POLITENESS AS A CONSTANT OF JAPAN

ВЕЖЛИВОСТЬ КАК КОНСТАНТА ЯПОНИИ

Букланова Дарья Максимовна

студент, факультет иностранных языков и регионоведения, Московский государственный университет имени М.В. Ломоносова,

РФ, г. Москва

ABSTRACT

In this article, politeness is considered as a fundamental aspect of Japanese culture. The author delves into the meaning of politeness in interpersonal communication, emphasizing its pervasive nature and inherent value in Japanese society. The article emphasizes that politeness serves as a permanent basis in communication with the Japanese. In addition, the article explores the linguistic and behavioral manifestations of politeness in the daily life of Japanese people, as well as the subtleties of the Japanese language, such as the use of polite speech models that reflect deep respect for social hierarchy and interpersonal relationships. In general, this article describes the study of politeness as a constant of Japan, based on historical, linguistic and social aspects. The purpose of the article is to analyze examples showing that for centuries politeness has been the basis of Japanese society and Japanese culture.

АННОТАЦИЯ

В этой статье вежливость рассматривается как фундаментальный аспект японской культуры. Автор углубляется в значение вежливости в межличностном общении, подчеркивая её всепроникающий характер и неотъемлемую ценность в японском обществе. В статье подчёркивается, что вежливость служит постоянной основой в общении с японцами. Кроме того, в статье исследуются языковые и поведенческие проявления вежливости в повседневной жизни японцев, а также тонкости японского языка, такие как использование вежливых речевых моделей, которые отражают глубокое уважение к социальной иерархии и межличностным отношениям. В целом, в этой статье описывается исследование вежливости как константы Японии, с опорой на исторические, лингвистические и социальные аспекты. Цель статьи – проанализировать примеры, показывающие, что на протяжении веков вежливость являлась и до сих пор является базисом японского общества и японской культуры.

Keywords: constant, Japan, politeness, regional studies.

Ключевые слова: константа, Япония, вежливость, регионоведение.

A constant is a trait that has been inherent in the inhabitants of a certain region for many centuries. In a remote and isolated region for a long time, consisting mainly of one ethnic group, a sufficiently large number of constants that bind all spheres of society should undoubtedly have been formed. As an example and proof of this judgment, we will consider an island state - Japan, whose inhabitants we have identified the following constants: gardens [1, pp. 111, 113], traditions, xenophobia, the predominance of public interests over the interests of the individual. Despite constant contacts with China and Korea, from which the country adopts some cultural aspects, Japan has remained an extremely isolated country with a special culture and development for centuries [2, p. 31]. Politeness consisted of the etiquette of the upper strata of society (major feudal lords), violation of which could threaten with the most serious punishment [3, p. 84]. The formation of this constant was also influenced by the samurai, whose politeness was enshrined even in the famous Bushido Code [4, p. 268]. However, the Sakoku period, which lasted two centuries (1641-1853), strongly influenced the development of the studied constant from Confucianism and Shintoism [5, p. 12]. All the authors listed above recognize the influence of politeness on Japanese society in the past and present, and that is why, among all the constants, we propose to consider politeness most carefully.

Politeness in the land of the Rising Sun can be revealed in behavior and language forms. Thus, the most common and recognizable form of polite behavior is bowing [4, p. 269]. Japanese culture presents a bow as a symbol of respect and recognition in a variety of situations: greeting, thanking or apologizing. The traditional bow, known as "ojigi", has a special meaning in Japanese etiquette and has been an integral part of education since early childhood.

According to one of the widespread theories, the tradition of bowing originated in the era of Asuka and Nara (VI-VIII century) - at this time Confucian ideas began to shape Japanese society, and Buddhism, which came from Korea and China, actively penetrated into the daily life of the Japanese. Researchers believe that in this period the origins of the traditional Japanese bow find their beginning [1, p. 119]. In the Buddhist tradition, bowing was part of religious ceremonies, symbolizing devotion and respect for the Buddha. At the same time, in Confucianism, bowing reflected social status. For example, a person of a lower position, by worshipping and bending his body, clearly demonstrated his submission and respect for the higher status of another person.

The bow originally originated in the upper strata of society [5, p. 215], but in the Kamakura period, from the XII century, against the background of the formation of the first feudal military government, ojigi became an integral part of samurai etiquette, which was formed against the background of the emergence of the first feudal military government. Samurai, who are a privileged class, actively used bows in their rituals and customs. In the subsequent Edo era (XVII-XIX centuries), this etiquette and the gesture of bowing became common not only among samurai, but also among ordinary people [4, p. 269].

Over time, bowing in Japan has undergone significant changes, losing its religious and ceremonial significance. Nowadays they are more often used to greet each other. Everyday bows no longer require taking a sitting position on your knees, as it used to be. However, many things remain unchanged after centuries: bows still differ depending on who is standing in front of you and what social status he or she has [2, p. 32; 4, p. 269]. Knowledge of the semantics of bows is necessary for any person who is going to negotiate in Japan, since they have been an important part of the life of Japanese society [2, p. 33].

Although bows are diverse, an example of which can be one of the many Japanese sites that teach proper bows (https://allabout.co.jp/gm/gc/474623/), the Japanese language has a huge number of ways to express politeness, or keigo [4, p. 270].

Keigo is based on the juxtaposition of various grammatical forms and words. Polite forms and words are used to express neutral politeness, respect, submission, and other similar relationships. Impolite forms, on the other hand, express rudeness, arrogance, ease and other similar attitudes of the speaker. Rough forms are often simpler in form and can be used even in the absence of a specific addressee. The addressee, the attitude to which is expressed, can be both the interlocutor and the subject or object of action mentioned in the conversation. In a general sense, the social oppositions that influence the choice of forms can be reduced to two main ones: "higher - lower" and "friend - foe".

Researchers distinguish four types of politeness in Japanese: teineigo (neutral-polite style, often when communicating with foreigners), sonkeigo (polite style, used when communicating with clients or to elevate the interlocutor), kenjego (polite style, elevating the interlocutor and belittling the speaker), bikago (idealized style of speech, characteristic of improving household speech).

The special politeness of Japanese speech is given by gender differences in the use of some words. For example, when using the pronoun “I” in an informal setting, men use ore (おれ) or boku (ぼく), and women use atai (あたい) or atashi (あたし). At the same time, most of the formal forms of the word “I” are commonly used. However, in the past, men and women used different forms of the word “I” in conversation to convey politeness in communication.

The origin of keigo can be traced back to the Edo period (1603-1868), when the concept of social hierarchy was deeply rooted in Japanese culture. During this period, there was a strict social hierarchy known as "samurai-daimyo-peasant", where people were ranked according to their social status. Samurai stood at the top of the hierarchy, followed by daimyo (feudal lords), and then peasants.

The use of keigo was influenced by samurai culture, where etiquette and respect were highly valued. Samurai were expected to use a certain language to express respect for their superiors, and this language later evolved into modern keigo.

During the Meiji period (1868-1912), Japan experienced a time of modernization and westernization, and the use of keigo became more common. This was no longer limited to the samurai class, but was accepted by the general public as a way to show respect for others.

Nowadays keigo is an important aspect of Japanese communication, used in formal situations such as business meetings, ceremonies and official events. It is taught in schools, and it is considered an important skill for success in Japanese society.

With the help of all of the above, it is possible to confirm the original thesis of the work that the constants of isolated states permeate and bind all parts of society. The example of politeness in Japan perfectly demonstrates the penetration of the constant into all spheres of an isolated society in the past.

Reference:

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4. A. S. Popov. PHENOMENON OF POLITENESS IN THE EASTERN CULTURE (JAPAN AND CHINA AS THE EXAMPLE). Scientific problems of humanitarian research, 2010.
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