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The Language of Food in Japanese
Cognitive perspectives and beyond
Editor
Many studies on the language of food examine English or adopt discourse analysis. This volume makes a fresh attempt to analyze Japanese, focusing on non-discursive units. It offers state-of-the-art data-oriented studies, including methods of analysis in line with Cognitive Linguistics. It orchestrates relatable and intriguing topics, from sound-symbolism in rice cracker naming to meanings of aesthetic sake taste terms. The chapters show that the language of food in Japanese is multifaceted: for instance, expressivity is enhanced by ideophones, as sensory words iconically depicting perceptual experiences and as nuanced words flexibly participating in neologization; context-sensitivity is exemplified by words deeply imbued with socio-cultural constructs; creativity is portrayed by imaginative expressions grounded in embodied experience. The volume will be a valuable resource for students and researchers, not only in linguistics but also in neighboring disciplines, who seek deeper insights into how language interacts with food in Japanese or any other language.
[Converging Evidence in Language and Communication Research, 25] 2022. x, 347 pp.
Publishing status: Available
Published online on 13 January 2022
Published online on 13 January 2022
© John Benjamins
Table of Contents
- Abbreviations | pp. vii–viii
- Acknowledgements | pp. ix–x
- Introduction to the volumeKiyoko Toratani | pp. 1–23
- Section I. Overview
- Chapter 1. The language of food in Japanese through a linguistic lensNatsuko Tsujimura | pp. 27–52
- Section II. Mimetics and sound-symbolism in food names and food descriptions
- Chapter 2. Analysis of the use of Japanese mimetics in the eating and imagined eating of rice crackersRyoko Uno, Fumiyuki Kobayashi, Kazuko Shinohara and Sachiko Odake | pp. 55–77
- Chapter 3. The sound-symbolic effects of consonants on food texture: An experimental study of snack names in JapaneseGakuji Kumagai, Ryoko Uno and Kazuko Shinohara | pp. 79–110
- Chapter 4. Innovative binomial adjectives in Japanese food descriptions and beyondKimi Akita and Keiko Murasugi | pp. 111–132
- Section III. Change in the language of food
- Chapter 5. Verbs of eating: From active zones, cultures, metonymy, and metaphor to withdrawalToshiko Yamaguchi | pp. 135–160
- Chapter 6. Naturalization of the Japanese loanword sushi in English: A cognitive accountKiyoko Toratani | pp. 161–188
- Section IV. Taste terms
- Chapter 7. Clear is sweet: Defining aesthetic sake taste terms with a usage-based approachHiroki Fukushima | pp. 191–230
- Chapter 8. A frame-semantic approach to Japanese taste termsKei Sakaguchi | pp. 231–260
- Section V. Motion and force in the language of food
- Chapter 9. Verbs of seasoning in Japanese, with special reference to the locative alternation in EnglishDaisuke Nonaka | pp. 263–291
- Chapter 10. Motion expressions in Japanese wine-tasting descriptionsYuko Yoshinari | pp. 293–317
- Chapter 11. Applying force dynamics to analyze taste descriptions in Japanese online columnsSayaka Abe | pp. 319–343
- Index | pp. 345–347
“Much of the work on the linguistics of food has been conducted on the English language. This book makes a strong contribution to the field by providing an in-depth analysis of the language of food in Japanese. This analysis reveals innovative linguistic patterns and uses. For example, Japanese binomial adjectives (Chapter 4) are a novel ideophone construction that can be used in creative descriptions of food. Not only does the study of Japanese add to the field in terms of generalizability, but it also opens up fascinating new directions of research, by highlighting unique aspects of the Japanese language in relation to food. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and look forward to follow-up research that will no doubt emerge from this volume.”
Laura Speed, Radboud University
“This volume brings together many concepts and theories in cognitive linguistics, providing concise overviews, highlighting key issues, and contributing theoretical insights based on data from food language in Japanese. In addition, the discussions frequently incorporate socio-cultural dimensions, offering readers a window into Japanese culture and society. Together, these contributions invite readers to draw inspiration for future inquiry and to continue exploring the language of food, a fundamental human need that shapes how we interact with the world.”
Chan-Chia Hsu, National Taipei University of Business, in Journal of Asian Pacific Communication 35:2 (2025).
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Nakano, Tamami, Satoe Awada, Masafumi Oizumi, Daisuke Kuwano, Kazuyo Tanji, Nobumasa Kato & Noburo Saji
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