In recent years, public information has been disseminated using Yasashii Nihongo in various situations. On the other hand, changes in the norms and values of the Japanese language due to this movement have caused tensions and conflicts among native Japanese speakers. This paper focuses on such tensions and conflicts, clarifying how the values of “yasashisa (thoughtfulness)” are negotiated. Specifically, the paper analyzes narratives extracted from interviews conducted with Japanese students who engaged in collaborative workshops with international students in beginner-level Japanese. Based on the theory of situational boundary work and employing the concept of distantiation, the analysis elucidates two key aspects: 1) the definition of a boundary and 2) the relationship between boundaries and “yasashisa (thoughtfulness).” The analysis reveals that Yasashii Nihongo causes some sense of discomfort to native Japanese speakers. However, the interviewees’ subjective experience of discomfort varies, showing different types of boundaries elicited by various distantiation forms. Consequently, the meaning of “yasashisa (thoughtfulness)” assumes an entirely different form and, in certain instances, occupies a position of direct opposition. We can conclude from these results that the nature of “yasashisa (thoughtfulness)” in Yasashii Nihongo can significantly vary depending on the distancing practices that establish the boundaries, notwithstanding the uniformity of the language boundaries.

This study investigates how shared values and perspectives within a practice contribute to the progression of activities through an analysis of co-creative practices. The focus of this analysis is co-creative practices in a workshop-style class of design that first-year and fourth year students attended in the university’s design department, where the author is affiliated. The data collected include video recordings of participants’ activities during the class, a post-class questionnaire survey evaluating and reflecting on the activities, and interviews with students regarding their in-class experiences. From these data, we explore the emergent collaborative activities of students and identify co-creative elements that enhance these activities by uncovering the value participants find in them. The study reveals several characteristics among teams that foster co-creative activities: (1) The presence of scaffolding that encourages community participation in a convivial manner. (2) Activities that sustain a high level of scaffolding, fostering collaborative creation. Furthermore, a noteworthy phenomenon, termed “alignment,” emerges, wherein participants with diverse activity goals converge toward shared values and objectives through the experience of “fun” and “interest” throughout the activity. The study also delves into the methodological validity and potential implications of the findings.

The recent development of large-scale language models and computer graphics technology and hardware has been expanding expectations regarding the widespread use of interactive agents such as artificial intelligence programs and robots capable of communicating with humans in daily life. As partners in daily life, these agents could produce novel value while providing several types of services in public spaces, including homes, schools, restaurants, and transportation systems. On the other hand, some people risk becoming addicted to these interactive agents due to the increase seen in the number of people having social anxiety and becoming addicted to Internet gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic, accompanied by the inherent danger of interactive agents used in the context of mental counseling. This paper considers such a possibility from the perspective of existing psychological and sociological studies and discusses its implications.

In this study, we examined object-mediated caregiver-infant interactions that occurred during the first five days of daycare. From the video recordings, we extracted the events where caregivers presented objects to infants and analyzed the types of objects presented, infant behavior at the time of presentation, and the manner in which objects were presented. Caregivers presented objects to infants quite frequently, with the variety increasing daily. However, after a couple of days, the frequency of object presentation by caregivers decreased. On the last day of observation, the most frequently observed situations of object presentation were those in which caregivers presented objects to nearby infants who were emotionally stable and not being held. Caregivers selected different objects based on the infants’ situations; some objects were more likely to be presented when infants were crying or during diaper changes, while others were presented when infants were interacting with other objects. The specific situation in which an object was presented varied for each infant. Additionally, certain objects were used in various ways during a presentation, while others were associated with specific actions.

This study aims to elucidate the learning process through dialogue among kindergarten teachers concerning episodic records, with a focus on a case study of Kyoto municipal kindergartens. We conducted participant observations of teacher conferences at two kindergartens and interviewed ten teachers who actively participated. By delving into a conference discussion centered on a 3-year-old’s episodic record, this paper describes the interaction between the classroom teacher (the writer of the episodic record) and her colleagues (the readers) at the conference and explores it from three perspectives. First, three categories of comments made by the readers to the writer were delineated: (1) appreciating the writer’s practices and articulating their value; (2) presenting their own opinions; and (3) posing questions regarding the episode and seeking further elaboration. Through these comments, the readers prompt shifts in the writer’s perceptions and offer fresh insights into her practices. Second, the format employed for reading and discussing the written episodes was significant as the comments were not detached from the written content and were directed toward the description rather than the actions, thus enhancing the writer’s awareness. Third, through the dialogue, the writer acquired a new perspective, realizing that the child’s thoughts she sought to understand were expressed through the child’s actions. Importantly, learning was not imparted externally but was instead generated collaboratively by the participants. This can be viewed as a form of learning through dialogue.