USAGE AND MEANING OF INFORMATION IN JAPANESE

Japanese term 'joho' was coined in 1876. The meaning of 'joho' nearly correspond to 'information' in English. This paper discuss the gap between the definition of 'joho' or 'information' in books or papers and the usage of this term in daily life. Many discussions and definitions about the meaning of information by researchers emphasize four common factors; evaluation, acceptance, difference between information and data, and strong relationship to knowledge. Based on the survey of magazines, newspapers, BBS, and TV programs in Japanese, 934 phrases, which include the term 'information', 'data', or 'knowlede', are collected. In some phrases in these media, the term 'information' was used for something not evaluate, or not accept by recipient, and 'data' was exchangeable for 'information'. Finally, categorization of 'information based on the usage in daily life is conducted.