This is not a book of jokes. It is about how people make rules about humour: rules about what humour is, what it is not, what it should and should not be, when it should and should not be used, what type of humour is permissible and what type forbidden, what is good and bad about humour, what should be considered funny and what should not. The book offers a framework for a general understanding of why and how societies make rules about the use of humour, and how those rules affect patterns of communication and the development of humour and comedy.

A comprehensive look at the customary differences between humor in Japan and the West, providing cultural examples and illustrative terminology in the original Japanese.

This innovative book traces the impact of tradition on modern humour across several Asian countries and their cultures. Using examples from Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Chinese cultures in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the contributors explore the different cultural rules for creating and sharing humour. Humour can be a powerful lubricant when correctly interpreted; mis-interpreted, it is likely to cause considerable setbacks. Over time, it has emerged and submerged in different periods and different forms in all these countries but today’s conventions still reflect traditional attitudes to and assumptions about what is appropriate in creating and using humour. Under close examination, Milner Davis and her colleagues show how forms and conventions that differ from those in the west can also be seen to possess elements in common. With examples including Mencian and other classical texts, Balinese traditional verbal humour, Korean and Taiwanese workplace humour, Japanese laughter ceremonies, performances and cartoons, as well as contemporary Chinese-language films and videos, they engage with a wide range of forms and traditions. This fascinating collection of studies will be of great interest to students and scholars of many Asian cultures, and also to those with a broader interest in humour studies. It highlights the increasing importance of understanding a wider range of cultural values in the present era of globalized communication and the importance of reliable studies of why and how cultures that are geographically related differ in their traditional uses of and assumptions about humour.

Translation studies and humour studies are disciplines that have been long-established but seldom looked at in conjunction. This volume uses literature as the common ground and examines issues of translating humour within a range of different literary traditions. It begins with an analysis of humour and translation in every day life, including jokes and cross-cultural humour, and then moves on to looking at humour and translation in literature through the ages. Despite growing interest and a history of collaborative study, there has been little translation studies scholarship published in this area. This collection features a comprehensive introduction by the editor, which covers strategies and techniques for translating humour as well as the pragmatics involved. The book will appeal to scholars and postgraduates in translation and interpreting studies and humour studies.

A collection of international jokes and humorous anecdotes.

This handbook addresses the methodological problems and theoretical challenges that arise in attempting to understand and represent humour in specific historical contexts across cultural history. It explores problems involved in applying modern theories of humour to historically-distant contexts of humour and points to the importance of recognising the divergent assumptions made by different academic disciplines when approaching the topic. It explores problems of terminology, identification, classification, subjectivity of viewpoint, and the coherence of the object of study. It addresses specific theories, together with the needs of specific historical case-studies, as well as some of the challenges of presenting historical humour to contemporary audiences through translation and curation. In this way, the handbook aims to encourage a fresh exploration of methodological problems involved in studying the various significances both of the history of humour and of humour in history.

Reading Japan offers the student readings on geopolitics, education, language, Japanese-ness and ethnicity, gender and history, with the dual aims of broadening students’ understanding of Japan and of providing opportunities to read authentic Japanese texts. Each chapter contains an essay in English, a selection of readings in Japanese, comprehensive vocabulary lists, discussion questions and a list of sources and additional readings. Pitched at Intermediate to Advanced and B1-C1 level, this reader is not simply a language textbook; it offers students a chance to learn and think in depth about Japan as they build confidence in reading real-world Japanese texts.

The award-winning author and syndicated columnist shares his humorous observations on his trip to Japan, sharing his thoughts on culture shock in all its numerous forms--from kabuki to public bathing. Reprint.