Dialectology as engaged humanities using the example of the Ninjal’s response to 2011 Tōhoku earthquake

This research paper explores the potential of dialectology as engaged humanities using as an example the response of the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. Following the events of 11 March 2011, Kōko Takeda from the NINJAL created a publication dedicated to health-related expressions characteristic for the Tōhoku region to help medical professionals in their efforts in the disaster area. The paper evaluates the publication’s real-life impact by analyzing both the publication itself and the response of the local community. The findings indicate that Tōhoku hōgen onomatope yōreishū (Usage examples of mimetic vocabulary in Tōhoku dialects) not only helped to improve doctor-patient communication, but also has potential to be used in future activities aimed at language revitalization and restoring community ties.