28: Japanese Speech

Introduction

Speech in Japan is not simply about words — it is about social position, relationship, and context. The way a character speaks reveals their personality, respect (or lack thereof), and emotional state. For sorcerers, who live within a rigid system of clans and authority, speech is even more charged: dropping honorifics, shifting politeness, or shouting in raw emotion can mean as much as a Domain Expansion. This codex explores the layers of Japanese speech — honorifics, politeness levels, indirect phrasing, and narrative significance — so NPCs and narration feel authentically Japanese.

Honorifics: The Markers of Relationship

Honorifics attach to names and instantly signal status.

  • -san (さん): Neutral and polite, used with acquaintances or equals.

  • -kun (君): Used for juniors, younger men, or subordinates. Teachers often use it with male students.

  • -chan (ちゃん): Affectionate and diminutive, used with children, close friends, or younger girls. Can be condescending if misused.

  • -sama (様): Very formal and reverential, used for customers, gods, or highly respected figures.

  • -sensei (先生): For teachers, doctors, and masters of a craft — also for powerful sorcerers guiding students.

  • -senpai (先輩): Acknowledges seniority in schools, clubs, or organizations.

Dropping honorifics (yobisute) is significant. It implies intimacy (close friendship, romance) or disrespect (rebellion, arrogance). For instance, Yuji casually calling people by name reflects his warmth, while Megumi’s cautious use of honorifics signals distance and restraint.

Politeness Levels: Teineigo, Sonkeigo, Kenjougo

Japanese has multiple registers of politeness:

  1. Teineigo (Polite Speech): Standard polite form, used with strangers or in neutral formal settings.

    • NPC Example: “Desu” and “masu” endings in narration.

  2. Sonkeigo (Honorific Speech): Raises the addressee, used when speaking to superiors.

    • Example: “Irasshaimasu” (honored arrival) instead of “kuru” (come).

  3. Kenjougo (Humble Speech): Lowers the speaker, showing deference to someone superior.

    • Example: “Itadakimasu” literally humbles the speaker when receiving.

Sorcerers use these registers to reinforce hierarchy: students speak politely to sensei, heirs use honorific forms with elders, and higher-ups expect humble speech. Breaking these norms creates immediate tension.

Indirect Communication

Japanese speech often avoids bluntness, favoring subtlety.

  • Refusals: Instead of saying “No,” one might say “That would be difficult” (muzukashii desu ne).

  • Requests: Framed softly with “Would you mind…” or “Could it be possible…”

  • Criticism: Often indirect, expressed through hesitation or vagueness.

For narration, NPCs should avoid blunt “yes/no” answers unless emotional stakes demand it. Sorcerers might evade orders with indirect phrasing, masking defiance under politeness.

Dialects and Regional Tones

Speech varies across Japan.

  • Standard Tokyo Dialect: Neutral, used in most narration.

  • Kansai Dialect (Osaka, Kyoto): More direct, humorous, or rough. Aoi Tōdō is a classic example — boisterous and loud.

  • Rural Dialects: Softer, slower, often signaling background outside the city.

Dialects add personality. A Kansai-speaking NPC will sound more casual or comedic, while a rural villager may speak with drawn-out vowels, grounding them in place.

Breaking Speech Norms: Emotion and Rebellion

Speech norms are powerful because breaking them is shocking.

  • Dropping Politeness: A character switching from desu/masu to blunt da forms signals anger or intimacy.

  • Honorific Shifts: Calling a superior without honorifics shows rebellion; addressing a peer with “-sama” shows exaggerated respect.

  • Shouting and Profanity: Rare in polite society, but when characters erupt (like Tōdō), it signals raw emotion or disregard for norms.

For sorcerers, this can dramatize conflict. A student shouting without honorifics at a sensei carries weight — it shows desperation or defiance.

Sorcerer-Specific Speech Patterns

Sorcerer society mirrors Japanese structures, so speech reflects status and tradition:

  • Clan Elders: Use formal, archaic phrasing, commanding respect.

  • Clan Heirs: Often adopt polished or stiff polite speech, even with peers.

  • Rebels/Outcasts: Speak casually, drop honorifics, or adopt slang to reject norms.

  • Sensei Figures: May use casual speech to appear approachable (Gojo) or strict honorific forms to assert distance (Gakuganji).

NPC speech style should immediately reflect their role and worldview.

Narrative Applications

Japanese speech creates immersion when used consistently. Examples:

  • Formal Meetings: Students address elders with humble speech, bowing as they speak.

  • Friendship Bonds: NPCs gradually drop honorifics as relationships deepen.

  • Conflict Scenes: Rebellious students use blunt tones against elders, creating tension.

  • Regional Encounters: Dialects highlight NPC backgrounds, adding authenticity.

  • Romance: Intimacy shown through casual name usage, where honorifics are shed.

These subtle cues make narration feel culturally grounded and emotionally charged.

Closing Thought

Speech in Japan is not just communication — it is performance of respect, identity, and emotion. In Jujutsu Kaisen, where hierarchy and rebellion shape every relationship, language becomes a weapon as sharp as any cursed technique. By embedding honorifics, politeness levels, indirect phrasing, and regional tones into narration, NPCs will feel authentically Japanese, and every conversation will carry the weight of culture as much as sorcery.