SRFL News

Wednesday, 15 July 2015

ONO Shinobu and Berhard Karlgren

TANAKA Akio

In December 1979, I submitted the post-graduate thesis on Japanese Buddhist priest Kukai (774-835)'s maiden work Sangoshiiki that comparatively considered the three regions, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Probably in January 1980, I met with Prof. ONO Shinobuat the corridor of university. He said to me that he read my thesis and my thinking method using at the thesis was resembled in the method of Bernhard Karlgren at his paper "The Authenticity and nature of the Tso Chuan" 1926. He succesively talkedto me, "TANAKA, did you read the paper?" I promptly answered " Professor, No."

My thesis was presented the other prof. who specialist of the old Buddhism in Japan and probably he sent my thesis to his dear fried ONO. My approach was the study on the appearance frequency distribution of all the expletives appeared in the text.

I knew this famous Sweden sinologist's name earlier and already bought one of his important work Grammata Setica Recensa, 1957 in the early 1970s at Kaifu Shoten Book shop in Kanda, Tokyo. But the paper shown by ONO was perfectly unknown at that time. ONO invite me to his study room and handed me the book Saden Shingi Ko" that was the translation of Karlgren's paper by ONO and published in 1939 from Bunkyudo Shoten Book shop at Hongo, Tokyo, which was one of the leading publisher in the field of Chinese classics in 1930s.

ONO was one of the scholar on Chinese literature from Yuan dynasty to the modern China and the member of Chugoku Bungaku Dokokai, Chinese Literature Society in Japan that led the study of modern Chinese literature in Japan from 1940s. with his colleagues TAKEUCHI Yoshimi, TAKEDA Taijun and the like. In 1980s he had engaged in the translation of long novel, The Journey to the West in the Ming dynasty all the time of his non-university's work.

Going back to the past, I received ONO's lecture " Chinese literature and Modern Japan" at his study room or dean room, who was the dean of the faculty for humanities department. In my memory he lectured precisely to Japanese novelist ODA Takeo, now not famous recently.

Karlgren's book was difficult for my talent at that time but somehow read over and gave back to ONO deeply appreciating his kindness. And some years later in Kanda, Tokyo, I found this Karlgren's book and bought. The book shop's name is Yamamoto Shoten, one of the long established Chinese classic book shop in Kanda. The date is 2 November 1982 by the receipt put in the book.

One day probably in spring 1980, on the train on the way home, I met ONO and told him on his the new lecture on Yuanqu, Yuan dynasty's poems that was frequently said very difficult for modern readers.
I said to him, "Wonderful lecture for excellent undergraduates." He returned definitely," Very important to study such a hard work for me still now."

ONO Shino died suddenly by disease in 18 December 1980, age 74. The conversation at the train was the last hearing of this profound scholar.

Tokyo
3 March 2015
Sekinan Library

Tuesday, 14 July 2015

Road to Language Universals

TANAKA Akio

Sekinan Research Field of Language was established in 2003 for the study on language universals, that was the core theme since my youth time some 40 years ago in the 1970s. But real start was much later in the late 1980s.

In 1986 I established the Sekinan Library for the base of study at Tachikawa, Tokyo. At that time my main theme was declined to the study of old Chinese character's classical semantics using the traditional study of the form of characters reading Qing Dynasty's WANG Guowei. The study from the direction had not given me so rich results. I at the same time read some mathematical books influenced from Bourbaki that was the big stream in 1970s in Japan. Set theory represented by Gödel was also the favourite at the time.

In 1990s I determined the direction of study only to language universals taught from CHINO Eiichi, one of the modern typical philologists of Japan. He taught me almost all the aspects of European philology that were unknown for me. In the various themes he gave me, the most impressive was the existence of the Linguistic Circle of Prague. Above all Sergej Karcevskij was overwhelmingly deep and moving. But Karcevskij's approach was seemed to be intuitive and far from clear descriptiveness.

I began to learn the theme hinted by Karcevskij while learning Gödel, Bourbaki and Wittgenstein that was also gave me the big influence form the age 20s. I had frequently read Wittgenstein's TRACTATUS. But my base of math was so poor and never became the descriptive use for language's delicate phases. So I again restarted math from geometry that gave the most familiar and clear image for me. My intuitive image and basic math description were seemed to be able offer in nearly millennium days.

In spring 2003 I knew the application paper for the international symposium held by a certain institute. I arranged the short paper for it till early summer and sent it. The paper was happily adopted as one of the language and literature section of the symposium. The paper's title was Quantum Theory for Language. It was again arranged next year 2004 as the title Quantum Theory for Language synopsis.

The establish date of Sekinan Research Field of Language was 23 August 2003, that was the date of completion of proto-conceptive paper of Quantum Theory for Language at the hutte in Hakuba, Nagano. Now the time passed rapidly 10 years. The home site, sekinan, has become full by the papers accumulation. So the new site has become indispensable.

Tokyo
31 December 2012
Sekinan Research Field of Language

Postscript
New Site for Sekinan Research Field of Language
Sekinan Study
Tokyo
14 July 2015 Added