Grew up in a family of professional musicians Motoki Hirai became a concert pianist and composer. It may seem hardly surprising. Welcome to the world of Motoki. His story goes beyond conventional performances.
Motoki Hirai’s music facilitates his participation in a variety of cultural activities. He is part of philanthropic and international exchange activities. Motoki’s father, Takeichiro, is a professional cellist. His late grandfather, Kozaburo, was a well-known composer. Music was simply everywhere. It was like the air we breathe or having a meal. He said this of his childhood.
While the piano is Motoki Hirai’s main instrument these days, the violin was his first love. He recalls his debut solo public performance at the age of 3. He performed a piece chosen by his grandfather. It was the British national anthem “God Save the Queen.” This seems quite fitting. England became his second home.
Motoki Tokieda was a professor of Japanese linguistics at the University of Tokyo. He was born on December 6, 1900, in Tokyo. In his early years, he was already interested in the Japanese language. Tokieda resolved to devote his life’s work to this field.
He became a pupil of Shinkichi Hashimoto. However, he criticized Hashimoto’s Japanese grammar. He created his own “Tokieda grammar”. Tokieda is noted for developing the Process Theory of Language. He also criticized Ferdinand de Saussure.
The introduction of Saussure’s work launched a significant semiotic argument in linguistic in Japan. Tokieda presented his own theory in opposition to that of Saussure. It turned out to be based on his misinterpretation of the latter’s position. It was presented in his book Principles of the Japanese Language. It became evident that Tokieda’s position is aligned with Saussure.
Tokieda’s theory also criticized Yoshio Yamada’s position. Kokugogaku should only refer to studies done by Japanese people on their own language. It should exclude those undertaken by foreigners. According to Tokieda, the difference in terms of research conducted by Japanese and foreign scholars rests on the used approaches. One cannot say one is kokugogaku and the other is not.
Tokieda also stressed that the concept of kokugo must not be defined as the language of the Japanese Empire. It must be based on its internal linguistic characteristics. Motoki Tokieda died in 1967.
Another notable person is Motoki Kobayashi. Motoki Kobayashi was born on 16 August 1967 in Noda, Chiba, Japan. He is an actor and cinematographer.
Motoki, Kosuke is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo. He researches consumer psychology. His research focuses on sensory and consumer science. He studies how sensory, emotional, and social factors contribute to consumer perception and preferences.
Motoki’s work helps us understand how our senses influence our choices. Whether it’s music, language, or consumer behavior, Motoki’s are making a difference. They each have contributed to their own field. Their legacies continue to inspire future generations.