In Japan since the 1980s, after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the bubble economy, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) implemented a series of neoliberal policies in order to increase...Show moreIn Japan since the 1980s, after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the bubble economy, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) implemented a series of neoliberal policies in order to increase the flexibility of the Japanese labour market and make the labour market more competitive at global level. Due to neoliberalism and deregulation, it became more complicated for young people to find a full-time job and young unemployment has risen drastically since the 1990s to present time.Furthermore, in this period “freeters” began to be new figures in the labour market in Japan.Show less
Recently both in academia and media the phenomenon of 'overtourism' has surfaced, a development where tourism negatively affects a destination. In Japan, this issue is called ‘kankou kougai’ (観光公害)...Show moreRecently both in academia and media the phenomenon of 'overtourism' has surfaced, a development where tourism negatively affects a destination. In Japan, this issue is called ‘kankou kougai’ (観光公害) or 'tourism pollution'. This thesis examines how impacts of ‘overtourism’ have developed in Japan throughout the years 2013-2018, including the role of involved actors (citizens, public and private sectors). Overtourism is predominantly a subjective concept based on perceptions of citizens, and it is thus difficult to exactly measure. Based on an event data analysis of several Japanese newspapers and case study of Nara City, the results reveal that the frequency of negative tourism impacts (economic, socio-cultural and environmental) generally increased alongside the increase in number of inbound tourists.Show less
The Japanese video game industry used to be a leading force in the world. During the 90’s and the early 2000’s, Japanese video games dominated the international market. Recently, however, during...Show moreThe Japanese video game industry used to be a leading force in the world. During the 90’s and the early 2000’s, Japanese video games dominated the international market. Recently, however, during the end of the last decade and the start of the current decade, Japanese video games experienced a huge dip in their sales. Japan has been attempting to use the ‘Soft Power’, the concept of influence generated by its popular culture overseas, to its advantage. The link between the Japanese video game industry and the concept of Soft Power have not been sufficiently examined as of now, hence why it was the focus of this study. The aim of this study was to come to an understanding of why these fluctuations in the market occurred, as well as look for the potential influence of Japanese video games and their popularity overseas on Japan’s Soft Power. By asking questions, in the form of a survey, to experts from the Dutch video game industry, the objective was to come to new insights on the matter and open up possibilities for further research. Results from the survey showed that previously underrepresented factors contributed to the fall in popularity of Japanese video games in the West. Elements like ease of use, lingual nuances, as well as intrinsic differences in preferences of the Japanese domestic audience and the Western audience, were identified. The link between the performance of Japanese video games overseas and Japan’s Soft Power was also confirmed. Respondents acknowledge the capability of Japanese video games to influence the consumer’s image of Japan, albeit not always in a purely positive way. Arguments were also raised that the Japan portrayed in video games is often not the real Japan. This holds true, but in order to make a target audience think more positively about Japan, the ‘real’ Japan does not need to be represented accurately. Thus, it can be argued that popularity of Japanese video games overseas does indeed correlate to an increase in Japan’s Soft Power.Show less
This study examines to what extent local governments in Japan make use of their official websites to facilitate the social integration of their foreign residents through online multilingual...Show moreThis study examines to what extent local governments in Japan make use of their official websites to facilitate the social integration of their foreign residents through online multilingual provisions. A comparative analysis of the official websites of various kinds of cities, towns and villages not only serves to highlight some of the stark and surprising differences in their online integration efforts. A consideration of specific factors in the analysis, such as economic power, administrative authority, relative migrant population size and City Network membership, also allows for a more in depth exploration of some of the underlying social, political and economic reasons as to why some localities provide substantially better online multilingual provisions than others.Show less
In postwar economic development, Japan has chosen a different way to neoliberalism. The government did not “step back” from the market or rely on the action of the “invisible hand”; it played an...Show moreIn postwar economic development, Japan has chosen a different way to neoliberalism. The government did not “step back” from the market or rely on the action of the “invisible hand”; it played an important role itself in economic development. Under the guidance and intervention of the state, Japan became an economic miracle and the most successful industrialized economy in the world, then experienced a collapse followed by great stagnation. Simultaneously, while Japan used to have the role of driver and leader of the regional economy before the collapse, it lost its advantageous position when it became stuck in great stagnation. Japan’s economic status changed drastically accompanied with its changing economic power. For an economy like Japan that cooperated highly with the state, the capacity of the state would have a huge impact on the economy, on both economic power and economic status. Japan’s changing economic power and status in the region became a mirror to reflect the changing state capacity in Japan.Show less
Dungen, Boudewijn Sebastiaan Thibault van den 2016
The Japanese population and its healthcare system is under pressure. The population is declining drastically; the amount of elderly is increasing heavily and with the costs to take care of them...Show moreThe Japanese population and its healthcare system is under pressure. The population is declining drastically; the amount of elderly is increasing heavily and with the costs to take care of them will be heavy. Their increasingly chasing population structure is a major concern for politicians and companies alike. Too often Japanese politicians keep this status quo alive, on one hand they agree that Japan needs to introduce pro-immigration policies but on the other hand, when it comes to implement real and viable policies they ignore it. Japanese politicians are hesitant to call for increased immigration, due to fear from the public. These fears often stem from some underbelly feeling, which also fueled by the Media. The introduction of the Foreign nurses and caretakers was a first step into the right direction. Sadly, the outcome was insignificant and had practically no influence. This program shows the weakness of the Japanese immigration policies. It lacks flexibility, practicality and long-term vision.Show less
An overview and analysis of the Small and Medium Enterprise policies of the Japanese government during the period 2006-2013 and of the effect of the 2008 global financial crisis on these policies.
