This research provides new insights into Japanese society and the importance to food consumption onboard trains in Japan. Food and the consumption thereof play a part in every society. In the urban...Show moreThis research provides new insights into Japanese society and the importance to food consumption onboard trains in Japan. Food and the consumption thereof play a part in every society. In the urban areas of Japan there is no getting away from the consumption of food, especially in and around stations. One of the most common products consumed onboard the trains during long journeys is the ekiben. Another service providing food onboard trains is the dining car (shokudōsha). While the ekiben continued to thrive, the shokudōsha were discontinued completely in 2002. This thesis explains why this difference in prosperity exists through an examination of the history of the shokudōsha and the ekiben. Thereafter, it explains how societal changes influenced the cultural significance of both services. The thesis concluded that there was a difference in cultural significance between the shokudōsha and the ekiben. This thesis aims to contribute to the comprehensive research of food culture in Japan and to stimulate more English research into the shokudōsha to expand the knowledge of food culture in Japan.Show less
The population of Japan has been ageing rapidly in recent decades. This demographic change of a graying population causes various problems for the Japanese society.In the year 2000, in reaction to...Show moreThe population of Japan has been ageing rapidly in recent decades. This demographic change of a graying population causes various problems for the Japanese society.In the year 2000, in reaction to these demographic changes the Japanese government came up with a solution to remedy the lack of care workers: it introduced a new long-term care insurance system. Additionally, In 2006 the government introduced the first caregiver migration policy as part of a trade agreement, and the following year it began promoting innovations in healthcare technology. In this thesis, the main question I will try to answer is whether and how much these three measures are effective in terms of alleviating the labor shortage caused by the increasing need for eldercare.Show less
