Paper short abstract:

Japan is a heavy-weight utilizer of in vitro fertilization. Yet, it has hirtherto largely defied the growing global trend of selecting embryos for life based on their genetic profile. To yield insight into grass-root eugenic procreation, this paper will zoom in on this peculiar case of Japan.

Paper long abstract:

Japan is an in vitro fertilization (IVF) giant: it resorts to it like no other country and has a third more hospitals and clinics offering fertility treatment than the second largest utilizer of IVF—the United States, which is a nation with, notably, more than twice the Japanese population. Against the backdrop, it is conspicuous that Japan remains one of the very few countries to resist reproduction through life selection, or, in other words, the procedure known as Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), which involves genetic profiling of embryos. Indeed, despite its biomedical prowess, Japan was a late-comer to the international PGD scene, having performed its first such case only in 2004—a decade and a half since the pioneering such instance in London’s Hammersmith Hospital. Furthermore, even today PGD is not recognized in standard clinical practice. To be more precise, the decision of whether implementation is warranted or not is made on a case-by-case basis, with only about 100 applications having so far made it through this screening—a figure which is miniscule compared to those in other developed nations. With a view to enriching the international debate on the future of human reproduction as well as provide a novel insight into the dynamics in contemporary Japanese society, this paper will zoom in on this curious case of grass-roots eugenics abstinence.

Paper short abstract:

This paper reports on comparative research conducted in residential care homes in Ireland and Japan, examining caregivers’ perceptions about assistive (air purification) robots. Based on focus group studies, care professionals' views and attitudes in two countries will be compared and discussed.

Paper long abstract:

Is Japan really the land of robots, and does the super-ageing society require robotics-aided care? These are the questions raised by several scholars in Japanese Studies over the last few decades (Robertson, 2017; Šabanović, 2014; Wright, 2019; Kodate et al., 2022). On one hand, growth in demand for long-term care services is projected in most economically advanced economies, given increasing life expectancy, and decreasing fertility levels, and finding the appropriate level of workforce remains a great challenge. Furthermore, the pandemic accelerated the use of telemedicine and other types of assistive technologies. The combination of the increasing demand for care support and a move towards ageing in place created a fertile ground for robotics-aided care in Japan and elsewhere. A recent questionnaire study indicated enthusiastic attitudes to the use of robotic devices among care professionals and older people (Kodate et al., 2021)

In order to examine care professionals’ views and attitudes about social implementation of assistive robots in care settings, comparative research was planned and conducted by an interdisciplinary team in residential care facilities in Ireland and Japan in 2022. An air-purification ‘robot’, originally developed by an Irish venture company, was installed in a residential home in both jurisdictions, and seven care professionals per home took part in the study (The care professionals were interviewed three times (pre, interim and post interviews) during the three-month long trailing period in a face-to-face and online format. Interactions between health and social care professionals and the ‘robot’ were also observed. At the end of the data collection period, a usability survey was conducted and subsequently followed by focus groups. This paper reports on the comparative study with a particular emphasis on the focus group results. Participants in Ireland and Japan equally expressed positive perceptions of the ‘robot’ and its ease of use throughout the whole process However, when the data are carefully analysed, certain differences were observed between the participants in two countries. The paper will consider some common factors that facilitated the trial process in both countries, and possible factors that produced the differences between Ireland and Japan.

Paper short abstract:

This report explores the relationship between the incorporation of "creativity" in environmental development and cultural policy in Japan since the 1980s and the interest in and utilization of ruins.

Paper long abstract:

In Japan, ruins in a physical sense begin to exist because concrete buildings have become popular since modern times, and they have aged over time, or buildings have been abandoned due to changes in the policy of the owning company. The ruins that are created in this way can be said to exist by paradoxically eliminating their function and meaninglessness. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, photographers and explorers in the Japan traveled to the ruins and took an interest in them. In addition, some of the ruins that appeared in this way are protected as industrial heritage and used as spaces for art and manufacturing. In other words, ruins that have lost their function and meaning are broadly associated with "creativity" when they are found and meaningful. So why are ruins and creativity connected? The ruins themselves are the former places of production, and for this reason they can be said to be places of memory and creation, but is that really self-evident? In order to answer this question, this report explores the relationship between the incorporation of "creativity" in environmental development and cultural policy in Japan since the 1980s and the interest in and utilization of ruins.