Yoshiko Matsumoto
Yamato Ichihashi Chair of Japanese History and Civilization and Professor, by courtesy, of Linguistics
East Asian Languages and Cultures
Bio
Yoshiko Matsumoto is Yamato Ichihashi Professor in Japanese History and Civilization, Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures and, by courtesy, of Linguistics. She also serves as coordinator of the Japanese Language Program. Matsumoto’s research projects and publications investigate systems of language in use, spanning many aspects of linguistic pragmatics, from structural to sociocultural, with cross-linguistic perspectives. A recent edited book, _Noun-Modifying Clause Constructions in Languages of Eurasia: Rethinking Theoretical and Geographical Boundaries_ (2017) reports the findings of a collaborative project on noun-modifying clause constructions in languages of Eurasia, building on her earlier work on Japanese (_Noun-Modifying Constructions in Japanese: A Frame Semantic Approach_), which argued for a theoretical perspective that incorporates cognitive and pragmatic information in grammar. Another recent edited volume, _Faces of Aging: The Lived Experiences of the Elderly in Japan_ (2011) illuminates the human side of aging issues and is one of her publications on the intersection of language, age and gender. Focusing on narratives of difficult experiences by older women, her study illustrates the agency of the narrators, the interactions among narrative participants and the effects of reframing stories from the quotidian perspective. Awards she has received include the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, a Richard E. Guggenhime Faculty Scholar Award, Research Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Japan Foundation, the Clayman Institute for Gender Research and the Stanford Humanities Center.
Academic Appointments
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Professor, East Asian Languages and Cultures
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Professor (By courtesy), Linguistics
Administrative Appointments
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Yamato Ichihashi Professor in Japanese History and Civilization, Stanford University (2016 - Present)
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Professor, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and by courtesy, Department of Linguistics, Stanford University (2011 - Present)
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Interim Chair, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Stanford University (2016 - 2016)
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Chair, Department of Asian Languages, Stanford University (2003 - 2005)
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Associate Professor, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures (formerly Asian Languages), Stanford University (2000 - 2011)
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Assistant Professor, Department of Asian Languages, Stanford University (1992 - 2000)
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Coordinator of the Japanese Language Program, Stanford Language Center (1992 - Present)
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Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, The Ohio State University (1988 - 1992)
Honors & Awards
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Violet Andrews Whittier Fellow, Stanford Humanities Center (2019 - 2020)
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Faculty Research Fellow, Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research (2014 - 2015)
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Presidential Fund for Innovation in the Humanities, Stanford Universtiy (2009 - 2011)
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Internal Fellow, Stanford Humanities Center (2005-2006)
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Research Fellow, Japan Foundation (Language, Old Age and Gender in Japan) (2002)
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Richard E. Guggenhime Faculty Scholar, Stanford University (2000 - 2003)
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Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University (2000)
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Special Research Assignment, College of Humanities, The Ohio State University (1991)
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George C. and Helen N. Pardee Scholarship, University of California, Berkeley (1987 - 1988)
Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations
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Member, Consultation Board, International Pragmatics Association (2000 - Present)
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Advisory Board and Editor, Journal of Pragmatics (1992 - Present)
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Member, Editorial Board, East Asian Pragmatics, Journal (2014 - Present)
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Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Constructions and Frames (2008 - Present)
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Member, Advisory Board, The National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics. Project: Noun-modifying expressions (NME) in Cross-linguistic Studies of Japanese Prosody and Grammar (Theory and Typology Division) (2016 - Present)
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Member, Advisory Board, Journal of Politeness Research (2004 - Present)
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Member, Editorial Board, Topics in Address Research (book series) (2015 - Present)
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Member, Editorial Board, Association of Teachers of Japanese (1997 - 2000)
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Member, Advisory Board (language), Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (2011 - Present)
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Member, Board of Directors, Association of Teachers of Japanese (1997 - 2000)
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Executive Director, Inter-University Center in Yokohama (2003 - 2003)
Program Affiliations
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Center for East Asian Studies
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Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Professional Education
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Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, Linguistics (1989)
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M.A., University of California, Berkeley, Linguistics
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M.A., School of Literatures and Languages, The University of Tsukuba, General and Applied Linguistics
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M.I.A., School of Area Studies, The University of Tsukuba, American Studies
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B.A., Japan Women's University, English Language & Literature
Current Research and Scholarly Interests
Based on in-depth analyses of Japanese with a cross-linguistic perspective, my research emphasizes the importance of linguistic and extralinguistic context in understanding the structure, meaning and use of language. I have worked on the pragmatics of linguistic constructions (e.g. frame semantics of noun-modifying construction, reference, honorifics, discourse markers) and sociocultural aspects of discourse (e.g. politeness theories, speech acts, bilingualism, intersection of language, gender and age, ideology, and identity reflected in Japanese as a second language). Topics of my current research center around conversational narratives especially of older adults and disaster survivors – (re)framing of narratives, ordinariness, stances taken by participants, integration of pragmatic factors in Construction Grammar, and typology and functions of noun-modifying constructions.
Projects
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Sharing Conversations: A core human experience across life (Cultivating Humanities Grant – Changing Human Experience)
Location
Japan, U.S.A.
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Communicative abilities of people with dementia
Location
U.S.A
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Centrality of the Peripheries: The language and the users, Stanford University, Humanities Center (September 2019)
Location
Japan, East Asia, Europe
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Noun-Modifying Constructions in Languages of Eurasia: Reshaping theoretical and geographical boundaries, Stanford University
Location
Eurasia
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Understanding and Misunderstanding Discourse of Elderly Japanese Women, Stanford University
Location
Japan
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Difficult Conversations Continue: Memories of the 3.11 Disaster and Bereavement Narratives
Location
Japan
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Quotidian reframing in Japanese discourse and emotion regulation, Stanford
Location
Japan, U.S.
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Language, Old Age and Gender in Japan, Stanford University/Japan Foundation
Location
Japan
2024-25 Courses
- Academic Readings in Japanese I
JAPAN 235 (Spr) - Benefits of Being Atypical: From the Perspective of Japanese Language
JAPAN 194, JAPAN 294 (Aut) - Points in Japanese Grammar
JAPAN 197, JAPAN 297 (Win) - Sharing Conversations Across Generations: The Magic of Haiku
ASNAMST 191, JAPAN 191, JAPAN 291 (Win) -
Independent Studies (5)
- Individual Studies in East Asian Languages and Cultures (Graduate)
EALC 200 (Aut, Win, Spr) - Individual Studies in East Asian Languages and Cultures (Undergraduate)
EALC 199 (Aut, Win, Spr) - Master's Thesis or Qualifying Paper
EALC 299 (Aut, Win, Spr) - Senior Research (Capstone Essay)
EALC 198C (Aut, Win, Spr) - Senior Research (Honors Thesis)
EALC 198H (Aut, Win, Spr)
- Individual Studies in East Asian Languages and Cultures (Graduate)
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Prior Year Courses
2023-24 Courses
- Points in Japanese Grammar
JAPAN 197, JAPAN 297 (Win) - Research in Japanese Linguistics
JAPAN 279 (Win) - Sharing Conversations Across Generations: The Magic of Haiku
ASNAMST 191, JAPAN 191, JAPAN 291 (Aut)
2022-23 Courses
- Academic Readings in Japanese I
JAPAN 235 (Win) - Analyzing Japanese Text and Talk
JAPAN 192, JAPAN 292 (Win) - Joys and Pains of Growing Up and Older in Japan
JAPAN 82N (Spr) - Language and Aging in Japan
JAPAN 383 (Spr) - Points in Japanese Grammar
JAPAN 197, JAPAN 297 (Aut)
2021-22 Courses
- Academic Readings in Japanese I
JAPAN 235 (Win) - Joys and Pains of Growing Up and Older in Japan
JAPAN 82N (Spr) - Points in Japanese Grammar
JAPAN 197, JAPAN 297 (Aut) - Research Projects in Japanese Linguistics
JAPAN 382 (Win)
- Points in Japanese Grammar
All Publications
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On an even playing field of <i>haiku</i> making
PRAGMATICS AND SOCIETY
2024; 15 (1): 104-121
View details for DOI 10.1075/ps.23037.mat
View details for Web of Science ID 001168262700009
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Taking actions to enhance inclusivity of persons living with dementia
PRAGMATICS AND SOCIETY
2024; 15 (1): 1-16
View details for DOI 10.1075/ps.23053.mat
View details for Web of Science ID 001168262700004
- (Non)referentiality of silent reference in Japanese conversation: How and what are inferred (Non)referentiality in Conversation John Benjamins. 2024
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INTERGENERATIONAL HAIKU-MAKING ACTIVITY: CREATING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS ACROSS GENERATIONS
OXFORD UNIV PRESS. 2023: 594
View details for Web of Science ID 001178258402630
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LINGUISTIC STRATEGIES FOR AGE-INCLUSIVITY: ANALYSIS OF HAIKU-BASED INTERGENERATIONAL INTERACTION
OXFORD UNIV PRESS. 2022: 350
View details for Web of Science ID 000913044001595
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Multiplicity in grammar: Modes, genres and Speaker's knowledge
JOURNAL OF PRAGMATICS
2022; 198: 1-7
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.pragma.2022.05.008
View details for Web of Science ID 000827250300001
- Shifting to interaction in dementia language research: drawing on usage in Japanese Dementia Caregiving East and West Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 2022: 86 - 101
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Flexibility and fluidity of grammar: Grammatical constructions in discourse and sociocultural context
JOURNAL OF PRAGMATICS
2021; 172: 105–18
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.pragma.2020.11.012
View details for Web of Science ID 000608006200010
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Pragmatics of Understanding: Centrality of the Local -- Cases from Japanese discourse and Alzheimer's interaction
Contrastive Pragmatics
2020: 1 - 28
View details for DOI 10.1163/26660393-bja10005
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Taking the stance of quotidian in talking about pains: resilience and defiance
LINGUISTICS VANGUARD
2019; 5
View details for DOI 10.1515/lingvan-2018-0034
View details for Web of Science ID 000472603100010
- When being quotidian meets being ordinary The construction of ‘ordinariness across media genres John Benjamins. 2019: 269–293
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When being quotidian meets being ordinary
CONSTRUCTION OF ORDINARINESS ACROSS MEDIA GENRES
2019; 307: 269–93
View details for DOI 10.1075/pbns.307.11mat
View details for Web of Science ID 000553689100011
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The case of Japanese otona "adult': Mediatized gender as a marketing device
DISCOURSE & COMMUNICATION
2018; 12 (4): 401–23
View details for DOI 10.1177/1750481318757776
View details for Web of Science ID 000439352300004
- Advances in Pragmatic Research on Japanese edited by Hudson, M. E., Matsumoto, Y., Mori, J. John Benjamins. 2018
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Clausal noun-modifying constructions
HANDBOOK OF JAPANESE CONTRASTIVE LINGUISTICS
2018: 411–32
View details for DOI 10.1515/9781614514077-014
View details for Web of Science ID 000481810700016
- Introduction Advances in Pragmatic Research on Japanese 2018
- Commenting with constructed speech: The dangling mitaina construction in Japanese Advances in Pragmatic Research on Japanese John Benjamins. 2018
- Clausal noun-modifying constructions Handbook of Japanese Contrastive Linguistics De Gruyter Mouton. 2018
- Clausal Noun Modification Cambridge Handbook of Japanese Linguistics Cambridge University Press. 2018
- Noun-modifying constructions in Japanese Noun-Modifying Clause Constructions in Languages of Eurasia: Rethinking theoretical and geographical boundaries John Benjamins. 2017: 23–43
- Noun-Modifying Clause Constructions in Languages of Eurasia: Rethinking theoretical and geographical boundaries Typologica Studies in Language 116 edited by Matsumoto, Y., Comrie, B., Sells, P. John Benjamins Publishing Company. 2017
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Noun-Modifying Clause Construction in Japanese
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Linguistics
Oxford University. 2017
View details for DOI 10.1093/acrefore/9780199384655.013.294
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Introduction to Noun-Modifying Clause Constructions in Languages of Eurasia
Noun-Modifying Clause Constructions in Languages of Eurasia: Rethinking theoretical and geographical boundaries
John Benjamins. 2017: 3–21
View details for DOI 10.1075/tsl.116.01mat
- Conclusion Noun-Modifying Clause Constructions in Languages of Eurasia: Rethinking theoretical and geographical boundaries John Benjamins. 2017: 331–337
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The power of the ordinary: Quotidian framing as a narrative strategy
JOURNAL OF PRAGMATICS
2015; 86: 100-105
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.pragma.2015.06.003
View details for Web of Science ID 000361255500017
- Partnership between grammatical construction and interactional frame: Stand-alone noun-modifying construction in invocatory discourse Constructions & Frames 2015; 7 (2): 289-314
- Awareness of Multiplicity” (多様性の認識) New Horizons in Japanese Language Education (日本語教育の新しい 地平を開く) Hituzi Shobo . 2015: 29–54
- Japanese Relative Clauses That Stand Alone Japanese/Korean Linguistics 22 CSLI. 2015: 215–230
- Context in Constructions: Variation in Japanese non-subject honorifics Usage- Based Approaches to Japanese Grammar: Towards the Understanding of Human Language John Benjamins. 2014: 261–278
- 日本語の名詞修飾節構文−他言語との対照を含めて (Noun-Modifying Clause Constructions in Japanese: With comparisons to other languages) 日本語複文構文の研究 (Studies on Japanese Complex Sentence Constructions) 2014: 559–590
- Interactional frame and grammatical descriptions: The case of Japanese noun- modifying constructions Advances in Frame Semantics John Benjamins. 2013: 159–181
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Painful to playful: Quotidian frames in the conversational discourse of older Japanese women
LANGUAGE IN SOCIETY
2011; 40 (5): 591-616
View details for DOI 10.1017/S0047404511000698
View details for Web of Science ID 000296608800003
- Faces of Aging: The Lived Experiences of the Elderly in Japan edited by Matsumoto, Y. Stanford University Press. 2011
- Reframing to regain identity with humor: What conversations with friends suggest for communication in elderly care Communication in Elderly Care: Cross- Cultural Approaches edited by Backhaus, P. Continuum.. 2011: 145–165
- Beyond Stereotypes of Old Age: Discourse of Elderly Japanese Women Faces of Aging: The Lived Experiences of the Elderly in Japan edited by Matsumoto, Y. Stanford University Press. 2011
- Introduction Faces of Aging: The Lived Experiences of the Elderly in Japan edited by Matsumoto, Y. Stanford University Press. 2011
- Interactional frame and grammatical descriptions: The case of Japanese nounmodifying constructions Constructions and Frames 2010; 2 (2): 136-157
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Dealing with life changes: humour in painful self-disclosures by elderly Japanese women
Sociolinguistics Symposium 2006
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS. 2009: 929–952
View details for DOI 10.1017/S0144686X0900885X
View details for Web of Science ID 000268511900005
- Forward Face Communication and Social Interaction edited by Bargiela-Chiappini, F., Haugh, M. London: Equinox Publishing Ltd.. 2009: xi-xii
- Manabi no Genten ni Tatsu: Freshman Seminar ga teikyoo suru mono 2009
- Pragmatics of Performative Honorifics in Subordinate Clauses Language in Life, and a Life in Language: Jacob Mey, A Festschrift edited by Turner, K., Eraser, B. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 2009: 289–297
- Beyond Stereotypes of Old Age: Discourse of Elderly Japanese Women International Journal of the Sociology of Language 2009: 129-151
- Dealing with Changes – Humorous Self-Disclosure by Elderly Japanese Women Ageing & Society 2009; 29 (6)
- Discursive practices and changing identities in elderly Japanese women Japanese Applied Linguistics: Discourse and Social Perspectives edited by Mori, J., Ohta, A. S. Continuum International Publishing Group. 2008: 188–210
- Young Women in the Meiji Period as Linguistic Trendsetters Journal of Language and Gender 2008; 2 (1): 9-42
- Variations in Japanese honorification -- deviations or a change in the making? Constructional Re-organization edited by Leino, J. John Benjamins. 2008: 89–104
- Tuning Styles and Personae Japanese Speech Style Shift edited by Jones, K., Ono, T. Philadelphia: John Benjamins.. 2008: 213–228
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Interaction of multiple factors in relative clause construal and acquisition
STUDIES IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
2007; 29 (2): 367-374
View details for DOI 10.1017/S0272263107070234
View details for Web of Science ID 000246082500015
- Diversity and universality in languages:The consequences of variation Diversity in Language: Perspectives & Implications edited by Matsumoto, Y., Oshima, D., Robinson, O., Sells, P. CSLI Publications. 2007: 2–7
- Diversity in Language: Perspectives edited by Matsumoto, Y., Oshima, D., Robinson, O., Sells, P. CSLI Publications. 2007
- Kaiwa no naka no iwayuru joseigo (Use of so-called women’s language in conversation) Gengo (Language) 2007; 36 (3): 62-69
- Dealing with changes -- Discourse of elderly Japanese women Japanese/Korean Linguistics edited by McGloin, N. H., et al CSLI. 2007: 93–107
- Integrating frames: Complex noun phrase constructions in Japanese Aspects of Linguistics: In Honor of Noriko Akatsuka (Gengogaku no Syosoo: Akatsuka Noriko Kyoozyu Kinen Ronbunsyuu) edited by Kuno, S., Makino, S., Strauss, S. Tokyo: Kurosio Publishers. 2007: 131–154
- Role of Pragmatics in Japanese Relative Clauses Japanese Linguistics: Critical Concepts 2005; 3
- We’ll be dead by then! – comical self-disclosure by elderly Japanese women edited by Ettlinger, M., Fleisher, N., Park-Doob, M. 2005: 268–79
- Kizuki to sentaku: Shakai-gengogakuteki nooryoku no yoosei o mezasu nihongokyooiku no igi Gengogaku to Nihongo Kyooiku III edited by Masahiko, M., Asano, M. 2004: 41–58
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The Japanese copula: Forms and functions. (Book Review)
JOURNAL OF JAPANESE STUDIES
2004; 30 (1): 228-232
View details for Web of Science ID 000188957800028
- The new (and improved?) language and place of women in Japan Language and Woman’s Place: Text and Commentaries edited by Bucholtz, M. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004: 244–251
- Alternative Femininity: Personae of Middle-Aged Mothers Japanese Language, Gender, and Ideology: Cultural models and real people edited by Okamoto, S., Smith, J. S. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004: 240–255
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How to do historic pragmatics with Japanese honorifics - Reply to Pizziconi
JOURNAL OF PRAGMATICS
2003; 35 (10-11): 1515-1521
View details for DOI 10.1016/S0378-2166(03)00077-8
View details for Web of Science ID 000185093600005
- The Construction of the Japanese Language and Culture in Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language Japanese Language and Literature 2003; 37 (1): 27-48
- Gender Identity and the Presentation of Self in Japanese Gendered Practices in Language edited by Benor, S., Rose, M., Sharma, D., Sweetland, J., Zhang, Q. CA: CSLI Publications. 2002
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Extending frame semantics: Flexibility of complex noun phrase constructions in Japanese
7th International Pragmatics Conference
INTERNATIONAL PRAGMATICS ASSOCIATION VZW. 2001: 256–266
View details for Web of Science ID 000173937900021
- Tyotto: Speech act qualification in Japanese Japanese Language and Literature 2001; 35 (1): 1-16
- Extending Frame Semantics: Flexibility of Complex Noun Phrase Constructions in Japanese Cognition in Language Use: Selected papers from the 7th International Pragmatics Conference edited by Nemeth, E. Antwerp: Belgium. 2001: 256–266
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Japanese stylistic choices and ideologies across generations
6th International Pragmatics Conference
INTERNATIONAL PRAGMATICS ASSOCIATION VZW. 1999: 352–364
View details for Web of Science ID 000081256800026
- Japanese stylistic choices and ideologies across generations Language and Ideology: Selected Papers from the 6th International Pragmatics Conference edited by Verschueren, J. Antwerp: International Pragmatics Association. 1999: 352–364
- Sedai to kotoba no sentaku Gengogaku to Nihongo Kyooiku - Jitsuyooteki Gengo Kenkyuu no Koochiku o Mezashite Tokyo: Kurosio Syuppan. 1999: 33–48
- The complementizer toyuu in Japanese Japanese/Korean Linguistics Volume edited by Akatsuka, N. Center for the Study of Language and Information. 1998: 243–255
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The rise and fall of Japanese nonsubject honorifics: The case of 'o-Verb-suru'
JOURNAL OF PRAGMATICS
1997; 28 (6): 719-740
View details for Web of Science ID A1997YJ72700004
- Noun-Modifying Constructions in Japanese: A Frame Semantic Approach John Benjamins Publishing Company. 1997
- Preface for the Special Issue on Japanese Pragmatics Journal of Pragmatics 1997; 28 (6): 659-660
- Journal of Pragmatics edited by Matsumoto, Y. 1997; 28 (6)
- Interaction of Factors in Construal: Japanese Relative Clauses Grammatical Constructions: their form and meaning edited by Shibatani, M., Thompson, S. A. Thompson. Oxford University Press. 1996: 103–124
- Does less feminine speech in Japanese mean less femininity? Proceedings of the Fourth Berkeley Women and Language Conference 1996: 455–67
- Imi kara mita rentai-syuusyoku no iroiro Gengo 1994; 9: 124-127
- Acquisition of Japanese by American Businessmen in Tokyo: How much and why Current Issues in Second Language Acquisition and Development edited by Blackshire-Belay, C. University Press of America. 1994: 119–140
- Nihongo meisi-ku koozoo no goyooronteki koosatu Nihongogaku 1993; 12: 101-114
- Linguistic Politeness and Cultural Style: Observation from Japanese Japanese/Korean Linguistics edited by Clancy, P. M. 1993: 55–67
- Linguistic Politeness and Cultural Style: Observation from Japanese Japanese/Korean Linguistics edited by Clancy, P. M. Center for the Study of Language and Information. 1993: 55–67
- Warranted requests: Speaker's strategies in Japanese Festschrift for Professor Okuda on the Occasion of her 70th Birthday 1992
- Is it really a topic that is relativized?: Arguments from Japanese 1991
- Role of Pragmatics in Japanese Relative Clauses Lingua 1991; 82: 111-129
- Politeness and Conversational Universals: Observations from Japanese Multilingua 1989: 207-221
- Japanese-style Noun Modification ... in English 1989: 226–37
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REEXAMINATION OF THE UNIVERSALITY OF FACE - POLITENESS PHENOMENA IN JAPANESE
JOURNAL OF PRAGMATICS
1988; 12 (4): 403-426
View details for Web of Science ID A1988R720800001
- Semantics and Pragmatics of Noun-Modifying Constructions in Japanese 1988: 166–75
- Japanese Women's Language Studies in Second Language Acquisition 1986; 8 (2)
- A Sort of Speech Act Qualification in Japanese: Chotto Journal of Asian Culture 1985; IX: 143-159
- Bilingualism Among American Businessmen in Tokyo Language as Social Behavior: Sociolinguistics Series No.3 edited by Peng, F., Hori, M. Bunka Hyooron publishing Company. Hiroshima: Japan. 1981
- Linguistic Behavior of Americans in Japan -- A case study of American businessmen in Tokyo Working Papers on Bilingualism in Japan 1979
- 構文機能とコンテキストの適合性から文法性を考える Grammaticality based on the compatibility of constructional function and communicative purpose Central Association for the Teachers of Japanese Conference 2019