This paper investigates the semantic field of “everydayness” in the extended constellation of the Kyoto School. We examine the concepts of “ordinary mind,” “ground of the ordinary,” and “everydayness” in the thoughts of Suzuki Daisetsu and Nishida Kitarō in the 1930s and 1940s. We interpret this semantic field historically, focusing on the modernization of Buddhism as a process of philosophical synthesis between two conflicting dimensions of everydayness, which we call the epistemological and the ontological. It will be shown that the modernization of Buddhism, in a certain sense, formulated itself as a kind of modern “religiosity” through dealing with these two disparate aspects of “everydayness.”

This study aimed to develop a conversion table for the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J) to the Japanese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-J) to facilitate prediction of the MMSE-J score from the MoCA-J score. Participants (N = 121) were community-dwelling older adults (M = 74.12, SD = 4.73, age 61–84) who were able to visit the university laboratory alone, having no diagnosis of dementia. Their cognitive performance was assessed by MoCA-J and MMSE-J. We developed the MMSE-J conversion table from the row MoCA-J scores using the equipercentile equating with log-linear smoothing. A Bland-Altman plot displayed a nonsignificant systematic bias between the raw and converted MMSE scores. The conversion table presented high accuracy, with 85.8% of converted MMSE-J scores falling within two points of raw scores. In addition, our conversion table demonstrated the advantage of using the MoCA-J for early detection of cognitive decline.

As communication tools have shifted to Social Networking Services (SNS) in recent years, especially among the younger generation, the use of text-based online counseling services has spread rapidly in Japan. With this shift, SNS counseling is now mainly provided by temporarily trained paraprofessionals and non-professionals under the supervision of more experienced professionals, and there is an urgent need to train counselors with high levels of expertise. However, there is a great lack of basic research in Japan, even for empirical findings on rough indicators that distinguish highly specialized counseling from non-specialized counseling. In this study, we conducted a role-play survey of SNS counseling and examined how the counselor’s attitude of “listening” appears, using message volume and session evaluations as analytical indices. The results revealed that there were two main features of the “listening” attitude in SNS counseling. In SNS counseling, counselors need to talk more than in face-to-face counseling to understand the situation and to clearly express empathy, while providing a place where the client can talk freely and a lot. SNS counselors are expected to take a seemingly contradictory, therefore difficult, way of being. Although the basic essence of the “listening” attitude is the same between SNS consultation and face-to-face psychotherapy, the actual expression of this attitude is different, and this suggestion is probably the most significant point of this study.

Japan’s burgeoning demand for nurses due to its aging society has resulted in a severe shortage thereof, leading to an increase in the recruitment of foreign nurses. Chinese nurses account for a large proportion of foreign nurses in Japan, especially for male nurses. This study aimed to understand the unique challenges faced by Chinese male nurses in the Japanese healthcare system. The interviews were conducted in Chinese via Zoom, with each participant interviewed once for an average of 90 minutes. The data were analysed qualitatively and inductively, providing a comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges faced by foreign-educated male nurses (N = 16). The analysis revealed five major challenges faced by Chinese male nurses in adapting to the Japanese healthcare system: 1) cultural and work adaptation, 2) knowledge and skills, 3) work environment and satisfaction, 4) discrimination, 5) discrepancy between professional expectations and actual experiences. Additionally, emotional and psychological challenges such as loneliness, stress, anxiety, and depression were found to impact job performance, satisfaction, and quality of life. The study is unique in focusing on foreign male nurses in Asia, addressing a void in the relevant literature. Chinese male nurses in Japan are presented with novel opportunities and experiences, and yet confront challenges due to disparities in culture, skills, gender, ethnicity, and professional expectations. Suggested interventions encompass specialized training, mentorship programs, cultural exchange initiatives, and policies aimed at mitigating workplace discrimination and enhancing job satisfaction.