Graduation Term

Summer 2025

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Committee Chair

Nobuko Adachi

Committee Member

James Stanlaw

Committee Member

Laura Miller

Abstract

In modern Japan, the shift from the traditional term irezumi (入れ墨) to the English loanword tatū (タトゥー) reflects more than just language change—it reveals deeper cultural and social transformations. Loanwords, or borrowed words from other languages, often enter a language through cultural contact, adapting to fit local linguistic and social norms. As the Linguistic Society of America notes, “Most languages have been influenced at one time or another by contact” (Winford, n.d., p. 1). Since World War II, English has become a major source of loanwords in Japanese, shaping everything from everyday conversation to aesthetic trends.

This thesis explores why tatū has become the preferred term over irezumi, and how this change connects to shifts in identity, gender roles, and cultural stigma. Drawing on research by Kaneko (2006) and Miller (1998), I examine how English loanwords are adapted and why foreign terms are sometimes used to reframe stigmatized practices. Ultimately, tatū serves not just as a borrowed word, but as a symbol of changing cultural perceptions and resistance in contemporary Japan.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD.1763755359.02836

Download

Share

COinS