Abstract : The effect of dryness is being increasing highlighted in the context of anti-aging. And there is a demand for effective solutions to combat dry indoor environments. Sleep has also been found to be another important factor to counter aging. To study the effects of humidification during sleep, personal humidifiers were placed close to the heads of middle-aged participants with healthy skin (14 males and 16 females) while they were sleeping. The effects of humidification on their quality of sleep, moisture content of the skin, and skin surface texture were investigated. The experiment was performed in both summer and winter. Measurements were made at a point in the center of each participant’s cheek. The experiment was performed over a period of 14 days with two test conditions for each participant: using and not using a personal humidifier. The measurement results revealed that the moisture content of the skin was higher when a humidifier was used than when it was not used. Imaging analysis of the skin surface texture also revealed significant differences in moisturization, indicating the effectiveness of the humidified environment. In terms of quality of sleep, we found that on using a humidifier, participants tended to fall asleep more quickly in winter.

Abstract: We measured the solar absorption, reflection, and transmission coefficients for seven fabrics made of the same polyester with different color. The solar transmission coefficient for the white one was larger than that for the black one. Considering the increase of surface area by clothing, we proposed a model to analyze solar absorptions at skin and clothing and the sensible heat transfer between skin and the surrounding environment. To calculate the mean solar absorption coefficient at the clothing and that at the skin for the whole body, we derived the weighting coefficients for body parts through heat transfer analysis. Using the proposed model, we estimated the operative temperature including the effect of solar radiation for the person wearing the summer sport uniform made of the same polyester with different colors. The light color brought the larger solar reflection at the clothing and the larger solar absorption at skin than the dark color. As the result, the operative temperature was almost the same despite the difference in color. The comparison of our operative temperature with the values calculated by existent methods made it clear that the operative temperature differed significantly depending on the evaluation method of solar radiation and clothing distribution.

Abstract : The purpose of this study was to investigate the consciousness and sense of value experienced by guests who stayed in old, traditional-style Japanese houses run as guest houses. We administered questionnaires that focused on way of living. Four important themes emerged from the results. 1) More than half of the guests had a high opinion of this style of guest house. This was expressed through responses such as ““higher value than the price paid””, “““feeling at ease””, “““elegance of old Japanese houses”””, and ““““relaxed pace”””. 2) Most of the guests expressed consciousness, such as ““““increased interest in old Japanese houses””, “““desire to stay at old Japanese houses used as guest houses in the future””, and ““““growing interest in the regional lifestyle””. 3) More than half of those who stayed at such guest houses located in farming villages, mountain villages, and post towns (shukubamachi) had a change in their sense of value. Way of living was classified into four groups according to level of interest in the guesthouses. Changes in sense of value were positive in all the groups. 4) These results suggest that using old houses as guest houses prompts guests to reconsider both modern and traditional Japanese ways of living.