@article{oai:nitech.repo.nii.ac.jp:00001571,
 author = {Essertier, Joseph},
 journal = {New Directions},
 month = {Mar},
 note = {As a novelist, poet, physician, translator, and literary critic, Mori Ogai (Mori Rintaro, 1862－1922) introduced many ideas from the West and helped lay the foundation for modern Japan. Publishing his own literary journal, Shigarami soshi (1889-1894), he was one of the most influential critics and selectors of literary talent during the Meiji Period (1868-1912). His essay "On Written and Spoken Language" (Genbunron), translated below, about the use of colloquial Japanese in writing appeared in that journal on April 25th, 1890 at a time when there was a fierce debate in the literary and intellectual fields about which words, grammar, and style from the spoken language would be appropriate for writing. Ogai is justifiably praised as a pioneer of new writing styles and one of the earliest contributors to the creation of the genbun itchi style ("unification of speech and writing") that eventually became the dominant written language in Japan. But contrary to what one would expect, he did not approve of Japanese authors employing the genbun itchi style for their own writings, at least during the early days of the genbun itchi movement. It is hoped that the translation of the essay below will make this clear and will also further our general understanding of what was at stake in the controversy during the Meiji Period over which words would be appropriate for writing and which words would not., application/pdf},
 pages = {87--101},
 title = {On Written and Spoken Language},
 volume = {30},
 year = {2012}
}