The textural properties, mastication speed, and bolus textural properties of four types of pork meat were examined to identify which can be eaten with ease. The samples used were non-tenderized pork meat (pork soaked in distilled water), pork soaked in 0.4 mol/l of a sodium hydrogen carbonate solution, layered pork, and a newly developed restructured pork with enhanced palatability. The results demonstrate that non-tenderized pork had the highest hardness, while the newly developed restructured pork had the highest adhesiveness, and the layered pork had the lowest cohesiveness. The compression speed dependence on the hardness of the layered pork was similar to that of the non-tenderized pork and pork soaked in 0.4 mol/l of the sodium hydrogen carbonate solution, but different from that of the newly restructured pork. A sensory analysis revealed that the non-tenderized pork was the firmest among the samples at the time of mastication, and was also the most difficult to swallow. Layered pork was found to scatter inside the oral cavity during mastication. As found in the previous study, the new restructured pork was judged as the least tasty. Compared with the other samples, nontenderized pork (which had the highest hardness) required the most frequent mastication before the meat bolus was ready to be swallowed. The non-tenderized pork also produced the slowest closing speed at the first mastication, both for the front teeth and back teeth. The non-tenderized pork, pork soaked in 0.4 mol/l of sodium carbonate, and layered pork had a similar level of hardness of the bolus immediately before the swallowing process. On the other hand, the newly developed restructured pork was found to give the most tender bolus despite a lowest frequency of mastication compared with the other samples.

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The properties of starch granules prepared from tochinomi (Japanese horse chestnut) and hishinomi (water chestnut) were examined. The average sizes of tochinomi and hishinomi starch granules were determined by polarized-light micrography to be 13.7 × 10.8μm and 19.5 × 14.1 μm, respectively. The susceptibility of these two starches to porcine pancreatin in a 24-h reaction was approximately 70% of that of normal maize starch. The solubility and the swelling power of both starches were slightly lower at 70°C, but considerably higher at 80°C and 90°C than those of normal maize starch. Photopastegraphy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that the initiation temperature for gelatinization of hishinomi starch (66.2°C and 70.5°C) was 10 degrees higher than that of tochinomi starch (55.9°C and 58.7°C). Amperometric titration and gel chromatography indicated that the amylose contents of the tochinomi and hishinomi starches were 26.4-25.9% and 23.4-23.8%, respectively. The Brabender amylogram (6% concentration) of tochinomi starch showed a comparatively high peak viscosity (570 BU) and large breakdown, while that of hishinomi starch showed that its breakdown was almost zero and its viscosity increased, especially on cooling. Tochinomi starch showed a Cb type of X-ray diffraction pattern, while hishinomi starch showed a Ca type.

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The application of new home cooking methods was studied in modern Japanese cities. We consulted 26 girls' high school domestic science textbooks and cookery textbooks in use between 1897 and 1917 for companion, as well as examining descriptions in cookery books and women's magazines. While all energy prices were subject to inflation, gas charges remained stable and gas appliances became cheaper, resulting in increased use of gas for cooking in ordinary homes. Descriptions of cuisine cooked with gas had become more numerous, both in practical examples of cooking in girls' high school textbooks and in cookery books mainly aimed at housewives. Cooking utensils that evenly spread the heat provided by gas, particularly frying pans, have become cheaper and increasingly popular. The conditions have been established for western cuisine to be added to Japanese cuisine in home cooking.

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To help the elderly and physically disabled put on and take off clothes unaided, it is important to consider the way clothes are made. In a trial, thirty-five elderly women aged 64 to 90 years and thirty-three younger women aged 21 to 29 years wore six experimental versions of clothing chosen at random. The comfort level was determined by adjusting the arm hole line in relation to the bust line (B.L.), using two fixed underarm sizes and three levels of looseness. In each case the following data was recorded : 1) the amount of time the subjects needed to put on and take off the garments; 2) the degree of movement the subjects had as they dressed and undressed from a sitting position. Analysis of the above data led to the following conclusions : 1) It took the subjects significantly longer to get dressed than to get undressed; 2) Regarding the looseness factor for the elderly subjects, women with standard body types required 28 cm, those with thick body types (shoulder breadth/bust girth< 0.44) required 24 cm and those with slender body types (shoulder breadth/bust girth >0.48) needed between 28 cm and 32 cm. These figures were, on average, 12 cm greater than those for the younger subjects; 3) Regarding the distance from the B.L. to the arm hole, the elderly subjects needed an additional 2 cm when the looseness was insufficient. This was not required by the younger subjects. The above data suggests that, for elderly people, there is a direct correlation between the way clothes are designed and the ease with which they may be used.

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A new lesson plan for housing has been developed with three objectives : to have high school students take interest in housing, to increase their awareness of the relationship between housing and their family or social involvement, and to encourage them to make their housing choice in consideration of their entire life. The lesson plan focuses on the following points : 1. Three life stages are introduced in the plan, i.e., Single life after completion of schooling; Family life with partner and children; and Retired life. 2. For each of the three stages, the lesson plan includes the living and housing expenditure, the environment and safety of both in and outside of the house, and the time management. 3. The plan encourages students to take the initiative in working for each project which is made as realistic as possible so that students have to make their plans and decisions on the basis of the current housing market as well as other economic and financial realities.

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The effectiveness of the lesson plan for housing based on students' life stages was evaluated. The evaluation was made on the basis of testing as well as feedback from students by questionnaire. The results are as follows : 1. The feedback demonstrated that the students had a high level of interest in the use of project work to select their house. 2. The safety and environmental housing issues were the new aspects as far as the students were concerned. The test showed that the students retained most of what they had been taught. 3. They also demonstrated the ability to give serious consideration to housing and its relationship to their family and other social circumstances in the entire life situation. 4. The lesson plan may be considered a success as the students showed a more practical attitude for housing they expressed their interest in reexamining their current housing and in obtaining more information on housing.

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In 1997, the former Economic Planning Agency implemented the first official monetary evaluation of unpaid work. At that time, in Japan, wages were worked out on the basis of gender as well as age; simply put, valuation amounts of unpaid worker varied by gender. In this study, the loss of income for women was impartially calculated. In other words, the unpaid wage differentials by gender were excluded when our trial calculation was made for women on the basis of the second report compiled by he former EPA in 1998. Our calculation yielded approximately 168, 080 billion yen or 33.6% of GDP. The general comment price of unpaid work became 10.4% or 52 trillion yen higher than figure listed in the 1998 EPA report. The rate of women's valuation amount to the total naturally increased from 84.5% to 89.3%. Furthermore, our research uncovered the lopsidedness between men and women in terms of annual valuation amounts per capita, and clarified the content of actions involving unpaid work which was not specified in the EPA report. There is a need to recognize publicly that the unpaid work is just as worthy as the paid work, and some policy or social system should be immediately established to enable to choose and distribute unpaid work in our lifestyle irrespective of gender difference.

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Most food poisoning in Japan is caused by microorganisms, and hygiene education about microorganisms is therefore important. A microorganism experiment was introduced into the cooking practice course at a senior high school, and the effects on food hygiene education were assessed. Most students started to use soap when they washed their hands after the investigation about washing hands after handling fresh meat most students washed the cutting board and kitchen knife with boiling water. There was a slight improvement on how the students washed and sterilized the cutting board while an improvement in how the students washed their hands at home was confirmed. These results indicate that a visible microorganism experiment that was introduced into the cooking practice course heightened the learning effect of hygiene education.

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