This paper explores U.S. President Barack Obama and comedian Seth Meyers' roasts at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in 2011. By a critico-cultural analysis of these roasts, the paper claims that their speech performances and YouTube videos have become an exemplary case to show not only the U.S. citizens' affective and political division, but also the difficulty of reconciling and recovering senses of political humor caused by the division. In the Trump era, when rationality is not normal, the American culture of political comedy faces a critical moment. This paper contends that the society that suppresses political comedies across opposing political values poses a risk to a dialogic culture of democracy.

This paper explores the process by which VTubers establish their identities through mutual communication centered on avatar movements. As entities possessing both fictionality and reality, VTubers construct their identities through mutual interaction with viewers. To analyze this, this paper organizes the concept of "indexicality" from semiotics and discussions on identity construction from sociolinguistics. Furthermore, by drawing on gesture theory's formation of meaning through gestures, it positions avatar movements as visual indexical acts possessing meaning equivalent to spoken language. Then, through micro-level case analysis, it analyzes the indexical function of avatar movements and discusses practical identity construction. Furthermore, by examining how the technical constraints of VTubers' avatars affect their movements and indexicality, we verify how technological transformation extends identity and the body.

Literature indicates expressed gratitude helps benefactors who receive it feel positive about themselves, but there is little research examining if expressed gratitude enhances a benefactor's state self-esteem. Two experiments (college students: n = 139 / workers: n = 499) designed to examine the possibility were conducted in Japan. The results revealed that a message with both gratitude and apologies enhanced the participants' social worth. Contrary to the expectation, expressed gratitude did not have an effect on state self-esteem. Moreover, among workers, expressed gratitude unexpectedly decreased self-esteem feelings. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in relation to unique cultural values in Japan.

The global COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the spread of remote work, due to which employees who are returning from childcare leave risk facing severe information gaps and alienation. This qualitative study aims to elucidate practical communication methods and the underlying mechanisms by which organizations and individuals can overcome the "spatial and temporal disconnections" created by online environments. Using a practical case of childcare leave returnee support within an internal venturing team, this study employed a case study grounded in a hermeneutic approach and internal observation methods, supplemented by a second author to ensure objectivity. To fill research gaps in existing computer-mediated communication studies, this analysis utilized an integrated conceptual framework combining three perspectives: the theory of Ima Koko (here and now), theory of Ba, and a newly proposed theory of meaning superposition. The results revealed a two-step mechanism enabling smooth reintegration despite physical and temporal disconnections: (1) building a robust contextual foundation (shared consciousness) in advance through communication, including face-to-face interactions, and (2) sharing information in a "superposition state" that allows the returnee to proactively interpret meaning upon this foundation. The findings provide new theoretical insights and practical implications for organizational communication in the digital age.

Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election marked a pivotal shift in political communication, moving beyond traditional models of logical persuasion. This paper analyzes his 2016 campaign from the perspective of "the politics of emotions," situated within the broader intellectual paradigm of the "affective turn." It argues that Trump's success stemmed not from isolated emotional appeals, but from strategically weaving three core emotions—nostalgia, shame, and anger—into a coherent "narrative of reclamation." Employing a dramaturgical framework, this study demonstrates how this narrative unfolded through a distinct process: Pollution, Purification, and Redemption. First, Trump cultivated a sense of national shame to frame contemporary America as a state of Pollution, blaming external and internal enemies. This shame was then channeled into anger, which fueled the call for Purification—a purging of the corrupt establishment. Finally, nostalgia for a mythic past offered a vision of Redemption, encapsulated in his promise to "Make America Great Again." This paper concludes that by constructing this emotional dramaturgy, Trump created a powerful reality for his supporters, mobilizing them not through policy debates but through a shared emotional journey of restoration.

Debate, understood as evidence-based advocacy aimed at persuading third-party adjudicators, has long been recognized for fostering critical thinking, communication competence, and civic engagement. In the context of second language acquisition, debate also promotes authentic language use, fluency, and persuasive discourse skills. Yet its diffusion in Japanese high schools shows marked regional disparities. This study employs a mixed-methods approach to examine such inequities in competitive English debate. Quantitative analysis of ten years of national tournament outcomes (HEnDA, 10th–19th) demonstrates that a small cluster of prefectures consistently outperformed expectations, while the majority never placed within the top eight. To investigate underlying factors, semi-structured interviews with expert coaches were analyzed using SCAT. Three themes emerged: (1) practice design emphasizing structured speech drills and rapid feedback, (2) inter-school networks providing access to training and coaching know-how, and (3) parental engagement supplying financial and logistical support. These findings highlight how communicative practices and institutional conditions jointly shape educational outcomes. Implications are offered for teacher development, school–community partnerships, and equitable access to debate education.