Problematic transitions from school to employment: freeters and NEETs in Japan and Germany

In the international debate surrounding transitions from school to employment, Japan and Germany are regularly cited as examples of success. This article draws on the Japanese concepts represented by two problematic groups – freeters and NEETs – to demonstrate that over recent years, young people in both countries have also been facing serious problems with the transition process. Interpretation of empirical data also, however, reveals a number of contrasts between them. We focus here on differences in their educational systems and on the role each system plays within its own society. The article also uses divergent recruitment practices and employment structures as vehicles for comparison and interpretation.     

The problems with a ‘fact’-focused approach in environmental communication: the case of environmental risk information about tidal flat developments in Japan

One of the main approaches used in communicating environmental issues to citizens is conveying ‘factual’ information about a particular environment. However, despite previous research and recommendations made by critical environmental educators, there still seems to be a belief that the more ‘factual’ information one can convey, the more citizens will become aware of the issue, and this will prompt them to change their behaviours. In this article, I will argue that continuing with a ‘fact’-focused practice in Japan and elsewhere could be problematic for three key reasons: (1) it ignores diversity in the ‘facts’ provided to people; (2) it reinforces the ‘hierarchy of knowledge’; and (3) it ignores the ‘myth of nature’ among information receivers and senders. Key recommendations for incorporating a critical environmental education approach include utilising locally available environmental information on contentious environmental issues; investigating particular terminology used and missing information (including tacit knowledge); and encouraging critical learning about statistics and pictorial representations.     

English,language shift and values shift in Japan and Singapore

This is a comparative study of English language education in Japan and Singapore and the role English plays in both countries. English language education in Japan has not been very effective. Although the communicative approach to teaching English was introduced in the 1980s, schools still use the grammar-translation method and most Japanese do not possess the communicative skills necessary for interacting with foreigners. Government rhetoric has also been hesitant in encouraging the learning of English due to concerns about English becoming a threat to the Japanese language and Japanese identity. This paper uses the case study of the Singaporean Chinese to point out that unlike in the Singaporean case, the chances of the Japanese shifting towards the English language and the values associated with it are relatively low.     

从艾森豪威尔到肯尼迪:美国对日政策的转变

1960年日本"安保危机"之后的困局促使美国对日政策从"占领者"心态向"平等伙伴关系"心态转变。艾森豪威尔时期的美日关系虽然得到了很大程度上的改变,但是,美国对日政策仍带有很强的"占领者"色彩。肯尼迪时期,美国适应新形势的需要,着手调整对日政策,采取了"单边"贸易自由化、美日事前协商框架等政策,开始向"平等伙伴关系"转变,试图重构美日关系。     

从资本关系研究日本对汉冶萍公司的控制问题

文章围绕日本资金对汉冶萍公司的渗透历程及对其所起的作用,考察日本资本与汉冶萍公司的运作关系,进而反映出日本利用金融力量逐渐渗入汉冶萍公司并最终控制其生产经营的过程,揭示抗战时期日本利用汉冶萍公司的矿产资源发展其军事力量,以维持并扩大侵略战争,实现对外扩张。     

Internationalization policy in Japanese university prospectuses

This paper analyses international student prospectuses from twenty-two Japanese universities involved in the Top Global University Program (TGUP) to examine how universities in Japan present and understand internationalization. International prospectuses were analysed using qualitative text analysis to generate a series of themes connected to university internationalization. Different categories of TGUP participant universities were compared to better understand the differences between how different participant types present and understand internationalization. The findings suggest that while there are differences between participant types and individual universities, overall, there appears to be a tension between understanding internationalization as an authoritative, university-centred activity and as a student-centric activity in which students are active participants. Furthermore, it found that although rankings are an important aspect of the TGUP, few prospectuses mentioned rankings. The paper suggests possible reasons for this omission based on the TGUP participant type. Finally, this study offers insights into how Japanese universities understand internationalization and position themselves as international institutions.     

中日图书馆特殊服务比较及思考

简要介绍及对比中日两国图书馆的特殊服务,并针对我国图书馆特殊服务需要改进的地方提出对策建议。     

中日局部地区老年人身体形态、素质、机能指标的对比研究

运用文献资料、测试、数理统计方法探讨中日老年人体质共性异性特征,分析差异原因,为中国老年人健康管理的完善提供依据。     

中国的龟崇拜对日本园林的影响

文章论述了中国古代龟崇拜的由来及其观念的变化对中国园林的影响,重点论述了中国的龟崇拜对日本园林造型的深刻影响。     

日本国立国会图书馆联合目录网络化现状

文章介绍了日本国立国会图书馆联合目录网络的建库经过、系统功能、参加馆范围扩大等详细情况。