2023 Volume 19 Issue 2 Pages 53-69
This paper introduces the Yasashii-Nihongo (YN) initiative as an example of the potential of Japanese language research to relate to social trends. In the declining population society that Japan faces in the near future, it is essential to accept foreigners appropriately, and YN has an aspect as a needed language policy for this purpose. I pointed out the significance of YN for native Japanese speakers, who are the majority in the Japanese society, in improving their ability to communicate in Japanese. Through a discussion of how information should be provided from specialists to non-specialists, the concept of Plain Japanese (PJ), or “YN for native speakers of Japanese,” was presented, and it was argued that PJ can contribute not only to the internationalization of the Japanese language but also to the internationalization of Japanese society. Finally, from these perspectives, Endo and Watanabe (2021) and Hayashi (2013) were cited as works that Japanese language researchers should refer to when engaging with social movements.
