A Research On The Question Of Kanji In Japan And Its Socio-Cultural Influences Since The Meiji Era

The question of written languages has been a relatively less explored yet no less valuable topic in the gamut of the research of cultural history. One of the main reasons is that this topic tends to leave an impression of belonging to the field of linguistic study, which is of course different from historiography. Nevertheless, this dissertation intends to break off from this misunderstanding and launch a research of the Japanese written language as a part of and from the perspective from historical study based on history study and coupled by language study. It does not merely deal with the question of script for its own sake by discussing the structure and usages etc. of the Japanese script, but proceeds to discuss the creation, formulation and implementation of the "Moji Seisaku"(policy of script) of Japan, its causes and consequences, and its social-cultural influences and dynamics on the social-cultural dimension of the Kanji question, hence expect to achieve a rather rich historical and academic content.The Meiji Restoration as the landmark of Japan’s modernization and its path toward opening and westernization has produced an unprecedented impact on the Japanese language centered on Kanji, effecting waves of cultural self-introspection among the elites in the Japanese society, and served to shape the national language policy of Japan in a significant and earnest sense, which has generated enormous and far-reaching influences on the social-cultural aspects of Japan then and later. The language policy centered on the script possesses a distinctive and profound social-cultural background, coupled by various official and civilian driving forces, has left an important language and cultural legacy which has accompanied the Japanese nation till this day. While the Meiji era set the precedence for the first time in Japan’s history on setting up an ostensible official script policy centered on the question of Kanji, the model and derivatives of its main ideas and mechanisms have since existed in the Japanese society throughout ages and have witnessed a colorful range of features and social-cultural meanings corresponding to different eras of contemporary and modern Japan. As the main carrier of the Japanese culture and one of the main bodies of the its study, the changes of the perception and functioning of Kanji emanates from the changes of its social-cultural needs, and will certainly counter-impact on the social-cultural aspects of the society with substantially which are demonstrated on the language and cultural educations of Japan since the Meiji era in a dynamic and concrete manner as the vicissitudes of the Kanji question markedly and enduringly acts upon the general society and culture of Japan.This dissertations intends to discuss the changes and alternations of societal trends, civil activities and official policies on the status and functions of Kanji, and to examine their causes, changing process and results, and clarify their historical significance and influences so as to contribute in a constructive and meaningful way to the relatively new and unexplored academic research realm of the interactive relationship of the contemporary Japanese written language and the Japanese social-cultural domains. The Introduction of the dissertation mainly comprises the purpose and aims of the theme, the existing researches, theoretic application and research means, original points and limitations. Chapter I relates the origin and main characteristics of the Kanji in Japan. Chapter II to IV as the main body of the dissertation discuss the state, activities and social-cultural influences of the Kanji question during different periods of the late Edo era and the Meiji era, the Taisho and early Showa era, the Showa time during the War, and the post-war Showa and Heisei era, and analytically discuss the views, approaches and influences on the question of Kanji from both civil society and government. The Conclusion part summarizes the main ideas in the main body, reiterates and highlights the creation, development and outcome of the Kanji question from the Meiji era to today, examines the relationship between it and the social-cultural domains, and strives to provide as comprehensive and original a perspective as possible for exploring the organic relations and interactions of the Japanese script and Japan’s society and culture and for construing its bearing and impingements on the overall cultural and educational causes of Japan.The main academic originalities and attainments aimed at in this dissertation are as follows:1st, This dissertation intends to conduct a cross-temporal, comprehensive and systematic combing and analysis of a particular theme, which ought to be classified as a "specific title of general cultural history" and is the first academic attempt of such a category in both Japan and China’s historical academia and possesses a fair amount of research significance and academic value. While in Japan the study of Kanji question and Kanji policies have been rich in quantities, they seem to concentrate on certain specific era and lack a continued and uninterrupted discussion of things throughout the time frame from Meiji to modern days. Also, they tend to be mostly about the studies of Kanji structure or transformation of Kanji policies while short in the studies of its social-cultural influences. The state of Chinese side is similar if not inadequate to that of Japan as mostly being the studies of Kanji itself and less extensive or elaborate on language policies, yet much less on the social-cultural domains.2nd, The study of the contemporary Japanese Kanji question, reform policies and their outcomes provides good lessons and has a sound referential value to China’s language education and reform. Both China and Japan belong to the same "Kanji and Confucius Cultural Circle", have a long and shared historical and cultural legacy and extensive and enduring experiences of cultural exchange. China’s language and script reforms including its Simplified Kanji Characters bear similarities to that of Japan, and the Chinese’views on one’s mother language and foreign languages are also comparable to those of Japanese in modern times. Against the backdrop of globalization and the preeminent and dominant status of English on the global stage today, a good understanding of Japan’s language and script policies, all their reforms, and the social, cultural, educational results and effects engendered is certainly conducive to China to take a wise, rational and advisable approach to the highly important and complex question of preserving the Chinese language and traditional culutre and dealing with the mounting waves of English language and Western culture.3rd, Differing from traditional practices of studying cultural history, this dissertation is also featured by its temporal continuity, well-rounded integrity and current applicability. The continuity refers to the tracking, observing and examining a main topic i.e. the Kanji question and its various derived phenomena of Japan in a time span of over130years covering multiple eras and is in terms of a temporal (vertical) axis; The integrity refers to discussions not only on Kanji policies and the features of Kanji use, but also on the effects and bearing of such policies and practices on school education, popular culture, social trends and juvenile psychology etc. within each era and is in terms of a thematic (horizontal) axis; The applicability focus on the guiding and directional effects of the research target i.e. the Kanji question on the contemporary Japanese societies especially about the topics of academic learning, moral and ethics, basic values and views of life etc., thus has a timely, reality-indicative meaningfulness and relevant referential value.