The process of concept formation: types, regularities, and adaptation in different languages

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K12840
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Art at large
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: IWAI SHIGEKI 大阪大学, 日本語日本文化教育センター, 准教授 (60647080)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 日本的美的概念 / わび / さび / 幽玄 / いき / かわいい / あはれ / まこと

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research examines what leads certain aesthetics, more specifically so-called Japanese aesthetics, to be considered “typically Japanese”; whether there are any regularities to be discerned; and what the details of those regularities are.
As a result, we found that wabi, sabi, and yugen became highly acclaimed after the Russo-Japanese War, as symbolism was introduced and medieval aesthetics gathered attention. This led these three aesthetics to be perceived as distinctively Japanese. In a similar fashion, iki was also re-evaluated and deemed typically Japanese after the Russo-Japanese War in the midst of a rising acclaim of both symbolism and Edo taste. Kawaii is considered a contemporary Japanese aesthetic and has a similar historical background. Our research resulted in the discovery of these similarities and regularities.

Free Research Field

日本文化史