2012 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 1-16
Conducting the Survey of Japanese National Character every 5 years since 1953, Chikio Hayashi has led the structure of thinking of the character of the Japanese using Quantification Method Ⅲ. In this paper, the author re-analyses the structures of thinking called ‘giri-ninjo’, ‘traditional vs. modern’ and ‘opinions about science and technology’ using data collected from 1953 to 2008. In short, the tendency was for the responses pertaining to ‘giri-ninjo’ to encompass abstract situations before 1988, and a difference in such situations was perceived after 2003. Regarding the structure of ‘traditional vs. modern,’ the responses considered as traditional thinking in 1953 were all very similar up until 1973. The cluster gradually loosened and the relationship has changed in regard to the thinking about science and technology, as well. Furthermore, a new movement is found in the structure of these responses. To compare the different cultures, it is not only important to compare each response, but also the general structure of responses that is not so specific as each response. Quantification Method Ⅲ is suitable for addressing these aspects.
