Example of career education with the traditional values of Japanese culture at Kokushikan University

Abstract

In recent years, many Japanese companies that have set up overseas operations have occasionally experienced yield rate issues at their respective local production plants. When the company provides guidance for improvement, local workers sometimes resign from their jobs, which has become a problem. One of the reasons for this is that local workers do not understand the spirit of Japanese-style manufacturing (“monozukuri”). This is true not only for technical workers but also for clerical workers, as evidenced, for example, by conference interpreters who are unable to convey the correct message to the interested parties. Mutual cross-cultural understanding is a key to solving these problems.

Incidentally, many international students are enrolled at Kokushikan University, and many of them are employed by Japanese companies. We are currently promoting a number of projects to help international students deepen their understanding of Japanese culture and values, including Japanese speech contests and language exchange programs. This report provides examples of education on Japanese culture and values at Kokushikan University, and explores the near future direction of education for international students.