New Zealand's Playcentre has 50 years history. It is the third largest early childhood education service in New Zealand, following childcare services and kindergartens. Playcentres are co-operatively managed and supervised by parents, and they have training courses for parents. Therefore, playcentres are recognized as adult education providers and funded by Ministry of Education. In New Zealand, early childhood education has changed greatly by the Education Act 1989. Childcare services became under the control of Ministry of Education, which was before under Department of Social Welfare, and fund for childcare services rose at the same level as that for playcentres. Playcentres are decreasing in number, while childcare services are growing because of the new fund by government and also the growing number of full-time working mothers. Recent educational reform was rated highly, since it contributed to national eonomic growth by preparing enough childcare services for working parents. However, in a sense, it decreased chances for parent empowerment in early childhood edcation. Perhaps Ministry of Education will continue supporting playcentres in the future, because it believes that the diversity of early childhood education services has potential power. In Japan, for-profit companies are going to be permitted to set up childcare centers and get government subsidy from April 2000, importing part of New Zealand's early childhood policy. However, the balance of childcare centers and playcentres should also be important strategy in New Zealand. We will also learn a lot from playcentre movement in New Zealand.

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January 1998, I visited New Zealand to teach Japanese language as a volunteer. at Onslow College Wellington, and also to learn from New Zealand people about their society, country, and school. The people who know the country, say as "Utopia" or "Man made Paradise" In '95 '96 I had experienced open minded, kind, and gentle treatment from so many people of this country. Why they have had it? From what point was it born? During my stay in NZ, I aquainted with many people, teachers, and students, Instead of teaching language, I learned so many, frank, straight, gentle, polite, and mild minds as human heart should be. I think it have originated not only from unsophisticated human heart but also embracing Maori problem in their body, high degree Social Welfare and raising their mind towards idealism. It will be proved with their Nature loving, Pacific, Antinuclear policy, and also our student's mild, kind, honest attitude, and breathing in, out their warm and dreamy air. While I was in NZ I could get so many youngest friends. "What is the Human Existance?" is the subject towarads 21 century. how we live and should be it is inevitable theme for us. I think.

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In this paper, the purpose of studying Playcentres/ New Zealand in Japan was discussed through introducing Self-Learning Programs of Parenting. Playcentre is not only one of early childhood educational organizations, but of learning places for adults.

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[in Japanese]

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The age when Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) had lived her short line and written many short stories as a writer, was also that of later period of prevalance of Japonisme in the Western world. In her works called New Zealand stories, we can find several Japanese goods and plarnts; Japanese umbrella, Japanese cosy, kimono jacket, Japanese sunflower and so on. It seems that these were mainly results of the spread of Japonisme from Britain to New Zealarnd, the colony, and to the Beauchamps, her parents' home. And her liking for Japanese goods and taste were held for life. We can find many evidences in her journal and letters. In her literary works, thirngs Japanese are sometimes used simbolically and suggestively, sometimes used merely as one of details of the background. Generally speaking, it seems that her acceptance remained on a stage of Japonaiserie. But she was influenced indirectly by sophisticated Japonisme through artistic works of Post-impressionists who also accepted Japonisme and created new Expressionism. Prior to taking her way to be a writer, she read THE BOOK OH TEA (1906) of Okakura-Kakuzo (1863-1913) in Wellington. Having read this book, she woul'd have comprehended basic principles of Japonisme, and accepted important suggestions for her literary creation.

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Only one sentence of an article in Asahi Shinbun made me meet many persons concerned, study many documents and write this article. As mentioned in it, late Mr. Akira Takahashi was eager to cultivate high-grade Wasabi in New Zealand after retirement. Unfortunately just before retirement he died of pancreatic cancer and left his excellent English Proposal to New Zealand government. Last autumn I happened to be given this proposal by his wife. And I, in his place, decided to get definite and reliable information on the following questions: 1. Who began to cultivate Wasabia japonica on New Zealand? 2. When and where did (do) they cultivate it? 3. Whether did (do) they sell it abroad or not? 4. How is its present situation in New Zealand? After getting many pieces of valuable information, this February I visited the three plantations of Wasabi in New Zealand and met several persons concerned. In this article I mention 0. Personal motivation for investigation 1. Short history of Wasabi cultivation in New Zealand 2. Present situation of Wasabi cultivation in New Zealand 3. Present situation of imported Wasabi in Japan 4. Present situation of Wasabi consumption in New Zealand 5. Outlook for Wasabi cultivation in New Zealand

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This paper is the result of an analysis of "Sunday Star-Times" articles printed from August 1997 to July 1999. It attempts to demonstrate how Asia and Japan are portrayed and viewed in news articles by means of the following four methods; (1) by comparing the number of main articles covering each country in the 'World' section placed in the last pages of the main volume, (2) by picking up from all the articles in the main volume Asian countries' and capitals' names and comparing each country's totals, with the contents in which those of China, Japan, and South korea appear classified and compared in detail, (3) by counting the number of Asia-related articles of the main volume and grouping them into respective countries as well as analyising Japan-related articles in detail, (4) by picking up and classifying Jabanese proper/ common nouns such as names of companies, places and so forth. Some of the findings from the analysis are as follws: In international news stories, with British and American coverage comprising over 40% while Asia counts for only 7.6%. China, Indonesia, and India are the three most frequently reported Asian countries in the 'World' section, getting nearly 50 % of the Asia total. However, when the names/ capitals of Asian countries are searched from all the pages of the main volume, China and Japan appear by far most frequently with almost equal numbers occupying nearly 40% of the total. This tendency is also observed when it comes to the country-by-country numbers of Asia-related articles, where Japan and China have the two highest incidence count totals. As for the contents of the Japanese articles, history and economy form the largest distinct categories, in which 'World War II' and 'automobile' are often the key words symbolizing the past and present facaes of Japan for New Zealand.

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There are things that must be taken into account when one evaluates New Zealand's 'reforms', particularly the reform of the public sector, in Japan. One is that its purpose was not just to gain efficiency, but to achieve accountable government from citizens' point of view. The second point is that even after the reform the level of social security or 'safety' net' provided by government is still rather high compared to the one in Japan. The third point is that democracy is still existent in New Zealand and it is the political power that achieved New Zealand's reforms. Democracy is what is lacking in Japan and prevents real reforms from being realised in Japan.

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