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Prioritizing positivity is a trait that measures the extent to which people deliberately arrange their lives to include frequent, pleasant experiences. Prioritizing positivity predicts life satisfaction and positive emotions, and it also contributes to an individuals' pursuit of happiness. Two studies tested the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Prioritizing Positivity Scale (PPS-J). In Study 1, we tested the factorial and construct validity of PPS-J by using data from a web survey conducted with 416 participants. _e results indicated that the PPS-J had a one-factor structure similar to the original version. Moreover, the PPS-J had a positive correlation with life satisfaction and positive emotions, whereas it had a negative correlation with depressive symptoms and negative emotions. In Study 2, we examined the test-retest correlation of the PPS-J with 212 participants. Results indicated a moderate correlation after one month. These results suggest that the PPS-J has good reliability and validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most regional shopping streets in Japan are gradually disappearing. The reasons for this trend are the automobile society, diversified consumer needs, fewer markets and an increase in the number of large suburban shopping malls. On the other hand, information technology has recently begun to be used in the business operations of shopping streets, and community business has been attracting considerable attention. Community business can be defined as activities involving the continuous use of business techniques through which community residents deal with regional problems; particularly, problems that are often difficult for public institutions and enterprises to resolve. In addition, there are high expectations that shopping streets can manage community business because they have a significant influence on the community based upon the fact that stores in shopping streets have commonly been deeply entrenched in the local community for a long time. In this study, we construct an information system that supports the activities of shopping streets. This system is used to collect information provided by stores in the shopping street and local residents who visit the shopping street. Furthermore, we analyze community activities based on the information collected using this system. The system has been used for a regional shopping street called Zaimokuchou in Iwate since September 2008. The regional characteristics that are important for practicing community business are clarified by analyzing the collected information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]