Text and data mining activities -- that is, the automated processing of digital materials to uncover new knowledge -- have become more frequent in all areas of scientific research. Because they require a massive use of copyrighted work, there are evident conflicts with copyright legislation. Countries at the forefront of research and development…

In the history of Japanese education, the "gender characteristics theory" that men and women naturally have different characteristics rejected not only the "gender equality theory" which came from Western Europe in the early Meiji era, but also the traditional "male chauvinism" of East Asia. According to the theory of…

Governance and regulation of the use of live animals in research and teaching is examined in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and India. A comparison of the systems in different countries will enable the determination of best practice and fit-forpurpose regulation. The most comprehensive government…

Foreign students often have different conceptions of copyright than do American students. This article summarizes Thailand's Copyright Act B.E. 2537 (1994). Also included are guidelines for fair use from a Thai university, as well as a literature review discussing copyright issues in Taiwan and Japan.

In October 2007, three education bills, including the Revised Teacher's License Law were approved by the Central Education Council in February and submitted to the Diet. The purpose of the Revised Teacher's License Law was "to ensure teachers systematically acquire up-to-date knowledge and skills to maintain the professional competencies…

This article describes the Japanese quota system for the employment of people with disabilities and assesses the potential of a quota law that includes financial incentives for compliance. It concludes that laws to compel the employment of people with disabilities are unlikely to be effective and may be counterproductive. (Author/DB)

Discussion of individual rights and privacy in Japan focuses on the Privacy Protection Act, which acknowledges the threat posed by government databases to the individual's right of privacy. Characteristics of the Japanese legal system are described, origins of privacy in Japanese law are examined, and privacy and government databases are…

The volume is intended to give readers a glimpse of the day-to-day life of disabled people in Japan. Eight brief papers present life experiences of a mentally retarded preschooler, severely disabled children, a child with muscular dystrophy, a young girl with polio living in the community, visually disabled and recovering mentally ill people…

Energy consumption in Japan has grown at a faster rate than in any other major industrial country. To maintain continued prosperity, the government has embarked on a crash program for nuclear power. Current progress and issues/reactions to the plan are discussed. (JN)

The protection of the blind from the early 17th to the late 19th century, and the emergence of private and later public schools for the blind and deaf are discussed in a review of special education in Japan. Although the education of the visually and aurally handicapped was made mandatory, educational facilities are noted to be too scarce for the…

Japan passed its Child Abuse Prevention Act on 20 November 2000. In these early years following the passage of this Act, it is especially important to attempt to define what constitutes child abuse. Definitions and practical responses may be coloured by perceptions of service providers, and since professional culture is believed to influence…

This paper reviews recent changes in Japanese telecommunications policy, assesses those changes, and evaluates the differences in the policy making and policy implementation processes in Japan and the United States. From this analysis, five lessons are derived for U.S. telecommunications policy: (1) the telecommunications sector is strategically…

This paper presents an outline of the University of the Air, a new Japanese educational institution which (1) makes use of a combination of radio, television, and study centers for university-level education; (2) is aimed at upper secondary school graduates and the general public interested in pursuing higher education; (3) will constitute a…

This document presents the text of the 1949 Japanese Law for the Welfare of Physically Disabled Persons and brief extracts of later amendments. Sections in Chapter 1 cover definitions, the Advisory Council on Welfare of Physically Disabled Persons, and service providers. Chapter II covers welfare measures such as the physically disabled person's…