Why do the Japanese use loanwords for words that have functional equivalents?


It strikes me, reading Japanese that katakana is often used for words that
have functional equivalents in the Japanese language. Why is this? For
instance, using ビル as opposed to 建物。

Or ブルー instead of 青い.

Or ジュース. Am I supposed to believe the Japanese never smashed fruit to drink
the liquid before they "met the west"?

Most other languages are not so accommodating.




In my expererience and from some research I did for an essay back in
University, this stems as a large part of the "Westernisation" of Japanese
words in the lead up to and immediately following the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in
preparation for the influx of foreigners that were expected as well as a
slight difference in meanings. JR (Then JNR) changed all it's stations sign to
also include a romaji reading during this period. It became "fashionable" to
have the name of a shop etc. to feature a "modern", foreign-sounding name as
the Showa era went on, leading to a peak in about the early 80s. There has
been a lot of complaints directed at NHK, especially for Katakana-ising words
which have functional equivalents leading to many elderly people unable to
understand some broadcasts. Further, it appears as though at least the words
you mention, differ slightly in meaning between their origin language (the
katakana part) and the Japanese use (the kanji) as below.

For example.

  * 建物 means any built, freestanding structure (Tokyo Tower, Roppongi Hills Apartments, a random office block in Nihonbashi, Tokyo Sky Tree)
  * ビル means specificallybuilding (In which case Tokyo Tower and the Sky Tree would not be included whereas Roppongi Hills Apartments, a random office block in Nihonbashi would be) 

* * *

  * 青い the Japanese 青い is a kind of aqua colour (the Japanese traffic light "green" equivalent)
  * ブルー blue in this instance would be akin to something like rgb(0,0,255) / a solid blue colour

* * *

  * 果汁 fruit juice
  * ジュース can mean fruit juice, carbonated drinks like coca cola and other like drinks etc.




In my expererience and from some research I did for an essay back in
University, this stems as a large part of the "Westernisation" of Japanese
words in the lead up to and immediately following the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in
preparation for the influx of foreigners that were expected as well as a
slight difference in meanings. JR (Then JNR) changed all it's stations sign to
also include a romaji reading during this period. It became "fashionable" to
have the name of a shop etc. to feature a "modern", foreign-sounding name as
the Showa era went on, leading to a peak in about the early 80s. There has
been a lot of complaints directed at NHK, especially for Katakana-ising words
which have functional equivalents leading to many elderly people unable to
understand some broadcasts. Further, it appears as though at least the words
you mention, differ slightly in meaning between their origin language (the
katakana part) and the Japanese use (the kanji) as below.

For example.

  * 建物 means any built, freestanding structure (Tokyo Tower, Roppongi Hills Apartments, a random office block in Nihonbashi, Tokyo Sky Tree)
  * ビル means specificallybuilding (In which case Tokyo Tower and the Sky Tree would not be included whereas Roppongi Hills Apartments, a random office block in Nihonbashi would be) 

* * *

  * 青い the Japanese 青い is a kind of aqua colour (the Japanese traffic light "green" equivalent)
  * ブルー blue in this instance would be akin to something like rgb(0,0,255) / a solid blue colour

* * *

  * 果汁 fruit juice
  * ジュース can mean fruit juice, carbonated drinks like coca cola and other like drinks etc.

