April 24, 2017/ 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Charles E. Young Research Library Main Conference Room (Room # 11360) Los Angeles CA
On Understanding Language and Culture in Hayao Miyazaki's Sen to Chihiro no Kami-kakushi (Spirited Away) Using Spatial Notions of Uchi and Soto.Seiichi Makino (Professor Emeritus Princeton University), Cindy Davis (Screen Writer)
Free & Open to Public (Priority will be given to students in the Japanese language program)
Let’s think about how we can understand language and culture included in Sen to Chihiro no Kami-kakushi (Spirited Away) using spatial notions of Uchi and Soto. First the presenter will introduce Uchi and Soto followed by discussion of the following. (1) Writing systems, (2) Number markers “tachi” and “ra”, (3) Personal pronouns ---Uchi-Person and Soto-Person, (4) What is the compound “kami-kakushi” (5) What role does the tunnel play in the anime? (6) What is the role played by a two-faced frog statue? (7) Why Japanese spend so long when two people say good-bye to each other? (8) What’s the purpose of this anime? Does it belong to any ancient Japanese mythology? among many other questions.
About the Speakers:
Dr. Seiichi Makino is a Professor Emeritus of Japanese and Linguistics, Princeton University. His major published works include Uchi to Soto no Gengo-Bunka-Gaku----Bunpoo o Bunka de Kiru, Tokyo: ALC (1996); Language and Space, Tokai University Press (1978)； A Dictionary of Basic/Intermediate/Advanced Japanese Grammar (1986/1996/2008) (with M.Tsutsui); Aspects of Linguistics: In Honor of Noriko Akatsuka (co-edited with Susumu Kuno, Susan Strauss), Kurosio Shuppan (2007) and many other linguistic and pedagogical papers. He received Association of the Departments of Foreign Languages Award in 2001, Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon in 2014 and Lifetime Achievement Award from American Association of Japanese Language Education in 2017.
Cindy Davis has written for Pixar, Working Title, Miramax, Disney, New Line, ABC Family, and is presently working on her sixth animated feature for Fox. Her feature film credits include the English language screenplay for Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning film Spirited Away and the Oscar-nominated Howl’s Moving Castle. She recently helped design attractions for Shanghai Disneyland and another upcoming, top-secret Disney theme park. Her animated feature Pigeon: Impossible is scheduled to be released in 2019.