[in Japanese]

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In the attempt at conceptualizing the term “Kyosei Science(s)”, the most contentious issues would be, firstly, the term Kyosei is considered as representing a uniquely Japanese concept with no straightforward synonymous words in the rest of the world. This Society, as well as this Journal, bears the term Kyosei Science(s).1) when expressed in Japanese, but its English nomination is simply the “Japan Society for Kyosei Studies”. Secondly, the term “science(s)” seems to sound so audacious or faddish that most Japanese scholars wish to shy away from its use. For that matter, this article dwells rather extensively upon the metaphor of “Neurathian Ship(s)” with a view to highlighting the open inter-disciplinary framework of our Kyosei Science(s). It is not only consciously embedded in “lifeworld”, but also urges the crew members on board with different disciplinary preoccupations spontaneously to engage in mutually reflexive discourse in order to improve their respective toolboxes that would prove defective to pursue the commonly shared goal (i.e., to build a better “Kyosei” society in our case). Such reflexive discourse would have an important political implication in that our Kyosei Science(s) should contribute to coping with the requisites of the “Second Track” of democracy (or Habermas’ “deliberative democracy”) which invigorates spontaneous governance at the grass-roots level 2).

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Stagnation of Japanese economy reduced the national income and has brought about the increase of low income earners and the unemployed. Then, Japanese corporate administrations took in neoliberalism like American enterprises, in order to improve business results. It became impossible to use traditional Japanese management systems (mainly personnel management systems) by introducing its thought. So, the organization performance of Japanese enterprises based on the groupism which esteems people declined. I claim that the enterprise in modern society needs to aim at industrial democracy and corporate citizen. It is not just going to have doubt that the end of an enterprise is the well-being of the whole community. It is necessary to regain humanity in an organization and to change into the corporate culture so that it should enhance cooperation of all its members in order to augment their well-being. It should realize inside an organization the social condition where respect between organization constituents and individual dignity are integrated. It is the place where individuals and the group have mutual dependence relationship and a mutual complement relationship, and where mutual aid relation should be sustained. Furthermore, a partnership is made also among the customers positioned as stakeholders, and it required building Kyosei and co-prosperity relationship and a win-win relationship. Thus, this social relationship is Kyosei. A social enterprise is one of the business models for the benefit of socially vulnerable groups. It seems that an enlargement of social enterprise is needed in order to develop a convivial society.

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Global issues such as rich-poor gaps, environmental destruction, governance issues including human rights, democracy, and decentralization, and violent conflicts have become central concerns of the world community in recent decades. The global public goods approach has become the major analytical attempt to deal with these issues since toward the end of the 1990s and the Earth Charter is a new contribution to normative attempts to meet these challenges. The objective of the article is to test, in an analytical manner, if the kyosei approach adds values to the global public goods and the Earth Charter movement. The conclusion suggests, in a tentative manner, that the kyosei approach appears to enrich the global public goods and the Earth Charter movement in a number of ways.

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This report is based upon the lecture delivered at Toyo University on January 8, 2011. UNESCO, pursuing peace and human well-being, has engaged in many activities in the field of education since its establishment in 1946. This report picks out and explains UNESCO’s four main topics in the field of education: international understanding, environment education, life-long learning and inclusive education. It also briefly discusses the thoughts described in Learning Society by R. Hutchins, Learning to Be (UNESCO, 1973) and others. Through examining these works, it suggests with some observations three main subjects which we need to study further in our research activities. These are: how to live as an individual aiming at living harmoniously; how to keep good relationship with other people and/or groups; and how to cope with global and societal challenges such as preservation of natural environment and helping people suffering from difficulties.

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The department where the author belongs has begun to re-consider the ambiguous and multifaceted term “kyosei”, which is a part of the name of our department, in a broad context from a personal physical to a broader cultural level. In 2009 it held a series of symposia and meetings aiming towards reconstruction of a comprehensive concept of “kyosei” (tentatively defined as “living together harmoniously”). This article describes the outline of our discussion, highlighting key concepts and actual activities of students. First, “kyosei” in Japanese was found difficult in translating into one English word: neither “symbiosis” nor “coexistence” was too simple-minded. Our department finally adopted, as a part of its name, the English word “wellbeing” to encompass our diverse concerns, thus the symbol our department became “W”. Second, while “kyosei” was too glorified historically, particularly in the wartime, it was stressed that we should be careful to its negative compulsive nature, and that “kyosei” should have its roots to “life”. Third, it was suggested that the academic system dealing with “kyosei” could not be constructed only under the name of “-ology”, or strictly logical scientific thoughts. This discussion reminded us of the concept of “mode 2” knowledge production as opposed to “mode 1” only by experts (Gibbons et al., 1994) and the “Neurath’s boat”, the image conjured up by Neurath (1921), which cannot be reconstructed afresh and must be repaired endlessly on the open sea. These associations further reminded the author of activities of inexpert students, triggered by problem-focused environments. The students, who could have been at a loss if the group had consisted of only the scientific experts, dived into some application context with little knowledge of experts, and were consequently forced to think how to work by themselves as a unique “micro-culture”. The academic staff have often found that the students would develop their potential more when they were left alone in the application context, but still enjoyed their own action and were acknowledged by others, than when they were taught systematic scientific knowledge first. Examples of such student activities are presented in this article to show that they, as inexpert members, can create and successfully maintain their “Neurath’s boats”. These activities also suggest that our “kyosei” goals could be brought about by conviviality, which would be probably the most adequate English word for “kyosei”. If we would like to lead our students to mature citizens who can achieve true “kyosei” ideals, most probably we must utilize application contexts.

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Environment problems are issues that face humanity regardless of disciplines, be they natural sciences or humanities. Harmful substances in pregnant women damage health conditions of babies. Therefore, environmental education is of particular importance in women’s colleges with emphasis of humanities. At the Ferris University, as an integral part of education related to appreciation of the nature and to practice kyosei with the nature, courses on environment have been strengthened and an eco-campus has been created together with students. Various facilities have been constructed and created on campus. They include the following: biotopes, wind power generation facilities, photovoltaic facilities, a cool/heat tube system, green walls, a solar heating system, hybrid street lights, a facility to use rain water, and an eco-vision. By combining course works and creation and management of the eco-campus, students deepen eco- consciousness and knowledge of environment issues progressively from freshmen year to senior year. This approach has proven to be significantly effective as an educational methodology.

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This article dealt briefly with U.S.-Japan relations and its alliance from 1945 to the present, and overviewed some features of the U.S.-Japan negotiation which took place in 2010 within a framework of Futenma’s U.S. Air base in Okinawa. New political factors which have exerted an influence upon on-going U.S.-Japan negotiations were described. In view of future US.-Japan relations, one conflict resolution method for Futenma’s U.S. Air base was reviewed. And for future collaborative schemes between Japan and the United States, the Green Power Partnership program initiated by the United States was singled out and resented.

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In this paper, authors described the outline of ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) in the world and in Japan, and considered attitudes or abilities to think as important in school education. Also, authors considered sustainable management at school, and sustainable education by the connection between school education and social education. Based on these, the following three points are proposed to enhance ESD in the school education. 1) To specify the construct of sustainability and to research teaching materials or teaching methods. 2) To extend attitudes or abilities which include autonomous heart, sense of responsibility, cooperativeness, etc. through participating-type learning. 3) To connect to actions through learning which develops into realistic and continuous practices.

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The authors practiced an environmental education based on the crossed curriculum owing to viewpoints of sustainable development, namely mutual relation, diversity, impartiality, responsibility, cooperation and limitation. The environmental education was composed of lessons with the main theme “water” implemented cooperatively and collaboratively by teachers of many different subjects and aimed to make students integrate knowledge and skills through learning. As a result of its practice, it was shown that about 83％ of students could synthesize their knowledge through experiential learning in their local area and foster the attitude and will to challenge and settle the environmental social problems.

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In the periods of the resistance against the French Colonialism and the American invasion, the Caodaism had been split into two factions over the issue for resistance. One was the Tay Ninh sect, the other was the patriotic sects. The Tay Ninh sect had tried to achieve the national independence from the French Colonialism and American invasion without war. Then, Tay Ninh sect had used the Japanese troop in order to keep their national independence in the period of the French Colonialism. After the 1950, Tay Ninh sect also got near the American. On the other hand, the patriotic sects had been fighting against the foreign troops under the guidance of National Liberation Front of Southern Vietnam. Especially, Cao Trieu Phat,the leader of Cao Dai Minh Chon Dao sect and Nguyen Ngoc Tuong ,the leader of Cao Dai Ban Chinh Dao Ben Tre sect were the representatives. On the professed intention, Caodaism have a doctrine. But so many sects, so many way for Kyosei in a real religious politics.

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To quote the charter of The Japanese Society for Kyosei Studies, “the civilization of the 21st century should require a change. We need to respect the identity of each culture and thus the diversity of cultures in the world community. …” Mikoto Usui refers to such “change-oriented practical concepts” as “Kyosei ”. The purpose of this article is to consider how education is influenced by “Kyosei ”. As a first step in our consideration, we will analyse Usui’s “For Conceptualizing Our Kyosei Science”. Usui focuses on the discourse of three sociologists (A.Giddens, J.Habermas, S.Miyadai). The point of this discussion is to suggest that is order to overcome “The colonization of lifeworld” by deliberative democracy, “Civic Elite” will have to grow. Taking up the case of charter schools in the United States, citizens can contract with local governments to establish public schools based on charter school. A model charter school is a good example of an attempt at overcoming the colonization of lifeworld by deliberative democracy. This analysis leads to the questions of “citizenship”. Civic elite can be interpreted as citizens who can exercise their citizenship. To sum up these discussions, it seems reasonable to conclude that education for “Kyosei ” is to foster those who can effectively coordinate those who belong to diverse groups, societies and cultures.

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