Measuring Economic Localization: Evidence from Japanese Firm-level Data

This paper examines location patterns of Japan’s manufacturing industries using a unique firm-level dataset on the geographic location of firms. Following the point-pattern approach proposed by Duranton and Overman (2005), we find the following. First, about half of Japan’s manufacturing industries can be classified as localized and the number of localized industries is largest for a distance level of 40 km or less. Second, several industries in the textile mill products sector are among the most localized, which is similar to findings for the UK, suggesting that there exist common factors across countries determining the concentration of industrial activities. Third, the distribution of distances between entrant (exiting) firms and remaining firms is, in most industries, not significantly different from a random distribution. These results suggest that most industries in Japan neither become more localized nor more dispersed over time and are in line with similar findings by Duranton and Overman (2008) for the UK. Fourth, a comparison with the service sector indicates that the share of localized industries is higher in manufacturing than in services, although the extent of localization among the most localized manufacturing industries is smaller than that among the most localized service industries, including financial service industriesMicro-geographic data, Economic geography

Listening & Speaking, Reading & Writing: Improving Four English Language Skills through the Eclectic Approach of International Educators in Japan

This paper elaborates on the language teaching experiences of four international educators working in Japan. With diverse nationalities and backgrounds, and as language learners themselves, these professionals’ eclectic approach is the result of many years of teaching within a multilingual and multicultural environment. It is argued that alternative forms of teaching might influence student’s motivation towards speaking, listening, reading and writing in an L2 (second/foreign language). In addition, the authors provide a few suggestions of activities that might contribute to successful outcomes in the English language education in Japan, which presently strives for communicative language teaching practices.研究ノー

サイシュウ トウカ サンブツ AGE ワ ラット バイヨウ シズイ サイボウ ノ セッカイカブツ ケイセイ ト エンショウ ハンノウ オ シンテン サセル

Amorphous calcification frequently appears in dental pulp tissues of diabetic patients. Diffuse calcifications and pulp stones may block access to canal orifices and alter the internal anatomy. It has been demonstrated that careful instrumentation is required to remove pulp stones for the successful endodontic therapy. Dental pulp pain often appears in diabetic patients and is referred to as diabetic odontalgia. Diabetic pulp is generally more likely to have impaired collateral circulation and reduced microbicidal polymorphonuclear leucocyte activity. These disorders increase the risk of ischemia, infection, and necrosis; therefore, pulpal infection may be considered as anachoresis. However, its pathologic process has not been fully elucidated. Advanced glycation end-products (AGE) have been found to play a role in the progression of diabetic vascular complications and inflammation. We examined AGE-effect on the expression of calcification and inflammation factors using rat dental pulp tissues and cell cultures. Expressions of RAGE, OPN, OCN, BSP, DSPP, S100A8, S100A9, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α mRNAs increased both in diabetic dental pulp tissues and in dental pulp cultures treated with AGE. ALPase activity and calcium deposition increased by the treatment with AGE in dental pulp cells. In the presence of anti-RAGE antibody or siRNA for RAGE, AGE did not increase in OPN, OCN, S100A8 or S100A9 expressions. The AGE-induced increases in OPN, OCN, S100A8 and S100A9 were inhibited by MAPK inhibitor. These results indicated that AGE may be a stimulatory factor of pathologic calcification and inflammation in diabetic dental pulp tissues and the effect is characteristic in dental pulp cells. Additionally, AGE may be associated with the RAGEMAPK signaling pathway

Measuring Economic Localization: Evidence from Japanese firm-level data

This paper examines the extent of localization in Japan's manufacturing sector using a unique firm-level dataset on the geographic location of firms. Following the point-pattern approach proposed by Duranton and Overman (2005), we find the following. First, approximately half of Japan's manufacturing industries can be classified as localized and the number of localized industries is largest for a distance of 40 km or less. Second, several industries in the textile mill products sector are among the most localized, which is similar to findings for the UK. This suggests that there exist common factors across countries that determine the concentration of industrial activities. Third, the distribution of distances between entrant (exiting) firms and remaining firms is, in most industries, not significantly different from a random distribution. The results by Durantan and Overman (2008) for the UK and our results for Japan suggest that most industries neither become more localized nor more dispersed over time.

Asymptotic Form of Gopakumar-Vafa Invariants from Instanton Counting

We study the asymptotic form of the Gopakumar-Vafa invariants at all genera for Calabi-Yau toric threefolds which have the structure of fibration of the A_n singularity over P^1. We claim that the asymptotic form is the inverse Laplace transform of the corresponding instanton amplitude in the prepotential of N=2 SU(n+1) gauge theory coupled to external graviphoton fields, which is given by the logarithm of the Nekrasov's partition function.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figures; (v2) typos correcte

日本における継承語と第２言語習得との関連性

Bearing in mind the Japanese context, this paper elaborates on how maintenance of international children’s heritage language (HL) might contribute to the spread of bilingualism in the country. It also expands on the ways these young learners see themselves as well as how they are seen by their families and within their academic context. It is argued that young HL learners’ propensity towards bilingualism might not only pave these children’s way to the acquisition of a second and/or foreign language, but also contribute to future developments in foreign language learning among the monolingual sectors of society

審査論文 幻の「国府台大学校」建設計画

市川市国府台は明治から昭和にかけて陸軍教導団に始まり、陸軍が駐留する軍郷1であった。しかし、陸軍省の用地となる以前は文部省用地であり、明治政府が目指す「真ノ大学校」建設予定地だったことはよく知られておらず、明らかにもされていない。東京大学創立と並行して計画された「国府台大学校」は、当初専門学校的な位置づけであった東京大学とは異なる、「真ノ大学校」として創設されようとしていた。しかし、「国府台大学校」は土地の買収が行われただけで具体化されず、草創期の明治政府が目指した大学校は幻となってしまった。　しかし、本研究では政府が目指した「真ノ大学校」がどのようなものであったかは明らかにすることはできなかった。　計画が中止とされた理由としては、一般的には高台であるために飲料水の確保が困難であることと、交通の便が悪く、教授らが大学へ通うのに渡し船しかないのでは不便だということが挙げられている。しかし、1877年の西南戦争による財政的な困窮が計画の遂行を困難にしたと考えられることや、教育令の失敗によって計画の立案者である田中不二麿が失脚したこともまた、計画の立ち消えに関与していると考えられるのである。これらのことから、西南戦争による政府の財政難が最も大きな原因であり、田中の失脚による文部省の政策転換も少なからず関与していたが、表向きの理由として国府台での飲料水確保の困難さと交通の便の悪さを挙げたのではないかと考えられる

Phyllosphere yeasts rapidly break down biodegradable plastics

The use of biodegradable plastics can reduce the accumulation of environmentally persistent plastic wastes. The rate of degradation of biodegradable plastics depends on environmental conditions and is highly variable. Techniques for achieving more consistent degradation are needed. However, only a few microorganisms involved in the degradation process have been isolated so far from the environment. Here, we show that Pseudozyma spp. yeasts, which are common in the phyllosphere and are easily isolated from plant surfaces, displayed strong degradation activity on films made from poly-butylene succinate or poly-butylene succinate-co-adipate. Strains of P. antarctica isolated from leaves and husks of paddy rice displayed strong degradation activity on these films at 30°C. The type strain, P. antarctica JCM 10317, and Pseudozyma spp. strains from phyllosphere secreted a biodegradable plastic-degrading enzyme with a molecular mass of about 22 kDa. Reliable source of biodegradable plastic-degrading microorganisms are now in our hands