1  Yajiro and Xavier party's Japanese Language Learning

        1999 commemorated the 450th anniversary of Francisco Xavier’s arrival in Japan, and a statue of three people was installed in Kagoshima's Xavier Park. One of them was the Kagoshima born Japanese person, Yajiro (sometimes called Angelo). It is said the impetus of Xavier deciding on Japan as a missionary location was meeting Yajiro in Malacca and being deeply moved by his story. Excelling at Portugese, Yajiro originally worked as the Xavier party's interpreter; there were also those in the party that, having learnt Japanese from Yajiro, were finally able to improve their Japanese to the point that they were able to interpret in place of him. While following Yajiro’s footsteps of, who had experience in studying abroad in Goa, let us summarise his Portuguese language learning and in how the party's Japanese language learning was carried out.

2  "Kirishitan-ban"

        The Jesuits carried out missionary activities in Japan through the 16th–17th century, and acquired many Japanese adherents. As part of the plan to smoothly advance Japanese missionary work, Jesuit visitor Valignano brought over a letter press printing machine, and printed religious books, dictionaries, and study books. Amongst the publications called "kirishitan-ban" (Christian publications), Aesops's fables known as "Eosopo no Fabulas" and "Amagusa-ban Heike Monogatari" (Heike Story: The Amakusa Version) are currently included. Let us conclude, what kind of books "kirishitan-ban" were and choosing two points, subject (was it for European missionary use or for Japanese adherents ) and writing, the linguistic features.

3  Japanese Study Books by Missionaries

        Among the "kirishitan-ban," there were those that were translated into different languages many times in later centuries. For example, "Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam" a Spanish edition was produced in the 17th Century, and a French language translation was published in the 19th century. Furthermore, "Hoyaku Nippo Jisho" (1980), a translation into Japanese of Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam, was also released. On the other hand, the Japanese translations of "Nihongo Daijiten" and "Nihongo Kobunten" by João Rodriguez, considered the highest peak of Japanese language at that time, have been published multiple times. With Rodriguez's "Nihongo Daijiten" and "Nihongo Kobunten" (1st vol.) and (2nd. vol.) in hand, let us summarise observations of Japanese language learning and Japanese language observation powers.

4  "The Adjustment Principle" and Japanese Language Learning Methods

        In order to make the Japanese missionary work a sucess, Valignano continued Xavier's teachings, missionaries learnt local words, and he stressed an "adjustment principle" way of thinking, which respected manners and customs. Establishing educational institutions called colegio and seminario, as well as publishing books in sucession, was part of the plan. Let us investigate in detail the content of the "adjustment principle," and concretely consider what kind of circumstance would increase the effect of the "adjusment principle" way of thinking in the modern day, when teaching and studying culture and foreign languages.

5  Japanese Christians' Latin Language Learning

        One of the aims of the Tensho era boy missionaries dispatched to Europe (1582) was Jesuit visitor Valignano making it known in Europe that the missionary work in Japan was "favourably" being carried out. The 13–14 year old boys sent from Japan had an audience with the Spanish King and the Pope and recieved a passionate reception from citizens. This prompted a great number of books related to Japan to be published in Europe. The favourability of the missionary work in Japan was more than demonstrated by their Latin language capabilities. Including the speech given by Hara Martinão in Goa on the way back, I wonder about their Latin language capabilites and its evaluation.

6  Chinese Missionaries and the "Adjustment Principle"

        Although Xavier died with China before his very eyes while planning Chinese missionary work, his dream was continued by Jesuit missionary Mateo Ricci and advanced under the basis of the "adjustment principle." Even in China, the Jesuit missionaries studied Chinese language and culture, and respected Chinese traditions, including Confusianism. Additionally, he introduced modern Western science, and gained the emperor’s trust as well. As a result of Chinese language research, study books and dictionaries were created. Specifically what kind of things were they? Additionally, what did the Chinese language and culture research of that time bring to Europe?

7  Japanese Language Study Before the Opening of Japan: Sidotti

        The name of Italian missionary Giovanni Sidotti became known due to Confucian scholar Arai Hakuseki's "Seiyo Kibun" and "Sairan Igen." In 1708, under the Pope's decree, Sidotti infiltrated Yakushima with the aim of reviving Japanese missionary work and being captured before long, he underwent interrogation from Hakuseki at Edo's Kirishitan Yashiki. The subjects which he discussed: Christian ideology, Western scholarship, and social conditions, were complied by Hakuseki in the abovementioned books. It is said that when Sidotti was interrogated by Hakuseki, the Japanese language was barely discussed. Let us summarise where Sidotti learnt Japanese and Japanese affairs, as well as the particulars of his arrival in Japan.

8  Dutch Interpreters and Tang Interpreters

        In Nagasaki people who specialised in interpreting, called tsuji (通詞, 通事, 通辞), and translation resided. There were Dutch interpreters who specialised in Dutch, and Tang interpreters who specialised in Chinese. Japanese people worked as Dutch interpreters; with the onset of the 19th century, they were ordered to study Russian, French, and English. On the other hand, the Tang interpreters were an organization composed of  the descendants of the toraijin who came from China at its centre. In addition to translation and interpretation, they undertook various duties, such as trading business, control of resident Chinese people, and receiving the Nagasaki prefect's diplomatic questions. Let us summarise the Dutch interpreters’ system, and the 19th century Dutch interpreters’ main achievements.

9  Japanese Language Teachers of 18th Century Russia

        The Kamchatka peninsula, on the coast of Russia's Sea of Okhotsk, frequently had Japanese ships washed ashore. In 18th century Russia, these Japanese castaways taught Japanese as teachers. Let us summarise the birthplace and activities in Russia of the castaways that became Japanese teachers, such as Dembei, Gonza and Soza, Sanima, Shinzo (the Kodayu party), and Zenroku (the Tsudayu party).

10  What Returned Castaways Brought Back

        The majority of the castways that washed ashore in Russia were not returned to Japan, however fortunately there were people who were sent back by the Japanese delegation dispatched to Russia. They were the Daikokuya Kodayu party and the Tsudayu party. The "Hokusa Bunryaku" and "Kankai Ibun" were written based upon the Russian information the scholars of Dutch learning heard from them. Let us summarise what kind of content the Russian information they brought was.

11  The Three Great Scholars of Nagasaki

        In the Edo period, amongst the people who worked at the Dutch trading companies at Dejima, there were those that researched and accumulated culture in Japan, and introduced it to Europe. In particular, there were the so–called three great scholars of Dejima Nagasaki, Kaempfer (German doctor, arrived in Japan in 1690), Thunberg (Swedish botanist, arrived in Japan in 1775), and Siebold (German doctor, arrived in Japan in 1823), while their respective great works relating to Japan after returning to their home countries remain, the treatises and books relating to Japan, while staying in Japan and researching the Japanese language, are striking. Let us summarise their achievements after returning to their home countries.

12  The Netherlands: Hoffmann and Siebold

        The first established Japanese language course in Europe was at Leiden University in the Netherlands in 1855. The Netherlands, since the 17th century, was the only country in Europe trading with Japan via the Indonesian East India Company. Information pertaining to Japan under national isolation was seized and communicated to Europe via Holland. Leiden University's first Japanese language lecturer J. J. Hoffman was prompted to carry out research on the Japanese language having been entrusted the sorting of the documents and materials Siebold, who had been appointed as a doctor at a Dutch trading company, brought back from Japan. He did not have the experience of staying in Japan; however he interacted with the delegation sent by the bakufu, and left numerous achievements, including the creation of dictionaries and grammar books. Let us summarise the achievements of Hoffman and Siebold relating to Japan and Japanese language research.

13　The 19th Century's MacDonald

        American Ranald MacDonald came ashore as a castaway on Rishiri Island in 1840.

He was of Native American descent. Out of curiosity as to whether his birthplace was in Japan, ignoring danger, he came to Japan. He was sent to Nagasaki and taught English to the Dutch interpreters in a cell, and was introduced as the first native English teacher in Japan. MacDonald, besides teaching English, wrote down Japanese words he heard from the interpreters and after returning to his country, created a Japanese lexicon. Let us summarise the features of the Japanese lexicon, and the influence MacDonald had on America.

©2014 Yoshimi OGAWA