Acknowledgements

Emancipatory Pragmatics, initially developed to challenge the assumptions of existing approaches of pragmatics, has since evolved into an innovative framework that provides a holistic lens for understanding the diversity of linguistic and cultural practices across the globe. Given the pioneering nature of the project and the novelty and complexity of its theoretical orientation, it took over two decades of sustained effort to bring it to its current form. Foundational insights from Hiroshi Shimizu and Masayuki Otsuka were crucial to its development. Our deepest gratitude goes, first and foremost, to Hiroshi Shimizu, founder of ba theory, whose vision has profoundly shaped our thinking. We also owe much to Masayuki Otsuka, whose philosophical work on ba has deepened our understanding. Without their original and inspiring thought, this new pragmatic framework would not have emerged. We also sincerely appreciate the International Pragmatics Association for providing a vital and continuous platform that has supported the evolution of our theory over many years. Its deep engagement with the world’s languages and cultures, coupled with a steadfast commitment to global peace, has been a constant source of inspiration. We are equally indebted to our international collaborators on this project, whose research on linguistically and culturally diverse languages has greatly enriched the development of our theoretical framework.

This project originated in a 1995–1997 research initiative funded by the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), which explored the influence of social cognition on language use. Building on that initial phase, the subsequent implementation and continuation of the research would not have been possible without the longstanding support of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). Since 1998, the funding from JSPS (KAKENHI Grant Numbers; JP10610522, JP13610667, JP15320054, JP18320069, JP20320064, JP23320090, JP15H03208, JP21H00527, JP23K20463) has supported a series of international workshops involving scholars of both Western and non-Western languages, playing a vital role in the development of this research. It also enabled the collection of data in Japanese, English, Korean, Libyan Arabic, Thai, Chinese, and German. We would like to acknowledge with sincere appreciation all the researchers, native speakers of each language, technical staff, assistants, and colleagues who contributed to this data collection. The completed corpus is a notable achievement having been meticulously designed to ensure consistency and comparability across languages and cultures — making meaningful cross-linguistic and cross-cultural analysis possible.

Above all, we owe the realization of this volume — the culmination of two decades of work — to Gunter Senft. The idea originated in 2011, over breakfast at a hotel during the International Pragmatics Conference, when he suggested compiling our research into a volume. Fourteen years have passed since that conversation. This publication has only come to fruition through his unwavering support, rigorous intellect, and generous guidance, for which we owe profound appreciation. Lastly, we would like to express our sincere thanks to Kees Vaes and his team at John Benjamins for their thoughtful advice and generous support throughout the publication process.

We are profoundly indebted to all those who, over the years, supported us with deep understanding and patience in light of the nature of this project. It is our sincere hope that this volume will contribute meaningfully to the further development of pragmatics and to the deepening of mutual understanding among peoples across the world.