Social Structural Changes and Responding Social Attitudes in Internationalizing Japan

1994 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 04301017
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Co-operative Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: 社会学(含社会福祉関係)
• Research Institution: University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: SHOJI Kokichi University of Tokyo, Department of Sociology, Professor, 文化部, 教授 (30061203)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SAKUMA Kosei Tokyo Woman's Christian University, Dept.of Humanities and Science, Professor, 文理学部, 教授 (80004117) ; YAZAWA Shujiro Hitotsubashi University, Dept.of Social Studies, Professor, 社会学部, 教授 (20055320) ; FURUKI Toshiaki Chuo University, Dept.of Law, Professor, 法学部, 教授 (70055185) ; INUDSUKA Susumu University of Chiba, Dept.of Humanities, Professor, 教養部, 教授 (70009752) ; MOTOJIMA Kunio University of Saitama, Dept.of General Education, Professor, 教養部, 教授 (20008907)
• Project Period (FY): 1992 – 1994
• Keywords: social structures / social attitudes / Kansai International Airport / build-up policies of the Kansai / residents' awareness / Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake / internationalization of Japan / international cooperation of Japan

Research Abstract

Under the title a series of surveys were done during 1992-94 in the Greater Osaka Area focusing on social processes of building and opening the Kansai International Airport.
As for the Osaka area, the build-up policies of the Kansai District that have been promoted intentionally with private initiatives comparing with the Tokyo Metropolitan Area have been pretty positive in expressing Kansai's politically and culturally unique character despite of their various difficulties in running everything technically and economically. This is an inevitable contradiction to a certain degree as far as the so-called 'binocular type of national build-up' have had to be promoted opposing to the 'unipolar concentration to Tokyo' and so far any business group, local self-governing body or counsil among them has not been successful in finding a way to iron it out. This is the fundamental reason why Kansai's self build-up policies cannot but have taken rather unstable forms of 'single round' battles which have been often criticised as the 'continuation of event-typed projects' such as international expositions. Since in January, 1995 this region has suffered seriously from the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, we shall have to see more what kind of effect happening to what extent.
Speaking of the rest, it has come to be clearer that the Japanese society has been getting into a more and more puzzling situation under pressures of other nations which have been pressing it in terms of 'more international cooperations'. This shall be investigated more.