Katakana Analysis (final)

There are two types of Japanese scripts : hiragana and katakana. The hiragana is used for native Japanese words, conjugation endings, and function words. Then, when is the katakana used? According to the Japanese language textbook, the katakana is used for the following cases.

• To describe an onomatopoeia or sound
• As phonetic symbols or furigana (the way to read kanji)
• As technical terms
• To write the name of an animal, plant, disease, tool, etc.
• To write a telegram
• To emphasize specific meaning of nuance

Now, I will take several samples, in which katakana scripts were used, and then analyze the reason why the katakana scripts were used.
 　　

１．ユリノキ(モクレン科）: Name of Plant

        I obtained this picture from a private blog, OISHINESS, which means delicious in Japanese. This seems to me the name of the tree because the character キ means tree in Japanese. I looked up the names in the Japanese dictionary. ユリノキ means tulip tree, of which botanical name is Liriodendron tulipifera. This tree is also called ハンテンボク in Japan because its leaf looks like 半纏 (はんてん). はんてん is traditional short coat, which was usually worn by commoners at festivals during the Edo peiod. And the name on the upper part, モクレン科 means the family of magnolia. 

        It is obvious why they wrote the names in katakana. According to our textbook, katakana is used to write the name of an animal, plant, tool, etc. In other words, technical and scientific terms, such as the names of animal, plant species, and minerals are commonly written in katakana. ホモサッピエンス is an example of this usage. Anyway, if we go to a zoo or botanical garden in Japan, we may see a lot of katakana names of animal and plant.  

２．サクラガサイタ : aesthetic emphasis(?) --> educational purpose

 

      I found this sample from a private blog. Isn't it beautiful scenery? Then, why katakana, instead of hiragana, was used for this Japanese poem? There is no explanation about this case in our Japanese textbook. For my frustration,  there was no explanation about this sample on that blog page, either. I decided to find the answer for myself. The sample seemed to me a Japanese poetry book. So I googled with Japanese words,"さいたさいたさくらがさいた." Finally, I found the answer from the Japanese ウィキペデｲア.

       サクラ読本 was the reading textbook for the first year student of elementary school from 1933 to 1940. The official name of the textbook was 小學國語読本. Because the first chapter began with the verse, サイタサイタサクラガサイタ, the book was called サクラ読本.

       The question has been solved. The reason was an educational purpose to teach elementary school students katakana. However, another question still remains: "was katakana used in poems instead of hiragana?" The answer is yes! Poets sometimes wrote their poems in katakana. Poet Miyazawa Kenji(宮澤賢治, 1896-1933) is a good example. He wrote his poems in katakana. His famous poem, "雨　ニモマケズ," begins,      
     雨ニモマケズ                    not losing to the rain
     風ニモマケズ                     not losing to the wind 
     雪ニモ夏ノ暑サニモマケヌ    not losing to the snow nor to summer's heat 
     丈夫ナカラダヲモチ           with a strong body
   　　

３．イケ麵(MEN)：Name of product(?), dual meaning-emphasis(?) --> newly invented katakana word





        This sample was also from a private blog. I thought it was a noodle packet, and イケメン was the name of a noodle (ramen) because 麵 (めん) means 'noodle.' However, it was explained on the blog: "It's chocolate, but the presentation looks like noodles right? Once I have eaten it." In fact, a close look allowed me to notice the word, チヨコ(chocolate). Anyway, I though it was written in katakana instead of hiragana because it was the product name.

        According to the Japanese dictionary, the meaning is handsome young men or handsome face of young men. It goes on to explain that this word is supposed to be a slang, combined two words: いけてる and 面(めん). The Japanese ウィキペデｲア explains that イケメン is a slang, which means 美男子. Its origin was that 矢野智子, an editor of a Japanese magazine "egg," first used the word "イケてるメンズ". Currently, this word is widely used among girl students in Japan.
 　
        To conclude, the reason for this katakana writing is because this word(新造語) is originally composed in katakana instead of hiragana.I think the textbook did not yet expect this kind of newly created katakana words. Although the question has been solved, I am curious about why they used the word in the packet. What is the real intention of that? In my opinion, the company probably intended to increase the sale of the product by overlapping two meanings: handsome guy and ramen. Is this the real message that the company wanted to present, isn't it? "このチヨコを食べますから、あなたはハンサムなおとこのひとです。"

감사(感謝)합니다.

ありがとうございます。

Thank you!