Writing in Japanese to explore and justify varied ideas and perspectives
Writing in Japanese to explore and justify varied ideas and perspectives
This domain asks you to write coherent Japanese that explores more than one viewpoint and justifies your position. A strong response has a clear thesis, reasons with examples, acknowledgement of a counter-view, and a conclusion that follows. Japanese is assessed for communication and coherence, not just grammatical accuracy, so organise before you write.
Core rules and concepts
- Plan 序論→本論→結論. One paragraph = one claim + reason + example.
- Justify with ～からだ, ～ため, ～によって, 例えば, 実際に, データによると.
- Explore perspectives with 確かに～しかし, 一方で, ～という意見もあるが, ～とは限らない.
- Keep register consistent: です・ます for formal essays and emails; plain form for a personal blog if the model requires it.
- Use cohesive markers: まず, 次に, さらに, したがって, このように.
Worked example
Prompt: Should high school students do part-time work? Thesis: 私は、高校生がアルバイトをすることに賛成だ。 Reason: 社会経験が得られ、責任感も育つからだ。 Example: 接客では敬語や時間管理を学べる。 Counter: 確かに勉強時間は減る。しかし、短時間なら両立できる。 Conclusion: したがって、時間制限などの条件付きで賛成だ。 Reasoning: the thesis answers the prompt; each reason is linked by からだ; the counter is conceded then limited; the conclusion matches the thesis rather than introducing a new idea.
Traps that cost marks
- No explicit position, or a conclusion that contradicts the introduction.
- Listing opinions without reasons or examples.
- Ignoring the counter-perspective the task asks you to explore.
- Translating English idioms literally; use Japanese collocations you have seen.
- Mixing plain and polite forms within one text, or overusing とても and すごい.