Japanese Research on Linguistics, Literature, and Culture

Adaptation of omotenashi service standards among Indonesian internship students as floorwalkers at ANA Narita

2026-04-29T20:49:05+00:00

This study examines the process of adaptation and internalization of omotenashi values among Indonesian internship students working as floorwalkers at Narita International Airport, Japan. Previous studies on omotenashi have generally focused on professional workers, while studies highlighting internship students as subjects in the transitional phase of workplace culture learning are still limited. This study uses a qualitative approach with ethnographic methods through participatory observation and in-depth interviews during a one-year internship period (January-December 2025). The results show that the internalization of omotenashi takes place in three phases, namely adjustment, development, and internalization. In the initial stage, omotenashi is understood as a technical procedural standard, but gradually develops into a situational, reflective, and anticipatory service ethic. This process involves not only language proficiency, but also the formation of contextual sensitivity in Japan's high-context communication culture. This research positions omotenashi not as an inherent and exclusive cultural value, but as a cultural practice that can be learned and negotiated by cross-cultural individuals through continuous work interactions. These findings expand the study of Japanese work culture, intercultural adaptation, and the formation of professional identity in the context of the global service industry.

Giongo Onomatopoeic Expressions in Doraemon Volume 3

2026-04-25T15:55:44+00:00

This study aims to describe the forms and meanings of giongo onomatopoeia found in Doraemon manga Volume 3. This research employs a descriptive qualitative method. The data consist of giongo onomatopoeia appearing in the text and visual illustrations within manga panels. Data analysis was conducted by classifying the onomatopoeia based on their forms and interpreting their meanings according to visual and situational contexts. The results indicate that giongo onomatopoeia are predominantly in the form of single words with sound prolongation and reduplication, which function to strengthen the impression of sounds, movements, and events. Seven giongo onomatopoeia in single-word forms and three in reduplicated forms were identified. The meanings of giongo onomatopoeia are not solely determined by their lexical meanings but are also influenced by visual context within the manga panels, helping readers to imagine sounds more vividly.

Omotenashi as a hospitality value

2026-04-26T14:52:25+00:00

Omotenashi, a fundamental Japanese cultural value, emphasizes genuine attentiveness, empathy, and the anticipation of guests' needs. In the golf industry, this value is epitomized by caddies, who serve as the primary interface of service. While research on Omotenashi has progressed across various disciplines, there remains a paucity of studies examining caddies' speech from a sociopragmatic perspective, particularly concerning language selection and communication strategies during direct guest interactions. This study seeks to explain the implementation of omotenashi culture at Japanese golf courses in various caddie service situations for guests, focusing on word choice, the use of keigo, and speech act strategies, as well as the reflection of omotenashi no kokoro values in caddies’ utterances when communicating with guests Data were collected through field notes documenting caddies' speech while accompanying guests during golf games, supplemented by interviews to elucidate the cultural considerations influencing their speech form choices. The analysis employed a sociopragmatic framework that connects linguistic form, speaker intent, and sociocultural norms. Although the company's training module provides a foundational guideline for service interactions, caddies exhibit linguistic adaptability based on the guest's status, age, social distance, and the communication context. The study's findings reveal a predominance of indirect and polite directive speech acts, accompanied by adaptive shifts in keigo levels, underscoring the strong value of Omotenashi no kokoro in fostering comfortable interactions. These findings affirm that Omotenashi within the golf industry is a dynamic and contextual communication practice, contributing to the advancement of sociopragmatic studies in Japanese services.

The Use of an open-ended learning model in kanji courses to improve the ability to master kanji sub-characters

2025-12-01T20:33:35+00:00

Kanji is the most complicated subject in learning Japanese. One of the difficulties in forming kanji is the sub-character kanji. Sub-character kanji is a sorting or breaking of the pull contained in a kanji. Because of this difficulty, a learning model is needed in the learning process that can help improve students' ability to understand how sub-characters in each kanji are studied. students. The Open-Ended Learning model is a solution to solving the problem of learning sub-character kanji. The objectives of this study are: (1) to determine students' ability to master sub-character kanji before using the OEL/open-ended learning model, and (2) to determine students' ability to master sub-character kanji after using the OEL/open-ended learning model. (3) to determine the difference in students' mastery of sub-character kanji before and after using the open-ended learning model, (4) to determine students' difficulties in learning sub-character kanji. The type of this research is a mixed method, which combines quantitative and qualitative research types. The population and sample in this study were 33 semester students. The data analysis technique in this study uses a qualitative descriptive approach. The results of this study are that students' ability to master kanji sub-characters has increased, and students understand how a kanji can be formed into its smallest part. It is hoped that after this research, the open-ended learning model can be applied to other Japanese language courses.

An Analysis of miscommunication in the Kansai dialect among Indonesian internship students

2026-05-28T04:39:51+00:00

This study aims to identify and analyze Kansai dialect miscommunication experienced by 2021 Japanese Language Education students at Semarang State University during their internship program as caddies at Ise Country Club, Japan. The study uses a qualitative descriptive approach with participatory observation and in-depth interviews. Data analysis was conducted through reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing, with classification into lexical and pragmatic miscommunication. Lexical miscommunication arose when students interpreted Kansai dialect vocabulary literally based on standard Japanese, resulting in responses that did not match the speaker's intention. Pragmatic miscommunication occurred due to students' limitations in understanding implicit meaning, speech functions, and politeness strategies that affect the smoothness of interaction. These findings emphasize the importance of mastering local dialect vocabulary as well as understanding social context and pragmatic strategies. The practical implications are the need for training before internships and further studies on interactions with other dialect variations in Japan.

An Analysis of the use of metaphor in song lyrics on ANRI's album Timely!

2026-06-01T06:08:13+00:00

This study aims to analyze the use of conceptual metaphors in the lyrics of ANRI's album "Timely!!" This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach with a cognitive linguistics framework. The research object is the song lyrics from the album "Timely!!," which consists of 11 songs. Data filtering was performed using Krippendorff's content analysis to identify the songs with the highest metaphor density. This resulted in five songs as the focus of analysis: "Cat's Eye," "Windy Summer," "Stay By Me," "A Hope from Sad Street," and "Remember Summer Days". The results show that the conceptual metaphors identified include structural, orientational, and ontological, with ontological metaphors dominating. Metaphors are used to conceptualize emotions, interpersonal relationships, and life experiences by mapping from concrete to abstract domains. These findings suggest that the lyrics of the album "Timely!!" systematically utilize conceptual metaphors to construct poetic and communicative emotional meanings.