I keep coming back to this video every couple years. So much wisdom and insight in this talk. He's a true inspiration to anyone seriously pursuing Japanese as a foreign language.
I was wondering, is the Okura Kudara theory more accepted now than it was in the 80s? Keene's "Seeds in the Heart" seems to take it as fairly probable, and in this lecture Levy states in no uncertain terms (what may indeed be just his opinion) that Okura WAS NOT Japanese nor Chinese. I ask because most of the general reference works and school text books I have either (1) make no reference to the theory whatsoever or (2) say something like 百済系渡来人など諸説ある. The 日本古典文学大辞典 (which admittedly was published in 1985) devotes an appendix to its article on the theory but says it has been criticized by historians and it has unresolved problems. I can't seem to locate many works on it written by Nakanishi after the 1980s, and neither Keene nor Levy (here) present a whole lot of new evidence beyond what the editors of 大辞典 had probably read. (Also, according to Keene, the founder of the theory was not Nakanishi. I'm not sure if that's what Levy meant or not.) Sorry if I sound negative. I actually really like this lecture and was listening to it on the walk to work the other day. I just tend to get hung up on minor issues like that, especially when it relates to Japanese classical literature. ~~ Ian Suttle ~~
Page 142-143 HAYAMA YOSHIKI dapat di-anggap sa-bagai wakil dari Golongan Proletar, baik dalam kehidupan-nya sendiri mau pun dalam tulisan-nya. Ia di-lahirkan dalam tahun 1894 di Kyushu. Bapa- nya sa-orang pegawai kechil Pemerintah dan pada masa kanak- kanak-nya ia hidup melarat. Hayama dapat memasuki Univer- sity Waseda, tetapi dia di-pechat kerana kedatangan-nya yang tidak tetap. Sa-telah itu ia bekerja sa-bagai pelaut dalam sa- buah kapal pengangkut barang2 dan kemudian dalam kapal pengangkut arang-batu. Keadaan hidup buroh yang dahshat dalam kapal2 tersebut telah di-lukiskan dalam Orang2 Yang Hidup Di-Laut (1923), ia-itu novelnya yang terkenal. Sa-telah meninggalkan hidup di-laut, Hayama berpindah- pindah dari satu pekerjaan ka-satu pekerjaan. Di-antara lain2 dia berkerja sa-bagai penjaja pencetak, kerani dalam pejabat sekolah, buroh pabrik semen, dan operator dalam setesen te- naga letrik daripada ayer. Kebanyakan daripada bahan2 novel dan cerita pendek-nya (termasuk Surat di-dalam Tong Semen) lahir daripada pengalaman2 ini-lah. Dalam tahun 1919 Hayama mulai mengambil peranan yang aktip dalam gerakan buroh yang baru pada dan ta' tentu; pada tahun itu dalam penjara kerana melanggar undang2 polis wal ketertiban umum. Sejak waktu keluar masok penjara. Novel2 dan cherita2 nya di-tulis di-dalam tahanan. Di-antara masa2 masok penjara itu, ia-itu di-antara tahun2 pulohan dan awal tahun sembilan belas sibok berjuang di-dalam gerakan buroh yang bantut itu. Pada tahun 1945 ia an melarat.
Wow, that was a great talk. I really agree with how one's identity is attached to the languages one speaks. I moved to Yokohama in 1969 as a teenager and later moved to Tokyo, which I staid in till 1983. Since my family left Japan in 1971 I was basically all alone.Then it was iitari-kittari for the next 8 years. I went through culture shock not being able to speak Japanese all the time. It felt lonely and empty as if I lost my voice. Anyway thank you for this lecture.
Great talk. Thank you for your work. Frankly I am of the opinion that Manyoshu is not understandable (at least the first 5 books) for Japanese because it is written in Old Korean. Chinese letters were used to express Korean sounds. Okura (and other authors) did not use Japanese but Korean language (in fact Baekche language). That your final destination is China impresses me because there you will find the roots of Korean/Japanese language, which is actualy Old Hebrew. Kaifeng was the old capital of Yoo Song founded by Japanese/Baekche king 宇治天皇 in 420.
I found this lecture after reading his story about the phone call from Lee Yangji in my Japanese textbook (日本語中級J501). It is the most interesting piece I have read in my limited Japanese. As a gaijin living in Japan of Jewish origin, who lives in Japan, who speaks also some Chinese and Japanese (though not even remotely close to Levy-san's), I can relate to this lecture in so many ways. I've even been to Kaifeng, and met an old Jewish woman, and saw first hand how they were completely Sinicized.
in japanese you dont pause when you think, there are things that are said to indicate that you are thinking. can definitely see that here, as he speaks english~
really? for practical reasons? but what is that worth compared to the essence of languages produced by thousends of years? french is more musical, beautiful than english, german is more grounded and thorough. Of course every language has its qualities and it's really about how it's used. But a world which is always english is for me a dark, depressing, empty world. Maybe if you learn another language you understand.
Is this comment about Hideo Levy? The dude known for being a white guy who writes books in Japanese and went to school in Taiwan? Maybe if you learned another language, you'd know that the langauge itself is no more musical or grounded than another, that comes along with the cultural norms of who uses it. Take Japanese for instance. while a concept such as keigo is everpresent and important to native speakers, giving very rigid and polite feelings, but most foreigners won't put nearly as much weight on these concepts because they aren't things learned culturally. English is unique in that you can find people basically anywhere that speak it, so you can't pretend its some magical flowery language, or some weird, militaristic logic puzzle language. Languages are blank tools that societies of people fill out. It'd be sad to lose any language, but your comment displays an unearned arrogance.
In public appearances Van Wolferen flatly refuses to speak Japanese, although he most surely knows it fluently. Levy however clings to "nihongo" like an abused child. I just finished reading his "Chiji ni kudakete" and the way he emulates the Japanese mentality is unsettling. He parrots many anti-Western stereotypes (our supposed shallowness, empty talk, silly emotional expressivity) while at the same time he should be well aware that he'll never really be a part of Japan because of something as trifle as his looks.
Yes, one can respect many different accomplishments. But in this case, the whole process looks like a huge deep wound the guy is doing to himself. He does look like a hurt person, but then again this seems to be common with writers.
It’s not a matter of van Wolferen refusing to speak Japanese. Actually van Wolferen never learned Japanese. His books in Japanese were all translated from English by Japanese writers.
I keep coming back to this video every couple years. So much wisdom and insight in this talk. He's a true inspiration to anyone seriously pursuing Japanese as a foreign language.
非常に興味深い講演ですね。リービ先生の著作では我的中国が、一番印象に残っています。
９１年にモスクワから鉄道で、初めて中国へ旅行しました。中国の方が、ロシアよりも僕にとっては
遥かに文化的ショックが強烈でした。満州の荒涼たる原野と上海バンドの雑踏。
Very fascinating lecture on being a Japanese writer. Thank you so much for sharing this.
I was wondering, is the Okura Kudara theory more accepted now than it was in the 80s? Keene's "Seeds in the Heart" seems to take it as fairly probable, and in this lecture Levy states in no uncertain terms (what may indeed be just his opinion) that Okura WAS NOT Japanese nor Chinese. I ask because most of the general reference works and school text books I have either (1) make no reference to the theory whatsoever or (2) say something like 百済系渡来人など諸説ある. The 日本古典文学大辞典 (which admittedly was published in 1985) devotes an appendix to its article on the theory but says it has been criticized by historians and it has unresolved problems. I can't seem to locate many works on it written by Nakanishi after the 1980s, and neither Keene nor Levy (here) present a whole lot of new evidence beyond what the editors of 大辞典 had probably read. (Also, according to Keene, the founder of the theory was not Nakanishi. I'm not sure if that's what Levy meant or not.)
Sorry if I sound negative. I actually really like this lecture and was listening to it on the walk to work the other day. I just tend to get hung up on minor issues like that, especially when it relates to Japanese classical literature.
~~ Ian Suttle ~~
I am reading a biography of Hayama Yoshiki.
Page 142-143
HAYAMA YOSHIKI dapat di-anggap sa-bagai wakil dari Golongan
Proletar, baik dalam kehidupan-nya sendiri mau pun dalam
tulisan-nya. Ia di-lahirkan dalam tahun 1894 di Kyushu. Bapa-
nya sa-orang pegawai kechil Pemerintah dan pada masa kanak-
kanak-nya ia hidup melarat. Hayama dapat memasuki Univer-
sity Waseda, tetapi dia di-pechat kerana kedatangan-nya yang
tidak tetap. Sa-telah itu ia bekerja sa-bagai pelaut dalam sa-
buah kapal pengangkut barang2 dan kemudian dalam kapal
pengangkut arang-batu. Keadaan hidup buroh yang dahshat
dalam kapal2 tersebut telah di-lukiskan dalam Orang2 Yang
Hidup Di-Laut (1923), ia-itu novelnya yang terkenal.
Sa-telah meninggalkan hidup di-laut, Hayama berpindah-
pindah dari satu pekerjaan ka-satu pekerjaan. Di-antara lain2
dia berkerja sa-bagai penjaja pencetak, kerani dalam pejabat
sekolah, buroh pabrik semen, dan operator dalam setesen te-
naga letrik daripada ayer. Kebanyakan daripada bahan2 novel
dan cerita pendek-nya (termasuk Surat di-dalam Tong Semen)
lahir daripada pengalaman2 ini-lah.
Dalam tahun 1919 Hayama mulai mengambil peranan yang
aktip dalam gerakan buroh yang baru pada
dan ta' tentu; pada tahun itu
dalam penjara kerana melanggar undang2 polis
wal ketertiban umum. Sejak waktu
keluar masok penjara. Novel2 dan cherita2
nya di-tulis di-dalam tahanan. Di-antara masa2
masok penjara itu, ia-itu di-antara tahun2
pulohan dan awal tahun sembilan belas
sibok berjuang di-dalam gerakan buroh yang
bantut itu. Pada tahun 1945 ia
an melarat.
Wow, that was a great talk. I really agree with how one's identity is attached to the languages one speaks. I moved to Yokohama in 1969 as a teenager and later moved to Tokyo, which I staid in till 1983. Since my family left Japan in 1971 I was basically all alone.Then it was iitari-kittari for the next 8 years. I went through culture shock not being able to speak Japanese all the time. It felt lonely and empty as if I lost my voice. Anyway thank you for this lecture.
thanks ,I was having trouble getting to sleep
found you!
Found you again!
Wonderful lecture. I've posted it on my blog (see profile)
Great talk. Thank you for your work. Frankly I am of the opinion that Manyoshu is not understandable (at least the first 5 books) for Japanese because it is written in Old Korean. Chinese letters were used to express Korean sounds. Okura (and other authors) did not use Japanese but Korean language (in fact Baekche language). That your final destination is China impresses me because there you will find the roots of Korean/Japanese language, which is actualy Old Hebrew. Kaifeng was the old capital of Yoo Song founded by Japanese/Baekche king 宇治天皇 in 420.
The video stops at 47:48. Same with the download. Can anyone fix this?
oh hes my teacher in collage
Far important is that he translate some words in Japanese ...
Yare Yare Daze...
I found this lecture after reading his story about the phone call from Lee Yangji in my Japanese textbook (日本語中級J501). It is the most interesting piece I have read in my limited Japanese.
As a gaijin living in Japan of Jewish origin, who lives in Japan, who speaks also some Chinese and Japanese (though not even remotely close to Levy-san's), I can relate to this lecture in so many ways.
I've even been to Kaifeng, and met an old Jewish woman, and saw first hand how they were completely Sinicized.
he could of just pause and think with silence than the ur and uhm....it quit pompous might i add
in japanese you dont pause when you think, there are things that are said to indicate that you are thinking. can definitely see that here, as he speaks english~
really? for practical reasons? but what is that worth compared to the essence of languages produced by thousends of years? french is more musical, beautiful than english, german is more grounded and thorough. Of course every language has its qualities and it's really about how it's used. But a world which is always english is for me a dark, depressing, empty world. Maybe if you learn another language you understand.
Is this comment about Hideo Levy? The dude known for being a white guy who writes books in Japanese and went to school in Taiwan?
Maybe if you learned another language, you'd know that the langauge itself is no more musical or grounded than another, that comes along with the cultural norms of who uses it.
Take Japanese for instance. while a concept such as keigo is everpresent and important to native speakers, giving very rigid and polite feelings, but most foreigners won't put nearly as much weight on these concepts because they aren't things learned culturally. English is unique in that you can find people basically anywhere that speak it, so you can't pretend its some magical flowery language, or some weird, militaristic logic puzzle language. Languages are blank tools that societies of people fill out. It'd be sad to lose any language, but your comment displays an unearned arrogance.
In public appearances Van Wolferen flatly refuses to speak Japanese, although he most surely knows it fluently. Levy however clings to "nihongo" like an abused child. I just finished reading his "Chiji ni kudakete" and the way he emulates the Japanese mentality is unsettling. He parrots many anti-Western stereotypes (our supposed shallowness, empty talk, silly emotional expressivity) while at the same time he should be well aware that he'll never really be a part of Japan because of something as trifle as his looks.
Yes, one can respect many different accomplishments. But in this case, the whole process looks like a huge deep wound the guy is doing to himself. He does look like a hurt person, but then again this seems to be common with writers.
It’s not a matter of van Wolferen refusing to speak Japanese. Actually van Wolferen never learned Japanese. His books in Japanese were all translated from English by Japanese writers.
uhhhhhhh and um
mr bean!
uhhhhhhh and um boring
Wish the world is always in English. Standard American English, that is.
That would be the *depressingest shite aefre.
uhhhhhhh and um