Education

Japan’s Education Reform in an AI-Driven Era

Japan’s Former State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Professor Kan Hiroshi Suzuki outlined Japan’s shift from SDGs to Sustainable Well-being Goals, arguing that education in the AI era must prioritise well-being, agency, authentic assessment, inquiry, and human-centred skills.
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History, Politics, International Relations & Law

Challenging the ‘Big Lies’ of History: The Shōwa Restoration

Professor Brian Victoria of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, United Kingdom, argues that history in Japan was deliberately suppressed by the American occupation forces after 1945, who wanted a capitalist leader to serve as a fortress against Soviet communism in Asia.
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vietnam-war-the-uncounted-enemy-think-iafor
History, Media, Film & Journalism, Politics, International Relations & Law

Political Conspiracy and Propaganda in The Uncounted Enemy and Last Days in Vietnam

The US code of honor is broken by US Intelligence’s dishonesty in The Uncounted Enemy and by US soldiers’ disobedience in Last Days in Vietnam. Wajiha R Rizvi explores the differing motivations and objectives involved, and the implications of the decisions that were made.
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THINK-Universite-Indochine-vue-d'ensemble-Sara-Legrandjacques
Education, History

To Hanoi University and Beyond

Sara Legrandjacques, PhD candidate at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, explains how student mobility in Vietnam is not a new phenomenon. Large-scale higher education, and the “mobile origins” of tertiary studies is at least a century old in the country.

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Kawabe Masahisa Mechanism Itabashi Art Museum
History, The Arts & Literature

Art and Everyday Life: Early Avant-Garde in 1920s Japan

Using the example of collage and montage artworks, Olga Isaeva illustrates how found everyday objects and fragments of reality provided 1920s Japanese avant-garde artists with tools to grasp the modern time and the role of art, the artist and the audience.
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Mayumi Yamada Stateless Persons and Climate Refugees in Asia qimono
Politics, International Relations & Law

Stateless Persons and Climate Refugees in Asia

Dr Mayumi Yamada discusses displaced populations within Asia in terms of their status within international law, questioning who can protect the stateless beyond national boundaries.
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China's Wealth and Happiness Paradox Matthew Monnot
Business & Economics, Cultural & Area Studies, Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences

The Goods Life: China’s Wealth and Happiness Paradox

Dr Matthew J. Monnot of the University of San Francisco discusses the contrast between decades of GDP growth in China and stagnant levels of individual life and job satisfaction.
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James York, Tokyo Denki University, Computer Assisted Language Learning
Education, Language Learning, Technology

Kotoba Miners: Gaming and Language Learning

James York on the virtual language learning environment that he created in the world of Minecraft for students of Japanese as part of his PhD research.

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Kevin Burkett Irish Immigrants Boys From Vepery Ian Michael
Cultural & Area Studies, History, Media, Film & Journalism

Boys from Vepery: John Footman’s Journey from the Ravages of “Gorta Mór”

Ireland’s Great Famine, “Gorta Mór”, had far-reaching effects for the Irish population in the mid-nineteenth century, leading millions to migrate in search of a better future. As part of a documentary film project, Dr Ian Michael, Fokiya Akhtar and Dr Michael R. Ogden explore the journey made by Dr Michael’s own ancestor, John Footman, from rural Cork to Madras, India.
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10,000 Hour Rule Language Teaching Frances Shiobara
Education, Language Learning

The 10,000 Hour Rule and What it Means for Language Teaching

Professor Frances Shiobara examines whether Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule can be applied to language learning and examines opportunities for maximising students’ second language acquisition in the context of the Japanese education system.
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Sino-Japanese Relations
Cultural & Area Studies, Politics, International Relations & Law

Mutual Distrust between China and Japan and the Locked Sino-Japanese Relations

Bilateral relations between China and Japan have historically been positive, yet the two countries have formed a situation of mutual distrust regarding both strategic and moral issues. Shi Chen discusses the reasons for the “locked” status of Sino-Japanese relations.

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Dr. Brian A. Victoria Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies
Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, History

Brian Daizen Victoria: From Conscientious Objector to Buddhist Priest

Professor Frank S. Ravitch of Michigan State University College of Law interviews Dr Brian Daizen Victoria, Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies on his journey from conscientious objector objector to Buddhist Priest.
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chinatown-chinesca-china-iafor-think
Cultural & Area Studies, Humanities & Social Sciences

La Chinesca: A Chinese Community in the Mexico-US Borderlands

Chinese settlements on the border between California and Mexico date back over 100 years and their legacy can still be felt today. Scott Warren, Donna Ruiz E Costello and Wan Yu explore the impact of Chinese immigration to the region, in the context of the ‘hopeful geography’ of Bajalta California.
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Defining haiku Emiko Miyashita
The Arts & Literature

Defining Haiku with Hana Fujimoto, Emiko Miyashita and A. Robert Lee

Dr. A. Robert Lee interviews Hana Fujimoto and Emiko Miyashita of the Haiku International Association on haiku, its history, and its place in literature today. The interview took place at The Asian Conference on Literature & Librarianship 2016 (LibrAsia2016) in Kobe, Japan, where they hosted their annual haiku workshop.
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Shinzo Abe THINK IAFOR
Business & Economics, Politics, International Relations & Law

Abenomics Rolls On As LDP Secures Historic Upper House Majority

Japan’s election on July 10, 2016 for the House of Councillors saw yet another decisive election victory for the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, making him one of the most successful leaders in the democratic world.
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Funeral hearse - Japans modern death system - THINK - IAFOR
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy

Japan’s Modern Ritualized Death System (20/20)

In the final part of Professor Stuart D. B. Picken’s “Death in the Japanese Tradition” monograph, he explains how Japan’s death system has been developed far beyond that of any Western civilisation, serving the needs of social control, nationalism and militarism, as well as the preservation of the family and the maintenance of the stability of Japanese society.

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Emperor_Showa THINK IAFOR 2
Cultural & Area Studies, History

The Death and Burial of Emperor Showa (19/20)

In the penultimate Part 19 of his “Death in the Japanese Tradition” monograph, Professor Stuart D. B. Picken explains why the events preceding Emperor Showa’s passing away, and the rituals thereafter, created wide-ranging debate in Japanese society.
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Asahara Shoko Sarin Gas Attack Tokyo
Cultural & Area Studies, Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences

Terrorism, Violence and Tomorrow’s Citizens in Japan (18/20)

Professor Stuart D. B. Picken looks at the mentality of Japanese terrorism and violence, and where its roots lie, in Part 18 of “Death in the Japanese Tradition”.

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Death Note Japanese Popular Culture THINK IAFOR 1
Cultural & Area Studies, Media, Film & Journalism

Lingering Images in Japanese Popular Culture (17/20)

In Part 17 of Professor Stuart D.B. Picken’s “Death in the Japanese Tradition” monograph, he looks at the ways in which Japanese popular culture reflects the nation’s traditional values, and influences those of today.
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suicide in japan THINK IAFOR
Cultural & Area Studies, Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences

Suicide in Contemporary Japan (16/20)

In Part 16 of Professor Stuart D. B. Picken’s monograph “Death in the Japanese Tradition”, he examines case studies of the different types of suicide present in modern-day Japan, from group and pact suicide, to forced suicide.
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Salaryman. Nogi Syndrome, Workoholism and Karoshi. THINK IAFOR
Cultural & Area Studies, History

Japanese Survivor Syndrome, Workaholism and Karoshi (15/20)

Professor Stuart D. B. Picken explores the influence of Nogi syndrome and post-World War 2 survivor syndrome on modern-day Japanese work culture, in Part 15 of his “Death in the Japanese Tradition” monograph.

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Kamikaze Japan THINK IAFOR
Cultural & Area Studies, History, Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences

Militarism and Suicide in Japan: Meiji to Showa (14/20)

From the 1932 “Three Human Torpedoes”, followed by a growing trend of group suicide, to the kamikaze suicide pilots of World War 2, Professor Stuart D. B. Picken examines the ways in which the militarist tradition of suicide has survived into Japan’s modern history.

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Seppuku-confucianism samurai THINK IAFOR
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy

Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism and the Neo-Samurai (13/20)

Professor Stuart D. B. Picken explains the ways in which Japan’s Confucian social structures of harmony, duty and loyalty relate to its history of loyalty-inspired suicide in Part 13 of his “Death in the Japanese Tradition” monograph.
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Bushido warrior hokusai THINK IAFOR 2
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy

Bushido: The Way of Death (12/20)

In Part 12 of his “Death in the Japanese Tradition” monograph, Professor Stuart D. B. Picken explains the apparent influence of the mentality of bushido, the way of the warrior, on Japanese attitudes towards death.

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Japanese mourning THINK IAFOR
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, History

Cross-Cultural Comparisons on Mourning and Object Loss (10/20)

In Part 10 of “Death in the Japanese Tradition”, Professor Stuart D. B. Picken explains the subtle cultural differences between the Japanese view of death and that found in other cultures, principally those that have been influenced by Christianity.
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Death poetry Basho haiku Japan THINK
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, History, The Arts & Literature

The Death Poem and Buddhism in Japan (9/20)

Poetry and the death poem existed in Japan long before Buddhism, but it brought with it a new and lasting significance, explains Professor D. B Picken in Part 9 of his “Death in the Japanese Tradition”.
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Great Buddha of Kamakura death cults japan copy
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, History

Popular Buddhist Death Cults: From Suicide to Mummifcation (8/20)

From suicide cults and self mortification to the worship of benevolent cultic figures such as Jizo and Amida, Professor Stuart D. B. Picken looks at the ways in which Buddhism in Japan provided a metaphysic of death that enabled the people to endure the hardships of life in the hope of a better hereafter, in Part 8 of “Death in the Japanese Tradition”.
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Zhang Yuan East Palace, West Palace queer film THINK IAFOR
Cultural & Area Studies, Media, Film & Journalism

Queer Film in China: Predicaments, Politics and Progress

Qin Qin examines the setbacks, progress and influence of queer film in China, from Zhang Yuan’s East Palace, West Palace of the 1990s, to the new media regulations of 2016 which prohibit representation of “abnormal sexual relationships”.

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Buddha and Kami in Japan THINK IAFOR
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, History

The Arrival and Acceptance of Buddhism in Japan (7/20)

Professor D. B. Picken looks at the introduction of Buddhism into Japan, how it was received and how it influenced the cultural mentality of the Japanese people in Part 7 of his “Death in the Japanese Tradition” series.

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HMAS_Rankin_Australian Collins Class submarine IAFOR THINK Pacific Ocean (July 6, 2004) - Australia's Collins-class submarine, HMAS Rankin (SSK 78) cruises out to sea at periscope depth, and is scheduled to participate in exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2004. RIMPAC is the largest international maritime exercise in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. This year’s exercise includes seven participating nations; Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom and United States. RIMPAC is intended to enhance the tactical proficiency of participating units in a wide array of combined operations at sea, while enhancing stability in the Pacific Rim region. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class David A. Levy (RELEASED) For more information go to: http://www.cpf.navy.mil/RIMPAC2004
Business & Economics, Politics, International Relations & Law

Why Did France Beat Japan to $40-bln Australian Submarine Contract?

Michael Liam Kedzlie assesses Australia’s surprise selection of DCNS, France over Mitsubishi, Japan, to build its next generation of submarines, replacing the current 1996 Collins class.
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Japan Buddhism Funeral THINK 2
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, History

Buddhism and death in Japanese society (6/20)

Professor D. B. Picken examines the history, formation, evolution and continuing importance of death systems in Japan in Part 6 of his 20-part series, “Death in the Japanese Tradition”.
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A Robert Lee Vladimir Devide Haiku Award LibrAsia
The Arts & Literature

The IAFOR Vladimir Devidé Haiku Award 2016: Full List of Winners Announced

The Grand Prize Winner, Runners Up, Commended Entries and the Guest Judge selection of the sixth IAFOR Vladimir Devidé Haiku Award were announced by Dr. A. Robert Lee at The Asian Conference on Literature, Librarianship & Archival Science 2016 in Kobe, Japan on April 8, 2016.

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Kami and Ancestors Death in the Japanese Tradition THINK IAFOR
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, History

Kami and Ancestors: Death in the Japanese Tradition (5/20)

In Part 5 of his “Death in the Japanese Tradition” monograph, Professor Stuart D. B. Picken looks at kami, and how the concern of the Japanese for the welfare of ancestral spirits is a feature that runs throughout their history and permeates every aspect of Japanese culture.

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Japanese folklore THINK IAFOR Death in Japan
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, History

Parallel Worlds: Folk Religion, Life & Death in Japan (4/20)

In Part 4 of “Death in the Japanese Tradition”, Professor Stuart D. B. Picken looks at the themes sounded in the classics that continue into modern Japan, and at the ancient folk beliefs, customs and rituals that are still maintained in many places today.
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Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Japanese literary classics THINK 2
Cultural & Area Studies, The Arts & Literature

Death and the Dead in Japan’s Literary Classics (3/20)

Professor Stuart D. B. Picken uses two great classics of Japanese literature, the Manyoshu and the Nihonshoki, to glean invaluable insights into the ancient Japanese understanding of the nature of human life and the origins of death in Part 3 of his “Death in the Japanese Tradition” series.
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New Zealand 2016 Defence White Paper
Politics, International Relations & Law

New Zealand’s 2016 Defence White Paper: Will there be change or will things stay the same?

In part one of his two-part article about New Zealand’s forthcoming 2016 Defence White Paper, Michael Liam Kedzlie asks the question, “Will there be change or will things stay the same?”
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Attitudes to Death in Ancient Japan THINK Death in the Japanese
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences

Buddhism & Burial: Attitudes to Death in Ancient Japan (2/20)

In Part 2 of his serialised monograph, “Death in the Japanese Tradition”, Professor Stuart D. B. Picken looks at Japanese attitudes to death through the ages, from primal awakenings to Prehistoric perceptions.
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Death in the Japanese tradition Stuart Picken Seppuku IAFOR THINK 2
Cultural & Area Studies, Ethics, Religion & Philosophy, Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences

Death in the Japanese Tradition: An Introduction (1/20)

The first instalment of Professor Stuart Picken’s serialised monograph “Death in the Japanese Tradition: A Study in Cultural Evolution and Transformation”, explains where his study of the subject began, and outlines where he will go with it.
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Hikikomori Japan Alexcander KriegTHINK IAFOR
Humanities & Social Sciences, Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences

Reclusive Shut-ins: Are Hikikomori Predominantly a Japanese Problem?

Alexander Krieg outlines the misconceptions surrounding hikikomori, and the ways in which social withdrawal may be best explained by existing psychiatric disorders.
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Hikikomori Apartments Japan THINK IAFOR
Humanities & Social Sciences, Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences

Hikikomori: Applying Culture-bound Theory to Acute Social Withdrawal

Dr. Maree Sugai puts forward the argument that the ‘opting out’ of society manifested in Japan is culture reactive and is a social epidemic that is growing.
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Bosozoku gang Think IAFOR
Cultural & Area Studies, Media, Film & Journalism

Bosozoku: Society, Politics and Terror

Dr. Paul Spicer on God Speed You! Black Emperor, a bōsōzoku biker gang documentary film by Yanagimachi, which both fascinates and infuriates.
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History

Finding Narrative Coherence in the Atomic Bombings of Japan

Theron Fairchild finds that the narratives surrounding the atomic weapons used against Japan vary in accuracy, each with histories of their own, influenced by political, social, economic, moral, and speculative arguments.
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General-Douglas-MacArthur
History

General Douglas MacArthur: A Man of the People?

David McCormack gives a short history of General Douglas MacArthur’s administration of Japan and his six decades on the throne as a ‘man of the people’.

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Chanoyu-Japanese-Style-Tea-Ceremony
Cultural & Area Studies, History, Humanities & Social Sciences

The Globalisation of Japanese Tea Ceremony

Dr. Alexandre Avdulov gives a short history of the globalisation of Chanoyu, better known as Japanese tea ceremony, and argues that the practice has provided great potential for intercultural communication.
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Professor Svetlana Ter-Minasova (Moscow State University, Russia). Photography by Thaddeus Pope
Language Learning

ELT in a Changing Russia: Traditions and Innovations

Professor Svetlana Ter-Minasova examines the traditions and innovations of English Language Teaching (ELT) in Russia, and gives a short history of its development in the country.

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The Enola Gay and USAF Operations Order No. 35.
History

What Happened the Morning of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima?

Michael Liam Kedzlie gives an account of USAF operations the morning of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.

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Politics, International Relations & Law

VIDEO: On Revisions to the Japanese Constitution

Professor Dexter Da Silva interviews Professor Frank S. Ravitch on constitutional reform in Japan and the controversy surrounding the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
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Territorial Disputes between Japan and China Think IAFOR
Business & Economics, Politics, International Relations & Law

Territorial Disputes between Japan and China: An Opportunity for Change

Dilton Ribeiro argues that China and Japan’s territorial disputes, such as the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, present an opportunity for both countries to focus not on their differences but on their commonalities.

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Whale hunting Japan Think IAFOR
Politics, International Relations & Law, Sustainability, Energy & the Environment

Why Does Japan Value its Whaling Industry Over its Reputation?

Michael Liam Kedzlie looks at the global controversy caused by Japan’s practice of whaling, and attempts to get to the bottom of why the otherwise favourable Asian nation thinks it’s worth the rap.

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Dr. Joseph Haldane discusses with Prof. Jiro Takai the merits behind a variety of strategies and methods used in conflict management.
Cultural & Area Studies, Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences

VIDEO: Avoiding Conflict in Japanese Society

Professor Jiro Takai is interviewed by the President of The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), Dr. Joseph Haldane, on the merits of various strategies and methods of conflict management, including that of the avoidance of conflict in Japanese society.

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New Directions in Japan under the Abe Government: Constitution, Defence and Nationalism – Prof. J.A.A. Stockwin
History, Politics, International Relations & Law

New Directions in Japan under the Abe Government: Constitution, Defence and Nationalism

Professor J.A.A Stockwin looks at Japan’s development under the Abe Government, including the political system, the ‘Peace Constitution’, human rights and foreign policy.
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Corporate Governance & Culture in Japan - Nicholas Benes
Business & Economics, Politics, International Relations & Law

VIDEO: Corporate Governance & Culture in Japan

Dr. Joseph Haldane, President of The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), interviews Nicholas Benes on Japanese corporate governance, corporate culture and the importance of director training in Japanese business.

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