An empirical study of changes of honorific behavior in Sapporo and Tokyo

2003年至2004年，由东京都大学和其他一些大学的学生组成的研究小组在东京文京区Nezu和Nishikata地区进行了实地调查。在2003年及2004年的调查中，提供资料的人数分别为262人和186人。计划进行实地调查，比较目标地区居民敬语行为的现状与1981年同一地区的敬语行为。对这些数据的分析揭示了以下几点：(1)在这22年中，男女之间的差异以及Nezu和Nishikata之间的差异并没有改变。(2)在这22年中，年龄组的差异（即年轻人对年轻和不熟悉的听者的对待程度较低的趋势）保持不变。(3)另一个年龄组的差异（年轻人对待熟悉的听者的态度很低的倾向）也蔓延到其他年龄组，最近中年的人的行为举止变得像以前的年轻人。(4)当我们观察到人们对邻居的敬语行为时，人们会根据自己对邻居的熟悉程度倾向于使用敬语表达。

A team of the students of Tokyo Metropolitan University and some other universities conducted field surveys at Nezu and Nishikata area in Bunkyo ward in Tokyo from 2003 to 2004. Numbers of informants in 2003 and 2004 surveys were 262 and 186 respectively. The field surveys were planned to compare the current status of honorific behavior of the residents of the target area and the same behavior of the same area in 1981.The analysis of those data revealed the following points:(1) Differences between men and women and differences between Nezu and Nishikata were not changed through these 22 years.(2) A difference in age-groups (a tendency that younger people treat younger and unfamiliar hearers in fairly low level) was maintained during these 22 years.(3) Another difference in age-groups (a tendency that younger people treat familiar hearers in very low level) was spread to other age-groups and recently middle-aged people became to behave like previous younger people.(4) When we observe honorific behaviors to the neighbors, people have a tendency that they use honorific expressions according to their level of familiarity to the neighbors.