KAJIMURA Hideki
His Korean Classroom
TANAKA Akio
I first met KAJIMURA at 1970 and he taught me the Korean in the small class of foreign language.
Text was SONG Jihak’s “Chosono Immun” published by Daigaku Shorin. It was one of a few books for beginners of Korean at late 1960s in Japan. Korean texts were published a few, so we could usually see only 2 or 3 kinds at a large bookshop.
I was age 21 and KAJIMURA was 30s.
Class was opened in the forth period and the room was dim-lit in late autumn season.
In the same room, I was also taught Russian from CHINO Eiichi and MURAVIJOVA Natary.
I have good memories of learning foreign languages in that tiny room.
KAJIMURA was a high school teacher in those days and also teaching Korean history and language in several universities. Rightfully he ought to become the special professor of national institute but he abandoned all the right to pioneer the new frontier of Korea, for which East Asia researchers seemed to be less important.
I remembered his words that Korean grammar was once explained by using Russian grammar which was far apart from Korean and its family of language.
He said the words with smiling. “Such times surely exist in short period.” I felt that the times had been changing rapidly before ours, nobody believes that Russian and Korean are family languages.
He wore the round glasses and no neck-tie. Jacket was old and shoulders were always down a little for his thin shape.
When I was absent from my schedule in winter season, he wrote me a letter.
I wrote a reply immediately saying that Korean language was precious for me and I decided to keep learning the language all my life.
What I wrote there was true till now.
He also invited me to his home. But I could not depend too much to him.
But now I regret that I had not received his favour. Later when he became the professor of a university, I would go to his study room at once. But at that time I also did not go because I thought that this time I was always able to visit him.
He incessantly wrote the papers. A lot of researchers respected his sincere attitude of studying.
I did not meet him in those days.
And I suddenly heard his death.
He died from disease in 1989.
He taught me the Korean and further more sincerity of living style to the world.
Tokyo
4 April 2005
13 February 2016 Revised
15 May 2018 Revised
Sekinan Research Field of Language