In this book, 12 contemporary Japanese philosophers of science are presented using a generous sampling of their works as scientists and philosophers who have investigated the foundations of natural science, the philosophy of mind and especially of perception, the logic of inference and of time, causality, and evolution.

This paper aims to examine the evolution of Japanese studies of international relations since the end of World War II. In so doing, in particular, this paper first looks at the dominant trends and characteristics of Japanese scholarship in this field, and, second, the correlations between the scholarship and Japan's experiences in real international relations. In discussing the evolution of Japanese studies of international relations, I shall divide the years since 1945 into three separate periods: (...) (1) 194589, and (3) 1990 and after. Then, taking the current US–Japan relationship as a case study, I will examine the contemporary characteristics of Japanese scholarship in this field. (shrink)

In the framework of Japanese studies, the relationship between Buddhism and Japanese poetry has received very little academic consideration. The noticeable founded narrative forms and potent and substantial philosophical influence of classical Chinese writings have resulted in the image of China being recontextualized during the process of fantasy, development, and encounters on the part of Japanese writers or investigators, with the result that many distortions and mischaracterizations have occurred as a result of this process. This work (...) employs a comparative method that incorporates literature and philosophy to examine the poetry of Hagiwara Sakutarô (1886–1942). The comparative analysis is seen from the viewpoint of Naturalism's impact and the use of description in the development of Japanese contemporary poetry. This has led to several inaccurate depictions of the country. The image of China that is presented in Japanese literature is both a perception and an illusion that is produced when cultural knowledge and creative achievements are combined. This combination creates the image of China. In the article, an examination and classification of the depiction of China in Japanese literature is provided. (shrink)

This paper reviews the studies of Japanese society and culture undertaken by Hong Kong-based sociologists and scholars in related disciplines. It presents information on research projects funded by the Research Grants Council, Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), and Arts and Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI) journal articles, authored and edited books, book chapters, non-SSCI and non-A&HCI journal articles, as well as master and doctoral theses written by scholars and graduate students associated with Hong Kong's major universities. It is found (...) that the main topics of research are Japan's capitalist development and corporate growth, meanings and social ramifications of traditional and popular culture, education, gender, and marriage, as well as aspects of work and employment, whereas the major research methods include document analysis, ethnography, and in-depth interviews. The limited amount of research and the preoccupation with economic development and popular culture reflect in part Hong Kong's unique political conditions and the government's indifference to the pursuit of social and political policy analysis. In recent years, the growth of academic exchanges between scholars in Hong Kong, Japan, and other East Asian regions and the heightened emphasis by university administrators on academic research will hopefully bring about advancements in such academic endeavors. (shrink)

The studies of Japanese Intellectual History was born after the 1st World War when Japan occupied the position to confront the West in the world history. In this period, Japan expanded its influence in Southeast Asia. How to establish the national identity of ‘Japan’ was the research task of Japanese Intellectual History. This paper thinks about the meanings of the studies of Japanese Intellectual History by considering the birth, main issues, and the direction of the (...) studies of Japanese history of thought. One of the huge characteristics of researches on the Japanese Intellectual History First, it is the period of a shift in generations. On top of the retirement of the 1st-generation researchers such as Maruyama and Goyas in the postwar period, their younger scholars also faced the period of retirement. Second, it is the researches the history of thought without a view of history. The researches on the Japanese history of thought after Maruyama certainly showed its external expansion such as the expansion of research materials, close reading of historical records, cross-sectional research on the studies of Japanese Intellectual History and neighboring studies, criticism of modern knowledge, criticism of researches in the viewpoint of single-national history, and expansion to the East Asian history of thought. However, there is no distinct view of history including the researches on the history of thought. Thus, there are no researches aiming to suggest the whole image of studies on the history of thought. Third, the theme of researches on the history of thought is moving to modern times. Fourth, the researches on the Japanese history of thought are locked in a viewpoint of single-national history. It would be necessary to review the characteristics of Japanese Intellectual History in correlations of China, Joseon, and Japan. (shrink)

Japan has been facing with paradigm shift necessity in terms of the demographic structure, globalizing business and technology revolution, and as its consequence, also with deficiency of human resources with global literacy. The Japanese government has established a new strategy aiming to develop and foster “Global Human Resources” with high language and communication skills capable for international operations. Analyses of the literature on Japanese sociocultural behavioral characteristics and empirical case studies carried out in Poland with pragmatics approach (...) in this paper reveal that honorifics regarded as a technical layer of interaction management and Japanese habitus consisting of uchi/soto behavioral scheme, unique uchi-codex are causes of interaction failure. These features make Japanese uchi-group ethnocentric and almost impossible for a non-Japanese to assimilate themselves to the uchi-codex. Neither a foreign speaker’s high level of proficiency of the Japanese language nor their good knowledge on Japanese culture itself guarantee successful communication and interaction in the Japanese business sector without their practical ability and endeavors to apply this Japanese behavioral scheme even partially. The whole sociocultural and behavioral discrepancy or this incompatibility of Japanese behavioral scheme to other cultures seems to keep the Japanese away from achieving Human Resources with global literacy. (shrink)

This study summarizes and discusses the trends and main features of South Korean studies on Japan's economy and business since the 1960s. I consulted 271 publications (articles and books) for this study. Academic and individual publications comprise 69.7% (189 publications) of the total; public and corporate research institutes 30.3% (82 publications). Therefore, academic and individual researches constitute a majority of the publications. The most pressing issues for South Korea are those of business administration, such as Japanese corporate governance, (...) Zaibatsu, and Japanese firms, which have been mainly studied by academic and individual researchers. The second most important issues are those of international economics such as FTA, FDI, and the trade deficit between South Korea and Japan, mainly researched by government research institutes and individual researchers. Although more interest seems to have shown in the Japanese economy and business since the 1990s, the number of Ph.D. holders who studied economics and business in Japan has been keeping very small portions compared with other majors. In order to attract more students from Korea, the Japanese graduate system for economics and business studies needs to be more globalized and competitive. (shrink)

This pilot study had two purposes: (1) to review recent Japanese nursing literature on nursing advocacy; and (2) to obtain data from nurses on advocacy. For the second purpose, 24 nurses at a nursing college in Japan responded to a questionnaire. The concept of advocacy, taken from the West, has become an ethical ideal for Japanese nurses but one that they do not always understand, or, if they do, they find it difficult to fulfil. They cite nursing leadership (...) support as necessary to enacting this role. Discussion on the meaning of and the rationale for advocacy in a society where goodness or badness is relative to social situations and its impact may reveal two parallel but overlapping views of morality. Such a situation would not only influence notions of advocacy but also possibly render them more complex. (shrink)

Normal 0 0 2 false false false EN-US ZH-TW X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 0 2 false false false EN-US ZH-TW X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:????; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:????; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt;} Learning styles, much related to motivation and cognitive strategies, has been one of the most frequently discussed topics in the field of foreign/second language (L2) education. (...) There is a considerable body of research on learning styles stemming from the domain of psychology to the conceptual field. As individuals learn in different ways from time to time, from culture to culture, and from context to context, findings of such research can only explain a comparatively small group of people’s temporary perceptions of their learning preferences to a selected subject surveyed. Sternberg (2001, p. 250) notes that “the literature has failed to provide any common conceptual framework and language,” while, according to Reid (1998), the concept is still not well understood. An enduring question for language researchers is the effect of individual differences on the efficacy of language learning (Nel, 2008). Much more research has to be done to address the issue of theoretical coherence as well as aiming for well-rounded empirical findings, tested through replication. Therefore, with an intention to contribute more data to cross-country research, this study investigated the differences and similarities of Chinese and Japanese college students’ perceptions of their current English learning styles through a classroom-based survey. Implications for the teaching and learning are discussed in the final section. (shrink)

In Japan, few studies and ethical debates have addressed medical futility, but articles suggesting the practice of such treatment exist. The present study aimed to explore attitudes about this by examining personal practical experiences of those who have been involved in judging treatments as futile. We employed a qualitative descriptive design with content analysis of semi-structured and focus group interviews with 11 Japanese physicians and 9 nurses of a university hospital in Japan. The interviews mined their practical experience (...) to identify why they provided treatment that was regarded futile, factors for determining futility, and attitudes toward foregoing futile treatments. All participants had provided treatments judged as futile for various reasons, such as patient request, inadequate decision-making processes, request from another physician, and the lack of standards with which to judge futility, among others. In addition to medical science factors , participants also considered non-medical science factors to determine if a treatment was futile. Almost all participants agreed that futility should be defined and that such treatments should be foregone, but they did not take a proactive stance towards this due to factors related to the healthcare worker‟s situation or the patient. Although the implications of the present study are somewhat limited, our results indicate that futile treatments are provided at multiple treatment departments. Health-care workers employ a variety of factors to determine futility, including non-medical science factors. As provision of such treatment is not always performed for reasons of patient autonomy, diverse approaches should be employed to cope with situations regarding futile treatments. (shrink)

The consciousness of the Japanese Volk -- Foundational attitudes in world consciousness -- A heart that loves the eternal now -- Faith in national polity -- Cultivating character: on Yamaga Sokō -- The way of the patriot (1): on Yoshida Shōin -- The way of the patriot (2): on Takasugi Tōkō -- The way of the patriot (3): on Takahashi Deishū -- Faith and the ultimate act of loyalty: on Kusunoki Masashige -- Bushido as viewed by the Japanese (...) Volk: on Gandhism, Mohism, and Bushido -- Learning the way and moral indignation: on Ōshio Chūsai -- The essence of governance: on Saigō Nanshū's political thought -- The spirit of kendo -- Kendo and mental principles: on Miyamoto Musashi -- Womanhood in Japan. (shrink)

Swiss and Japanese villagers have learned the relative benefi ts and costs of privateproperty and communal-property institutions related to various types of land and uses of land. The villagers in both settings have chosen to retain the institution of communal property as the foundation for land use and similar important aspects of village economies.1..

This study aimed to identify factors affecting customers' decision to revisit a Japanese restaurant in the Greater Jakarta area. The study was conducted by surveying 365 individuals who work at Japanese restaurants in the Jabodetabek area. The study was conducted on 365 people who work at Japanese eateries within the Jabodetabek region. The examination of the information collected from these respondents uncovered the following discoveries: (1) cost essentially impacts the choice to repurchase nourishment at a Japanese (...) eatery; (2) item quality moreover altogether impacts the choice to repurchase nourishment at a Japanese eatery; (3) benefit quality plays a noteworthy part in nourishment repurchase choices at Japanese restaurants; (4) social effect encompasses a noteworthy impact on the choice to repurchase at a Japanese eatery, and (5) experiential showcasing essentially impacts the choice to repurchase nourishment at a Japanese eatery. The research discovered that social influence mediates the link among repurchase decisions and product quality. However, the mediation effect of social influences diminishes the connection among the dependent and independent variables. The research highlights the significance of experiential marketing for the food and beverage sector, as it can help restaurants better understand customers' senses, feelings, sights, actions, and relationships. Overall, the research contributes valuable insights into the limitations of experiential marketing and its impact on customer's repurchase decisions at Japanese restaurants. (shrink)

In the United States, a series of survey studies have been done to examine corporate managers' views of business ethics and various business practices (Baumhart, 1961; Brenner and Molander, 1977; Vitell and Festervand, 1987). This paper is a replication study conducted in Japan of those American studies. The results of the study suggest that Japanese managers tend to be more situational in their ethical orientation than Americans. The results also show that the company policy on ethics is (...) the most important factor influencing Japanese managers' ethical decisions. (shrink)

The Bodymind Experience in Japanese Buddhism: A Phenomenological Study of Kukai and Dogen. David Edward Shaner. State University of New York Press, New York 1985. 250 pp. Cloth $ 34.50, paper $ 10.95.

Encounter With Enlightenment: A Study of Japanese Ethics -/- This study attempts to lay out some of the main influences in the development of ethical sensitivities in Japan. Daoism, Shintoism, Confucianism, Buddhism and Zen Buddhism all play a role. There are also individual thinkers who have made significant contributions to the way the Japanese think about ethics: Dogen, Shinran, Rikyu, Nishida Kitaro, Nishitani Keiji, Watsuji Tetsuro and many others. But ethics in Japan is, more often than not, taught (...) through practice: the Way of Tea, the Way of Flower Arranging, the Way of Landscape Gardening all have a central ethical component: they are all pathways to enlightenment and one who is enlightened is likely to view oneself as part of the greater whole. To do unnecessary harm to any part of it is to do harm to oneself. Of course, the background to all of this is the Japanese idea of Nothingness. All things arise out of this indefinite One and thus we all have a common kinship: we are all the product of Nothingness, as are all of the ten-thousand things of existence. We are all one family. Thus, the expanded self, as transformed by enlightenment, identifies with the greater whole, seeks to preserve it, cherishes it, is emotionally enraptured by it and cares about its well-being. One can see here the roots of an environmental ethic. (shrink)

The quantity and quality of Japanese political studies in China are influenced by political developments in China and Japan, Sino-Japanese relations, and academic development of political science. After the collapse of Japan's bubble economy and the end of the LDP's long rule in the early 1990s, many Chinese scholars diverted their attention from economic issues and took more interest in Japanese political studies. Political issues such as the resurgence of nationalism, the rise of right-wing forces, (...) the end of the , the political origin of long and heavy recessions, the , national strategy, and foreign policies have been discussed and debated. New approaches and perspectives such as the political pluralist approach, the new institutional approach, the ecological approach and the political process approach have been used. It is imperative to overcome the institutional, political, and financial problems in order to improve the state and raise the quality of Japanese political studies in China. (shrink)

In complete distinction to the world or universal religions like Christianity and Buddhism, Shinto is an ethnic religion that has grown out of the history and culture of the Japanese people. Shinto is a way of prayer and festivals that arose from a feeling of awe and reverence towards those entities the Japanese feared and respected as "KAMA (gods, divinities)", whereas Buddhism is a system of belief and practice leading to realization and the attainment of Buddhahood. We can (...) highlight the fundamental differences between Shinto and Buddhism by looking at the following three contrasting features. First, the KAMI simply are, but a Buddha is something that one has tobecome. In other words the KAMI represent the power of existence itself, whereas the Buddha was a human being who became a Buddha only after his enlightenment. Second, the KAMI come towards us but the Buddha goes away from us. Responding to human prayers and festivals, the KAMI make their appearance in that very place, whereas the Buddha departs from this secular world with its delusion and suffering, and makes for the other shore - the world of enlightenment. The third difference is that the KAMI stand whereas the Buddha sits. While the gods are thought to appear standing erect like columns, the Buddhas are envisaged in the meditation posture, doing Zazen to become enlightened. Despite the fact that the KAMA and the Buddhas, Shinto and Buddhism, have these fundamental differences, Shinto and Buddhism in Japan have had a complex relationship characterized by religious fusion. We have to conside how could this have been possible. (shrink)

Previous studies have found that serum lipid levels independently associate with mental health problems in adulthood. However, little is known about the association between serum lipid levels and positive aspects of mental health such as resilience and self-esteem, which develop in adolescence. The aim of this study is to examine the association between serum lipid levels and resilience and self-esteem in Japanese adolescents. Data were pooled data from the Adachi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty study in 2016 (...) and 2018, a school-based, cross-sectional study in Adachi City, Tokyo, Japan. Resilience of the child was assessed by caregivers, and self-esteem was self-identified via questionnaires. Serum lipid levels [total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, and high-density lipoproteins ] were assessed in school health checkup, in addition to height and weight measurements. Multiple linear regression was applied to investigate the association between standardized serum lipid levels and resilience and self-esteem. LDL showed inverse association with resilience [β = −1.26, 95% confidence interval = −2.39 to −0.14] after adjusting for child’s BMI, month of birth, sex, absence of parent, household income, caregiver’s mental health, and lifestyle. We also found an inverse association of total cholesterol and higher LDL cholesterol with self-esteem. HDL cholesterol was not associated with resilience and self-esteem. Among Japanese adolescent, total and LDL cholesterol may be biomarkers of resilience and self-esteem. (shrink)

Philosophy challenges our assumptions—especially when it comes to us from another culture. In exploring Japanese philosophy, a dependable guide is essential. The present volume, written by a renowned authority on the subject, offers readers a historical survey of Japanese thought that is both comprehensive and comprehensible. Adhering to the Japanese philosophical tradition of highlighting engagement over detachment, Thomas Kasulis invites us to think with, as well as about, the Japanese masters by offering ample examples, innovative analogies, (...) thought experiments, and jargon-free explanations. He assumes little previous knowledge and addresses themes—aesthetics, ethics, the samurai code, politics, among others—not in a vacuum but within the conditions of Japan’s cultural and intellectual history. For readers new to Japanese studies, he provides a simplified guide to pronouncing Japanese and a separate discussion of the language and how its syntax, orthography, and linguistic layers can serve the philosophical purposes of a skilled writer and subtle thinker. For those familiar with the Japanese cultural tradition but less so with philosophy, Kasulis clarifies philosophical expressions and problems, Western as well as Japanese, as they arise. Half of the book’s chapters are devoted to seven major thinkers who collectively represent the full range of Japan’s historical epochs and philosophical traditions: Kūkai, Shinran, Dōgen, Ogyū Sorai, Motoori Norinaga, Nishida Kitarō, and Watsuji Tetsurō. Nuanced details and analyses enable an engaged understanding of Japanese Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintō, and modern academic philosophy. Other chapters supply social and cultural background, including brief discussions of nearly a hundred other philosophical writers. In his closing chapter Kasulis reflects on lessons from Japanese philosophy that enhance our understanding of philosophy itself. He reminds us that philosophy in its original sense means loving wisdom, not studying ideas. In that regard, a renewed appreciation of engaged knowing can play a critical role in the revitalization of philosophy in the West as well as the East. (shrink)

Former Prime Minister Koizumi's surprising victory within the Liberal Democratic Party in 2001 and his subsequent popularity as prime minister led to increased interest in the study of populism in Japan. In addition to Ōtake Hideo's prominent contributions, several others have also employed populism as a prism to study Japanese politics. Compared to the major debates on populism and particularly on the populist radical right in Western Europe over the last two decades, however, the study of Japanese populism (...) seems to be at a less mature stage. Lessons may be learned from the European literature for the community studying Japanese populism. This paper first summarizes the studies on Japanese populism. Then, the main discussions and arguments presented in the academic literature on the PRR in Europe are discussed. Next, this study evaluates how arguments found in studies of European populism can be exploited in further research on populist politicians and parties in Japan. The author recommends further studies on conceptual definitions, on the classifications of politicians and parties, and on explaining the emergence and persistence of these parties and politicians. The findings in this paper encourage and support further research on populism in the Japanese political system. (shrink)

본 논문은 도겐과 니시다 기타로의 시간론을 통해 일본적 시간론의 한 갈래, 아마도 가장 중요한 갈래를 드러내고자 한다. 이 시간론의 핵심은 ‘영원의 지금(永遠の今)’ 개념에 있으며, 본 논문은 이 개념이 도겐과 니시다에 의해 어떤 방식으로 논의되는가를 밝히고자 한다. 이를 위해 첫째, 도겐의 대표작인 『정법안장(正法眼藏)』, 「유시(有時)」에 나타난 그의 시간론의 핵심을 밝힌다. 도겐의 ‘이 지금[而今]’의 시간, 시절인연(時節因緣)의 시간을 크로노스와 아이온에 대한 들뢰즈의 구분을 참조해서 명료화할 것이다. 결론적으로 도겐의 시간은 흐르지 않는 시간, 사건의 시간, 반복되는 시간인 아이온의 시간에 근접함을 밝힐 것이다. 둘째, 니시다의 시간론은 도겐과 (...) 달리 크로노스의 차원과 아이온의 차원을 모두 포함함을, 그리고 크로노스를 수평축으로 하고 아이온을 수직축으로 하는 구도임을 베르그송과 바슐라르의 시간론을 참조하면서 밝혀낼 것이다. 셋째, 니시다의 성숙한 시간론인 ‘영원의 지금’ 개념을 밝히기 위해 우선 자각론을 중심으로 전개되던 니시다의 사유가 장소론을 거쳐 다시 절대무의 자각론으로 발전해 가는 과정을 짚어볼 것이다. 마지막으로, 니시다의 성숙한 사유에서 ‘영원의 지금’이 어떤 의미를 가지는지를, 앞에서 논한 수평축-수직축의 구도를 새롭게 음미하면서 논의할 것이다. 그리고 도겐과 니시다의 시간론에서의 차이를 다시 한 번 음미해 볼 것이다. 결론부에서는 이들의 시간론이 단지 두 사람의 시간론이 아니라 ‘일본적 시간론’의 핵심임을 지적하고자 한다. (shrink)