Mitate and metaphor in multicultural Japan
List of Authors
  • Yoko Shirasu

Keyword
  • mitate, metaphor, Japanese culture

Abstract
  • There is a method of looking at something unique to Japanese culture called mitate. Mitate has been widely used in Japan since ancient times because it is a cognitive method of comparing one thing with another and feeling the elegance and fun. The mimicry technique and the metaphorical technique common to both Western and Eastern cultures are similar in the sense that they focus and compare the similarities of two objects. However, the pretending approach is unique in that it can provide a more realistic, virtual reality that lies beyond the actual object. It is significant to try to verify how mitate and metaphor are in Japan, where cultural values coexist. In this article, I will present concrete examples of the metaphor and metaphor in Japanese and Western cultures. It aims to clarify the uniqueness and way of thinking of the Japanese communication habits by comparing mitate and the metaphor.

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