On Terama Island, Okinawa prefecture, there is a traditional custom called “moriane” in which 10±-year-old children provide childcare for younger children, regardless of their family relation to the latter. Although this custom as become less common over the past few decades, playgroups among children of different ages are still frequently observed on this island. The present study consisted of a naturalistic observation survey of children’s playmate relationship on Tarama Island. The researchers cycled around the village and recorded information about the observed playgroups, including the location and the genders and ages of the group members, using an IC recorder. Data collection was performed several times on 3 days from July 2014 to November 2015. From data obtained in seven sessions (total observation time: 413 minutes), the children observed in each session were plotted on a map, and their characteristics were examined. Analyses of 57 playgroups revealed that large (6 or more members) mixed-gender, multiage playgroups gathered at the center of the village. The fact that there is little traffic and limited places for children to gather and play together, as well as the idea that it is natural for older children to take care of and play with younger children, are thought to have contributed to the formation of these peer relationships.

Street vendors are a part of urban life in Thailand. Many vendors illegally use public space for their businesses. Nevertheless, people appreciate their existence and see them as the norm. The city’s growth has expanded the street vendors’ territory to the border of Bangkok, including the Nonthaburi pier area, which is a transportation hub. The closing of public venues and preventive guidelines during the lockdown due to the Coronavirus disease pandemic directly impact street vendors. A field survey was conducted, and questionnaire data were collected on street vending behavior from the vendors and customers in three different areas during two phases of the lockdown period (May to June and August to September) of 2020. The results indicated (1) insignificant changes in purchasing behavior patterns, (2) economic damage to vendors caused by a reduced number of urban actors, (3) impacts on street vendors based on urban space characteristics, and (4) statistically significant interrelations between purchasing behavior and attitudes toward public issues in different age groups. The implication of these findings and hidden interrelations are discussed from the perspective of future urban development.

This study aims to clarify the environmental factors that can cause “oversight” of displayed objects that help people who move in public spaces. We installed a display in a shaded space and conducted a search experiment and an impression evaluation experiment by presenting a still image of public space. As a result, we clarified the factors of “oversight” as follows: 1) The visual features of the target, such as position and size, affect “oversight” basically, and especially the “emergency exit” is affected by the color and design associativity that examiner has. 2) The following three things tend to make “oversight” less likely to occur: reduced ceiling brightness for small targets near the ceiling; reduced vertical surface brightness for small and low-brightness targets; and decrease the number of displayed objects for targets that mainly contain text and number information and include multiple pieces of information. 3) Reduced vertical surface brightness makes the impression of space neat, spacious, and dark. Decrease the number of displayed objects reduces the psychological burden on the subject because it makes the space neat and spacious and enhances the overall positive impression.

Recently, traffic accidents caused by senior drivers have attracted public attention and have encouraged some senior drivers to voluntarily give up their driver licenses. On the other hand, problems have been pointed out, including a decreased motivation to live and an increased risk of needing long-term care due to giving up driving. In order to support the mobility of the senior, there is an urgent need to obtain knowledge on driving support such as effective driving aids and environmental improvements. Of the data accumulated by the Center of Innovation (COI) Program, which is a research result development project of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the current report focuses on the questionnaire items on driving environments that senior people find reluctant. The questionnaire items ask for an evaluation on “the frequency of encounters” and “the degree to which one does not want to drive” for 24 different driving environments. Using the responses of 216 senior people (55 to 87 years old), analysis by the latent rank theory was carried out. As a result, it was possible to classify the senior into five groups. Depending on the characteristics of the senior people, their evaluation of the driving environment was different. It was found that the perception of the driving environment differed among the subgroups of senior people.