Japanese argumentation: vocabulary and culture.

• Author: Suzuki, Takeshi

THE STUDY OF DEBATE AND DEMOCRACY IN JAPAN

How was debate education introduced into Japanese society? It is well known that forensics was introduced into Japan by Yukichi Fukuzawa, the founder of Keio University, Tokyo (Okabe, 1973). In the Meiji era (1868-1912) following the Tokugawa feudalistic period (1603-1867), Japan started to modernize itself by transplanting various Western institutions, such as higher education, the court system, and bureaucracy. The parliamentary system was one of them. In order to run this new political system effectively, there was an urgent need to train politicians who would be good at public speaking and debate in Japan. In 1873, therefore, Fukuzawa organized Mita Enzetsukai (Mira Oratory Association), which provided the first training program in Japanese-language public speaking and debate based on Western rhetorical principles and rules of parliamentary procedure (Oxford, 1973). Hence, the introduction of debate or touron in Japanese was one of the efforts to Westernize Japanese society.

When Fukuzawa established the first training program in Japanese-language oratory and debate based on Western speech principles, he reasoned that "with the end of arbitrary decisions made by the nobility, group discussion arises" (Klopf & Kawashima, 1977, p. 4). This is natural, he said, and "hereafter, in our Japan, whether matters be larger or small, or whether they be official or private, everything will be settled by group discussion" (Klopf & Kawashima, 1977, p. 4). He concluded that the study of the techniques of enzetsu, or speech, was an urgent necessity. Speech meant to Fukuzawa "the art of expressing one's opinions before an assembly of a large number of people, or of communicating one's ideas at a meeting" (Klopf & Kawashima, 1977, p. 4). He included in his definition all types of public speaking like sermons delivered in Buddhist temples, speeches at minor ceremonial occasions such as the openings of businesses and shops, debate in parliaments, at assemblies of scholars, at assemblies of merchants, and at gatherings of town folks. Thus, the early concept of speech and debate in Japan was centered on their function in a democracy.

The Japanese language has a rich vocabulary for argumentation and argument-relevant concepts. Presently there seem to be more negative terms and phrases in ordinary use but this is beginning to change. Figure 1 displays common vocabulary that appears in everyday discourse.

THEORIES ABOUT JAPANESE SOCIETY

Although the Japanese-language speech survived as a form of enzetsukai, or oratory associations at the college level, Japanese-language debate had not developed until recently.

Figure 1: Key terms of argumentation in Japanese culture aun no kokyu: to correspond to your interlocutor's argument in a perfect timing (originally, a means the beginning of everything, and un is the returning point of knowledge and virtue in esoteric Buddhism) ben o rousuru: to use sophistry in order to talk one's way out of trouble bijireiku: flowery words and elegant phrases buzen to iu: to speak glumly derukuihautareru: (a proverb) "Stand out from the crowd and you just invite trouble for yourself." fugenjikkou: action before words, which was a cultural ideal in pre-wartime Japan giron: argument gohaichou: to listen (often to the speaker who has ethos) respectfully haragei: communicating one's intentions silentlv, by force of personality, often using political savvy kuuki o yomu: to read atmosphere so that arguers may adapt themselves to the situation iwazumogana: (it is) better leaving that unsaid ma: the timing ma ga warui: be fortunate; feel awkward ma ga yoi: be fortunate ma o motasu: to...