The Japanese people have always respected and coexisted with nature. For this reason, they have incorporated sounds arising from nature into the Japanese language as words. For example, the sound of rain. When it falls heavily, it is called “zaazaa furu.” When it just starts to rain, it is expressed as “potsupotsu furu,” and when light rain continues, it is expressed as “shitoshito furu.” Even if you do not understand Japanese, you can get an idea of the state of rain from the sounds of “zaazaa,” “potsupotsu,” and “shitoshito.” The Japanese also consider not only animals but also sounds made by insects as voices, not noises. A crow’s cry is expressed as “kaakaa,” a cicada as “minmin,” and so on. In addition, human movements and emotions are also similarly expressed. For example, “guzuguzu” and “noronoro” are used when a person moves slowly, and “dokidoki ” and “hiyahiya” are used when a person feels nervous. Such words are called “onomatopoeia,” and many are repeated, two-syllable words. They can also express emotions and gestures as each individual person feels. Many original onomatopoeias appear in manga. Some of them are difficult to understand, but you can usually get an idea of what they mean. Even original onomatopoeias can become common if many people start using it. In Japan, there is a concept called “kotodama (spirit of words).” It refers to the spiritual power that resides in words, and is believed to bring about a state of being that is in accordance with the words that are uttered. It can be said that since ancient times, Japanese have regarded sounds made by living creatures as part of the sounds of nature. ( From December issue, 2022 / 2022年12月号より）