The premiership of Shinzo Abe has had a significant impact on the debate surrounding Japanese foreign policy. In the autumn of 2020, Shinzo Abe resigned, ending what would become the country’s longest consecutive tenure in history, lasting from 2012 to 2020. Following the Second World War, Japan has per its 1947 constitution constrained its foreign policy unlike that of any other country of comparable size. During Shinzo Abe’s tenure, from 2012 to 2020, the academic debate surrounding the potential dismantling of said constraints has moved significantly towards finding a so-called remilitarization a likely outcome. International relations schools of realism and to some extent liberalism find that predictions of remilitarization might strike true while constructivist scholars find that this might be the case despite prior reservations. This is a significant shift in the debate consensus, especially on the part of constructivist analysis which often held that Japan’s unique character, be it norms or institutions, was inherently antimilitaristic. Through previous literature we learn that there was long a divide between authors arguing for a remilitarization being imminent while others take the opposite stance. A shift in Japanese foreign policy has a number of implications for international relations theory, previously a hallmark of constructivist argumentation surrounding identity and a thorn in the side of realist assumptions of power politics. A methodical approach of theory comparison sheds light on the empirical case of Japanese foreign policy by the means of assessing each relevant perspective’s arguments against each respective set of expectations in the event of a remilitarization. Through this study we find that contributions to the debate overwhelmingly argue for an increased possibility of a remilitarization taking place. Likewise, we find that this may come to play into the hands of both realism and liberalism as well as potentially doing so for constructivist analysis. Despite the case of an antimilitarist Japan being an example showcasing the strengths of constructivist analysis, it might instead provide an opportunity wherein it is able to showcase the flexibility and adaptability of constructivism as an analytical approach. The study also explores the possibility of whether there is room for employing a theoretically eclectic approach to the case at hand as a means to break the deadlock within the debate on the topic and offer analysis that escapes the pitfalls inherent in each theoretical perspective when employed on its own.

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(in English) This thesis deals with space in Japanese science fiction literature in 1960s. The aim is to find out specificity of japanese space in works with apocalyptic endings. Theoretical part deals with concept of possible worlds, various approaches to space and above all with theory of fictional worlds, which I use as main methodology of this thesis. Practical part is topoanalysis and comparison of three selected literary works: Inter Ice Age 4 (Dai yon kanpyōki 第四間氷期, 1959) by Abe Kōbō 安部公房 (1924-1993), Ten Billion Days and One Hundred Billion Nights (Hyaku oku no hiru to sen oku no yoru百億の昼と千億の夜, 1967) by Mitsuse Ryū 光瀬竜 (1928-1999) and Japan Sinks (Nihon chinbotsu 日本沈没) by Komatsu Sakyō 小松左京 (1931-2011). In topoanalysis I focus primarily on island position of Japan and role of the ocean.

Minoru Miki's first two marimba compositions, Time for Marimba (1968) and Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra (1969) were composed at a revolutionary time-period for the marimba. Due to unique and innovative compositional techniques, Miki helped establish the marimba as a true concert instrument capable of performing music of the highest quality. As a pioneer in composing for marimba literature, Miki was able to capture the true essence of the marimba; a timeless quality that has helped Time for Marimba remain a part of the standard solo repertoire for the past forty years. The purpose of this study is to analyze and compare Minoru Miki's compositions, Time for Marimba and Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra. Composed within a year of each other, these works possess similar compositional techniques, and rhythmic and thematic relationships. This thesis includes a formal analysis and detailed comparisons of compositional techniques used in both works. Performance considerations, a brief biographical sketch of Miki and historical significance of Time for Marimba and Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra are also included.

From the ancient Greek theater, through the dawn of the Renaissance, beyond the development of Shakespearean theater, to the Broadway theater boon in the 1920s, sound reinforcement within the theater remained virtually unchanged. Through Broadway's Golden Age, directors and producers relied on architectural acoustics to carry sound throughout the theaters. This is not surprising given that most of the theaters were built in the early 1900s, before the invention of any electric sound reinforcement technology. Moreover, early attempts at amplification in the 1940s yielded dismal results. Eventually, the maturation of the integrated book musical and the invasion of the rock musical in the late 1960s demanded more than architectural acoustics alone could provide. Abe Jacob, the sound designer of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, led the efforts to create a modern approach to sound design. Relying on his rock-and-roll touring experience and the introduction of technological advancements within the recording industry, Jacob and others forged a modern approach to sound design specifically within the framework of the Broadway musical, which helped restore the fading industry of the Broadway musical in the late 1960s. These new approaches served well the human irony and concept musicals of the 1970s by Sondheim and other emerging composers. Sound design was critical to the successful mounting of the mega-musicals of the 1980s (Cats, Les Miserables, Starlight Express, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, etc.). Now, modern day composers collaborate early in the creation process with sound designers and create original works with the power of modern sound design in mind, such that today, sound design is a fundamental design discipline employed in every Broadway musical–from the initial show concept conversations all the way through opening night.

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The Onmyōji series has had an incredible impact on Japanese fiction. It has created an entire genre of material called onmyōjimono and sold 5 million copies counting only the novel series. Despite this, it has been woefully understudied by both Japanese and English speaking scholars. The Japanese scholars that do acknowledge it use it as a springboard to launch a survey of Abe no Seimei in written and performed media throughout history, and the English speaking scholars have limited their analyses to the form that oni take in the narrative. My research has revealed that Yumemakura Baku utilizes a complex set of mechanisms to combine disparate narratives into a cohesive whole, integrating elements of genre and modern literary aesthetics to make old narratives agreeable to modern tastes. In the process he creates a dark and threatening world through which the Heian courtiers must navigate. Abe no Seimei acts as their guide and mediator. Despite holding an official rank within the court he is as otherworldly as the world, filled with supernatural beasts and formless creatures, in which they live. Using the mechanism of Abe no Seimei, Yumemakura Baku reveals to the reader their own tendencies toward prejudice, while constructing a vast world through centuries of written material.

Community colleges in Western North Carolina have enrolled many displaced workers who lack basic academic skills and are unable to find jobs. This study focused on the problem of displaced workers with low academic skills who rarely advance beyond Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes for retraining in high-tech job skills. The purpose of this single case study was to determine the barriers that prevent functionally illiterate displaced workers or nontraditional students enrolled in ABE programs from completing ABE classes and advancing to retraining programs. The adult learning styles and learning impediments framework were used to study what prevented student advancement beyond the ABE programs. Eight students were purposefully identified and agreed to participate in the study. The student participants completed open-ended questionnaires, participated in semi-structured individual interviews, and were observed in a classroom environment. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive coding and thematic analysis. The study produced 2 key themes that may help students succeed: (a) ABE instructors should adapt teaching methods to adult learning styles, and (b) the primary focus of ABE programs should be on the improvement of basic English language skills. The results of this study can be used by ABE directors, ABE instructors, and community college administrators as they seek to improve adult learning in ABE programs, increase students' technical skills, and get displaced workers back to work.

(in English): This thesis is devided into three parts. In the fist part, the development of literary discourse in Japan between Meiji and postwar period is described, with emphasis on the development of literary character and Subject in a work of literature. The second part theoretical apparatus for studiying and analyzing literary character is introduced, using contemporary literary theory. In that part relationship between literary character and its subject is also included. In the third part, these findings are applied on a specific literary works of Japanese postwar literature, on which development and changes of literary character are observed. The three analyzed works here are Kamen no kokuhaku by Mishima Yukio, Tanin no kao by Abe Kōbō and Man'en gan'nen no futtobōru by Ōe Kenzaburō.