Imperial subjects,national citizenship,and corporate subjects: cycles of political participation/exclusion in the modern world‐system

This article examines the cycles of political participation/exclusion in modern history. It juxtaposes three cycles of political participation/exclusion—the imperial subject, national citizenship, and corporate subject—with three cycles in the structure of accumulation—the imperialist/colonialist, nationalist, and globalist structures of accumulation. The article argues that the contemporary system of accumulation has dismantled the nation state as the vehicle of economic development and diluted citizenship through neoliberal policies. With eroding state protection, working class people are subordinated to corporations for jobs, consumption, investment, and culture. In order to counter this situation and to achieve emancipation from the capitalist pursuit of profit and rampant consumerism, it is necessary to create alternatives to the contemporary corporate‐dominated system. The article explores sustainable community development as an alternative.     

Possible Evolutionary Origins of Nationalism

Political Behavior - Why do some individuals support nationalist policies while others don’t? The Savanna-IQ Interaction Hypothesis in evolutionary psychology suggests that more intelligent...     

Regional standardization in the age at marriage

Age at marriage is an important issue in family, population, and socioeconomic history as well as in cultural anthropology. In preindustrial Japan, regional differences in inheritance customs determined the regional diversity of marriage patterns. The age at marriage in preindustrial Germany also showed a regional diversity, but compared to Japan, it was standardized within the European marriage pattern. The author contends that there were two different patterns of standardization in marriage behavior in Germany, one being the historical consequence of official institutionalization and the other occurring as a process on a macroeconomic level and resulting in a concentration of age at marriage around a mean age. The distribution of the ages at marriage and its historical change in this context is an important variable for the analysis of marriage behavior.     

Local Government in Japan: New Directions in Governance toward Citizens' Autonomy

Local autonomy is a fundamental base for making democracy work, and is often referred to as a “school in democracy.” However, in Japan to date, local autonomy has suffered from a substantial gap between what it should be in an ideal form and what it has been in reality. This article explores a desirable and effective reform of local governance with the advent of the “local era,” which is prompting unprecedented levels of citizens' attention to local authorities.     

The Future of Long-term Care in Japan

This article reviews a decade of implementation of the public long-term care insurance (LTCI) program in Japan, which is now experiencing unprecedented pressure from its rapidly aging population. This overview of the program's features focuses on the incentive mechanisms and diversity and examines official future projections of LTC costs and their accompanying assumptions. Included is the discussion of possible reforms for the LTCI program, with an emphasis on the micro aspects of LTC, with evidence provided by the Japanese Study on Aging and Retirement (JSTAR).     

An autopsy case of intraoperative death due to pulmonary fat embolism—possibly caused by release of tourniquet after multiple muscle-release and tenotomy of the bilateral lower limbs

We report a case of a juvenile male with muscle rigidity caused by cerebral palsy who experienced intraoperative sudden death due to pulmonary fat embolism after multiple muscle-release and tenotomy of the bilateral lower limbs. Data were obtained through review of the surgical and anesthesia records, as well as from autopsy and histopathological examination. All surgical procedures were performed within the same operation, beginning with the right lower limb and then proceeding with the left lower limb, with application of a pneumatic tourniquet to avoid intraoperative hemorrhage. Slight changes in the hemodynamics were noticed after release of the right tourniquet. Further, sudden onset of hypotension, severe bradycardia, and a marked decrease in percutaneously monitored oxygen saturation occurred just after release of the left tourniquet when the left limb was raised for casting. The patient died despite immediate and vigorous cardiopulmonary resuscitation. At autopsy performed 20 h after death, examination of the lungs revealed a pale surface, slight edema, and obvious fat droplets in the vessels at the cut surfaces. Histopathological examination with fat staining was notable for the presence of pulmonary fat embolism. These results suggest that restoration of venous return after removal of the tourniquet combined with massive fat embolism from dead spaces was the likely cause of death.     

Asian Common Currency as a Driving Force of Economic Integration in East Asia: A Prospect

This article proposes an open and multi-tiered economic and financial system with introduction of an Asian common currency as a form for the Post Bretton-Woods arrangement. After reviewing the role of the incumbent international economic system, the reasons that an Asian common currency could contribute to consolidate the new international system is discussed bearing in mind the new environment of the relative decline of economic power of the United States and relative rise of economic power of China. Then a “roadmap” for the introduction of an Asian common currency is provided and how to proceed steadily on the long road towards the introduction of the new currency is argued. In particular, it is emphasized, as the world looks for a new direction, that strong political collaboration in the region is required precisely now with a view to making this a reality.     

Factors Associated with Drug-Related Recidivism Among Paroled Amphetamine-Type Stimulant Users in Japan

Asian Journal of Criminology - Few studies have used longitudinal data to investigate drug-related recidivism among drug users in Asia. This study examined demographic and background...     

Who Supports Nuclear Armament in Japan? Threat Perceptions and Japan's Nuclear Armament

The security environment in East Asia has been going through drastic changes. As China and North Korea pose a serious threat to Japan, the Japanese are now more concerned about the security issue in the region. Recognizing the highly volatile situation Japan is facing, the purpose of this study is to examine the issue of nuclear proliferation by focusing on people's attitudes in Japan. More specifically, it systematically analyzes the factors that can determine people's opinions of nuclear weapons by utilizing the survey data. The result of the statistical analysis suggests that threat perceptions significantly boost people's support for nuclear armament. Advancing our understanding of nuclear proliferation from a unique perspective, this study makes an important contribution to the literature, thus helping us predict Japan's security policy.