This thesis aims to explain why the cash reserves of Japanese firms have almost tripled in the years between 2013 and 2019, during a time where neoliberal policy reform should have encouraged...Show moreThis thesis aims to explain why the cash reserves of Japanese firms have almost tripled in the years between 2013 and 2019, during a time where neoliberal policy reform should have encouraged spending excess cash on extra investing. By combining a study of already existing literature on how these policy changes should have affected firms and a case study on how Japanese firms have actually reacted to the reforms, it becomes clear that they did not have the expected results. Investments are down and cash reserves keep going up. With the use of the theory of path dependency, this phenomenon can be explained. Traditional Japanese firms have a tendency to be more conservative and tend to be focussed on long term growth. While the business environment has significantly changed, the structure and institutions of the firms have stayed the same. Easier access to financial capital and lower interest rates have increased profits, but they have not changed the firm’s investment strategies. Instead the new earned profits have been assigned to the cash reserves for later use.Show less
This thesis explores the influence of certain nationalities on the working conditions trainees of that nationality receive in the Japanese labour market. This research found that countries with a...Show moreThis thesis explores the influence of certain nationalities on the working conditions trainees of that nationality receive in the Japanese labour market. This research found that countries with a higer GDP per capita tend to have better working conditions on the Japanese labour market but that the size of a population of a nationality does not seem to have an influence in either way. The relation between GDP per capita and working conditions might can be explained through the image of perceived wealth.Show less
Women’s empowerment is the pivot point of this paper; it investigates the contemporary Japanese women’s awareness of gender inequalities in the workplace and Womenomics. This thesis attempts to...Show moreWomen’s empowerment is the pivot point of this paper; it investigates the contemporary Japanese women’s awareness of gender inequalities in the workplace and Womenomics. This thesis attempts to suggest possible solutions to gender discrimination in the Japanese workplace. To accomplish this goal, this paper employs a quantitative method for data collection. The chosen sample consisted of Japanese women employed in Japanese companies alone. At a later stage, data analysis was done through a qualitative approach. Respondents’ feedback to the questionnaire was fundamental to draw this project’s conclusions. In this regard, Japanese women seem not to be aware of Womenomics’ contents and the majority of them consider these polices as useless in terms of women’s empowerment. By contrast, they are well aware of gender inequalities at their workplace, and they offered valuable solutions to solve the problem. A prospective awareness-raising intervention is considered essential because it would help to sensitize people to the problem and to faster gender equality’s fulfillment. Moreover, if people were aware of the persistent gender gap in contemporary society, their perception would encourage leaders to take action for the creation of a gender-equal society. According to the majority of the questionnaire’s respondents, if people cooperate as individuals and not as men and women, it will possibly be a starting point for gender stereotypes’ elimination.Show less
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
The concept of Sustainable Development is increasingly used in development policies. Still, it remains questionable whether sustainable development is feasible in reality. Since a few years, China...Show moreThe concept of Sustainable Development is increasingly used in development policies. Still, it remains questionable whether sustainable development is feasible in reality. Since a few years, China aims to be leading in sustainable development. Their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could secure that leading role at a global scale. Nonetheless, many scholars argue that this project is far from sustainable. Others refute this criticism and state that the BRI has the most potential for sustainable development. This thesis aims to investigate this debate by answering the following question: To what extent is ecologically sustainable development implemented within the Chinese BRI Railroad projects in Sub-Saharan African Countries? A qualitative data analysis (small-N) will answer this question. The conditions of sustainable development will be compared to practice by studying three railroad projects. This thesis will view sustainable development through an ecological lens with a focus on Strong Sustainability. This thesis analyses how the projects relate to the criteria of Strong Sustainability: protecting and promoting biodiversity, sustainable water management and carbon emission reductions. The results show that the SGR projects do attribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. Still, they could have done more to make the project genuinely sustainable; a lot of environmental concerns remain unaddressed within the projects. Therefore, these projects cannot be labelled as ecologically sustainable under the criteria of Strong Sustainability.Show less
This research paper examines the role and influence of women in Japanese organizational cultures since their involvement in the labor force starting in the 1990s. This new labor force consisted of...Show moreThis research paper examines the role and influence of women in Japanese organizational cultures since their involvement in the labor force starting in the 1990s. This new labor force consisted of educated and highly-skilled women and was partly made possible due to the social visibility Japanese women started to receive during this time. As a result, Japanese organizational culture as we know it has gradually changed as well. Previous findings have suggested that women somewhat differ in some features of organizational culture, such as speech, dress code, and behavior. Due to these slight differences in these features, Japanese organizations began to change some of their policies and thus their organizational culture in order to develop a more inclusive environment. By analyzing several traditional Japanese organizations and their cultures, this paper demonstrates that Japanese women have influenced their organizational cultures to a certain extent. We can see that even the most traditional Japanese organizations have started to become more inclusive and open-minded towards gender equality which is, for example, visible in their women empowerment programs.Show less
This dissertation tries to provide a clear, complete image on the reasoning behind labor market deregulation in Japan, looking beyond often given reasons such as increased competition and the...Show moreThis dissertation tries to provide a clear, complete image on the reasoning behind labor market deregulation in Japan, looking beyond often given reasons such as increased competition and the weakened position of labor unions.Show less
Aid practices are often not leading to inclusive human development. Research has shown that recipient countries face challenges to foster social progress, which is here to be understood as...Show moreAid practices are often not leading to inclusive human development. Research has shown that recipient countries face challenges to foster social progress, which is here to be understood as aggregate improvement of income, health status, and freedoms of the population. The challenges are often stemming from ineffective financial allocation of capital. This often forms the foundation for experts’ criticism of the effectiveness of aid efforts. Official Development Assistance (ODA), for example, can be deemed to be one form of partially ineffective aid practice. This study aims at identifying the causal mechanisms, triggered by ODA disbursements, that hinder social development. More specifically, the case of Japanese ODA in Myanmar shall be the focus of this study. Building on existing work, this paper asks: to what extent is Japanese ODA contributing to social progress in Myanmar? Based on an in-depth case study analysis of the Thilawa Special Economic Zone, this study seeks to demonstrate how the Japanese ODA project has not been successfully contributing to social development in Myanmar. The assessment of the results illustrated that the enhancement of human capabilities, understood with the Capability Approach developed by Amartya Sen, has not been verified.Show less
This thesis explores the Neoliberal policies by the Abe government regarding the attraction of foreign labor. The effects are analyzed on both the attraction of high-skilled as well as low-skilled...Show moreThis thesis explores the Neoliberal policies by the Abe government regarding the attraction of foreign labor. The effects are analyzed on both the attraction of high-skilled as well as low-skilled labor in supplementing the domestic workforce. Furthermore, it investigates the contrast to past policies and the effects in implementing foreign workers into the Japanese labor market.Show less
The Japanese Government, since the establishment of the Kyoto Protocol, has failed in effectively addressing climate change. Research has shown that the Japanese Government’s failure in combination...Show moreThe Japanese Government, since the establishment of the Kyoto Protocol, has failed in effectively addressing climate change. Research has shown that the Japanese Government’s failure in combination with its control over the media developed a misleading conception among the Japanese population of its efficacy in implementing environmentally-friendly policies, thus different kinds of communication are needed. This study aims to determine how employing art as a surrogate form of communication might raise awareness on the necessity and urgency of tackling environmental issues in Japan. Building on an alternative conception of the human-nature relationship arising from Zen Buddhist and Shinto values, this study asks: “To what extent can ecological art in Japan promote a message of sustainability that raises awareness and enhances the action of everyday actors?” By means of process-tracing combined with a case study analysis, this study illustrates the causal mechanisms between the Japanese religio-cultural inspired conception of the human-nature relationship, ecoart, and the establishment of a more environmentally friendly society. The case study analyses on the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field (ETAF) initiative showed that, by means of ecoart focused on community, locality and emotions, ETAF represents a viable model for Japan to increase ecoart initiatives and stimulate grassroots efforts towards environmental protection by means of art. Further research is needed on the initiatives engaging with the Japanese public aimed at delivering a message of environmental betterment by means of art and culture, as well as to determine the effects of ecoart in other parts of the world.Show less
This thesis analyses the spread of so-called "partnership systems" among Japanese local governments. Its main aim is to prove that this spread can be attributed to the workings of policy diffusion....Show moreThis thesis analyses the spread of so-called "partnership systems" among Japanese local governments. Its main aim is to prove that this spread can be attributed to the workings of policy diffusion. Through a qualitative analysis of primary sources, such as municipal assembly minutes, the thesis establishes that the spread of this policy is indeed largely the result of an interdependence between local governments' policy choices. It explains this interdependence through a combination of the analytical frameworks of rational choice institutionalism and normative institutionalism. Both competition for status as well as the ability to learn from preceding governments' policies are found to have played a role. While the thesis does not find compelling evidence for the supposed role of regional proximity, its findings do suggest that core cities are more likely to be influenced by other core cities, and that designated cities are more likely to be influenced by other designated cities.Show less
Currently, workers in Japan face numerous challenges ranging from the physical and mental repercussions of widespread overwork culture and labor insecurity, especially amongst young and female...Show moreCurrently, workers in Japan face numerous challenges ranging from the physical and mental repercussions of widespread overwork culture and labor insecurity, especially amongst young and female workers. Over the last few decades, Japanese labor has become increasingly precarious and individualized by nature due to a range of political and social factors. The aim of this thesis is to identify the factors that have led to this situation and analyze how Japanese labor has individualized. This is done by first providing a historical analysis to identify the social and political factors that have contributed to this situation. Afterward, with the use of three different authors, this thesis prescribes how exactly Japanese labor is individualized. This thesis argues that deregulatory practices, within labor specifically, in combination with dominant social norms have led to a decrease in civic engagement in which workers are able to better improve their working situations.Show less
This thesis looks at the relationship between the Cool Japan products and how the export of these products reflects upon the public opinion of the Chinese and South Korean public. It addresses the...Show moreThis thesis looks at the relationship between the Cool Japan products and how the export of these products reflects upon the public opinion of the Chinese and South Korean public. It addresses the limitation of cultural diplomacy as a source of soft power in the context of Sino-Japanese and South Korean-Japanese relations.Show less
Being a super-ageing society brings a plethora of problems: social, political and economic. This thesis will limit itself to the economic problems and their political implications due to its...Show moreBeing a super-ageing society brings a plethora of problems: social, political and economic. This thesis will limit itself to the economic problems and their political implications due to its limited scope. The most common mentioned problems associated with an ageing society are the pressure on 1) the healthcare system, 2) the pension system, and 3) the labour market. Yet, the current situation is that most elderly workers above 65 are not welcome in the workforce, despite all the relief they can offer. The conclusion of this thesis is that the resistance is due to ageism and archaic employment systems. In order to create a more accommodating employment situation for the elderly, a salary system revision is necessary. The existing literature, however, lacks concrete plans in regards to revising such system. Based on a case study at a company that was in the midst of introducing a salary system revision, this thesis tries to explain the measures that are needed to realise this revision successfully. The most important elements of realising this system are basing salary on performance and only giving promotions if there are vacancies. This will create a system where salaries are equal to production, as opposed to tenure.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
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
As Japan is suffering from labour shortages due to it's decreasing demographics and ageing population, foreign workers should present themselves to be a solution to the labour problems in Japan....Show moreAs Japan is suffering from labour shortages due to it's decreasing demographics and ageing population, foreign workers should present themselves to be a solution to the labour problems in Japan. However Japan has not been freely accepting all sorts of foreign labour, and has been mostly restricting itself to skilled foreign labour. This paper is trying to uncover the reasoning behind this preference for skilled foreign workers, while unskilled foreign workers are also required to solve the labour shortages. This will be done by researching the stance of the labour unions, the government, the companies, and how the language might influence the interaction between the two parties of the Japanese and the foreign workers.Show less
