In this guest lecture, organized jointly by the divisions for Cognitive Semiotics and Japanese, Associate Prof. Misuzu Shimotori from the University or Bergen, a leading cognitive linguist and co-chair of MetNet Scandinavia: https://www.metnetscandinavia.com/members - will present ongoing research using a model that derives from cognitive semiotics, MSM, to analyze the subtle meanings in Japanese texts that are communicated by non-conventional usage of one of the three scripts, katakana. All are welcome to H402, or to the zoom link - with cameras on! If you wish to join us for a dinner with Misuzu after the seminar, please Jordan an email by January 25.

This study examines the nonconventional use of katakana (one of the Japanese scripts) in Miyuki Miyabe’s Solomon’s Perjury (2012) to explore how orthographic deviation functions within contemporary literary practice and contributes to meaning-making. Drawing on the Motivation and Sedimentation Model (MSM) (Zlatev and Blomberg 2019; Zlatev, Paju, and Jakobsson 2021; Zlatev 2023), the analysis demonstrates that katakana usage in native Japanese expressions is systematically motivated rather than arbitrary. Nouns rendered in katakana often evoke a casual or colloquial tone, or introduce irony and emotional detachment. Verb and adjective stems are katakanaized to mark colloquialism, emotional intensity, or playful distance. Beyond its semantic and pragmatic functions, katakana also serves visual and rhythmic purposes, enhancing textual prominence and affective nuance. From the MSM perspective, these unconventional forms challenge sedimented norms of “correct” writing while remaining intelligible and contextually legitimate, illustrating how motivated usages can gain acceptance within literary discourse. The study further shows that once-motivated stylistic choices may become sedimented yet retain the potential for re-motivation depending on context. By situating Miyabe’s orthographic choices within the MSM framework, the research demonstrates that Japanese writing systems operate as dynamic sites of semiotic interaction, where orthographic variation actively shapes psychological depth, social stance, and emotional resonance in contemporary literature.