The primary objective of this creative project was the exploration of Japanese sagemono ensembles and the metal working techniques needed for their creation. Sagemono ensembles are hanging accessories worn by the Japanese men of the 16th through the early 20th centuries. The secondary objective was to design and construct four sagemono ensembles using both traditional Japanese themes and patterns along with more contemporary motifs which emerged from the artist's explorations of the original Japanese ensembles. This body of work required a variety of traditional metalsmithing techniques including: complex sheet constructions, photoetching, copper-plating and forming, inlay, and casting. / Department of Art

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the cultural barriers faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in entering Japanese market and to see how the successful companies have overcome the barriers. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory case study with qualitative research through semi-structured interviews (telephonic and Skype) with foreign SMEs in Japan. 17 interviews could be conducted in 12 companies out of 76 companies contacted.  Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework encompasses barriers studied by Namiki (1998) for classification of the entry barriers and applied the same on SMEs. The cultural aspect has been deployed in accordance to theory of House et al. (2004), Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner (2012) and on the cultural dimensional framework of Hofstede et al. (2010). It further includes language in intercultural communication and barriers related to it.  Findings: The study identifies that the business culture perceived by foreign SMEs in Japan is almost similar to the national culture identified by Hofstede et al. (2010), but only three out of five cultural dimensions studied and the language have emerged as barriers for the foreign SMEs to do business in Japan. It was also found that to adapt to the Japanese business culture in general, engage in business relationship and to use senior bi-lingual Japanese staff, was keys to success for the foreign SMEs. Managerial implications: It is recommended that managers should study previous literature on cultural barriers as it most likely also applies to SMEs. It is also recommended to use Japanese bi-lingual staff and to establish relationships with Japanese companies as soon as possible. Limitations: The study was conducted with interviews of only twelve SMEs in Japan. The study was confined to qualitative method and a quantitative study with larger number of companies could have fetched more quantifiable results. Originality/value: This paper is one of the first to analyse the cultural barriers exclusively for the foreign SMEs in Japan with interviewing firms doing business in Japan. Keywords: Entry barriers, cultural barriers, SMEs, Japan market. Classification: Exploratory, qualitative study.

This thesis examines a body of contemporary Japanese films in order to unpack the various portrayals of some of Japan’s socially marginalized groups including women, alienated and rebellious youth, mentally unstable and socially withdrawn individuals, immigrants, and others who don’t adhere to the rigorous standards of social hierarchies and cultural traditions. Postmodernism provides the theoretical framework for the analysis of these films. I argue that Japanese postmodern films and their celebrations of the periphery are essential to contemporary Japan for three related reasons: These postmodern films represent sites of renewal - a positive view of the periphery; a neutral definition of the periphery as part of everyday life; and lastly, as a negative critique of an illusory meta-Japan. The intended outcome of this paper will be to find contrasting/contradictory representations of the periphery - as portrayed by Japanese filmmakers. Japan’s filmic representations of the complex social difficulties faced by the peripheral groups that exist within contemporary Japanese society can provide valuable social awareness and commentaries that are not readily found in other facets of Japanese society. / Graduate

In the Tokyo neighborhood of Shinjuku Ni-Chome, the number of women's gay bars has more than tripled over the past five years. Focusing on a neighborhood dance party called Girlfriend, this thesis explores the manner in which patrons and organizers of Girlfriend approach and negotiate with contemporary dance events. Taking place once a month, Girlfriend draws hundreds of young Japanese women who identify as queer, lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual, offering a variety of activities based on themes that challenge conventional norms about sexuality and gender. I conducted original qualitative research over the summer of 2011, including a series of open-ended interviews with patrons and organizers of Girlfriend. The information gathered from the interviews is analyzed along five key themes: observation of the tachi/neko binary (a dyadic system of masculine and feminine gender performativity), fantasy, safety and escape, the Other and contingency. This study demonstrates that the values and perceptions of women involved in these events are complex, and deeply ambiguous. This thesis argues that the event, and others like it, can serve as both a refuge for attendees, and a vehicle to reinforce homogenizing images of the mainstream, within a context of global capitalism. This research will contribute to a more advanced understanding of marginalized individuals in contemporary Japanese society. / Graduate / 0733 / 0332 / 0326 / foxnatasha@yahoo.com

In August of 1978, Japanese and Chinese officials reached agreement on a Peace and Friendship Treaty which had been the subject of sporadic negotiations since the two sides normalised relations in 1972. But Japan also signed a Joint Declaration in 1956 with the Soviet Union, a bilateral agreement which also called for a future Peace and Friendship Treaty, which still has not been signed. The first section of the thesis deals with domestic historical, political, economic and cultural factors which affect foreign policy in each of the three countries and which have particular bearing on the treaty negotiations. Major emphasis is placed on those developments which have affected national security, or which have a bearing on collective perceptions of national security, including the strength of the armed forces. The second and longer portion of the thesis deals with Japan's bilateral relations with each of its two neighbours historically, and in more recent times in economic, political, military and cultural terms, and with key issues and developments in bilateral negotiations on the treaties. Throughout this section the primary focus is on Japan, its political parties and factions and the positions these have taken on the treaties and issues related to the treaties throughout the years. It also deals with the key issues dividing Japan and its negotiating partners on the two treaties, as well as Japan's 'equidistance policy' and 'its 'special relationship' with the United States. Conclusions at the end of part one in Section Two include points about the special constraints imposed upon the USSR in its negotiations, the importance of fishing rights in the Russo-Japanese relationship, the impact of the Ussuri River incidents of 1969 on the policies of Moscow and Peking and the phenomenon of two separate foreign policy goals working at cross-purposes on both sides in the bilateral relations between Moscow and Tokyo. Conclusions at the end of the thesis deal with the trilateral relationship and with such questions as why one treaty was signed and why the other has not been at this writing, whether there is any real substance to the new treaty, whether its signing is a setback to Soviet foreign policy and a threat to Soviet security and finally, what prompted Japan to abandon its 'equidistance policy'. The role of the White House and the State Department, and the question of how Japan came to be in the uncomfortable position of pawn or 'prize' in the Sino-Soviet rivalry are also examined.

Raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus Temminck) were used as a model species to study wildlife management and conservation issues in the countryside of Japan. Radio-tracking data were used to analyse habitat use, movements, home range configuration and stability, social aspects, and factors influencing raccoon dog behaviour. Comparisons were drawn with European badgers (Meles meles Linnaeus) in the UK in order to highlight aspects of movements and habitat use of omnivorous Carnivores. Two key issues concerning the conservation of raccoon dogs in Japan were investigated: road-kills and agricultural damage. The Japan Highway Public Corporation provided road-kill data on the National Expressways, and a questionnaire survey was conducted on agricultural damage to local governments, authorities of wildlife administration. Socio-cultural issues on wildlife conservation in Japan were critically reviewed and discussed. Two types of habitat users appeared to exist in the study area. One type of raccoon dogs ('mountain type') inhabited a more semi-natural environment, including secondary forest and herbaceous areas, whereas a second type ('village type') inhabited more managed environments, such as rice fields and cropland. The results suggested that habitat selection occurred at home-range and location scales and differed between the two types of raccoon dogs. The mean size of home range of the raccoon dogs was 111 ± 16.9 ha (95% kernel estimate) and 160±34.5ha (95% maximum convex polygon (MCP)). There was no significant difference in home-range size between age classes or sexes. Seasonal home ranges were larger in yearlings than adults, and largest in autumn; and there was no difference between sexes. Season affected nightly movements, i.e. mean inter-fix speed, mean 100% MCP, and mean range span over the night; however, sex and age did not. All variables of nightly movement were smallest in winter. The mean fractal dimension of movements, i.e. degree of 'tortuousity' with self similarity, was 1.226 and significantly differed from 1.0 (a straight line) and 2.0 (a Brownian random movement). The mountain type had significantly larger fractal dimension than the village type, possibly reflecting habitat complexity and/or heterogeneity. Badgers generally preferred pasture and avoided arable habitat, but showed some variability by year and at scales of selection. A Badger Removal Operation may have influenced habitat selection of the badgers. The mean size of home range of badgers was 56.1 ± 7.7 ha (95% kernel estimates) and 56.2 ± 7.3 ha (95% MCP). The mean fractal dimension of the badgers' movements was 1.198 and was significantly different from 1.0 and 2.0. The raccoon dogs and the badgers showed similarities in movements, such as nightly home range, range span over night, and fractal dimension of movements. Sexual differences in spatial use existed in badgers but not in raccoon dogs. Road-kills of raccoon dogs appeared to be the highest, in percentage terms, of all wildlife species in Japan and this figure was linearly related to the traffic. Some road-features, such as whether the road was in a cutting and its proximity to water, were positively associated with road-kills, while the presence of coniferous plantations as roadside habitat was dissociated with road-kills. Nationwide estimates of road-kills of raccoon dogs, based on available data for National Expressways only, were made with different assumptions. Conservative estimates put the number of road-kills at 110,000 - 370,000 per year. The potential for road-kill numbers to be used, after controlling for traffic data, as an index of population trends, is discussed. In a questionnaire survey of agricultural damage sent to 46 prefectures, all respondents (96%) reported some damage by wildlife, and over 80% of respondents reported macaque and boar damage, while nearly 70 % reported raccoon dog and deer damage. Sixty-nine agricultural products were reported to have been damaged by wildlife, and 41 of these by raccoon dogs. Maize and fruits were major crops damaged by raccoon dogs. Although about a half of respondents employed culling, its effectiveness is unclear. Although Japan seems far behind other developing countries in its approach to wildlife conservation issues, the situation could be substantially improved through increased scientific understanding and education. Radical changes may be also required in the legal status of wildlife and its management schemes.

Japanese-style management has attracted a lot of attention from managers, business executives and scholars worldwide. The sudden intensity of interest in the so-called Japanese Management Model has been partly due to the rapid ascendancy of Japan as, a leading economic superpower in a relatively short period after her humiliating defeat in the Second World War. In 1982, Malaysia officially launched the "Look East" policy to emulate the Japanese by adopting Japanese-style management practices. It was believed that by adopting Japanese-style management techniques, the Malaysians can replicate the Japanese success. This study aims to discuss what constitutes Japanese-style management and also to determine if it can be transferred to the Malaysian public enterprise sector. From this study, it was revealed that only some elements of Japanese-style management are transferable to Malaysian public enterprises. There is a number of problems encountered in trying to transfer the Japanese practices to Malaysian public enterprise sector, especially if they are not compatible with the Malaysian values. The problems of transferring Japanese management techniques across national boundaries are further compounded when the transfer is from private sector to public sector. Even in the case of Japan, her public enterprise sector does not even have a reputation of efficient management. It was also found that despite the official policy and persistent effort towards "Japanisation" by the government, the majority of Malaysian workforce still prefer the present existing management system. To some extent, the study has provided some answers to questions regarding the feasibility of adopting the Japanese-style management. But most important of all, the study has revealed that Japanese-style management is not a panacea to the problems confronting the public enterprise sector in Malaysia.

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