2024 Volume 31 Issue 3 Pages 443-458
In recent years, public information has been disseminated using Yasashii Nihongo in various situations. On the other hand, changes in the norms and values of the Japanese language due to this movement have caused tensions and conflicts among native Japanese speakers. This paper focuses on such tensions and conflicts, clarifying how the values of “yasashisa (thoughtfulness)” are negotiated. Specifically, the paper analyzes narratives extracted from interviews conducted with Japanese students who engaged in collaborative workshops with international students in beginner-level Japanese. Based on the theory of situational boundary work and employing the concept of distantiation, the analysis elucidates two key aspects: 1) the definition of a boundary and 2) the relationship between boundaries and “yasashisa (thoughtfulness).” The analysis reveals that Yasashii Nihongo causes some sense of discomfort to native Japanese speakers. However, the interviewees’ subjective experience of discomfort varies, showing different types of boundaries elicited by various distantiation forms. Consequently, the meaning of “yasashisa (thoughtfulness)” assumes an entirely different form and, in certain instances, occupies a position of direct opposition. We can conclude from these results that the nature of “yasashisa (thoughtfulness)” in Yasashii Nihongo can significantly vary depending on the distancing practices that establish the boundaries, notwithstanding the uniformity of the language boundaries.
