KIKUSAWA Ritsuko | 国立民族学博物館

Staff Members

KIKUSAWA RitsukoKIKUSAWA Ritsuko
Department of Advanced Human Sciences・Associate Professor

Research Specialization

Linguistics, Austronesian languages

Individual Research Projects

Application of the Geographic Information System (GIS) to the Historical Analyses of Fijian Languages

Personal website http://www.r.minpaku.ac.jp/ritsuko/

Academic Qualifications

2000 Ph.D. (Linguistics) University of Hawai‘i
1993–94 Ph.D. studies (Linguistics), University of Tokyo
1993 M.A. (Linguistics), University of Tokyo
1990 B.A. (Linguistics), University of Tokyo

Research Interests

Study on new methods to conduct morpho-syntactic comparison of languages that did not have writing systems.
Research on the historical development of the basic sentence structures and case-marking systems in the Austronesian languages.
Descriptive study of languages in the Philippines and Madagascar.
Study of root crops in prehistoric Oceania.

Research Keywords

Oceania, Fiji, Vanuatu, the Philippines, Madagascar, Austronesians, Malagasy People, Descriptive Linguistics, Comparative (historical) Linguistics, Comparative (historical) Morpho-syntax, Palaeo Linguistics

Publications

2007: (With L. A. Reid) Proto Who Utilised Turmeric, and How? In J. Siegel, J. Lynch and D. Eades (eds.) Language Description, History and Development: Linguistic Indulgence in Memory of Terry Crowley (Creole Language Library 30), pp. 341–354. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
2006: A Research Report of the Northern Betsimisaraka Malagasy Language. In H. Fukazawa (ed.) Report of a Project “A Comparative Study of Strategies on Resource Utilization and Resulting Unfairness in Madagascar in a Transition Period toward Independent Regional Governance (Grant #14251004)”, pp. 41–66.
2005: Lexicase. In K. Brown (ed.) Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics (2nd Edition), pp. 109–112. Oxford: Elsevier.
2005: Malagasy. In K. Brown (ed.) Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics (2nd Edition), pp. 445–447. Oxford: Elsevier.
2005: Comparative Linguistics: A Bridge that Connects Us to Languages and People of the Past. In P. Lassettre (Compiler), Language in Hawai‘i and the Pacific, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, pp. 425–433. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing. [Reprint of Kikusawa 2001]
2006: A Malagasy Text with Grammatical Notes. Journal of Asian and African Studies 71: 5–37.
2005: Number Systems in Oceanic Languages and Their Historical Development. (in Japanese) Tsuushin 114: 72–74.
2004: (a)(With K. Donald, K. Gaul, and G. Holton) Language. In J. Goggans and A. DiFranco (eds.) The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Culture: The Pacific Region, pp. 275–298. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood.
2004: (b)Word Categories in Fijian. Asian and African Languages and Linguistics 32: 1–16.
2003: (a)The Development of Some Indonesian Pronominal Systems. In B. J. Blake, K. Burridge and J. Taylor (eds.) Historical Linguistics 2001: Selected Papers from the 15th International Conference on Historical Linguistics, Melbourne, 13–17 August 2001, pp. 237–268. Current Issues in Linguistics Theory, pp. 237. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
2003: (b)Did Proto-Oceanians Cultivate Cyrtosperma Taro? People and Culture in Oceania 19: 26–54.
2003: (c)A New View of the Proto Oceanic Pronominal System. Oceanic Linguistics 42 (1): 161–186.
2003: (d)The Two Genitive Clitic Pronoun Positions in Some Extra-Formosan Languages: Problems in Determining Their Historical Development. Papers from the Workshop on Brunei-Borneo Studies. University of Brunei.
2003: (e)(With L. A. Reid) A Talubin Text with a Wordlist and Grammatical Notes. Journal of Asian and African Studies 65: 89–148.
2003: (f)Taro in Oceania: Identifying Their Origins Based on Linguistic Evidence (in Japanese). Root Crops and People: The Origin of Root-Crop Agriculture and Its Development, pp. 53–76. Tokyo: Heibon-sha.
2002: (a)Prefixed Undergoer Verbs in the Fijian Languages and Their Historical Development. Rongorongo Studies 12 (2): 43–55.
2002: (b)Proto Central Pacific Ergativity: Its Reconstruction and Development in the Fijian, Rotuman and Polynesian Languages (Pacific Linguistics 520), pp. 215. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
2002: (c)Languages That Spread Across the Ocean. (in Japanese) Textbook for El-Net Open College video lecture, pp. 8. Japan Ministry of Education and Science.
2001: (a)Comparative Linguistics: A Bridge That Connects Us to Languages and People of the Past. Introduction to Language (Unit Mastery) Reading Packet (Linguistics 102, Fall 2001), Department of Linguistics, University of Hawai‘i.
2001: (b)Rotuman and Fijian Casemarking Strategies and Their Historical Development. Oceanic Linguistics 40 (1): 85–111.
2001: (c)A Sketch of the Syntactic Structures of the Nadrau Communalect of Fijian. Journal of Asian and African Studies 62: 35–90.
2000: (a)Historical Implications of a Syntactically Ambiguous Structure in Standard Fijian. In S. Roger Fischer and Wolfgang (eds.) Leo Pasifika: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Oceanic Linguistics (Monograph Series, vol. 2), pp. 173–199. Auckland: The Institute of Polynesian Languages and Literatures.
2000: (b)Transitivity and Verb Forms in Fijian. In R. Kikusawa and K. Sasaki (eds.) Modern Approaches to Transitivity, pp. 29–51. Tokyo: Kurosio Publisher.
2000: (c)Where Did Suli Come from? A Study of the Words Connected to Taro Plants in Oceanic Languages. In B. Palmer and P. Geraghty (eds.) SICOL Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Oceanic Linguistics: Vol. 2, Historical and Descriptive Studies (Pacific Linguistics 505), pp.37–47. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.
2000: (d)On the Standardization of Japanese Kana Transcription of Fijian Words (in Japanese). Japanese Society for Oceanic Studies Newsletter 66: 9–14.
2000: (e)(With K. Sasaki) Modern Approaches to Transitivity. Tokyo: Kuroshio Publisher.
1999: (a)An Introduction to Standard Fijian (in Japanese), pp. 161. Tokyo: ILCAA.
1999: (b)(With Apolonia Tamata) A Standard Fijian Learners’ Dictionary (in Japanese), pp. 250. Tokyo: ILCAA.
1998: (a)A Formal Analysis of the So-Called “Passive” in Fijian. Journal of Asian and African Studies 56: 113–140.
1998: (b)Fiji (in Japanse). Encyclopedia of Ethnic Play and Games, pp. 402–406. Tokyo: Taishuukan Shoten.
1997: Ergativity and Transitive Verbs in Polynesian Languages with Special Reference to Tongan. Typescript.
1996: The So-Called ‘Articles’ in the Wailevu Communalect of Fijian: Determiners or Something Else? Proceedings of the 5th Annual East-West Center Centerwide Conference, East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, pp. 137–144.
1995: (a)On the Meaning of Saa in the Wailevu Communalect of Fijian. Man and Culture in Oceania 11: 45–60.
1995: (b)Names of Marine Animals in the Wailevu Communalect, Kadavu, Fiji: An Interim Report. Tokyo University Linguistics Papers 14: 699–736.
1993: (a)An Interim Report on the Language Spoken in Leklak Village on Malekula Island, Vanuatu. (in Japanese) A research report submitted to Mitsubishi Shintaku Yamamuro Memorial Scholarship Foundation.

Essays and Newsletter Articles (all in Japanese)

2007

Linguistic Olympics in Leiden: A Correspondence from the Netherlands. Minpaku Anthropology Newsletter 119: 29–32.

2007

Rangogaku kotohajime (The Beginnings of the Dutch Language Learning). A series of web-essays introducing life and culture in the Netherlands for the General Public (with a special focus on aspects reflected in the Dutch language).

2007

The Distribution of the Austronesian Languages. Oceania: Expansions of the Great Seafarers, pp. 41–45. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology, Japan.

2007

Austronesians: People Connected through Their Languages. Gekkan Minpaku (September 2007), pp. 3. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology.

2007

People and Sea (4). Globalization. Mainichi Shimbun Newspaper, 27 June, 2007.

2007

An Invalid Travelers’ Check. Mahora 50: 40–41.

2006

Comparing Languages: Methods and Purposes of “Comparison” in Linguistics. Minpaku Anthroloplogy Newsletter 115: 8–11.

2006

[Workshop/Conference Report] A Report of Two Activities Related to Language Documentation: Language Documentation Center (University of Hawai‘i) and PARADISEC (Australia). Japanese Society for Oceanic Studies Newsletter 86: 1–9.

2006

Malagasy: A Language That Sailed across the Indian Ocean. Nature, Culture, and Languages 2: 22–27.

2005

Movement to Madagascar, Movement in Madagascar: From a Perspective of Comparative Linguistics. (Research project introduction) Minpaku Newsletter 111: 20–21.

2005

Toward a Reconstruction of Proto-Malagasy (Presentation summary). Tsuushin 115: 65–67.

2005

Languages in Micronesia. In M. Intoh (ed.), Everything You Wanted to Know about Micronesia , pp. 44–52. Tokyo: Akashi Shoten.

2005

Polynesians in Micronesia. In M. Intoh (ed.) Everything You Wanted to Know about Micronesia , pp. 53–56. Tokyo: Akashi Shoten.

2005

Five Senses Alive (2). The Taste of Malagasy Tea. Mainichi Shimbun Newspaper, 12 April, 2006.

2005

Global and Local (8). Globalization of English. Mainichi Shimbun Newspaper, 12 April, 2006.

2005

Curious Living (7). Mobile phones. Mainichi Shimbun Newspaper, 12 April, 2006.

2005

Classifying Taro Plants. Series: Encyclopedia of Fauna and Flora: Taro in Fiji. Gekkan Minpaku, 20–21 August, 2005. National Museum of Ethnology.

2005

Whence Taro, the Main Staple Food in Oceania?: Using Linguistics to Clarify the Routes througn Which Taro Plants Were Introduced. Oceania 73: 4–7. The Japan-Oceania Society for Cultural Exchange.

2003

Gods and Deities in Luzon. Tsuushin 108: 22. ILCAA.

2002

Writing Tradition and Speaking Tradition. Teachers’supplement for Japanese Language Classes, Grade 3, pp. 75–77. Tokyo: Tokyo Shoseki. [Reprint of 1998d]

2001

“Language” as a Ticket Abroad. Fijian (Gengo 30: 1), pp. 98–101. Tokyo: Taishuukan-Shoten.

2000

A series of eight essays titled “Viewing the South Pacific through Language.” Vasa Lanumoana (37)–(44). Japan-Tuvalu Friendship Association.(-2001)

Languages Reflect Peoples’ History. (January 2000)
Peoples’ Migration in the Pacific. (April 2000)
Special Number “Eight”. (July 2000)
Absolute Direction and Relative Direction. (October 2000)
Name Avoidance. (January 2001)
Pacific Lifestyle Reflected in Proverbs I. (April 2001)
Pacific Lifestyle Reflected in Proverbs II. (July 2001)
“Westernization” and Language Use. (October 2001)

1999

(a)Profile: Professor Stanley Starosta. Tsuushin 97: 32. ILCAA.

1999

(b)Correspondence from a Crown Prince Akihito Scholar. Japan-Hawai‘i Vol. 18:23–24. Japan-Hawai’i Economic Council.

1998

(a)Mother-in-Law, Daughter-in-Law: A Case in Fiji Tsuushin 94:18. ILCAA.

1998

(b)Profile: Professor Apolonia Tamata. Tsuushin 94: 19. ILCAA.

1998

(c)Profile: Professor Lawrence Andrew Reid. Tsuushin 94: 20. ILCAA.

1998

(d)“Tradition” in Hawai‘i. Tsuushin 92: 36. ILCAA.

1998

(e)Writing Tradition and Speaking Tradition. Great Essays in Japan (Languages 93), pp. 182–185. Tokyo: Sakuhinsha. [Reprint of 1998d]

1998

(f)Writing Tradition and Speaking Tradition. Gengo 27 (2), pp. 4–5. Tokyo: Taishuukan-shoten.

1997

(a)Fijian Style Grilled Dish. Kokusai Gakujutsu Kenkyuu News Letter 36: 52.

1997

(b)A Japanese Way of Cooking, in Fiji. Kokusai Gakujutsu Kenkyuu News Letter 34: 18–19.

1996

(a)Coconut-Tree Climbing. Tsuushin 88: 15. ILCAA.

1996

(b)To Have Various Peoples in a Society. Vasa Lanumoana: 10th Anniversary Issue, pp. 57–64. Japan-Tuvalu Friendship Association.

1995

(a)Campus Report from the University of Hawai‘i (1)–(4). Vasa Lanumoana (16)–(19), Japan-Tuvalu Friendship Association.

1995

(b)My name. Tsuushin 84: 37. ILCAA.

Papers Read & Lectures Given:

2007: “Diachronic Typology of Applicative Constructions in Austronesian Languages.” 7 November 2007, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig.
2007: “Migration Routes in the Prehistory of Oceania Reflected in Languages.” (in Japanese) The Great Navigators in the Pacific (The international symposium commemorating the 30th anniversary of the opening of the National Museum of Ethnology, 22–23 September, 2007, National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan.
2007: “The Development of Passive Sentence Structures in Austronesian Languages.” The XVIIIth International Conference on Historical Linguistics, 6–10 August, 2007, University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada.
2007: “Applicative Constructions in Oceanic Languages Revisited.” The 7th International Conference on Oceanic Linguistics, 2–6 July, 2007, Nouméa, New Caledonia.
2007: “Three Argument Structures in Malagasy Languages.” International Institute for Asian Studies, 29 May, 2007, Leiden, the Netherlands.
2007: “The Development of Applicative Constructions in Austronesian Languages.” The Friday Afternoon Lecture Series, the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, 2 February, 2007, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden, the Netherlands.
2006: “A Linguistic Examination of the Changes in Number Systems in Oceanic Languages.” Annual Kansai Area Meeting of the Japanese Society for Oceanic Studies, 23 November, 2006, Kyoto.
2006: (With M. Intoh) “The Distribution of Terms Related to Turmeric (Curcuma domestica Valeton): Implications for Oceanic Culture History”, 13–14 November, 2006, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
2006: “Three Argument Sentences in Betsimisaraka Malagasy.” Meeting of the Inter-University Joint Research Project. A Typological Study of Voice in the World’s Languages, (Principal Investigator: W. Nakamura), 14 October, 2006, Osaka.
2006: “Learning a Language with No Grammatical Description.” Lecture for the first year Ph.D. students, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, 28 September, 2006, Osaka.
2006: “Development of Applicative Structures in Austronesian Languages.” Grammatical Change: Theory and Description to the Diachronic Linguistics Workshop of the Australian Linguistic Society Annual Conference, 9 July, 2006, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
2006: “‘Applicatives’ in Austronesian Languages.” Meeting of the Inter-University Joint Research Project. Ambiguity in Cross-Linguistic Examination (Principal Investigator: T. Kurebuto), 30 June, 2006, Hongo Satellite Building, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo.
2006: “The Meaning of ‘Truth’ in the Mass-Media Era and the ‘Discovery’ of the Tuesday Minpaku Seminar”, 17 June, 2006, National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka.
2006: “Culture and History in Hawai‘i.” Lecture for the second year students of Heian High School, 2 June, 2006, the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka.
2006: “Standardization, and Loss of the Knowledge of the Prehistory of Malagasy Languages and People”. Plenary presentation at the 3rd Oxford-Kobe Seminar. The Linguistics of Endangered Languages, 2–5, April, 2006, St. Catherine’s College, Oxford-Kobe Institute, Kobe.
2006: “Sentence Structures in a Malagasy Language, and Beyond.” Lecture given at the Seminar on Austronesian Syntax at the Department of Linguistics, 3 March, 2006, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu.
2006: “Transitivity in the Analysis of a Malagasy Language.” The 10th International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics (10-ICAL), 16–20 January, 2006, Philippines.
2006: “Historical Changes in the Casemarking of Pronouns in Extra-Formosan Languages.” The 10th International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics (10-ICAL), January 16-20, 2006, Philippines.
2005: (With S. Kinugasa) “An Application of GIS to Historical Linguistics.” The 17th International Conference on Historical Linguistics (ICHL17), 2 August, 2005, University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin.
2005: “Reconstructing the Proto-Malagasy Pronominal System.” The 17th International Conference on Historical Linguistics (ICHL17), 5 August, 2005, University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin.
2005: “A Reconstruction of the Proto-Malagasy Pronominal System: An Interim Report.” ILCAA (Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa) Joint Research Project on Advanced Research on the Indian Ocean, (Coodinator: Hideo Fukazawa), 23 July, 2005, ILCAA, Tokyo.
2005: “Basic Sentence Structures in Austronesian Languages: Clarifying the Processes and Preconditions of Their Developments.” National Museum of Ethnology, Research Seminar Series, 25 May, 2005, Osaka.
2005: “Number Systems in Oceanic Languages and Their Historical Development.” (in Japanese) AA-Ken Forum Seminar Series, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, 24 March, 2005, Tokyo.
2005: “The Development of the Comparative Method in the Field of Linguistics (in Japanese)”, 26 February, 2005, the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka.
2005: (With L. A. Reid) “Does Being Surrounded by an Ocean Make a Difference to Linguistic Development? ” Cases from Islands in Fiji and in the Philippines. The First Conference of the Small Island Cultures Research Initiative, 9 February, 2005, Kagoshima, Japan.
2004: “Distinguishing Direct Inheritance from Indirect Inheritance and Drift: A Case in Austronesian Languages.” Australian Linguistic Society Conference (ALS2004), 15 July, 2004, University of Sydney, Sydney.
2004: “Development of the Number Systems in Oceanic Pronoun Systems.” The 6th International Oceanic Linguistics Conference (COOL6), 5 July, 2004, University of the South Pacific, Emalus Campus, Port Vila, Vanuatu.
2004: “Did Proto-Oceanians Cultivate Cyrtosperma Taro?” An update. The 6th International Oceanic Linguistics Conference (COOL6), 8 July, 2004, University of the South Pacific, Emalus Campus, Port Vila, Vanuatu.
2004: “Ergative to Accusative ‘Drift’ in Austronesian Languages.” Seminar talk, Department of Linguistics, University of Hawai‘i, 9 February, 2004, Honolulu, Hawai‘i.
2003: “‘Drift’ from Ergative- to Accusative-Pattern Clitic Pronoun Systems: A Case in Austronesian Languages”. The 16th International Conference on Historical Linguistics, 14 August, 2003, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen.
2003: “The Two Genitive Clitic Pronoun Positions in Some Extra-Formosan Languages: An Examination of Their Historical Development.” Paper presented at the Workshop on Brunei-Borneo Studies, 11 August, 2003, University of Brunei, Brunei.
2003: “Did Proto-Oceanians Cultivate Cyrtosperma Taro?” ILCAA Linguistics Seminar Series, 30 May, 2003, Tokyo.
2002: Video lecture “Languages That Spread Across the Ocean.” (in Japanese) A Japan Ministry of Education of Science Production for the “El-Net Open College.” Broadcast on 21 December, 2002, (Rerun on 13 June, 2003).
2002: “Word Classes in Fijian” (in Japanese). ILCAA Linguistics Seminar Series, 18 November, 2002, Tokyo.
2002: (With I. W. Arka) “Applicatives and Argument Ranking in Two Austronesian Languages.” The 10th Congress of Indonesian Linguistics Society, 19 July, 2002, Udayana University, Bali.
2002: “Proto Oceanic Ergativity: Its Reconstruction and Development”. ILCAA Linguistics Seminar Series, 14 June, 2002.
2002: “Where Did Cyrtosperma Cultivation Start?” A Linguistic Examination.” (in Japanese) The 19th Meeting of the Japanese Society of Oceanic Studies, 23 March, 2002, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba.
2002: “Did Proto Oceanians Cultivate Cyrtosperma Taro?” Observations on the terms indicating taro plants in Oceanic languages. The 5th International Conference on Oceanic Linguistics, 14 January, 2002, Australian National University, Canberra.
2002: “Benefactive Expressions in Fijian and Their Historical Context.” Workshop on Benefactives at the 9th International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics, 10 January, 2002, Australian National University, Canberra.
2002: “Tracing the Reflexes of Proto Austronesian Genitive Clitic Pronouns.” The 9th International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics, 9 January, 2002, Australian National University, Canberra.
2001: “Taking Advantages of Both the Comparative Method and Syntactic Typology: An Examination of the Development of the Indonesian Basic Sentence Structures”. A seminar paper given at the ANU Historical Linguistics Seminars 2001, the Centre for Research on Language Change, 28 November, 2001, Australian National University, Canberra.
2001: “Undergoer Verbs in the Fijian Languages and Their Historical Development.” The conference of the Australian Linguistics Society, 28 September, 2001, Australian National University, Canberra.
2001: “A Preliminary Account of the Development of the Differences between the Indonesian and Oceanic Pronominal Systems.” The 15th International Conference on Historical Linguistics organized by La Trobe University, 13 August, 2001, Hotel Ibis, Melbourne.
2001: “Determining the Cognacy of Two ‘Similar’ Grammatical Forms: A Case Study.” A seminar paper given at the ANU Historical Linguistics Seminars 2001, 13 June, 2001, the Centre for Research on Language Change, Australian National University, Canberra.
2000: “An Ergative to Accusative Change in the Clitic Pronoun System of Central Pacific Languages”. A seminar paper given at the Department of Linguistics, the University of Western Australia, 24 July, 2000, Perth.
2000: “A Reconstruction of the Clitic Pronoun System of Proto-Central Pacific.” ALS2K (Australian Linguistics Society 2000) Conference, 9 July, 2000, Trinity College, the University of Melbourne, Melbourne.
2000: “An Ergative to Accusative Change in the Clitic Pronoun System of Central Pacific Languages.” A seminar paper given at the Department of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, the Australian National University, 30 June, 2000, Canberra.
2000: “The Fijian and Rotuman Actancy Systems and Their Historical Development.” The 7th Meeting of the Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association, 12 May, 2000, Vrije Universitaet, Amsterdam.
1999: “Syntactic Change between Ergative and Accusative Systems: Examples from Central Pacific Languages”. A Lecture given at the University of Hawai‘i, 640T Typology and Universals, 22 November, 1999, Honolulu.
1999: “Historical Implications of Syntactic Ambiguity Occurring in Fijian Languages.” The 4th International Conference on Oceanic Linguistics (4ICOL), 6 July, 1999, Niue.
1999: “Historical Development of Two Vi Forms in Fijian.” A seminar talk given at the Pacific Language Unit, the University of the South Pacific Emalus Campus, Vanuatu. 24 May, 1999, Port Vila.
1999: “To Live in a Foreign Culture: Examples from Oceania.” (in Japanese) A lecture given at a workshop for international student volunteers, 23 March, 1999, Niigata University, Niigata.
1999: (With L. A. Reid) “Potential Materials for the Study of Seafaring in the Prehistory of the South Pacific: Taking Terms for ‘Outrigger’ as an Example” (in Japanese). Meeting of the joint research project “Seafaring Customs in the Indian Ocean.” ILCAA, 13 March, Tokyo.
1998: “Languages and Cultures in the South Pacific.” (in Japanese) A lecture for international understanding, for second year students, at Bunrin Junior High School, 20 November, 1998, Tokyo.
1998: “Notes on Taro in Wailevu Village in Fiji.” (in Japanese) Meeting of the joint research project “Root Crop Agriculture in Oceania”, 12 June, 1998, the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka.
1998: “Verb Morphology and Transitivity in Fijian.” Meeting of the ILCAA joint research project “Transitivity and Actancy Systems in Syntactic Typology”. ILCAA, 7 June, 1998, Tokyo.
1998: “A Formal Analysis of the So-Called ‘Passive’ in Fijian.” The 5th Conference of the Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association (AFLA V), 29 March, 1998, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu.
1998: “A Reconstruction of the Main Verbal Structures in Proto-Central Pacific.” Tuesday Seminar, University of Hawai‘i, 19 February, 1998, Honolulu.
1998: “The History of Root-Crop Agriculture in Oceania from a Comparative Linguistics Point of View: An Introduction, Taro (1).” (in Japanese) Meeting of the joint research project “Root Crop Agriculture in Oceania ”, 24 January, 1998, the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka.
1997: “Comparative Syntax of Fijian and Tongan: How a Single Proto-Language Developed into Two Different Actancy Systems.” The 8th International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics (8ICAL), 28 December, 1997, Academia Sinica, Taipei.
1997: “Transitivity: The Lexicase Approach.” International Workshop on Language Contact and Typology, Session 1 “Transitivities”. ILCAA, 21 December, 1997, Tokyo.
1997: “Ergativity and Accusativity in Polynesian Languages: The Ergative System and Ergative Patterns in Diachronic Typology.” Second Conference of the Association of Linguistic Typology (ALT II), 13 September, 1997, University of Oregon, Eugene.
1997: “Transitivity and Ergativity in Polynesian Languages.” (in Japanese) A meeting of the project “Transitivity and Ergativity/Accusativity in Syntactic Typology.” ILCAA, 14 June, 1997, Tokyo.
1997: “An Introduction to Lexicase Grammatical Theory.” (in Japanese) Lectures given at study meetings of the ILCAA joint research project “Analysis and Description of Individual Languages and Linguistic Typology”. ILCAA, 14 and 21 February, 1997, Tokyo.
1997: “A Re-Examination of Grammatical Ergativity in Tongan.” The Third International Conference on Oceanic Linguistics (TRICOL), 15 January, 1997, University of Waikato, Hamilton.
1996: “The So-Called ‘Articles’ in the Wailevu Communalect of Fijian: determiners or Something Else?” The East-West Center Students' Conference, February 1996, University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu.
1995: “Where Did Suli Come from?” A study of the words connected to taro plants in Oceanic languages. The Second International Conference on Oceanic Linguistics (SICOL), July 1995, the University of the South Pacific, Suva.
1994: “On the Subject Pronoun Suffix-i in the Wailevu Communalect of Fijian.” (in Japanese), The 10th Conference of the Japanese Society of Oceanic Studies, March 1994, Shizuoka.
1993: “On the Meaning of ‘Saa’ in the Wailevu Communalect of Fijian.” (in Japanese), The 107th Conference of Japanese Linguistic Society, June 1993, University of Ehime, Ehime.
1993: “Village Life in Fiji.” (in Japanese) A talk for primary school children, Kumon Private School, Shiga, Japan.
1992: “Japanese Ways of Request: How They Ask and How They Respond.” Symposium on “The Japanese Mind”. School of Social and Economic Development, the University of the South Pacific, July 1992, Suva.