This thesis compares the functions of discourse sentence-final particles in Dutch and Japanese. Focusing specifically on Dutch he and hoor and Japanese yo and ne, the thesis clarifies the overlap...Show moreThis thesis compares the functions of discourse sentence-final particles in Dutch and Japanese. Focusing specifically on Dutch he and hoor and Japanese yo and ne, the thesis clarifies the overlap and the diversion in their meaning based on questionnaires participated by native Dutch and Japanese speakers.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
Shinzo Abe is portrayed by literature to be someone who actively tries to curtail press freedom in Japan. This thesis posits that Abe's actions regarding press freedom in Japan do not constitute an...Show moreShinzo Abe is portrayed by literature to be someone who actively tries to curtail press freedom in Japan. This thesis posits that Abe's actions regarding press freedom in Japan do not constitute an attack on press freedom. It does so by reviewing the existing literature and considering whether the examples given by the literature ought to be considered as attacks. Afterwards, the thesis examines the modern day Japanese press through the lens of social responsibility-theory and concludes that the Japanese press system works in line with the expectations of the theory. As such, Japanese press freedom should be considered to be in working order.Show less
With the upcoming World Expo of 2025, the attention will be focused on Osaka once again. The first time Osaka held the World Expo was in 1970 and attracted a staggering number of visitors. Though...Show moreWith the upcoming World Expo of 2025, the attention will be focused on Osaka once again. The first time Osaka held the World Expo was in 1970 and attracted a staggering number of visitors. Though mega-events like the World Exposition are generally used as a tool for the host city to gain international exposure and boost the economy, whether the Expo of 1970 had the desired effect on the regional development of Osaka, has not yet been extensively studied. Therefore, this thesis will research and discuss to what extent the Osaka Expo of 1970 influenced Osaka’s economic and urban development. The research will be divided into four subsections (construction, tourism, economic restructuring and global status) and will primarily focus on relevant data provided by the Prefectural Government of Osaka.Show less
""What is the role of the supernatural in lessening the burden of disaster in Edo prints?"" is the question that I want to answer in this thesis by looking at diseases and the Great Ansei Earthquakes.
A closer look at the collaborative aspects of the Late Edo-period printing industry, the various techniques that were employed, and the way this process shaped the final product.
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
In deze scriptie wordt gekeken naar het gebruik van lokale identiteit in het Udon-ken project van de prefectuur Kagawa. Eerst wordt er gekeken naar de manier waarop lokale identiteit in het...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt gekeken naar het gebruik van lokale identiteit in het Udon-ken project van de prefectuur Kagawa. Eerst wordt er gekeken naar de manier waarop lokale identiteit in het verleden toeristencampagnes is terug te vinden, met een nadruk op het gebruik van de furusato in de jaren '70 en '80. Vervolgens wordt er gekeken naar de relatie tussen lokale identiteit en voedselproducten. Tot slot wordt de eerste promotievideo, alsook de eerste versie van de website van het Udon-ken project geanalyseerd.Show less
Slechts een minderheid van Japanse vaders nemen vaderschapsverlof op na de geboorte van hun kind. Maar door onderzoek te doen naar deze minderheid kan de waarde van vaderschapsverlof ontdekt worden...Show moreSlechts een minderheid van Japanse vaders nemen vaderschapsverlof op na de geboorte van hun kind. Maar door onderzoek te doen naar deze minderheid kan de waarde van vaderschapsverlof ontdekt worden. In deze scriptie wordt doormiddel van een blog analyse gekeken naar de redenen waarom vaders in Japan langdurig vaderschapsverlof opnemen en de veranderingen die de vaders meemaken tijdens deze verlofperiode. Hiermee belicht deze scriptie de effectiviteit van langdurig vaderschapsverlof op de gezinsband en work-life balance van de ouders.Show less
Compared to other recent governments, the Second Abe Administration has been seen as a government with a larger interest in nationalism and patriotic history. According to various scholars, this...Show moreCompared to other recent governments, the Second Abe Administration has been seen as a government with a larger interest in nationalism and patriotic history. According to various scholars, this nationalism is represented in Prime Minister Abe’s war commemoration statements, as in his 2013 visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. What is often overlooked in such discourse, is the fact that the current administration has now lasted for eight years and counting, and that no further visits to the shrine were actually made by Abe, despite his long-standing support for Yasukuni. It could be argued that rather than his actual visit, his restraint on further visits is more conspicuous. This study aims to determine the rationale behind Abe’s Yasukuni policy. Building on existing scholars’ work, it asks: How can the Yasukuni policy of Shinzo Abe be understood beyond the existing personal preference explanations? In this context, personal preference is defined as the affinity that prime ministers have with nationalistic interpretations of Japanese history, and how these are leading in determining their Yasukuni policies. Based on an analysis of previous prime ministers’ war commemoration statements (Murayama, Koizumi) and Abe’s personal profile, it could be argued that the Abe administration represents a shift towards nationalism. In relation to the Japanese publics approval of prime ministerial visits, surveys were held by Japan’s main news organizations which showed a slight increase in Yasukuni support over the last 15 years. While this change is generally attributed to the deterioration of Japan’s relations with neighboring countries over time, results of government surveys showed a drastic deterioration of the public’s perception of foreign relations. What these disproportionate results indicate, is that feelings of social distance between the Japanese people and their neighboring countries do not necessarily increase their support for prime ministerial Yasukuni visits. More convincing majority votes were found on surveys that asked whether the public approved on Abe’s restraint on Yasukuni visits, and whether the public found that Japan’s relations with its neighboring countries should be improved. On this basis, this research argues that restraint on the Yasukuni issue satisfies the majority of the public and is thus beneficial from a perspective of political survival. Further research is needed to adequately assess how the state of international relations will influence prime ministerial visits in the future.Show less
The North Korean abduction issue has long been an important factor in Japan’s foreign policy towards the DPRK, the Japanese government has made attempts at raising awareness among people living...Show moreThe North Korean abduction issue has long been an important factor in Japan’s foreign policy towards the DPRK, the Japanese government has made attempts at raising awareness among people living outside of Japan through various media. This research set out to analyze how the Japanese government used emotion in a video posted on the government-run rachi.go.jp website, in an attempt at gaining the support of English-speaking viewers for its stance on the issue. In this way, the research contributes both to the fields of emotion in IR, as well as to the extant scholarly work on the abduction issue. I have carried out the analysis by using discourse analysis, as proposed by other scholars in the field of emotion in IR. From this analysis, I conclude that the Japanese government attempts to create three primary emotions in the viewer: compassion, hope and outrage. These three emotions are created through various visual, as well as audible symbols, ranging from colors used in the video to the music played while giving general information on the issue. While the intended emotions are successfully created in the viewer, the full potential effectiveness of the video is not reached due to a lack of circulation caused by the obscureness of the website which hosts it.Show less
In this thesis, I will be looking at a category of popular prints produced during the Boshin War (1868-1869), namely images of children at play (kodomo asobi, 子供遊び). The main question I will...Show moreIn this thesis, I will be looking at a category of popular prints produced during the Boshin War (1868-1869), namely images of children at play (kodomo asobi, 子供遊び). The main question I will attempt to answer, is: How do popular images of children playing made during the Boshin War convey the stress people were facing at that time? I will analyze three case studies of these kodomo asobi prints. I will look at the multiple layers that can be found in each print and what messages or sentiments this might convey. By doing this, I want to reveal the underlying sentiments of these prints and how they convey the stress of the common people surrounding the civil war.Show less
