Listing things off: Using Hitotsu repeatedly


I've seen shows where they list things (etc rules, principles) with hitotsu
for every point. I would expect hitotsu, futatsu... etc, to be the norm but it
doesn't seem so. It didn't seem to be a running gag in the show I've watched
for the char to mix things up or have short term memory, and I've seen it used
more than once in diff places.

Is using hitotsu repeatedly just a way of starting a new point without having
to go through the hassle of keeping track of the order and number of points
being listed? In the same way we would probably just say "next point"?




Using 一つ for every entry is actually an older and more traditional style of
listing than using sequential numbers. Historically, Japan didn't have a
tradition of assigning numbers to listed items; each item would simply be
marked with 一 or 一つ to indicate that it was "one" of a set of items, in a
similar manner to a bulleted list.

This style of listing is nowadays particularly associated with codes (of
honour, conduct etc.) in traditional institutions. This is perhaps because
preceding each rule with 一つ is conducive to _reciting_ them in a very
traditional-sounding manner.

Another appealing point of this style of listing, particularly for rules and
principles, is that it implies all rules are of equal and paramount
importance, whereas a numbered list might imply a hierarchy that isn't
actually desired.

Here's a relevant page in Japanese, if you're interested:
<https://okwave.jp/qa/q6042515.html>

