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This paper examines the modes of contact and the developmental steps that came out of the high-frequency analysis of an isolated young patient and the corresponding counter-transference feeling of »closest distance«. With this concept, the paper examines the seemingly contradictory experience of both great closeness and vast distance in such a way that they can be viewed as complementary. The paper will examine this variable and emergent experience and will show how room for developing new relationship possibilities could develop out of the transference-countertransference experiences that take place in the communities and games available in the complex world of the internet. The question will be discussed as to how far the term hikikomori, coined in Japan for young people who have totally withdrawn from society, can be helpful in the treatment of secluded patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the anthropological assumption that languages express worldviews, the paper approaches the meaning of cosmopolitanism in Japanese from two directions. First, Western traditions of cosmopolitanism are examined. Anthropological cosmopolitanism is elaborated as a way of thinking that emphasizes cultural diversity. Second, the Japanese word kyôsei (共生) is considered as an equivalent to cosmopolitanism, revealing both similarities and differences in meaning. As ›conviviality‹ or ›symbiosis of dissimilarities‹, kyôsei points to ways of overcoming the implicit anthropocentrism of Western thought. From an educational perspective, Western and Japanese cosmopolitan thought overlap in notions of intercultural education. In the current political discourse in Japan, however, kyôsei has turned into an anticosmopolitan pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Der Beitrag beschreibt den Prozess der Umstellung eines Deutschprogramms an einer japanischen Universität auf ein konsequent aufgabenbasiertes Curriculum. Es werden die Erfahrungen, Probleme und Ergebnisse dieser Veränderungen aus der Sicht der beteiligten Lehrenden dargestellt. Im Anschluss an einen kurzen Überblick zur Situation des Deutschunterrichts in Japan werden zunächst die Gründe für die Entwicklung des neuen Programmes aufgezeigt sowie die theoretischen Überlegungen, die ihnen zugrunde lagen. Im Zentrum des Beitrags stehen die im Verlauf von vier Jahren zutage getretenen und zu bewältigenden Konflikte sowie das gemeinsame Ringen der Lehrenden um Lösungen. Die Darstellung schließt mit einem Blick auf bisher erreichte Ergebnisse. In this paper we describe the implementation of a strictly task-based curriculum in a German language program at a Japanese university, illustrating the experiences, challenges and results from the point of view of the teachers involved. After a brief overview of the situation of teaching German at Japanese universities in general we explain the reasons leading to the development of the new program as well as the underlying theoretical considerations. The focus of this article is on the conflicts, which emerged over the course of the four years since the implementation of the task-based curriculum, and the combined efforts of the teaching staff to find solutions. Finally, we present an overview of the achievements to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]