We conducted a survey among young and elderly people to clarify awareness of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and preventive measures, as well as the status of wearing sunglasses to block UV rays, and the results were analyzed by age group and gender. There was a significant difference in the awareness of UV radiation between male and female respondents, and females placed a greater importance on preventive measures against UV light than males: about 80% of female respondents took some preventive measures, whereas, in males, only 20% of the young and 50% of the elderly subjects took such measures. The percentage of sunglasses users was higher in the elderly than in young people, with a significant difference between age groups. While the elderly cited "protection of the eyes" and "blocking of UV radiation" as reasons, young people responded with, "to avoid blinding light" and "as a fashion item". Many of the young respondents who did not wear sunglasses placed emphasis on their appearance and opinions of others, responding "sunglasses do not look good on me" and "none of my friends wear sunglasses", whereas the elderly respondents who did not wear sunglasses cited safety reasons, such as "it is difficult to coffectly determine colors through sunglasses". Now, sunglasses are available in a variety of colors, and individual users require advice on the most appropriate color to provide a safe visual environment and maximum comfort for the eyes.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of color temperature of lighting on physiological functions and subjective performance during physical exercise, in order to provide physiological grounds for selecting suitable lighting conditions for physical exercise. The experiments were conducted in a lighting laboratoiy controlled at a temperature of 25℃ and relative humidity of 50-60%. The illuminance level was maintained at 1000 lx, and three color temperature levels (3000 K, 5000 K and 7500 K) provided a total of three lighting conditions. Ten participants' oxygen uptake, heart rate (FIR), systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were collected before, during and after successive exercise of 50W and 100W The rectal temperature (Tre), skin temperature at 7 points and subjective performance were also measured, and the mean skin temperature and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were calculated. The results of FIR, DBP and MAP at 7000 K were significantly higher than those at 3000 K and 5000 K, and the speed of recovery after exercise was slower at 7000 K than at 3000 K or 5000 K. Compared with other conditions, the Tre was significantly increased at 3000 K, and recovery took longer at 3000 K. The results of subjective performance showed that "brightness" at 7000 K and "fatigue" immediately after the exercise were the highest, while "relaxation" immediately after the exercise was the lowest. We also found that "sleepiness" was the highest and "concentration" was the lowest at 3000 K. On the other hand, "motivation" at 5000 K was the highest. Our results indicated that 5000 K is the best color temperature for alighting source during exercise for maintaining autonomic stability and psychological balance.

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It is very difficult to revitalize mountainous regions and to slow down depopulation in mountainous regions. In an earlier study', a survey of residential and living environments was conducted for senior citizens residing in mountainous areas on the northern slope of the Chugoku district where a high percentage of the population was elderly and depopulation was a problem. Results showed that it is difficult to maintain the current situation in such mountainous regions even when measures for reactivation were implemented such as consolidation of smaller municipalities. hi the current study, a similar survey was conducted in the mountainous regions of Obara, Asahi, and thabu located on the prefecture boarder. These three areas were among six towns that were merged in April of 2005 with Toyota City in Aichi Prefecture, which is the active center of the automobile industry. The goal of this study was to acquire information that can help to maintain and revitalize towns in mountainous areas, and help to create better residential environments for senior citizens. The results of this study and the previous study were compared. At this moment, no major differences have been found. However, the three towns in this study are better connected with urban areas than the two villages from the previous study. Therefore, there is a stronger sense of urgency and a greater demand for daily necessities. It is believed that new urban development will be achieved in these areas due to the effectiveness of the merge, so there is a plan to conduct another survey in a few years.

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