Aichi Prefecture Research Articles

Proposals and practices for promoting tourism by advancing open data through public-private partnerships

The tourism sector, which has suffered a decline in demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is expected to be revived with digital technology in the post-COVID society. This study aims to link event initiatives in Ichinomiya City (Aichi Prefecture) with local government-led initiatives to promote the use of local informatization and open data, create and publish event information data, and utilize such data. To this end, we created and implemented a proposal to develop tourism promotions through public-private partnerships between the City Hall and local companies. Through initiatives undertaken at the International Art Festival Aichi 2022 and the Hitsuji Summit Bishu, we were able to verify that our study’s presented methodology was useful for promoting events by the city (government) and industry (private). We believe that this will help to develop the entire region not just with regard to the tourism field but also other fields. Based on the results of this study, we also discussed ways to improve the city’s appeal and promote tourism.

Study on adaptive model and behavioural adaptation for thermal comfort of Japanese office buildings

This study focuses on the behavioural aspects of the occupants in Japanese office buildings. The behavioural adaptations such as window opening, heating/cooling use, clothing adjustments are important contributor factors for the adaptive thermal comfort. Therefore, understanding the behavioural aspects of the office workers can lead to have the guidelines to explain the mechanism of the adaptive model. The main aim of this study is to identify the differences in behavioural adaptation of the occupants in Japanese office buildings. Environmental parameters such as air temperature, relative humidity, and so on were measured in five mixed-mode office buildings located in Aichi prefecture were analysed for 15 months’ survey with 35 occupants. Thermal comfort survey together with the occupants’ behavioural survey were conducted in these office buildings. An adaptive relationship can be derived to estimate the indoor comfort temperature estimated by Griffiths method from the prevailing outdoor temperature. The results suggest that the proportion of heating and cooling use is related to the outdoor air temperature. The proportion of clothing adjustment is different for the different modes and are correlated to the outdoor air temperature. The acknowledge of the adaptive thermal comfort and the occupant behaviour of the selected buildings will be fruitful in designing the building with maximum thermal comfort in the future.

Development of the adaptive model for thermal comfort in office buildings of Aichi prefecture, Japan

This study was undertaken to investigate seasonal adaptation to temperature in Japanese offices, with a view to suggesting an adaptive model for them. We measured temperatures in seven office buildings and conducted thermal comfort transverse surveys of occupants for over a year in the Aichi prefecture of Japan. We collected 1,228 samples. The occupants were found to be highly satisfied with the thermal environment in their offices. Even though the Japanese government recommends the indoor temperature of 28 °C for cooling and 20 °C for heating, we found that the comfort temperature was 2.8 °C lower in cooling mode and 4.3 °C higher in heating mode, in line with the actual indoor temperatures. The monthly variation in the temperature in the investigated offices was significantly lower than had been found in dwellings. An adaptive relationship can be derived to estimate the indoor comfort temperature from the prevailing outdoor temperature for similar office buildings.

人口減少下における消費変動が愛知県の市町村経済に与える影響

人口減少下における消費変動が愛知県の市町村経済に与える影響

Comparison of Subjective Feeling of Dizziness and Simple Taste/Olfactory Test Results in Elderly People (Over 60 Years Old)

For a long time, the author has been involved in taste and smell with Yakumo Town (rural) residents in Hokkaido and Nagoya-City (urban) in Aichi Prefecture. Participants answered a self-administered questionnaire, and then took a simple salty taste test and a simple olfactory test. However, until now, the author has not been able to compare the results of a questionnaire survey of Yakumo Town, Hokkaido, and residents of Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. Therefore, this time, we will report the results.201 residents of Yakumo Town (95 men, 106 women: 2019 data) and 55 residents of Nagoya City 24 males and 31 females: 2022 data) participated in the examination. A self-reported questionnaire was given to the participants to determine the presence or absence of dizziness (1, no dizziness, 2. dizziness, and 3. dizziness all the time).

10 years of Aichi Synchrotron Radiation Center Impact on industrial and academic research and developments

The synchrotron light source with the electron energy of 1.2 GeV is operated by Aichi Synchrotron Radiation Centre (AichiSR) in Aichi prefecture, Japan. The light has been offered to industrial and academic users since March 2013 in the top-up operation mode to maintain a constant current of 300 mA. This facility was established by Aichi prefecture, universities, and industries with support of government. Major purpose of the light source is to support research and development activities of industries and academia mostly in the area, which is the heart land of manufacturing of Japan. This paper describes evolution of the beamlines and recent research results and their impact to the society.

Study on Winter Comfort Temperature in Mixed Mode and HVAC Office Buildings in Japan

Comfort temperature is important to investigate because the chosen office indoor temperatures affect the energy used in a building, and a thermally comfortable environment makes the occupants be more productive. The effects of temperature on comfort are broadly recognized for thermal comfort. Japanese office buildings are well equipped with air-conditioning systems to improve the thermal comfort of the occupants. The main objectives of this research were to compare the winter comfort temperature in mixed mode (MM) and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) office buildings and to investigate the relationship between the comfort temperature and the indoor air temperature. This study measured the thermal environmental conditions of the office buildings and surveyed the thermal comfort of the occupants. The field survey was conducted during winter in seven office buildings located in the Aichi prefecture of Japan. In total, 4466 subjective votes were collected from 46 occupants. The result suggested that the occupants were found to be more satisfied with the thermal environment of MM buildings than that of HVAC office buildings. Overall, 95% of comfort temperatures were in the range 22~28 °C in MM and HVAC buildings, which were higher than the indoor temperature of 20 °C recommended by the Japanese government. The comfort temperature was highly correlated to the indoor air temperature of the MM buildings than to that of HVAC buildings. This indicated that the occupants were more adapted towards the given thermal environment of MM buildings.

Capturing landscape values in peri-urban Satoyama forests: Diversity of visitors' perceptions and implications for future value assessments

Peri-urban Satoyama forests in Japan provide multiple or bundles of cultural ecosystem services (CES), yet, visitors’ perceptions of CES are not well established. There is a need to explore these perceptions in order to provide comprehensive information to forest managers. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by exploring the profiles of visitors of peri-urban Satoyama forests and their perceived importance of CES using a landscape value (LV) typology table. Nine LVs of Kaisho Forest in Aichi, Japan were assessed using face-to-face questionnaires on socio-demographic variables, forest use, and a photograph-based approach, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics, quantitative cross-tabulation, multiple response analyses, and geocoding. Results showed that the forest is visited mostly by married elderly people from Aichi Prefecture who were engaged in forest bathing or birdwatching. Forest use patterns, like frequency, duration of the visit, and group size, presented a significant relation to demographic variables, like marital status or gender. Furthermore, the study showed how visitors´ LV perceptions were weighted towards natural and aesthetic values. The socio-cultural Satoyama forest elements displayed a more detailed value perception where recreational, therapeutic, spiritual, cultural-historic, and educational values were also assigned. The LV perception enhances a comprehensive description of the perceived positive effects of visiting such forests. Hence, we concluded that visitors gain positive effects on mental and emotional health and spirituality as part of CES. Forest managers can reflect and accommodate diverse landscape value typology as a tool for monitoring visitors’ perceptions.

Comparison between the Chief Care Manager and the Normal Care Manager on Hospitalization and Discharge Coordination Activities in Japan: An Online Cross-Sectional Study of Care Managers in Aichi Prefecture.

The Japanese long-term care insurance system came into operation in the year 2000 and the chief care manager certification system was established in 2006 to improve the quality of care management. Certified chief care managers are expected to perform the role of a specialist. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the chief care manager certificate in coordination with hospitals. In this online cross-sectional survey, responses were obtained from 448 care managers engaged in long-term care activities with all in-home long-term care support providers. Among these 448 care managers, 301 had the chief care manager certificate. Of these care managers, ≥90% regularly asked their patients about their “values” and ≥80% provided their patients with hospitalization and discharge support. Of the care managers who provided their patients with hospitalization support, 80% provided the hospitals with information regarding patient “values” at the time of hospitalization, and 50% provided the hospitals with information regarding patient “values” and information. The chief care manager certificate had positive effects on confidence in hospitalization and discharge support. However, no significant difference was observed between the activities of chief and normal care managers in terms of hospitalization and discharge support.

On the potential of carsharing to attract regular trips of private car and public transport users in metropolitan areas

To discourage private car ownership and to solve the first/last mile problems when using public transport (PT), carsharing has been introduced in many cities across the world in recent years. One-way carsharing schemes are expected to improve convenience for users and promote the usage of PT by supplementing it. Previous literature has indicated that carsharing has the effect of reducing vehicle distances throughout the area and of converting some traffic to other modes. The effects have been, however, in many cases smaller than expected or at least hoped for. Carsharing is mostly used only for the occasional, irregular trip. This study contributes to the literature by developing a combined RP and SP survey in which our focus is on whether carsharing might be chosen on a regular basis. The survey is conducted among 852 respondents from Aichi prefecture, Japan, where a carsharing scheme is existing. We control for previous carsharing experience and model explicitly the scenario that carsharing is used in combination with PT. We quantify with integrated choice and latent variable models (ICLV) the importance of the perceived inconvenience of the transport situation, the time and cost of taking PT and costs associated with driving one’s private cars and the importance of having a carsharing experience. We also show that car drivers willing to give up their own car might be inclined to use carsharing as access to or egress from PT. Sensitivity analyses with respect to carsharing prices and vehicle availability indicate the overall limited market potential of carsharing in Japanese metropolitan areas unless drastic changes to the current transport systems occur.

Understanding the discontinuance trend of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Japan

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV) adopters need to continue their vehicle ownership in the subsequent years to achieve the HFCV-related targets set by the Japanese government. In this study, we explored the discontinuance rate of HFCV ownership through a questionnaire survey conducted among HFCV adopters in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, who were wanting to continue or discontinue their ownership. Results showed that the discontinuance rate was remarkably high. Approximately 50% of the private HFCV adopters, who purchased their vehicles between 2014 and 2020, wished to discontinue their HFCV ownership owing to factors such as driving range, vehicle performance, future viability, fuel tank safety, and density of stations. Furthermore, we showed that the discontinuance trend was correlated with the dissatisfaction of HFCV adopters with the driving range and future viability. As a result, they foresee a bleak future owing to the sparse refueling stations network and higher purchase price compared to other vehicle powertrains such as electric and hybrid vehicles. Therefore, to reduce the discontinuance rate and keep HFCVs in the market, Japanese stakeholders must address the concern of HFCV owners.

Cross-sectional study of the factors associated with the number of teeth in middle-aged and older persons with intellectual disabilities.

BackgroundWe investigated the number of teeth in middle‐aged and older individuals with intellectual disability and evaluated the related factors.MethodsA questionnaire survey on oral health was administered to 604 persons over 40 years old with intellectual disabilities in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The questionnaire designed for this study included items on diagnosis of disability, severity of intellectual disability and type of residence. As oral‐health‐related factors, the proxy‐reported number of teeth, family dentist, regular dental check‐ups, problems during dental treatment and tooth‐brushing frequency were evaluated. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed using the proxy‐reported number of teeth (≥20, 10–19 or 0–9) as the dependent variable, and the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of independent variables were calculated. In addition, linear regression analysis was performed using the proxy‐reported number of teeth as the dependent variable.ResultsIn the multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis, age, diagnosis of disability and type of residence were significantly associated with having 10–19 versus ≥20 teeth. Participants with autism spectrum disorder had a significantly lower OR for 10–19 teeth compared with those with intellectual disability [OR (95% CI): 0.49 (0.22–1.08)]. Age, diagnosis of disability, regular dental check‐ups and tooth‐brushing frequency were significantly associated with having 0–9 versus ≥20teeth. Participants with Down syndrome had a significantly higher OR for 0–9 teeth compared with those with intellectual disability [OR (95% CI): 3.17 (1.09–9.23)]. The ORs for 0–9 teeth of participants who did not attend regular dental check‐ups and who brushed their teeth 1 time/day compared with ≥3 times/day were significantly high, and the OR (95% CI) was 2.37 (1.06–5.30) and 4.76 (1.09–20.77), respectively. [Corrections made on 22 August 2022, after first online publication: in the previous sentence, “who attend” has been changed to “who did not attend”.] In the multivariate linear regression analysis, age, diagnosis of disability and regular dental check‐ups were significantly associated with the proxy‐reported number of teeth. The proxy‐reported number of teeth was −0.42 less with each 1‐year increase in age. With autism spectrum disorder, the proxy‐reported number of teeth was 0.74 more compared with intellectual disability. In Down syndrome, the proxy‐reported number of teeth was −0.93 less compared with intellectual disability. The proxy‐reported number of teeth was −2.12 less for those who did not have regular dental check‐ups.ConclusionsThe number of teeth in middle‐aged and older individuals with intellectual disability was related to age and the type of disability. Regular dental visits may be effective at preventing tooth loss in middle‐aged and older persons with intellectual disability.

＜Editors' Choice＞ Multicenter survey for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales in central Japan.

ABSTRACTCarbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) raise concerns about the treatment options for infectious diseases and infection control. We conducted a multicenter study to clarify the molecular epidemiology of CPE in the Aichi Prefecture during the first 3-month period from 2015 to 2019. Carbapenemase production was screened using a modified carbapenem inactivation method, and the genotypes of the carbapenemase genes were determined by polymerase chain reaction sequencing. Genetic relatedness was analyzed using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Twenty-four hospitals participated in this study. Of the 56,494 Enterobacterales strains detected during the study period, 341 (0.6%) that met the susceptibility criteria were analyzed. Sixty-five of the 341 strains were determined to be CPE, with an incidence rate of 0.12% (65/56,494). The bacterial species responsible for CPE were Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 24), Enterobacter cloacae complex (n = 23), Klebsiella oxytoca (n = 10), and Escherichia coli (n = 8). Most of the carbapenemase genotypes were IMP-1 (58/65), and only three were IMP-6 types. Three E. coli strains that produced NDM-5 were detected. MLST analysis showed that Sequence type (ST) 78 was predominant in E. cloacae complex CPE (14/23, 60.9%). Meanwhile, various STs were detected in carbapenemase-producing (CP) K. pneumoniae, of which ST37 and ST517 were the most common. The incidence rate of CPE in this region was comparable to national data. This 3-month surveillance revealed the spread of ST78 of CP E. cloacae complex and ST517 and ST592 of CP K. pneumoniae across hospitals, indicating the need to strengthen regional infection control programs.

Using waste to supply steam for industry transition: Selection of target industries through economic evaluation and statistical analysis

AbstractGlobal warming mitigation requires worldwide action in a wide range of fields, including waste treatment and management. In Japan, demands to transform waste into energy as a greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy are increasing. The use of steam generated from waste treatment plants as a source of energy in industries is a promising energy recovery method. In recent years, the feasibility and economic potential of conversion of waste into energy have been evaluated; however, economic efficiency is not always achieved. Therefore, it is necessary to classify steam supply targets based on profitability. Herein, we selected appropriate industries from different types and scales of industries for steam supply based on analyses carried out in Aichi Prefecture. Therefore, industries were classified based on their production shipment value. We also calculated the maximum profit potential from steam supply from waste treatment plants and the steam demand potential of each mesh. We applied data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate energy efficiency and regression analysis to evaluate the potential effects on growth. The appropriate industry was estimated through decision tree analysis based on DEA scores for the mixed industries cluster. We extracted four appropriate industries: pulp, textiles, ceramics, and steel. For each industry, we calculated the number of firms required in the mesh for economic benefit. We also selected industries that could be used to explore the potential of adopting the developed methodology for other regions and industries and for identification of waste treatment plants that could participate in steam supply.

Evaluation of an advance care planning training program for practice professionals in Japan incorporating shared decision making skills training: a prospective study of a curricular intervention

BackgroundWe developed a novel training program for health care professionals that incorporated shared decision making (SDM) skills training into an advance care planning (ACP) training course, the first in Japan. This study aimed to assess the training program’s impact on health care professionals’ knowledge, skill, attitudes, and confidence to initiate ACP.MethodsUsing the novel Japanese educational program, we evaluated the effect of 8-month programs conducted eight community training sites of professionals who can practice ACP in a local area in Aichi Prefecture (the Aichi ACP Project). SDM skills training was provided during the workshops conducted in the ACP training course, and the participants’ satisfaction and understanding of the training were assessed. After the completion of two workshops, information on SDM skill results from the training and submitted assignments were collected anonymously from the training sites.ResultA total of 404 participants completed all education programs. After the first workshop, at least 95% of trainees stated that they were satisfied with the training and that it was useful for ACP practice. The evaluation of the results between the first and second workshops indicated improvement in SDM skills on some items of the SDM measures. In the second workshop, at least 90% of participants submitted implementation reports, and after the second workshop, a survey of confidence in ACP practice was administered, with responses indicating improvement. There were high levels of interest in education related to the ACP practices of oneself and others.ConclusionsThis educational program can be an effective for developing professionals who can practice ACP with SDM skills.

Differences in risk of requiring care between screening using queries with and without definitions when determining frequency of going out

Objectives This study elucidates the differences in risk for a functional decline in general housebound screening using queries with and without definitions.Methods This study involved 10,802 community-dwelling older people who lived in four municipalities in Aichi Prefecture. The participants were asked about their frequency of going out in general and for five specific purposes: shopping, hospital visitation, strolling, leisure, and work. A person was defined as being "generally housebound" if he/she answered "less than once per week." However, a query with the definition of "going out" was used in only one of the four municipalities. Furthermore, we defined a person who goes out once a week, for any of the purposes, as "by-purpose non-housebound." If the response to the general and purpose-specific queries were inconsistent, we regarded it as an "inconsistent answer." Additionally, we compared the occurrence rate and hazard ratio for the onset of long-term care insurance certification of general housebound screening using queries with and without definition. We also calculated the occurrence rate and related risk factors for inconsistent answers.Results The occurrence rate of general housebound screening using query with and without definition was 2.8% and 11.7%, respectively. Additionally, the hazard ratio for the onset of long-term care insurance certification of general housebound screening using the query with definition was 1.56 times more than that of general housebound screening using query without definition. The rate of inconsistent answers in by-purpose non-housebound using query with and without definition was 2.2% and 10.2%, respectively. However, sex, age, living with spouse and child(ren), years of schooling, self-rated health, depression, habitation in islands, and indicating definition of "going out" were related to inconsistent answers. The prevalence ratio of inconsistent answers in respondents using query with definition was significantly lower than among respondents using query without definition (PR=0.29).Conclusion Query with definition reduced the occurrence rate of general housebound and increased the hazard ratio for the onset of long-term care insurance certification. Therefore, a definition should be added to queries asking for the frequency of going out to screen for housebound.

Discriminant Analysis for Predicting Post-Earthquake Municipal Road Recovery

In the event of a widespread natural disaster, the speed of recovery is greatly affected by the priority given to road recovery, not only in terms of assessing the extent of the damage but also in terms of providing rapid assistance to the affected areas and carrying out recovery activities. The purpose of this study is to simulate the recovery of local roads in the Tokai region (Shizuoka, Aichi, and Mie prefectures) in Japan after the Nankai Trough earthquake, which is expected to occur in the future. From the previous analysis of driving data in the Tohoku region (Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate prefectures) in Japan during the first six months of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, we discovered regional characteristics and other factors that affect road recovery. In this study, we continued to analyze and quantify the influencing factors in each pattern of road recovery and applied discriminant analysis to construct a predictive road recovery model. The model showed an accuracy rate of 72.4%. In addition, we used this model to predict municipal road recovery in the Tokai region after the Nankai Trough earthquake in the future and mapped it on a geographic information system (GIS).

Increasing trend of tree nuts in a comprehensive survey of pediatric anaphylaxis in Aichi Prefecture, Japan

【結果】症例数は2017年度40例，2018年度74例，2019年度94例，2020年度100例と増加した．原因食物に占める割合は，2017年は木の実類が6.0%で鶏卵，牛乳，小麦につぐ第4位であったが，2020年は18.8%で第1位となった．年齢別原因食物では2020年に木の実類は1，2歳，3-6歳群の第1位となった．189例（61.8%）が入院し，うち3例が集中治療室に入院した．147例がアドレナリン投与を受け，エピペンⓇ所有は55例であった．木の実類の内訳はクルミ，カシューナッツ，マカダミアナッツ，ピスタチオの順に多かった．

A Study on Global EV shift and the Strategy of Japanese Automobile Industry

Purpose: The influence of EV shift spreading around the world on Japanese automobile industry due to CASE technical innovation and environmental regulation is examined in this study. In the past, the background of high international competitiveness of Japanese automobile companies has been supported by high technology in Hybrid Vehicle (HV) in addition to highly accumulated technology in the internal combustion engine. However, considerable change and supply chain reorganization is expected in the Japanese automobile industry because CASE and EV shift spreads rapidly. The expansion factor of global EV market, current status of Japanese EV market, the reason to hesitate in EV shift, the strategy of Japanese automobile companies, and the assignment of Japanese automobile industry according to EV shift are analyzed and examined in this study. Research design, data, and methodology: This study is based on the literature research, expert interview and the data published by each company. A survey on EV market which is expanding due to global CASE and environmental regulation was conducted through the literature research. And then, a research on the strategy of Japanese automobile company for EV shift was conducted through an interview with a supply chain official along with a university researcher in Aichi Prefecture where Toyota Motor Corporation is located. A result discovering the characteristic of EV strategy on each company has been achieved. Results: At this moment, the EV market in Japan is very small. Expensive vehicle price, inconvenience of charging and mileage problem, etc. are mentioned as the cause of it. Accordingly, Japanese automobile companies have been pursued the global product strategy centered on the HV. HV has been recognized as an eco-friendly vehicle prior to moving to future FCV and EV. The time Japanese automobile companies announced their EV strategy was Year 2021. However, the strategy of each company is very much different. Toyota is pursing an all round strategy which plans bold investment in PHV, FCV, etc. in addition to EV. Nissan is devoting all their energy to develop all-solid-state battery expanding global EV market based on the result which they early focused on EV. At this moment, Nissan is considered as most advanced in the development of all-solid-state battery in Japan. Honda is concentrating on the development of EV and FCV cooperating with GM in US. Implications: EV has a simple structure unlike traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles. Therefore, the expansion of EV is expected to give inevitable significant influence on the Japanese automobile industry. First, huge EV development and production facility reorganization will cause huge amount of cost. As a next, it is expected the industrial structure to be reorganized with the bankruptcy of existing companies and the entry of new companies based on the reorganization of the supply chain due to the decrease in the number of parts. Accordingly, employment problem also will be emerged seriously. Finally, the change in the Japanese automobile industry will be an important subject for research in the future because it is expected there also will be change in traditional Sryawase type Monozukuri method which has been evaluated as a strength of Japanese manufacturing industry.

Did the Tokyo Olympic Games enhance the transmission of COVID-19? An interpretation with machine learning

BackgroundIn the summer of 2021, the Olympic Games were held in Tokyo during the state of emergency due to the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. New daily positive cases (DPC) increased before the Olympic Games, and then decreased a few weeks after the Games. However, several cofactors influencing DPC exist; consequently, careful consideration is needed for future international events during an epidemic. MethodsThe impact of the Olympic Games on new DPC were evaluated in the Tokyo, Osaka, and Aichi Prefectures using a well-trained and -evaluated long short-term memory (LSTM) network. In addition, we proposed a compensation method based on effective reproduction number (ERN) to assess the effect of the national holidays on the DPC. ResultsDuring the spread phase, the estimated DPC with LSTM was 30%–60% lower than that of the observed value, but was consistent with the compensated value of the ERN for the three prefectures. During the decay phase, the estimated DPC was consistent with the observed values. The timing of the decay coincided with achievement of a fully-vaccinated rate of 10%–15% of people aged <65 years. ConclusionsThe up- and downsurge of the pandemic wave observed in July and September are likely attributable to high ERN during national holiday periods and to the vaccination effect, especially for people aged <65 years. The effect of national holidays in Tokyo was rather notable in Aichi and Osaka, which are distant from Tokyo. The effect of the Olympic Games on the spread and decay of the pandemic wave is neither dominant nor negligible due to the shifting of the national holiday dates to coincide with the Olympic Games.