Japanese City Research Articles

The Narrowing of Self as Perceived by People in the Early Stages of Dementia-The Second Report.

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the sense of self that occurs amongst those who have been diagnosed with the early stages of dementia, where the individual attempts narrowing their world. The research was conducted using qualitative induction research methods, and data were collected using semi-structured interview methods. The interviews were conducted between 2017 and 2019. The 15 participants were residents with families in a Japanese city of about 950,000 people. The diagnosis was Alzheimer's disease in all cases. Of the 15 participants, six were male and nine female. The average age was 69.9 years. The average score on the MMSE was 19.8 points. The average period since the first diagnosis was 2 years. The average interview time was 51 minutes. The narrowing self perceived by these people diagnosed with mild dementia was composed of the "neglected self" and "closed self." While living in a safe world in which they had given up on their own possibilities and experienced narrowing, they were unable to give up and harbored regret, anger, resentment, and feelings of absurdity. We believe that this study will help us understand the experiences of people in the early stages of dementia and contribute to providing nursing care that is more tailored to the individuals involved.

The Influence of Japanese City Pop Music on Emerging Adults’ Sleep Quality

Purpose: Previous studies suggest music as a low-risk, low-cost method to improve sleep quality, particularly beneficial for individuals with high-stress lifestyles. This research focuses on City Pop Music, chosen for its ability to evoke positive feelings and nostalgia, anticipating it will enhance sleep quality. Method: Using a Pretest Post-test between Control Group Design, this study involves 10 participants equally divided into control and experimental groups. Treatment lasts 21 days, with data collection every 7 days. Data includes the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Bedtime Procrastination Scale, and Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences. Qualitative data was gathered through participant journaling and interviews. Result: Sleep quality showed no improvement in participants exposed to city pop music (p=0.05; p>0.05). There were no changes in positive and negative experiences or bedtime procrastination. T-tests also showed that there were no differences between groups during treatment (p=0.59; p>0.05). However, qualitative data revealed feelings of calmness, enjoyment, and relaxation among participants. Conclusion: While city pop music didn't enhance sleep quality, qualitative findings suggest it may induce calmness and relaxation. Possible factors contributing to these results include individual music preferences, room temperature, and sleep conditions. Future research is necessary to design interventions according to each person’s preferences.

Cultural Re-Importation Through Soft Power and Transnational Cultural Flows Mediated by Digital Influence: The Case of City Pop Music in Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia

Japanese popular culture (pop culture) has penetrated and influenced foreign cultural markets through various means. Japanese city pop music, popular from the 1970s through the 1980s, has charted a new trajectory in this transnational cultural spillover. The attractiveness of the city pop genre was rediscovered abroad; the hit songs were disseminated through social media, which eventually led to a revival of this genre’s popularity in Japan. This study refers to this phenomenon as cultural re-importation and proposes some theoretical deliberations to capture it. It recognises that the complex process of re-importation is mediated by digital means of communication, such as social media platforms YouTube and TikTok. This study employs three theoretical perspectives on the cultural spillover mechanism, namely, Japan’s soft power, transnational cultural flows, and digital influence. To elucidate these processes empirically, we analysed data from in-depth interviews with 35 young people from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan. Secondary data were collected as well, including online news and media releases. Based on the interview findings, this study posits that cultural re-importation is a complex interplay of several factors.

Cultural Imperialism and Video Game Localization: A Case Study of Revelations: Persona

With increasing focus on global markets for media, video game localization continues to be an essential process for the industry. However, video game localization only sometimes effectively handles the unique cultural elements of video games. In some cases, these localizations intentionally erase such elements to make the game more marketable or remove controversial content in an American cultural context. This article explores the localization of Megami Ibunroku Persona (retitled Revelations: Persona for its U.S. release) and considers how its localization changed various elements to convert the setting from a Japanese city to a U.S. one. Using a Neoformalism-inspired approach to game studies, I analyze playthroughs of both the original Japanese version and the U.S. localization, noting how changes erased cultural uniqueness in the original. Then, from the standpoint of cultural imperialism, I discuss how localization can function as a defense mechanism for limiting the cultural impact of imported media.

The expression of sehnsucht in the Japanese city pop revival fandom through visual media on Reddit and YouTube

Japanese city pop music, which emerged in the late 1970s through the late 1980s, saw a resurgence in interest in the late 2010s as an online revival fandom formed across multiple platforms. This emergent fandom has prompted scholars to ask why this fandom emerged and how this audience relates to music disconnected in time and place from themselves. Various forms of qualified nostalgia have been suggested to describe different modes of engagement with media of the past, although these terms are both semantically awkward and do not capture the case of engagement with media removed from the personal or generational past. However, sehnsucht, an alternative model of evaluating the past against the present, is better suited to describing the mode of connection between fans, music, and the past. A thematic analysis of visual media in a case study of conversations on the r/citypop subreddit and on YouTube reveals that city pop fans seem to cluster many of the themes of sehnsucht in their relationship to a musical genre from an idealized past removed from the austere present.

Comparison of objective and subjective sleep evaluations based on the presence or absence of insomnia among Japanese city employees

Comparison of objective and subjective sleep evaluations based on the presence or absence of insomnia among Japanese city employees

Identifying High-Priority Populations for Dietary Salt Reduction Using the TARPARE Model: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The application of social marketing to public health activities has recently garnered attention. This study aimed to identify high-priority segments for salt reduction interventions using the TARPARE model in a rural Japanese city. This cross-sectional study used convenient sampling. Scored indicators of the TARPARE model were used, and data was collected from 1874 adults to establish the priority order of target segments for promoting salt reduction. The model considers the total number of individuals (T), at-risk persons (AR), persuasibility (P), accessibility (A), resources required (R), and equity (E). For T, the salt content was evaluated using spot urine, and the salt check sheet was scored for each segment according to sex and age in the city's population. AR was the individuals who were overweight. P was determined by the behavior modification stage of salt reduction, unknown recommended salt reduction goals, and lack of knowledge in at least one aspect of salt reduction. A and R were characterized by communication with family or friends and family support, respectively. E was considered an education up to high school. The average aggregated score was 19.9 (standard deviation = 14.0), with higher scores in segments that consistently subjectively restrict salt intake but have a high objective salt intake. The highest priority was given to women in their 60s (49.3 points) and 70s (54.4 points). This study identified high-priority populations for salt reduction in a rural city in Japan. Our priority segments offer guidance for efficient and targeted interventions for salt reduction initiatives.

Associations between mothers' economic insecurity and mood and thoughts on life with children at infants' 3-month check-ups: A cross-sectional study using data from infant health check-ups

Objectives We aimed to clarify the relationship between economic insecurity and the psychological profiles of mothers raising infants by analyzing data from three-month health check-ups in relation to the birth population in order to generate basic data that can be used to consider support for families facing economic insecurity.Methods The study area was a neighborhood in a major Japanese city. The survey focused on 1013 mothers who had received health check-ups for children aged 18 months between November 2017 and October 2019. The data included in the analysis were data from the children's three-month health check-ups and survey data from 908 mothers who responded to the questionnaire and consented to the use of their health check-up data. After excluding data from potential participants who were not mothers or had multiple births, data from 847 participants were analyzed (valid response rate: 93.3%). The objective variables were mothers' mood and thoughts about life with their children at the time of the three-month check-up as the mothers' psychological profiles. The explanatory variable was the presence or absence of maternal economic insecurity, and logistic regression analysis was conducted, adjusted for the children's sex and birth order, presence or absence of maternal counselors, and the mothers' educational attainment.Results A total of 60 (7.1%) mothers were economically insecure. Of the mothers' moods, 122 (14.4%) reported feeling anxious, followed by 36 (4.3%) who reported feeling lonely. Of their thoughts on life with their children, 776 (91.6%) mothers reported that they enjoyed it, and 567 (66.9%) reported that they were happy to be parents. On the other hand, 157 (18.5%) reported feeling frustrated, and 75 (8.9%) reported that the lack of time for themselves was painful. Economically insecure mothers had an odds ratio of 5.59 (95% confidence interval, 2.49-12.55) for feeling lonely, 4.77 (2.67-8.54) for feeling anxious, and 2.70 (1.50-4.86) for feeling frustrated, all significantly higher than in mothers not facing economic insecurity.Conclusion Economic insecurity among mothers at the time of the three-month check-up was associated with the psychological states of loneliness, anxiety, and frustration about living with their children. It was suggested that to solve economically insecure mothers' problems, they need support, including connecting them with social welfare services, so that they will be able to raise their children in a more stable environment.

Family Structure Associated with Measles-Rubella and Varicella Vaccination in Children.

Delayed vaccination is a well-studied and critical public health issue. However, limited studies have explored whether familial factors influence vaccination delay. This study aimed to determine whether family structure and comorbidities affect the refusal or delayed receipt of measles-rubella and varicella vaccines. We gathered data on all children from birth to 13 months of age between 2006 and 2020 using vaccination records linked with the administrative healthcare claims data from a Japanese city. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association of refusal or delay in receiving the first-dose measles-rubella and varicella vaccines with the following factors: the child's sex; presence of parents, siblings, and grandparents; parental and grandparental comorbidities; chronic pediatric comorbidities in the child and siblings; and year of vaccination. We identified a total of 14,241 eligible children. Refusal or delayed receipt of the first-dose measles-rubella vaccine was associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.46 (95% confidence interval, 1.86-3.24) for maternal absence and 1.61 (1.44-1.80) for paternal absence. Similarly, the refusal or delay in receiving the first-dose varicella vaccine was associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.04 (95% confidence interval, 1.01-4.16) for maternal absence and 1.37 (1.12-1.69) for paternal absence. The presence of siblings and maternal comorbidities were significantly associated with vaccination delays. The absence of a parent, the presence of siblings, and maternal comorbidities were associated with the refusal or delay in receiving measles-rubella and varicella vaccines. Strategies for vaccine recommendation should therefore consider family structure and maternal comorbidities.

Locational distribution of parks in the residential area of a local Japanese city and its effects on living quality of the area

Locational distribution of parks in the residential area of a local Japanese city and its effects on living quality of the area

The Flowing Chō : Cart Transportation and the Redefinition of Japan's Early Modern Urban Space

Abstract: This article proposes a reinterpretation of the meaning and function of the basic sociospatial unit of the early modern Japanese city, the chō . It argues that chō is best understood not as a fixed unit of space but as a conception that could expand, change, and even move. Takanawa-chō, a peripheral area south of Edo, was transformed into the gateway to the city by its association with the transportation industry. The dynamic movement of this particular "flowing chō " not only reflected but also drove the socioeconomic transformation of the city throughout the Tokugawa period and into the early Meiji era.

A Study on the Status of Abolition of Area Designation based on Article 34 No.11 of Japanese City Planning Law

A Study on the Status of Abolition of Area Designation based on Article 34 No.11 of Japanese City Planning Law

Lifestyle factors associated with presenteeism among city government office workers: a cross-sectional study.

Presenteeism is a critical issue in occupational health. This study aimed to examine the association between presenteeism and subjective sleep quality, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. Anonymous data of 777 workers in a Japanese city were retrospectively obtained from City Government Office A. They included variables like absolute presenteeism scores (measured using the Japanese version of the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire short form), gender, age, family status, subjective sleep quality, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed with gender, age, family status, subjective sleep quality, smoking status, and alcohol consumption as the independent variables, and absolute presenteeism scores equal to or below 40 as the dependent variable. A gender-stratified binary logistic regression analysis was also performed. The logistic regression analysis results revealed that absolute presenteeism was positively associated with poor subjective sleep quality among all respondents (odds ratio [OR], 1.70; 95% CI, 1.18-2.44) and men (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.12-3.05) and with current drinkers among women (OR, 3.49; 95% CI, 1.36-8.92); it was negatively associated with age among those who were ≥50years old (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.27-0.93) and with current drinkers among men (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.20-0.92). The factors associated with presenteeism differed between men and women office workers, suggesting that gender differences need to be considered when working toward improving workers' productivity.

P60: Development of a participant-driven dementia learning program by people living with dementia

Objective:All older adults, including those already living with dementia, should be provided with adequate knowledge about dementia and be aware of how to navigate the social resources available to them. The purpose of this study was to develop a practical program to help older adults living in the community learn about cognitive decline and how to use related social resources.Methods:Program participants included attendees of a community center for dementia support in a major Japanese city, as well as the residents of a large housing complex in the local area. Within the cohort, there were participants who willingly disclosed to having dementia. The program began in February 2021 and was held once a month for a total of 15 hour-long sessions. A participant survey was administered at each session to gather the demographic information of participants and their understanding of the program. Additionally, the staff conducted recorded verbal discussions about the program, which were then reviewed using thematic analysis.Results:The program structure was as follows: (1) participants decided the theme; (2) the first half of each session comprised lectures, while the second half included discussion and group work; and (3) rules for discussion were established (do not interrupt, do not unilaterally deny what people say, maintain confidentiality). The average number of participants per session was 12.1. Survey results indicated that 70.5% of participants were female and, in terms of age, the largest number of attendees were 81-90 years old (48.5 ). Most participants “understood the program content well” (72.5%) and indicated that “they would strongly like to participate again” (64.2%). The recorded participant discussions about the program were suggested, after review, to be more superficial as a result of Japanese people's particular attitude of not wanting to bother others.Conclusion:Participants were highly satisfied with the program and were able to help develop a practical program for people living with dementia to learn effectively. A challenge was that participants had a “do not want to bother others” mindset, which could inhibit them from expressing their true wishes and make them less likely to use social resources.

Dostoevsky in Nagoya: The XVIII Symposium of the International Dostoevsky Society

For five days, the Japanese city of Nagoya became the world’s Dostoevsky capital. The XVIII Symposium of the International Dostoevsky Society (IDS) was held here on August 24–28, 2023 For the first time since the establishment of the IDS in 1971, it took place in Asia. This happened despite the pandemic and the aggravation of international problems and thanks to the great efforts of the organizers from Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, who carefully thought out the program of the event, as well as of the Symposium participants from all over the world, who represented several research generations and scientific schools and demonstrated a variety of approaches to the study of scientific biography and creative work of the classic of Russian and world literature. The XVIII Symposium was dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the novel “Demons,” the most political and religious work of the great Russian writer, published in 1871–1872. Therefore, the main focus of the Symposium was “"Demons" in their time and 150 years later.” The participants of the scientific forum paid considerable attention to the topic “Dostoevsky in art (music, cinema, theater, painting).” Among other topical issues of modern Dostoevsky studies, the following were considered at the Symposium: new methods of studying the writer’s work, including those related to the development of Digital Dostoevsky, problems of poetics and textual criticism of his legacy, new biographical studies and archival materials, Dostoevsky in the works of M. M. Bakhtin and, of course, Dostoevsky’s reception in Asia and the influence of his ideas and images on Asian culture and literature. The final event of the Sympo-sium was the round table “Dostoevsky and modern Japanese writers,” at which popular prose writers Fuminori Nakamura, Risa Wataya and Keiichiro Hirano spoke. Each of them spoke about the influence of the Russian writer’s work on his texts and discussed the incredible popularity of Dostoevsky’s ideas in today’s world. This article provides an overview of the reports, cultural events and the main results of the XVIII Symposium of the International Dostoevsky Society in Nagoya.

1980년대 일본 시티팝의 특성 고찰

This research examines the characteristics of Japanese City pop music from the 1980s, which encapsulates the urban sensibility of the era. In essence, it aims to elucidate the significance and implications of 1980s City pop as a popular music genre. The 1970s, which is closely associated with the emergence of City pop, marked a turning point from counterculture to commercial culture, representing a period where the existing musical identity evolved into a new form of music. This transformation can be observed in the music of ‘Happy end’, which captured the fading image of old Tokyo due to Japan's economic development, and it further evolved into Japanese AOR, New music, and eventually City pop. Notably, 1980s City pop can be seen as music that is rooted in the sensibilities of the city and reflects the image of Tokyo during the economic bubble era. This study holds significant importance in examining the birth of City pop influenced by western urbanization in 1980s Japan and its distinctive characteristics as popular music.

Comparative study on interpolation method for road traffic noise level behind buildings in Japanese city blocks for noise mapping

In this study, for reducing the computational load in estimating noise levels behind buildings in Japanese city blocks for noise mapping, 29 interpolation methods were examined for estimating road traffic noise maps for city blocks facing flat roads or elevated roads. As a result, when using the same interpolation method for all city blocks, the RBF -radial basis function- interpolation (radial basis function: thin plate) has the highest interpolation accuracy for city blocks facing flat roads, and the same method has also the highest interpolation accuracy for elevated roads regardless of their height. For safe side estimation, the IDW -inverse distance weighting- method (p=3) is the most appropriate.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Sprawl and Ecological Quality Study Case: Chiba Prefecture, Japan

The Japanese City Planning Act aims to control urban sprawl and promote compact urban development. Despite Japan’s aging population, urban sprawl remains a concern in shrinking sprawl situations. This impacts ecosystem services owing to the loss of natural areas. Ecological quality is regarded as a basic parameter for preventing urban sprawl. This study examined urban sprawl, ecological quality, and their relationship in Chiba Prefecture within the spatial context of the metropolitan region. Utilizing Shannon entropy and landscape metrics for urban sprawling studies, the analysis revealed a gradual shift towards compact development at the center, while the urban periphery was unevenly distributed. The remote sensing ecological index (RSEI), supported by remote sensing, assesses ecological quality. Despite some limitations, the average RSEI indicated moderate quality, offering a suitable human environment. Pearson’s calculations were used to determine the inverse correlation between urban sprawl and ecological quality. Chiba’s slight increase in sprawl was attributed to the transition from non-compact to eco-city development. The proposed plans were formulated based on similar urban sprawl and RSEI patterns in other cities for further sustainable compact development.

A School-Based Program for Problematic Internet Use for Adolescents in Japan.

Despite the serious influence of problematic Internet use on mental health among Japanese adolescents, no randomized clinical trials have investigated universal school-based interventions for this potential health challenge. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of a school-based educational program. This two-armed, parallel, cluster-based randomized clinical trial included 5312 students from 13 high schools situated in a mid-sized Japanese city. The students in the intervention arm received 10 weekly standardized sessions, including a combination of information provision and interactive sessions by schoolteachers. The students in the control group followed a standard school curriculum. A generalized estimating equation model was applied to assess the primary (Korean Scale for Internet Addiction [K-scale] score) and secondary (behavioral change status according to changes in the transtheoretical model smartphone addiction score and Internet usage time) outcomes two months after intervention completion. The intention-to-treat analysis included 2597 (97.2%) and 2504 (94.9%) students in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Nevertheless, a significant discrepancy emerged regarding the behavioral change status. Therefore, this school-based program did not improve the Internet or smartphone addiction scores among Japanese adolescents. Further studies are needed to develop appropriate interventions for adolescents.

URBAN SPACE AND CULTURAL ARCHETYPES

This paper analyses cultural and aesthetic phenomena and theirinherent meanings within the Japanese city. In the introduction, Ifirst briefly define the key concepts used in the analysis: culturalarchetype, collective memory, and cultural identity. I will approach
 the theme from a comparative point of view by examining Japaneseurban features and archetypal principles in contrast to the Europeancity.Early Japanese urbanisation centred around imperial palaces, withthe first cities founded by successive emperors from the 7th centuryonwards in the Nara region, near present-day Kyoto. The orthogonalplan for the imperial capital was copied from the contemporaneousChinese dynasties. Spatial organisation was hierarchical, imperialquarters were located at the northern end of the central south–northaxis of the city, and the most prestigious plots were around theEmperor’s palace. Kyoto, the historical Heian-Kyô, was founded asthe imperial capital in 794.Tokyo, the historical Edo, became a “castle city” in 1457 when amilitary castle was built, and subsequently the capital when theshôgun moved government from Kyoto to Edo in 1603. The shôgun’scastle, the centre of power, intertwined with the hierarchical urbanorder spiralling around it. Edo gradually became a modern capital,Tokyo, while Kyoto remained the traditional centre of high cultureand the seat of the powerless Emperor until 1868.The Japanese city is a cultural metaphor. Psychological uncertainty,due to the country’s location in a precarious earthquake and volcaniczone, and an awareness of the perishability of life based on Buddhistphilosophy, have all deeply influenced both Japanese culture andthe Japanese mind. Emptiness, the Taoist ideal linked to Buddhistthinking, is also reflected in the urban space. For instance, a Japanesecity has no designated urban centre whereas in the European citythis is a culturally and economically accentuated place.In this paper, I also analyse the Japanese spatial concepts ma andoku, along with their archetypal manifestations in urban tissue andstreet scape. While ma means experiencing space in time, oku refers tothe hidden dimension of the urban experience, or the psychologicalstate of processing a path whereby the urban core remains hiddenand only partially discovered.Regardless of Japan’s recent historical and economic development,the cultural characteristics of urban spaces have not changed a greatdeal. Tokyo is still a mosaic city of small village-type communitieswith an inherent feeling of togetherness. Hidenoby Jinnai has calledthis phenomenon an “ethnic continuity” whereby the new and theold are mixed in an ethnic order.