Katakana Analysis Draft

If you look at my previous blog post, you'll see that I have several different examples of katakana usage. However, I have come to understand that they are largely the same type of example in that most are examples of katakana being used to write loanwords (ie: "best seller," "brand," "bacon," etc...). However, I think that it might be useful here to talk about the different ways katakana is used for loanwords because there are some interesting subtleties in how they are employed that bespeak certain deliberate choices made by Japanese people when they write (particularly when they write for display).

1.) Use of katakana to write the word "best sellers:"

I think that in this instance, the katakana is being used for emphasis. Best sellers are a very Western conception, invented by book marketers and used to draw a book browser to make a purchase by telling them that "this is what everyone else is reading, so you should too!" I think that in this case, the use of the katakana is Japan's (or more specifically, Kinokuniya's) way of appropriating that same marketing ploy in order to attract Japanese buyers. After all, they could have said "best sellers" using hiragana or kanji or even English, but they chose not to. Instead, its kind of a way of importing Western marketing schemes. (This is all my speculation, however).

2.) Use of katakana in titles: I found two examples of this usage of katakana that I think are quite different.

a.

In this first example, katakana is used to write the title of this children's book. ”バルバル”has no English equivalent, and thus I don't think the katakana here can be considered a loanword. However, "バルバル" does make an interesting sound when read or spoken out loud, which would probably get a Japanese child interested in the book. It is also most likely a name (the name of the fellow on the cover), therefore katakana would be an appropriate way to write it in this case.

b.

In this second example, katakana is being used to write the word "brand" in the title of the magazine Brand Joy. Again, I think the use of katakana here is a deliberate choice because they could have chosen to write the word in hiragana or in Kanji, but they chose to use the loanword form. Looking through the magazine, I noted that it was geared towards selling western merchandise from western companies, so that might be a reason behind this particular usage.

Also, as a final note, why is it that "brand" is in katakana, but "joy" is in English? Something to think about perhaps.

カタカナUsage：５Examples

今週の土曜日に私は紀伊国屋の本のデパートへ行きました（near Bryant Park)。あそこはおもしろいです！わたしはカタカナのれいは勉強しました。Here are some of the examples of カタカナusage that I saw at 紀伊国屋:


1.)　On signs for certain genres of books:

Here カタカナis used to indicate that this section is devoted to comics (コミック）。

　
In this example, we can see that カタカナis being used to represent the word "best sellers" in Japanese.

In both of these cases, it seems that カタカナis being used to write words that have retained their western pronunciations.

2.) In recipe books, カタカナis most often used to represent ingredients that are not native to Japanese cuisine. For example, in the photo below, it is used to write the word "bacon,"which is very much an ingredient common to Western cuisine.





3.)In the store's extensive Japanese ざっしsection, I found some examples of カタカナused in magazine titles.　A good example of this is this cover for "BRAND JOY" magazine:
　

In this example, it seems that カタカナis being employed to emphasize the magazine's title.

4.) I also noticed that a lot of children's books used カタカナin their titles:　

5.) Finally, I also noted several different uses of カタカナin manual books, for example, in this origami book（see image below)、カタカナis used not only to denote the title of design "Bouquet Present プレゼンとのブケ、”but also within the directions of the design itself, most likely to denote the names of certain types of folds.




Anyways, I hope that these examples can illustrate the plethora of ways in which カタカナcan be used in everyday instances.　If you get a chance, check out 紀伊国屋bookstore, located near Bryant Park at 42nd street in Midtown. It's pretty cool.

Practice practice practice (lessons 5 and 6)

こんばんわ！

コロンビアの大学はたいへんです！せんしゅうわたしはどこへもいきませんでした！としょかんでべんきょうしまた。そして、こんしゅうわたしはどこへもいきません！としょかんでべんきょうします！

まいにちわたしははちじにおきます。たまごとパンをたべます。そしてコーヒーをのみます。わたしはあるいてにほんごのクラスへいきます。わたしはろくじからじゅじまでとしょかんでべんきょうします、じゅうじはんにうちへかえります。じゅうにちじにねます。コロンビアの大学はたいへんです！

らいしゅうのもくよびに、わたしはバスへうちでかえります。そして、わたしはMetropolitanびじゅつかんへいきます。

どうもありがとございます！