Japan's Sector Research Articles

The Challenge of Societal Recognition of Humanitarian and Development NGO Practitioners in Japan: A Volunteer or a Professional?

Over the last three decades, Japanese NGOs have become increasingly engaged in the delivery of Japanese foreign aid, and humanitarian responses to national emergencies. Despite these attainments, a lack of recognition for the Japanese NGO sector among the domestic audience remains noticeable. The article proposes that, despite the increasing professionalization and professionalism of the Japanese NGO sector, the activities of practitioners are frequently construed as volunteering. Additionally, the article contends that concerns about the anti-government or “political” undertone to NGO activities and diminishing interest in international cooperation issues constitute a considerable challenge to fostering recognition and building domestic constituencies for development and humanitarian NGOs. Finally, the dominant approach to the non-profit and voluntary sector in Japan promoted by the government in the post-1995/1998 climate is discussed as a consequential hindrance to the process of establishing Japanese NGOs’ aid work as a professional knowledge-based enterprise in the public sphere.

Urban governance of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Japan: An Urban political sociological approach to the case of Osaka

In this article, we first review current Japanese urban and regional sociological literature on the COVID‐19 pandemic. Some empirical studies of the current conditions, challenges, and difficulties faced by urban communities with the pandemic have loomed large. Although urban governance of infectious disease control has been generally an important research topic in urban studies, there is limited research on this aspect, particularly in Japan. Then, we briefly examine the urban governance of the pandemic in Japan, with a focus on the case of Osaka. Specifically, by analyzing the meeting minutes of Osaka Prefectural Government's countermeasure headquarters, we shed light on what issues were mainly dealt with and what main organizational actors were involved. The results indicate that, in addition to the administrative and political collaboration between central, prefectural, and municipal governments, the involvement of industrial and professional organizations (e.g., medical and economic associations) is particularly salient. This is because the governmental sector in Japan lacks a strong legal framework and a policy implementation capacity for infectious disease control. Consequently, it has requested (through intermediary associations) that residents, businesses, and hospitals cooperate with the government to control the spread of the virus. With regard to the characteristics of the Japanese urban governance of the pandemic, more comparative research between cities and regions in the country and those in other countries will be one of the important issues for future Japanese urban and regional sociology.

Dynamic analysis of in-use copper stocks by the final product and end-use sector in Japan with implication for future demand forecasts

Analysis of in-use metal stocks provides information on the potential quantity and quality of the generated waste and secondary metals and an understanding of metal demands. Previous studies have analyzed the in-use metal stocks mainly considering their volume and final products. However, an end-use sector where a final product is used (e.g., household, industry) is essential for information on the waste origin and recycling route. Therefore, in this study, the historical trends of in-use stocks and waste flows of copper in Japan until 2015 are comprehensively identified with high resolution of both the final products and end-use sectors based on input-output and dynamic material flow analysis. The results show that in-use copper stocks in manufacturing, infrastructure-related sectors, and household already peaked and decreased until 2015, while those in real estate and residence continued to increase. The in-use total copper stock peaked in 2008 (22.5 Tg) and later decreased, with 21.1 Tg in 2015, while the total copper waste flows increased, resulting in 1.0 Tg in 2015. Our analysis of copper waste flows indicates that the household was a significant end-use sector for copper recycling with unrecycled copper flows of 60.6 Gg in 2015. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that the Japanese in-use copper stocks per capita for some end-use sectors decreased as per capita GDP increased, and some country-specific factors affected the in-use copper stock growth. The findings will help future demand forecasts and develop resource policies and recycling strategies toward sustainable metal management.

How Do Institutional Conflicts of Interest Between Pharmaceutical Companies and the Healthcare Sector Become Corrupt? A Case Study of Scholarship Donations Between Department of Clinical Anesthesiology, Mie University, and Ono Pharmaceutical in Japan.

Institutional conflicts of interest (ICOIs) with pharmaceutical companies can bias internal operation of healthcare organizations. Naturally, a scholarship donation—which is a donation scheme unique to Japan, provided to healthcare organizations and their subunits to encourage educational and academic activities related to the development of new drugs—fall into the ICOI category. While anecdotal evidence exists that scholarship donations have been used as bribes by pharmaceutical companies, there has been little case study research that would illuminate the workings of this “gray area” mechanism. From this perspective, we offer an in-depth analysis of a recent scandal involving the Department of Clinical Anesthesiology, Mie University and Ono Pharmaceutical, where a scholarship donation was used by a pharmaceutical company to increase the prescription of one of its key drugs at a hospital department. Available evidence also suggests that a professor based within the department originally requested a scholarship donation from the company, which became an initial trigger of the scandal. We argue that by scrutinizing scholarship donations we can gain insight into problems specific to ICOIs between the pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare sector in Japan. In addition, scholarship donations can be understood as a form of “gifts” which have been found to underpin certain forms of pharmaceutical companies' promotional activities in Japan but also in other countries. We conclude by highlighting potential institutional remedies, which may alleviate ICOIs and corrupt behavior affecting the healthcare sector.

COVID-19 and the Health of Banking Sector in Japan and South Korea: A Comparative Study

COVID-19 and the Health of Banking Sector in Japan and South Korea: A Comparative Study

Supporting self-organised professional development in the Japanese context through the Early Childhood Education Quality (ECEQ) initiative

ABSTRACT The Early Childhood Education Quality (ECEQ) initiative is a pioneering approach toward supporting ongoing, self-organized professional development in the private kindergarten sector in Japan. The purpose of this study is to examine how kindergarten teachers and ECEQ coordinators experience this approach and view the ECEQ process. Online questionnaires were distributed to the teachers of 20 kindergartens that implemented the ECEQ for the first time in 2019 and to the ECEQ coordinators who supported them. The answers from 126 classroom teachers and 15 ECEQ main coordinators were analysed. Results indicate that: (1) almost all kindergarten teachers found the ECEQ experience meaningful; (2) teachers were resistant to holding open classes (work shadowing by colleagues from other kindergartens), but they nevertheless recognized the benefits; (3) teachers reported that the ECEQ enabled them to think about ECEC practices based on the children’s perspectives; and (4) teachers reported that the ECEQ coordinators were supportive in terms of including teachers’ ideas; however, they also felt that the ECEQ coordinators did not provide enough backing for autonomous meetings and in-house workshops after the ECEQ process had been completed. These results indicate both the strengths and difficulties associated with transforming the ECEQ into a system for supporting self-organized professional development.

Circular Economy Development in the Construction Sector in Japan

The circular economy (CE) is about a system-level change towards sustainability, and it aims at keeping products, components, and materials at their highest utility and value at all times, covering both technical and biological cycles. This study aimed at exploring, discovering, describing, and synthesizing the characteristics of CE development in the construction sector in Japan based on the perspectives of sectoral organizations and focusing on the following themes: (1) sustainable production; (2) sustainable consumption; (3) creation and maintenance of value in a CE; (4) CE innovations; (5) CE of material and energy use; (6) technological, economic, and social barriers to CE; (7) CE guidance; and (8) specific CE aspects in the construction sector. This study applied a qualitative research approach, including a questionnaire survey as the specific method. This study addressed a gap in the research and helps to improve understanding of the CE development priorities based on the perspectives of organizations operating in or related to the construction sector in Japan. The findings indicate that the priority CE development focus areas in the construction sector in Japan encompass, for example, the use of sustainable and renewable raw materials; consumer awareness; and the design, use, and manufacturing of sustainable, recyclable, reusable, and repairable products, components, and materials. The barriers to CE that need to be overcome encompass, for example, the lack of general knowledge about circular economy opportunities and of seeing the “big picture” as well as issues related to economic benefits and the development of CE and sustainability-oriented products, components, and materials. Particularly important CE aspects in the construction sector include the maintenance of existing buildings; sustainability and the long-life cycles of products, components, and materials; CE-oriented product design; and sustainability criteria and cooperation between parties covering the whole life cycle of construction.

Compilation and analysis of international from-whom-to-whom financial stock table for Japan, Korea, the United States, and China

This paper discusses the development of international flow of funds accounts; it compiles and analyzes such accounts with a focus on the global financial crisis. For this purpose, we compile from-whom-to-whom financial stock tables for Japan, Korea, the United States, and China and combine these tables to generate a four-country international from-whom-to-whom financial stock table. Input–output analyses reveal that nonfinancial corporations in the four countries have the largest liability power-of-dispersion and that the Japanese government’s liability power-of-dispersion is large. In contrast, the financial institution sector in Japan has the largest asset power-of-dispersion. In the future, the table could be expanded to include other major Asia–Pacific countries and linked to Euro-area from-whom-to-whom financial stock tables to provide a global from-whom-to-whom financial stock table.

Sectoral productivity convergence, input-output structure and network communities in Japan

We study sectoral productivity convergence through the input-output structure of the economy and its network representation. In particular, we study 106 production sectors in Japan over the 2003–2012 period and identify highly interconnected sectors using community detection algorithms. We next characterize the dynamics of these communities by evaluating the evolution of productivity dispersion using parametric and nonparametric frameworks of sectoral productivity convergence. We find two dominant communities: The central members of community 1 are mostly service-related industries, while the central members of community 2 are mostly high-tech manufacturing industries. The convergence analyses indicate that the two communities have contrasting convergence-divergence patterns. Robust convergence is only found for community 1. In contrast, community 2 appears to be the source of the weak divergence pattern that is observed across all industries in Japan.

Evaluating decarbonization scenarios and energy management requirement for the residential sector in Japan through bottom-up simulations of energy end-use demand in 2050

Decarbonization scenarios for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the Japanese residential sector by 2050 were examined using a bottom-up simulation model of energy end-use demand. The examined scenarios involve the dissemination of currently available technology, including highly insulated houses, high-efficiency equipment, high-efficiency appliances, electrification, and building-integrated photovoltaics (PV) in detached houses. The results show that decarbonization can be mostly achieved by the studied scenarios, especially through the dissemination of highly insulated buildings and high-efficiency water heaters as well as the installation of PV for all detached houses. This scenario reduced the total primary energy demand by 61% in 2013. A land-use strategy for increased detached houses is preferable for increasing PV capacity. For the scenario that achieves net zero energy, the predicted heat load intensity and electricity consumption per capita are almost the same as those of the Low Energy Demand (LED) scenario. Increased dependence on PV will create an imbalance in the relationship between electricity supply and demand, and 26% of the residential energy demand would rely on non-battery energy storage, such as pumped hydropower and hydrogen, owing to the seasonal time gap between residual and deficit electricity.

Occupational difference in use of heated tobacco products: a cross-sectional analysis of retail workers in Japan

ObjectiveAlthough heated tobacco products (HTPs) have become popular worldwide, research on occupational differences in smoking HTPs remains scarce. We aimed to examine the prevalence of smoking HTPs among a working...

Fenomena Shoushika: Analisis Kebijakan Pemerintah Jepang Pada Era Kepemimpinan Shinzo Abe

The Shoushika phenomenon is a decrease of children population in Japan. This issue is caused by the continuing decline in the number of births and the rapid growth of the elderly population. Declining populations and aging populations hava a substantial impact on the Japanese economy and security due to the lack of productive age population to fill employment sectors in Japan. Shoushika also affects Japanese identity as a country that has been known for its ethnically and culturally homogenous people. As the Japanese government forced to employ foreign workers, the ethnic and cultural heritage of Japanese society could slowly fade if the trend of increasing immigrant workers continue to grow. This phenomenon is also feared to have an impact to the harmony and national security of Japan as a state. The Japanese government, particularly in Shinzo Abe’s administration, then established a policy that was considered to be able to solve Shoushika phenomenon. However, this policy caused a new problem for the Japanese government itself. Therefore, the Japanese government has to reconsider the solution to this matter.

Japanese carbon emissions patterns shifted following the 2008 financial crisis and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake

Unexpected events such as economic crises and natural disasters can have profound implications for energy systems and climate change mitigation efforts at different levels. Here we explore the national and regional carbon emission patterns (and their drivers) for the main economic sectors in Japan between 2007 and 2015, a period shaped by the 2008 financial crisis and the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. Following the 2011 earthquake the previously decreasing regional emissions patterns started increasing in practically all regions except Hokkaido. This was mainly due to growing coal use particularly in the Kyushu, Chugoku and Kansai regions. Furthermore, most regions experienced shifts in the dominance of different drivers of emissions over time, with a stronger initial impact from economic effects after the 2008 financial crisis, followed by energy structure after the 2011 earthquake, and then by economic effects and energy intensity. These results offer a more nuanced understanding of how individual events can affect emissions at different periods and levels (national vs. regional) to inform the design of climate change mitigation strategies.

Digitalization or flexibilization? The changing role of technology in the political economy of Japan

We are increasingly surrounded by talk of digitalization. Yet, we remain unsure about what impact this digitalization will have upon socio-economic institutions, how the introduction of this digitalization will be contested, the likely role of the state in managing the adoption of digital technology, and the likely consequences for the broader political economy if and when it is introduced. This article examines the process of digitalization as it has unfolded in the service sector in Japan. Based on qualitative interviews with managers in the hospitality industry and union officials, the paper depicts a process that contrasts starkly with the more optimistic view adopted by some commentators, according to which digitalization has the potential to improve working conditions and contribute to a more stable form of growth. Instead, the paper draws on Regulation Theory to argue that the introduction of digitalization is part of a wider process of neoliberalization. As such, digitalization has contributed to deskilling, the fragmentation of work tasks, a digital divide, the intensification of work, and higher levels of workplace surveillance. This represents a further dismantling of the social compromise that underpinned Japan’s earlier period of economic growth.

A Case Study in Developing Creative and Innovative Cluster Model through the Integration of Universities, Governmental Organizations, and Private Sectors in Japan

A Case Study in Developing Creative and Innovative Cluster Model through the Integration of Universities, Governmental Organizations, and Private Sectors in Japan

Lunch Interrupted! COVID-19 and Japan’s School Meals

On April 22,2020 a crowd gathered at the Fujikata Racetrack in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, Japan With the anxiety of the COVID-19 pandemic swirling about them, citizens ventured from their homes donning facemasks Once at the racetrack they formed a "socially distant" line and waited for the gates to open Residents were not waiting to see a race Rather, they had come to do their grocery shopping While nearby city markets and green grocers were still open for business, these citizens had come in hopes of snagging a bargain and also supporting their community This was not your typical farmers' market the produce was gathered from unfulfilled school lunch orders With schoolyards shuttered due to the pandemic, the fresh ingredients ordered months ago had nowhere to go, and rather than let the food go to waste, the community and local government intervened Even with the schools closed, school lunch helped to unite a community

African Labour Migration and the Small Firm Sector in Japan

African Labour Migration and the Small Firm Sector in Japan

Inequality in cancer survival rates among industrial sectors in Japan: an analysis of two large merged datasets

Inequality in cancer survival rates among industrial sectors in Japan: an analysis of two large merged datasets

Performance of Decentralized Local Service Delivery in Developed Countries: Case Study of Japan

Many countries decentralize the administrative, fiscal, and political functions of the central government to lower-level governments. In many developing and developed countries, governments and their policymakers have used decentralization as a means of improving the delivery of local service. Accordingly, this study is based on the delivery of local services to the people by the local governments of Japan as a developed country. The overall objective of this article is to review the performance of decentralized local service delivery in developed countries and based on a case study of Japan. The study also aims to examine the correlation between the revenue and expenditure of local governments of Japan and its trends. Basically, this article has been written based on secondary data materials. This data consists of qualitative and quantitative characteristics. Hence, a qualitative and quantitative descriptive method has been applied to analyse the performance of local government decentralization in Japan, and descriptive statistical methods are used to analyse the data and the correlation between revenue and expenditure. The problem in this research is how the functional political institutions created for local service delivery at the sub-national governments in Japan affects the success of decentralization. This research revealed several findings. The local governments of Japan have a sound institutional system and several powers recognized by the constitution. Japanese local governments monitor over 70% of national works, but a majority of the standard public services are the responsibility of local governments. Karl Pearson’s correlation value of revenue and expenditure is 0.979, and there is a strong positive relationship between revenues and expenditure. In Japan, the highest value of local government spending is on public welfare. It is followed by education, civil engineering works, and general administration, second, third, and fourth, respectively. Also, its central and local administrative institutions are maintained in a mutually dependent and mutually complementary relationship. Most of the local governments are collaborating with the private sector in Japan. As a result, the efficiency of service delivery has improved at the local level. In this way, waste management, which is a major local problem in Japan, is being dealt with closely by the central government and the local governments.

Digitalization of Agriculture Sector in Japan

Purpose: this article includes the review of the Japanese policy on the digital transformation transformation of the agricultural sector, description and analysis of the implementation cases, as well as identification of obstacles to achieve the expected results.Methods: the study uses the methods of structural, comparative and systems analysis and the principle of formal logic. The article is based on the analysis of scientific and analytical materials devoted to the problem of research. The factual basis is the framework documents of the Cabinet of Japan, media, reports of Japanese research institutes.Results: the article provides a brief review and analysis of the Japanese public of digital transformation of the agricultural sector, provides some cases, summarizes the interim results of the measures taken, identifies problematic factors that prevent the achievement of the expected results. The hypothesis is put forward about the key role of the government in the process of developing new standards for the digital transformation.Conclusions and Relevance: Japan agricultural sector is facing a severe labor shortage. The situation is expected to get worse in the next 5 years. The Japanese government expects that digital technologies and autonomous equipment will compensate for the lack of labor on farms, as well as provide a new stage in the development of the traditional agricultural sector. However, the digitalization of agriculture sector is not limited to the introduction of the latest technology, but also involves the development of new safety rules for the use of robotic tractors, unmanned aerial vehicles, improving farmers ICT education, and standardizing new agricultural terms. However, despite the promise of using digital technologies, the high cost of new equipment and the complexity of its use is a significant obstacle to the digitalization of agriculture in Japan. The study of the features of the digital transformation of the Japanese agricultural sector is very important for the effective implementation of industry projects that exist today in Russia.