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The Flutter framework with Dart programming allows developers to effortlessly build applications for both web and mobile from a single codebase. It enables efficient conversions to native codes for mobile apps and optimized JavaScript for web browsers. Since utilizing a wide range of widgets in Flutter ensures consistent experiences on various devices for users, it becomes crucial in programming education by providing a unified environment for learning app development while reducing the need for platform-specific knowledge. However, the setup of the Flutter environment is challenging for novice students due to its multiple steps, such as installing dependencies and configuring environments. To support independent learning for these students, it is essential to simplify the setup by providing user-friendly instructions and automated tools. In this paper, we present a Docker-based environment for Flutter app developments across Windows, Linux, and Mac through Visual Studio Code, ensuring a unified learning experience. This paper aims to simplify complex configurations and address the obstacles encountered by students when initiating Flutter projects. For the evaluation, we prepared three simple Flutter projects along with the setup environment in a Docker container. Then, we asked 24 Master's students at Okayama University, Japan, to install the environment and modify the source codes in the projects independently by following the given instructions. The results show that all the students successfully completed the assignments, which confirms the efficiency and validity of our proposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This research explores the initial skepticism and bewilderment among zoo staff about animal welfare and environmental enrichment introduced in Japanese zoos in the mid-1990s. Based on the results of a 2001 questionnaire survey conducted by the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums and publicly available literature, this paper demonstrates that this skepticism and confusion are not simply due to wariness of a new initiative but to a complex combination of factors, including inadequate information, historical and cultural context, and differing perceptions of animal care in the legal system. For example, it was shown that in the early 2000s, environmental enrichment was misinterpreted as exhibit strategy, leading to resistance from zoo staff. This misinterpretation and resistance can be traced back to the post-World War II popularity of mobile zoos and the legal perception of animals as mere "living beings", not "sentient beings" under Japan's Animal Protection Law. Through the analysis of a case study in Japan in the early 2000s, this paper aims to identify some of the early challenges to introducing and practicing animal welfare and environmental enrichment in non-Western cultures and contribute to better understanding and practice. Despite regional differences, this study aims to contribute to understanding and improving the universal acceptance and application of animal welfare. This study examines the Japanese zoo staff's initial skepticism and bewilderment regarding animal welfare and environmental enrichment in the mid-1990s. Utilizing a 2001 questionnaire conducted by the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums and existing literature reveals that this resistance stemmed from inadequate information, cultural history, and legal perspectives on animal care. Specifically, environmental enrichment was initially misunderstood as an exhibition strategy, partly due to post-WWII trends in mobile zoos and legal views of animals as non-sentient under Japan's Animal Protection Law. The research highlights the early hurdles in adopting animal welfare and environmental enrichment in non-Western settings, aiming to provide insights for other regions dealing with similar transitional challenges. It also addresses misperceptions about environmental enrichment in the context of empathetic relationships and professional ethics in Japanese zoology, offering insights into regions facing similar issues. Additionally, the paper discusses the progression of animal welfare practices in Japanese zoos and related managerial challenges, acknowledging cultural and institutional factors. Despite regional differences, this study aims to contribute to understanding and improving the universal acceptance and application of animal welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maritime route connecting the Chinese continent and the Japanese archipelago facilitated a significant exchange of commercial goods and sociocultural knowledge throughout the Southern Song dynasty. Within this context, Japanese pilgrim monks traveling along this route acted as key conduits for the transmission of Buddhist teachings. Their journeys profoundly influenced the establishment and development of new Buddhist monasteries in Japan. Focusing on biographical accounts that portray the experiences of these pilgrim monks during their twelfth- and thirteenth-century sea voyages, this paper aims to explore how these accounts drew on intertextual links with existing Buddhist records to fulfill the compilers' intentions. Specifically, this paper examines the structure and sources of biographical accounts detailing miraculous encounters between pilgrim monks and Buddhist deities during perilous situations at sea. By interpreting the role of these deities in the corpus of Buddhist literature and within Japanese Buddhist monasteries founded by pilgrim monks, this paper argues that the increasing emphasis on pilgrim monks' attainment of divine protection in their biographical records suggests a growing concern for reinforcing the authority of their dharma lineages. Moreover, the composition and reception of these miraculous accounts reflected the changing religious needs and reshaped strategies for promoting specific Buddhist sects in subsequent periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most significant interannual signal in the tropical Pacific, the influence of ENSO on the interannual variability in TC genesis location in the western North Pacific (WNP) has received much attention in previous studies. This paper mainly emphasizes the underlying SST factors independent of the ENSO signal and explores how they modulate interannual tropical cyclone genesis (TCG) latitude variability. Our study finds that the meridional sea temperature gradient (SSTG) between the Kuroshio Extension and the WNP still has a significant effect on the interannual variability in the TCG latitude after removing the effect of ENSO (r = 0.6). The interannual forecasts of the TCG latitude were effectively improved from 0.67 to 0.81 when the ENSO-independent SSTG and ENSO were regressed together in a multi-linear regression. We then propose an ENSO-independent physical mechanism affecting the TCG latitude. The equatorward (poleward) SSTG excited the positive (negative) Pacific–Japan telecorrelation pattern over the WNP, forming Rossby wave trains and propagating northward. A significant cyclonic vortex (anticyclonic vortex) with strong convective development (suppression) developed near 20° N, leading more TCs to the northern (southern) part of the WNP. These findings provide a new perspective for the prediction of the interannual variability in the TCG latitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global energy landscape transitions towards a more sustainable future, hydrogen has emerged as a promising energy carrier due to its potential to decarbonize various sectors. However, the economic competitiveness of hydrogen production by water electrolysis strongly depends on renewable energy source (RES) availability. Thus, it is necessary to overcome the challenges related to the intermittent nature of RESs. This paper presents a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of complementing green hydrogen production with grid electricity. An evaluation model for the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) is proposed, considering both CO2 emissions and the influence of RES fluctuations on electrolyzers. A minimum load restriction is required to avoid crossover gas. Moreover, a new operation strategy is developed for hydrogen production plants to determine optimal bidding in the grid electricity market to minimize the LCOH. We evaluate the feasibility of the proposed approach with a case study based on data from the Kyushu area in Japan. The results show that the proposed method can reduce the LCOH by 11% to 33%, and increase hydrogen productivity by 86% to 140%, without significantly increasing CO2 emission levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zen practice is often associated with aloof silence and introspection. However, any visitor to a Japanese Zen training temple will be surprised by the abundance and richness of the acoustic environment. In effect, every moment of the training schedule is accompanied, chronicled, and choreographed by percussions and chanting vocals. This paper will introduce this sonic environment and explain how different sounds construct the training experience. In particular, I will focus on sound instruments that coordinate daily activities, such as bells, gongs, drums, and the like, arguing that they are essential to Zen practice. The first part of the paper explains the unique characteristics of a Japanese Zen training temple, focusing on ritual sound instruments and their place within the monastic soundspace. The second part examines the meaning of these instruments as described in Zen canonical writing, focusing mainly on Baizang's monastic regulation and different references to it by Japanese masters throughout history. The third part explores how contemporary monastics understand sound instruments and their function in regulating the body, conveying values, and evoking spiritual transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a substantial rise in life expectancy throughout the last century, society faces the imperative of seeking inventive approaches to foster active aging and provide adequate aging care. The e-VITA initiative, jointly funded by the European Union and Japan, centers on an advanced virtual coaching methodology designed to target essential aspects of promoting active and healthy aging. This paper describes the technical framework underlying the e-VITA virtual coaching system platform and presents preliminary feedback on its use. At its core is the e-VITA Manager, a pivotal component responsible for harmonizing the seamless integration of various specialized devices and modules. These modules include the Dialogue Manager, Data Fusion, and Emotional Detection, each making distinct contributions to enhance the platform's functionalities. The platform's design incorporates a multitude of devices and software components from Europe and Japan, each built upon diverse technologies and standards. This versatile platform facilitates communication and seamless integration among smart devices such as sensors and robots while efficiently managing data to provide comprehensive coaching functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the utilization of the mantra of light and its associated maṇḍala practices by Wang Hongyuan 王弘願 (1876–1937), a Chinese Buddhist during the Republican Period, and his adherents, which has not yet been noticed by previous scholars. With the import of esoteric Buddhist doctrines and practices from Japan, the mantra of light, which was a rarely used mantra in pre-modern China, gained renewed significance. This led to the widespread adoption of the ritual practices of this mantra by Wang Hongyuan and his surrounding Buddhist groups in early modern China. The rituals of this mantra were used as a supplement or substitute for near-death Pure Land practices. This paper presents Pure Land Buddhist practices intertwined with esoteric Buddhist elements or "esoteric" approaches to Pure Land rebirth in modern Chinese Buddhism which have been overlooked by previous scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Ctenolepisma calvum, commonly known as the ghost silverfish, is an insect that lives in buildings, including museums, libraries, and archives. It is regarded as a pest of paper-based objects. Recently, C. calvum was discovered in several areas of Japan for the first time, and it may be a new threat to the conservation of collections that are of cultural and historical importance. Because the biological characteristics of this species in Japan are not well known, we observed their growth and reproduction. We found that eggs were laid from April to November, especially in early June, and eggs usually hatched within two months. The young insects grew through molting, and started laying eggs the next year. Females laid around 10 or more eggs at one time, and they were able to lay eggs once or more per year. Through this study, only females were found, and they were able to reproduce without male individuals. Further research on practical control methods for this species in museums and other facilities is required. Ctenolepisma calvum (Ritter, 1910) (Zygentoma: Lepismatidae) is a primitive wingless insect that causes damage to paper, and it is regarded as a pest of collections in museums, archives, and libraries. This species was recently discovered in Japan for the first time and may have already spread over large areas of Japan, but, currently, no information is available on the biological characteristics of C. calvum in Japan. In this study, we observed the processes of development and reproduction of C. calvum found in Japan at room temperature. Oviposition was observed from April to November, with a peak in early June. The average egg period was 56.9 days at average temperatures above 24.0 °C, and was 72.4 days at average temperatures below 24.0 °C. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd instars lasted 4.7 days, 13.2 days, and 26.1 days on average, respectively, at average temperatures above 22.0 °C. Average instar periods were 23–28 days in 4th–7th instars and tended to increase in later instars. Instar periods also increased when the average temperature was 22.0 °C or lower. In individual rearing, the longest-living individual lived for approximately two years, up to the 15th instar. The head width grew at an approximate ratio of 1.1 per molt. First oviposition occurred at the 10th or 11th instar. Individually observed females oviposited once or twice a year, laying 6–16 eggs at one time, but females at least two years old laid 78.2 eggs per year on average in a mass-culture cage. Through this study, only females were found, and the mature females produced their progenies parthenogenetically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron density (Ne), ion density (Ni), and electron temperature (Te) statistics recorded by the DEMETER satellite payload ISL (Instrument Sonde de Langmuir) were used to study the disturbance characteristics of the ionosphere before solid earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher in Japan during the summer of 2005 – 2009 , to provide more information and methods for the coupling mechanism and short-range earthquake prediction. In this paper, the region of ± 10 ° of the epicenter is divided into 1 ° × 1 ° pixels, and the background field of each parameter is constructed using data without earthquakes and relatively calm space weather. We also define a measure of the perturbation intensity of ionospheric parameters relative to the background field during the occurrence of earthquakes. The analysis results of the four Japanese earthquakes from space and time show an excellent synchronization in the time and area of the anomalies in ionospheric parameters of the four cases. All four instances showed Ne abnormalities, and three showed Ni and Te anomalies, in which N e and Ni increased or decreased abnormally, while Te increased abnormally every time, and the anomalies mainly occurred about 9–12 days before the earthquake. This paper eliminates the influence of solar, geomagnetic, and satellite data defects on the experimental results as much as possible in data screening and method selection. The results partially agree with the conclusions reported in the existing literature, and the obtained anomalies are somewhat related to the ionospheric precursors of earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents additional notes on the carabid genus Nebria subgenus Falcinebria Ledoux and Roux, 2005 from Japan: a description of a new species Nebria suzukana sp. nov. from Mt. Gozaishodake; a new distribution and the southwesternmost collection record of Nebria furcata Sasakawa, 2020 from Mt. Uchimiyama; an additional record of Nebria kobushicola Sasakawa, 2023 from the Yatsugatake Mountains; and an additional record of an undetermined species from the Iide Mountains that was previously treated as Nebria taketoi Habu, 1962, with a note on its habitat. In addition, a key to the known species of Nebria (Falcinebria) from Honshu is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the local beliefs of the sea gods in Japan, represented by the Sumiyoshi Sanjin 住吉三神, and their acceptance of the foreign culture of Mazu 媽祖. While there are many differences between the two in terms of their backgrounds, functions, and identities, the evolution of Japanese sea god beliefs has been characterized by a gradual acceptance of Mazu culture, culminating in the co-culturing of the two in shrines. This paper adopts an empirical research design to compare the local beliefs of the sea gods in Japan with the culture of Mazu and to analyze the reasons for their acceptance of Mazu culture from the perspective of the other. This article argues that the Japanese sea gods accepted Mazu for two reasons: the tangibility of Mazu's beliefs and the superb spirituality of Mazu's beliefs. Superb spirituality means effective protection, both in terms of safety at sea and swiftness in rescuing shipwrecks, and in terms of the smooth running of the fishing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the relationship between the vertical ground motion and ionospheric disturbances before the Kumamoto earthquake on 16 April 2016, in Kyushu, Japan, using the vertical ground motion measured by slant gauges widely distributed in Kyushu, and the NmF2 observed by ionosondes in Japan and another region. We provide evidence that vertical ground motion excites internal gravity waves (IGWs) that disturb changes in the ionospheric plasma density. From the spectral analysis results of the vertical ground motion data, the summation of various period (frequency) components analyzed from the original data of the slant gauge shows a possible correlation with the change of NmF2 before the earthquake. On the other hand, the influence of the geomagnetic disturbance on vertical ground motion seems to exist. However, we cannot confirm that vertical ground motion is influenced by the geomagnetic disturbance (Kp index) and that the earthquake is triggered by the geomagnetic disturbance. There are two conditions for the vertical ground motion to disturb variations in the ionospheric plasma density: (1) The effective vertical ground motion period should be shorter than 5 h. In addition, (2) vertical ground motion should continue to exist so that wave energy can be continuously injected into the atmosphere. A possible mechanism with which to modify the ionosphere is discussed. The results of this study can provide a basis for the future ionospheric precursors of earthquakes by using the vertical ground motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 70% of global tsunamis are generated within the pan Pacific Ocean region. This paper reports on detailed analysis of civilian video footage from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, Japan. Comprehensive scientific analysis of tsunami video footage can yield valuable insights into geophysical processes and impacts. Civili22an video footage captured during the 2011 Tohoku, East Honshu, Japan tsunami was critically examined to identify key tsunami processes and estimate local inundation heights and flow velocity in Kesennuma City. Significant tsunami processes within the video were captured and orientated in ArcGIS Pro to create an OIC (Oriented Imagery Catalogue). The OIC was published to ArcGIS Online, and the oriented imagery was configured into an interactive website. Flow velocity was estimated by quantifying the distance and time taken for an object to travel between two known points in the video. Estimating inundation height was achieved by taking objects with known or calculable dimensions and measuring them against maximum local inundation height observations. The oriented imagery process produced an interactive Experience Builder app in ArcGIS Online, highlighting key tsunami processes captured within the video. The estimations of flow velocity and local inundation height quantified during video analysis indicate flow speeds ranging from 2.5–4.29 m/s and an estimated maximum local run-up height of 7.85 m in Kesennuma City. The analysis of civilian video footage provides a remarkable opportunity to investigate tsunami impact in localised areas of Japan and around the world. These data and analyses inform tsunami hazard maps, particularly in reasonably well-mapped terrains with remote access to landscape data. The results can aid in the understanding of tsunami behaviours and help inform effective mitigation strategies in tsunami-vulnerable areas. The affordable, widely accessible analysis and methodology presented here has numerous applications, and does not require highly sophisticated equipment. Tsunamis are a significant to major geohazard globally including many Pacific Island states, e.g., Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Tonga. Video footage geoscientific analysis, as here reported, can benefit tsunami and cyclone storm surge hazards in the Pacific Islands region and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an unconventional clean resource with huge reserves and a wide distribution, natural gas hydrates (NGHs) have good application prospects. However, due to limited understanding and available production technology for NGHs, there is still a large gap between current production tests and commercial exploitation. A breakthrough in reservoir stimulation technologies is key to realizing the industrialization of NGHs in the future. Through a comprehensive summary of hydrate production test cases in Japan and China, this paper highlights the difficulties in the transformation of weakly-consolidated reservoirs. By systematically reviewing the theory and technology of hydrate reservoir transformation and engineering applications, this paper elucidates in detail the technical principles and mechanisms of several available stimulation technologies for weakly-consolidated reservoirs, and assesses the feasibility of their application to increase the production of NGHs. Existing problems and challenges are summarized and future prospects are discussed. Finally, suggestions are put forward for research and development of transformation technology for weakly-consolidated NGHs reservoirs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societies of the East are often contrasted with those of the West in their stances toward technology. This paper explores these perceived differences in the context of international ethics guidance for artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Japan serves as an example of the East, while Europe and North America serve as examples of the West. The paper's principal aim is to demonstrate that Western values predominate in international ethics guidance and that Japanese values serve as a much-needed corrective. We recommend a hybrid approach that is more inclusive and truly 'international'. Following an introduction, the paper examines distinct stances toward robots that emerged in the West and Japan, respectively, during the aftermath of the Second World War, reflecting history and popular culture, socio-economic conditions, and religious worldviews. It shows how international ethics guidelines reflect these disparate stances, drawing on a 2019 scoping review that examined 84 international AI ethics documents. These documents are heavily skewed toward precautionary values associated with the West and cite the optimistic values associated with Japan less frequently. Drawing insights from Japan's so-called 'moonshot goals', the paper fleshes out Japanese values in greater detail and shows how to incorporate them more effectively in international ethics guidelines for AI and robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, we describe a new genus and species of hydromedusa belonging to the family Halimedusidae (Hydrozoa, Anthoathecata) that is found off Oarai, Sagami Bay, and Tosa Bay, Japan. This family comprises four species in three genera: Halimedusa, Tiaricodon, and Urashimea. The new genus and species can be distinguished from all other Halimedusidae species by genetic sequences and morphological characteristics. A comparative table of the primary diagnostic characteristics of the genus Halimedusa is provided. In addition, the diagnosis of Halimedusidae was modified. Jellyfish blooms cause serious problems in fishing, industry and public health. This paper contributed to the understanding of ecology and diversity of jellyfish on our planet. Approximately 300 species of cnidarian jellyfish have been reported in Japanese waters. However, many specimens remain unidentified. In this study, taxonomic investigations, including morphological observations and molecular 16S phylogenetic analyses, were conducted on unknown specimens collected off Oarai, Sagami Bay, and Tosa Bay, Japan. The specimens have the following morphological characteristics: distinct peaks in jelly above the base of the manubrium, a red band on the manubrium, and cylindrical marginal bulbs, each with an abaxial ocellus that is common to the family Halimedusidae. However, the specimens can be distinguished from other Halimedusidae species by their eight radial canals, eight tentacles with numerous stalked nematocyst knobs, and eight nematocyst tracks on the exumbrella. Moreover, molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Kimura two-parameter distance between the specimens and other Halimedusa species was 0.066–0.099, which is considered to represent intergeneric variability. Based on this result, we described it as a new species and established a new genus for taxonomic stabilization. We also emended the diagnostic characters of the family Halimedusidae owing to the establishment of the new genus. Halimedusidae comprises five species in four genera. This paper provides taxonomic keys for the identification of species in the family Halimedusidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai volcano on 15 January 2022 was the first powerful explosive eruption in history to be recorded with high quality by a wide range of geophysical equipment. The atmospheric Lamb wave caused by the explosion repeatedly circled the Earth and served as one of the reasons for the formation of tsunami waves. In this paper, the Lamb wave manifestations are analyzed in the recordings of tsunamimeters, i.e., in data from DONET and DART pressure sensors located in the area of the Japanese Islands. The work is aimed at studying the physics of the formation of pressure variations at the ocean floor in order to develop a method for isolating free gravity waves in records obtained by bottom pressure sensors. Within the framework of shallow water theory, an analysis of the response of the water layer to the atmospheric Lamb wave was performed. This response combines a forced perturbation, the amplitude of which depends on the depth of the ocean, and free gravity waves arising as a result of the restructuring of the forced perturbation on the submarine slopes. Analytical formulas are given for the amplitude and energy of the forced perturbation and free waves arising at the depth jump. With the aid of numerical simulation, the finite length of a slope was revealed to significantly affect the parameters of free waves when exceeding 50 km. The analysis of in situ data (DONET, DART) confirms the validity of theoretical concepts presented in the work. In particular, it is shown that variations of bottom pressure in the deep ocean exceed the amplitude of atmospheric pressure fluctuations in the Lamb wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper investigates the evolving defense cooperation between India and Japan in the context of the strategic landscape in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly considering China's rise. The existing literature recognizes China's increasing influence as a significant factor in India-Japanese security cooperation, but tends to overlook the dynamics behind India's shifting stance. The study reveals that India initially hesitated to actively engage in anti-China security cooperation with Japan until the mid-2010s, but later adopted a more proactive partnership. An analysis of policy documents, political speeches, and government records attributes India's initial reluctance to its commitment to non-alignment and strategic autonomy, its desire to balance relations with both China and Japan, and its domestic political priorities favoring economic development over military expansion or strategic alliances. However, growing concerns over China's assertiveness, military modernization, a change in political leadership, and the Quad's development as a regional security platform have prompted India's attitude shift. The research's recommendations not only offer a roadmap for India, Japan, and other Indo-Pacific countries with deep economic ties to China, but also help combat China's military threats to contribute to regional stability and security, address common challenges, and foster a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan is often surrounded by the myth of featuring a unique "love for nature", and its traditional culture and lifestyle as having been "in harmony with nature" before it was corrupted by modernization and Westernization. In this paper, I employ three examples to delineate images of nature in different times of Japanese history and point out the discrepancy between discourse on nature and physical engagement with nature. I argue that the environmental destruction that peaked in the Meiji period (1868–1912) is not primarily derived from a new, dualistic Euro-American understanding of nature. Rather, I demonstrate that environmental harm was already inherent in premodern Japan and was reconcilable with the respective concepts of nature. Therefore, industrialization and the adoption of Western technology solely released the potential for large-scale environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early Japanese books, classical humanities resources in Japan, have great historical and cultural value. However, Kuzushi-ji, the old character in early Japanese books, is scratched, faded ink, and lost due to weathering and deterioration over the years. The restoration of deteriorated early Japanese books has tremendous significance in cultural revitalization. In this paper, we introduce augmented identity loss and propose enhanced CycleGAN for deteriorated character restoration, which combines domain discriminators and augmented identity loss. This enhanced CycleGAN makes it possible to restore multiple levels of deterioration in the early Japanese books. It obtains the high readability of the actual deteriorated characters, which is proved by higher structural similarity(SSIM) and accuracy of deep learning models than standard CycleGAN and traditional image processing. In particular, SSIM increases by 8.72%, and the accuracy of ResNet50 for damaged characters improves by 1.1% compared with the competitive CycleGAN. Moreover, we realize the automatic restoration of pages of early Japanese books written about 300 years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19, which broke out globally in 2019, is an infectious disease caused by a novel strain of coronavirus, and its spread is highly contagious and concealed. Environmental vectors play an important role in viral infection and transmission, which brings new difficulties and challenges to disease prevention and control. In this paper, a type of differential equation model is constructed according to the spreading functions and characteristics of exposed individuals and environmental vectors during the virus infection process. In the proposed model, five compartments were considered, namely, susceptible individuals, exposed individuals, infected individuals, recovered individuals, and environmental vectors (contaminated with free virus particles). In particular, the re-positive factor was taken into account (i.e., recovered individuals who have lost sufficient immune protection may still return to the exposed class). With the basic reproduction number R 0 of the model, the global stability of the disease-free equilibrium and uniform persistence of the model were completely analyzed. Furthermore, sufficient conditions for the global stability of the endemic equilibrium of the model were also given. Finally, the effective predictability of the model was tested by fitting COVID-19 data from Japan and Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency of cleft lip and palate births in Japan is approximately 0.146%. The study aimed to compare the effects of NAM on restoring nasal morphology and improving extraoral nasal morphology in children with cleft lip and palate in the first stage of treatment using 3D imaging and oral model analysis. The subjects were five infants (37.6 ± 14.4 days old) with unilateral cleft lip and palate. The images taken with the 3D analyzer and oral model used for constructing the NAM at the first examination (baseline) and at the completion of the pre-surgical orthodontic treatment (157.8 ± 37.8 days old) were analyzed. The cleft distance was measured at the upper, middle, and lower points on the 3D images. On the model, the cleft jaw width at the maximum protrusion of the healthy and affected sides of the alveolar bone was measured. After the pre-surgical orthopedic treatment, the measured value on the model decreased significantly by a mean of 8.3 mm from baseline, and the cleft lip width narrowed by an average of 2.8 ± 2.2, 4.3 ± 2.3, and 3.0 ± 2.8 mm at the upper, middle, and lower points of the cleft, respectively. Pre-surgical orthopedic treatment using NAM can help narrow the width of the cleft jaw and lip. The sample size is stated at the study limit in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three Japanese Buddhist scriptural manuscripts related to the practice of calling back the soul are kept in Nanatsudera, Hōbodaiin in Toji, and Kōshōji, respectively. They show complex lineage connections that have been discussed little. This paper discusses the relations between the two sutras contained in the three manuscripts, traces their respective origins, and analyzes how Japanese authors transformed the apocryphal sutras into a liturgical text. Both the Nanatsudera and the Hōbodaiin manuscripts consist of the Sutra on Calling Back the Soul, while the Kōshōji manuscript comprises the Duxing Sutra. All of them were classified as Buddhist apocrypha written by Chinese authors. While the two sutras share similar text structures and the use of words, their contents reveal remarkable differences. The Sutra on Calling Back the Soul focuses mainly on how to release the souls of the dead and how to prevent fulian (reconnection with the dead), while the Duxing Sutra focuses on the healing of diseases and the alleviation of disasters through the restitution of the souls of the living. The Sutra on Calling Back the Soul has exerted a long-lasting effect in Japan where it was paraphrased into a liturgical text for the removal of disasters and the prolongation of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues how the study of religion in Japan influenced the nation's conduct during the Asia-Pacific War (1931–1945). Specifically, the paper addresses the wartime national indoctrination texts of Katō Totsudō 加藤咄堂 (a.k.a. Katō Yūichirō 加藤熊一郎, 1870–1949). Although Katō was not strictly a religious scholar, analyzing Katō's texts is significant in understanding the influence of religious theory and religious studies discourse on Japanese society during the war. To illustrate this point, this paper introduces previous studies that have discussed the movements of religious scholars during the war. It then clarifies the significance of discussing Katō's texts, followed by an introduction to what has been revealed about Katō so far. The paper then examines Katō's wartime texts that discuss the relationship between war, faith and the readiness to die. The East–West comparison of views of life and death used by Katō was characterized as a wartime application of comparative religion. It was intended to emphasize Japan's superiority over other countries. Such features agitated Japanese readers to proactively enter the fight to the death through spiritual mobilization in a total war system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kōfuku no Kagaku is a most visible new religious actor in contemporary Japan thanks to the vast publishing activities of its founder and its widespread professional use of new media. This paper examines how Kōfuku no Kagaku engages with the COVID-19 pandemic in practical and doctrinal terms. Notably, early in the pandemic, Kōfuku no Kagaku's international promotion of spiritual cures and vaccines even prompted The New York Times to feature the group in a widely circulated article in April 2020. This paper outlines these "spiritual technologies" and examines their doctrinal rationale as well as the wider doctrinal appropriation of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be shown how the latter is instrumentalised to echo Kōfuku no Kagaku's millenarian agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a feasibility study on monitoring earthquake-caused furniture vibrations using radiofrequency identification (RFID) sensor tags. Finding unstable objects by exploiting the vibrations caused by weaker earthquakes is effective as one of the potential countermeasures for large-scale earthquakes in earthquake-prone areas. For this purpose, a previously proposed ultrahigh-frequency (UHF)-band RFID-based batteryless vibration/physical shock sensing system enabled long-term monitoring. This RFID sensor system introduced standby and active modes for long-term monitoring. This system enabled lower-cost wireless vibration measurements without affecting the vibration of furniture because the RFID-based sensor tags provide lightweight, low-cost, and battery-free operations. This RFID sensor system observed earthquake-cased furniture vibrations in a room on the fourth floor of a building eight stories high at Ibaraki University, Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan. The observation results revealed that the RFID sensor tags identified the vibrations of furniture caused by earthquakes. The RFID sensor system also observed the vibration duration times of the objects in a room and specified the most unstable reference object. Hence, the proposed vibration sensing system helped achieve safe living in indoor environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan, having had the longest isolationist policy in the world, is averse to options, such as migration to increase the population. What kinds of pronatalist policies to increase fertility and lower the population's age are ethical? Two questions can be raised: is it ethical for the government to intercede, and is it ethical for individuals to exercise this choice? In addition to the gradually decreasing birth rate, Japan is faced with the challenge of a possible sharp decline in the birth rate in 5 years. Astrology and superstition have influenced the sex preference of a child in Japan, and in 1966, there was a 26% drop in the birth rate. It was the year of Hinoeuma, occurring at 60-year intervals, and women born that year are believed to have a potentially dangerous 'headstrong temperament' and murder their husbands. Abortion rates spiked that year, and many forged the birth date of their child. The next Hinoeuma is in 2026. Although the bioethical debate about pronatalism exists in the literature, there is no literature addressing the question of sex selection in the context of a decreasing population. This paper argues that even if the Japanese government's current pronatalist approach is ethically warranted, it should not extend to sex selection since it would promote misogyny and stereotypical gender roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the distribution of emergency relief for electric vehicles (EVs), which considers energy saving, multi-depot, and vehicle routing problems with time windows, and the named energy saving-oriented multi-depot vehicle routing problem with time windows (ESMDVRPTW). Our aim is to find routes for EVs such that all the shelter demands are fulfilled during their time windows and the total cost traveled by the fleet is minimized. To this end, we formulate the ESMDVRPTW as a mixed-integer linear programming model. Since the post-disaster transportation network contains a large number of vertices and arcs composed of vertices, we propose a two-stage approach to solve the ESMDVRPTW. The first stage is to obtain the minimal travel cost between any two vertices in real-time on a post-disaster transportation network using the proposed Floyd algorithm combined with the neighboring list (Floyd-NL algorithm). In the second stage, we develop the genetic algorithm (GA) incorporating large neighborhood search (GA-LNS), which determines the delivery scheme of shelters. Simulation results of the MDVRPTW benchmark illustrate that the performance of the GA-LNS is better than GA, simulated annealing (SA) and tabu search (TS). Finally, case studies are constructed on two real cases acquired from the OpenStreetMap (OSM) generated by the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) in Ichihara city, Japan, and the test results of case studies show the effectiveness of the proposed two-stage approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX) provides a platform for the trading of electric energy in a manner similar to more traditional financial markets. As the number of market agents increase, there is an increasing need for effective price-forecasting models. Electricity price data are observed to exhibit periods of relatively stable, i.e., low-magnitude, low-variance prices interspersed with periods of higher prices accompanied by larger uncertainty. The price data time series therefore exhibits a temporal non-stationarity characteristic that is difficult to capture with typical time series modeling frameworks. In this paper, we implement models for the occurrence of price spike events where spikes are defined as observing prices above a predefined threshold set here at 25 JPY/kWh. This value corresponds to about the 90th percentile of observed prices during peak trading periods. The price spikes time series is observed to be rare events that occur in clusters. We therefore propose to model the data as a Hawkes process whereby the occurrence of a spike event increases the probability of observing more spikes in the period immediately following a price spike event. We test two variations of the classical Hawkes model: the first variation models the change in the magnitude of the underlying intensity as a function of the magnitude of the price spike while the second variation models the change in the decay rate of the underlying intensity as a function of the magnitude of the price spike. An analysis of the performance of the models based on the mean absolute error (MAE) of the spike occurrence probability, a weighted accuracy index, and the Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) metrics shows the effectiveness of the variable magnitude variation of the Hawkes model in generating short-term forecasts of the occurrence of price spike events. The modified Hawkes model especially outperforms other candidate models as the length of the forecasting horizon increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) can build a communications infrastructure using only routers (called mesh routers), making it possible to form networks over a wide area at low cost. The mesh routers cover clients (called mesh clients), allowing mesh clients to communicate with different nodes. Since the communication performance of WMNs is affected by the position of mesh routers, the communication performance can be improved by optimizing the mesh router placement. In this paper, we present a Coverage Construction Method (CCM) that optimizes mesh router placement. In addition, we propose an integrated optimization approach that combine Simulated Annealing (SA) and Delaunay Edges (DE) in CCM to improve the performance of mesh router placement optimization. The proposed approach can build and provide a communication infrastructure by WMNs in disaster environments. We consider a real scenario for the placement of mesh clients in an evacuation area of Kurashiki City, Japan. From the simulation results, we found that the proposed approach can optimize the placement of mesh routers in order to cover all mesh clients in the evacuation area. Additionally, the DECCM-based SA approach covers more mesh clients than the CCM-based SA approach on average and can improve network connectivity of WMNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease primarily affecting the small intestine that is caused by the ingestion of gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. The development of celiac disease is based on a complex immune response to gluten proteins. The global average prevalence in the general population is about 1%. In recent years, it has become clear that celiac disease is not less common in Asian countries than in Western countries but often remains undiagnosed. Although the number of patients with celiac disease in Asia is expected to increase with improving disease recognition and advances in diagnostic techniques, there remain few reports of celiac disease in the Far East region of Asia, especially in Japan. In this paper, we outline the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of celiac disease. In addition, we summarize the reported Japanese cases of celiac disease with an overview in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been actively applied in the agricultural sector. Several UAVs equipped with multispectral cameras have become available on the consumer market. Multispectral data are informative and practical for evaluating the greenness and growth status of vegetation as well as agricultural crops. The precise monitoring of rice paddy, especially in the Asian region, is crucial for optimizing profitability, sustainability, and protection of agro-ecological services. This paper reports and discusses our findings from experiments conducted to test four different commercially available multispectral cameras (Micesense RedEdge-M, Sentera Single NDVI, Mapir Survey3, and Bizworks Yubaflex), which can be mounted on a UAV in monitoring rice paddy. The survey has conducted in the typical paddy field area located in the alluvial plain in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. Six different vegetation indices (NDVI, BNDVI, GNDVI, VARI, NDRE and MCARI) captured by UAVs were also compared and evaluated monitoring contribution at three different rice cropping phases. The results showed that the spatial distribution of NDVI collected by each camera is almost similar in paddy fields, but the absolute values of NDVI differed significantly from each other. Among them, the Sentera camera showed the most reasonable NDVI values of each growing phase, indicating 0.49 in the early reproductive phase, 0.62 in the late reproductive stage, and 0.38 in the ripening phase. On the other hand, compared to the most commonly used NDVI, VARI which can be calculated from only visible RGB bands, can be used as an easy and effective index for rice paddy monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, whether the structural safety of the nuclear power plant (NPP) can be guaranteed under an earthquake has been of wide concern. Automatic seismic trip systems (ASTS) have been deployed in NPPs. There are generally two units or more double units on the one NPP site, and the vibration energy of the structure can certainly affect its adjacent structures through the soil, and there is energy transfer and conversion between adjacent structures. At present, the distance between two reactors of NPPs of different reactor types is generally 100–200 m (this distance is referring to the distance between the centers of two reactors, which is slightly different for different reactor types). In the past, seismic instruments were used in the ASTS and the setting of shutdown threshold, so the impact of only one unit was considered in the structural analysis of NPPs, and the interaction of two reactors through site conditions was not considered. In addition, as the site conditions of NPPs become more and more complex, it is necessary to consider the impact of one reactor structure on another reactor structure through the soil on the same site under an earthquake. In order to analyze the influence of structure–soil–structure interaction (SSSI), a three-dimensional refined finite element model of NPPs is established in this paper. The soil–structure interaction (SSI) is considered by using viscoelastic boundary. The seismic responses of different positions of the raft foundation and NPP structure, under the conditions of considering SSI effect (one reactor) and SSSI effect (two reactors), are compared. The influence of SSSI effect on the seismic responses of the raft foundation and NPP structure is revealed. It is proposed that SSSI effect should be reasonably considered according to the site conditions for the structural analysis of NPPs for the NPP ASTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the understanding of the role of palliative care in neurology increases, there is the need to ensure that these developments include not only care at home and in hospitals but also in clinics. There are no reports on palliative care from neurology clinics in Japan, and this paper considers the problems and proposed solutions for improving palliative care provided at neurology clinics in Japan. In Japan, physicians in neurology clinics are extremely busy both during and after office hours with medical treatment and the preparation of various documents and are unable to conduct case conferences. Moreover, the education system for palliative care, especially for lifelong education, is not sufficient, and multidisciplinary cooperation is difficult due to the lack of specialists and their scattered locations. To improve the care provided for patients and their families, general palliative care should be included in the health insurance system with incentives and recognition, and mandatory lifelong education should be established so that all neurologists can provide palliative care. These proposals may be appropriate for other countries as palliative care in neurology is established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to provide new insight into the catastrophic mobility of the earthquake-induced flow-type Takanodai landslide that occurred on 16 April 2016, which had fatal consequences. A geological and geotechnical interpretation of the site conditions and experimental investigations of the mechanical behavior of weathered Kusasenrigahama (Kpfa) pumice are used to characterize the landslide failure mechanism. The results of large-strain undrained torsional shear tests indicate that Kpfa pumice has the potential to rapidly develop very large shear strains upon mobilization of its cyclic resistance. To evaluate the actual field performance, a series of new liquefaction triggering analyses are carried out. The liquefaction triggering analyses indicate that Kpfa pumice did not liquefy during the Mw6.2 foreshock event, and the hillslope remained stable. Instead, it liquefied during the Mw7.0 mainshock event, when the exceedance of the cyclic resistance of the Kpfa pumice deposit and subsequent flow-failure type of response can be considered the main cause of the landslide. Moreover, the combination of large cyclic stress ratios (CSR = 0.21–0.35)—significantly exceeding the cyclic resistance ratio CRR = 0.09–0.13)—and static shear stress ratios (α = 0.15–0.25) were critical factors responsible for the observed flow-type landslide that traveled more than 0.6 km over a gentle sloping surface (6°–10°). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Immunotherapy has revolutionized the therapeutic options for patients living with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite the unprecedented results achieved through immunotherapy, a low body mass index, which is referred to as cachexia, and the bacterial composition of the gut microbiota are known factors associated with resistance. In this paper, we enrolled 113 Japanese patients with NSCLC and demonstrated that cachexia was associated with poor outcomes. Moreover, microbiota sequencing revealed that patients without cachexia had abundant bacteria that correlated with a beneficial outcome. Altogether, our results demonstrated an association between the gut microbiota and cachexia. This study provides a rationale to launch clinical trials on the outcome of shifting the microbiota composition of patients with cachexia that are receiving immunotherapy. Cancer cachexia exerts a negative clinical influence on patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). The prognostic impact of body weight change during ICI treatment remains unknown. The gut microbiota (GM) is a key contributor to the response to ICI therapy in cancer patients. However, the association between cancer cachexia and GM and their association with the response to ICIs remains unexplored. This study examined the association of cancer cachexia with GM composition and assessed the impact of GM on clinical outcomes in patients with NSCLC treated with ICIs. In this observational, prospective study, which included 113 Japanese patients with advanced NSCLC treated with ICIs, the prevalence of cachexia was 50.4% (57/113). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly shorter in the cachexia group than in the non-cachexia group (4.3 vs. 11.6 months (p = 0.003) and 12.0 months vs. not reached (p = 0.02), respectively). A multivariable analysis revealed that baseline cachexia was independently associated with a shorter PFS. Moreover, a gain in body weight from the baseline (reversible cachexia) was associated with a significantly longer PFS and OS compared to irreversible cachexia. Microbiome profiling with 16S rRNA analysis revealed that the cachexia group presented an overrepresentation of the commensal bacteria, Escherichia-Shigella and Hungatella, while the non-cachexia group had a preponderance of Anaerostipes, Blautia, and Eubacterium ventriosum. Anaerostipes and E. ventriosum were associated with longer PFS and OS. Moreover, a cachexia status correlated with the systemic inflammatory marker-derived-neutrophil-to-lymphocytes ratio (dNLR) and Lung Immune Prognostic Index (LIPI) indexes. Our study demonstrates that cachexia and longitudinal bodyweight change have a prognostic impact on patients with advanced NSCLC treated with ICI therapy. Moreover, our study demonstrates that bacteria associated with ICI resistance are also linked to cachexia. Targeted microbiota interventions may represent a new type of treatment to overcome cachexia in patients with NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spotlight synthetic aperture radar (SAR) achieves a high azimuth resolution with long integration times. Meanwhile, the long integration times also cause defocused and smeared images of moving objects such as cruising ships This is a typical imaging mechanism for moving objects in Spotlight SAR images. Conversely, ships can be classified as stationary or moving from the amount of smearing, and this classification method is, in general, based on manual observation. This paper proposes an automatic method for detecting cruising ships using deep learning known as the "You Only Look Once (YOLO) v5 model", which is one of the frameworks of the YOLO family. In this study, ALOS-2/PALSAR-2 L-band Spotlight SAR images over the waters around the Miura Peninsula, Japan, were analyzed using the YOLO v5 model with a total of 53 ships' images and compared with Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. The results showed a precision of approximately 0.85 and a recall rate of approximately 0.89 with an F-measure of 0.87. Thus, sufficiently high values were achieved in the automatic detection of moving ships using the deep learning method with the YOLO v5 model. As for false detections, images of breakwaters were classified as ships cruising in the azimuth direction. Further, range moving ships were found to be difficult to detect. From the present preliminary study, it was found that the YOLO v5 model is limited to ships cruising predominantly in the azimuth direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article gathered and analyzed the Daodejing (DDJ) translations in Korean that appeared after the liberation from Japan and classified them into four perspectives: the perspective continuing Gyeonghak 經學 (Traditional Confucian exegetics), the literary and linguistic perspective, the religious perspective, and the philosophical perspective according to the academic perspective and methodology of translation. Simultaneously, this paper clarified the translation characteristics by comprehensively examining the formation process of each perspective in their historical contexts. Although Daoism had been excluded from the academic curriculum during the pre-liberation era along with Buddhism as heresy, it was later hastily embraced within the category of Oriental Studies to build a cultural consensus when the modern and contemporary educational system was established. In the post-liberation era, the formation of each DDJ translation perspective is directly related to the academic status of Daoism during the modernization of the Korean educational system—a process in which the years 1990 and 2015 stand out as essential turning points. The characteristics of DDJ translations in Korean can be analyzed from five perspectives depending on the Ur-text, ideological perspective, linguistic methodology, national characteristics, and relation to Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beginning of the construction of Japan's first large-scale Buddhist temple, Asukadera 飛鳥寺, in 588, marks an important turning point in the ancient history of Japan. The construction of a Buddhist temple was a major event through which Japanese people, who had believed in traditional indigenous religion, came to embrace Buddhism, one of the major world religions. Inscribed śarīra reliquaries were discovered from the wooden pagoda site at the Wanghŭng-sa 王興寺 in Puyŏ. According to these inscriptions, Wanghŭng-sa was built in 577, 11 years before the establishment of Asukadera in 588. Based on this data, both Korean and Japanese academics have raised the possibility that Wanghŭng-sa might have provided inspiration or even a model for Asukadera in Japan. In this paper, I briefly examine reliquaries and roof tiles that have been excavated from the wooden pagoda site within the Wanghŭng-sa site and the arrangement and characteristics of the temple's building sites, including the sites of the main hall and corridors. Next, I discuss the similarities and differences between ancient Buddhist temples in Korea and Japan by comparing Wanghŭng-sa with ancient Japanese temples such as Asukadera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinically amyopathic Dermatomyositis (CADM) is a rare subtype of idiopathic inflammatory myositis, associated with no muscular manifestations, which is more frequent in Asian women. Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibodies are a recently discovered type of specific autoantibodies associated with myositis. The anti-MDA5 DM was initially described in Japan and later it was discovered that the target antigen was a protein implicated in the innate immune response against viruses, that is encoded by the melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5. Anti-MDA5 DM is characteristically associated with distinguished mucocutaneus and systemic manifestations, including skin ulcerations, palmar papules, arthritis, and interstitial-lung disease. Patients with anti-MDA5 positivity have a high risk of developing rapid progressive interstitial-lung disease (RP-ILD), with a poor outcome. As a result, despite high mortality, diagnosis is often delayed, necessitating increased awareness of this possible condition. Despite a severe course of lung disease and an increased mortality rate, there is currently no standard treatment. Recent insights based on observational studies and case reports support combined therapy with immunosuppressive drugs and corticotherapy, as soon as the symptoms appear. The aim of this paper is to describe anti-MDA5 DM, focusing on the recent literature about the unique clinical manifestations and therapeutic options, starting from a severe clinical case diagnosed in our Rheumatology Department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The legend of Empress Jingū's conquest of the Korean peninsula is well-known for its many divine elements. However, the legend's successful conquest of a foreign enemy has also been key to its longevity. In particular, the Mongol Invasions of the late thirteenth century inspired a renaissance of the Jingū legend in the fourteenth, with the addition of several new motifs. One such motif is Jinrin, a red demon with multiple heads and immense power from the continent who threatens Japan before being slain by Jingū's husband Emperor Chūai. In this paper, I argue that the Jinrin motif plays an important role in reenvisioning Jingū's conquest as a war against evil. Though Jinrin may have antecedents in the Buddhist Canon and Japanese mythology, this "fierce god" emerges in the medieval Hachiman tradition in origin narratives and later in regional kagura. Jinrin serves as a visual representation of the threat of the Korean kingdoms and an opportunity for Chūai's heroism and honorable death, creating a clear juxtaposition between a depraved Korean peninsula and an ethical Japan. Thus, Jinrin provides a vibrant example of how the belief in Japan as land of the gods (shinkoku shisō) galvanized a reinterpretation of Japan, its world, and its history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If the Christian Church prioritizes its existence and expansion, it will turn to the entity that approves of it and protects it. When the Modern Japanese emperor's state approached the church as his grace, the Japanese Christian Church showed its gratitude and pledged its allegiance to the emperor. In the Sino-Japanese War, which assisted modern Japan in becoming an imperial-ist country, the Japanese Christian community was in favor of a war under the pretext of a "righteous war" to maintain a lasting peace in the East. However, during the Russo-Japanese War, when most of the Christians were actively in favor of the war, there were a few anti-war voices among small groups of Christians that had not been heard during the Sino-Japanese War. There was a tension that could not be easily resolved in the Japanese Christian Church. In particular, Gokyō, a Christian journal published by the Japanese Methodist Church, one of the major Protestant denominations, simultaneously presented two interesting and conflicting stances regarding the Russo-Japanese War (just war vs. anti-war). In this paper, we examine the diverging perspectives presented in Gokyō and explore various patterns of religion–war relations. Through this, we can see an example of two opposing arguments of just war and anti-war that coexisted and competed on the grounds of Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centimeter level augmentation system (CLAS) of the quasi-zenith satellite system (QZSS) is the first precise point positioning-real time kinematic (PPP-RTK) augmentation system of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), which is currently providing services for Japan. CLAS broadcasts the state-space representation of correction messages along with integrity messages regarding satellite faults and the quality index of each correction. In other GNSS augmentation systems, such as the space-based augmentation system (SBAS) of GNSS, the quality indices of correction messages are used to generate fault-free protection levels that represent a position bound containing a true user position with a probability of missed detections. Although the protection level equations are well defined for the SBAS, a protection level equation for the CLAS PPP-RTK service has not been rigorously discussed in the literature. This paper proposes a fault-free protection level equation for the PPP-RTK methods that considers the probability of correct integer ambiguity fixes in the GNSS carrier phase measurements as well as the CLAS correction quality messages. The computed protection levels with position errors were experimentally compared by processing the GNSS measurements from the GNSS Earth Observation Network (GEONET) stations in Japan and the L6 messages from the CLAS broadcast using the virtual reference station-real time kinematic (VRS-RTK) techniques. Our results, based on the GEONET dataset spanning 7 days, showed that the computed protection levels using the proposed equations were larger than the position errors for all epochs. In the dataset, the RMS errors of the CLAS VRS-RTK position were 4.6 and 14 cm in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, whereas the horizontal protection levels ranged from 25 cm to 2.3 m and the vertical protection levels ranged from 50 cm to 5.2 m based on fault-free integrity risk of 10 − 7 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce an agent-based model together with a particle filter approach to study the spread of COVID-19. Investigations are mainly performed on the metropolis of Tokyo, but other prefectures of Japan are also briefly surveyed. A novel method for evaluating the effective reproduction number is one of the main outcomes of our approach. Other unknown parameters are also evaluated. Uncertain quantities, such as, for example, the probability that an infected agent develops symptoms, are tested and discussed, and the stability of our computations is examined. Detailed explanations are provided for the model and for the assimilation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how young Japanese women in contemporary Soka Gakkai (SG) navigate Japan's continuous gender stratified society that remains culturally rooted in the 'salaryman-housewife' ideology. How are young SG members reproducing or contesting these hegemonic gender norms that few seek to emulate? While SG has long proclaimed that it stands for gender equality, its employment structure and organization in Japan until recently reflected the typical male breadwinner ideology that came to underpin the post-war Japanese nation-state and systemic gender division of labor. As shown here, this did not mean that SG women were without power; in fact, in many ways they drove organizational developments in the Japanese context. The recent imposition of the global framework for Sustainable Development Goals of 2015 has enabled SG to more substantially challenge its own patriarchal public front. Based on long-term fieldwork, in-depth interviews and multiple group discussions with SG members in their 20s, this article explores how SG-Japan is being challenged to follow its own discourse of 'globalism' and 'Buddhist humanism', promoted by Daisaku Ikeda since the 1990s. Using Bourdieu's analysis of symbolic power, the research shows how Japan's powerful doxa of 'genderism' that held sway over earlier generations is currently being challenged by a glocalized Buddhist discourse that identifies Nichiren Buddhism as 'humanism' rather than Japanese 'genderism'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the appearance and evolution of earthquake ionospheric precursors are expected to show a nonlinear and complex behaviour, the use of nonlinear predictor models seems more appropriate. This paper proposes a new approach based on deep learning as a powerful tool for extracting the nonlinear patterns from a time series of ionospheric precursors. A Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network as a type of Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) was used to investigate 52 six-month time series, deduced from the three Swarm satellite (Alpha (A), Bravo (B) and Charlie (C)) measurements, including electron density (Ne), electron temperature (Te), magnetic scalar and vector (X, Y, Z) components, Slant and Vertical Total Electron Content (STEC and VTEC), for day and night periods around the time and location of a seismic event. This new approach was tested on a strong Mw = 7.1 earthquake in Japan on 13 February 2021, at 14:07:50 UTC by comparing the results with two implemented methods, i.e., Median and LSTM methods. Furthermore, clear anomalies are seen by a voting classification method 1, 6, 8, 13, 31 and 32 days before the earthquake. A comparison with atmospheric data investigation is further provided, supporting the lithosphere–atmosphere–ionosphere coupling (LAIC) mechanism as a suitable theory to explain the alteration of upper geolayers in the earthquake preparation phase. In other words, using multi-method and multi-precursor analysis applied to 52 time series and also to the orbit-by-orbit investigation, the observed anomalies on the previous day and up to 32 days before the event in normal solar and quiet geomagnetic conditions could be considered as a striking hint of the forthcoming Japan earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Setting out from Okakura Kakuzō and Ernest Fenollosa's famous "discovery" of the Yumedono Kannon, this article will trace the contested construction of the categories of "religion" (shūkyō) and "fine art" (bijutsu) in Meiji Japan. In religious studies circles, it has become commonplace to think of "religion" as the only disciplinary master category with issues. However, not only was "religion" invented in Japan, but "fine art" was invented there too. Indeed, categories from "culture" to "society" to "politics" have similar issues. Attending to these will help refocus crucial debates away from an obsession with translation and onto more fundamental issues about "cultural categories" as such. This paper will advance the debate by explaining the attendant constructions of "religion" and "fine art" as process social kinds. In doing so, it will showcase the museum and the temple as central sites of materialized disputation over global categories and their local instantiation. It will show how assimilation to the world-system in the long nineteenth century was a complex multi-generational process of negotiation and contestation, producing new hybrid spaces, returns, transformations, and innovations that then reflected back on global systems, changing them in subtle but profound ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper presents detailed evolutionary analyses of narcissus viruses from wild and domesticated Narcissus plants in Japan. Narcissus late season yellows virus (NLSYV) and narcissus degeneration virus (NDV) are major viruses of Narcissus plants, causing serious disease outbreaks in Japan. In this study, we collected Narcissus plants showing mosaic or striped leaves along with asymptomatic plants in Japan for evolutionary analyses. Our findings show that (1) NLSYV is widely distributed, whereas the distribution of NDV is limited to the southwest parts of Japan; (2) the genomes of NLSYV isolates share nucleotide identities of around 82%, whereas those of NDV isolates are around 94%; (3) three novel recombination type patterns were found in NLSYV; (4) NLSYV comprises at least five distinct phylogenetic groups whereas NDV has two; and (5) infection with narcissus viruses often occur as co-infection with different viruses, different isolates of the same virus, and in the presence of quasispecies (mutant clouds) of the same virus in nature. Therefore, the wild and domesticated Narcissus plants in Japan are somewhat like a melting pot of potyviruses and other viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Today's zoos and aquariums claim to be shifting from being entertainment facilities to centers for the conservation of biodiversity. To make this shift, scientific research, including understanding the biology of endangered species and improving the environment of captive animals, is essential. Several studies have examined the trends in the number of research papers published by zoos and aquariums globally and indicated that this number has increased over the past few decades. In this study, we examined the trends in the number of papers published by Japanese zoos and aquariums over the past 62 years to determine whether research activities are also developing in Japan. We found that the number of research papers has significantly increased and that the research fields have diversified since around 1990. However, we also found some problems: about a quarter of the institutions have published no papers, research targets in zoos were biased toward captive mammals and that aquariums conducted little research on animal welfare. Addressing these issues, we would argue, will help Japanese zoos and aquariums to make further progress. With the shift in their social roles, modern zoos and aquariums are required to develop scientific research. Although zoos and aquariums worldwide have reported an increase in the number of papers they publish and the diversification of their fields in recent decades, the specific circumstances in Japan are slightly unclear. We listed peer-reviewed papers authored by Japanese zoos and aquariums using search engines and quantitatively evaluated the changes in the number of papers published over 62 years. Our results showed that papers published in Japan have increased remarkably since the 1990s, and research fields have diversified as in the rest of the world. In particular, joint research with research institutes has seen an upward trend, and the instances of English-language papers have increased. Meanwhile, the content of the research was biased. In zoos, research on animal welfare has been increasing, but the focus was heavily biased toward captive mammals. Aquariums contributed to the understanding of local ecosystems through the fundamental study of wildlife, but there were fewer papers on improving husbandry. Our results indicated that while research by Japanese zoos and aquariums is developing, research on welfare, conservation, and education regarding native endangered species must still be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]