Moral Education System and Human Rights Education in Japan : Based on Recommendations Made by the United Nations

The present paper discusses requirements for the protection of children’s rights in the Japanese moral education system, based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment No.1.The Convention on the Rights of the Child, including Articles 28 and 29, stipulates children’s right to receive an education and its goals. General Comment No.1 of Article 29-1 makes recommendations with regard to the significance of the right, its function, and the implementation of human rights education.To protect children’s rights under moral education systems, it is essential to: ensure that “children are free in moral terms” to respect their autonomy, “empower children” to accomplish the goals of international education, and “implement human rights education for children”, including the promotion of mutual understanding, peace, and tolerance

Roles of Schools in Addressing Community Issues in Japan: A Study Focusing on Educational Approaches Implemented by Schools

The present paper discusses the roles of schools in addressing community issues, based on the results of education systems implemented by Japanese schools, which have been suggested by previous studies.In Japan, various approaches to school education have been implemented to develop measures to support children of relatively-poor parents living in areas inhabited by people subjected to discrimination or by foreigners and immigrants, and to develop communities, for children in particular, facing the issues of depopulation due to population aging and a declining birthrate.In the implementation of those approaches to education, schools play important roles in encouraging community residents, both individuals and families, to address problems in collaboration with one another, facilitating cooperation among children and other community residents to discuss problems, and supporting children’s participation in the process of addressing community issues that influence them, such as poverty relief support and community improvement

Inside or Outside the Pits : Variable Mobility in Conspecific Sea Urchin, Anthocidaris crassispina (A. Agassiz)

The sea urchin Anthocidaris crassispina (A. Agassiz) lives either in small pits or outside the pits on rock surfaces. Difference in movement between individuals living inside and outside the pits was investigated. Sea urchins living inside the pits never moved out of their pits either in summer or winter, or during the day or night, while urchins living outside the pits moved in both seasons, especially during the night. Among urchins living outside the pits, individuals occupying relatively sheltered microhabitats (hollows or edges; see Fig. 1) exhibited less movement than individuals occupying open flats. On transplantation to an open area without pits, some individuals previously occupying the pits showed slight movement. On the other hand, most of the individuals previously outside the pits, when transplanted into an area with many vacant pits, occupied them and showed reduced movement, although neither transplanted groups of individuals adjusted their movement perfectly to their new microhabitats during the observation period. These results suggest that the movement of the sea urchins is, to some extent, flexible and dependent on microhabitats and that they preferred sheltered microhabitats. A morphological and physiological investigation showed that sea urchins inside the pits had similar gut weight (with the content), shorter lateral spines and heavier gonads than sea urchins outside the pits of similar test diameter. The adaptive significance of pit-dwelling in A. crassispina is discussed

Ocular Pathology of Fukuyama Congenital Muscular Dystrophy

Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD) is one of the congenital muscular dystrophies, showing central nervous system (CNS) and ocular lesions, in addition to muscular dystrophy. It is included in α-dystroglycanopathy, an entity of muscular dystrophies caused by reduced glycosylation of α-dystroglycan (α-DG). Studies of ocular lesions are not so many, compared with those of the muscle and CNS. Clinical ocular manifestations are myopia, strabismus, retinal detachment, and so on. Since the retina has a structure partly resembling the cerebral cortex, pathological findings similar to those found in the brain have been reported. The major observation considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of retinal lesions is abnormalities in the internal limiting membrane formed by Müller cells, which is corresponding to the glia limitans formed by astrocytes in the brain. Fukutin, responsible for FCMD, and α-DG are expressed in Müller cells. Moreover, fukutin may be involved in synaptic functions of retinal neurons through the glycosylation of α-DG. In this chapter, ocular lesions of fetal and child FCMD patients are presented, especially focusing on pathological findings of the retina, and functions of fukutin are discussed

Institutional Challenges Faced by Japan When Supporting Preschools in the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic― Analyzing Its Approaches Before and After an Emergency Declaration ―

This paper examines the institutional challenges faced by Japan when supporting preschools before and after an emergency declaration in the early stage of the new coronavirus（ COVID-19） pandemic.The government and municipalities established institutions to support preschools mainly by providing information on infection prevention. Specifically, each municipality provided preschool support by offering more practical information regarding infection, with regional characteristics and actual situations influencing childcare and education taken into account, while making notifications and asking the parents of children to cooperate on infection control.Such support enabled the study preschool to actively improve its environment and contents for childcare and education. In order to provide better support for preschools, it may be necessary to further develop support systems based on the experience of addressing shortages of masks and alcohol antiseptic solutions.Further institutional development to provide clearer and more useful information on infection preventionmeasures for preschools may also be required

Developmental Support and Educational Counseling for Young Adults with Self-Injurious Behavior

This paper reports a case of self-injurious behavior (SIB) during young adulthood based on the characteristics of this developmental stage, role of counseling-based support, and basics of developmental support to clarify the challenges and appropriate methods of educational counseling to support the development of young adults with SIB. Counseling-based support is expected to ensure safety and security for clients, enhance their psychoeducational awareness, and promote their decision-making/empowerment. When providing developmental support for young adults with SIB, importance is placed on reducing their SIB in sufficient spans of time whilehelping them develop their own communication skills through the experience of establishing interpersonal relationships. In the present case, the client’s secure and safe relationships were nurtured as a successful outcome of support for her to develop an interest in her own future and set her own goals. On the other hand, this case also revealed the necessity of further examining the approval-seeking behavior of young adults with SIB as a future challenge. The development of support that contributes to their sense of basic confidence without causing marked anxiety and facilitates their post-graduation lives may be essential

Healthcare Consultations for Children : Healthcare Consultations for Children and the Roles of Professionals : Focusing on the Child’s Right to Participation

This study aimed to investigate the roles of professionals who provide healthcare consultations for children based on the child’s right to participation ensured by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Children’s right to participation guarantees their participation in the process of deciding matters that influence them. In this process, emphasis is placed on the establishment of a collaborative relationship between children and those who support children’s participation, and promotion of the development of participating children’s empowerment. Concerning healthcare, necessary information should be provided to children before they participate in the decision-making process. Concerning healthcare consultations for children, it is necessary to respond to children of all ages, to establish laws that enable them to access healthcare consultations when they wish to do so, and to provide a financially suitable environment. To achieve the above-mentioned requirements, professionals involved in healthcare consultations for children are required to aid in ensuring the child’s right to participation through facilitating children’s access to consultations and promoting their empowerment

Far-infrared rays control prostate cancer cells _in vitro_ and _in vivo_

We introduce a new effective method to control hormone refractory prostate cancer cells by using an activated rubber/resin form (RB), far-infrared ray emitter, with or without sodium butyrate (SB). The growth of three human prostate cancer cell lines (Du145, PC-3 and LNCaP) was suppressed _in vitro_ and _in vivo_ by using RB, and the cells were eradicated with RB + 3 mM SB. G1 arrest and apoptotic pathway proteins were induced by RB with intensified expressions of apoptosis - related mRNA on cDNA microarray. RB radiates the infra-red rays of the 4 to 25 [mu]m wavelengths to an object which exert a favorable influence on a cancer control. These results may render us a new therapeutic modality in hormone refractory prostate cancer