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This text will try to explore the question of adopting gaming into education. Explore its possible benefits by measuring the test results of college students. The goal of this research is to try to find if there is a noticeable difference and benefit from this new type of pedagogical approach. What are the student’s opinions and sentiments towards it with the objective of providing the best possible result in students' motivation.

This article takes animal materials as contested elements of ecological knowledge production. The focus is on Ago Bay, a Japanese inlet at the mid-twentieth-century global epicenter of demand for “cultured” pearls that formed inside surgically manipulated shellfish. In 1950s Ago, long-established pearl cultivators complained that their pearls had thinner outer coatings than they expected. Tracing shifting ideas about shellfish stocking densities, smallholder aquaculture, rates of pearl formation, and the accumulation of organic wastes in water over time, this article reconsiders the puzzle of the thinly coated pearl. In its guise as host to thousands of working pearl farms and a network of researchers studying the effects of intensive pearl cultivation, Ago Bay is a rich site from which to think about aquaculture’s ecological and infrastructural limits. The bay was not simply a natural receptacle that housed pearl cultivation. The shore, water, seafloor, and floating pearl oyster raft-and-cage systems could be—and were—defined as infrastructure that could undergo regulation and rearrangement. Pearl cultivation did not just happen in the bay; it was part of the bay—and it reshaped ideas about the bay. This paper is part of a special issue entitled “Making Animal Materials in Time, ” edited by Laurence Douny and Lisa Onaga.

Two new and very similar species of the genus Xynobius Foerster, 1863 are described and illustrated, X. subparallelus Han & van Achterberg, sp. nov. from Japan (Honshu) and X. setosiscutum van Achterberg, sp. nov. from Norway. Three species are newly reported from Norway: Xynobius aciculatus (Thomson, 1895), X. comatus (Wesmael, 1835), and X. polyzonius (Wesmael, 1835). X. polyzonius (Wesmael, 1835) and X. sapporanus (Fischer, 1963) are new combinations. Identification keys to the Xynobius species known from Norway and Japan are added.

Intellectual curiosity - the tendency to seek out and engage in opportunities for effortful cognitive activity - is a crucial construct in educational research and beyond. Measures of intellectual curiosity vary widely in psychometric quality, and few measures have demonstrated validity and comparability of scores across multiple languages. We analyzed a novel, six-item intellectual curiosity scale (ICS) originally developed for cross-national comparisons in the context of the OECD's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Samples from six countries representing six national languages (U.S. Germany, France, Spain, Poland, and Japan; total N = 5,557) confirmed that the ICS possesses very good psychometric properties. The scale is essentially unidimensional and showed excellent reliability estimates. On top of factorial validity, the scale demonstrated strict measurement invariance across demographic segments (gender, age groups, and educational strata) and at least partial scalar invariance across countries. As per its convergent and divergent associations with a broad range of constructs (e.g., Open-Mindedness and other Big Five traits, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, Job Orientations, and Vocational Interests), it also showed convincing construct validity. Given its internal and external relationships, we recommend the ICS for assessing intellectual curiosity, especially in cross-cultural research applications, yet we also point out future research areas.

Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a computation of fractional flow reserve (FFR) based on invasive coronary angiographic images. Calculating QFR is less invasive than measuring FFR and may be associated with lower costs. Current evidence supports the call for an adequately powered randomised comparison of QFR and FFR for the evaluation of intermediate coronary stenosis. The aim of the FAVOR III Europe Japan trial is to investigate if a QFR-based diagnostic strategy yields a non-inferior 12-month clinical outcome compared with a standard FFR-guided strategy in the evaluation of patients with intermediary coronary stenosis. FAVOR III Europe Japan is an investigator-initiated, randomised, clinical outcome, non-inferiority trial scheduled to randomise 2,000 patients with either 1) stable angina pectoris and intermediate coronary stenosis, or 2) indications for functional assessment of at least 1 non-culprit lesion after acute myocardial infarction. Up to 40 international centres will randomise patients to either a QFR-based or a standard FFR-based diagnostic strategy. The primary endpoint of major adverse cardiovascular events is a composite of all-cause mortality, any myocardial infarction, and any unplanned coronary revascularisation at 12 months. QFR could emerge as an adenosine- and wire-free alternative to FFR, making the functional evaluation of intermediary coronary stenosis less invasive and more cost-effective.

The Chinese Poetry Society developed with the development of Sinology in Japan. As early as in the Nihongi, there are records of Japanese aristocrats followed the example of the Chinese Lanting Gathering and gathered to write poems. Then, from the Yusha formed by the monks of Gozan in the Muromachi period, to the poetry society in the latter half of Edo period, then to the prosperity of the Chinese Poetry Society in the early Meiji Period, the development of poetry societies has continued throughout the history of Chinese poetry in Japan. Taking the Edo period as the dividing line, this paper gives a brief introduction to the development of the Chinese Poetry Society before the Edo period, during the Edo period and during the Meiji period. The Edo period was divided into the first half period and the second half period by the Kyoho period (1716-1736). Through combing, the historical development process of Chinese Poetry Society in Japan can be understood., 内田慶市教授古稀記念号

Disasters cause economic and human losses. In order to mitigate the impact of disasters, there is now a global consensus amongst national and international actors that policies and programmes must be linked to support human existence. This global consensus is reflected in the 'Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2015-2030' and the 'Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030' (SFDRR). With this global consensus and the need to reduce disaster risks and disaster losses, there has been an increasing demand for specialised professionals and future leaders to understand the nuances of risk, crisis, disaster and development and their interfaces. However, what is yet to be seen is, how these global trends, national needs and everyday realities of the disaster-affected and vulnerable communities are integrated into professional development programmes taught within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Japan and the UK, to build the capacity of students and their leadership skills. The Universities of Kansai, Sheffield and Leicester undertook a joint research project (funded by Kansai University's Grant-in-Aid for the Promotion and Upgrading of Education and Research) from July 2017 to August 2018 to study and recommend a Future Leader Programme that might be required to improve students’ learning and leadership skills for the effective management of risk, crisis, disaster and development. Three objectives were set for this study: 1) To identity and map the number of courses/programmes on risk, crisis, disaster and development management (RCDDM) offered by the HEIs in the UK and Japan. 2) To identify indicators for a quality Future Leader Programme in line with the SDGs and SFDRR. 3) To engage with key stakeholders to validate the indicators and explore the meaning of a future leader. To realise these objectives qualitative methods were used to collect data from July 2017 to December 2018. This included mapping and reviewing of RCDDM Programmes and the Times Higher Education databases in the UK and the KAKEN database, developing indicators through a literature review on 'quality' education and a content analysis of the SDG and the SFDRR, and gathering opinions through two key stakeholders' workshops and several formal and informal interviews with students and academics. The findings suggest that as of October 2017, there were a total of 48 HEIs in the UK and 777 in Japan that offered courses/programmes in RCDDM. From the content analysis of the SDGs and the SFDRR, it was found that Goals 4, 11 and 13, and the SFDRR's Priorities for Actions 1 and 3 were the most relevant to identify indicators for a quality Future Leader Programme. These indicators were ratified by the stakeholders. The stakeholders defined a 'Future Leader' for RCDDM as an individual who brings about change to enrich life standards and communities' abilities to manage risks, crises, disasters and development through social influence. The findings also identify the topics and the type of courses that will be needed to develop a Future Leader Programme for RCCDM.

本論文では，理論および実証研究の結果を踏まえ，山東省における日系情報通信企業の関連会社と子会社のそれぞれ1社ずつに対してインタビュー調査を行った。関連会社の生産性も子会社のそれも本社に左右されることが明らかになったが，関連会社の経営は厳しいものの労働集約的な業務から知的集約的なものに移行し生産性を高める努力をしている一方，子会社は親会社の経営が順調である限り労働集約的な業務でも生産性を上昇させることができるが，人的資本がかなり成長している中国においては，労働集約的な業務での労働者の採用が難しくなっていることが明らかになった。これまでの研究では親会社の視点で書かれた先行研究が多く，ほとんど明らかにされていなかった関連会社と子会社に分けて調査する必要性を示すことができた。, Based on the results of theoretical and empirical studies, interviews were conducted with one affiliate and one subsidiary of Japanese ICT firms in Shandong Province. Although the productivity of affiliate and that of subsidiary were dependent on the headquarter, the affiliate made efforts to increase productivity by shifting from labor-intensive to more knowledge-intensive work, while the subsidiary was able to increase productivity even in labor-intensive activity as long as the parent company's management was doing well. Yet, in China, where human capital is growing considerably, the subsidiary was facing increasingly difficulty in recruiting workers for labor-intensive work. This indicates the need to investigate affiliated companies and subsidiaries separately, which has rarely been clarified in previous studies, many of which have been written from the parent company's perspective.

During the COVID time, international students could not enter Japan easily. Until March 2022, regulation and deregulation for degree course students often changed in Japan. Like tourists, furthermore, non-degree shorter student mobility opened later. For exchange, research, and other short course students, they needed to wait until October 2022 to come to Japan.

The influence of the Chinese translation of Aesop's fables is not limited to China. In fact, the engraved version of Yi Shi Yu Yan which called "Yi Suo Pu Yu Yan" was later spread to Japan after several rounds, and had a profound influence on the later Chinese translations of Aesop's Fables in Japan. As far as I am concented, the current Chinese translations of Aesop's fables in Japan mainly include ISuPuTan in Chinese and Critical Chinese translation of Aesop's Fables. In addition, during the Meiji period, Takanori Nakata translated Beijing Mandarin Aesop's Fables. Such translations all had a certain influence in Japan at that time. This article will take Critical Chinese translation of Aesop's Fables as an example to examine its original version and its content characteristics while trying to explore its development and influence in Japan. The research on the Japanese translation of Aesop's fables will help us understand the complete history of the Chinese translation of Aesop's fables., 内田慶市教授古稀記念号

Parenting stress is affected by various factors, including maternal attachment; however, the number of studies focusing on Japanese samples is limited. As such, we explored the association between mothers’ attachment styles and parenting stress among Japanese mothers with 18-month-old toddlers. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Sasebo City, Japan between 2018 and 2019. Anonymous self-reported questionnaires were distributed to 1399 mothers who attended an infant health check-up. We categorized maternal attachment style as secure, anxious/ambivalent, or avoidant, and conducted a multiple logistic regression analysis to evaluate the associations between each attachment style and parenting stress. Of the 1399 mothers, 529 responded to the survey (37.8%). About 40% reported experienced parenting stress. Further, approximately two-thirds showed a secure attachment style, 20% had an anxious/ambivalent style, and 15% had an avoidant style. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, the ambivalently attached mothers had a significantly higher level of parenting stress than those with secure attachment (odds ratio = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (1.5, 3.9)), but avoidantly attached mothers did not have a significantly higher level of parenting stress than those with secure attachment (odds ratio = 0.9, 95% confidence interval (0.5, 1.6)). The findings demonstrate that an anxious/ambivalent attachment style is associated with a higher level of parenting stress than a secure style. Thus, it is important for experts to understand the mother’s attachment style when offering childrearing support., 長崎大学学位論文 学位記番号:共博(医歯薬)甲第29号 学位授与年月日:令和5年3月31日, Author: Ayano Kit, Kazuhiko Arima, Yasuyo Abe, Satoshi Mizukami, Yoshihito Tomita, Maiko Hasegawa, Yoko Sou, Takayuki Nishimura, Mayumi Ohnishi and Kiyoshi Aoyagi, Citation: Psychiatry International, 3(2), pp. 122-130; 2022

On September 30, 2022, the Japanese Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released a guideline regarding so-called “confidential births”, titled “How to handle a case of a pregnant woman giving birth while revealing her identity solely to part of the staff at the medical institution” (Ninpu ga sono mimoto-jōhō o iryō-kikan no ichibu no mono nomi ni akiraka ni shite shussan shita toki no toriatsukai ni tsuite). The guideline was compiled after Jikei Hospital (Kumamoto)—inspired by the model of the German system of confidential birth implemented in 2014—started to allow women who do not want their pregnancy to be known to their social environment to give birth after revealing their identity solely to a hospital counselor and leave their baby in the hands of the hospital. By providing this German translation of the guideline, the translator hopes to contribute to the bilateral exchange of experiences related to confidential birth and other systems of support for pregnant women in need.

This research explores the concept of placemaking in the context of sports events tourism, using the case study of the 2019 Rugby World Cup hosted in Japan. The study investigates how host cities used liminoid spaces between transport hubs and stadiums to create a festive atmosphere and articulate the identity of the place itself. Employing a novel ethnographic methodology centred around walking and participatory methods, the researcher occupied a dual tourist-researcher role, immersing himself in the liminoid space. Findings suggest that the use of such spaces was innovative and successful in creating a sense of place and developing a festive atmosphere through which visitors moved. However, the study acknowledges that these strategies may not be applicable to all sports events and that the direct experiences of visitors through ethnographic methods do not allow for empirical claims about the success of strategies or their longitudinal effects. Nevertheless, the study highlights the potential of placemaking in the periphery of sports events to enhance the visitor experience and promote the identity of the host destination.

This paper examines educational theory and practice through the films for the slow learners in Japan around 1920s. Shimono (1928) and Sakurai Elementary School (1929) are main materials for this survey. The latter school is known as one of the pioneers of conducting education through the films in 1920s. However, they noted that utilization of the films for the slow learners was not widespread. The above books propose utilizing movies for education for the slow learners in a manner similar to education for the typical learners including the children, youth, and adults. They comment on the aspects of movies that can be used as teaching materials, with special focus on students’ cognitive abilities and sensory functions, and teachers’ methods of instruction. The first aspect is that movies can provide materials to stimulate students’ intuition. Students’ sensory functions are specific and short-termed, so the films as teaching materials must be appealing and interesting to disabled learners. The second aspect is the cultivation of characters and social emotions. The practitioners suggested that films could be used to cultivate emotions sentiments. Dramatic movies provide opportunities to examine the art of actions, flowage, and light and shadow, which are expected to motivate students’ artistic and moral sentiments. The third aspect is the rationalization of imagination. The documents above argue that the slow learners have a tendency towards fantasy, illusion and delusion because of their lack of understanding and experience. Films can be used to correct students’ erroneous imaginations and remediate students’ irrationality. With regard to the socio-historical context, at the time, a curriculum for the intellectually disabled had been established within the Japanese school system, and teaching methods were beginning to be developed. In theoretical discussions regarding the use of film as educational materials, attention should be paid to the development of film as educational materials tailored to the different abilities and cognitive characteristics of slow learning students.

This descriptive case study examined how teaching practices were evidenced in Grade 1 classrooms in two different cultural and educational contexts, Finland and Japan. Teachers’ teaching practices were video-recorded in 53 classrooms in Finland and six classrooms in Japan and rated with the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure by trained investigators. Four Finnish teachers and two Japanese teachers having the highest scores in either child-centered or teacher-directed practices were selected for a descriptive case study to take a closer look at how teaching practices in terms of management, climate, and instruction are evidenced in authentic classroom situations. The analysis revealed some similarities and disparities in how teacher-directed and child-centered practices are reflected in classroom situations in the two countries. For example, in Japan, teachers favoring child-centered practices asked more open-ended questions and encouraged brainstorming and group discussions, whereas the Finnish teachers emphasized socio-emotional skills. The results suggest that cultural values may play a role in how teachers create a positive climate, implement instruction, and organize activities in the classroom. peerReviewed

目的：高齢の性的少数者に関する研究動向を把握するとともに、本邦における今後の研究課題について検討することを目的とした。方法：医学中央雑誌Webを使用し実施した。キーワードは「性的少数者/TH or LGBT/AL」「高齢者」とし原著論文に絞り検索を行った。結果：27件の文献が検出された。また、本文献レビューは、性的少数者の高齢期に焦点を当てているため、研究対象者が高齢性的少数者、もしくは性的少数者当事者が高齢になることについて述べている文献3件を表にまとめ、整理した。考察：性的少数者は高齢期への漠然した不安を抱えており、高齢期になってもその葛藤があることが明らかになっている。医療者は、関わる対象が性的少数者である可能性とその対象が抱える不安を意識しながら関わる必要がある。, Aims: The purpose of this study was to identify trends in research on elderly sexual minorities and to discuss future research issues in Japan.Methods: We conducted the study using Japan Medical Abstracts Society. The keywords were "sexual minority/TH or LGBT/AL" and "elderly", and the search was limited to original articles.Results: 27 references were found and three cases were about the aging of sexual minorities.Conslusions: Sexual minorities have vague anxieties about old age, and they struggle with these anxieties throughout old age. Health care providers need to be aware of the possibility that the subjects they are involved with may be sexual minorities and also of the anxieties they may have.

Scientific consensus agrees that over recent decades and generations, Earth has entered a new geological epoch, termed the Anthropocene. Whereas previous new epochs are postulated to have followed comet strikes and solar realignment, it is demonstrable that it is now human activity that most affects climate change, the release and transformation of chemicals, and general endangerment to life forms. At the same time, human societies throughout history can be seen to have adjusted to effects beyond their control. This is particularly clear in countries marked by frequent seismic activity, with Japan and Chile being prime examples. Particularly, changes in educational policy over the last hundred years appear to correlate to responses to major seismic catastrophes in these countries, with this article proposing to supplement understandings of educational policy evolution with consideration of the legacies of such cataclysms and the revised priorities they elicit.

日本における河川水質は，高度成長期の1950～1960年代に著しく悪化したが，1970年の「水質汚濁防止法」などの法整備によって1980年代末には見違えるように改善された。しかし，人々が暮らす身近な地域での水環境としては，まだ問題のある地域が多いことは，既報（小寺，2022）の通りである。前稿でも，公的機関が行っている「公共水域の水環境調査」と市民団体を中心とした「身近な水環境の全国一斉調査」の結果を比較し，日本の河川水質の長期変化と特性について都道府県別のデータを中心に考察したが，本稿では，市町村別に分類したデータをもとに，さらに詳細な特性を示し，北海道地域についても具体的にデータを整理し，今後の研究の方向性を示した。, The water quality of rivers in Japan deteriorated significantly during the period of rapid economic growth in the 1950s and 1960s. As already reported (Kodera, 2022), there are still many areas with problems regarding the water environment in familiar areas. In my previous article, I compared the results of the "Survey of the Water Environment in Public Water Areas" conducted by a public institution and the "National Survey of Local Water Environments" conducted mainly by citizens' groups, and compared long-term changes in river water quality in Japan. Although we have focused on the characteristics by prefecture, this paper presents more detailed characteristics based on the data classified by municipality. In particular, we advanced concrete discussions on the Hokkaido region and indicated the direction of future research.

The nature of environmental policy changed dramatically in the 1980s. Until the 1970s, environmental policies were limited to stopgap measures in response to environmental problems, with little benefit to the economy. By contrast, since the 1980s, a new type of environmental policy has emerged that is compatible with economic policies. However, the research on the emergence and development of this new type of environmental policy has been scant. This article focuses on Japan’s environmental policy and explores the emergence of global environmental policy, one of the new types of environmental policy compatible with economic policies. It thus reveals two key conclusions. First, Japan’s systematic global environmental policy originated in 1980, when the Ad Hoc Group on Global Environmental Problems was established as an advisory body to the Environment Agency. Saburo Okita (1914–1993) and Tsutomu Tanaka (1936– ), a bureaucrat closely acquainted with Okita, played key roles in the establishment and early activities of the group. Okita was then an internationally renowned economist and former executive of the Economic Planning Agency in Japan. Tanaka, originally a bureaucrat at the Economic Planning Agency, was seconded to the Environment Agency from 1979 to 1982 when he served as Director of the International Affairs Division. Although an outsider in the Environment Agency, Tanaka used the knowledge and experience gained during his interactions with Okita to initiate a new policy agenda: global environmental issues. Second, although the Ad Hoc Group is now largely forgotten, it played an important role in promoting global environmental policy internationally because the group’s report led to the establishment of the Brundtland Commission, which stimulated the global diffusion of the concept of sustainable development., The contents of this article are mainly based on Japanese literature, Kitagawa (2021). The English version has been considerably revised.

F9, or Fast & Furious 9 (2021), the ninth installment in the enormously successful Fast and Furious franchise, makes significant use of Japan, the main plot concerning a deadly weapon developed in Tokyo. The only reason Japan is in the film, however, is that the scrriptwriters (Daniel Casey and director Justin Lin) are seeking to lock the third film in the series, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), more firmly into the overall Fast and Furious saga. The result is a very convulated plot and a representation of Japan very different from that found in the earlier film., D. Randall Terhune先生 御退職記念号, Specially dedicated to Professor D. Randall Terhune on his retirement, 研究ノート(Research Report)

This study aims to analyze dynamics of multidimensional poverty in Japan in termsof the Capability Approach (CA) as a conceptual framework. Following Alkire andFoster (2011), an multidimensinal poverty index (MPI) for Japan is proposed. Similarto Suppa (2018), our MPI is also defined without income, which enables us to compareit with conventional income-based measures. Then, the adjusted headcount ratio M0,which can be related to capability poverty, is contrasted to the usual headcount ratio.As a result, we have clarified the similarities and differences between poverty as measuredby income and poverty as evaluated by the CA in the Japanese context. UsingJapanese general social surveys for the years 2012, 2015, and 2017/18, the M0 valuesfor different subgroups as well as by year are computed and presented as an empiricalanalysis. The analysis reveals differences between income poverty and multidimensionalpoverty. Through comparisons of trends between the two over time, we find thatmultidimensional and income poverty measures differ regarding who is viewed as poor.Conversely, we also find similarities between the two. In the context of child poverty,both measures make common judgments for subgroups of variables on family’s economicbackground in a respondent’s childhood. That is, the more dire the householdfinancial situation during childhood is, the higher the values of M0 and income povertyrate are. This would be an interesting finding when considering intergenerational chainsof poverty, which has also been observed in Japan through our M0.

The coronavirus pandemic has instituted mandatory online education across Japan and many parts of the world. Using a semi-structured interview, we collected and analyzed students’ reactions to online education across high-rank, mid-rank, and low-rank universities in Japan to determine learning outcomes among undergraduates with different pre-existing learning engagements. Our analysis revealed that online education proved effective on students with pre-existing learning engagement outside of class, which in compliance with prior research, only students at high-rank universities were found to possess. Therefore, we inferred that the implementation of online education has been successful at high-rank universities but not at others. This study refutes that the gap in learning outcomes between different university levels occurring as a result of the mandatory shift in the online education is a legitimate phenomenon. This study would serve as a new perspective and evidence for future discussions on equity in higher education., This work was supported by RIHE Open-call research, Grant Number B03001, “An Empirical Study on the Effect of Class Experiences via Online Education on the Undergraduate Student’s Learning Outcomes in the COVID-19 Crisis (Research Representative: Noboru Miyoshi)”.

Background: There is a growing need to support student self-determination in special needs education in Japan. No study has examined special needs education teachers’ attitudes and perceptions toward promoting self-determination to understand what they knew about self-determination and what practices they were using in their instruction. Specific aims: The purpose of this study was to explore how Japanese special needs education teachers perceived self-determination and educational efforts and issues regarding self-determination support for students with disabilities. Methods: We translated the self-determination survey developed and widely used in the United States into Japanese to collect data on teachers’ attitudes toward promoting self-determination. The sample included 176 teachers from two schools. Findings: All teachers were familiar with SD, but when explaining it, they simply used the word ‘determination’, and the concept of self-determination remained an abstract concept for teachers. The results indicated a discrepancy between the perceived importance of self-determination and the providing opportunities. Some of the reasons for not teaching self-determination skills included a lack of time for such instruction, the presence of other competing priorities, and lack of familiarity with specific self-determination teaching methods. Discussion: Although Japanese teachers are aware of the importance of self-determination, they do not sufficiently incorporate it in their specific educational activities. To support student self-determination, teachers must have a concrete understanding of self-determination and implement explicit self-determination instruction based on the theory and practice. To this end, it is necessary to widely educate teachers about knowledge and skills to promote student self-determination.

Japan's central and local governments have implemented various measures to encourage internal migration from metropolitan areas to local areas to address issues related to population decrease and unbalanced regional development. However, despite a significant decrease in net migration flow from Japan's local areas to main metropolitan areas over the past 50 years, the net outflow from metropolitan to local areas has remained negative. This suggests that Japan's population migration spatial pattern is more difficult to change than that of developed countries in Europe and America. On the other hand, the three-year-long COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant changes to people's work, consumption, learning, and daily life. Will such changes affect Japanese residents' residential location choices and migration patterns? This paper uses data from "The Fifth Survey on Residents' Life Consciousness and Behavior Changes under the Influence of COVID-19" and a multinomial logit model to conduct empirical analysis. Our findings suggest that individuals who are more likely to leave metropolitan areas are those with relatively low job opportunity costs in metropolitan areas and high employment probabilities in local areas, young adults who have entered the labor market within the past ten years, individuals who have been retired for a few years, and those who prioritize their well-being. In contrast, household-related factors such as marital status, having underage children, and the work status of residents' spouse did not significantly affect their decision to move. These results provide new evidence to support major migration theories. Based on our analysis, policy recommendations are also discussed.

The article examines the public economics of mega-events in the Japanese host cities of Tokyo (2020 summer Olympics), Osaka (Expo 2025), and Sapporo (2030 winter Olympics). The hosting of a mega-event requires multi-billions of publicly funded expenditures in permanent and temporary infrastructure, urban regeneration/gentrification, cultural events and amenities, tourism campaigns, and deployment of additional security measures, among others. However, matters relating to the comprehensive protection of taxpayers in Japanese host cities have remained understudied in the specialized literature of mega-events.The article argues that local taxpayers not only have a claim to the financial/economic and environmental sustainability of these mega-events but they are, in fact, their largest stakeholder(s). This aspect is ever more pressing as the hosting of both the 2020 Olympics and the Expo 2025 is directly and/or immediately impacted by the (long-term) socio-economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to secure the long-term fiscal sustainability of host cities/nations, higher and clearer levels of accountability and transparency towards local taxpayers (and the general public, at large) are required.

シンガポールに長期滞在する日本人のライフヒストリーを聞き取り、分析することで、流動の激しいシンガポールに留まり続けた当事者の「個人的な理由」は、その当時の社会情勢や両国関係とどのように連関しているのか、シンガポール人やシンガポール社会との接触・交流にはどのような工夫や苦労があったのか、シンガポール人は日本人をどう見ていたのか、を理解し、それを「人々の社会史」「人々の交流史」として両国関係史の再構築を行った。

This research note preliminarily investigates the Australian higher education sector as it pertains to its international student cohort. Australia is one of the major higher education study destinations in the world. The sector is a vital component of its service-orientated economic model which aims to progress a knowledge economy. Therefore, it must compete with other attractive study destinations of the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) for the globally mobile student cohort and who predominantly come from China and India. In recent decades, Australia has committed to a skilled migration policy to which the higher education sector is inextricably tied. It is not an uncommon pathway for international students who have enrolled in and graduated with an Australian degree to then seek employment and permanent residency. Thus, they will likely face the challenge of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test more than once. The IELTS test and its gatekeeping function for non-Australians has a two-fold purpose. Its score assesses both the English language proficiency of international students’ enrolment into Australian universities and plays a role for their entry into the Australian workforce. In this research note, analysis of secondary data included in relevant reports has mainly been reviewed. This initial exploration has enabled for closer examination of the IELTS test’s ubiquity in Australia for the aforesaid dual purposes. It also aims to determine the awareness of the IELTS test in Japan among associated stakeholders. The conclusions of the reports referred to do not reveal the predictive validity of IELTS as an English language proficiency for the Australian workplace. Yet, the reports are more positive in terms of the potential washback of the IELTS test on educational institutions in Japan (China is also mentioned). By gaining more insight into these bifurcate domains, this research note attempts to provide impetus for heightened examination by English Foreign or Second Language (EFL and ESL) educators of the merits and demerits of the IELTS test as an instrument of students’ possible tertiary and career ambitions. Additionally, it highlights the inopportune decoupling of the IELTS test from non-Australians’ study, employment, and/or migrant pathways. For those Japanese students who may desire global mobility or who are transnationally inclined, this research note states that IELTS is an important foundation.

Article

[特集]国際シンポジウム「アジアの社会におけるヘルスケアの現在:子どもから高齢期まで」, A part of the study was conducted with support of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) 15H05170 (2015-18) and 19H01390 (2019-21).

This research paper provides the recent landscape of high-technology start-ups in Japan. First, this paper analyzes the state of high-technology start-ups based on several quantitative metrics including market capitalization of listed companies, number of unicorns and number of start-ups. Second, this paper examines the start-up ecosystem from the lenses of entrepreneurship and access to capital. The low level of entrepreneurship and limited access to capital are barriers that are deeply rooted within Japan’s own idiosyncrasies, culture, and social patterns. This paper concludes that in the last two decades, the Japanese government has implemented various policies to create a vibrant ecosystem for its high-technology start-ups, but it remains a slow takeoff.

Background: Japan has remained medium-burden tuberculosis (TB) country for many years. However, a considerable variation was observed in the TB space-time distribution among Japan’s eight regions. This study aimed to investigate the spatial, temporal, and space-time dynamics of TB at the machi-level in Nagasaki prefecture. Methods: Data on the reported TB infections from 2007 to 2018 were collected from the information center for infectious diseases of the Nagasaki Prefectural Institute of Environment and Public Health. The time series, temporal trends, and spatial patterns of TB at the machi-level were explored using Moran’s I and Kulldorff’s space-time scan statistics. Results: A total of 4,364 TB infections were reported between April 2007 and December 2018 in Nagasaki prefecture. The infections were frequently reported in October, June, and January, and they showed spatial clustering with Moran’s I value ranging from 0.07 to 0.17 (p = 0.001). Ten significant clusters were identified, including one most likely cluster and nine secondary clusters, which were mainly concentrated in the densely inhabited districts of the two biggest cities in Nagasaki prefecture (Nagasaki city and Sasebo city), Shimabara peninsula, and Iki island. Conclusion: This study showed significant and unique spatial-temporal characteristics of TB infections in Nagasaki prefecture. Therefore, such information on the prevailing epidemiological situation of TB infections could help develop strategies that could effectively eliminate TB in Japan., Acta medica Nagasakiensia, 66(2), pp.41-49; 2023

Thailand is on the verge of becoming an ‘aged society,’ with 13% of its population aged 65 years and over. Under these circumstances, the Government of Thailand has developed a community-based long-term care (LTC) system on a pilot basis, taking advantage of local and external knowledge and resources. Japan’s official development assistance for Thailand to develop an LTC system has contributed to the developmentof models regarding community-level integration of LTC, the development of specialised care and the rehabilitation capacity. This has led to the creation of Thailand’s own LTC model, which is being scaled up as pilot LTC programs.However, there are policy concerns for Thailand in expanding standardised quality LTC across the country in the future: (1) There is a lack of regulations for private LTC providers in urban areas; and (2) financial resources will needto be secured as LTC expands nationwide.

The number of students entering doctoral programs reached its peak of 18,232 in 2003, but the number has continued to drop, resulting in 14,903 doctoral students in 2019. There is an array of reasons for this trend, including dismal career opportunities after graduation and financial burdens during and after study. Under this trend, the ratio of non-traditional students tripled to 42.3% in 2019 from 14.6% in 2000, while that of traditional students declined to 9.2% in 2019 from 15% in 2001. Further, NISTEP (2022) reported that 53.7% of students who completed doctoral programs in 2018 were non-traditional students, and it was the first time that the number of non-traditional students exceeded that of traditional students since NISTEP’ s survey began in 2014. NISTEP (2022) points out that a paradigm shift has been occurring in doctoral education in Japan beyond simple student diversification. This article firstly overviews the policy changes and trends of doctoral education in Japan; secondly, it analyzes the change of the breakdown of doctoral students and its reasons, and finally, it concludes with future prospects for doctoral education in Japan., 日本の博士課程への入学者は，2003年度に18,232人とピークを迎えた後は2019年度には14,903人に減少してきている．その要因としては，任期付などの雇用条件の不安定さなど博士号取得後のキャリアが見通せないこと，翻って修士号取得後のキャリアの確実さ，在籍時の経済支援の不足などが指摘されている．修士課程などから博士課程に進む大学院生（「課程学生」）の割合も長期的に減少してきており，2001年の15%から2019年の9.2%になっている．一方，学校基本調査によれば，社会人が博士課程入学者に占める割合は2000年の14.6%が2019年には42.3%と3倍に急増している．文部科学省科学技術・学術政策研究所（2022）によれば，博士課程入学者に占める社会人経験者の割合が過半数を超え（53.7%），これは同研究所が調査を始めた2014年以来初めてである．日本の博士課程には単に学生の多様化という表現では捉え切れない大きなパラダイムシフトが起きていると指摘している．在学者の割合で見ても，2005年と2019年の間で，博士課程全体に占める割合は社会人が25%から44%に増加した一方，課程学生が75%から56%に減少している．本稿では，この博士人材追跡調査を含むコロナ禍前の2019年までのデータを元に，近年の日本の博士教育の政策と実際の動向の中における在籍者の内訳の変化の要因と，これらの変化がもたらす日本の博士教育の役割への影響を探る．

application/pdf, Aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxins (OTs) contamination of chili peppers sold in Vietnam and Japan was investigated using an immunoaffinity column-HPLC method. AFs were detected in 80% (20/25) of chili peppers sold in Vietnam, of which 8 samples (32%) exceeded AFB1 standard value (5 μg/kg) set by EU, and 5 samples (20%) exceeded the standard value (10 μg/kg) for total AFs set by EU and Japan. The mean of AFB1 was 11.24 μg/kg and total AFs was 11.81 μg/kg in positive samples. 88% (15/17) of chili peppers sold in the market were badly contaminated with AFs, the mean of AFB1 was 12.12 μg/kg and the mean of total AFs was 12.79 μg/kg. These were more than five times higher than the chili peppers sold in supermarkets. AFs were not detected in chili peppers sold in Japan., OTA was detected in all of the chili peppers sold in Vietnam. The mean was 11.41 μg/kg. Of these the chili peppers, 5 (20%) exceeded the limit of OTA (15 μg/kg) set by EU, and 2 (8%) exceeded the limit of OTA (30 μg/kg) set by Vietnam. An average of 6.27 μg/kg of OTA was detected in all samples purchased at supermarkets. On the other hand, an average of 13.30 μg/kg OTA was detected in all samples purchased from the market, which was more than twice as high. OTA was detected on average in 100% (10/10) of chili peppers sold in Japan. The average of OTA was 0.67 μg/kg, less than 1/10 that of Vietnamese chili pepper., From the above results, it was found that chili peppers sold in Vietnam were contaminated with relatively high concentrations of AFs and OTA. In particular, the contamination level of chili peppers sold in the market was high., ベトナムと日本で市販されていた唐辛子のアフラトキシン（AFs）とオクラトキシン（OTs）の汚染調査をイムノアフィニテーカラム-HPLC法で行った。ベトナム市販唐辛子の80%（20/25）からAFs類が検出され、そのうち、8検体（32%）がEUのAFB1の基準値（5 μg/kg）を超えており、5検体（20%）EUや日本の総AFsの基準値（10 μg/kg）を超えていた.陽性検体のAFB1の平均値は11.24 μg/kgで、総AFsの平均値は11.81 μg/kgであった。特に、ベトナムの市場で販売されていた唐辛子の88%（15/17）がAFsに汚染されており、陽性検体のAFB1の平均値は12.12 μg/kgと総AFsの平均値は12.79 μg/kgであり、スーパーマーケットで販売されていた唐辛子の陽性検体のAFB1の平均値は2.35 μg/kgと総AFsの平均値は2.47μg/kgを5倍以上、上回っていた。また、日本市販の唐辛子からはAFは検出されなかった。ベトナム市販唐辛子の96%（24/25）からOTBが検出され、全てからOTAが検出された。これらの汚染検体中5検体（20%）がOTAのEU基準値15 μg/kgを超え、2検体（8%）がOTAのベトナム基準値30 μg/kgを超えでいた。陽性検体のOTBの平均値は3.11 μg/㎏、OTAの平均値は11.41 μg/㎏であった。また、スーパーマーケットで購入した検体の全てから平均6.27 μg/kgのOTAが検出された。一方、市場で購入した検体の全てから平均が13.30 μg/kg OTAが検出され、2倍以上高濃度であった。日本市販の唐辛子からの90%（9/10）から平均OTBが検出され、全てからOTAが検出された。陽性検体のOTBの平均値は0.04 μg/㎏、OTAの平均値は0.67 μg/㎏であり、ベトナムの唐辛子の1/10以下であった。以上の結果から、ベトナム市販の唐辛子は、比較的高頻度かつ高濃度のAFsとOTsに汚染されていた。特に、市場で販売されていた唐辛子の汚染レベルは高かった。

This paper investigates the genre of ending notes in Japan. Ending notes are notebook-like writing pads that are commonly published and distributed by a variety of businesses, NPOs, and governmental bodies. In the ending notes, writers can record their personal information and their wishes and requests regarding aging, dying, and death. This study conducted a genre analysis of 15 introduction sections of ending notes. The findings indicate that introductions are used to persuade readers about the importance of end-of-life planning, to explain the structure and function of an ending note, and to introduce shūkatsu to future writers. The results contribute to the fields of aging and death in Japan as well as to the broader field of writing studies.

The genus Peucobius Townes previously comprised two species occurring in the Nearctic region: P. fulvus Townes and P. piceus Townes. In the current study we revise this genus, transfer it to the subfamily Sisyrostolinae (comb. nov.), and describe two new species – P. bennetti Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino, sp. nov. from Central Mexico and P. shimizui Khalaim, sp. nov. from Japan. The genus Lygurus Kasparyan occurring in Russian Far East and Taiwan is morphologically similar to Peucobius; characters for distinguishing these two genera are provided for the first time with the use of colour photographs. Identification keys to four world species of Peucobius, and to species of Lygurus and Peucobius occurring in the East Palaearctic region, are provided. We suggest that species of Peucobius are associated with xyelid sawflies (Xyelidae) whose larvae feed in staminate pine cones.