Remaining Japanese in Sakhalin as Plurilingual and Pluricultural Speakers:

From the Perspective of Mediation in Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism

Abstract

This study examines the life story of Ms. S, a second-generation Japanese who remained in Sakhalin and returned for permanent residence in Japan, to clarify the significance of her linguistic experiences from the viewpoint of mediation in plurilingualism and pluriculturalism. The study thus discusses the significance of mediation in plurilingualism and pluriculturalism within multicultural societies. We interviewed Ms. S, one of the second-generation Japanese who returned to Japan for permanent residence in City A, about her life story, and conducted an analysis from the perspective of to what extent she learned and used the language. The results revealed that Ms. S’s mediation activities have the following roles: “the role of connecting the people of Sakhalin with Japanese society,” “the role of connecting Japanese and Russian speakers,” and “the role of conveying the experiences and memories of the remaining Japanese in Sakhalin to Japanese society.” Further, it was also clarified that mediation was connected to the renewal of Ms. S’s identity, which is possible precisely because she is on the boundary between languages and cultures. Based on the above results, we discussed the necessity of creating a place for the mediation activities of plurilingual and pluricultural speakers in a multicultural society.