Shizuoka Prefecture Research Articles

三遠南信地域を対象とした経済波及効果分析: 多地域産業連関アプローチ

The purpose of this paper is to estimate an Inter-Regional Input-Output Table for the San-En-Nanshin （SENA） region in the center of Japan by using a non-survey method. The region is located at the cross-borders between Aichi, Shizuoka and Nagano Prefectures. New transportation systems such as the San-En-Nanshin highway and the Liner Chuo Shinkansen are planned for this region. We estimated the spill over and feedback effects of the new transportation systems and a clustering policy for the three regions.

静岡県東部の急性期基幹病院として

静岡県東部の急性期基幹病院として

Incorporating a Social Implementation Program into a Manufacturing Education Program in Japan: Case Study in Collaboration with a Medical Facility

The College of Technology (called Kosen) is an educational program established in 1962 in Japan to train practical engineers for five years after high school [1]. The curricula of Kosen are characterized by that engineering practice and experiment programs are set from 1st grade and gradually increase as proceed of grade. After that, advanced course for two years was established. In December 2012 the academic policy was changed to bring up the practical and creative engineers who can be active in the various fields. To attain the academic policy Engineering Design Program was attempted. Recently Social Implementation Program was newly proposed instead of Engineering Design Program.In Numazu National College of Technology (NNCT), considerations of the needs of Shizuoka prefecture's research culture project and the success of both Brush up Project of Manufacturing Engineers and Fuji Medical Engineer Training (F-met) Project led the College's staffs to make new curricula based on Social Implementation Program through seven years from teenager. The new curricula were applied from 2013.Several case studies for Social Implementation Program are executed based on the new curricula of NNCT. A case study in collaboration with a medical facility is described as an example of Social Implementation Program and the effect on a manufacturing education is discussed

A Study on the Evaluation Method for the Spatial Economic Impacts of Tourism Consumption: Using the Inter-Regional Input-Output Table of Shizuoka Prefecture

A Study on the Evaluation Method for the Spatial Economic Impacts of Tourism Consumption: Using the Inter-Regional Input-Output Table of Shizuoka Prefecture

静岡県工業技術研究所浜松工業技術支援センター

静岡県工業技術研究所浜松工業技術支援センター

Average recurrence interval of Ansei-type earthquakes inferred from Holocene deposits of the Yaizu Plain, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

Average recurrence interval of Ansei-type earthquakes inferred from Holocene deposits of the Yaizu Plain, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

Seasonal changes in morphology of Undaria pinnatifida at Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, with morphological comparison to a Choshi (Chiba Prefecture) population

Seasonal changes in morphology of Undaria pinnatifida at Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, with morphological comparison to a Choshi (Chiba Prefecture) population

Is there an obesity paradox in the Japanese elderly population? A community-based cohort study of 13 280 men and women.

Despite increased interest in an obesity paradox (i.e. a survival advantage of being obese), evidence remains sparse in Japanese populations. We aimed to verify this phenomenon among community-dwelling older adults in Japan. Older adults aged 65-84 years randomly chosen from all 74 municipalities in Shizuoka Prefecture completed questionnaires including body mass index information. Participants were followed from 1999 to 2009. Following World Health Organization guidelines, participants were classified using an appropriate body mass index for Asian populations as follows: <18.5 kg/m2 (underweight), 18.5-23.0 kg/m2 (normal weight), 23.0-27.5 kg/m2 (overweight) and ≥27.5 kg/m2 (obesity). We estimated hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for all-cause mortality, controlling for sex, age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Compared with normal-weight participants, overweight/obese participants tended to have lower hazard ratios; the multivariate hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) were 0.86 (0.62-1.19) for obesity, 0.83 (0.73-0.94) for overweight and 1.60 (1.40-1.82) for underweight. In subgroup analyses by sex and age, the hazard ratios tended to be lower among obese men, albeit not significantly; hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) were 0.56 (0.25-1.27) in men aged 65-74 years, and 0.78 (0.41-1.45) in men aged 75-84 years. The present study provides evidence of a conservative obesity paradox among older Japanese people, using the appropriate body mass index cut-off points for Asian populations. In particular, obese older men tend to have a lower risk of all-cause mortality. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1257-1264.

Density‐dependent population regulation detected in short time series of saproxylic beetles

AbstractUnderstanding the regulation of natural populations has been a long‐standing problem in ecology. Here we analyze the population dynamics of 17 species of saproxylic beetles in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan collected over 11–12 years using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models. We first examined the dynamics for indications of the order of the ARIMA models and evaluated the time series to determine that it was not simply a random, white noise sequence. All species dynamics were not mere random noise, and ARIMA models up to lag 3 were considered. The best model was selected from the possible ones using several criteria: model convergence, weak residual autocorrelation, the small sample AIC must be among the smallest that were not significantly different, and the lag indicated by the cutoff values in the detrended partial autocorrelation function. We found significant and nearly significant direct density‐dependence for 14 of the 17 species, varying from −0.709 and stronger. The characteristic return rates were strong and only one species had a weak return rate (&gt;0.9), implying that these species were strongly regulated by density‐dependent factors. We found that populations with higher order ARIMA models (lag 2 and 3) had weaker return rates than populations with ARIMA models with only one lag, suggesting that species with more complex dynamics were more weakly regulated. These results contrast with previous suggestions that 20+ years are needed to detect density dependence from population time series and that most populations are weakly regulated.

Effects of Eating Fast and Eating Before Bedtime on the Development of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Few studies have evaluated the effects of lifestyle habits, such as eating behaviors, on the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is known that NAFLD increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. Therefore, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the effect of eating behaviors and interactions between these behaviors on the development of NAFLD among health insurance beneficiaries without NAFLD. Study subjects were 2254 male and female insurance beneficiaries without NAFLD who had attended specific health checkups during fiscal years 2009 and 2012 among health insurance societies located in Fukuoka and Shizuoka Prefectures (Japan). The incidence of NAFLD was defined as Fatty Liver Index scores ≥60 or visiting medical organizations for fatty liver disease treatment according to claims data. Eating behaviors, including eating speed and eating before bedtime, were evaluated by a self-administered questionnaire. During the study period, 52 (2.3%) subjects progressed to NAFLD. Subjects who ate before bedtime but did not eat fast had a higher risk of NAFLD (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-4.46). Those with both negative eating habits had a significantly higher risk of NAFLD (AOR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.09-5.63). Subjects who habitually ate before bedtime, and those who ate fast and before bedtime, tended to have an increased risk of NAFLD. Earlier intervention to modify these poor eating behaviors could be useful to prevent NAFLD. (Population Health Management 2016;19:279-283).

Changes in population density of Aleurocanthus camelliae (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and parasitism rate of Encarsia smithi (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) during the early invasion stages

Invasive pest insects are often controlled by non-native natural enemies introduced from the original home range of the target pests. The non-native parasitoid wasp Encarsia smithi (Silvestri), which naturally migrated to tea plantations in Japan, is a potential agent for the biological control of the invasive camellia spiny whitefly Aleurocanthus camelliae Kanmiya & Kasai. To evaluate the effectiveness of E. smithi as a pest control agent, we surveyed 27 tea plantation sites in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan to identify any changes in the population densities of A. camelliae 1–3 years after the initial detection in 2010 and also to estimate the parasitism rates of E. smithi. The results suggested that parasitism by E. smithi considerably affected the field mortality rates of A. camelliae. Wasps rapidly spread to the region where whiteflies expanded their distribution and controlled population outbreaks in many sites. However, at some sites where the population density of A. camelliae increased rapidly, the parasitism rates of E. smithi tended to remain at low levels or declined. Overall, our results suggest that parasitism by E. smithi could be used as an effective measure for the control of A. camelliae populations in tea plantations.

Promoting Sustainable Regional Health Care in Japan

To supply sustainable health care to cancer patients, it is important to continuously deliver appropriate information regarding community health care resources and to develop an accessible medical system. We developed an information-sharing system using geographical data called the “Resource Map for Community Cooperation in Cancer Care” ( http://cancerqa.scchr.jp/shizuoka/ganmap/ ). This system is based on registered public data available in Shizuoka Prefecture and provides the user with information concerning more than 7,000 medically related facilities (e.g., hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies). The system’s information database was derived from existing official regional data. After a probation period, we identified three factors that promote Information technology (IT) system usage for sustainable health care management: (1) visual presentation of information and usability, (2) information management, and (3) contribution to social innovation.

Population Genetic Structure of QoI-Resistant Pestalotiopsis longiseta Isolates Causing Tea Gray Blight

Resistance to the quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides in the tea gray blight-causing fungus Pestalotiopsis longiseta is a serious problem in Japanese tea cultivation. We conducted a population genetic analysis of QoI-resistant P. longiseta isolates on the Makinohara Plateau, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan's largest tea-growing area, to elucidate the disease's epidemiology and the spread of QoI resistance. Inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis of 1,083 isolates from 395 fields collected from 2009 to 2012 detected 42 ISSR types, designated as PL01 to PL42. A total of 18, seven, and 38 ISSR types were detected in highly resistant, moderately resistant, and sensitive isolates, respectively. No distinct phylogenetic relationship corresponding to QoI sensitivity or sampling location was observed. No annual changes in the population genetic structure of highly resistant isolates were observed during the study period. A different ISSR type was predominant among QoI-resistant isolates in each region. Analysis of molecular variance revealed significant genetic differentiation in populations of highly resistant isolates among regions (FCT = 0.213) and farmers (FCT = 0.071). Consequently, we speculate that QoI-resistant P. longiseta strains occurred in a number of clonal lineages and spread by both natural and artificial transmission, such as rain splash and plucking machines, throughout each region on the Makinohara Plateau.

Examination of the largest-possible tsunamis (Level 2) generated along the Nankai and Suruga troughs during the past 4000 years based on studies of tsunami deposits from the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami

Japanese historical documents reveal that Mw 8 class earthquakes have occurred every 100–150 years along the Suruga and Nankai troughs since the 684 Hakuho earthquake. These earthquakes have commonly caused large tsunamis with wave heights of up to 10 m in the Japanese coastal area along the Suruga and Nankai troughs. From the perspective of tsunami disaster management, these tsunamis are designated as Level 1 tsunamis and are the basis for the design of coastal protection facilities. A Mw 9.0 earthquake (the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake) and a mega-tsunami with wave heights of 10–40 m struck the Pacific coast of the northeastern Japanese mainland on 11 March 2011, and far exceeded pre-disaster predictions of wave height. Based on the lessons learned from the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake, the Japanese Government predicted the tsunami heights of the largest-possible tsunami (termed a Level 2 tsunami) that could be generated in the Suruga and Nankai troughs. The difference in wave heights between Level 1 and Level 2 tsunamis exceeds 20 m in some areas, including the southern Izu Peninsula. This study reviews the distribution of prehistorical tsunami deposits and tsunami boulders during the past 4000 years, based on previous studies in the coastal area of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The results show that a tsunami deposit dated at 3400–3300 cal BP can be traced between the Shimizu, Shizuoka and Rokken-gawa lowlands, whereas no geologic evidence related to the corresponding tsunami (the Rokken-gawa–Oya tsunami) was found on the southern Izu Peninsula. Thus, the Rokken-gawa–Oya tsunami is not classified as a Level 2 tsunami.

A modeling approach to study the pesticide dynamics to reduce pesticide residues in Japanese green tea

In this study, a modeling approach is used to clarify and estimate the exposure pathways of pesticides on tea plantations using a case study of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, and an improvement to the Japanese good agricultural practice (GAP) is proposed. We develop a dynamic compartment model to project the fate and transport of a pesticide after application in accordance with the Japanese GAP. Two pesticides, Azoxystrobin and Clothianidin, were analyzed using the model for a given set of circumstances. The results indicate that the implementation of a fixed preharvest interval time, which is a crucial provision in the GAP, is not appropriate. The reason for this is that the dissipation rates of pesticides in tea leaves vary with the timing of the pesticide application and are influenced by factors specific to the plantation area. The dissipation rates are 1.5–3.9 days for Azoxystrobin and 3.8–9.5 days for Clothianidin. This study also clarifies that incorporating plantation-area-specific factors, such as temperature, in the GAP guidelines are essential to ensure that pesticide residues are lower than the desired level. Furthermore, to produce good-quality and safe green tea, the GAP should provide detailed and precise guidelines for the timing of pesticide application and formulation of the dosage treatment. These guidelines should be determined by considering specific provisions for the harvest times of fresh tea leaves.

Retiree's Settling Down and Aging in Tokyo Exurb Resort Villas Case Study of Minami-Hakone Dialand, Shizuoka Prefecture

Retiree's Settling Down and Aging in Tokyo Exurb Resort Villas Case Study of Minami-Hakone Dialand, Shizuoka Prefecture

Five species of the family Cyproideidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Japan, with the description of a new genus and two new species.

Five species of the family Cyproideidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) are described from shallow sea in Japan. Cyproidea liodactyla Hirayama, 1978 was collected from Kanagawa and Shizuoka Prefectures and Ariake Sea. Morphological character of the antenna 1 in these specimens is different from the original description. Examining the paratypes of C. liodactyla, the shape of the antenna 1 in the holotype is revealed to be abnormal. Cyproidea okinawensis sp. nov. was collected from Okinawa Island. Its morphological characters resemble C. liodactyla and C. robusta Ren, 2006; however, this new species is different from the former in the smaller eyes, the narrower coxa 5 and the coloration, and from the latter in the ovoid telson. Metacyproidea gen. nov. is established with M. makie sp. nov. from Hachijo Island in Tokyo Prefecture as its type species. This new genus resembles Cyproidea, especially in the peduncular article 2 of antenna 1 with a distinct distal tooth and the posterodorsal end of urosomites with a strong projection. However, Metacyproidea can be distinguished from Cyproidea by the coalesced urosomites 2-3 and the antenna 1 with a 10-16-articulated flagellum. Moolapheonoides acutifalcatus Kobayashi & Ishimaru, 2005 and Terepeltopes dolichorhunia Hirayama, 1983 were also collected from Wakayama and Fukui Prefectures and Kanagawa, Shizuoka and Yamaguchi Prefectures, respectively. A key to species of the family Cyproideidae in Japan is provided.

The concentration of iodine in horse serum and its relationship with thyroxin concentration by geological difference.

In this study, iodine and thyroxin (T4) concentrations in the serum of 69 horses were investigated. Higher iodine concentrations were obtained from the horses housed in Chiba Prefecture. In contrast, T4 concentrations of horses at Shizuoka Prefecture were higher than those of horses at Chiba Prefecture. There was a significant correlation (r = 0.643, P < 0.001) between the iodine and T4 concentrations of horses at Saitama and Shizuoka prefectures. Although a significant correlation (r = 0.794, P < 0.001) was also observed in the investigation of all horses at Chiba Prefecture, the distribution area of the data was separated from the data of horses housed in Saitama and Shizuoka prefectures. A higher iodine concentration in the environment is expected in the sampling area at Chiba Prefecture. Thus, it was suggested that the concentrations of iodine in the serum of horses are influenced by geological differences. It was thought that equine serum is a useful sample for monitoring.

A Study on Minato Inochiyama as a Tsunami Evacuation Facility in Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture

A Study on Minato Inochiyama as a Tsunami Evacuation Facility in Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture

The Role of Weak Ties in Diversification Strategy

1. IntroductionThis study is an analysis of process of successful diversification from perspective of (Granovetter, 1973).Despite increasing pessimism about competitiveness of Japanese machinery industry, which has played a leading role in Japanese economic growth, there is growing interest in diversification into medical industry, which is seen as a next-generation source of growth. This study takes example of a firm that successfully diversified from automotive industry into medical equipment industry, and from perspective of ties, it observes process of how company succeeded in this diversification effort over a moderately long period.Ties can be classified into and (Granovetter, 1973). There are well-known analyses of effectiveness of strong ties in automotive industry. Strong ties between automobile manufacturers and their suppliers have contributed to competitive advantage of Japan's auto industry (Clark & Fujimoto, 1991; Fujimoto, 1997). At same time, effectiveness of weak ties in acquiring useful new information is also well known (Granovetter, 1974). This aspect is known as the strength of weak (Granovetter, 1973). Strong ties promote incremental innovation, such as quality improvements and finely tuned responses to delicate needs, while weak ties tend to promote radical innovation through new information and revolutionary ideas (Wakabayashi, 2009). Weak ties can thus be useful in diversification in that they bring about new information and raise potential for entry into new markets.According to prior research that analyzed relationship between ties and management performance, it is not enough for a firm to have only strong ties or only weak ties. Moreover, firms having a proper balance of both have best performance (Uzzi, 1996, 1997; Uzzi & Gillespie, 1999). These studies suggest that both strong and weak ties are necessary for diversified companies to generate good performance.However, little research has been done on how firms can form weak ties and leverage them in diversification process, as well as at what point do strong ties become necessary.2. MethodThe analytical method used in this study is a single case study that examines process of how a company achieved diversification and what kind of ties were formed in doing so. It has been pointed out that Granovetter's (1973) definitions of strong and weak ties are ambiguous and that there are some logical leaps on his theoretical development (Takahashi & Inamizu, 2014). This study refers to Granovetter (1973) in defining ties as being based on the amount of spent in relationships and engaged in the reciprocal services, with lots of time spent indicating strong ties and little time spent indicating weak ties.This study focuses on following two points. First, how did a company that had grown in automotive industry, where strong ties were prevalent, form weak ties?Second, were both weak ties and strong ties necessary for successful diversification? At what point did strong ties become necessary? How did strength and role of these ties change over time?The analysis in this study focuses on Tokai Buhin Kogyo Co. Ltd. (hereinafter, Tokai Buhin), a rare example of successful diversification among small- and medium-sized parts manufacturers. The firm was founded in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1947 as a manufacturer of screws and developed into a screw manufacturer for automobiles. However, company entered medical equipment industry in 2003 because it was concerned about having over-reliance on automobiles.Data for this analysis was gathered from industry publications and newspapers, as well as through interviews with Nobuyuki Morita, company's president, Mitsuteru Hirano, its factory director, and Katsunori Ueda, director of Pharma Valley Center, an organization that promotes medical industry in Shizuoka Prefecture. …