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As a super-aging society, health promotion activities in local Japanese communities are increasingly essential. Developing the health-promotion programs must include the perspective of older people residing in these communities and what they believe to be their regional strengths. This study aimed to clarify the elements of regional strengths perceived by older people living in local Japanese communities from the literature review. Using the internet edition of the Japan Medical Abstracts Society (Ichu-shi), the authors examined papers on Japanese regional residents using relevant keywords. Of 342 considered papers, 14 papers were extracted in this study. As a result, the contents related to the regional strengths perceived by the older people living in the local Japanese community were extracted, classified based on the similarity of the meanings and contents, and then summarized into the elements of the strengths. As the regional strengths, three categories were cited for individual elements: "Actions or behaviors underpinned by experience," "Continuing to live with positivity and vigor," and "Extensive support for the subject and their family." Three categories were cited for environmental elements: "A comfortable environment," "Maintaining intimate and friendly interpersonal relations," and "Support that meets the regional characteristics." Along with individual and environmental elements, support from experts in the region was cited. Hence, it was concluded that the active participation of experts is essential for promoting activities in local communities, and that deepening relationship with older people has the potential to improve their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Institute of Conservation is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores the placement and function of the discipline of geography in the expansion of the Japanese empire, doing so through the prism of the work and field research of Tada Fumio, a leading geographer in Japan both before and after 1945. This examination of this aspect of Tada Fumio's career and its interweaving with the construction and consolidation of Japan's empire will broaden recent studies of imperial Japan's simultaneous encounter with geopolitics and fascism while engaging with Japan's developing ideas about geography as a political and cultural discipline. This paper demonstrates the importance of the entwined histories of Japanese and German geographers in the Japanese empire, as well as documenting Tada Fumio's activities in Manchuria (northeast China) and on the Korean peninsula. Finally, the paper reveals fissures in the historical record of Japanese geographers in continental Asia and, until such time as more subaltern voices can be found, seeks to lay down the foundation for further research on the study of geography in the Japanese empire. • Connections between German, Japanese and Korean Geographers prior to 1945. • Teaching and research in academic geography in the Japanese Empire. • Tada Fumio's connections with Keijo Imperial University, colonial Korea and Japanese Empire. • Field work expeditions including Tada Fumio to Manchuria and Mengjiang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Physical Education Journal is the property of National Society of Physical Education of the Republic of China and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The acceptance of ethical literary criticism in Japan has gone through three stages: initial period, high period and falling period. The main reason for its decline lies in the prevalent misunderstanding in Japanese academia, simply equating ethical literary criticism with Chinese traditional ethical criticism or moral criticism. To dispel misunderstandings and deepen Japanese scholars' understanding of ethical literary criticism, it is necessary to emphasize the interdisciplinary characteristic of ethical literary criticism within the academic community in Japan. Taking into account the characteristics of Japanese literature and the research tradition of Japanese academia, this paper suggests three interdisciplinary approaches: 1) the interdisciplinary path of literature and psychology, which enjoys a broad research base in Japan; 2) the interdisciplinary path of literature and brain science, an area that has not gained substantial research in Japan; 3) the interdisciplinary path of literature and science and technology with significant development prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Papers in Regional Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The main research question addressed in this paper is the following: What are the consequences of the purge of the communists and their sympathizers for the development of postwar Japanese society during the Allied Occupation (known as the Red Purge)? According to conventional wisdom, the Red Purge was an illegal and unfair suppression regarding the freedom of speech and a threat to the very survival of democracy in Japan. Surveying previous works on the Red Purge demonstrates that not a single work discusses any constructive aspect of the Red Purge. Criticizing this trend in the historiography, Thomas French correctly pointed out that these previous works tended to neglect or undervalue violent and aggressive behaviors of the Japanese Communist Party and its militant policy after mid-1949. This paper goes a little further, trying to find, if any, constructive aspects of the Red Purge. My hypothesis is that the Red Purge had many destructive and biased measures, but it was paradoxically a necessary evil to help establish a law-abiding Japanese society. The architects of the Red Purge, General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, the Japanese government, and corporate executives, were careful not to violate the constitution or labor laws when they executed the Red Purge. They established an important precedent that they had to act in accordance with the constitution and laws. In a paradoxical way, going through the Red Purge actually made Japan a law-abiding country in the long run. This paper tests the validity of this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Suleyman Demirel University Institute of Social Sciences is the property of Suleyman Demirel University, Institute of Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A lawyer regulatory system will usually include a mechanism to discipline lawyers who have committed misconduct. Such mechanism may have different objective(s) and function(s), which may vary from jurisdictions to jurisdictions. The Japanese system seemingly has, inter alia, deterrent and educational purposes: discouraging further misconduct and/or educating lawyers to reduce recurrence of similar misconduct. This paper focuses on the deterrent function on Japanese lawyers who have been disciplined. Through an empirical analysis of the cases of lawyers who have been disciplined more than once, this paper evaluates the effectiveness of the lawyer disciplinary system in Japan in discouraging the disciplined lawyers from committing misconduct again. It also hypothesises on some of the possible contributory factor(s) for the multiple violations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether a forced displacement of an ethnic group can lead to long-run changes to their spatial distribution and whether this shock can also lead to changes in where new migrants settle. I use the Canadian government's internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II, as well as their post-war forced resettlement, as a natural experiment. I find that the policy led to dramatic resettlement patterns; areas where Japanese Canadians were removed from had far fewer Japanese Canadians after World War II, with this effect persisting for decades. Despite these displacement patterns, I find that both the pre-war and post-war settlement patterns drive where new Japanese migrants settle within Canada, suggesting that the disruption of the connections and networks formed by Japanese migrants before World War II were not fully dismantled by the Canadian government's wartime policies. Reinforcing this mechanism, I show using Facebook's social connectedness data that Japanese population shares from both 1931 and 1951 predict whether a Canadian Census Division is more socially connected with Japan today. The results from this paper show that, despite Canada's forced dispersal of its Japanese population across the country, networks and forces that connect Census Divisions to Japan and draw in new migrants continued to persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few areas in our daily lives that have not been changed by the rapid growth of technology. Like many others, education has seen some of its effects and with other factors such as the Coronavirus, many teachers and institutions have been forced to change their pedagogical methodologies. A combination of the technological advances and the new methodologies has been reflected in the use of video games as educational tools across the world. This text will try to explore the question of adopting gaming into education in Japan. Explore its possible benefits by measuring the test results of students in different stages of their educational lives from primary to tertiary education. The goals of this paper are to try to find if there is a noticeable difference and benefit from this new type of pedagogical approach. How does Japan compare to other countries regarding the adoption of gaming as an educational tool? What are the student's opinions and sentiments towards it with the objective of providing the best possible result in students' motivation? The results found through observational data show some promising prospects in the adoption of gaming as an educational tool, but also some of the lack of technology adoption and the negative image that gaming has in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public administration and governance must adapt to the changing socio-economic environment, improving quality, process efficiency, and collaboration. Hence, public administration and public governance models have been significantly modified multiple times, resulting in differences in public governance practices. This paper examines different public governance models' principles in Slovene and Japanese public administration. It quantifies elements based on the models' principles and applies them to an empirical case using a survey of 55 Slovene and 135 Japanese public managers. The independent samples t-test examines the differences in characteristics of public governance practices between state administration and local government in Slovenia and Japan. The results show that state administration institutions in both countries are strongly characterised by the (Neo)Weberian model's principles, while Slovenia's local government leans towards Digital-era governance (DEG) and good governance (GG) principles. Japan's state and local administrations show equal presence of New public management (NPM), DEG, and GG models. The study aims to bridge a research gap by providing new findings on how different public governance models can be found at various Slovene and Japanese public administration levels and offers insights for public managers and policymakers for future public administration reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childfree adults neither have nor want children, but estimates of their prevalence vary widely, leading to ambiguity about how common this family status actually is. The goal of this study is to examine the effects of sample composition, time, and question wording on estimates of the prevalence of childfree adults. We pool 83 nationally representative estimates of the prevalence of childfree adults in Japan since 2000 using meta-regression to identify the influence of sex, marital status, year, and survey question. Prevalence estimates are higher when computed from samples of women than men, from samples of singles than married people, from samples collected more recently, and from surveys asking questions about expectations than wants. Most of the variation in estimates of the prevalence of childfree adults can be attributed to differences in sample composition, time, and question wording. Taking these factors into account, we estimate that over 2.5 million Japanese adults age 18-50, or 5.64% of this population, were childfree in 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes intercultural issues in marriages between Japanese men and women from former Soviet Union countries. Focusing on the differences in meanings and assumptions that guide couples in their marriages and the historical-cultural roots of these differences, the paper argues that spouses adapt, negotiate, and change their expectations to each other in response to the cultural encounters that deviate from their familiar cultural patterns. The data for the research was collected by the author between 2006 and 2014 in urban areas of Japan. It consists in-depth interviews with Russian-speaking women (48) and Japanese men (20), participant observation in couples' homes, women's gatherings, and communication in an online Russian-language community. The analysis reveals the effects of cultural differences on relationships between spouses in international marriages in Japan, discusses the fluidity and change of cultural notions over time, and explains how spouses justify these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan formulated its first infrastructure export strategy in 2010. However, the outputs and effects of that strategy and its successive revisions over the preceding decade have not yet been extensively reviewed. Although infrastructure came to the fore of the international agenda over the past decade, existing research has mostly discussed individual infrastructure projects and accompanying signalling, sloganeering, and strategic communications in the geopolitical and geo-economic context. This paper therefore aims to make an empirical and interpretive contribution to existing scholarship by comprehensively reviewing Japan's infrastructure exports in 2010–19 and elucidating further its oft-disregarded commercial and developmental aspects. To do so, this article focuses on Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan projects, which count among the largest items of Japan's infrastructure exports. We introduce and analyse a previously unexamined dataset on infrastructure-related ODA loan projects and contract awards, while also showcasing the avoidance of zero-sum-game approaches in Japan's related strategy. We then discuss whether and how the changes of Japanese infrastructure export strategy affected the performance of Japan's infrastructure export through the ODA loan projects as well as Japan's relationship with the recipient countries, especially in the various parts of the Indo-Pacific region, such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Review of Policy Research is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Studies that introduced country musicians outside the US have expanded our views on the creators of American country music. They have, however, reinforced our notion that non-US country musicians merely imitate the American "original." More recent studies have advanced the field by asking how non-US actors use country music to manipulate the borders between their countries and the US by playing country music. Yet they emphasize that non-US actors exclusively encounter US culture through country music. This paper pushes the field forward to mapping country music onto post-war Japan, locating it within a Japanese domestic context, and showing how non-US actors used country to control the ideological context created there. By doing so, it rejects the common perception that the Japanese merely imitated the "authentic" American country music. Japanese men enjoyed American country music not simply because it was American, but precisely because they could make it their own. This paper examines why certain male musicians played country music as they recovered from defeat in World War II between 1945 and the mid-1950s. To do so, it illustrates how men--country musicians and their critics alike--performed and discussed country music during this period. Ultimately, this paper argues that country musicians played country to embody an alternative masculinity that could serve as both a deviation and critique of the expectations and direction of mainstream Japanese society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I investigate the effects of changes in demand structure caused by population aging on the Japanese economy using a multi-sector new Keynesian model with job creation/destruction analysis. I consider upward revisions in forecast for the speed of Japanese population aging as unexpected shocks to its demand structure. I find that the shocks caused around 0.3% point deflationary pressure on year-to-year inflation, 0.3% to 0.4% point increase in unemployment rates, and 1.8% point decrease in real GDP from the early 1990s to the 2000s in Japan. I also find that the repetition of such upward revisions made those effects look more persistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Heterozygous dominant-negative (DN) STAT1 variants are responsible for autosomal dominant (AD) Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease (MSMD). In this paper, we describe eight MSMD cases from four kindreds in Japan. Methods: An inborn error of immunity-related gene panel sequencing was performed using genomic DNA extracted from whole blood samples. The identified variants were validated using Sanger sequencing. Functional analysis was evaluated with a luciferase reporter assay and co-transfection assay in STAT1-deficient cells. Results: Patient 1.1 was a 20-month-old boy with multifocal osteomyelitis and paravertebral abscesses caused by Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). Although the paravertebral abscess was refractory to antimycobacterial drugs, the addition of IFN-γ and drainage of the abscess were effective. Intriguingly, his mother (patient 1.2) showed an uneventful clinical course except for treatment-responsive tuberculous spondylitis during adulthood. Patient 2.1 was an 8-month-old boy with lymphadenopathy and lung nodules caused by BCG. He responded well to antimycobacterial drugs. His mother (patient 2.2) was healthy. Patient 3.1 was a 11-year-old girl with suspected skin tuberculosis. Her brother (patient 3.2) had BCG-osis, but their mother (patient 3.3) was healthy. Patient 4 was an 8-month-old girl with left axillary and supraclavicular lymphadenopathy associated with BCG vaccination. Kindreds 1, 2, and 3 were shown to have novel heterozygous variants (V642F, R588C, and R649G) in STAT1, respectively. Kindred 4 had previously reported heterozygous variants (Q463H). A luciferase reporter assay in STAT1-deficient cells followed by IFN-γ stimulation confirmed that these variants are loss-of-function. In addition, with co-transfection assay, we confirmed all of these variants had DN effect on WT STAT1. Conclusion: Four kindred MSMD subjects with 3 novel variants and 1 known variant in STAT1 were identified in this study. AD STAT1 deficiency might be prevalent in Japanese patients with BCG-associated MSMD. [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]

Purpose: As Japan has been slowly opening up to foreign workers to supplement its shrinking workforce, local employees have had to deal with increased diversity at work, owing to the presence of foreign coworkers. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between foreign coworkers' nationality (specifically Chinese, Korean and those from Western countries) and the perception of the benefits and threats of cultural diversity in the workplace by Japanese employees. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of Japanese employees working in Japan, half of which working with foreigners, was used, focusing on those Japanese employees who reported working with foreign coworkers of a single nationality. Findings: The authors found that Japanese workers' perceived benefits of cultural diversity at work, but not perceived threats, are significantly impacted by the unique nationality of their foreign coworkers. Specifically, the effect of coworker nationality is most apparent for the two benefits of "understanding of diverse groups in society" and "social environment," whereby cultural distance is significantly and positively related to these perceived benefits. And more benefits from cultural diversity at work are perceived by Japanese employees in the presence of Western or Chinese, rather than South Korean coworkers. Practical implications: In the Japanese context, hiring employees from certain distant and heterogeneous cultures and nationalities could increase the positive perception of multiculturalism at work, therefore facilitating diversity management and fostering inclusion in the culture of the firm. Originality/value: Very little research in Japan has examined perception biases among native employees based on the nationality of their foreign coworkers, which is critical as globally minded Japanese firms are trying to increase their level of internal internationalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bon, or more politely O-Bon, is the Japanese term for a regionally different midsummer festival celebrated not only throughout Japan but also in other Buddhist Asian countries. In Japan, it has changed over time and is essentially a mélange of ancestor worship, rural Thanksgiving customs, ghost beliefs, folk religion, superstitions and the Buddhist celebration of the temporary release of the spirits from hell. During the Edo period, O-Bon gained popularity, as it gave those employed in urban areas a rare chance to reunite with their families in the countryside, meet friends, revel, and pray for ancestral spirits and deceased loved ones. Celebrations differ from region to region, but they all include eating, drinking, and lots of merrymaking to entertain the living as well as the visiting spirits. Since the 7th century, O-Bon has been held on the full moon of the seventh lunar month, usually around the 15th day. The old calendar is still the basis for the calculations behind the traditional Chinese festival calendar used in both mainland China and Taiwan. However, since Japan adopted the solar Gregorian calendar in 1873, Japan became divided into different areas: some celebrating O-Bon in July (Shichigatsu-Bon, 七月盆), some regions sticking to the old lunar calendar with movable holidays, and some areas holding a Hachigatsu-Bon (八月盆) from August 13th to 15th. During the Edo period, Nagasaki's Japanese O-Bon and Chinese O-Bon fell on the same dates. Due to the calendar reform, they came to be held on separate days. As a result, Nagasaki now celebrates two festivals: 1. a movable lunar O-Bon in July, locally called Karadera-Bon (唐寺盆) or Achasan no Bon (アチャさんの盆or 阿爹さんの盆) with strong connections to the city's Chinese temples and traditions, where it is called Yúlánpén (盂蘭盆) and 2. a Hachigatsu-Bon, celebrated by Japanese citizens, which reflects Nagasaki's' unique culture, history and customs. In this paper, I would like to shed some light on the origins, religious aspects, traditions, practices, and social function of Nagasaki's' two O-Bon celebrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What shapes preferences for income redistribution? Studies find that social identification plays an important role. In this paper, I argue that in-group favoritism generated through income proximity and out-group discrimination stemming from a nation/foreigner cleavage affect redistribution preference. Using data from a survey experiment with 4,002 Japanese citizens, I examined whether priming the poor as recipients of public assistance (or Seikatsu Hogo) generates more (less) support for income redistribution among the poor (the wealthier) and whether priming foreigners as public assistance recipients decreases support for redistribution. Analyses reveal that respondents with annual household income of 5–10 million yen negatively respond to the treatment priming the poor as public assistance recipients. Results also indicate that priming foreigners as public assistance recipients decreases support for redistribution. These findings corroborate previous research that finds evidence from North America and Europe. Analyzing a sample from Japan offers the external validity because the recent rise in income disparity in Japan involves unique characteristics including pauperization of low-income groups without enriching the wealthy. A rapid increase in the inflow of immigrants to Japan necessitates the need to study how Japanese people shape their redistribution preference in response to a growing number of foreign residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over time, Japan has seen an increase in non‐regular employment and a shift away from marriage. To uncover any link between these issues, this paper uses Japanese Labour Force Survey microdata to examine annual transitions between marital statuses and how such transitions vary across labour market statuses, in particular between male regular and non‐regular employees. We find, for different age groups, that the odds ratio of marriage for male non‐regular employees is 30% to 40% lower than that for male regular employees even after controlling for education. We also find that the odds ratio of divorce for married couples is twice as large when the husband is a non‐regular employee than when the husband is a regular employee. Our analysis sheds light on the challenges faced by Japanese males with non‐regular jobs in enjoying stable marital relationships and it reveals the regional heterogeneity of such challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First, I appreciate the contribution by M. S. Mani to gall-midge studies in Japan. He described two Japanese pestiferous Cecidomyiidae in response to the request from Japanese entomologists. His book Ecology of Plant Galls encouraged young Japanese students, who just started to study gall-inducing insects. Secondly, the importance of genetic data is emphasized in this paper to support morphological identification of the Cecidomyiidae of the Oriental region. Species identification is essential to establish methods of control measures against invasive Cecidomyiidae. Thirdly, I expect young Indian entomologists to challenge via ecological investigations benefiting from the convenience of plentifully available Cecidomyiidae and the galls they induce in the Indian subcontinent. Ecological data on tropical and subtropical Cecidomyiidae is highly necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has dramatically transformed Japan's linguistic landscape. This paper determines the types of COVID-19 store signs in Tokyo and Kanagawa and the extent to which they cater to the growing number of non-Japanese residents living in this highly populated urban region. Analysis of 293 COVID-19 signs shows that many are text-andimage monolingual Japanese signs that display multiple messages related to customer and staff policies. Although the stores predominantly prepare these signs, they are influenced by government policy, particularly those related to social distancing. Only a quarter of these signs is multilingual, and many contain Japanese and English only. Consequently, the majority of the foreign population from non-English-speaking countries who cannot read either language well may need to rely on the images contained in COVID-19 signs and the signs' positioning to decipher the meaning. However, this paper demonstrates that neither images nor the positioning of Japanese monolingual signs is an adequate substitute for the greater use of multilingual signs. The prevalence of monolingual Japanese COVID-19 signs suggests that non-Japanese residents in Japan potentially face a linguistic disadvantage in navigating a linguistic landscape altered by COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to explore the subjective and practical experiences of international social workers, focusing on the content, outcomes, impact, and related factors of their activities in Asia. Individual reports of social workers dispatched from Japan to 11 Asian countries during the period of 2003–2018 were collected (n = 59). A mixed quantitative and qualitative content analysis was used to examine their experiences and perceptions in the field. Parts of their reports were categorized mainly into the relationship between requested activities and perceived needs, the type of social work activities conducted, experiences of success and failure in activities, and perceived outcomes and impact of the activities. The quantitative analysis showed that approximately 48.9% of the social workers described positive outcomes of their activities and 43.9% described positive impacts of their activities on the placement or communities. The qualitative analysis revealed that they experienced a variety of difficulties, together with sociocultural and religious differences. Many of their experiences of success or failure appeared to be associated with their interactions with local stakeholders. The findings suggest the importance of the reflective and contextualized practice of international developmental social workers with local stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese policy regarding arts education had not been well discussed. One of the reasons was the effects of the arts had not been highly regarded in Japan. This paper empirically addressed the effects of arts activities on years of schooling and income. Through path analysis, relationships were revealed between out-of-school activities and years of schooling, occupation, and income. Nationwide data -the Preference Parameters Study in 2013- is mainly utilized. For females, the results showed significant positive relationships between arts activities and years of schooling. For males, arts activities combined with sports and educational activities exhibited significant positive relationships with years of schooling. These results suggested creation of opportunities for all the students to take part in arts and other activities. This paper suggests the system, such as out-of-school voucher, for all the children to take the benefits of arts activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues the perceptions of relations between two nations involve not only the institutionalized national-boundary but also the perspectives of multiple symbolic boundaries. Based on a qualitative study, this paper aims to explain how different symbolic boundaries impact Japanese experts' perception of interrelations between Japan and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). The paper includes an analysis of opinion surveys, 20 semi-structured interviews with experts, and three focus group interviews with university students of Peace Studies Departments conducted throughout June and July of 2018 in Tokyo, Japan. These results advance existing scholarship by showing that Japanese experts use the following four symbolic boundaries to comprehend relations between Japan and South Korea: boundaries between (1) victims and perpetrators; (2) 'the West' and the Asian cultural and political space; (3) nationalistic and peaceful countries; and (4) a state and people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern sciences were introduced to Japan from Western countries during the Meiji period. In other words, this was the process of translating Western academic languages into Japanese academic languages. The translation was meant to reuse existing Chinese characters with similar meanings to Western academic languages or create new Chinese characters. Japan was able to rapidly introduce modern Western science during the Meiji period because it already had academic languages comparable to modern Western science; thus, the translation proceeded smoothly. This means that academic ways of thinking that were comparable to modern Western science were developing in Japan. At that time, modern Japanese society first encountered sociology as modern science. Sociology was translated into the Chinese characters "社会学 (Syakaigaku)" and introduced to Japan. The term Syakaigaku first appeared in Japan during the Meiji period; however, before that, early modern Japan had developed several kinds of sociological thought. The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of Japanese thought, especially the new types of Confucianism and Nativism (Kokugaku), in the Edo period in comparison with Western sociology. Various remarkable thoughts similar to those seen in Western sociology are found. This paper then reviews a Nativism scholar, Motoori Norinaga, who was active during the Edo period and influenced Japanese environmental sociology through the folklorist Kunuo Yanagita. Finally, a new sociology, which combines the Western sociological theory of ritual, the Japanese Confucian theory of ritual by Ogyu Sorai, and the narrative theory of Norinaga, is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the Japanese crown prince and emperor Hirohito during the 1920s to think more critically about how fashion historians can analyze "western" dress in non-western contexts. In particular, this essay looks at Hirohito's embrace of new forms of middle-class menswear—particularly sportswear and the lounge suit—to signal fundamental shifts in the relationship between monarch and subject. These innovations rested upon far more than simply imitating western centers of men's fashion. Instead, this paper argues that to understand the meaning of "western" clothing styles in non-western contexts, fashion studies needs a more sophisticated paradigm than the term "western clothes." While some garments carried strong resonances of their European antecedents, Japanese men like Hirohito adopted them primarily for what they could do in Japan, while also understanding their potential for integrating Japan into the broader world. [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]

COVID-19 has dramatically transformed Japan's linguistic landscape. This paper determines the types of COVID-19 store signs in Tokyo and Kanagawa and the extent to which they cater to the growing number of non-Japanese residents living in this highly populated urban region. Analysis of 293 COVID-19 signs shows that many are text-andimage monolingual Japanese signs that display multiple messages related to customer and staff policies. Although the stores predominantly prepare these signs, they are influenced by government policy, particularly those related to social distancing. Only a quarter of these signs is multilingual, and many contain Japanese and English only. Consequently, the majority of the foreign population from non-English-speaking countries who cannot read either language well may need to rely on the images contained in COVID-19 signs and the signs' positioning to decipher the meaning. However, this paper demonstrates that neither images nor the positioning of Japanese monolingual signs is an adequate substitute for the greater use of multilingual signs. The prevalence of monolingual Japanese COVID-19 signs suggests that non-Japanese residents in Japan potentially face a linguistic disadvantage in navigating a linguistic landscape altered by COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mirai. Estudios Japoneses is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In order to overturn the exclusion of Korean schools from the newly implemented free tuition program (2010) as part of sanctions against North Korea, members of Korean schools and Japanese supporters have focused on "students' innocence" and "multicultural coexistence" as viable frameworks to explain why the students are sympathetic and legitimate subjects who deserve equal rights. Examining different political strategies employed by the Korean schools and their supporters through ethnography and media analysis, the article pays close attention to how they claim their eligibility for these rights while they negotiate state surveillance and intervention in the process. I argue that in their efforts to gain recognition as deserving and sympathetic subjects, Korean schools are trapped in what political theorist Patchen Markell calls a "permanent temptation" in pursuing "recognition." Anti-North Korea sentiments in Japan have made the desire for good recognition even more urgent among Korean school community members. The paper will demonstrate that the search for recognition unwittingly reinforces and perpetuates existing relations of subordination and state dominance over their education as it has forced the Korean schools to accept various "conditions" that would radically alter the core principle, mission, and pedagogy of Korean school education that is rooted in decolonizing theory and praxis. This paper will shed lights on dilemma of multicultural coexistence the Korean minority population faces in Japan today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on communication among Japanese scientists domestically and with their counterparts abroad. Japanese sources are far more important as basic information for initiating research work. Russian literature is consulted in physics and chemistry, but the absolute percentage values are very low. In order to discover the habits of Japanese scientists in relation to the acquisition and assimilation of scientific information, questions about allocations of time at the disposal of researchers to these activities were asked. The English is very widely used by Japanese scientists; nevertheless "writing good English" is a difficult problem for most of them.

Does the Japanese public consider shared ancestry the most essential condition for inclusion of an individual as a member of their country's citizenry? This paper empirically assesses how the public in the ethnic nation views citizenship acquisition criteria. The originally conducted survey based on a conjoint format in Japan (2015) displays interesting results. Overall, Japanese people most heavily rely on the nationalities of parents in judging who qualifies as 'Japanese', confirming the contentions of previous works that highlight Japanese people's belief in a mono-ethnic Japan. More detailed statistical analyses further reveal that Japanese people consider ethnic heritage through the father as the most essential criterion while the mother's nationality and country of upbringing are also relevant. These results seem to reflect Japan's long-lasting beliefs in cultural homogeneity as well as patriarchal values, which are reinforced by a patrilineal tradition of citizenship. This research advances the discussion on how to classify citizenship features by disaggregating ethnic lineage into paternal and maternal lines. Furthermore, it suggests a reevaluation of Japan's institutional and social attachment to patrilineal ethnic heritage in order to ease multiple layers of discrimination posed against (particularly female) migrants and to realize a sound multiethnic society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Social Sciences Research / Sosyal Bilimler Arastirmalari Dergisi is the property of ODU Journal of Social Sciences Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Social Sciences & Philosophy is the property of Research Center for Humanities & Social Sciences, Academia Sinica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

2004 was the year when the Japanese public's affinity with China dropped dramatically, to 37.6 %, due to anti-Japan riots in China. Now more than 70 % of the Japanese public does not feel an affinity with China. How could such a strong anti-Chinese sentiment influence Japan's policy toward China? This paper considers this question by examining Japan's decision-making process on terminating the much-criticized yen loans to China. Yen loans are a type of Official Development Assistance (ODA) provided by the Japanese government to countries lacking sufficient funds for economic development. China is one of the top yen loan borrowers, and the loans have contributed to China's economic growth and increasing openness. However, in March 2005, Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura told Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing that Japan intended to phase out the yen loans before the 2008 Beijing Olympics and reached an agreement on the matter. Two-and-a-half years later, Japan terminated its yen loans to China, as the foreign ministers had agreed. Through mainly firsthand documents and interviews with government officials, this paper will clarify the following two points: (1) While it is true that the Japanese government significantly reduced its yen loan package to China from 2001 onward due to domestic criticism of China, as pointed out by previous studies, it was not planning to terminate the yen loans as of summer 2004. Instead, the Japanese government was contemplating how to keep providing yen loans to China; (2) Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, who was appointed in September 2004, had pushed for the termination of yen loans to China only after anti-Chinese sentiment rose dramatically in summer 2004, because he felt that continuing the much-criticized yen loans would not benefit stable Japan-China relations. This paper sheds light on the background of the termination of yen loans to China, a major milestone in postwar Japan-China relations that had been unclear until now. Having said this, the more important point of this paper may be that it also shows the influence of strong anti-Chinese sentiment on Japan's policies toward China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I demonstrate how long-term multigenerational minorities and Japanese residents engage in the current socio-political discourse of "multicultural coexistence" society (tabunkakyōsei shakai), which had not previously been integral to the vocabulary of national rhetoric in Japan until the 2000s. I argue that the lack of clear definition and goals of multicultural coexistence by the current Japanese government generates obstacles in the attempt to build a multicultural society. While local municipalities' programs, such as multilingual services and lifestyle support, are certainly needed, long-term foreign residents with linguistic and cultural competence are suspicious of the concept of multicultural coexistence due to their own embodied marginalized positions. Taking a local municipality's intercultural event as a point of reference, this paper explores how long-term minority residents perceive their positions at the crossroads of seemingly paradoxical forces of multicultural trends and an ongoing national identity founded upon ethnic homogeneity. [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]

Japanese mass housing from the 1960s has a colloquial nickname -- danchi, which can be translated as "common land." Originally celebrated by the public as a highly desirable living environment, danchi are now becoming a source of problems for the government. After briefly introducing the reader to the history of danchi, this paper will turn to investigate the interior lives of their current residents who stay hidden from the media attention behind dilapidating concrete walls and layers of social stigma. This work will attempt to propose a practical methodology on how to collect and interpret ethnographic materials from the apartment visits in relation to factual architectural knowledge. The data collected during the visits became the most controversial part of this research: in the spotlight is the abnormal inability of danchi residents to verbally admit their unsatisfactory living conditions that arises from the Japanese cultural characteristic of gaman, roughly translated as "perseverance". Despite dire living conditions, clearly depressed inhabitants keep repeating that they cannot imagine living a better life. Balancing on the edge between ethnography and architecture, an innovative interior analysis method named "Devicology" (in homage to Wajiro Kon's "Modernology") can help us look beyond these modest replies by detecting "devices" intricate systems of unconventionally used furniture and smaller, less permanent objects, that are unconsciously assembled by the residents. These visually chaotic yet surprisingly functional structures are the only tool of the current dwellers to negotiate with the restricting standard apartment plans that were originally designed for a very different sector of the Japanese population. Beginning as an examination of behaviour patterns in a single apartment, Devicology has the potential to become a study of the collective unconsciousness of different people stuck in the same conditions with the same set of rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper discusses the concept of acculturation and the specific problems immigrant children encounter in Japan against the growing and diversifying of immigration population. The author analyzes two cases of immigrant students and their acculturation difficulties in a country whose educational system is equal and accessible for all Japanese children, but which offers little support for immigrants and their unique backgrounds and vulnerabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores concessions made by Australian authorities concerning Japanese immigration during the era of the White Australia Policy in the early twentieth century. Australia's Immigration Restriction Act was introduced in December 1901. As the major piece of legislation in the White Australia Policy, the act made it virtually impossible for non-Europeans to migrate to Australia. However, Japanese people enjoyed a special position among non-Europeans under the White Australia Policy thanks to Japan's growing international status as a civilised power at the time, as well as its sustained diplomatic pressure on Australia. While the Commonwealth was determined to exclude Japanese permanent settlers, it sought ways to render the policy of exclusion less offensive to the Japanese. In the early 1900s, two minor modifications to the Immigration Restriction Act were implemented in order to relax the restrictions imposed on Japanese citizens. Moreover, in the application of Commonwealth immigration laws, Japanese people received far more lenient treatment than other non-Europeans and were afforded respect and extra courtesies by Australian officials. Nevertheless, these concessions Australia made to Japanese citizens were minor, and the Commonwealth government maintained its basic policy of excluding Japanese permanent settlers from Australia. This paper shows that, despite continued diplomatic efforts, Japan was fundamentally unable to change pre-war Australia's basic policy regarding the exclusion of Japanese permanent settlers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since Japanese students started learning English at school, English language education in Japan has taught them to represent Japanese names using the English order of 'given name' followed by 'family name' (the Western order). In 2000, however, the National Language Council claimed that the romanization of Japanese names should be written in the Japanese order of 'family name, given name.' The reason provided was that the romanization of the names of Chinese and Koreans, who use the same word order for their names as Japanese, are written in 'family name, given name' order. Recently, the Japanese government has announced that Japanese names should be presented this way when written or spoken in a foreign language context. This paper discusses how Japanese write their names in foreign languages from the viewpoint of education for understanding different cultures and their own. Then, it attempts to come up with a decision concerning this question of name order, using examples of Japanese names and Japanese people's sense of identity, especially in terms of socio-cultural history. The conclusions should prove beneficial for linguistic and cultural education and related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to inform the reader of the nature of Japanese organize crime ("the Yakuza") and the extent to which it has penetrated and is a powerful force in nearly all facets of Japanese society – with particular focus on the "legitimate" business and financial worlds. The paper also describes in detail the actual harmful effects of Yakuza influence and also provides a cautionary note for foreign business ventures in Japan. Design/methodology/approach: The paper offers an in-depth narrative description based on the author's over 20 years' experience researching the topic along with practical experience gained while working in the business risk mitigation field in Japan and assisting private entities in avoiding underworld entanglements. Findings: The paper demonstrates how the Yakuza remains a potent force with widespread influence in Japan, despite the government's enactment of specific regulations designed to pressure underworld organizations. Research limitations/implications: The paper offers insights into an aspect of Japanese society that receives limited examination, and the information contained in the article is potentially useful to other scholars and the foreign business community as well. The Yakuza are a broad topic, and the author's perspectives are necessarily focused on cases of Yakuza involvement in the legitimate economy and political world rather than the entire panoply of underworld activity. Practical implications: The insights and descriptions of underworld involvement in "legitimate" parts of Japanese society might encourage Japanese authorities to assess why the Yakuza remain entrenched and take appropriate counter measures. Social implications: The paper is potentially of use to foreign business and governmental organizations in better understanding and countering risks and threats posed by the Japanese underworld, both in Japan and beyond its borders. Originality/value: This topic is infrequently covered in any depth in English language sources and seldom if ever by someone with over two decades of practical experience identifying and helping private entities navigate around Yakuza dangers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identity is prominent in academia, despite it being difficult to define and measure due to its dynamic and multifaceted nature. In Japan, awareness of the make-up of Japanese youth is increasingly crucial as Japan becomes a more internationalized and ageing society. This paper examines, by identity mapping and discriminant analysis, the cultural identities of 94 Japanese youth. While strong Global identities separated the respondents with from without overseas experience, ties to National identities and Relationships were found respectively for males and females. This paper suggests that regarding the study of cultural identities, gender does matter – at least in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the Integrated Resort Bill was passed in 2017, Japan has been preparing to open casinos in Osaka and Nagasaki. Previous studies have shown that accessibility to casinos is positively correlated with the prevalence of gambling disorders. In response, the Japanese government has enacted the Basic Law against Gambling Addiction, and has started a fact-finding survey on gambling addiction every three years. This study aims to understand the prevalence of pathological gambling (PG) and gambling-related problems (e.g., multiple debt, child-rearing difficulties, suicide, depression and harm from significant others gambling, adverse childhood experiences; ACEs, etc.). Methods: A self-administered (paper and pencil or internet) questionnaire was mailed to 17,955 people from October to December 2020 using a random sampling based on the Basic Resident Register. PG was assessed using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). In addition, gambling behavior (gambling experience, frequency, and bet amounts) and original or standardized scales regarding gamblingrelated problems were examined. Results: A total of 8,223 valid responses (3,955 men and 4,268 women) were obtained. The age-adjusted past-year prevalence of PG was 2.2% overall (95% confidence interval = 1.9-2.5); however, the prevalence was higher among those who responded on the Internet. A comparison of respondents with and without PG found that those with PG had higher rates of depression, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and ACEs. Conclusions: The prevalence of PG in Japan is relatively higher than in other countries. A survey method is necessary to obtain comparable yearly prevalence rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]