As the number of people affected by dementia increases rapidly, dementia has been transformed into an epidemic which endangers global health and wealth, and many populations are now living in what Jain terms a time of prognosis, in fear of the disease. Through its strong association with ageing and memory loss, dementia is conceived of as a linear decline into loss of self and death, and those with dementia as other. More significantly, imagined as a threat that signifies both a (...) loss of able-bodied workforce and a large population dependent on care and support, dementia inevitably feeds into the ‘crisis-of-care’ narrative that is prominent in many ageing societies. With one of the fastest ageing populations in the world, and an extremely low birth rate, the dementia prognosis is particularly acute in Japan and dementia is strongly linked to the idea of a ‘care crisis’. This situation has produced an increasing number of cultural representations of dementia and care and this paper considers three of these cultural texts, all rooted in the historical and cultural contexts in which they were produced: the novel The Twilight Years; the film Memories of Tomorrow; and the comic book Pecoross’ Mother and Her Days. The analysis concentrates upon their representations of care, seeing this as a space where the ethical relationship between self and other can be negotiated and where time with dementia can be imagined and re-imagined. The analysis of these texts from a feminist ethics perspective demonstrates the potential of popular and creative representations to interrogate and potentially expand the meanings of dementia, ageing and living in prognosis. (shrink)

Voici un ouvrage qui aborde la question de l'exercice du pouvoir de mani re originale: l'auteur fonde sa r flexion sur une relecture d' pisodes bibliques qu'il analyse et dont il tire des principes applicables l' poque contemporaine. L'examen est la fois pr cis et personnel: Nicod me Sako reprend l'histoire de grands personnages de l'Ancien Testament, comme Joseph ou la reine Esther et en interpr te la port e universelle. Il tudie galement des l ments de la nature (...) et montre qu'elle propose, elle aussi, des mod les suivre pour pr parer un monde revenu aux vraies sources de la sagesse et de l'intelligence de ce qui nous entoure. travers cette lecture, l'auteur d gage les caract ristiques qui permettront de tracer le portrait d'un homme d'Etat responsable et soucieux de procurer son peuple la paix et la prosp rit, inspir donc par la sagesse divine: un recours et un espoir dans le monde d chir dans lequel nous vivons. (shrink)

In this paper, we examine some of the ways in which Koizumi Junichiro took advantage of changes in television news to win the 2001 Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election and become prime minister of Japan. Koizumi adopted a strategy of political populism to increase his exposure in the media and develop a public reputation. Changes in the LDP selection procedure, in combination with long-term social and economic change and political reform, meant that the media mattered more to his campaign (...) than had previously been the case. We use data from the Japan Election Study II (JES II) to show that the effects of Koizumi' media-driven popularity and style of politics reversed the LDP' electoral fortunes in the Upper House Election in 2001. (shrink)

En este texto se analizan los motivos gastronómicos de la obra del escritor japonés Junichiro Tanizaki, con el fin de discutir sus implicaciones estéticas y metafísicas. Para ello, se ofrece una breve semblanza del autor y se plantea la problemática de cómo interpretar sus textos, en un marcado contraste con la hermenéutica filosófica de corte occidental, y en función de una digresión filosófica sobre las nociones de utopía y heterotopía de Paul Ricœur y Michel Foucault.

황우석 교수 사건을 종합적으로 분석한 책이 나왔다. 『황우석의 나라』는 황 교수 사태가 요동칠 때 에서 기자생활을 한 이성주가 현장을 지켜보고 이를 분석한 책이다. 저자는 7년 동안 의학팀장을 맡았고 2004년 8월부터 1년 동안 미국 존스홉킨스대에서 연수를 하고 귀국한 뒤 4개월 동안 과학 및 의학 분야의 곁에서 황 교수 사태가 요동치는 현장을 지켜보았다. 이 책은 황우석 사건 보도와 관련해 알려지지 않은 언론계의 현장 이야기, 과학계의 분위기, 황우석의 로비 실태 등을 생생하게 보여준다. 또 이번 사태가 발생하기 이전의 각종 기사를 분석해 언론이 무비판적으로 보도한 (...) 황 교수의 업적이 얼마나 허점투성이인지 설득력 있게 제시하고 있다. 동시에 19세기 말 프랑스를 뒤흔들었던 ‘드레퓌스 사건’과 마찬가지로 언론이 줄기세포처럼 똬리를 틀고 있다고 진단하고 언론의 본질과 역할에 대해 문제를 제기한다. 저자는 제2의 황우석 사건을 예방하기 위해 연구비 심사제도 개선, 연구비에서 간접비의 비중 강화, 언론의 에디터제 도입 등 세세한 대안도 내놓고 있다. (shrink)

Koizumi Junichiro's sweeping victory in the presidential primary of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) represents a palpable change in the national mood that may substantially affect the parliamentary conditions, although its impact on legislation is yet to be seen. In this essay, I briefly review the Diet in the past one year. In particular, the review deals with the legislative records in the 150–152 Diet sessions.

Political developments in Japan from the latter part of 2000 to the year 2001 were highlighted by the executive transition from unpopular Yoshiro Mori to exceptionally popular Junichiro Koizumu as the nation's leader.

From the latter half of 2001 to the middle of 2002, prime minister Junichiro Koizumi was plagued by a series of scandals and administrative mishandlings, which led to some important executive turnovers. Although Koizumi has thus far upheld his principle of for the sake of policy stability, his campaign promise not to reshuffle cabinet has already been compromised somewhat, and is likely to be abandoned entirely in the near future.

In this paper, I describe a conservative disposition to change which is capable of operating alongside three other dispositions: First, a disposition to accept a degree of epistemic humility with respect to the kinds of change that count as an ‘intimation’ or continuation of the value contained in some given situation. Second, a disposition to acknowledge the legitimacy of democratic majorities, even when these are not always expressions of those ‘intimations’ or continuations. Third, the disposition to help alleviate recognizable injustices (...) as these might be suffered—and understood—by minorities. A conservative disposition to preserve the value of some given status quo operates in tension with these other three, and can sometimes give way to those other dispositions. An important part of managing tensions between these dispositions is an additional practice of reconciliation, one that helps conservatives treat change in properly conservative ways. I develop an account of this practice through a reading of Junichiro Tanizaki’s _In Praise of Shadows_ and the Japanese concept of _mono no aware_. I argue Tanizaki’s work offers an approach to change that is conservative in spirit while still being capable of accommodating itself to change which will reduce—and even eliminate—things of value that were possible prior to that change. (shrink)

One year ago the Japanese people pinned their hopes on Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The figure shows public support ratings for the Koizumi cabinet as measured by periodic JiJi opinion surveys: He enjoyed a stellar 72.8% support rate immediately after taking office, and this climbed even higher to break the 78.4% mark the following month. Compared with the dismal 9.6% support for the cabinet of his predecessor, Mori Yoshirô (April 2000–April 2001), right before he bowed out, these sky-high numbers make (...) it clear just how much faith the people were placing in the new administration. (shrink)