Japan Air Research Articles

The development of budgets and their use for purposes of control in Japanese aviation, 1928‐1945

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the role of the Japanese state in the development of budgets within “special companies” in the transportation sector between 1928 and 1945.Design/methodology/approachUsing evidence contained in the archives of “closedown institutions” this paper examines the role of the state in determining the use of budgets within Japan Air Transport (1928‐1938) and Japan Airways (1938‐1945). The paper adopts the lens of new institutional sociology to examine the changes in the use of budgets effected when Japan Airways succeeded Japan Air Transport.FindingsPrior to 1938, although subject to the need to provide budget statements to the government, the budget systems operated by special companies within the Japanese transportation sector were largely utilised for the purpose of legitimising receipt of government subsidies. Following the establishment of Japan Airways in 1938, however, an increasing use of the budget system as a control mechanism is observed. It is found that a key role in this coercive process was played by the Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Communications, reflecting changes not only in its own status but also the financial pressures exerted on the Japanese government during the Second Sino‐Japanese War from 1937 and the Pacific War from 1941.Originality/valueThis paper examines the development of the use of budgets at a time, the interwar period, which is considered critical to the development of budgets for purposes of control. By doing this within a context (special companies) and within a geographical space (Japan) which has not previously been analyzed by accounting historians, this study helps to add to the material available for conducting comparative international accounting research. Furthermore, by using the lens of new institutional sociology, this study provides an in‐depth insight into how, and under what conditions, the degree of decoupling between formal policies and actual practices can vary over time depending on the extent of coercive pressures.

Salivary alpha‐amylase activity and stress in Japan air self‐defense force cargo pilots involved in Iraq reconstruction

This study aimed to verify whether salivary α-amylase enzyme activity (Amy) is useful as a biomarker of stress in pilots working in a stressful environment. The subjects in this study were nine Japan air self-defense force pilots who participated in Iraq reconstruction support activity in Kuwait. Amy was measured using a portable salivary amylase monitor at preflight, postflight, and on stand-by day. In addition, the state-trait anxiety inventory was administered with state scores (STAI-S) compared to Amy levels. There were greater differences in Amy levels at baseline compared to STAI-S scores between subjects on the stand-by day. Amy levels at preflight tended to increase compared to those on stand-by day as did STAI-S. The change in Amy level at postflight varied among the pilots. The Amy levels of four subjects at postflight were elevated compared to levels at preflight, while the STAI-S scores for all pilots at postflight were lower than at preflight. This study suggests that the Amy level of pilots can reflect subtle individual differences in response to the psychological and physiological stress of a flight task. Thus, monitoring Amy level may be useful for stress evaluation of pilots working in a stressful environment, providing data that might be used as an impetus for addressing stress management for this population.

Airline merger and competition in Japan: A conduct parameter and theoretical price approach

In 2003, Japan Airlines and Japan Air System merged to become an equal rival to All Nippon Airways, which had significant market power in the domestic air transportation market in Japan. This paper examines the merger effects on the competition structure of the air transportation market using conduct parameter and theoretical price approaches. We test to see if the merger changed the market structure because there had been a leader–follower relationship among three carriers before the merger, and we had an equal competitor relationship between two carriers after the merger.

Terrorism risks and counterterrorism costs in post-9/11 Japan

This article analyzes the distribution of costs in Japan's counterterrorism since the September 11 attacks on the United States. Working closely with its alliance partner, the United States, the administration of Koizumi Junichirō dispatched troops both to the Indian Ocean and to Iraq, simultaneously depicting the risk of Islamist terrorism as a kind of depoliticized global threat, one unconnected to actual political decisions. In so doing, the government emphasized that counterterrorism would focus not on limiting state activities that might make Japan a target but rather on insulating Japan from potential terrorists. In practice, this meant tighter screening and monitoring of foreigners, as illustrated by the fingerprinting and photographing of aliens on entering Japan. This article reflects on the changes that have taken place in Japan's response to terrorism since the 1977 hijacking of a Japan Air Lines (JAL) flight, when the government of Prime Minister Fukuda Takeo paid a $6 million ransom, released some Japanese Red Army (JRA) prisoners and secured the release of the passengers and crew based on the then popular humanitarian sentiment that ‘a human life is heavier than the earth’. Tracing how global counterterrorism conventions have increasingly sought to limit potential disorder and how the Japanese government's own efforts have since moved toward conformity with these international standards, this article demonstrates how terrorism, despite its inherently political nature, can be delinked in political discourse from political choices and turned instead into a secular risk whose costs can be apportioned according to different political logics.

Survey of Severe Spatial Disorientation Episodes in Japan Air Self-Defense Force Fighter Pilots Showing Increased Severity in Night Flight

Spatial disorientation (SD) is one of the most severe causative factors in aviation accidents. We analyzed the reported SD episodes to evaluate the characteristics of severe SD in fighter pilots. Three hundred seventeen cases (95.5%) of 332 total valid cases experienced SD, and the ratio of night and day SD experiences (52.7% vs. 47.3%) (p < 0.05) shows a clear prevalence of night SD events. The severity of SD episodes at night (2.23 +/- 1.09) was higher than at day (1.89 +/- 1.04) (p < 0.01). In addition, the severity of visual illusions was significantly higher at night. A significant difference was found for meteorological conditions, such as visual meteorological conditions (VMC), instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and VMC-IMC (VI) transition, among times of days. In conclusion, the severity of the SD episodes was higher at night. This may be due to an increase in visual severe SD episodes at night.

Waivers for Cardiovascular Diseases in Military Aircrew: Differences Between Japanese and U.S. Protocols

Cardiovascular diseases can cause sudden incapacitation in aircrew. Cardiological diagnosis and therapy have changed a great deal in recent decades, as with coronary revascularization, including percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting for coronary artery disease, and electrophysiological studies and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for sustained arrhythmias. Physicians need to be able to make appropriate, objective recommendations regarding cardiovascular diseases in an aeromedical waiver system. We analyzed all 95 waiver cases regarding cardiovascular diseases in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), 1980-2007, and compared them to policies in the United States Air Force (USAF). The JASDF and the USAF handle most conditions similarly, although there are differences regarding coronary revascularization, atrial fibrillation, non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (nsVT), and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The JASDF used RFCA more commonly for the treatment of aircrew with atrial fibrillation and nsVT Although routine follow-up with electrophysiological studies is no longer indicated for Wolff-Parkinson-White and atrioventricular node reentrant tachycardia in USAF policy, the JASDF still conducts reevaluation for all RFCA cases. This study made recommendations to improve the JASDF waiver system for cardiovascular diseases.

Ear Pain and Its Treatment in Hypobaric Chamber Training in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force

We have documented that ear pain is the most prevalent physiologic incident during hypobaric chamber training in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Ear pain may increase also in flight in the future because it is closely related to allergic rhinitis. Therefore, it is very important to know the characteristic of ear pain and the efficacy of its treatment. The incidence of ear pain was calculated in each training profile from 1990 to 1998. Type III chamber flight records were further analyzed for the characteristics of ear pain: relationship with a trainee occupational category, time of occurrence of ear pain, and efficacy of treatment. Of 17,935 exposures, 740 trainees (4.1%) had ear pain. Of 7,047 trainees, 429 (6.1%) complained of ear pain especially in Type III, totaling 625 times. Fighter pilots and cargo pilots complained of ear pain one twelfth and one third the number of times, respectively, compared with passengers. Of the 625 episodes, 616 (98.6%) occurred during descent. Three kinds of treatment were administered until the pain was relieved in the following order: Valsalva maneuver, Politzer bag, and decompression. The efficacy rates were 35.8, 92.3, and 83.9%, respectively. Only 5 trainees (0.07%) could not complete training due to ear pain despite treatment. The combination treatment of Valsalva maneuver, Politzer bag, and decompression is very effective for relieving ear pain encountered during hypobaric chamber training. A health specialist needs to understand ear pain and its treatment in hypobaric environment such as aircraft.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Samuel F. McPhetres (bio) Over the course of the year under review, events in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands spiraled almost out of control. The problems involved everything from the general economy, public utilities, public health, and education, to social issues and the environment. The garment factories have been closing at a rapid rate, and tourism has not yet recovered from the cessation of the Japan Air Lines service between Japan and Saipan. Many of these issues are of extreme urgency and will have long-term consequences. Forces affecting developments in the commonwealth include the US government's concerns about federalization of the minimum wage and immigration, the transfer of eight thousand marines [End Page 204] from Okinawa to Guam, global warming, Pacific airline schedules and routes, and the hopes and desires of thousands of migrant contract workers to obtain free access to the United States. For their part, Islanders—who have felt impotent in the face of a range of external forces and who fear losing political control—were dismayed by the perceived insensitivity of the authorities in Washington DC and are desperate to hold on to a way of life that is fast disappearing. The closure of the Japan Air Lines service between Japan and Saipan in October 2006 eliminated about 40 percent of the tourist traffic on that route. Although both Continental and Northwest restructured their routing (in some cases using smaller aircraft to open routes and schedules to and from Japan), this did not make up for the overall loss of Japanese traffic. Tourist arrivals over the period under review were running around 400,000, compared to the peak of 750,000 in 1997. Hotel room rates were down, which is good for tourists but shrinks the 10 percent room tax, which constitutes a significant portion of government revenues. Some hotels have closed off wings and put their workers on part-time. Starting in January 2005, the removal of restrictions on trade by the World Trade Organization made Saipan noncompetitive for the international garment market. Factories began closing and, as of this writing, continue to do so. The pending federally mandated increase in minimum wage will make it impossible for the factories to adapt and remain on the island. User fees, excise taxes, and income taxes generated by the industry have dried up. During the peak years, the commonwealth annual budget was well above $250 million. A year after Governor Ben Fitial took over, it was $160 million and falling. It used to be that the garment industry contributed about $140 million to the commonwealth tax base, with most of the rest coming from tourism-related taxes and fees. As of this writing, only about ten of the original thirty-five factories remain open, with only a few thousand active employees. The side effects of the garment closures include repatriation of contract workers, closure of many ancillary retail outlets, and a possible increase in the number of prostitutes, many of whom are out-of-work seamstresses who are reluctant to return to China. A small number of former garment workers from China have applied for political asylum. The exact number is not clear because the attorney general's office does not release this type of information. The group is made up primarily of followers of the Falun Gong meditation movement, which is outlawed in China. At the State of the Commonwealth message in April 2007, the governor outlined the condition of the Commonwealth Utilities Commission, which manages all power, water, and sewage utilities. He reported that none of the generators have been repaired recently and all of them should be replaced. He also noted that the utility rates traditionally paid do not even come close to meeting actual production costs, given current fuel prices. All government agencies now have to meet utilities costs from their own operating budgets. Utility rates have doubled, and in some cases [End Page 205] tripled, since the new administration announced power rates would be linked to the cost of fuel. It is not unusual for individual households to pay between $1,000 and $2,000 a month for utilities. Everyone is scrambling to...

A Study of Environmental Reporting: International Japanese Airlines

This study is a secondary data survey of results on the content of environmental reports in supporting tourism sustainability by examining environmental reports of three Japan-based airlines, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airline and Japan Air System. A modified report assessment model, containing 16 criteria, developed by Adams (1998, Environmental Accounting and Auditing Reporter, 3(3), pp. 4–6), was used in the analysis. It has been found that most of the elements were mentioned in those reports. Nevertheless, the definition about fuel efficiency in the environmental performance element is quite different and makes benchmarking a problem. An individual exemplary accomplishment of the airlines studied is also discussed. In addition, the categorization of waste is also diversified and some new reporting features have been identified. The purpose of this study is to highlight good practice of the airlines studied and make it a reference for airlines with slow development in environmental reporting, which helps to enrich the content of their reports.

Environmental Health Surveillance System in Japan Air Pollution and Children’s Health

Environmental Health Surveillance System in Japan Air Pollution and Children’s Health

Allergic rhinitis and ear pain in flight

Ear pain is the most common physiologic incident in hypobaric chamber training in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and the incidence of ear pain has been gradually increasing. There has been a concomitant increase in the incidence of allergic rhinitis in Japan. We hypothesized that the increased incidence of ear pain may be due to the increased incidence of eustachian tube dysfunction associated with allergic rhinitis. To explore whether there is an association between allergic rhinitis and ear pain experienced in hypobaric chamber training. We examined 9 years of training records and noted whether there was a seasonal influence on the occurrence of ear pain in 7047 trainees. In addition, we studied the prevalence of allergic rhinitis among trainees during a representative training year using a questionnaire method, noting association between allergic rhinitis and the occurrence of ear pain. Comprehensive review of training records showed 429 (6.1%) of 7047 trainees complained of ear pain. Ear pain occurred more often in spring than the other 3 seasons. The questionnaire data showed 202 (23.0%) of 878 trainees had allergic rhinitis. Trainees with allergic rhinitis complained of ear pain more often in the spring than trainees without allergic rhinitis. Active allergic rhinitis is closely associated with the occurrence of ear pain in hypobaric chamber training. A similar phenomenon might occur in an actual flight. Special attention should be paid to not only common cold but also allergic rhinitis in both hypobaric chamber training and actual flights.

Analysis of Cross-Flow Type of Air-to-Air Total Heat Exchangers Made of Functional Paper

Operation of the total heat exchangers (THXs) discussed in this article is based on thin fibrous paper, permeable to moisture but highly impermeable to air, capable of recovering both sensible and latent heat from air. By exchanging sensible and latent heat between fresh air and exhaust air, THXs show great energy-saving potential when fresh air is required for IAQ purposes in a conditioned space. Due to the fibrous permeability of the functional paper, air leakage may occur and, when significant, must be accounted for in evaluating the performance of THXs. In this study, a concept of effective fresh air efficiency defined on the basis of per-unit-effective-fresh-air is proposed and the leakage effect on efficiency is examined with experiments. Both heat and mass transfer effectiveness of THXs were compared with that of the Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association standards (JRAIA). The results showed that the energy-saving index, or THX effectiveness, of JRA overestimated the performance of THXs if air leakage was present.

Perioperative Sonoclot analysis in patients given flurbiprofen

Perioperative Sonoclot analysis in patients given flurbiprofen

Air transportation planning using neural networks as an example of the transportation squadron in the Japan Air Self‐Defense Force

AbstractThe task of a squadron at the Japan Air Self‐Defense Force (JASDF) is to transport personnel and materials, and the efficient operation of the squadron is a crucial issue in an emergency. However, transportation is planned manually at present, and it is difficult to quickly formulate an efficient plan. In this context, air transportation planning is considered a transport problem, and an air transportation planning method using a mutually coupled neural network composed of binary neurons, while considering the hardware implementation, is proposed. In the proposed neural network, air transportation planning is partitioned into three subproblems, which are successively solved by three neuron blocks. By this provision, the scale of the problem is reduced and the solution is derived efficiently. Several practical problems with various numbers of aircraft and transportation demands are considered, and simulations are performed using the neural network with various parameters. An examination of the results reveals that the proposed neural network is able to determine whether the air transportation planning can be performed with high speed and high accuracy. In other words, the proposed method is an efficient solution method with many advantages. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 35(12): 46–56, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.10419

Cultural issues in airline crisis communications: A Japan‐US comparative study

Drawing upon Hofstede's (1980, 1991) five dimensions of culture, this study contrasts the organizational responses to two major airline crashes that occurred in 1985 in Japan and the United States. Using a qualitative approach, the study reveals significant cultural differences that affected communications practices by Japan Air Lines and Delta Air Lines. Findings are based upon analysis of 198 US newspaper stories and 196 Japanese newspaper and magazine stories published during the 10 days that followed each disaster. The study reveals significant differences in the use of apology, media strategies, and litigation concerns. The findings suggest that cultural sensitivity is a key to developing a successful crisis communication plan in the airline industry.

Army Air Force and Navy Air Force: Japanese Aviation and the Opening Phase of the War in the Far East

The astoundingly rapid successes of Japan's army and navy when unleashed against British and American forces in the Far East in December 1941 has fostered the legend that Westerners totally underestimated Japanese technical proficiency in the design, manufacture and employment of modern weaponry - a legend that provides comfort both for those attempting to explain the achievements of Japanese manufacturing industry since 1945 and for those enamoured of the view that military hierarchies have a natural disposition towards ignorance and smugness. In particular it was the quality of Japanese aircraft that is said to have most taken the Allies by surprise and to have occasioned their most resounding defeats. This article will attempt to show that Western depreciation of Japan's air strength was not entirely unjustified, and that the contribution of Japanese aviation to the conquest of Malaya, Burma and the Philippines was on the whole more apparent than substantial.

Analysis of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons by GC with a gas-phase electrolytic conductivity detector.

A gas-phase electrolytic conductivity detector (GP-ELCD), a new-type detector for GC which was recently developed by D. M. Coulson and was provided by SRI Co. in U. S. A., was applied to the measurement of ten kinds of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCHC) in environmental samples. The measurement limit of the detector to VCHC was found to be about 0.05ng under S/N=5, and the relative sensitivities on a molar basis for each compounds of VCHC depends on the number of chlorine atoms in a molecule. However those on a molecular-weight basis are in similar (0.861.00to the sensitivity of carbon tetrachloride). The variations in its sensitivity of it on the same day or on different days are within 5%. The linear dynamic range of GP-ELCD was at least 0.05-100ng in the tested range. A detector with a portable GC (SRI 9000) was used for the analysis of VCHC in ambient air with the collection method by a charcoal tube, and was confirmed to be capable of measuring the concentration of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene at 1/10 of the Japan Air Quality Standard (Both; 0.2mg/m3).

Frontal midline theta rhythm in young healthy adults.

In this study, we examined the relationship between the frontal midline (Fm) theta rhythm that appears when a healthy subject is engaged in mental tasks and the theta rhythm which appears in the frontal region of healthy subjects during light drowsiness. The samples for this study were obtained from 465 EEGs of healthy Japan Air Self Defense Force personnel. The 39 who had frontal theta rhythm during light drowsiness were selected to be included in the theta group. For the control group, 34 subjects were randomly selected from the remaining 426 without frontal theta rhythm. When these subjects were reexamined, the rate of appearance of the frontal midline theta rhythm which appears during light drowsiness was 87.2% in the theta group and 0% in the control group. The rate of appearance of the Fm theta was 94.9% in the theta group and 3.0% in the control group. The two types of frontal theta rhythms closely resembled each other in frequency (94.6%) and distribution (83.8%). Except for the results of the hypomania (Ma) scores, there was no remarkable difference between the two groups when the MMPI was administered. The results of our study suggest that there is a close correlation between the frontal theta rhythm that appears during light drowsiness and the Fm theta.

全日空の経営戦略

It is interesting to examine how ANA (All Nippon Airways) has developed during the period of rigid state intervention between the 1960 s and the early 1970 s. In this paper we will investigate their strategy in the period. We will concentrate on the following policies; investment and finance.One of the most significant issues for their development was how to invest in aircraft. They had been in a position to catch up with JAL (Japan Air Lines) in major routes in the period. They achieved this by introducing high performance aircraft more positively than JAL. On minor routes ANA frequently replaced aircraft in order to maintain high performance. Those policies encouraged the opening of new minor routes and stimulated increasing demand for air transport.Another important matter was how to finance the purchasing of aircraft. During the first half of the 1960 s ANA had not yet been in a position to borrow money from banks in the U. S. or even in Japan, except for the Japan Development Bank which did not however offer enough finance for this purpose. Therefore they had to depend on commercial credit from 'Shosha' (Japanese trading companies) or credit from airplane manufacturers. However a good opportunity arose when they purchased jet planes from Boeing Co., Ltd. in 1964. U. S. banks provided funds with lower interest rates. Valuing their aircraft in the terms of accelerated deprecation ANA quickened to repay the loan.It was the characteristic of their business strategy that they used their aircraft effectively and was financed from U. S. banks. These policies enabled ANA to grow to become now the largest domestic airlines in Japan.

Measurements of atmospheric SO 2 and SO 42−, and determination of the wet scavenging coefficient of sulfate aerosols for the winter monsoon season over the sea of Japan

In order to determine the scavenging coefficient of oxides of sulfur in winter monsoon over the Sea of Japan both air and precipitation concentrations of sulfur dioxide and sulfate were measured on Sado Island on the Sea of Japan coast. The measurements were taken during the period between 28 January and 3 February 1992. The atmospheric concentrations of SO 4 2− were 0.57–1.11 μg S m −3 whereas those of SO 2, were below 0.27 μg S m −3, much lower than SO 4 2− concentration. A back trajectory analysis showed that these sulfur species would have been transported from Eurasian continent over the Sea of Japan. A layer-average scavenging coefficient, k, for sulfate by precipitation including snow, graupel and rain was determined on the basis of the equation k = HP/ h, where H, P and h are the scavenging ratio, precipitation intensity and mixing layer height, respectively, under the assumption of a uniformly mixed layer over the warm sea current along the Sea of Japan coast. The scavenging coefficients were calculated to be 3.5 × 10 5̄−2.9 × 10 −4S −1 for precipitation intensities of 0.13–3.1 mm h −1. A regression analysis of these datasets gave a k value for submicron SO 4 2− aerosol over the Sea of Japan of k = 1.38 × 10 −4 P 0.74, where p is precipitation intensity. These values are very close to a recently obtained result by Jylhä for radioactive aerosols. Summarizing the measurements taken by the authors and other investigators the wet scavenging coefficient k may be represented by k = aP b where a is around 10 −4, and b is between 0.67 and 0.76.