PLAY ELEMENTS IN MODERN JAPANESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
PLAY ELEMENTS IN MODERN JAPANESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Summary/Abstract: Language data on modern spoken Japanese shown in this paper suggest that play can become an “excuse” to use language not conforming to overt and covert communication norms. For example, it can be shown that Japanese female high school students often make use of language usually associated with men. This is type of language use is broadly referred to as “play” in this paper, but the results from this study suggests that the effect of such usage is clearly not only, let’s say, “comical” or “used for killing time”, but it also makes up an entirely new paradigm of communication. Non-standard language, or more precisely language not conforming to rules within the language community, can be used actively or positively in order to achieve various kinds of effects, for example humour, emphasizing intimacy, or simply “standing out”. The data from this study show that such language usage is very common. It serves as a means of expression and a way to show one’s personal identity, and it is an important tool for building the speaker’s character, in Japanese simply known as “kyara”. This is contrary to the popular belief that the Japanese are always occupied with preserving harmony.

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