On the evening of September 11, 2023, Professor Kei Ishiguro from the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics was invited to give an academic lecture titled The Charm of Japanese Onomatopoeia - Welcome to the World of Thrills and Excitement! to the faculty and students of the Japanese Language Department of the school. The lecture was hosted by Zhao Wuji, Director of the Japanese Department, and attended by both faculty members and students from the department.

Professor Kei Ishiguro currently serves as the Director of the Promotion Center for Joint Utilization at the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics, a Professor at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, and an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Language and Society at Hitotsubashi University. His research focuses on discourse analysis and Japanese language education. So far, he has authored or co-authored 45 books and published nearly 100 academic papers. He has led numerous large-scale national research projects in Japan and is a renowned scholar in the field of Japanese language education.

During the lecture, Professor Ishiguro first introduced the definition, classification, and morphology of onomatopoeia from a linguistic perspective. He then presented examples of onomatopoeia used in various contexts such as manga, snacks, cuisine, hospitals, sports, fashion magazines, lyrics, textbooks, and business documents, elucidating their functions and charm. He also shared insights on how Chinese learners of Japanese should acquire onomatopoeia. Professor Ishiguro's humorous and engaging delivery captivated both faculty and students, immersing them in the vast and fascinating world of onomatopoeia and leaving them with valuable insights.

(Text by Zhao Wuji and Zhang Xiujuan / Photo by Zhu Ying)