MINPAKU Osaka National Number 33 Ethnology Museum of December 2011 Anthropology Newsletter http://www.minpaku.ac.jp/ (Ohio real

Language Files A correct understanding of the Phonology, morphology and syntax recognition of JSL, the language of the biggest minority group in . nature of sign languages, and recognition that they are languages is spreading slowly but steadily through society. Signing communities, meanwhile, have continued to broaden their worldview, reflecting globalization, and cooperation with linguists to acquire of objective analyses and descriptions this their languages (see Mori article, is issue). I believe that the situation more or less similar in many countries of and societies — the communities linguists being no exception. Linguistic research on sign languages is now becoming accepted by non- sign linguists (Supalla and Osugi articles), and sign linguistics has started to gain the academic status that it deserves. For example, the latest edition of sign languages of sign languages? Yes, have their own grammars, just like English and Japanese do — the rules that tell us how to build up elements to be understood by other members of the same linguistic community using the language. The grammar of a is not ‘artificial’, as some people believe. In any community with Deaf members, some kind of signing communication spontaneously develops, and can develop into a full State University Press), an introductory textbook to linguistics widely used in the USA, has included information about sign languages in almost all its chapters, including those on phonology, morphology, and syntax. 8 4 6 2 1 10 12 13 16 16 16 16 ... Studies Can Take Us Studies Can Take Where Sign Language Where

Efforts to Document, Preserve, and Promote Sign Languages and Deaf Cultures ...... Building an Infrastructure to Support Historical Sign Language Research The Corpus: ...... in Progress A Work A Signers’ Village in Bali, Indonesia A Signers’ Village ...... Sign Language Studies in Japan and Sign Language Studies in Japan and Abroad ...... Introductory Essay: ...... Sign Languages are Languages! Contents

James Woodward Ted Supalla & Betsy Hicks McDonald Osugi Yutaka Connie de Vos Soya Mori Ritsuko Kikusawa Exhibition ...... Conferences ...... Information ...... New Staff Publications ...... Errata ......

National Museum of Ethnology National Museum in Japan sustained a claim by 2009, the Nagoya District Court On November 25, languages are acknowledging that sign a Language (JSL) user, a Japanese Sign means of communication that are to orally spoken languages. Kimie Oya, equal suffered from physical problems on her upper limbs as the resulta Deaf signer, of injuries sustained in a traffic accident. This restricted her ability to express the insurance company did not admit that this should things in JSL. However, of linguistic ability, because ‘whether to use a be compensated as a (partial) loss choice’. Although some thought that the sign language or not is up to one’s degree of impairment court (14% loss) was too low, the sentence admitted by the was still welcome and was considered big step forward a toward the better Sign Languages are Languages! are Sign Languages Ritsuko Kikusawa Special Theme: Where Sign Language Studies Can Take Us Take Can Studies Sign Language Where Theme: Special Essay: Introductory 2 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 December 2011

The author is an language (de Vos article). The Deaf associate professor at population is not limited to one area or Minpaku. She played a major role in the region, so a large number of sign renovation of the languages are used in the world. The language exhibition in total world number of languages 2009, and was co-organizer of an acknowledged by UNESCO was revised from about 6,000 to 7,000 in 2009, and language workshop it is said that one reason for the drastic held at Minpaku in increase was addition of sign languages July 2011. Her current research in this revision. concerns the history Despite the large number of sign of Austronesian languages, however, many are languages, in endangered. In general, languages that particular the comparison and are used by only a small number of reconstruction of people are often overtaken by languages grammatical that are used in a larger community, or structures. She also lose their unique features as a result of specializes in the prehistory of Oceania, standardization. Sign languages are no and is involved in exception. In recent years, the various inter- significance of documenting languages disciplinary research is getting both social and academic Yutaka Osugi, a Deaf linguist using American Sign projects. Her attention. However, with the great Language to chair a workshop at Minpaku (see page publications include: 13) Proto Central Pacific number of languages still being used, Ergativity (Pacific and the rapidly increasing number of Linguistics, 2002) and endangered languages, there is no different sign languages, including ‘The of people and plants in place where we can say that Italian, Indian and Malay, appeared. It the Pacific: documentation is enough. This is more was indeed their very first encounter Reconstructing true with sign languages than with with foreign languages! Every time I culture-history based spoken languages, given the lack of remember the story and imagine our on linguistic data’ (2009 International recognition of sign languages in many exhibition hall filled with the children’s Symposium on societies (Woodward article). shining eyes, I cannot help feeling both Austronesian At Minpaku, sign languages are now thrilled and more conscious of a social Studies, 2010). part of our completely renovated responsibility, considering Minpaku’s language exhibit. Shortly after the influence on our visitors. As a research opening in March 2009, children from institute, our obligation to convey a local Deaf school visited, and we correct information about sign learned that they could not take their languages is academically important eyes off the video clip where eight and socially required.

Sign Language Studies in Japan and Abroad

Soya Mori Institute of Developing Economies–JETRO

In the history of Japanese Sign Linguists community. The third period Language (JSL), we can discern four lasted until the 1990s. In this period, different periods after World War II. The the Japanese Deaf community began to first period lasted until the 1970s when look outside the country and there were very few people knew JSL in Japan and even some articles by Japanese Sign the best interpreters for the Deaf were Linguists written in English. The last teachers at schools for the Deaf. The period is the current one after 2000. In second period was between the 1970s this period, some well-organized JSL and 1980s. In this period, Sign interpreter training courses were Language Clubs were set up in many established as well as a bilingual- cities of Japan and more hearing people bicultural school for the Deaf. The began to learn how to use signed development of Sign Linguistics in language at these clubs. It was also the Japan has had a strong effect on time when new information from the institutions in each of the four periods. USA came into the Japanese Sign December 2011 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 3

The Fist Period: Proto-Sign Japan some sophisticated knowledge The author is a Senior Linguistics about Sign Linguistics and mostly from Research Fellow at the Institute of It is said that Japan is a very close the USA. Sociolinguistic considerations Developing linguistic community. Most Japanese were very popular in this period, and Economies–JETRO, people do not know languages other the study of JSL was first differentiated an editor of an international journal, than Japanese at all well, and there are into various codes. For example, Sign Language many difficulties in learning other ‘Traditional Sign Language’, Studies, and chief languages through everyday life. The ‘Simultaneous Method Sign Language’, editor of Disability situation was very similar for Japanese and ‘Intermediate Sign Language’ were Studies. He was born deaf and is currently deaf people. The only difference used by teachers at the Tochigi School involved in Sign between deaf and hearing people is that for the Deaf. However, these all had the Linguistic research on the former need bilingual skills while same modality: the same manual-visual Filipino Sign the latter can survive with only communication channel. Researchers Language and Kenyan Sign monolingual skills. Deaf people need to and society were not aware of the Language, and the have fluency in two languages, JSL and precise differences between codes. The livelihoods of People written Japanese. However, they are diglossic phenomenon of deaf people, in with Disabilities in also close to the two languages and their use of both JSL and Signed the Philippines. His academic activities sometimes, unconsciously they code- Japanese, might have been the reason include both Sign switch between JSL and quasi signed- for this fact. JSL has different grammar Linguistics and Japanese. A few deaf people went from Signed Japanese though both of Development abroad and some entered Gallaudet them have the same modality. That’s Economics. Publications include: University, the only liberal-arts why we refer to this situation as a ‘Testing the social university for deaf people in the world diglossic phenomenon. model of disability: at that time, but most Japanese deaf The United Nations people only knew their own sign The Third Period: Internationalization and language access for deaf people’ in S. language. For them, the usual of the Japanese Deaf Community Burch and A. Kafer languages were JSL and written During the third period, the World (eds.), Deaf and Japanese. In this situation, they Congress of the World Federation of the Disability Studies thought the reason for their poor skill Deaf was held in in 1991. At this (Gallaudet University Press, 2010); and at writing Japanese was probably their conference, many Japanese Deaf ‘Pluralization: An poor skill at speaking it. At this time, discovered the uniqueness of their own alternative to the the oral method for education of deaf Sign Language and its specific features, existing hegemony in JSL’ in G. Mathur and children was popular, so some when compared to other Sign D.J. Napoli (eds.), innovative teachers tried to invent new Languages. Some young deaf people Deaf around the methods to teach to began to learn the linguistics of their World (Oxford the Deaf, such as the Tochigi method. language at that time. Until then, most University Press, Unfortunately the quasi-oral manual people were interested in sign words 2010). language did not work well. However, and their structure. Of course, different the inventors of artificial manual sign languages have different sign languages must be appreciated as the vocabulary. However, they also became first generation of researchers in aware of its structure, especially its Modern Sign Linguistics in Japan. They syntactic structure. Accordingly, they tried to investigate certain features of were interested in codes for their JSL with academic approaches that language and found all the older were common at that time. For differentiated JSL codes to be wrong. example, they mentioned simultaneity They realized that JSL’s Non Manual and linearity in their articles as two Markers (NMM), were the key for features of JSL. Of course, these understanding the syntactic structure. technical terms are now old-fashioned Though signed Japanese has the same in Sign Linguistics, and we know now modality as JSL, its syntactic structure that both spoken and signed languages is different. This finding brought them exhibit features of simultaneity and to the new Deaf Awareness Movement, non-linearity. The introduction of DPro. This new movement gave the fragmented academic knowledge from existing Deaf communities a big shock. the USA and other developed countries Reactions against it were expressed by into Sign Linguistics can be seen as the Japanese Federation of the Deaf, characteristic of this period. and a number of hard of hearing users of Signed Japanese. The Second Period: The Dawn of Modern Sign Linguistics in Japan The Fourth Period: Institutional During the second period, the Developments Based on Sign Japanese Association of Sign Linguistics Linguistics was established in 1975 by In the latest period, after the serious teachers at schools for the Deaf and a controversy around JSL and Signed few linguists. Some professional Japanese, more research was linguists entered into the world of conducted to understand the Japanese Sign Linguistics, bringing to phonological, morphological and 4 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 December 2011

syntactic structure of JSL. With the Language. However, the development of greater understanding, people around Sign Linguistics has contributed to DPro established the first bilingual- positive changes for deaf communities bicultural School for the Deaf in Tokyo. in Japan. The United Nation’s At this school, the first official JSL Convention on Rights of Persons with course for elementary school children Disabilities entered into force in 2008. in Japan is now being offered. The This convention mentions Signed Ministry of Education has officially Language in several of its articles. certified the course and many newly Academic recognition of Sign Language invented educational materials based and its research development has led to on a Sign Linguistic foundation are several important changes in the world. being used in the course. The findings Some Sign Linguists in Japan are now of Sign Linguistics are also being used interested not just in JSL but also in to improve courses for training JSL Signed Japanese and its uses. We can interpreters. expect further research on the languages being used, and on the There are still many problems and linguistic situation in Japanese Deaf barriers for the Deaf in Japan, communities. including an official recognition of Sign

A Signers’ Village in Bali, Indonesia

Connie de Vos University of Central Lancashire, UK

The author is a Bengkala is not marked on most maps, aspects of village life including politics, post-doctoral research and even in the nearest city, Singaraja, gossip, Hindu ceremonies, as well as assistant at the International Institute few people know of the village or the education.* The language has been for Sign Languages extraordinary situation that obtains acquired from birth by multiple and Deaf Studies there. In Bengkala, 2.2% of the villagers generations of deaf, native signers. Kata (iSLanDS) at the University of Central are congenitally deaf. This level of Kolok is thus a fully-fledged sign Lancashire, UK. As a incidence is extremely high when language in every sense of the word. project manager for compared with, for example, the USA, Notably, the language is grammatically the EuroBABEL where less than 0.1% of children are distinct from and historically unrelated project on Endangered Sign Languages in born with a severe hearing impairment. to the sign language varieties used in Village Communities, Deafness in Bengkala is caused by a other parts of Bali, and Indonesia. she is responsible for recessive gene that is wide-spread in the creation of a the village population. The gene (known The socio-cultural construction of digital archive including linguistic as DFNB3) appears to cause shortened deafness in Bengkala and anthropological hair cells in the cochlea and profound Deaf individuals and fluent hearing data from multiple deafness as a result, and there are no signers are found in all ten village field sites. Her known other characteristics that set clans. In daily life, therefore, the deaf publications include ‘Kata Kolok color deaf individuals apart from the other individuals of Bengkala will not often terms and the villagers. There are at present forty- face someone unwilling or unable to emergence of lexical eight deaf signers in a village of little communicate with them in sign. signs in rural signing more than 2,000 inhabitants. Presumably because of the use of a communities’ (The Senses and Society A very striking feature here is that a shared sign language, deaf individuals 6(1), 2011). sign language has emerged that is used are well-integrated into the wider by both deaf and hearing members of hearing community. The integration of the community. Deaf villagers use signs deaf villagers is mirrored by the fact to communicate with their hearing that they have equal chances of getting relatives, as well as many of their married and have similar professional hearing friends and colleagues, and opportunities. Deaf villagers also approximately two thirds of Bengkala’s occupy crucial offices within the village hearing population can understand and including water pipe maintenance and use this indigenous sign language with burial of the dead. In fact, the kolok varying degrees of proficiency. For the men are often characterised as reasons stated above, the Balinese refer particularly strong yet sensitive, and to Bengkala as Desa Kolok — which is dominate the village’s civil defense Balinese for ‘deaf village’ — and its sign brigade for this reason. Interestingly, language as Kata Kolok ‘deaf talk’. Kata the community has also developed Kolok currently functions in all major unique socio-cultural adaptations to December 2011 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 5 deafness including a shared belief in Bhatara Kolok — a deaf God. On special occasions, the deaf villagers are also known to perform the Janger Kolok — a deaf dance — which is cued exclusively by a visual beat.

Endangerment of Kata Kolok In recent years, many deaf teenagers from Bengkala have entered the deaf boarding school in Jimbaran, in the south of Bali. These adolescents have become fully bilingual in and Kata Kolok, and such contact situations often result in linguistic change in favor of the majority language, which is associated with perceived educational and professional opportunities. Attendance at this deaf boarding school has also resulted in increased contact between the Kata Kolok community and the large Deaf Community of Bali, resulting The Kata Kolok corpus includes a section on sign language acquisition at in changing marital patterns. The Bengkala, Bali (Ketut Kanta, 2008) intensification of contact between the Kata Kolok signers and Indonesian Sign the Max Planck Institute for Language signers has resulted in an Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen and by increasing number of deaf individuals the International institute for Sign from Bengkala seeking out deaf spouses Languages and Deaf Studies in Preston from surrounding villages and other (UK). The Kata Kolok corpus currently parts of Bali. Because deaf individuals comprises 100 hours of high-quality outside of Bengkala are not carriers of video data. Translations in Indonesian the identical recessive gene causing and English make sections of the deafness, these couples are unlikely to corpus accessible to a national and have deaf offspring. international academic audience. This latter tendency, to marry During field trips accumulating to one outside the village, is also observed in year, the video recordings targeted core hearing villagers from Bengkala, due to functional domains in which the socio-economic change. These changing language is used. A sub-corpus of marital patterns dilute the frequency of spontaneous conversational data the recessive gene in the population of includes informal group conversations Bengkala, and the incidence of deafness among deaf and hearing villagers as as a result. When the number of deaf well as culturally entrenched individuals decreases significantly, the monologues such as stories of a deaf communicative need for the sign ghost and Balinese cock fights. A language is likely to disappear. Since special section of the Kata Kolok corpus 2005, no deaf children have been born charted the development of two deaf to parents using Kata Kolok, and this toddlers growing up in deaf families makes the study of the acquisition of over the course of two years. In light of Kata Kolok especially pressing as the language’s endangered status, opportunities to study the acquisition further documentation efforts are of this endangered sign language specifically planned to continue with without the influence of Indonesian this latest generation of Kata Kolok Sign Language may soon decline. signers.

The Kata Kolok corpus *An inclusive deaf school, in which In response to these recent Kata Kolok is used as a language of developments, the author has created a instruction, was set-up at the initiative corpus — a digital archive — of Kata of the author in collaboration with local Kolok, which is maintained jointly by authorities in mid-2007. 6 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 December 2011

Building an Infrastructure to Support Historical Sign Language Research

Ted Supalla & Betsy Hicks McDonald University of Rochester, USA

Supalla is an (ASL) is the consistent contact with one another at associate professor in community language of Deaf people in the Hartford School for the Deaf in the Department of Brain and Cognitive the USA and parts of Canada and Connecticut. The period from 1910 to Sciences and Mexico. Deaf people and their deaf and 1920 represents the halfway point in Linguistics at the hearing children are indigenous users the development of modern ASL, University of Rochester, New York. of ASL. The categorization of deaf providing us with a window onto the His research has people as disabled rather than as development of the grammatical included American members of an ongoing language structure and literary history of the Sign Language community led to a devaluing of the language. The historical context for the acquisition, psycholinguistic language and neglect of historical era and research results from database processing of ASL, research. As interest grows in the investigations form the basis for the and the history, humanistic study of ASL, the claim is text: Sign Language Archeology: evolution and often made that historical resources for Understanding the History and Evolution structure of homesign, international sign, study of this unwritten language are of American Sign Language, by Ted and natural signed sparse. Yet sustained efforts uncover Supalla and Patricia Clark, now in languages of the early films, dictionaries and other press. world. His historical texts and documents. Study The database contributes historically publications include ‘Making historical of these resources reveals the attested forms for the development of sign language beginnings of a literary canon and a scientific etymologies of ASL concepts. materials accessible: tradition of metalinguistic awareness Such historically accurate A prototype database and discussion among Deaf Community reconstructions benefit the field of of Early ASL’ (Sign Language and leaders. These sources are valuable for historical linguistics, and add depth to Linguistics 4, 2002) developing research methods in the understanding of how a sign’s and ‘Validity of the historical linguistics, and are rich structure has been perceived and Gallaudet Lecture resources for ASL and the sign explained across ASL history. Moreover, Films’ (Sign Language Studies 4, 2004). language humanities. variation in dialect or register provides Sharing sign language resources for us with data to reconstruct missing McDonald is a research and teaching requires that we links in the construction of a scientific research associate in build an infrastructure for etymology. In the example below, the the Department of Brain and Cognitive documenting, archiving and sharing etymology for the concept ‘Sunday’ Sciences and the Sign sign language. The Early ASL database, demonstrates the value of modern-day Language Research a project of the Sign Language Research variation. Center at the University of Center, has been built with this in The standard form for ‘Sunday’ is Rochester, New York. mind. This digitized database is the seen in Figure 1(a). This form is often Her research includes work of a research team headed by Ted explained as evolving from a ‘praise the study of ASL Supalla at the University of Rochester. gesture’. However, this explanation dialectal variation in the Buffalo, New York At present, the corpus includes the does not seem to fit variant signs for region. fourteen extant National Association of the Deaf films, from the early 1900s, and three contemporaneous early ASL dictionaries. A particularly valuable aspect of the database is that the language in the films has been made accessible on a number of levels. They are completely transcribed, using English glosses to provide a literal transcription and they are fully translated into English as well. Tokens of individual concepts can thus be cross-referenced both within and across the film and print dictionary corpora. Fig. 1. The standard ASL form for SUNDAY and a Historical research suggests that the dialectal variant (from W. Newell and F.A. Paul, use of ASL began in approximately Basic Sign Communication: Vocabulary, National 1817, when deaf children and adults in Association of the Deaf, 1983. Other line drawings the USA were first brought into in following Figures, by Valerie Nelson-Metlay) December 2011 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 7 the concept that exist regionally. The variant shown in Figure 1(b) is used by elderly deaf graduates of St Mary’s School for the Deaf in the Buffalo area. We can explain the etymology and relationship of the two variants by relating them to historical word phrases for expressing the related concept ‘church’. Three variant word phrases for this concept can be seen below (Fig. 2, 3, 4). In another contemporaneous example, we see the element POSE-AS-JESUS used in a word phrase for the concept ‘Sunday’ (Fig. 5). In these illustrations of earlier word phrases for ‘church’ and ‘Sunday’, we can see the elements in the word phrases drawn on, reduced, and shifted semantically in the distinct modern Fig. 2. Allen Fay’s word phrase for the concept ‘church’ versions of SUNDAY. The standard sign SUNDAY shown in Figure 1(a) has undergone reduction and re-analysis of the element POSE-AS- JESUS. The dialectal variant has undergone reversal (metathesis) of the original sequence POSE-AS-JESUS+ ‘C’+ESTABLISH for ‘church’ and shifted it semantically to mean ‘Sunday’. (Fig. 6)

Fig. 3. George Veditz’s 1913 Fig. 4. Willis Hubbard’s 1913 sign for ‘church’ sign for ‘church’

Fig. 5. John B. Hotchkiss’s word phrase for ‘Sunday’

Fig. 6. Historical elements of the dialectal modern form SUNDAY 8 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 December 2011

Thus, research reveals that the on the (sometimes competing) variants modern explanation is a folk etymology, for a modern concept provides a richer reflecting the re-analysis of earlier picture of ASL as a heritage language, forms, created because the true history when added to sociolinguistic research of the sign has been obscured. documenting variation across gender, The Early ASL database and region, age, and ethnic group use. Our historical linguistics methodology are goals in sharing the Sign Language important aspects of a much-needed Research Center Early ASL Database infrastructure for sharing and linking are to raise awareness of ASL as a ASL research and curricula. language with a history, to contribute Incorporating historical information in to curriculum development to enrich our language curricula leads to a richer ASL language classrooms and to build picture of ASL and respect for variation infrastructure for sharing historical in the language. Historical information resources.

The Japanese Sign Language Corpus: A Work in Progress

Yutaka Osugi National University Corporation Tsukuba University of Technology

The author is an Among Deaf Japanese communities Dog, Cat, Monkey, Chicken, Egg, associate professor at throughout the country, it is well Sunday, Monday (Moon-Day), Tuesday the Research and Support Center on known that the development of (Fire-Day), Wednesday (Water-Day), Higher Education for Japanese Sign Language (JSL) began in Thursday (Tree-Day), Friday (Gold- the Hearing Impaired 1857, the date of the founding of the Day), Saturday (Soil-Day), Dormitory and Visually Impaired, at the first school for deaf children in Japan, (at school), Commute (to school), National University which had adopted sign language as its Physical Education (class), Kokugo Corporation Tsukuba teaching method. Despite 130 years of (Japanese language class), Travel, University of JSL use in Japan, however, no data Japan, France, Old-Man, Old-Woman, Technology (NTUT), in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, resources are available to support East, West, South, North, Brown Japan. His research historical linguistic research on JSL. To (color), Pink (color), 100-Yen, 300-Yen, includes Japanese fill the void, this author is involved in 1000-Yen. Sign Language pioneering work with colleagues from Two results from the language atlas Linguistics and Deaf Studies in Japan. various universities and the Deaf research are that 1) some lexical items Japanese community. To support show extensive variation across reconstruction of the history of JSL, regions, while others do not, and 2) two prototype resources have been most lexical items showing extensive developed and are now available online variation appear in data from the 70 for sign language research and year-olds, and there is little variation education communities. in data from the 30 year-olds. As an example, for Old-Man, 15 JSL language atlas project different forms are observed for the 70 In one project, we have created a year-olds, and only 4 different forms prototypical language map for regional for informants in their 30s. Although and generational variation in JSL the standard form of Old-Man (see sign (Osugi, 2010). This interactive map is on left, in Fig. 1) is shared by 28 based on data collected in 2009, with informants in their 70s, this number the help of 94 Deaf informants from all increases to 41 for informants in their 47 prefectures of Japan. A geographic 30s. The standard form is often distribution reflecting lexical variation explained in folk etymology as evolving with 30 lexical items among JSL users from ‘male bent with age’ or ‘male with is mapped across region and age. There a stick’. A prominent form in the other were two informants for each variants is illustrated at right in Fig. 1, prefecture, with one aged 70-79, and and can be explained from observation the other 30-39 years of age. In all of the different forms among cases, both informants attended the informants in their 70s as evolving same school for the Deaf in the from a simultaneous combination of prefecture. ‘wrinkle on forehead’ and ‘male The 30 lexical items gathered were: gesture’. December 2011 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 9

Tsutomu Shiraishi, and Tetsuo Ichiyoshi, all the lexical items have been re-enacted and documented as video data. To attest these re- enactments, judgment and confirmation will be elicited from older Deaf signers from different geographic areas. It is hoped that this historical Fig. 1. ‘Old-Man’ in the JSL language map database will shed light on the nature of word formation processes in JSL. For the sign: Old-Man, the same Early JSL database project example used above, we can see several Another project involves the different forms in the different development of a historical JSL vocabulary books as shown in Fig. 2. database which lists lexical entries From preliminary comparison of the from five sign language vocabulary re-enactments and judgments thus far, texts published in Japan before 1969 we can suggest that several (see Table below). This date is used as a independent word phrases (sign dividing line for early texts because it is sequences) originated in different when the Japanese Federation of the regions of the country, to express a Deaf began standardization efforts for particular concept. These phrases JSL by publishing approved standard provided raw material for eventual JSL sign vocabulary books nationwide. competition, reduction and lexicalization for wider usage. The result of these processes can be seen in Number of Year Region Format items the current status of variant forms seen in the JSL language map (Fig. 1). 1901 Kagoshima Text 528 Even at this early stage of research, 1954 Kyoto Annotations 945 we can see how synchronic and diachronic approaches in collecting and 1963 Tokyo Photos, text793 analyzing data have the power to reveal 1963 Osaka Text 2,137 the roots of contemporary word 1967 Kitakyushu Photos, text 469 formation. Upgrading and expansion of both resources will be crucial for future Table. JSL vocabulary books published in Japan research into the history of JSL. before 1969 Osugi, Y. 2010. JSL language map With the cooperation of Kazuyuki (prototype version), http://www. Kanda, Shinichi Iwamura, Ryoichi a.tsukuba-tech.ac.jp/ge/~osugi/ Inoue, Junko Numa, Shigeo Onishi, jslmap/map.html

Fig. 2. ‘Old-Man’ and ‘Old-Person’ in vocabulary books (illustrated by Natsumi Kanno) 10 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 December 2011

Efforts to Document, Preserve, and Promote Sign Languages and Deaf Cultures

James Woodward The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China

The author is Sign languages offer unique insights languages, has been a collaborative Co-Director of the into the nature of human language effort among some of the people Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf because they use manual-visual involved in the World Deaf Leadership Studies at the expression. Such insights can be found Thailand Project (WDL) as well as Chinese University of at all levels of structure — phonology, faculty in Viet Nam. The program has Hong Kong. His morphology, syntax, and lexicon — yet offered training by sign language current research concerns universal many sign languages remain linguists and Deaf professional sign and unique undocumented. This article describes language teachers, with eleven courses characteristics of sign four efforts (all funded by The Nippon in Sign Linguistics, Sign Language languages, historical- Foundation, Tokyo, Japan) to use Sign Teaching, and Deaf histories and comparative linguistic research on sign Linguistics and Deaf Cultural Studies cultures, for Vietnamese Deaf adults languages, and the to empower Deaf people with higher who are fluent in Ho Chi Minh City description and educational opportunities and with the Sign Language. documentation of skills to document and preserve their The program made it possible to endangered sign languages. He has own languages and cultures for begin bilingual junior and senior high been involved as a themselves and for the disciplines of school as well as university education director or manager of Linguistics and Anthropology. in Ho Chi Minh City Sign Language and each of the four written Vietnamese. This has resulted programs described The World Deaf Leadership Thailand in the first Deaf graduates from junior in this article. His publications include Project (begun in 1997) high school, the first and only Deaf ‘Some observations This program, the first to train Thai graduates from senior high school and on research Deaf people to become sign language the first and only Deaf graduates from methodology in teachers and to promote their own sign university in Viet Nam. The Deaf adults lexicostatistical studies of sign language, was a collaborative effort by have also developed and published languages’ in G. Gallaudet University, Ratchasuda three teaching handbooks for Ho Chi Mathur and D.J. College, and the National Association of Minh City Sign Language, and three Napoli (eds.), Deaf the Deaf in Thailand. The program companion dictionaries to the around the World: The Impact of offered training by sign language handbooks. Language (Oxford linguists and Deaf professional sign University Press, language teachers, with 2010). nine courses in Sign Linguistics and Sign Language Teaching, for Thai Deaf adults who were fluent in Modern . The program helped open university education to Deaf people in Thailand and many of the courses are now incorporated into a BA program at Ratchasuda College. This program may have influenced the Thai Government’s decision to recognize Thai Sign Language as a national language.

The Dong Nai Project (begun in 2000) This program, the first to train Vietnamese Deaf Two Vietnamese Deaf researchers analyze the formational structure of signs to determine the sign alphabetical order in a dictionary of Ho people to become sign Chi Minh City Sign Language at the Deaf Cultural Studies Program, language teachers and to Dong Nai University, Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province (Nguyen Thi promote their own sign Hoa, 2006) December 2011 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 11

The Ha Noi Deaf Education Project (begun in 2009) This is a new program established in Ha Noi at the National College of Education. Some of the faculty from Dong Nai University as well as faculty in the National College of Education are involved in this effort. It is basically a replication of the project at Dong Nai University, using Ha Noi Sign Language instead of Ho Chi Minh City Sign Language. It is expected that this program will generate handbooks and companion dictionaries for Ha Noi Sign Language as well as provide full high school and university education for Deaf people in Ha Noi Sign Language and written Vietnamese.

The Asia Pacific Sign Linguistics Research and Training Program Cambodian Deaf researcher checks videotapes of sign variation in (begun in 2003) with others observing at the Deaf The Asia Pacific Sign Linguistics Development School, Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia (Justin Research and Training Program (APSL) is Smith, 2005) the most linguistically ambitious of the programs to train Deaf people in Sign Basic Sign Language Lexicography for Linguistics. It is housed at the Centre for the Deaf (five courses), 2) Diploma in Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies, Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies (five established by linguists at the Chinese courses), 3) Diploma in General Adult University of Hong Kong in 2003. Deaf Education for Deaf Studies (four The first phase of the APSL program courses), and 5) Higher Diploma in Sign began in 2003 and was entitled Linguistics and Sign Language Teaching ‘Practical Dictionaries of Asian Pacific (18 courses). Upon completion of the Sign Languages’. In Phase 1, research higher diploma the deaf researchers are and training activities were conducted qualified for university education. individually in four countries: Viet Deaf trainees are working on sign Nam, Hong Kong, the Philippines and language teaching materials development Cambodia. Phase 1 focused on and dictionary production, and are providing training in Sign Linguistics entering their signs into an electronic and Sign Language Teaching to Deaf database which allows searching and researchers in order to help them comparison with phonological parameters, produce high-quality sign language grammatical categories, and translations dictionaries and sign language teaching into English, Chinese, and the majority materials for their own country. The spoken language(s) in the countries training was conducted in local sign where the sign languages are used. language and consisted of six courses. While the programs mentioned in this The trained Deaf researchers from article are important steps, there is still each country worked with professional much room for development of additional sign language linguists to produce programs. I hope that this article will several volumes of teaching materials generate interest among linguists, and companion dictionaries for student anthropologists, Deaf people, and learners. organizations like Minpaku, so that other Realizing that there were too few sign projects can be started to document and linguists in Asia to send out to individual preserve highly endangered sign countries, the organizers of APSL languages like Original Chiangmai Sign decided to begin Phase 2, where Deaf Language and Original Bangkok Sign students from other countries would be Language, whose users are all over 60 brought to Hong Kong for up to five years of age. The need for further years of training and supervision. Phase investigation of these and other sign 2 of APSL is currently training fluent languages is urgent and critical. Sign Deaf users of , languages offer valuable information and Yogyakarta Sign Language, Jakarta Sign insights for linguistic theory, and for the Language, , study of Deaf histories and Deaf cultures. Fijian Sign Language and Japanese Sign Unless others step forward soon, time Language in the following programs will literally run out for these languages related to Sign Linguistics, Sign and their users, and information about Language Teaching, and Deaf History variation in our own humanity will be and Culture: 1) Diploma Programme in lost forever. 12 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 December 2011

‘Documentary film and Exhibition picture books relating to Aynu people’. The first part displays Devotion to the Arts of about 150 Aynu objects Living: Daily Life among and about 30 pictures the Aynu of the Kurile, from the Leipzig and Sakhalin and Hokkaido Dresden Ethnological Islands — Objects from Museums in Germany, about 250 Aynu items the Late 19th – Early 20th from the collection of the Century Collections of former Faculty of Science, Ethnological Museums in University of Tokyo, now Germany and Japan held at Minpaku, and one from the Historical Special Exhibition Museum of Hokkaido. A large wooden boat October 6 – December 6, ‘itaomachip’ acts as a The reconstructed altar model for the exhibition 2011 symbol of the exhibition. These materials are exhibition centers on research This special exhibition shown in five sections: activities relating to the Aynu concerns the Aynu culture of ‘gathering, hunting, fishing’, people and culture by Koganei, the Kurile, Sakhalin and ‘eating’, ‘living’, ‘wearing’, and Tsuboi, Torii and Ishida, during Hokkaido Islands. Europeans ‘praying’ and originate from the the early period of Japanese initially believed that the Aynu Kurile, Sakhalin and Hokkaido anthropology. This part also people in Japan were one of the Islands. The displays indicate introduces the collecting of proto-Caucasian stocks. They the regional variation in Aynu Aynu materials by a number of were very interested in them, culture. Several artifacts are Europeans and Americans, and ethnological museums in worthy of special mention. One during the same period. Europe enthusiastically is the salmon skin clothing from The third part introduces a collected Aynu material from the Dresden Ethnological documentary film on the day of the end of 19th century to the Museum, which is rarely found several Aynu participants early 20th century. On the in such good condition. Another during a ceremony held in other hand, the study of the is a Kurile Aynu house model Shiraoi, Hokkaido in 2010. Aynu culture was a primary that Ryuzo Torii collected in Visitors can also read several driving force in the 1899. An altar (nusasan) model recently published picture and development of anthropology in for the bear sending ceremony other books concerning Aynu Japan in the 1880s to the early is also displayed. This item, people and culture. This part 1900s, a period which is collected before 1939, was shows some of the activities of regarded as the dawn of reconstructed at our museum contemporary Aynu. Japanese anthropology. in September 2010 by five Finally it should be noted This exhibit’s goals are to young Aynu persons under the that this exhibition is a project show the Aynu’s daily life a supervision of Jirota Kitahara, related to the 150th hundred years ago, with objects an associate professor of anniversary of friendship from the GRASSI Museum for Hokkaido University. The between Japan and Germany, Ethnology in Leipzig and the reconstructed model is also and has been carried out in Museum for Ethnology in displayed. cooperation with the Dresden in Germany, the A major concern in early Foundation for Research and Historical Museum of Japanese anthropology was the Promotion of Ainu Culture, and Hokkaido, and Minpaku. In identity of the inhabitants of the Historical Museum of addition, the exhibit northern and central Japan Hokkaido, in order to demonstrates the highly during the Stone Age: were they disseminate information on elaborate techniques in Aynu Aynu people, or korpokkur Aynu culture in Japan. production of tools and (dwarfs appearing as aboriginal utensils, and the high level of residents before the Aynu, in Nobuhiro Kishigami sophistication in arts and crafts Aynu mythology)? To answer Special Exhibition Committee generally. The exhibition shows this question, Shogoro Tsuboi, National Museum of Ethnology how Japanese and European Yoshikiyo Koganei, Ryuzo Torii, researchers studied Aynu Shuzo Ishida and others carried people and culture, and out field research in one or collected various physical and more of the Hokkaido, Kurile, cultural materials relating to and Sakhalin Islands in the late the culture. 19th to early 20th century. This The exhibition is made up of debate, referred to as the three parts: ‘Aynu culture 100 ‘korpokkur controversy’, played years ago’, ‘The dawn of a significant role in the Japanese anthropology and development of anthropology in Aynu studies’, and Japan. The second part of our December 2011 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 13

symposium on the Conferences historical position of Japanese (co-organized by Kikusawa, John The 20th International Whitman, and Martine Conference on Historical Robbeets). Details of Linguistics (ICHLXX) the latter appear elsewhere in this newsletter. International Conference The total number of July 25 – 30, 2011 conference participants was 319, Minpaku hosted the 20th with some 239 coming meeting of the International from about 40 foreign Conference on Historical countries. The number Participants appreciated the museum ambience and Linguistics, which is held of cancellations by enjoyed visiting exhibition halls between sessions biennially under the auspices people who decided (ICHLXX) of the International Society of not to attend because Historical Linguistics. The of the events at The workshop was conference had 20 workshops Fukushima Nuclear plant was experimental in at least two (solicited from members of the relatively small. Other details of important ways. First, it was Society and screened by the the conference appear on the carried out using four different local Scientific Committee) and conference website. languages (with the help of a considerable number of interpreters), namely, American general sessions. A total of 309 Ritsuko Kikusawa Sign Language (ASL), English, papers were presented on the Director, ICHLXX Japanese Sign Language (JSL), genetic relationships among National Museum of Ethnology and Japanese. Second, in order languages, language change, to include the sign language and related topics. Analyses Historical Sign Language keynote presentation by Ted focused upon theoretical Supalla, who could not aspects of the comparative/ Database Architecture physically come to Osaka, an historical method, typological and Historical Linguistics internet connection was considerations, computational Methodology established between the models, and investigated the workshop venue and New York. historical development of many International Workshop This also enabled Supalla to of the aspects of languages watch all the presentations, such as phonetics, phonology, July 28, 2011 and to join in the discussion by morphology and syntax. sign language. Being the first meeting in Sign languages spoken all over This workshop was held as Asia, the participation of the world vary and each sign one of the National Institutes specialists in non-Indo- language often consists of for Humanities (NIHU) European languages was dialects, just like spoken collaborative projects, and was encouraged, as well as those languages do. One of the basic hosted by Minpaku, the Japan who work in related subfields, characteristics of language is Institute for Sign Language such as historical that it is never static; it Studies, and the National sociolinguisitcs. This principle continues to change as long as Institute for Japanese was reflected, for example, in people use it. This applies Languages and Linguistics the selection of plenary regardless of whether the (NINJAL). In addition to presentations, which showed a language is orally spoken or participants from the 20th variety of areas and fields. (For signed and provides us with International Conference on the titles of the plenary keys to identify the historical Historical Linguistics that was presentations and abstracts, development of languages. In being held in conjunction with see the conference website: this workshop, the way the workshop, about 120 http://www.ichl2011.com/ research is done to investigate participants from the general program.html#Plenary_ the historical development of public attended, including a Speakers) sign languages was examined, large number of JSL speakers, Parts of the program were and the kind of database that sign languages interpreters, open to the interested general would be useful to support students and researchers in public (with simultaneous such research was discussed. linguistics. interpretation between Not only Japanese and Japanese and English) and American sign languages, but Ritsuko Kikusawa attracted some 200 Japanese also those in Southeast and Co-organizer participants. These were the East Asia were discussed. National Museum of Ethnology workshop on historical sign The titles of the papers linguistics and Japanese and presented and profiles of the American sign languages (co- speakers appear at: http:// organized by Yutaka Osugi and www.minpaku.ac.jp/english/ Ritsuko Kikusawa), and a research/pr/110728.html. 14 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 December 2011

Historical Linguistics in Ritsuko Kikusawa faced with in our study of the the Asia-Pacific Region Organizer missions is how to go beyond National Museum of Ethnology the stereotyped image created and the Position of and publicized by the Japanese missionaries. According to this Indigenous Traditions image, the missions were a and Mission Cultures on International Symposium perfectly regulated society the Frontiers of Colonial where benign Fathers July 30, 2011 South America: Toward a paternalistically guided docile Indians in all aspects of their This symposium focused on the Comparative Perspective lives. The Christian conversion latest developments in research was unilateral, and the on Japanese historical International Symposium missions were strictly linguistics, particularly those August 16 – 17, 2011, segregated from the ‘barbarous’ that involve the relationship outside world. Uniformity was a between Japanese and other Buenos Aires hallmark of the missions. All languages in the area the mission towns were surrounding Japan. Presenters One of the primary goals of the architecturally uniform, and the discussed the methodology used European Conquest of America mode of life implemented in in reconstructing older forms of was Christianization of the them was also the same. The Japanese and other languages native population. The Catholic chronicles, official reports and and understanding the position religious orders were its driving private letters of the of Japanese in relation to them. force. Throughout the 16th missionaries — our standard Debate regarding the century, they were active in sources — are saturated with position of the Japanese areas with a dense sedentary this image. Therefore, one of languages was particularly population and complex social our concerns in this symposium active in the 1980s. However, organization, especially, in was to explore unfamiliar interest in the topic gradually Mexico and Peru. From the sources or make new readings subsided in Japan, while foreign 17th century, Christianity of familiar ones. scholars were still actively expanded into frontiers such as Our symposium focused on pursuing the topic and the Amazon, the Chaco, the Río several aspects of the missions presenting their research de la Plata, etc. It is in those that do not accord with their results outside of Japan. One of areas where an interesting stereotyped image. Native the main purposes of this social institution emerged: the agency was one aspect symposium therefore was to mission. The mission was a examined. Many papers re-introduce the topic to both network of towns where the convincingly showed that linguists and the interested native new Christians lived natives did not lose hold of general public in Japan, and to under the surveillance of the their destiny and that they update them on current missionaries. Since there were successfully protected and research results related to the no government officials in the promoted their interests. historical position of Japanese frontiers, the missionaries Another focus was the vis-à-vis other languages. wielded both temporal and heterogeneity of missions. The Following a welcome by spiritual authority. This missions were far from Shiro Sasaki (Deputy monopoly gave the mission its homogeneous: different ethnic Director-General, Minpaku) unique characteristics. groups lived side by side in a and a short introduction by A difficult problem we are town, and rivalry and conflicts Ritsuko Kikusawa, papers were presented in three sessions: 1) ‘Historical Linguistics in the Asia-Pacific Region’, 2) ‘Identifying the Position of Japanese’, and 3) ‘Evaluation and Discussion’. The details of the program appear at: http://www. minpaku.ac.jp/english/ research/pr/110730.html. Though most of the audience consisted of linguists participating in the 20th International Conference on Historical Linguistics, the symposium was made open to the interested general public. The audience included about 150 linguists and 120 members of the general public. Ruins of the mission town of Trinidad, Paraguay (Saito, 2002) December 2011 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 15 among them were not rare. focused on the attitudes of multilayered relationships that Emphasis was also given on people regarding the gender of are emerging around children the communication between their children, and invited and the family in society. inside and outside the Christophe Z. Guilmoto, missions. The native converts professor at Paris Descartes Nanami Suzuki maintained contact with their University and senior research Convener ‘heathen’ relatives, and there fellow at CEPED, together with National Museum of Ethnology were constant exchanges of other anthropologists who people, objects and practices study new reproductive Light and Shadow in East between them. Overall, our technology in Asia. By Asia: Health, Wealth and symposium was a successful comparing the concerns and attempt to dismantle the behaviors affecting childbirth “Hungry Ghosts” stereotyped image of the choices, in different regions, we missions which still keeps a aim to shed light on how new International Symposium firm grip on our imagination reproductive technology is September 8 –11, 2011 about this historically driving changes in family, significant social engineering kinship and gender relations. The theme of the symposium project. The symposium was After welcome remarks by was chosen to reveal the bright organized with the Instituto de Ken’ichi Sudo (Director- (light) and shady (shadow) Altos Estudios Sociales, General) and introductory sides of East Asia, a region that Universidad Nacional de San remarks by Nanami Suzuki, C. is one of the major driving Martín (IDAES-UNSAM), Z. Guilmoto gave a Keynote forces in the world economy. Argentine Republic. Lecture, ‘The Anthropological The concept of ‘hungry ghost’ is Aspects of Gender common in East Asia and Akira Saito Discrimination and Sex participants tried to relate their Organizer Selection in Vietnam’. Guilmoto papers to this mutually National Museum of Ethnology has studied sex ratios at birth understandable phrase. in Viet Nam, using recent Eight sessions were held on New Reproductive census data, and discussed the September 9-10: 1) Light and implications of the cultural Shadow of the Other World Technology and Social dimensions of current sex (ikai), 2) Light and Shadow of Relationships in Asia: imbalances at birth, and the Tradition and Modernity, 3) Birth, Kinship, and future evolution of the sex Ritual, Good Life and the Other Gender ratios at birth. The in China: Ethno-ontological presentations that followed Approaches to Chinese Ritual, were: ‘Politics of Reproductive 4) Multi-cultural Practices in International Symposium Technology in Taiwan’ (Chang Contemporary Korea, 5) The September 8, 2011 Chiungfang, University of Public Anthropology of Tokyo); ‘Reproductive Disaster: The East Japan This symposium was held to Technologies in South Korea’ Disaster, 6) New Trends in publicize part of the results of (Hong Hyunsoo, University of Taiwan Anthropology, 7) ‘Anthropology of Caring and Tokyo); ‘Daughter Preference Shanghai World Exposition, Education for Life’, a core and Social Transition in Japan and 8) Migration and Dreams research project of Minpaku in and South Korea’ (Kumiko in East Asia. Sessions 1, 3, 5, the domain of ‘Anthropological Yamaji, Kwansei Gakuin and 7 were supported by Studies of Inclusion and University); ‘Kinship and simultaneous translation of Autonomy in the Human World’ Gender in Action: Multiple Japanese, Chinese and Korean. (in fiscal 2011). Organizers Child-Parent Relationships in Sessions 2, 4, 6, and 8 were were Minpaku and the Centre the Age of New Reproductive conducted in English. Among Population et Développement Technologies’ (Tomiyuki Uesugi, the participants, panel (CEPED), France. Seijo University). Comments organizers, paper presenters Raising the next generation were made by Yoko Taniguchi, and invited discussants is a theme that relates not only Senshu University and Mikako numbered 47 (14 from Japan, to changing social Sawayama, Okayama 10 from China, 10 from Korea, relationships, but also the way University, and were followed 9 from Taiwan, and 4 from in which society as a whole is by a general discussion. Hong Kong), and 13 observers structured. Developments in The symposium was attended. medical technology have attended by 20 people, One of the goals of previous expanded the range of choices including the speakers, meetings on East Asian related to childbirth. How these researchers, and other Anthropology in Beijing, Taipei choices affect the thinking and members of the public who and Seongnam (near Seoul) was realities that surround the next were interested in the future of maintained at the Minpaku generation has become a topic family and kinship. A wealth of meeting: to establish an of vigorous debate. new information was brought association dedicated to the To deepen discussion of the together. This will help us anthropological study of East topic of ‘New Reproductive develop dialogues across many Asia by those who reside in this Technology and Social fields and may help us extend area. This was discussed during Relationships in Asia’, we our notions on the new the advance meeting on 16 MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter No 33 December 2011

September 8, and during the Kamchatka’; J.M. Savelle and A. plenary session on September New Staff Vadnais, ‘Releasing the soul: 10. We decided that there would Zooarchaeological evidence for a be a meeting at the Chinese Hatsuki Aishima whale cult among the prehistoric University of Hong Kong in Research Fellow, Center for Thule Inuit in Canada’; and K. 2012, and a committee would Research Development Ohtsuka, ‘Past, present and work toward establishing an future museum activities and association based on bylaws. Aishima is a Ainu studies at the National Representatives were also social Museum of Ethnology’. chosen: Wang Mingming (Peking anthropologist University), Gordon Matthews specializing in Senri Ethnological Reports (The Chinese University of Hong Islam and No.100: Hijikata, H. [K. Sudo Kong), Okpyo Moon (The public culture and H. Shimizu, eds.] The Diary Academy of Korean Studies), in the Middle of Hisakatsu Hijikata (III). 620pp. Hirochika Nakamaki (Minpaku), East. She and Huang Shu-min (Academia received MA Sinica, Taiwan). from Kyoto University (Area Studies, 2002) Errata Hirochika Nakamaki and PhD from St Antony’s Chair of the Organizing College, Oxford (Oriental In our previous issue (Vol. Committee Studies, 2010). Before joining 32, p.10), two names were National Museum of Ethnology Minpaku in July 2011, she misspelled; here they are worked for the Centre for corrected: Keizo Shibusawa, Modern Oriental Studies, Masayoshi Ohira. Zentrum Moderner Orient Information (ZMO), Germany and taught at the Berlin Graduate School MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter Awards Muslim Cultures and Societies, Free University, Germany. Her The Newsletter is published in June doctoral thesis, ‘Abd al-Halim and December. ‘Minpaku’ is an Tetsuo Nishio (Center for Mahmud (1910-78) and his abbreviation of the Japanese name for Research Development) has audiences: Mass media and the the National Museum of Ethnology recently received The 28th (Kokuritsu Minzokugaku transformation of Islamic TANABE Hisao Award from The Hakubutsukan). The Newsletter learning in contemporary Egypt’, Society for Research in Asiatic promotes a continuing exchange of explored the roles of mass Music for his publication, information with former visiting media and modern education in scholars and others who have been Sound Cultures in the Arab shaping the public knowledge, associated with the museum. The World: Invitation to Global scholarly culture, and the Newsletter also provides a forum for Communication (co-edited with literary tradition of Islam. She is communication with a wider academic M. Horiuchi and N. Mizuno, in audience. currently working on an urban Japanese, Tokyo: Stylenote, ethnography of Egyptian karate 2010). This publication was an The Newsletter is available online at: practitioners. www.minpaku.ac.jp/publication/ outcome of an Inter-University newsletter Research Project: The Structure of Sound Cultures in the Arab General Editor: Ken’ichi Sudo World, at Minpaku. The prize Editor: Michiko Intoh was established in 1953 by the Publications Editorial Panel: Kyonosuke Hirai, Society for Research in Asiatic Ritsuko Kikusawa, Peter Matthews, Music, and is awarded annually Chihiro Shirakawa From July to December 2011, Production: Yumi Edamitsu to a member of the Society in we published the following recognition for excellent issues and articles: Address for correspondence: contributions in Asiatic music The Editor studies (October 8, 2011). Bulletin of the National MINPAKU Anthropology Newsletter Museum of Ethnology 36 National Museum of Ethnology Sayaka Ogawa (Research Issue 1: Y. Kawaguchi, ‘From Senri Expo Park, Suita, Osaka 565- 8511, Japan Fellow, Center for Research curious dolls to Primitive Art: Tel: +81-6-6876-2151 Development) has received the The self-image of postwar Japan Fax: +81-6-6878-7503 33rd Suntory Prize for Social reflected in works from Non- E-mail: [email protected] Sciences and Humanities [Life Western areas’; E. Takahashi, and Society] for her recent ‘Philosophy of “living at home”: Signed articles represent the views of publication: Ethnography of Reconsidering the spatial range their writers, not necessarily offi cial Small Merchants in Tanzania views of the National Museum of of civil society and ageing by Ethnology. (in Japanese, Kyoto: describing the community-based Sekaishisosha, 2011) welfare practice in south- © National Museum of Ethnology (December 12, 2011). western Finland’; D. Koester, 2011. ISSN 1341-7959 ‘Crosscutting narratives: Legacies of religious repression Printed by Nakanishi Printing Co., Ltd and resistance in Soviet