Japonisme began with the enthusiastic interest in Japanese arts and crafts, especially in France, from the later half of the 19th century to the 20th century, which influenced Western art. After that, their interest expanded to architecture, literature, music, clothing, etc., and now we are studying Japonisme in various cultures and arts. There are many Japonisme songs composed in Germany and Austria. Karl Florenz, a hired teacher who was invited from Germany following the opening and modernization of Japan, studied Japanese literature and translated Japanese poetry during his stay in Japan. The translated poems were printed on Japanese paper with illustrations in the style of nishiki-e (woodblock prints), and they gave German and Austrian composers the inspiration to compose songs. Florentz’s translation added words and verses to aid the understanding of Westerners, so he was able to give the composer a concrete image of the poem. These Japonisme songs do not use Japanese scales or melodies, but are written in the composer’s own music style. They have aspects of late-romantic to early-modern German Lieder. However, there are also characteristic songs that express the Japanese view of impermanence. Some of the songs were highly regarded when they were written, but most of them were forgotten. The fusion of Japanese poetry and Western music is an important category of German and Austrian Japonisme music.

With the objective of clarifying the association between mental health, resilience and basic attributes of nursing university students, this study involved a Google Forms survey of 91 new students at a nursing university. Results showed a negative correlation between the University Personality Inventory (UPI) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). The UPI subscales of “psychosomatic symptoms” and “obsessive compulsive tendency” were not correlated with the BRS. “Volunteer activity” showed significant differences in “depressive symptoms” and “inferiority complex” of the UPI and “optimism”, “sociability” and “vitality” of the BRS. “Can consult with faculty” showed significant differences in “depressive symptoms” and “inferiority complex” of the UPI and “optimism”, “vitality”, “attempting to solve a problem” and “self-understanding” of the BRS. In particular, “vitality” and “self-understanding” were significantly different only among faculty, suggesting the importance of faculty involvement.

For a considerable duration, the representation of female teachers in Japanese higher education has lingered at the lower end among OECD member states. Notably, since the enactment of the Act on Promotion of Women’s Advancement in 2015, there are signs indicating that universities are taking proactive measures toward enhancing the participation of women in the workforce. The law mandates universities to disclose diversity-related metrics, such as the ratio of women teachers, which climbed to 26.7％ in 2022. However, it is not clear whether the increased presence of female faculty members will improve research productivity as a whole and foster innovation.

Studies examining the factors influencing research productivity and tenure attainment reveal sporadic findings, indicating that it is not only meritocratic factors at play but also ascription factors such as gender and age. Based on a nation-wide survey of Japanese university faculty members, we investigate how time allocation, meritocratic factors, and non-meritocratic factors influence these three points (i) academic productivity (peer-reviewed papers published in last 3 years), (ii) likelihood of advancing to a professorship and (iii) challenges with continuing research.

Our findings show that after controlling for other variables, the female dummy variable continues to exert a negative influence on journal publications, prospects for promotion to a professorship, and research sustainability, with the exception of the humanities and social sciences. Therefore, policies aimed at implementing positive action, which is theoretically supported by John Rowles’ difference principle to regulate the academic market without considering the meritocratic factors, could potentially bring down academic productivity.

Apart from these findings and implications, when viewed from the perspective of new institutional sociology, we must recognize that universities do not exist in isolation but are embedded within an institutional environment. This encompasses universal cultural values and human rights such as diversity and inclusion. So, whether one favors this perspective or not, universities which adapt to their institutional environment must effectively demonstrate both internally and externally how they align with the principles necessary for survival. Of course, as formal rules like positive action permeate many universities, there exists a de-coupling or inconsistency between the formal intentions and informal practices observed in the field.

Mortality rate due to heat stroke is highest in women aged 80 years and older with a vast majority of cases occurring indoors. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether daily clothing worn by older women may somewhat improve this condition.

While functional aspects such as breathability is one of the most important factors when choosing summer clothes, design and other personal preferences also play a crucial role in women’s choice of clothing. Therefore, we examined both functional aspects and personal preferences in older women’s daily clothing. To examine functional aspects, 4 types of blouses with different sleeve lengths were produced and temperature and humidity inside clothes were measured and comparatively evaluated. To investigate personal preferences, elderly women were asked to share her views about 8 different clothing designs via a questionnaire survey.

Examination of daily clothing’s functional aspects revealed that humidity within clothing has a significant impact on comfort perception, and wearing clothes with shorter sleeves was found to be preferable in Japan’s hot and humid climate. However, some specific design features as found in older women’s questionnaire answers, such as 1） sleeveless clothes should be avoided, 2） dress neckline should not be too low, and 3） dress should be long enough to cover the hipline, were found to be conflicting in terms of functionality and personal preference.

This study reports on cultivation activities in a second-year class on “nursing for children with disabilities,” and examines the educational effects and significance of them through the students’ perceptions and impressions for the courses. We did the activities during the class, and the students shared tasks of watering and others in their free time. At first, they didn't like insects and hate to make their hands dirty, but they gradually touched the soil, water and plants by experiencing the cultivation of flowers and vegetables. In parallel with the activities, we explained the significance of using the five senses, fingertips and body for “nursing for children with disabilities” in the classroom. According to the analysis of the students’ written impressions after the class, they not only enjoyed the activities, but also noticed the connection with childcare. We could read that the experience made their understandings realistic.