Lecture Notes: Introduction to Japanese Language and Culture

Lecturer Introduction

• Speaker: Vatsa la Maestra
• Experience: 25 years in foreign language program at IIT Kanpur
• Learning Background: Learned Japanese in Japan

Course Overview

• Duration: 12 weeks
• Focus: Language and culture, scripts, expressions, phrases
• Interaction via forums and weekly assignments

Language and Culture Connection

• Japanese language is closely tied to culture, mannerisms, and lifestyle
• Certain phrases in Japanese may not have direct English equivalents

Japanese Writing Systems

Types of Scripts

1. Kanji: Ideograms (pictograms) used to represent objects and thoughts
2. Hiragana: Phonetic script for Japanese words of native origin
3. Katakana: Phonetic script for foreign words

Importance of Scripts

• Kanji can have multiple readings and meanings
• Hiragana and Katakana are similar to Devanagari scripts in being phonetic
• Roman script will be primarily used for ease of learning

Historical Context

• 4th Century AD: Japanese language existed without a script
• Influence of China and Korea: Introduction of pictograms led to the development of Hiragana
• Hiragana: For native Japanese words
• Katakana: Developed to write foreign words

Characteristics of Scripts

• Hiragana: Rounded, cursive style, used for Japanese origin words and verb forms
• Katakana: Angular, masculine style, used for foreign words

Kanji Explanation

• Each kanji character has a meaning and at least two readings (Chinese and Japanese)
• Stroke order is crucial for writing kanji correctly
• Example characters and their meanings:
  • Sun: (日) (represents the concept of day/night)
  • Man: Simplified pictogram representation
  • Water: Flowing river representation

Writing Structure

• Japanese can be written both horizontally and vertically
• No spaces between words; relies on kanji, hiragana, and katakana to convey meaning

Practice: Kana Scripts

Hiragana

• Basic symbols: 46 primary symbols
• Vowel series: あ (a), い (i), う (u), え (e), お (o)
• Example words: みかん (mikan - orange)

Katakana

• Basic symbols: 46 primary symbols
• Used in writing foreign words
• Example: コーヒー (kōhī - coffee)

Vocabulary and Numbers

• Key expressions:
  • Good morning: おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu)
  • Good day: こんにちは (konnichiwa)
• Numbers: いち (1), に (2), さん (3), よん (4), ご (5), ろく (6), なな (7), はち (8), きゅう (9), じゅう (10)

Conclusion

• Session ends with encouragement to practice the language and expressions discussed
• Reminder for students to engage actively and prepare for the next class

Closing Phrase

• みんなさんまた明日 (minna-san mata ashita) - "Everyone, see you tomorrow"
• ありがとうございました (arigatō gozaimasu) - "Thank you very much"