DOCSLIB.ORG

Understanding Futōkō As a Social Problem in Japan: the Social Context and Motivation for Change

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Understanding Futōkō As a Social Problem in Japan: the Social Context and Motivation for Change ABSTRACT Understanding Futōkō as a Social Problem in Japan: The Social Context and Motivation for Change Brittany Nicole Lozano Director: Yuko Prefume, Senior Lecturer in Japanese Futōkō is a growing social issue in Japan in which students experience so much anxiety from the school environment that they become physically unable to attend, regardless of their intentions. There is much conflict behind the framing of this issue by society, academia, the media, and the government, each of which have competing interpretations about responsibility for the problem and appropriate responses to it. Reform efforts motivated in part by futōkō focus mainly on either economic interests or progressive moralist values, but there is a gap between the rhetoric and actual change resulting from political and ideological conflicts. Options available to children struggling with futōkō at present include counseling or free- schools (institutions independent from the state-mandated system), and the perspectives found within the latter are strikingly different from those reflected by the discourses, representing an inclusive, child-based approach to education that may hold valuable concepts for society as a whole. APPROVED BY DIRECTOR OF HONORS THESIS: _________________________________________________________________ Mrs. Yuko Prefume, Department of Modern Foreign Languages APPROVED BY THE HONORS PROGRAM ________________________________________________________________ Dr. Andrew Wisely, Director DATE: ________________________________ UNDERSTANDING FUTŌKŌ AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM IN JAPAN: THE SOCIAL CONTEXT AND MOTIVATION FOR CHANGE A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Baylor University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Honors Program By Brittany Nicole Lozano Waco, Texas December 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................. vi Dedication ........................................................................................................................................... viii Epigraph ................................................................................................................................................ ix Chapter One: Definitions and Discourses for Futōkō Today ............................................ 1 1.1 Development of the Terminology ........................................................................... 3 1.2 Social Views of the Characteristics of Futōkō .................................................... 8 1.3 Variation of Causes and Impact on Definition ................................................. 14 1.4 Data and the Importation of Psychology ........................................................... 19 Chapter Two: Recognition of Futōkō ........................................................................................ 30 2.1 Society’s Relationship with the Media ................................................................ 30 Chapter Three: The Governmental and Educational Institutions ............................... 42 3.1 Educational System Structure and Grade Pressure ...................................... 42 3.2 History and Ideals ........................................................................................................ 48 3.3 The Problem Cycle and Statistical Implications .............................................. 57 Chapter Four: Reforms and Motivation for Change .......................................................... 62 4.1 Policy Reform Actors .................................................................................................. 63 4.2 “Functionalist” Reform .............................................................................................. 73 4.3 “Moralist” Reform: The Progressive Overlay ................................................... 80 4.4 Actual Change ................................................................................................................ 87 4.5 The Ideology of Education ........................................................................................ 90 4.6 The Outlook for Change ............................................................................................. 97 Chapter Five: Options Available for Futōkō Children .................................................... 102 5.1 Counseling .................................................................................................................... 103 5.2 Alternate School Structures .................................................................................. 112 ii Chapter Six: Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 119 6.1 Futōkō Presence and Treatment Internationally ........................................ 119 6.2 Conclusions .................................................................................................................. 127 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................... 134 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Causes of Non-Attendance, 1960-1997 ............................................................... 15 Figure 2. Analyzable Sub-Units of Youth Discourses ........................................................ 16 Figure 3. Futōkō Children and Students Rate of Change ................................................. 21 Figure 4. SPECT Imaging of Brain Activity ........................................................................ 109 Figure 5. Diagram of Futōkō Cause and Effect Relationships ..................................... 111 Figure 6. Where should hikikomori cases be treated? ................................................... 125 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Futōkō Children and Students Rate of Change ................................................... 20 Table 2. Notable Japanese Problem Youth Categories, 1970s to 2000s ................... 27 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The people in my life have been essential in enabling me to reach the place I am at now, in both an educational and a personal sense. I would like to specifically thank those who helped to make this thesis possible. First, my mentor and thesis director, Yuko Prefume, has been a constant source of advice as I have worked through the process of writing my thesis. She has guided and supported me through not only this final stage of my undergraduate career, but also as I was finding my direction academically and undertaking experiences through study abroad that would lead to the discovery of my thesis topic and become the foundation of my intentions for the future. I cannot thank her enough – she has had an indelible impact on my life, and I am sincerely grateful to her. As mentioned previously, I came upon the topic of this thesis during my time as an exchange student at Hosei University in Tokyo, Japan, and a significant part of my research took place there. I would like to thank the professors who helped me during my time at Hosei for their advice and encouragement. I would also like to express my appreciation to the kind people of the two free-schools I visited, Keiyū Gakuen and Eimei Juku, who took the time to meet with me and discuss a broad range of issues related to futōkō in order to assist with my research. I must also thank my parents, who are responsible for the person I have become. They taught me to pursue every opportunity to the best of my ability and to be sincere in all my efforts. I appreciate the unwavering support they have given vi me for every endeavor I have taken up, including my time abroad and my work on this thesis. My sister is also a bright light in my life, and her perspectives on academic experience as one still in high school helped me to better understand the youth perspective on social pressures and related topics. People are the most important part of my life, and those in my family are among the most precious to me. I would like to thank them for being both my support and my motivation. vii Dedicated to all those who have ever been afraid to be themselves. viii 花屋の店先に並んだ いろんな花を見ていた ひとそれぞれ好みはあるけど どれもみんなきれいだね この中で誰が一番だなんて 争うこともしないで バケツの中誇らしげに しゃんと胸を張っている – 槇原敬之 ix CHAPTER ONE Definitions and Discourses for Futōkō Today In this thesis, I intend to consider the presence of futōkō as a social problem in relation to Japanese society. Futōkō on a basic understanding simply denotes students who do not attend school, but viewed as a social problem it refers to children who have developed an actual phobia and cannot attend school without suffering physical illness due to the high level of anxiety the experience causes (行き たいのに、行けないという場合). To properly discuss this problem, I will begin in this first chapter by carefully considering the definition of the topic itself, which is disagreed upon by different discourses within Japan, along with how the terminology applied has shifted over time. I will then continue by analyzing how futōkō has developed as a social problem, and how it has been viewed by society throughout this process. The underlying beliefs about the nature of education and society that often
Load more

Recommended publications
  • READERS' FORUM Cram Schools in Japan
    READERS’ FORUM Cram Schools in Japan: The Need for Research been the subject of considerable amounts of re- Robert J. Lowe search. Studies have been carried out in these con- Rikkyo University texts regarding educational policy (see Hashimoto, 2009; Yonezawa, Akiba, & Hiouchi, 2009), teaching methodologies (see Gorsuch, 2001; Nishino & Wata- The private juku (cram school) industry is an enormously prof- nabe, 2008), classroom policies on language use itable and influential area of education in Japan, including in the specific field of English language teaching (ELT). However, (see Hashimoto, 2013; Yphantides, 2013), teaching while much research has been carried out in other areas of ELT materials (see Yamanaka, 2006; Mineshima, 2008; in Japan, juku have largely escaped the attention of research- Sano, Iida, & Harvey, 2009), teacher and student ers. This paper attempts to argue the need for more research perspectives (see O’Donnell, 2008; McKenzie, 2008; into English language education as it is practiced in juku. The article first situates juku within the Japanese education sys- Rudolph and Igarashi, 2012), teacher identities (see tem, and then illustrates the extent to which juku have been Butler, 2007; Nagatomo, 2012) and many other under-researched when compared to other ELT contexts in areas. As a result, much is known about English Japan. The author advocates the need for more research into education in these settings, providing views on each ELT to be carried out in juku, and finally suggests some areas context at different magnifications, from the overall into which this research could be conducted. structure of the institution to the details of class- 学習塾産業は大きなビジネスであり、日本の英語教育に大きな影響を room teaching and interaction.
    [Show full text]
  • How Intercultural Experiences Created Identities of Returnees : a Comparison of Kikokushijo in the Taishou, Showa and Heisei Eras
    松山大学論集 第31巻第1号抜刷 2019年4月発行 How Intercultural Experiences Created Identities of Returnees : A Comparison of kikokushijo in the Taishou, Showa and Heisei eras Kaori Ono How Intercultural Experiences Created Identities of Returnees : A Comparison of kikokushijo in the Taishou, Showa and Heisei eras Kaori Ono 228 松山大学論集 第31巻 第1号 1．Introduction Increased mobility across countries and cultures has led to a global rise in the number of sojourning children（Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 2016）. With this change, identity negotiation of the so-called kikokushijos warrants more attention. In Japan, most of the research on sojourning children has focused on challenges encountered by kikokushijos quite extensively （Ichikawa, 2004; Kanno, 2003; Kidder, 1992; Mcdonald, 1995/2011; Miyaji, 1985;Osawa,1986; Podalsky, 2009; Pollack & Reken, 2001/2009; Sueda2012）, in contrast, the dynamics of a successful reentry and the emotional factors these children experience when they transfer between schools with different cultural backgrounds during their developmental years has not received due attention. This study sought to fill this gap since a clearer understanding of this process will assist Japanese communities that accept kikokushijos to help their repatriation better. 2．Literature Review 2．1 Introduction To better understand the issues of kikokushijo［returnees］living in Japan, this paper will begin by first introducing empirical studies of cross-cultural values frequently referenced in the field of intercultural relations. Next, the term kikokushijo will be defined and the literature on previous studies of returnees will be examined. 2．2 Theories on the Adjustment of Individuals in Intercultural Contexts Berry’s acculturation model1）（Berry, 2005）explains the processes by which an individual either goes through cultural and psychological changes in an intercultural setting or actively resists such change.
    [Show full text]
  • Language Learners' Beliefs: Development and Change A
    LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ BELIEFS: DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education By Sakae Suzuki May, 2012 Examining Committee Members Marshall Childs, Advisory Chair, TESOL/CITE David Beglar, TESOL/CITE Mark Sawyer, External Member, Kwansai Gakuin University Tim Murphey, External Member, Kanda University of International Studies Masako Sakamoto, External Member, Bunka Gakuen University © Copyright 2012 by Sakae Suzuki iii ABSTRACT This longitudinal study was designed to provide an orderly account of how beliefs about English language learning develop among seven Japanese high school students, identify beliefs that are beneficial and interfering for language learning and the routes by which these beliefs are reached, and identify belief changes and their sources. Beliefs are defined as a cognitive representation about self and the world. They are situated in experiences and social context. Learner beliefs pertain to many aspects of language learning and come from multiple sources, including educational background, experience living overseas, peers, teachers, and persons met in chance encounters. The data for the study were collected from seven students attending a Japanese public high school. Beginning when the students were first-year high school students (10th graders), the data, which were drawn from in-depth interviews, journals, written reports, observations, and school records, form a qualitative multiple-case-study. Data gathering ended when the students chose a university in the third year of high school. There were five major findings. First, learners develop and modify their beliefs based on their life experiences inside and outside the classroom.
    [Show full text]
  • Stony Brook University
    SSStttooonnnyyy BBBrrrooooookkk UUUnnniiivvveeerrrsssiiitttyyy The official electronic file of this thesis or dissertation is maintained by the University Libraries on behalf of The Graduate School at Stony Brook University. ©©© AAAllllll RRRiiiggghhhtttsss RRReeessseeerrrvvveeeddd bbbyyy AAAuuuttthhhooorrr... Mediating Trans/nationalism: Japanese ‘Jun’ai’ (Pure-Love) in Popular Media Representations A Dissertation Presented by I-Te Rita Sung to The Graduate School in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature Stony Brook University August 2016 Stony Brook University The Graduate School I-Te Rita Sung We, the dissertation committee for the above candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, hereby recommend acceptance of this dissertation. E. Ann Kaplan, Distinguished Professor, Dissertation Co-Advisor Cultural Analysis & Theory Krin Gabbard, Professor Emeritus, Dissertation Co-Advisor Cultural Analysis & Theory Jeffrey Santa Ana, Associate Professor, Chairperson of Defense Cultural Analysis & Theory and English Department Leo T.S. Ching, Outside Member, Duke University, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Aaron A. Gerow, Outside Member, Yale University, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures This dissertation is accepted by the Graduate School Nancy Goroff Interim Dean of the Graduate School ii Abstract of the Dissertation Mediating Trans/nationalism: Japanese ‘Jun’ai’ (Pure-Love) in Popular Media Representations by I-Te Rita Sung Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature Stony Brook University 2016 Since the beginning of the 21st century, the jun’ai (pure-love) genre has flourished in Japan, both in works of popular literature and in film. This phenomenon coincides with a time when the country is seen by the media as being characterized by soshitsukan (sense of loss).
    [Show full text]
  • Discourse and Practice
    Educational Studies in Japan: International Yearbook No. 12, March, 2018. pp. 35-48 Patterns of variations in the ‘internationalising education’ discourse and practice Kaori H. Okano* This paper examines variations and shifts of emphasis in the ‘internation- alising education’ discourse and practice, and attempts to identify patterns in these variations. By examining two sectors, compulsory education and univer- sities, it identifi es four main strands of discourse: (1) international (understand- ing) education (kokusai rikai kyôiku) in the form of engagement with other (of- ten Western) countries; (2) domestic internationalisation (uchinaru kokusaika); (3) human rights education (jinken kyôiku) for zainichi Koreans; and (4) global human resources and competitiveness in the global arena. Each of the four strands has been taken up to differing degrees, in varying combinations over time, in discussing internationalisation. The paper shows how each of these strands has made a ‘connection’ to one of the other strands, depending on the sector, the level of educational administration and specifi c local circumstances; and in so doing over time how they have lead to varying discourses and prac- tices. This advances our understanding of the discourse of ‘internationalisation’ in education as a historical product that is still a work in progress. Keywords: Internationalisation; education; Japan; multiculturalism The term kokusaika, translated into English as ‘internationalisation’, has been a catchall phrase widely used in the government, business, academic and public discourse in the last fi ve decades. It has often been interpreted differently in specifi c localities, sectors of the soci- ety (e.g., business, social welfare, education), and levels of public administration (e.g., na- tional, prefectural, municipal, township).
    [Show full text]
  • Fakten Und Zahlen
    Fakten und Zahlen Ländername Der japanische Landesname Nippon bzw. Nihon setzt sich aus den Bestandteilen „ni“ für Sonne oder Tag und „hon“ für Ursprung oder Wurzel zusammen. Zusammen ergibt sich das „Land der aufgehenden Sonne“, als das Japan auch bekannt ist. Der Begriff kann sowohl „nippon“ (eher formal) als auch „nihon“ (eher Alltagssprache) ausgesprochen werden. Lage und Natur Japan liegt östlich vom asiatischen Festland, etwa auf gleicher Höhe wie Nord - und Süd - Korea; weitere Nachbarn sind China, Taiwan und Russland. Die Inselkette liegt im nordöstlichen Pazifik sowie im japanischen, philippinischen und ostchinesischen Meer. Japan erstreckt sich vom 45. Breitengrad im Norden (Hokkaido) zum 20. Breitengrad im Süden (Atoll Okinotorishima). Neben über 6.800 kleinen Inseln besteht Japan aus vier Hauptinseln (von Nord nach Süd): Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku und Kyushu. Von den vier Hauptinseln ist Honshu die größte. Sie nimmt 61 Prozent der Gesamtfläche ein. Hokkaido kommt auf 21 Prozent, Kyushu auf 11 Prozent und Shikoku auf 5 Prozent der Fläche. Japan ist mit einer Fläche von 377.923 Quadratkilometern etwas größer als Deutschla nd (357.046 Quadratkilometer) und etwas kleiner als Kalifornien (423.970 Quadratkilometer). (Quellen: Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland, 2006; Statistikamt des japanischen Innenministeriums, 2008) Japan ist gebirgig (61 Prozent), hügelig (12 Prozent) und bewaldet (66 Prozent). Stadt - und Industriegebiete sowie landwirtschaftliche Nutzflächen drängen sich auf nur einem Viertel der Gesamtfläche in den Ebenen und an den Küsten zusammen. Quelle: Geographical Survey Institute , Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Japan Coast Guard Klima Japans etwa 3.800 km lange Inselkette erstreckt sich über verschiedene Klimazonen. Während Hokkaido mit schneereichen Wintern und e her kühlen Sommern subarktisch geprägt ist, herrscht auf der südlichen Insel Okinawa subtropisches Klima.
    [Show full text]
  • Part One: the Essentials of Society: Men and Women 1
    Notes PART ONE: THE ESSENTIALS OF SOCIETY: MEN AND WOMEN 1. In terms of fixed wages, Labour Ministry figures for 1994 show men to earn more than half as much again (161 per cent) as women (Asahi Shimbun Japan Almanac 1997, p. 100). After recruitment (when the gap in pay is smallest) men generally go on a ‘career escalator’, whereas women go on a ‘clerical escalator’. Career path and promotional opportunities are affected, among other things, by educational attain- ment. Whereas numerically a smaller percentage of matriculating male students (43 per cent) than female students (48 per cent) proceed to some form of tertiary education, a majority of females (52 per cent)— and almost no males (5 per cent)—merely attend a short-term junior college as opposed to a regular university, meaning that males typically have much stronger qualifications (Ministry of Education figures, in Asahi Shimbun Japan Almanac 1997, p. 240). 2. Management and Coordination Agency figures, in Asahi Shimbun Japan Almanac 1997, p. 48. 3. See for example Okonogi 86, p. 1. 4. See Smith 83, p. 128, for a vivid illustration of the often extreme degree of prioritisation of the company over self. Smith recounts an incident in 1979 when a male worker successfully tackled a robber. He had not realised that the robber was in fact armed with a knife, and when asked by the television news reporter if he would still have tackled the robber if he had known this, he replied that he wouldn’t have, because he might have been injured, had to take time off work as a result, and thereby inconvenience his company.
    [Show full text]
  • Possibilities and Constraints of Immigrant Students in the Japanese Educational System
    ED/GEMR/MRT/2018/P1/41/REV Background paper prepared for the 2019 Global Education Monitoring Report Migration, displacement and education: Building bridges, not walls POSSIBILITIES AND CONSTRAINTS OF IMMIGRANT STUDENTS IN THE JAPANESE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM This paper was commissioned by the Global Education Monitoring Report as background information to assist in drafting the 2019 GEM Report, Migration, displacement and education: Building bridges, not walls. It has not been edited by the team. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and should not be attributed to the Global Education Monitoring Report or to UNESCO. The papers can be cited with the following reference: “Paper commissioned for the 2019 Global Education Monitoring Report, Migration, displacement and education: Building bridges, not walls”. For further information, please contact [email protected]. Tomoko Tokunaga 2 0 1 8 Japan has a small but increasingly visible immigrant population, especially in the context of an aging Japanese population and a declining native cohort of children. Given the lack of a national education policy, integrating immigrant children into the Japanese education system has been a challenge. Nevertheless, while educational problems such as high rates of non-attendance, low progression rates, and high dropout rates among immigrant students have been reported, there has been a gradual improvement in educational attainment as seen in the increase in the numbers of students who graduate from colleges and secure permanent jobs. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Japanese education system and its policies toward immigrant students, and to explore the educational experiences of these students by looking across ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, and educational types and levels.
    [Show full text]
  • A Descriptive Study of Japanese Biliterate Students in the United States : Bilingualism, Language-Minority Education, and Teachers' Role
    University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-1998 A descriptive study of Japanese biliterate students in the United States : bilingualism, language-minority education, and teachers' role. Yoshiko Nagaoka University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Nagaoka, Yoshiko, "A descriptive study of Japanese biliterate students in the United States : bilingualism, language-minority education, and teachers' role." (1998). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 5338. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/5338 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF JAPANESE BILITERATE STUDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES: BILINGUALISM, LANGUAGE-MINORITY EDUCATION, AND TEACHERS' ROLE A Dissertation Presented by YOSHIKO NAGAOKA Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION September 1998 School of Education © Copyright by Yoshiko Nagaoka 1998 All Rights Reserved A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF JAPANESE BILITERATE STUDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES: BILINGUALISM, LANGUAGE-MINORITY EDUCATION, TEACHER'S ROLE A Dissertation Presented by YOSHIKO NAGAOKA approved as to styl4 ahd /content by i- Atron A. Gentry, Chair Robert W. Maloy, Member Charles K. Smith, Member lAJLA taifey W. Jackson, Dean SchAol of Education ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to the chair of my dissertation committee. Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Examining the Influences of Yutori Education in Japan
    EXAMINING THE INFLUENCES OF YUTORI EDUCATION IN JAPAN ON OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN (OTL) AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT ON THE TIMSS: A MULTIPLE COHORT ANALYSIS by Meiko Lin Dissertation Committee: Professor Madhabi Chatterji, Sponsor Professor Oren Pizmony-Levy Approved by the Committee on the Degree of Doctor of Education Date May 16, 2018 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in Teachers College, Columbia University 2018 ABSTRACT EXAMINING THE INFLUENCES OF YUTORI EDUCATION IN JAPAN ON OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN (OTL) AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT ON THE TIMSS: A MULTIPLE COHORT ANALYSIS Meiko Lin The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of yutori reforms on Opportunity to Learn (OTL), as defined by Stevens’ (1993, 1996) multidimensional framework, and to examine how the changes in OTL may have subsequently affected Japanese 8th graders’ mathematics achievement as measured by the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This dissertation was a mixed-methods, multi- cohort study combining analyses of archival documents and interview-based data with analyses of quantitative TIMSS data on OTL and student achievement in mathematics in selected years. The study used three waves of TIMSS data (1999, 2003, and 2007) to examine the effects of yutori reforms on OTL levels at the classroom level over time, and their corresponding influence on student achievement levels on the TIMSS assessment with Hierarchical Linear Models (HLM). The three overarching findings of this study were: (a) the yutori
    [Show full text]
  • Hikikomori As a Gendered Issue Analysis on the Discourse of Acute Social Withdrawal in Contemporary Japan
    University of Hawai'i Manoa Hikikomori as a Gendered Issue Analysis on the discourse of acute social withdrawal in contemporary Japan. A research paper submitted to satisfy the requirements for History course number 425 —Final Revision— By Michael J. Dziesinski Honolulu, Hawaii Fall Semester 2004 NOTE: This document is an academic work being provided for free distribution in order to disseminate the research herein. You may quote from this work freely provided you properly cite this author and document as your source and that citation of the author’s name accompanies any usage of any part of this work. Please email me with any questions at: [email protected] This document is Copyright Michael Dziesinski, 2005. Michael Dziesinski Hikikomori as a Gendered Issue 2 Hikikomori, an introduction. In the year 2000, a new social malady apparently unique to Japan came into the pubic awareness through various news reports by media outlets in Japan. A new term, hikikomori, was coined for this social phenomenon by Japanese psychologist Tamaki Saito to describe a disturbing behavioral trend towards complete social withdrawal among Japanese youths. This new social label, hikikomori, began to spread in an almost viral fashion throughout the Japanese consciousness gaining ever-higher visibility through media coverage associating sensational acts of violence to those suffering from the hikikomori 'malady'. It was not long until the definition of 'hikikomori' was co-opted by public health professionals to officially classify reclusive youths who exhibited deviance by refusing to participate in socially established norms. From of the mouths of institutional and governmental spokesmen, the classification of 'hikikomori' was accompanied by an air of legitimacy and so accepted by the public as fact; an affliction which media sources proclaimed as a distinctively Japanese illness with no Western equivalent in circumstance or scope: Hikikomori noun, 1.
    [Show full text]
  • New Media and Japanese-Brazilian Return Migrants in Japan
    “PARTIALLY CONNECTED, PARTIALLY PROTECTED”: NEW MEDIA AND JAPANESE-BRAZILIAN RETURN MIGRANTS IN JAPAN BY RYUTA KOMAKI DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communications in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2013 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Professor Lisa Nakamura, Chair Professor John Nerone Associate Professor Fernando Elichirigoity Associate Professor Rayvon Fouché ii Abstract This dissertation explores the use of the internet, mobile phones and other types of new and old media by Japanese-Brazilian return migrants in Japan, who are Brazilian nationals of Japanese ancestry that migrate transnationally from Brazil to Japan to work. The study first discusses the history of Japanese-Brazilian return migration, situating it in a larger history of labor migration to Japan and the development of “flexible capitalism” in the “network society” in the contemporary world. It also examines the current state of Japanese-Brazilian and Brazilian ethnic media in Japan, and discusses the relationship between the Japanese government’s policies regarding immigration and multilingual media services and the ways in which Portuguese-language media products and services are provided to the return migrants. I argue that the government’s indifference towards social and cultural life of non-Japanese residents and its reluctance to serve informational and communicational needs of the nation’s diversifying population put the provision of multilingual and multicultural media in the hands of the private sector, which had an undesirable consequences on Japanese-Brazilian return migrants as the end users of the media as a global financial crisis damaged Japan’s economy in 2008.
    [Show full text]