Journal of human and living environment
Online ISSN : 2433-2836
Print ISSN : 1340-7694
ISSN-L : 1340-7694
Volume 28, Issue 2
Displaying 1-13 of 13 articles from this issue
  • 2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages Cover1-
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
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  • 2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages Cover2-
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
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  • 2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages App1-
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
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  • Yutaka TOCHIHARA, Nobuko HASHIGUCHI
    2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 53-64
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
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    Japanese people like to take a bath and take a bath almost every day. Japanese bathing in winter is unique, soaking in hot water up to their shoulders and taking a long bath. However, it is estimated that this Japanese-style bathing causes accidental deaths of elderly people while taking a bath in winter, and the number reaches 18,000 a year. The mortality rate of drowning was correlated with undressing room temperature. It has been clarified that the more people who complain that the bathroom is cold in winter, the higher the temperature of the hot water, the longer they take a bath, and the higher the rate of poor physical condition in the bathroom. It is known that elderly people are less likely to feel the cold and heat than young people, and their blood pressure rises significantly with the cold. The average room temperature for undressing at night in detached houses outside Hokkaido is less than 15 ° C, increasing the risk of death from bathing in the elderly in winter. For safe and comfortable winter bathing, the undressing room temperature needs to be 20 or higher, and 25 would be recommended for the elderly.

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  • Narihito TAKIMOTO
    2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 65-73
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
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    This fundamental research investigated use of a novel method of indexing cushion material seating comfort in the development of new wheelchair cushion materials. Subjective experiments and body pressure distribution measurements were conducted using 14 specimens of differing materials and specifications. Added in the specimens were newly developed cushions consisting of a multi-layered composite material and a cushion with a bottom plate attached. Subjective experiments employed the SD method, with 20 healthy male and female subjects evaluating 12 material criteria. Body pressure distribution was measured in ranges of 20 mm Hg, and total area, maximum pressure, and average pressure were measured for each cushion. Measurements of body pressure distribution, previous based on a single approach, were derived by incorporating the area of the cushions for each pressure range. The results revealed body pressure distribution to be highly correlated to five psychological evaluation categories. From the results of the subjective experiments and body pressure distribution measurements, multiple regression analysis yielded a multiple regression formula to estimate seating comfort evaluation, with total area, maximum pressure, average pressure, and the area of each zone as explanatory variables.

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  • Tomoaki KOZAKI, Chika IMAMURA
    2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 75-81
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
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    This study evaluated the effects of working jacket with a cooling fan on subjective thermal comfort and skin temperatures at the different phases of the menstrual cycle. The subjects were eleven young females aged between 21 and 23 years old. They were measured skin temperatures, subjective responses and mental performance in the control chamber (28°C, 60%). After the measurement, the subjects moved to the experimental chamber (35°C, 60%), and then worn the cooling jacket (cooling jacket condition) or did not wear it (non-cooling jacket condition). The measurements were performed in the experimental chamber again. Each subject participated in the experiments on follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. The skin temperatures were measured at seven local body parts-forehead, abdomen, forearm, back of hand, anterior thigh, shin, and instep. A visual analog scale was used for measuring subjective thermal comfort. At the luteal phase, the mean skin temperatures of the forehead and the abdomen were significantly lower on the cooling jacket condition than the non-cooling jacket condition. Significantly higher subjective thermal comfort with the cooling jacket was also obtained at the phase. These findings suggested that working jacket with a cooling fan has a superior effect on women at the luteal phase.

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  • Yasunari HABARA, Tsukio TODA, Naoki MATSUBARA, Hirotaka KIHARA, Naoki ...
    2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 83-98
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

    The purpose of this study was to clarify the influence of participation in the “Wooden Craftsmanship Activity (WCA),” an organization that contributes to environmental education and community development in Ohno, Miyama-cho, Nantan City, Kyoto. Based on an analysis of the questionnaire survey and observation of the participation, we examined the consciousness and behavior of the participants related to regional promotion and environmental preservation.The results were as followings: 1) It was evident that the satisfaction of the participants was rather high due to their participation in the WCA. 2) The awareness of the participants related to contributing to the people and the region increased through their interaction with local residents. For the participants who were not familiar with the life in the hilly and mountainous area, the nature and scenery of Ohno and the interaction with the local residents proved to be an attractive experience that they did not have in the urban area. 3) The participants learned that making things from thinned wood promotes the conservation of forests and the global environment, and this was considered to be as good an experience for them as making things from wood and interacting with local people.

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  • Go IWASHITA
    2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 99-105
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
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    The frequencies and characteristics of heatstroke occurred in Japanese schools were investigated by using the data of NAASH (National Agency for the Advancement of Sports and Health), and analysis was dune for a period of 10 years from 2005 to 2017. According to a nationwide scale, the number of accidents in schools tended to decrease. However, the ratio of heatstroke episode in schools tended to increase. The highest ratio of heat stroke occurred in high schools. The index of “heatstroke rate” was defined as the number of heatstroke occurred at an objective area block of Japan divided by the number of total students in the corresponding objective area block. The heatstroke rates occurred on schoolyard, in gymnasium, and in school building were high in Kyushu, Shikoku, and Chugoku area (hot and humid area). In 2017, the heatstroke rate in school building in Hokkaido area was the highest, although the mean outdoor temperature was the lowest in Hokkaido. In the heatstroke ratio of Hokkaido in gymnasium and school building, many cases occurred at cultural events.

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  • Chiaki KIDO, Hiroko KUBO, Michiyo AZUMA, Naomi SASSA, Norio ISODA
    2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 107-114
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

    This study aimed to examine the sleep and bedroom thermal environment of frail older people in summer and winter. The participants were nine frail older people (aged 79.1 ± 6.1 years) living in Nara Prefecture. Their activity levels were measured during the daytime and sleep. Air temperature and relative humidity were measured in the participants’ bedrooms. In both summer and winter, most participants turned off cooling or heating devices such as air conditioners before bedtime. Therefore, the bedroom temperature tended to be high in summer and low in winter, as with active older people in previous studies. The number of arousals and postural changes during sleep increased as the bedroom temperature increased in summer, suggesting that high bedroom temperature may negatively affect sleep quality. Furthermore, the participants went to the bathroom feeling cold at night in winter. It is also important to keep the bedroom and bathroom temperature high to prevent heat shock.

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  • 2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 115-119
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
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  • 2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 120-
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
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  • 2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 121-122
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
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  • 2021 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 123-
    Published: 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: September 23, 2022
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