This site is a portal to a collection of web pages presenting the results of research activities by the Japanese Linguistics and Literature Group of the project “Research on the Synthesis and Digitalization of the Urban Formation Process in East Asia.” This project was conducted at the Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences between 2010 and 2012, under the supervision of Head Researcher Katō Naoto, as one component of the Strategic Base Development Program for Private Universities.
The Japanese Linguistics and Literature Group consists of three teams of researchers: Early Modern Literature, Modern Literature, and Japanese Linguistics. Each team has attempted to reconstruct different stages in the development of the city of Edo/Tokyo using resources related to Japanese language and literature. For further details regarding the organization of this group, please click here.
The sites linked here present the results of the efforts of each team to discover new perspectives on city formation by using WebGIS to situate and synthesize data based on an interdisciplinary collection of historical materials ranging from text and visual images to linguistic phenomena and linguistic landscape data. They also represent the group’s collective effort to make digitized research materials available on the internet in complex and multi-layered forms.
For explanations of the projects presented on each site and the materials used therein, please see the links below.
- Edo/Tokyo WebGIS
- Tokyo Linguistic Landscapes
- Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences Linguistic Landscape Archive Map
- Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences Online Linguistic Atlas
These sites and the research that they represent were made possible through the support of the project’s Geographic Information Group and Basic Systems Group and with the cooperation of the Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences Library, the Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences Museum, and the Nihon University Center for Information Networking. Materials from the Komori Collection have been made available for display on WebGIS thanks to the generous consideration of the original copyright holders. The Japanese Linguistics and Literature Group offers its sincere thanks to all those who provided their support for this project.
Group Head
Tanaka Yukari Professor, Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences, Department of Japanese Language and Literature (Japanese Linguistics Team; General Coordinator)
Researchers
Ogino Tsunao Professor, Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences, Department of Japanese Language and Literature (Japanese Linguistics Team)
Odaira Maiko Professor, Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences, Department of Japanese Language and Literature (Modern Literature Team)
Kaneko Akio Professor, Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences, Department of Japanese Language and Literature (Modern Literature Team)
Kurakazu Masae Professor, Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences (Early Modern Literature Team)
Kōno Kensuke Professor, Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences, Department of Japanese Language and Literature (Modern Literature Team)
Satō Yukiko Associate Professor, Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences, Department of Japanese Language and Literature (Early Modern Literature Team)
Takeshita Yoshito Professor, Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences, Department of Japanese Language and Literature (Early Modern Literature Team)
Morii Masumi Associate Professor, Aichi Shukutoku University, Department of Media Production (Modern Literature Team)
Yoshida Morio Professor, Kōgakuin University, Division of Liberal Arts (Modern Literature Team)
Research Support
Hiwatashi Takahiro Post Doctoral Fellow, Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences (Modern Literature Team; General Assistant 2010-2011)
Hayashi Naoki Research Assistant, Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences; Advanced Ph.D. Candidate, Nihon University Graduate Faculty of Literature (Japanese Linguistics Team; General Assistant 2011-2012)
Site Overview
Edo/Tokyo WebGIS attempts to trace the formation of the city of Edo/Tokyo from the Edo period to the present day from the perspectives of Japanese language and literature by using Google Maps to coordinate data from historical maps, literary texts, and linguistic resources. By superimposing historical maps such as the late Edo-period Edo kiriezu (Tokyo District Maps, 1849-1852) and the late Meiji-period Tōkyō-shi zenzu (Complete Map of the City of Tokyo, 1907) over Google Maps and using this multi-layered map to situate literary and linguistic materials geographically, this project allows users to easily see the changes that have taken place between the Edo period and today.
Materials
Materials from the Edo period include place names and famous sites (meisho) appearing in the Edo meisho zue (Illustrated Guide to Edo’s Famous Sites, 1834, 1836), in Tsuruya Nanboku’s kabuki plays (1810-1819), in Santō Kyōden’s kibyōshi (illustrated booklets, 1777-1793), and in Taihei matoi ichiran (Collected Firefighting Banners of the Peaceful Realm, 1856), an illustrated almanac of the uniforms and insignias of neighborhood firefighting teams. For each of these locations, related selections have been extracted from the given text, rendered into modern typography, and placed on the map alongside images of any accompanying illustrations. The materials from the modern era consist of depictions of Tokyo in the early Meiji period from Kobayashi Kiyochika’s prints, including Tōkyō meisho zu (Illustrations of Tokyo’s Famous Sites, 1876-1881) and Musashi hyakkei no uchi (One-Hundred Views of Musashi, 1884-1885), situated geographically on the map. Materials relating to the Japanese language include photographic images of the Ginza district from the end of the Meiji period through the late Shōwa period, taken from the Komori Collection. These are displayed on the map as records of the linguistic landscape, along with reports of on-site research carried out by Tanaka Yukari. For further details, please see the explanation located to the lower-right of the Edo/Tokyo WebGIS website.
Instructions
Click on the upper-left box to select which materials to display. Once you have selected your desired materials, various pins will appear on the map. In order to avoid confusion when displaying multiple types of materials on the map simultaneously, the pins have been color-coded based on the type of materials they represent.
When you click one of the pins, text and images associated with that location will appear in a pop-up box. For woodblock-printed texts, you may also view typographical transcriptions of the selected excerpts.
You may search for locations and famous sites by inputting keywords into the search window. You may also select which historical maps to overlay. (Due to technical constraints, there are limitations on the number of maps that may be overlaid simultaneously.)
Since Edo/Tokyo WebGIS is open to the public as a free browser application, smartphone users may also make use of this tool as a portable walking guide. If you access this application within the geographic area covered in our materials from a GPS-enabled smartphone or tablet PC with location-based services activated, you will be able to locate yourself in a reconstructed map of Edo or early Tokyo.
Site Overview
Compiled by the Japanese Linguistics Team, Tokyo Linguistic Landscapes summarizes the results of survey research that examines the linguistic landscapes of Tokyo with the goal of creating a linguistic typology of Tokyo’s urban spaces. As a first step toward such a typology, this site provides the contrasting examples of the Akihabara district (Chiyoda Ward) and Ginza Chūō-dōri district (Chūō Ward). Based on a rich archive of photographic materials and reports from on-site survey research conducted between 2010 and 2011 under the supervision of Tanaka Yukari, this site allows users to experience the diversity of contemporary Tokyo’s urban spaces by way of their linguistic landscapes.
Materials
- 1) Linguistic Landscape of Akihabara Based on Fieldwork. Research conducted by students of the Sophia University Graduate School of Foreign Studies, 2010 Seminar on Fieldwork in Linguistics.
Slideshow - 2) Linguistic Landscape of Ginza Based on Fieldwork. Research conducted by students of the Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences, Department of Japanese Language and Literature, 2011 Introductory Seminar.
Link to Summary Site
Instructions
Click the pins distributed on the map to display survey results regarding the linguistic landscapes of Akihabara and Ginza.
Overview
The Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences Linguistic Landscape Archive Map allows users to contribute to an evolving online archive of Tokyo linguistic landscapes by uploading photographs from their smartphones. Registered users can easily upload and synchronize their photographs with geographic data through an intuitive and easy-to-use interface designed for the average smartphone user. Photographs taken without smartphones may also be added to the archive by manually providing geographic data. The archive is updated automatically, minimizing the demands of data management.
This application is also designed to be suitable for use as a classroom application. It is hoped that these tools will facilitate new educational activities that combine on-site survey research with easy presentation of survey results.
Materials
Linguistic Landscape of Ginza Based on Fieldwork (In Progress). Research conducted by students of the Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences, Department of Japanese Language and Literature, 2012 Introductory Seminar.
Instructions
This site can only be accessed by users whose registration has been approved.
When your application has been processed, a confirmation email will be sent to your registered email address. When you confirm your registration by logging in, you will be given the ability to upload images.
To upload images: log in, click on “Contribute Photograph”, and select the file you wish to upload. If the geographical data associated with the file is correct, the photograph will be added to the map. *To add geographical data to the image, activate location-based services on your smartphone.
Site Overview
The Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences Online Linguistic Atlas endeavors to integrate survey data collected by different researchers and display the results online. By integrating multiple sets of data, this tool allows users to examine individual linguistic phenomena diachronically and from multiple perspectives. By creating a system to which researchers can freely add new data, this project aims to encourage new uses of linguistic resources and fluid methods of data analysis. For further details (Japanese-language only), please see the “Terms of Use”on the lower-right of the Online Linguistic Atlas.
In addition to linguistic data, the Online Linguistic Atlas also includes railroad station data provided by the Geographic Information Group, allowing users to examine the distribution of linguistic phenomena in relation to historical developments in transportation infrastructure.
Materials
-
1) Survey Data on Western Districts of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area
Researcher: Tanaka Yukari
Date of Survey: 1992
Survey Area: Western districts of Tokyo Metropolitan Area (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Shizuoka)
Survey Method: Word list-based interview survey
Survey Target: Elderly -
2) Survey Data on Northern Tokyo
Researcher: Hayashi Naoki
Date of Survey: 2010
Survey Area: Northern Tokyo
Survey Method: Word list-based interview survey
Survey Target: Elderly
Instructions
Use the upper-left box to select which linguistic traits to examine. When you select one of the check-boxes, the corresponding trait will be highlighted on the map. By clicking on the marks that appear on the map, you may view speaker information regarding that trait at the given location.
The Online Linguistic Atlas is also intended to act as an archive for linguistic data. By uploading data in your personal possession, you may add to the data archive. An application is required, and only authorized users may participate in data administration. For information regarding the application process (Japanese-language only), please see the “Terms of Use” on the lower-right of the Online Linguistic Atlas.
Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences Online Linguistic Atlas
Use of the contents of the sites linked here is restricted to the following two types and subject to the conditions specified below.
- A. Non-commercial use for scholarly, educational, or cultural purposes: unmodified, properly cited use is authorized under the terms of Creative Commons License “Attribution-Noncommercial-NoDerivatives” (CC BY-NC-ND). For further details, see the Creative Commons Licenses website (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/).
- B. Any use other than that specified in (A), including commercial use: may be authorized according to terms to be set by Nihon University, following application for use and payment of associated fees. In order to ensure that these materials are used in accordance with these conditions, the archived materials have been subject to both visible and invisible embedding (digital watermarking).
In the event that the Japanese Linguistics and Literature Group becomes aware of any improper use, the user will be contacted directly.
Of the materials represented in these sites, the woodblock prints by Kobayashi Kiyochika are based on digital photographs of original materials held by the Nihon University Center for Information Networking. The remaining materials include materials held by the College of Humanities and Sciences, materials offered by individual members of the Japanese Linguistics and Literature Group for the purposes of this project, and materials belonging to public domain.
Translated by Thomas Gaubatz