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Industrialized countries have increasingly used skill-based selective migration policies to reduce labor and skill shortages. But are these policies effective? This paper uses Japan and the United Kingdom to illustrate how immigration policy and employment, training and labor practices influence labor and skill supply. Until recently, these two countries had different migration policies and labor practices. Yet data shows similar patterns of labor and skill shortage profiles in both countries. This paper draws on empirical research to argue that such outcomes suggest that immigration policies will not alleviate labor and skill shortages unless accompanied by the transformation of employment and training practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With climate change, many cultural landscapes will be lost or permanently altered. One approach to managing this is through international designation, through UNESCO, and the focus that it provides. National designations such as National Park status also offer a set of strategies for managing and adapting. This paper explores landscape designations in Japan and the UK focusing on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is suggested that the UK's dualistic governmental structures for landscapes prioritise some attributes over others. This is examined through the recent inscription of the Lake District as a World Heritage Property and counterpointed through looking at the recent Landscape Review also known as the Glover Report. A case study on a Japanese approach to landscape designation is explored to suggest alternative approaches. Both country's relationship with international designation is discussed. Methodologies and theoretical approaches are examined with the conclusion that landscape change and loss are dealt with in Japan differently and arguably more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Schools of Nursing have witnessed an increase in the number of nursing students who struggle with learning difficulties. Support and accommodations are available in academic settings. Because nursing is a practice profession students also learn in clinical settings, which may not have similar support and accommodations. The compatibility of the clinical setting for the education of students with learning difficulties has not been studied. Staff nurses responsible for the clinical education of students and new nurses receive little preparation for their role as educator, and may not feel supported to meet the needs of those with learning difficulties. This is part one in a series of articles about the clinical education of nursing students with learning difficulties. This paper provides a framework and literature review for the development of a study (part 2) exploring the issue from the perspective of the nurse preceptors who educate students and new graduates with learning difficulties. Highlights • There is an increase in the number of students in school of nursing with learning difficulties. • The literature on nursing students with learning difficulties can be understood from the perspectives of nursing schools, faculty, and students. • Nurse educators have a role in preparing the learning environments for students with learning difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: While there are a few national schemes for accreditation/certification of toxicologic pathologists (e.g. in Japan and UK), a global recognition system for bench toxicologic pathologists is missing, as are universal standards defining their core competencies. This paper summarizes the basic means, how proficiency in toxicologic pathology is acquired, provides an overview over examinations of interest to toxicologic pathologists and emphasizes the value of practical experience in the field. The paper then discusses basic approaches to evaluate the proficiency of toxicologic pathologists and examines potential means to recognize qualified toxicologic pathologists. With progressive globalization it is important that the toxicologic pathology community intensifies the discussion regarding a global recognition of their discipline and seeks to agree on the way forward. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Several recent papers have compared the measurement of migration in different countries, and some have compared migration patterns to the extent that these can be compared cross-nationally. In this paper we measure and comment on differences in the behaviour of migrants in two systems, Japan and Britain. In both countries the focus of attention is on interregional migration. Migration behaviour is measured in terms of elasticities of migration responses to various aspects of destination attractiveness, namely distance from the origin, population size and relative accessibility to other destinations. Origin-specific migration destination choice models are calibrated to obtain this information. The results reveal interesting differences in the factors underlying destination attractiveness in the two countries which have important implications both for the way in which migration is modelled, and for the impacts of migration on the urban systems in both countries. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vernacular timber-framed houses in Britain and Japan share an open-hall tradition where the frame is exposed. This paper classifies the types of trusses recorded in 40 halls in each of the two countries and focuses on the arrangement of timbers used as an alternative to arcade posts to support the superstructure. This comparative analysis shows that British aisled, box-frame and cruck-frame types (including their derivatives) could be used with one another in open and closed trusses within a single building yet do not usually coexist within a single truss. By contrast, Japanese framing systems are essentially all definable as aisled frames and their derivatives. Structural and aesthetic complexity is created by the superimposition of various techniques within one truss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, I use stock return data to test an intertemporal model of the current account. I find that the model performs well in three countries: the U.K., Canada, and Japan. Hall [Hall, R.E., 1978. Stochastic implication of the life cycle-permanent income hypothesis: theory and evidence. J. Polit. Econ. 86 (6), 971–987] points out that because stock price predicts the future state of the economy, it predicts consumption. Assuming that consumption depends on permanent income, my empirical finding indicates that a representative agent smoothes consumption based on stock market information. In other words, stock market returns yield information about permanent income. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As an embodiment of the shoujo, a specific Japanese representation of 'girl', the schoolgirl often appears as a central character in Japanese popular culture. With the import, and widespread availability, of Japanese cultural products in the West (such as comics called manga, animated movies called anime, toys and games), the Japanese schoolgirl has gained a visibility in Western popular culture, and perceived as cute and shy. In this paper, the way the Japanese schoolgirl is represented in British popular culture is examined, and contrasted with the representation in Japan. It is concluded that cultural context influences the representation and, in agreement with the work of Saito (1996), the British representation is simplistic and distorted in comparison to that in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]