partnership. In this research, the data include the financial indices of each of 18 public companies in both regions between FY2009 and FY2017. The objective of this paper is to clarify the call option or resilience function of equity for R&D investment in the context of the financial crisis in both regions by using Bayesian MCMC analysis.

Unsual Telomere Structure in Insects

Fujiwara,Haruhiko 한국생명과학회 2000 한국생명과학회 학술발표회 Vol.29 No.-

Most eucaryotic telomeres consist of short telomeric repeats, which are synthesized by a reverse transcriptase activity of telomerase. The addition of telomeric repeats by telomerase is essential for cellular functions, such as compensating for telomere shortening and telomere crisis. However, in some insects, another type of telomere synthesis has been reported. Drosophila melanogaster seems to lose the telomeric repeats at all. In stead of telomerase, non-LTR retransposons, TART and HeTA, transpose on the chromosomal ends of Drosophila and rescue the telomere shoetening in this insect. Another insect, the silkworm Bombyx mori, however, has an intermediate type of telomere structure between most eucaryotes and Drosophila. The silkworm has penta-nucleotide telomeric repeats (TTAGG)n on their chromosomal ends, where many non-LTR retrotransposons are inserted in the telomeric repeats. We named these retrtranspososable elements as TRAS and SART. We have been studying about how these retransposons integrate into the telomeric repeats specially and whether these elements are involved in the telomeric maintenance and function. In this meeting, I would like to talk about (1) Unsual telomere structure and maintenance in insects (2) Distribution patterns of telomerase and (TTAGG)n in insects (3) site specific retrotransposition of telomere associated retrotransposons.

Effect of Fermented Soybean, "Natto" on the Production and Qualities of Chicken Meat

Fujiwara, K.,Miyaguchi, Y.,Feng, X.H.,Toyoda, A.,Nakamura, Y.,Yamazaki, M.,Nakashima, K.,Abe, H. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2008 Animal Bioscience Vol.21 No.12

Natto is a Japanese traditional soybean product fermented by Bacillus natto. The effect of natto supplement on the production and qualities of chicken meat was studied since the effective use of various waste foods is required in Japan. Dried natto prepared by heating at $60^{\circ}C$ was added to a basic diet at an amount of below 2%. The supplementation of dried natto did not influence the weights of the carcass, breast and thigh meat, fillet or abdominal fat. Growth of the thighbone such as the length, thickness of cortex bone, and Ca/P ratio in bone ash were not altered by the addition of natto. However, the pH of male meat decreased following the supplementation of dried natto from days 28 to 80. The water-soluble protein content in male thigh meat increased in the group fed 2% natto from days 28 to 80. Free peptides increased in male thigh meat by feeding 2% natto from days 0 to 80. The supplementation of natto increased free glutamic acid in thigh meat regardless of sex. Moreover, the supplementation of natto specifically decreased meat cholesterol in female chickens though the effect was not shown in male chickens.

RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH PERFORMANCE PAPER IN JAPAN

Fujiwara,Katsuhisa 강원대학교 부설 창강제지 기술연구소 1998 제지기술 Vol.- No.12

About the high performance papers which are produced in Japan at the present time, the producing trend is to be viewed broadly in this presentation. The results of the comprehensive survey on high performance papers, which was conducted by the High Performance Paper Society in Japan, have been brought together and published recently. 16 categories were provided functionally in the classification of such papers. There best merchandised high performance papers are the Thermal characteristics papers, Electric electronics and magnetic characteristics papers, Water characteries-tics papers. Both knowledge-intensive and techno-logy-intensive R & D should be done ahead of commercialization of high performance papers. The market still being small and limited, companies oblige themselves to concentrate upon their own field in producing high performance papers. To compete with the products from abroad, it is necessary for companies to make their constitution stronger, to change their products for more complex form of high performance papers, and to have spirit to make their way into overseas market. The development of high performance papers of the future is, above all, to be able to get along with the earth's environment.