The Open University of Japan
Annual Review 2013

OUJ Headquarters

Nara Study Center

Okayama Study Center

Ibaraki Study Center

Ishikawa Study Center

Kanagawa Study Center

Iwate Study Center

Miyazaki Study Center2013 Graduation and
Degree Conferment Ceremony
On Saturday, March 21, 2014 the 2013 Graduation and Degree Conferment Ceremony was held at NHK Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo.
A large number attended the ceremony on the day, which included Faculty of Liberal Arts graduates and graduate
students who completed their School of Graduate Studies programs. Following the presentation of graduation certiﬁcatesand diplomas, President Yoichi OKABE delivered an address, and following messages of congratulation from Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Michiko UENO, Internal Affairs and Communications
Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Fumiaki MATSUMOTO and OUJ Alumni Association Federation Director Seigo SAITO,
addresses were then delivered by Faculty of Liberal Arts valedictorian Tomoko FUJIWARA (Hyogo Study Center) andSchool of Graduate Studies valedictorian Masayoshi UCHIYAMA (Hamamatsu Satellite Space). Subsequently, 42 graduatesfrom all majors and courses were honored by the President as “Prestigious Open University of Japan Graduates.”
For the 2013 academic year, 4,418 Faculty of Liberal Arts students graduated and 320 graduate students completed
their School of Graduate Studies programs.

C O N T E N T S

230th Anniversary of the Open University of Japan 3Rich Educational Content
5
Research at the Open University of Japan
12
International Exchange Initiatives
17
A Message from the President

Contributions to Society
Center for Open Distance Education Founded
Study Center Activities over the Past Year
New Trends at the Open University of JapanThe Open University of Japan in Figures

19
21
24
31
33

【 Editorial Staff 】■The Open University of Japan 2013 Annual Review Task Group
Vice President: Wataru KOTERAYAMA
Psychology and Education: Yoshio MIYAKE
Society and Industry: Akinobu KAWAI (Course Coordinator)
Humanities and Culture: Rie OHASHI
Living and Welfare: Masahiko ISHIMARU
Nature and Environment: Katsuya ISHIZAKI

Informatics: Yoko HIROSE■Public Relations Section,
General Aﬀairs Department

The Open University of Japan 2013 Annual Review covers university activities from April 2013 to March 2014.

1

A Message from the President

Publication of the Annual Review 2013

August 2014
President, Yoichi OKABE

岡部 洋一

April 2013 marked the 30th anniversary of the Open University ofsociety to which the students belong and human resources withJapan (OUJ). In July 1981 the University of the Air Foundation wassocial leadership qualities. By resonating with the community

established, with the University of the Air founded two years later

outreach activities conducted at study centers in place aroundin 1983, and the ﬁrst round of students accepted a further two

Japan, this development is also expected to further advance

years later in April 1985. To celebrate this memorable 30th

OUJʼs regional contribution activities.

anniversary, a wide range of events were held in 2013. Among

Starting with the United States, from around 2012 the concept

them was an anniversary ceremony held in October, a compilationof Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) was formed, and thisof the universityʼs 30-year history, and memorial lectures held at

has been accompanied by a rising interest in e-Learning

each study center. Please consult this Annual Review whichworldwide. Japan is no exception. In October 2013, Japan Open

introduces these events in detail. Furthermore, in 1998 it become

Online Education Promotion Council (JMOOC) was established.

possible to receive broadcast lectures via television and radio from

Katsuhiko SHIRAI, Chancellor of the Open University of Japan

anywhere in Japan with the introduction of CS digital broadcasting

Foundation, assumed the position of Chairperson of the JMOOC,(BS digital broadcasting from 2011), and to coincide with thiswhile I serve as a board member, and in April 2014, two series"Video Study Centers " all over the country was reorganized inof content will also be released from OUJ.

the " Study Centers " In other words, 2013 also marks the 15th

In light of these worldwide trends, there was a vision for

anniversary of the full nationwide deployment of the Open

enriching lessons to be more interactive in much the same way

University of Japan.

lessons are oﬀered via the Internet and questions are ﬁelded

In October 2013 around the time of the Universityʼs 30th

from students. On the other hand, while traditionally a wide

anniversary ceremony, the establishment of the latter period ofvariety of requests for courses have been directed from society

the School of Graduate Studiesʼ doctoral program, which had

towards the OUJ, due to limitations of the programming slots

been under preparation for many years, was approved, with thethat can be secured for broadcast, the diﬃculties in establishingcourse to open in April 2014. On top of the Faculty of Liberal

new broadcast lectures has proved problematic.

Arts and masterʼs courses established thus far, the opening of a

As a solution, in addition to enhancing the Open Courseware weso-called doctorate program not only represents thehave already released, we have decided to establish online

establishment of a consistent framework as a university, but islectures on a trial basis. We will make preparations in 2014,

also signiﬁcant in that it satisﬁes many peopleʼs desire to hold abegin oﬀering a small number of lectures online from 2015, anddoctoral degree while maintaining their employment. Further,

gradually increase the number thereafter.

OUJʼs doctorate program is based not only on research but on a

As illustrated above, I feel that 2013 and the 30th anniversary

new concept placed exactly above the Faculty of Liberal Artsof OUJ marked a year in which the university truly pivoted

which seeks to develop human resources possessing interests

towards a new direction. Please look forward to further

across a broad spectrum of domains, and also aims to develop

developments from OUJ in the future.

human resources with leadership qualities in the region and2

30 t h Anniversary

30th Anniversary of
the Open University of Japan
This year the Open University of Japan (OUJ) observed the 30th anniversary of its establishment. OUJ wasestablished 30 years ago in April 1983, with acceptance of students commencing in 1985. In the years since,
the cumulative number of students who have studied at OUJ has surpassed 1.3 million, with more than
70,000 graduates among them. Many activities to mark the 30th anniversary were conducted during the2013 academic year.

OUJ 30th Anniversary Declaration
Thirty years ago, the Open University of Japan was founded as a new university
oﬀering classes through television and radio. It was a new university opened
for all who were willing to learn, irrespective of age, occupation or place ofresidence. After thirty years, the Open University of Japan has undergone
tremendous growth into a place of learning where 90,000 students spread
across Japan undertake studies. The Open University of Japan will continue
to utilize a broad range of media as a pioneer of lifelong learning anddistance higher learning, and declares its goal to become an even more open
university for all who seek to expand their worlds through learning.

Anniversary Ceremony

History of the Open University of Japan
July 1981 University of the Air Foundation establishedAcceptance of students at nationwide

April 1983 University of the Air established

October 1998 study centers commences
October 2003 Transition to Special School Corporation

April 1985 Student acceptance commence

October 2011 BS digital broadcasts commence

January 1998 Nationwide broadcasts through CS digital
broadcasting commence

April 2013 30th anniversary of the Open University of Japan

Broadcast of Special 30th Anniversary ProgramOUJ 30th Anniversary Ceremony and Symposium
Scenes from the OUJʼs 30th anniversary ceremony andsymposium held in Tokyo in October were shown.
(Aired December 29 and January 2)

30 Years of OUJ Seen Through VideoOn the occasion of the 30th anniversary of OUJ, the program
looked back on the videos on which this history has beenrecorded and featured a round-table talk that included thepresident and teaching staff discussing the future of OUJ.
(Aired December 30, January 3)

Special Feature on the OUJ 30th Anniversary“Learn. Change the World.
Students Share their Learning Experiences.”
This program assembled eight students in age ranging fromthose in their 30s to those in their 70s from around Japan
who presented their learning experiences in front of a live
audience.
(Aired December 31, January 4)3

30 t h Anniversary
30th Anniversary Lectures Held Across Japan“The Power of Ongoing Learning” ‒ Tokyo Bunkyo Study Center

Nihon Keizai Shimbun Article (August 19, Morning Edition)“The Meaning of Learning” ‒ Osaka Study Center“Ever Onward Lifelong Learning” (Fumiko HAYASHI, Mayor of Yokohama) ‒ Kanagawa Study Center“Lifelong Learning and the Open University of Japan” ‒ Wakayama Study Center“Will Politics Undergo a Rebirth?” ‒ Shimane Study Center

4

Academics

Rich Educational Content
TV and Radio Instruction
Together with classroom sessions, broadcast lectures
form the core of education offered by the OUJ. During
the second semester of the 2013 academic year (fromOctober 2013 to March 2014), 262 Faculty of Liberal
Arts subjects and 70 School of Graduate Studies subjects
were offered, totaling 332 subjects. As a general rule,
subjects are broadcast for four years (two semesters
each year, for a total of eight semesters). Therefore,around one quarter of all subjects offered are replaced
each year.
New subjects offered in 2013 academic year included
48 Faculty of Liberal Arts subjects (30 TV, 18 Radio)
and 14 School of Graduate Studies subjects (4 TV, 10
Radio) totaling 62 subjects.

Broadcast Lectures

Total Subjects Offered in 2013
1st Semester

2nd Semester

TV Subjects

Radio Subjects

TV Subjects

Radio Subjects

Faculty of
Liberal Arts

153

109

153

109

School of
Graduate Studies

24

262
46

24

46

70
177

Total

262
70
155

177

332

155
332

List of New Subjects Offered in 2013 (Faculty of Liberal Arts) (TV=television, R=radio)
Broad Area Area of Study Detailed Classiﬁcationof StudyCore
Subjects

Social Sciences

GeneralSubjects
GeneralSubjects

Natural Sciences

Foreign
Language

LivingandWelfarePsychology
andEducation

TV

Introductory Health Informatics for Citizens ( 13)R

Developing International Understanding ( 13)R

PC Utilization for Distance Learning ( 13)TV

A-to-Z of English Grammar ( 13)R

Introductory Real Estate Sciences for Ordinary People ( 13)TV

Introductory Economics ( 13)R

Learning the Constitution of Japan from Examples ( 13)TV

Medicines Promoting Recovery from Illness ( 13)TV

Sleep and Health ( 13)R

Unraveling the Universe ( 13)TV

Evolution of the Planet Earth ( 13)TV

Getting Started with Arithmetic ( 13)TV

SoftwareInformatics

Informatics andMathematics

Humanities
Specialized
Subjects

Life and Ecology
Nature andEnvironment

Materials and Energy

Mathematics
Interdisciplinary
Subjects

Interdisciplinary
Subjects

Subject Title

Media

Data Structures and Programming ( 13)TV

Computer Operation and Management ( 13)TV

Mathematics for Problem Solving ( 13)TV

Connections between Computers and People ( 13)TVMedia and School-based Education ( 13)TV

Science of Life-giving Molecules and Cells ( 13)TV

Physics of Force and Motion ( 13)TV

Modern Chemistry ( 13)TV

Statistics ( 13)R

History of Mathematics ( 13)TV

Exploring Color ( 13)TV

The Ecology of Literature ( 13)RTV

Tracing the History of English ( 13)R

SpanishIntroductory Spanish ( 13)R

Living

The World of New Homes ( 13)TV

Human Life and Health Sciences

Health Research Methodologies ( 13)R

HealthRehabilitation ( 13)R

Sciences of Human Development and Education

Curriculum Development Theory ( 13)R

WelfareSupporting Lifestyles with Disabilities ( 13)TV

Advanced Theory in Clinical Psychological Interviews ( 13)R

Cognitive Psychology ( 13)TV

Advanced Theory in Disabled Child and Disabled Person Psychology ( 13)R

Clinical Psychology

Clinical Psychology of Puberty and Adolescence ( 13)R

Society and Economy

Contemporary Economics ( 13)TV

Psychology

IndustryandManagement

Philosophy and Art

List of New Subjects Offered in 2013 (School of Graduate Studies)
Program Name

Clinical Psychology

Social Governance

Subject Title

Media

Japanese Technology, Policy and Management ( 13)R

Local Government Governance ( 13)TVwith Natural andEnvironmental Engineering ( 13) *common
Environmental Sciences program

TV

Aesthetics and Art Research ( 13)TV

History and Culture of the African World ( 13)R

Civil Code ( 13)R

Aspects of Modern Environmental Laws ( 13)TV

History of Japanese Politics and Diplomacy ( 13)TV

Modern International Politics ( 13)TV

Language and Media ( 13)R

Marketing ( 13)TVMusic, Information and the Brain ( 13)TV

Software Engineering ( 13)R

ICT Utilization for Research ( 13)RInternational Management ( 13)R

Organizational Management and Internal Auditing ( 13)TV

Buddhism and Confucianism ( 13)R

Western Music History ( 13)R

History
andLocal Culture

History of Modern Japan ( 13)R

Historical Perspectives on China ( 13)TV

Literature andLinguistic Culture

Tales from Traditional Japanese Literature ( 13)R

Museum Information and Media Theory ( 13)TV

Museum Management Theory ( 13)R

Anthropology andComparative Culture

5

Exercise and Health ( 13)

Broad Area Area of Study Detailed Classiﬁcationof Study

Digital Information and Coding Theory ( 13)SocietyandIndustry

Humanities
andCultureMedia

EnglishLaw and Politics
Specialized
Subjects

Subject Title

Humanities

Informatics

Natural and Environmental Sciences

Theory and Methods of Modern Physical Science ( 13)Rwith Social Governance
Environmental Engineering ( 13) *common
programTV

Special lectures are lectures presented by leaders from(44 TV, 43 Radio) where broadcast during 2013 academic

each discipline who share their profound knowledge

year, including 12 new special lectures (6 TV, 6 Radio).

of their specialized ﬁelds. A total of 87 special lectures

Academics

Special Lectures

Special Lectures Introduced in the 2013 Academic Year
Lecture Topic Name
Gaihozu Maps
‒From Military Information to Modern Materials‒

Presenting Lecturer ＊Title at the time of lecture introduction
Professor,Graduate School Shigeru
of Osaka University
KOBAYASHI

Preventing Death in Natural Disasters Professor, Gunma University Toshitaka
KATADA‒The Struggle of one Disaster Social Engineer‒TV

Lecture Topic Name
Deciphering Izumo Mythology
with Spoken Language

Presenting Lecturer ＊Title at the time of lecture introduction
Professor, Rissho University
Sukeyuki(Professor Emeritus,
MIURA
Chiba University)

Part 1: The World of Susano-oPart 2: The World of Ohokuninushi

TV

DoctorHarutsugu
YAMAURAR

The Japanese Modern Family

Professor, Musashi University

Yuki
SENDA

R

The Gospel in Japanese YOKITAYORI‒Pursing an Inspirational Japanese Bible Translation‒

Professor, Nihon Fukushi
Reconstruction Assistance and Community Welfare University

R

Takayuki
HIRANOTV

Shakai Gijutsu System Co., Ltd. Fumiya‒Veriﬁcation/The Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Head, Safety Research Institute TANABE
Plant Accident‒TV

Science & Technology Ethics
and CopyrightInternational Collaboration Division, Haruo
Open University of Japan (Professor) KODAMA

R

Akira
Towns and Homes Safe from Disaster Professor Emeritus,
Tokyo Institute of Technology WADA

TV

Disclosure of Nuclear Power Information Specially appointed Professor Hiroshi
and Act on Access to Information Held
MIYAKE
Dokkyo Law Schoolby Administrative Organs

RTV

Why Should Radiation Scare Us
or Not Scare Us?

The Great East Japan Earthquake
Lessons for the Future

Cell Health Science to Learn
About Yourself‒Cell and Body Linking Dynamics Response
Mechanism and Slow Exercise‒Professor Emeritus,
University of Tokyo

Junko
ATOMI

Professor,
Nippon Medical School

ShigeoOHTARInternet Distribution
In 2007, the Open University of Japan began offering
broadcast lectures over the Internet (streaming) throughits dedicated student website (Campus Network Website).
The number of courses offered in this way is increasing
each year, and now all radio courses are distributed via
the Internet. In the 2013 academic year, 135 TV subjects,
155 radio subjects and 67 special lectures were covered
by Internet distribution.

Number of Subjects Covered by Internet Distribution in the 2013 Academic Year
TV

Radio

Undergraduate

123

109

Graduate

12

46

Special Lectures

24

43

Total

159

198

Sponsored Subjects
A number of organizations sponsor subjects at OUJ,
and to comply with societyʼs expectations, these sponsoredsubjects are made public. Six sponsored subjects werebroadcast during the 2013 academic year.

List of Sponsored Subjects Offered in the 2013 Academic Year
Subject Title

Sponsoring OrganizationMedia

Introduction to the Copyright Act ( 10)Japanese Society for Rights of Authors,
Composers and Publishers

Ｒ

Consumers and Securities Investments ( 11)Japan Securities Dealers Association

ＴＶ

Organizational Operation and Internal Auditing ( 09)Internal Auditors Association of Japan

ＴＶ

Society and Banks ( 10)Japanese Bankers AssociationＴＶ

100 Years Since the Discovery of Umami Taste-Searching for Advanced Science(Special Lecture)

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Institute of Life Sciences

ＴＶ

Contributing to Drug Therapy-The Role of Hospital Pharmacists(Special Lecture)

Japanese Society of Hospital PharmacistsＴＶ

6

Academics

Face-to-Face Instruction

Classroom Sessions (Schooling)

Along with broadcast lessons, classroom sessions are pivotal to academics at
the Open University of Japan, and are conducted at 50 Study Centers andseven Satellite Spaces nationwide. In the 2013 academic year, 3,110 subjects(1,537 in the 1st Semester and 1,573 in the 2nd Semester) were offered.
In addition, classroom session subjects are face-to-face subjects taught by
full-time OUJ teaching staff and the teaching staff of local universities. These
classes provide an opportunity for exchanges between students and lecturers,
encounters with other students and sharing the joy of learning.
Subjects cover a diverse range of content in keeping with the characteristics ofthe Faculty of Liberal Arts, and the same goes for class formats, which may
include activities such as experiments or ﬁeld work in addition to regular lectures.
Moreover, classes are not only held exclusively by certain study centers.
Study centers grouped into blocks based on themes that utilize the distinct
characteristics of each region collaborate with one another and offer classes
in a rotating fashion.
Until now, when enrolling students wished to take classroom sessions in thesemester of their enrollment, the only way they could do so was to register
for additional subjects with vacant spots during part way through the semester.
However, OUJ has revised the system so that from the 1st Semester of the2014 academic year, if an enrolling student meets certain criteria during theapplication process they will be able to sign up for classroom sessions fromthe start of the Semester in which they enroll.
In this way, we review our systems to ensure that we provide motivated students
with as many opportunities to learn as possible and work to continuously
improve student services.

Aomori Study Center‒ Studies of Shirakami: The Fauna and Flora of Shirakami

Fukuoka Study Center‒ Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets

Open Courseware
Open Courseware (OCW) refers to “activities to publish
lectures and related information ofﬁcially offered byuniversities free of charge over the Internet.” OUJ, which
was established with the aim of providing “open university
education” where all people wishing to learn can do soanytime, supports the OCW concept. OUJ joined the OpenCourseware Consortium as a full member in 2009 andhas made a wide variety of courses publicly available
online since 2010.

List of Open Courseware Subjects in the 2013 Academic Year
Television Broadcast Lectures
Subject Title

Radio Broadcast Lectures
Subject Title

Lecturer

Introduction to Sociology ( 10)Kiyoshi MORIOKA

Personality Psychology ( 09)

Yasuhiro OHYAMA

Introductory Chinese I ( 10)Toru MIYAMOTO/Hideki KIMURA

How to Read Japanese Literature ( 09)

Yuko SHIMAUCHIIntroduction to Linear Algebra ( 09)

Masahiro KUMABE

Environment and Society ( 09)Motoyuki SUZUKI/Kazuhiro UEDA

Space and Vectors ( 09)

Yukio MATSUMOTO/Tetsuro KAWASAKIIntroduction to Educational Psychology( 09)Nobuo OHTA

The Mechanisms of Computers ( 08)

Yoichi OKABE

Public Health ( 09)

Kozo TATARA/Toshiyuki TAKIZAWA

Introduction to Analysis ( 08)

Keisaku KUMAHARA/Takeshi KAWAZOE Northeast Asian History and the Korean Peninsula ( 09)

Mitsuo YOSHIDA

Getting Started with Arithmetic ( 13)Satoru KAWAI

Special Lectures on Psychological and Educational Statistical Methods ( 09)Amane FUKUDA/Kenji UZUKI

Organizational Operation and Internal Auditing ( 13)

Masaaki SAITO/Akira KANIE

Social Welfare and the Protection of Rights ( 12)

Hiroshi OHSONE

Cardiovascular Health Science ( 11)Kozo TATARA/Junichi YOSHIKAWA Special Lectures: Journalist Father, Celebrity Son
Tomonori OKAZAKI/Hidefusa NATSUAKI The Black Father and Son Who Contributed to Meiji-Era Japan

Educational Reorganization of Regional Society ( 12)

Yasuo KASHIWAKURA

Shin KISUGI/Kiyoshi KAWASHIMA Special Lecture: Reading World Classics: Learning from the Wealth of Nations
Special Lecture: The Connection Between Humans and Animals ‒ 1. Familiar Animals
Atsushi IGUCHI/Stuart Varnam-Atkin
Special Lecture: The Connection Between Humans and Animals ‒ 2. Mouse

Hiroshi TAKEMOTO

Digital Information Processing and Recognition ( 12)

Yoshitomo YAGINUMA/ Motofumi SUZUKI

Seiji OHSUMI

Mathematics from the Ground Up ( 12)Masahiro KUMABE

Civic Life and Court Trials ( 12)An Adventure in Pronunciation( 12)Special Lectures: Japanese Manga and Cultural Diversity‒The Worldwide Diﬀusion of Illustrated Book-Based Communication‒ [Japanese Edition]

Special Lectures: Japanese Manga and Cultural Diversity‒The Worldwide Diﬀusion of Illustrated Book-Based Communication‒ [English Edition]

Special Lectures:
Introduction to International Volunteer Studies

7

Lecturer

Hiroshi Deguchi
Hiroshi Deguchi
Tsuneo YAMADA/Tatsuhiko KAWASHIMA
Seiji UTSUMI/ Sumiko OGAWA

Special Lecture: Whales, the Largest Animals on Earth

Masahiko ISHIBASHI
Masahiko ISHIBASHI

The Open University of Japan has established a range ofsuch as separate exam-taking rooms and extended exami-

study support systems to ensure that every student is freenation times. For instance, during credit certiﬁcationfrom impediments to learning opportunities and is not put
at a disadvantage. For example, as a support measure forhearing-impaired students, we provide subtitled programsfor our television broadcast lecture subjects. In the 2nd
Semester of 2013 academic year, 78 subjects were broadcast
on television along with subtitles, representing roughly 44%
of all television broadcast subjects. Of the 44 special lectures
broadcast, 41 (roughly 93%) were shown with subtitles.
In addition, during credit certiﬁcation examinations OUJ
has developed special measures under its handicap system,

examinations for the 1st Semester of 2013 academic year,
audio questions were offered for 108 subjects, with a totalof 158 eligible students taking advantage of the service.
Similarly, questions were offered in Braille for 76 subjects,
and a total of 105 eligible students took the examinationsin this way. On an as-needed basis, OUJ also conducts credit
certiﬁcation exams at special-needs schools or in hospitals,
with seven students (10 in total) taking exams in this mannerin the 1st Semester of 2013 academic year.

Academics

Providing Learning Support to Students in Need of Special Assistanceto Ensure a Pleasant Learning Experience for Everyone

Opening of the “ManapiO” Open University of Japan Repository
To make the fruits of educational research produced at
the university and valuable materials possessed by theuniversity available to the general public, on October 28,
2013, OUJ opened “ManapiO”, the Open University ofJapan Repository.
During the 2013 academic year, the main text of OUJ
publications including the “Journal of the Open Universityof Japan” and the “Journal of Multimedia Education
Research” were recorded, from their back issues to thelatest issues. Further, as well as recording the text andimages of the collection of illustrated crepe paper books
housed at the OUJ Library, a selection of academic
papers was also registered in advance.
“ManapiO” is not only accessible to OUJ students but
also to anyone over the Internet. Moreover, as the repositoryis also included in searches of article databases such as
CiNii, it is expected that OUJʼs educational research ﬁndings
will achieve broader recognition. Additionally, the text ofrare books that are difﬁcult to examine in person can now

be easily viewed over the Internet.
OUJ will continue to expand the contents of the repository
moving forward, including plans to record the text ofacademic papers published by OUJ teaching staff.
URL:http://ouj.repo.nii.ac.jp/

Top Page of the “ManapiO” site

Upgrading and Expanding the Library Information Service
In March 2014, the OUJ Library updated its book systemtem
and revamped the OPAC book collection search service.
ce.
In doing so, we have further expanded the services off noents
need to visit the library that have been offered to studentsugh
to date, expanded the scope of book services throughrom
OPAC and enabled studentsʼ request of books from
OPAC, enriching student oriented services that use theInternet.
OUJ OPAC(http://webopac.ouj.ac.jp/)

Top page of the OPAC book collection search service website

8

Academics“Expert” Subject Group Credit Certiﬁcation System Expansion“Expert”, an original OUJ subject group credit certiﬁcation
system, was introduced in the 2006 academic year. Through thesystem, OUJ conﬁrms that a student who has completed speciﬁcuniversity designed instruction has acquired objectives of andinterest in subject matter in a given ﬁeld and has undertaken
systematic study to that end. With the 2007 revision of the
School Education Act, “certiﬁed evaluation and accreditation
system” regulations for universities also came into effect, and as
a result “Expert” was implemented again from the 2008 academic
year to respond to the “certiﬁed evaluation and accreditation
system.”While the system was initially started with ten plans, new plans
have been created every year since, and in the 2013 academic
year there was 24 plans on offer. From the 2014 academic year,
three new plans will be offered, namely the Caring Media Design
Plan, Fundamental Computer Science Plan and Regional Contribution Leader Human Resource Development Plan, bringing
the total to 27 plans.
The number of individuals that received subject group credit
certiﬁcation was 223 in 2006 academic year, 1,092 in 2007
academic year, 2,848 in 2008 academic year, 2,552 in 2009
academic year, 2,469 in 2010 academic year, 2,250 in 2011
academic year, 2,552 in 2012 academic year and 2,178 in 2013
academic year, with a similar number of certiﬁcations expected
for 2014 academic year. As of March 31, 2014, a total of 16,191
certiﬁcations have now been obtained, indicating that the system
has established itself as a study goal among students.

2013 Academic Year Certiﬁcation Plans and Number Certiﬁed (as of March 31, 2014)

1 Health and Welfare Advisor Plan

NumberCertiﬁed
Health and Welfare Exercise Coach 1,964

2 Social Welfare Coordinator Plan

Social Welfare Coordinator

1,745

3 Community Life Panning Plan

Community Life Planner914

4 Food and Health Advisor Plan

Food and Health Advisor

528

5 Fundamental Psychology Plan

Fundamental Psychology

2,182

Certiﬁcation Plan Title

Certiﬁcate Title

6 Fundamental Clinical Psychology Plan Fundamental Clinical Psychology

591

7 Social Research Plan

Modern Social Research404

8 Civic Activity Assistance Plan

Civic Policy Theory420

9 Practical Business Administration Plan Business Appreciation

431

The Study of Monozukuri and MOT(Manufacturing of Technology)

220

11 Next-Generation Training Assistance Plan Next-generation Training Assistance

1,003

12 Community Learning Support Plan

Regional Lifelong Learning Support

238

13 Intercultural Communication Plan

Foreign Culture Appreciation Support

681

14 Asian Studies Plan

Asian Studies272

10 Manufacturing MOT Plan

15 Japanese Culture and Society Studies Plan Japanese Culture and Society

395

16 Space and Earth Sciences Plan

Space and Earth Sciences379

17 Life Science Plan

Human Life Sciences

638

18 Environmental Sciences Plan

Fundamental Environmental Science

501

19 Social Mathematics Plan

Mathematics and Society

226

20 Energy and Environmental Research Plan Energy and Environmental Policy Theory

204

21 Fine Arts Museum Plan

Fine Arts Museum Activity Support

794

22 Historical Museum Plan

Historical Museum Activity Support

992

23 Nature Museum Activity Support

Nature Museum Activity Support

299

24 Fundamental Engineering Plan

Fundamental Engineering
Total

170
16,191

Educational Support for Other Institutions
Credit-Transferring Initiatives
OUJ has been assertive in concluding credit-transferring
agreements with educational institutions nationwide. In
2013 academic year, OUJ signed credit-transferring
agreements with three more universities, three juniorcolleges and two technical colleges, bringing the total to378.

Credit-Transferring Schools Added in the 2013 Academic Year
School Name
Suzuka University of Medical Science
Otemae University
Ube National College of Technology
Jin-ai Women s College
Oita Prefectural College of Arts and Culture
Oita National College of Technology
Nippon Bunri University
Beppu Mizobe Gakuen College

Coordination and Cooperation with Vocational Schools
OUJ runs a dual-enrollment university program, in collaboration with business colleges that have technical courses, underwhich business college students can earn a liberal arts degree.
In 2013 academic year, OUJ signed a memorandum on
dual-enrollment with an additional business college, bringing
the total to 25 institutions.

9

The following school signed a dual-enrollment agreement with OUJ in 2013 academic year
School Name
Izumo Computer Academy

Acquiring Qualiﬁcations

Some credits acquired at OUJ can be utilized to earn theWith regard to practical museum training, in the 2012 academic

following types of certiﬁcation.

year OUJ successfully offered a practical museum training course
in conjunction with Gifu Womenʼs University, the ﬁrst attempt ofits kind for OUJ. Under the scheme, Gifu Womenʼs University
offered courses to OUJ students who met certain criteria, with20 students from around Japan taking the course in the 2013
academic year.
OUJ has been conducting teacherʼs certiﬁcate renewal training
since the 2009 academic year in connection with the start of
the teacherʼs certiﬁcate renewal system. Making the best useof the characteristics of OUJ, television, radio or Internet lectures
are used to enable teachers to undergo training from anywherein Japan. Lectures are offered twice a year (summer semester
or winter semester) and in training during the 2013 academic
year approximately 7,000 participants took around 25,000
subjects.

Qualiﬁcation for the national examination for registerednurses; teacher certiﬁcation for a higher class, additional
subject, or a sequentially higher or lower school level; school
librarian certiﬁcation; second level special education teacher
certiﬁcation (education for the mentally disabled, education
for those with deformities); teacher for the disabled certiﬁcation; nutrition teacher certiﬁcation; curator certiﬁcation;social education superintendent certiﬁcation; social welfare
director certiﬁcation; short course for care worker subjects.

Regarding the curator certiﬁcation, while it was necessary toearn 19 credits in nine subjects from the 2012 academic year
due to revised enforcement regulations of the Museum Act, OUJ
responded by starting eight subjects (two of which were started
from the 2013 academic year), excluding practical museum training.

Academics

Helping People Advance Their Careers

Publication of Student Research Findings
The Undergraduate School of OUJ has set up graduate research courses to give students theopportunity to receive direct guidance from advisory teaching staff. Many students take thecourses each year. Given this, from 2007 academic year, a list of graduate research themes andgraduate research reports that present research ﬁndings are published on the Campus Network Website as an information service to students interested in taking graduate researchcourses. In 2013 academic year, a list of graduate research report themes and the full text of
33 graduate research reports of the preceding 2012 academic year were published.
For the Graduate School, the Open Forum (The OUJ School of Graduate Studies Education
Research Result Report), primarily compiled from School of Graduate Studies Masterʼs Course
graduation theses, has been published since March 2005. The Open Forum is aimed at providing
information to current and future enrolling students, disseminating information from the university to society, and being used as materials that speciﬁcally show the details of educational
research at the Masterʼs Course as well as the self-inspection and self-evaluation of teaching
staff. The tenth issue, published in March 2014, contains 10 theses with 42 research notes
selected from among all the 313 Masterʼs Course graduates from the 2012 academic year.

The 10th Issue of Open ForumThe Sixth OUJ Student Essay Contest
Since 2008, OUJ has run a student essay contest with theaims of having students express their own regular thoughts
and feelings through essays as well as to widely disseminate
opinions and assertions from students to society, including
OUJ students, teaching staff and related persons. With the2013 academic year marking the sixth iteration of the contest,
104 essays on the theme of “future” were submitted, and as
a result of strict examination by the screening committee, ten
winners were selected.
The applicants comprised a wide range of ages from 21 to
85 years and their afﬁliated study centers spanned 39 centers
across the country. All submissions were excellent in theirown right.

Award

Winner

Title

Best Essay Yumi NAKAMURA On The Way
The Future Starts HereYuko ODA
Excellent Taeko KOBAYASHI Another Future
Essay
Miwa MURAYAMA A Gift To Myself

Fine Essay

Study Center
Satellite Space
Hokkaido
Gifu
Gifu
Tokyo Bunkyo

Mitsuko ASADA

70 Is Not Too Late To Learn

Shizuoka

Keiji KONNO

Live The Now

Saitama

Masako SATO

Learning And Taking Hold Of The Future Saitama

Hiroyuki SUZUKI

I Began My Run-up To The Future

Kanagawa

Keiko TAMADAYour And My Time Here

Tokyo Bunkyo

Kazuo FUKUDAA Future Vow For Victory In Life

Tochigi＊In each award category, names are listed in Japanese alphabetical order.
＊Study Centers appear as of the time of application.

10

Academics

Striving for Higher Quality Education
Creating Subjects through a Painstaking Three-year Process
Each year, OUJ creates dozens of new broadcast lecture
subjects. This is because once a single broadcast lecture subject
has been started, its content is revised in around four to six
years. There are cases in which a different broadcast lecture
subject is created when one is discontinued, as well as cases
where a subject is revised with the addition of new information to
the existing content. For this reason, the lecturers responsible forbroadcast lectures need to consider what kinds of content toadopt next, and which lecturers they will work with to develop
course materials.
As the below table shows, staff beings to work out the concept
for subjects around three years before it starts, submitting to
the university proposals along the lines of “I would like to makethis kind of subject.” Once the subjects to be created are
decided on, an OUJ Chief Lecturer Meeting is convened to conﬁrm
schedules and meet face-to-face with editors and other staff.
Printed course materials comprise 15 chapters, reﬂecting thenumber of broadcast lectures, and the lecturers in charge share
the responsibility for writing the materials. Once the division of
responsibility for the main pieces of content has been determinedand schedule components such as
deadlines havebeen conﬁrmed,
work begins on
the writing themanuscripts. The
deadline for thesubmission ofmanuscript is
Chief Lecturer Meetingaround 18 months
before a subject starts.
A year before a subject starts, the production of lecture programs
commences. Most of the staff are veterans who have alreadyproduced educational programs and other content. The staff
meet with producers and directors to determine how to structure
the programs. Then, they gather the necessary materials andproduce studio recordings based on a script. In this way, it takes
around three years to create a single lecture subject.

Main Flow for Lecture Subject Creation
Three years before
a lecture subject starts

Two years before
a lecture subject starts

・Consider themes andcontent, decide on subjects
・Chief Lecturer Meeting
・Produce a draft syllabus

・W r i t e m a n u s c r i p t f o r
printed materials

One year before
a lecture subject starts
・Complete syllabus
・Edit printed materials
・Record lecture programs
・Produce tutorials by corre
spondence and exam questions

Lecture Subject
Starts!

Faculty Development (FD) Initiatives
As a part of Faculty Development (FD) efforts, presentations
were held on Wednesday, February 19, 2014.
This year, teaching staff and directors gave presentations
on innovations and teaching methodologies associated withthe creation and recording of broadcast lectures, and on
supporting people with disabilities in higher education.
Professor Emi NISHINA and Director Mayumi SONODA
delivered a presentation on effective video creation andinnovative content for studio and on-location ﬁlming associated with production of “Music, Information and the Brain”, a newly offered subject in 2013 academic year.
（ʼ13）
Professor Yoko HIROSE gave a presentation of OUJʼs current
state of support for students with disabilities and points that
universities should take into account with regard to students
with disabilities.
After the end of the two presentations, question-andanswer sessions involving participants were held, generating
lively discussions.

11

4264

Research at
The Open University of Japan
Special Research and Externally Funded Research Studies
OUJ provides support for the ﬁnancing of special individual research.
Research is also pursued by actively seeking grant funding fromother organizations such as the Foundation for the Promotion of The
Open University of Japan (SPUA).
The following are themes from among the many special research
activities conducted during the 2013 academic year with assistancefrom the SPUA and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS).

Research

Full-time professors at the Open University of Japan avidly undertake
numerous research projects on a variety of themes and publish theresults.
OUJ has also established a Special Research Fund system especiallyto support and promote research. As a way to support educationalor research projects which contribute to the development of OUJ,
projects of appreciable academic or operational merit to the university
or those which support the search activities of individual teaching staff,

List of 2013 President-allocated Ⅰ (Project Funding) Recipients
PositionFull Name

Living and Welfare Professor

Satoshi IDE

Insight into stress-related growth on the part of family caregivers supporting suﬀerers of dementia

Living and Welfare Professor

Yoji INOUE

Attempt at systemizing human rights education at the Open University of Japan and the running of classroom sessions

Aﬃliation

Research Title

Living and Welfare Professor Michiko MIYAMOTO

Improving learning environments and developing networks for young students at the Open University of Japan

Society and Industry Professor

Developmental research on innovations in research and educational organizations in the Graduate School of the Open University of Japan

Motoshi SAKAI

Informatics

Associate
Professor Toshio AKIMITSU

Update to modify authentication systems towards practical utilization of voice correction systems

Informatics

Professor

Hiroshi KATO

Development of the Interactive Tableau Checker inferential validity certiﬁcation learning tool

OUJ Library

Library
Director

Sachiko MATSUMURA

Institutional Repository: Academic Paper Registration Support Project

Nature andEnvironment

Professor

Masahiro KUMABE

Creation of supplementary course materials for the Introduction to Linear Algebra ( 14) broadcast lecture subject

Society and Industry Professor

Motoshi SAKAI

Developmental research into innovating information organizations of Graduate School education

Living and Welfare Associate Yasunori TOGARI
Professor
Associate
Informatics
Professor Motofumi SUZUKI
Department of Department
Kazumichi TAKAHIRA
Production
Head

Development of educational program to help improve the statistical analytic skills of health and nursing-oriented graduate students
Development and study of programming course materials linked with broadcast programs
How do you appeal to the visual and auditory senses? (tentative): Making broadcast lectures

List of 2013 President-allocated Ⅱ (Research Grant) Recipients
Aﬃliation

PositionFull Name

Living and Welfare Professor

Hiroshi OHSONE

Living and Welfare Professor

Yumiko NARA

Research Title
Towards collaboration between citizens, professionals, governments and families for child custody-From the perspective of building a comprehensive support system for child-rearing support-

Informatics

Professor Hitoshi NAKAGAWA

Research on the organic relationship between sociotechnology and sciences of living to contribute to
the safety and security of lifestyles
Development of digital Japanese language textbooks, teaching material-based curricula and tools
compatible with information terminal environments

Informatics

Associate
Professor Toshio AKIMITSU

Operation and development of e-portfolios used in broadcast subjects

Nature andEnvironment

Professor Katsuya ISHIZAKI

Research into complex diﬀerence equations using value distribution theory

Informatics
Informatics

Associate
Professor Hideaki TAKAHASHI
Associate
Professor Yasuhiko TSUJI

Building information ecology: Using human s process control actions as examples
Building real-time learning support environments based on improved interactivity in distance learning

12

SPUA-funded Research: Research and development grand for teaching materials and systems, etc.
Aﬃliation
Nature andEnvironment

PositionFull Name

Professor Tadao MATSUMOTO

Society and Industry Professor Kazuo TAKAHASHI
Informatics

Professor

Informatics

Associate
Professor
Associate
Professor

Informatics

Research

Humanities
and Culture

Research Title
Current state of animals natural environments in tropical-zone developing countries, ﬁeld study on the state of activities
for their preservation, and the reﬂection of ﬁndings in the creation of Open University of Japan teaching materials
Gathering of materials and preliminary surveys of overseas locations for the production of the interdisciplinary TV subject
Japan in the World ( 15)

Haruo KODAMA

Research into the development of net-based teaching materials which fuse radio programs with textual information

Yasuhiko TSUJI

Development of e-learning materials for studying piano for potential nursery workers, by which the state of learning
in a fun way to acquire skills may be quantitatively conﬁrmed

Toshio AKIMITSU

Development of a portfolio server for evoking the independence of learners

Professor Motomitsu UCHIBORICreation of an index of stock footage archives for the HUMAN: Exploring the origins of man OUJ course materials
and consideration of their re-development as course materials

SPUA-funded Research: Grant for dissemination of teaching materials overseas and collaborative projects; grant for project to encourage international exchangeAﬃliation

PositionFull Name

Society and Industry Professor Akinobu KAWAI
President

Yoichi OKABE

Research Title
International exchange project with Bhutanese royal university Sherubtse College based on the transferof experiences with Open Distance Learning (ODL) at the Open University of Japan
Study of open universities overseas

SPUA-funded Research: Grant-in-aid for Specially Promoted Research at the Institution
Aﬃliation

Position
Vice
President

Full Name
Shin KISUGI

Research Title
Promotion of credit transferring and dual enrollment, etc., and enhanced support for the acquisition ofqualiﬁcations

Research through JSPS-funded Scientiﬁc Research Cost Subsidy Project (Representativeʼs Name)Aﬃliation
Nature andEnvironment
Humanities
and Culture

PositionFull Name

Research Item
Research into newacademic ﬁelds
Grant-in-Aid forProfessor Tetsuya INAMURA Scientiﬁc Research A
Grant-in-Aid forInformatics
Professor Tsuneo YAMADA Scientiﬁc Research A
Grant-in-Aid forInformatics
Professor Tomotsugu KONDO Scientiﬁc Research B
Grant-in-Aid for
Living and Welfare Professor Michiko MIYAMOTO Scientiﬁc Research B
Grant-in-Aid for
Psychology
and Education Professor Masahito OGAWA Scientiﬁc Research B
Grant-in-Aid for
Living and Welfare Professor Hiroshi OHSONE Scientiﬁc Research B
Grant-in-Aid for
Living and Welfare Professor
Yoji INOUE
Scientiﬁc Research B
Associate
Grant-in-Aid forInformatics
Kikuo ASAI
Professor
Scientiﬁc Research B
Living and Welfare Associate Yasunori TOGARI Grant-in-Aid forProfessor
Scientiﬁc Research B
Nature andGrant-in-Aid forProfessor Junichiro KISHINE Scientiﬁc Research B
Environment
Adachi Study Center Director Noriko TOMINAGA Grant-in-Aid for
Scientiﬁc Research B
Grant-in-Aid forInformatics
Professor Masaaki KUROSU Scientiﬁc Research C
Grant-in-Aid forInformatics
Professor
Kumiko AOKIScientiﬁc Research C
Grant-in-Aid forSociety and Industry Associate Masaaki SAITO
Scientiﬁc Research C
Professor
Grant-in-Aid forSociety and Industry Professor
Akira HOYANO Scientiﬁc Research C
Living and Welfare Associate Yasuhiro KAWAHARA Grant-in-Aid for
Scientiﬁc Research C
Professor
Grant-in-Aid for
Living and Welfare Professor
Shosuke KOJO Scientiﬁc Research C
Grant-in-Aid forInformatics
Professor
Kimio KONDO
Scientiﬁc Research C
Grant-in-Aid for
Associate
Informatics
Professor Junji SHIBASAKI Scientiﬁc Research C
Grant-in-Aid for
Humanities
Professor Shiro MIYASHITA Scientiﬁc Research C
and Culture
Grant-in-Aid for
Humanities
Professor Motomitsu UCHIBORI Scientiﬁc Research C
and Culture

13

Professor Junichiro KISHINE

Research Title
Exploring the dynamics of chiral magnetic crystals using ultraslow muon-based probes
Interdisciplinary research into the domestication and the stock breeding development process
in tropical highland environments with a focus on the Andes
Research on System for Sharing and Distributing Learning Content to Build an International Lifelong Learning Community
Building of mixed reality sharing systems at museums and longitudinal study of the development of scientiﬁc thoughtInternational Comparative Research on Policy Measures to Support Youth Excluded from the Labor
Market and Their Evaluation
Research Study on the Transformation of Local Education Administration Under the Decentralization,
Administrative and Fiscal Reform From the 2000s Onwards
International comparative research into EU government policies concerning disabilities and interaction
between each country ‒ towards social inclusion Investigative research with the participation of involved parties aimed at support for promoting the healthof HIV-positive people
Facilitation through biosignal adaptive control in distributed cooperative training of the sense of touch force
for the handing down of skills
Experimental research into the societal factors that determine the SOC stress coping ability using a
representative sample from around Japan
Exploring new magnetic functions contained in chiral crystal structures
Living environment of ethnic minorities in Myanmar and study of unutilized biological resources‒ northern Chin State Development of methods for evaluating user experiences
Investigative research into the eﬀective development of generic skills utilizing ICTInternational operation of the music industry and related issues
Development of a course program for architectural environment design incorporating numericalsimulations compatible with 3DCAD
Research into methods for evaluating living spaces for care prevention of the elderly
Development of new foods with health-promoting beneﬁts based on the biological eﬀects of oxidative stressSupport for scenario creation through environments that present a sense of presence for disasterprevention decision-making drills, and concept maps
Development of a video viewing response visualization system and research into the utilization ofinteractive and cooperative learning
Overall research of the Plantin-Moretus Printing Oﬃce as the Republic of Letters ‒ Phase 3
Formation of modernity in the Iban people of Sarawak approached from family history

JSPS-Funded Grant-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research (Representativeʼs Name)Aﬃliation
Psychology
and Education

PositionFull Name

Research Title
Impact of eye-based social cues on prosocial behavior
Structure and function of international collaboration in Chinese higher education
Exploration of bacteria-derived genes that have spread to the insect nuclear genome and their evolutionary role
Research on Learning Environments in Science Museum Exhibits Using Augmented Reality
Research into network-based information for patients, the reconstruction of virtual communities andthe eﬀects of such
Research into an automated collection and analysis system for actions that indicate assessment
during assessment within an activity
Analysis of present state of job separation for family caregivers providing care to elderly family
members with dementia, and building of a support system
Development and Evaluation of Environment Promoting the Reuse of Educational and Learning Content

ResearchResearch Item
Grant-in-Aid for
Tsutako MORI Scientiﬁc Research C
Grant-in-Aid forInformatics
Professor
Fujie YUAN
Scientiﬁc Research C
Nature andGrant-in-Aid forProfessor
Naruo NIKOH Scientiﬁc Research C
Environment
Associate
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging
Informatics
Kikuo ASAI
Exploratory Research
Professor
Grant-in-Aid
for Challenging
Living and Welfare Professor
Yoji INOUE
Exploratory ResearchInformatics
Professor Hiroshi KATO Grant-in-Aid for Challenging
Exploratory Research
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging
Living and Welfare Professor
Satoshi IDE
Exploratory Research
Associate
Grant-in-Aid forInformatics
Professor Yosuke MORIMOTO Young Scientists B
Associate
Grant-in-Aid for
Nature andProfessor Tomokazu YASUIKE Young Scientists B
Environment
Grant-in-Aid for
Associate
Informatics
Professor Yoshiaki HADA Young Scientists B
Grant-in-Aid for
Associate
Humanities
Professor Atsushi IGUCHI Young Scientists B
and Culture
Associate
Professor

Basic research into interfacial optical molecular science through open-system electronic structure theory
Building a mobile learning environment using annotations through video multimedia
Revision to the Latin religious text Stimulus Amoris (c. 1300)

JSPS-funded Grant-in-Aid for Cutting-edge and Next-Generation Research and Development Programs
Aﬃliation

Position

Informatics

Professor

Full Name

Research Title

Emi NISHINA

Development of Healthy and Comfortable Media Information Environments Based on the Hypersonic Eﬀect

Journal of the Open University of JapanThe Journal of the Open University of Japan provides an opportunity for full-time OUJ teaching staff
to present research ﬁndings based on their daily research activities. The 2013 edition was published in March 2014.

The Journal of the Open University of Japan 31st Edition ‒ List of Authors and Themes
Name (Course/Department)

Coauthors

Theme

Professor Noboru OHBA
(Psychology and Education)

The Tragedy at Rajagriha and Gautama Buddha- From the perspective of Jungian Psychotherapy -Associate Professor Hitomi SATOH(Psychology and Education)

The Spaces that E. Munch Loved- Love and Agony -Professor Junko HARADA(Society and Industry)

The Impact of Reforms to the Japanese Wage Systemin the 1990s

Professor Motoshi SAKAI(Society and Industry)

Trust and Leadership in Groups‒ General Trust and Particular Trust in Society

Professor Akinobu KAWAI(Society and Industry)

Singye Namgyel

Role of Teachers in alleviating Cultural Poverty:
GNH begins in the Classroom

Professor Masaaki KUROSU(Informatics)

Ayako HASHIZUMEHuman-centered Design of Service Activities

Professor Makiko MIWA
(Informatics)

Hideaki TAKAHASHI, Yoshitomo YAGINUMA,
Emi NISHINA, Yoko HIROSE,
Akemi KAWAFUCHI, Toshio AKIMITSU

Development and Outcome of Digital Literacy Training
at the Open University of Japan

Associate Professor Kikuo ASAI
(Informatics)
Professor Kazuo YOSHIOKA(Nature and Environment)

Construction of an Immersive Display through a PC
Cluster using VR Juggler
Naoaki YAMAGUCHIThe Determination of Abundances of Two Stars
with Planets, ε Eri and HD37124

Director Tadashi TOJO
(Nagasaki Study Center)

Process of Forming a Modern Transportation Systemin the Port City of Nagasaki

Professor Yuko SHIMAUCHI(Humanities and Culture)

The Method of Tsurezuregusa-kuge as a Commentary- with a focus on the ﬁrst volume -31th Edition of the Journal of the Open University of Japan

14

Publication and Distribution of Research Findings

Research

To announce, share and distribute their research ﬁndings,

the OUJ Library and in many public libraries. As thesein addition to printed teaching materials, full-time OUJ
professors and Study Center directors edit and write agreat number of reference volumes.
They are also involved in the compiling of dictionaries andlexicons. These publications can be purchased in ordinary
bookstores. Alternatively, they are available for reading inpublications include more speciﬁc and advanced content
that differs from broadcast lectures and printed teachingmaterials, they are perfect for deepening insights into theresearch projects, activities and results each professor
works on day to day and their perusal is actively encouraged.

Aﬃliation

Living and Welfare

Full Name

Psychology
and Education

Live Security Strategies (coauthor)

Iwanami Shoten

Regions / Labor / Poverty and Regions (coauthor)

Edited by the Society for Scientiﬁc Studyof Education, Kamogawa Shuppan

Safety for Children and Risk Communication (Coauthored)

Kansai University Press

Use of the Rorschach Test in Child and Adolescent Clinical Practice

Kanekoshobo

Dictionary of Schooling, Third Edition (partial author）

Kyoiku Shuppan

APA Dictionary of Psychology (partial author)

Baifukan

Reading the Baum Test ‒ from symbols to signals, Keiichiro Abe (review)

Japanese Journal of Psychotherapy,
40(2), 120-121.

Michiko MIYAMOTO

Yumiko NARA

Toshiki OGAWA

Masahito OGAWA Explanatory Compendium of Education Laws in Japan ‒ 2014 Edition (joint compilation)
Societyand Industry

Akira HOYANO

Publisher

Book Title/Dictionary Title

Sanseido

REMOTE SENSING AN INTRODUCTORY TEXTBOOK (partial author)

Maruzen PublishingNomadic Life, Transhumance and Set Stocking: From the Field in Mongolia,
Tibet, the Himalayas and Andes

Nakanishiya Shuppan

Tetsuya INAMURA Characteristics of animal feeding, social background and its transformationin Domkal, Ladakh region, India (coauthor)

Himalayan Study Monographs, Issue 15

Anthropology of Carnality ‒ Recognition, Memory, Language and Others (coauthor)

Sekaishisosha

Systems ‒ Evolutionary Historical Foundations of Human Society (coauthor)

Kyoto University Press

History of The Pillow Book ‒ Unraveling the Mystery behind In Spring It Is The Dawn

Asahi Shimbun Publications [Asahi Sensho]

Phases of Dancing Girl (coauthor)

Bensei Shuppan

Weekly New Discoveries! Japanese History, Volume 14 (coauthor)

Asahi Shimbun Publications

Reading the Tsurezuregusa Smoothly (with explanation at end of book)

Kodansha Bunko

Fun Bento Lunch (editor)

Kodansha Bungei Bunko

Motomitsu UCHIBORI

Humanities
and Culture

Fumihiko GOMI

Yuko SHIMAUCHI

Masato TAKIURA Can the Japanese Language Convey Familiarity? (That s What Japanese Was Like!)
Shiro MIYASHITA

Iwanami Shoten

The Scene of Books ‒ Edited by Shirayuri Women s University Language
and Literature Research Center (coauthor)

Gohgakusha

Fundamentals of Human-centered Design

Kindaikagakusha

Overseas Examples of Human-centered Design (coauthor)

Kindaikagakusha

Fundamentals of Library Information Science (Series: Library Information Science 1)

University of Tokyo Press

Masaaki KUROSU
Informatics
Makiko MIWA
Nature andEnvironment
Miyagi Study Center

Tomokazu YASUIKE Graduate School Lectures in Physical Chemistry I. Quantum Chemistry
and Molecular Spectroscopy (coauthor)
Junsuke HARA Youth Sexuality Whitepaper ‒ Report on the 7th National Survey
on Youth Sexual Activity

Tokyo Kagaku Dojin

Dictionary of World Place Names 7 ‒ North America I

Asakura Publishing

Dictionary of World Place Names 8 ‒ North America II

Asakura Publishing

New Standard Nutrition and Food Series 2: Biochemistry (coauthor)

Tokyo Kagaku Dojin

Shogakukan

Saitama Study Center Mineaki KANNOTokyo Adachi Study Center Noriko TOMINAGA

Home and Lifestyle for Living Healthily ‒ A Collection of Evidence ‒Fukuoka Study Center Yutaka TOCHIHARA What Happens to Blood Pressure Due to Temperature Changes? (coauthor)

15

Gihodo Shuppan

Specialized research serves as the driving force behind

at OUJ are experts in their respective ﬁelds. Their research

the education of OUJ teaching staff. The ability to pursue

papers are reviewed and released to the world throughthe problems that emerge from such activities enhances thescholarly journals. Here we introduce the academic papers

capacity for endurance and gives rise to new discoveries.

published during the 2013 academic year.

The full-time teaching staff and Study Center directors

Aﬃliation

Full Name

Name of Paper

Publication (Journal, etc.)
The Journal of the Japanese Society of
Alcohol-related Problems, Volume 15, Issue 2

Increase in secretory sphingomyelinase activity and speciﬁc ceramides in theaorta of apolipoprotein E knockout mice during aging.

Biol. Pharm. Bull., 36, 1192-1196 (2013).

Racemization of the aspartic acid residue of amyloid-b peptide by a radical
reaction.

Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem.,
77, 416-418 (2013).

Observations on Residents Trust in Risk Management Agencies and Their
Perception of Earthquake and Atomic Power Plant Incident Risks: From
Questionnaire Surveys before and after the Great East Japan Earthquake

Social and Economic Systems Studies,
No.34

The Sichuan Earthquake and Restoring Lifestyles‒ Based on Interview Surveys of Those Aﬀected in Xin Beichuan County -Social And Economic Systems(The Japan Association forSocial and EconomicSystems Studies), No. 34, p83 - p98(October 2013)

Roles and Vision for Lifestyle Risk Management Research

Risk and Management (Japan Risk Management
Society),No.45, pp. 57-76 (March 2014)

FY 2012 Physical Fitness and Motor Capacity Research Report(Hisashi NAITO, Nobuyoshi HIROTSU, Noriko SEKINE, et al.)Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology

Unconscious and conscious processing of negative emotions examinedthrough aﬀective priming

Psychological Reports, 112(2), 607-625

Rorschach texture responses are related to adult attachment via tactile imagery

Rorschaiana, 34(2), 115-136

Masahito OGAWA

Reviewing the Roles and Authority Relationships of Amateur Boards of Educationand School Superintendents ‒ Its Discussion and Reform Alternatives

Japan Society for the Study of Education Education
Research Volume 80, No. 2, June 2013, pp. 2-13

Mitsumasa OKADA

Impact of ﬂood events on macrobenthic community structure on an intertidal
ﬂat developing in the Ohta River Estuary

Marine Pollution Bulletin, 74, 1, 364-373

Hiroshi OHSONE

Shosuke KOJO

Living and Welfare

Yumiko NARA

Noriko SEKINE

Toshiki OGAWA
Psychology
and Education

Using Numerical Simulation to Ascertain the Relationship Between the Spatial Characteristics and Surface
Temperatures of Wooden Houses in Edo and Sensible Heat Load on the Atmosphere‒Evaluating the Summer Thermal Environment Considering the Living Activities of Residents in Civilian Erasof Edo in the Latter Stages of the Edo Period: Part 3
Numerical analysis of the impact that the heat radiation environment of
exterior spaces of architecture has on direct gain system performance

Collection of Environmental Papers of the Architectural
Institute of Japan, Volume 78, No. 693, pp. 827-833,
November 2013

Development of a Technique for Estimating Lake Thawing Date Using 8-day
Combined Water Temperature Data

Journal of the Japan Society of Infrared Scienceand Technology, Vol.23, No. 2, pp. 47-54, December 2013

Concept of User Experience and Issues to be Discussed (in "Frameworks of
IT Prosumption for Business Development")

Pakowska, M. IGI Global, 2013

Problems Concerning Intellectual Property Rights and Infringing Uponthe Rightto Know

Patent (Japan Patent Attorneys Association)
Vol. 66, No. 6, pp. 72-78

Relationship between the Disclosure of Corporate Information during an Emergency
and Restrictions on Intellectual Property Rights

Japan Association of Business Law Research(Japan Association of Business Law), Vol.2, No.1, pp.23-33

Reaction of neutral platinum clusters with N2O and CO

J. Phys. Chem. A 117 (2013) 12175,
American Chemical Society, Oct 24, 2013

Development of open-boundary cluster model approach for electrochemicalsystems and its application to Ag+ adsorption on Au(111) and Ag(111) electrodes

J. Chem. Phys., 139 (2013) 104101,
American institute of physics, Sep 9, 2013

Fukui Study Center Toshio SUZUKI

Commutators of the four-current and sum rules in relativistic nuclear models

Progress of Theoretical and Experimental
Physics Oxford University Press
2013, 4, 043D03(13pages)

Gifu Study Center Yukio OKANO

Mitotic catastrophe and cell death induced by depletion of centrosomal
protein

Cell Death Dis 4: e603; (2013)

Societyand Industry
Akira HOYANO

Masaaki KUROSU
Informatics
Haruo KODAMANature andEnvironment

Tomokazu YASUIKE

Research

The Act on Measures to Prevent Damage to Health due to Alcohol fromthe Perspective of a Legal Scholar

Collection of Environmental Papers of the Architectural
Institute of Japan, Volume 78, No. 693, pp. 841-848,
November 2013

Journal of Physiological Anthropology,
A comparison of hydration eﬀect on body ﬂuid and temperature regulation
between Malaysian and Japanese males exercising at mild dehydration in humid heat 33:5, 2014

Fukuoka
Study Center

Yutaka TOCHIHARA

Seasonal diﬀerences in cutaneous temperature sensitivity of those bornin tropical zones and those born in temperate zones

Japanese Journal of Physiological Anthropology,
18(4): 153-164, 2013

Eﬀects of 6-hour exposure to low relative humidity and low air pressure on
body ﬂuid loss and blood viscosity

Indoor Air, 23(5): 430-436, 2013

The impact of ﬁreﬁghter personal protective equipment and treadmill protocol
on maximal oxygen uptake

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene,
10(7): 397-407, 2013

Nationwide survey of nursing attire

Japan Research Association for Textile End-Uses,
54(2): 172-179, 2013

Cold-induced vasodilation and vasoconstriction in the ﬁnger of tropical andtemperate indigenes

Journal of the Human-Environment System,
16(1): 11-19, 2013

Evaluating the Impression of Nursing Attire of Varying Designs

Japan Research Association for Textile End-Uses,
54(2): 172-179, 2013

Diﬀerent impacts of normobaric/hypobaric hypoxia on physiological andsubjective responses at a cold environment

Journal of the Human-Environment System,
16(1): 11-19, 2013

Occupational stress and strain in relation to personal protective equipment ofJapanese ﬁreﬁghters assessed by a questionnaire

Industrial Health, 51: 214-222, 201316

International Exchange
Initiatives
In 2013, OUJ continued to actively embrace international exchanges through participation in conferences of international organizations of which OUJ is a member, the hosting of the 5th KNOU, OUC, OUJ International Seminar andInternational Symposium, and the conclusion of a new agreement on international exchange.

Participation in the 27th AAOU Annual Conference

International Exchange

From October 1 to October 3, 2013, the 27th Annual
Conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities(AAOU) was held at Allama Iqbal Open University in Pakistan. Around 250 representatives attended from aroundthe world. From OUJ, President Yoichi OKABE took partin the AAOU board of directors meeting, while teaching
staff also gave research presentations in the respective
ﬁelds.

Participation in the 25th ICDE World Conference
and the 2013 ICDE Standing Conference of Presidents (SCOP)OUJ is an institutional member of the International Council
for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), and played an
active part in each of the ICDE conferences in 2013.
Held over a three-day period from October 16 to 18,
2013, the 25th ICDE World Conference was hosted by
Tianjin Open University in Tianjin, China under a theme of“New Strategies for Global Open, Flexible and Distance
Learning,” and drew attendance from roughly 700 people.
From OUJ, three teaching staff, including President
OKABE took part and gave presentations in breakout
sessions and the like.
In 2013, a series of awards given to innovative educational

In addition, from November 27 to 30, 2013, the 2013
ICDE Standing Conference of Presidents (SCOP), whichaims to share information on distance education withcountries around the world, was held at Aberta University
in Lisbon, Portugal. Three representatives from OUJ took
part, including OUJ Vice President Wataru KOTERAYAMA.

practices, dubbed the ICDE Prizes for Innovation and Best
Practices, was newly established. As OUJ, along withother institutions, served as sponsors of the awards,
President OKABE also presented awards as the ceremony,making OUJʼs presence felt.

Hosting the 2014 OUJ International Symposium (OJIS2014)
On February 7, 2014, OUJ invited key ﬁgures from
Canada, the Philippines, the UK and Australia and heldthe 2014 International Symposium (OJIS2014) at the
Makuhari International Training Center.
After a welcoming address from Director SHIRAI, theevent proceeded under the theme of “The Tide of Online
Education Spreading Around the World,” with Professor
AOKI acting as chairperson.
With online university educations garnering recent attention
with developments such as massive open online course(MOOC), there appeared to be a heightened interest in the
symposium, with 181 attending on the day. The opportunity

17

to gain insight from pioneers who have been engaged in online
education since before its recent spike in notoriety throughscenes of online education in practice at overseas universities,
lectures and panel discussions proved to be of great utility.

Hosting the 5th KNOU, OUC, OUJ International Seminar
At the end of the seminar,
the issues d i scussed

the Quality of Education at Open Universities” served as thetheme of the 5th seminar. From South Korea, four members of
Korea National Open University (KNOU), Dean of Student Affairs
Section Byoung-Jun YOON, Professor Min-Seung JUNG, Associate
Professor Song-Hwan KO, and Assistant Professor Sang-Gyu
KANG delivered lectures.
While only two countries took part in the 5th seminar as
representatives from
Chinaʼs Open Universityof China (OUC) were
not in attendance, 73
people attended tomake it a lively event.
The seminar comprised
two sessions, with twothemes establishedfor each session.

t h r o u g h o ut the twosessions were summarized by each sessionʼschairperson and a general
discussion was held
between the lecturers,
panel members andevent chairperson.
Throughout the event,extremely lively discussions unfolded, making for a productive
seminar.
Next yearʼs KNOU, OUC, OUJ International Seminar is scheduled tobe held in China. Moving forward, it is hoped that exchanges
associated with deep and substantive discussions such as this one
will continue to take place between open universities in the East
Asia region.

International Exchange

On September 5, 2013, the 5th KNOU, OUC, OUJ International
Seminar was held in the OUJ Administration Building. “Improving

International Exchange Agreement
On November 21, 2013, an international exchange agreement was
concluded between Bhutanese Royal University Sherubtse College (SCRUB)
and the OUJ Center for Open Distance Education. The agreement was
brought to the Center for Open Distance Education by SCRUB teaching

The international exchange agreement
brought from SCRUB

staff and students, where an exchange of views and networking event
took place. Thereafter, the group toured the Chiba and Gunma study centers.
This agreement marks the tenth school to have established an international
exchange agreement with OUJ.

Members interact over lunch after a session
to exchange views

Exchanging opinions at the Gunma Study Center

Visits to OUJ from Overseas
In 2013, OUJ welcomed the following overseas
visitors for exchanges of opinion on distanceeducation and other activities.

Group of visitors from Thailand (STOU)

Date

Visiting Group

Date

Group of visitors from Papua New Guinea taking a tour of OUJVisiting Group

April 10

JICA Laos and others (11 members)

April 16

Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and UAE Ministry ofHigher Education & Scientiﬁc Research (7 members)

October 17

Thailand Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University (RMU) (36 members)

May 8

Thailand STOU (11members)

October 18

Teaching staﬀ from University of Costa Rica Communications
Department (1 member)

May 29Thailand STOU (33 members)

May 31

JICA Papua New Guinea (11members)

18

Contributions to Society
Since its founding, the Open University of Japan has earnestly provided philanthropic services as an open
university. The following are examples of the diverse philanthropic efforts made by our faculty members.

Science Council of Japan

Philanthropic Eﬀorts

The Science Council of Japan was established in January
1949 with the aim of reﬂecting and instilling science ingovernment administration, industry and the lives of citizens.
Operating under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister, thecouncil was established as a “Special Organization” that
undertakes its duties independent from the government.
The council fulﬁlls the following two functions.
●To deliberate on important issues concerning scienceand help solve such issues.
●To coordinate among scientiﬁc studies to achieve higher
efﬁciency.
The Science Council of Japan (SCJ) is the domestic andoverseas representative of some 840,000 scientists in all

members and some 2,000 regular members.
The primary roles of the SCJ are ①Presenting policy
recommendations to the government ②International
activities ③Establishment of networks among scientists
and ④Raising public awareness about the roles of science.
Among the SCJ members, OUJ faculty members contributed
to the councilʼs activities, as indicated in the below table.

areas of the humanities, social sciences, biological sciences,
physical sciences, and engineering in Japan, and discharges
its duties through a council body comprising 210 council

SCJ Membership (Regular SCJ Members)
Name

Title

Area of Expertise

Motomitsu UCHIBORI Professor

Regional Research

Masahito OGAWA

Professor

Psychology/Education

Seiichi GIBO

Agriculture

Junsuke HARA

Director, Okinawa Study Center,
Specially-appointed Professor
Director, Miyagi Study Center,
Specially-appointed Professor

Akira HOYANOProfessor

Civil Engineeringand Architecture

Tadao MATSUMOTO

Professor

Integrative Biology

Michiko MIYAMOTO

Professor

Sociology

Sociology

Academic Society, National and Local Government Activities
As individuals of learning with respective specialist knowledge, faculty members
at OUJ are active in many areas of society, actively supporting social development
Name

Title

Michiko MIYAMOTO Professor

Position
Regular Member, Science Council of Japan; Member, Labour Policy Council; Member, Social Security Council; Member, Yokohama City Expert Committee

Hiroshi OHSONE

Professor

Auditor, Japan Association of Social Security Law; Member, Nagoya Council for the Promotion of Policies for Disabled Persons; Chairperson, Nagoya Rights Advocacy
Center for the Rights of Disabled Persons and the Elderly ‒ Project Steering Committee; Chairperson, Yokkaichi City Regional Welfare Planning Committee

Yumiko NARA

Professor

Member, Safe and Secure Science and Technology Committee, Subdivision on R&D Planning and Evaluation, MEXT Council for Science and Technology; Member, Research and Development Evaluation Subcommittee,
Subdivision on R&D Planning and Evaluation, MEXT Council for Science and Technology; Member, Expert Committee on Distinctive Joint Use / Research Centers, Working Group on Joint Use / Research Centers,
Research Environment Infrastructure Group, Subdivision on Science, MEXT Council for Science and Technology; Member, Ad Hoc Committee, Evaluation Committee of Incorporated Administrative Agencies, Cabinet Oﬃce;
Domain Advisor, Creation of Safe and Secure Cities and Regions that Link Communities Research and Development Domain, Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society, Japan Science and Technology
Agency; Member, Japan Risk Management Society; Member, Nuclear Power Civil Engineering Committee, Japan Society of Civil Engineers; Member, Programming Deliberation Committee, bafm78 co., Ltd, others

Yasuhiro KAWAHARA Associate Professor

Member and Director, Academy of Human Informatics

Noriko SEKINE

Associate Professor

Councilor, Japan Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine; Collaborator, MEXT Physical Fitness and Motor Capacity Survey

Toshiki OGAWA

Professor

Director, The Japanese Psychological Association; Executive Director, Japanese Society for the Rorschach and Projective Methods; Member, External Evaluation
Committee, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, School of Education, Nagoya University

Masahito OGAWA Professor

Deputy Chairperson, MEXT Central Council for Education; Chairperson, Subdivision on Elementary and Secondary Education; Chairperson, Subdivision on Educational Systems; Chairperson, Upper Secondary
Education Group; Chief Investigator, Teaching Certiﬁcate Update System Investigative Commission, Member, Teacher Training Group, Regular Member, Science Council of Japan; Chairperson, Adachi Board of
Education; Director, Japanese Educational Research Association; Director, The Japan Educational Administration Society; Director, The Japanese Association for the Study of Educational Administration

Mitsumasa OKADA

Professor

Member, Ministry of the Environment Central Environmental Council (Chairperson, Subcommittee on Water Environment); Chairperson, Ministry of the Environment
Comprehensive Study on the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea; Chairperson, Hiroshima City Environment Council

Junko HARADA

Professor

Expert Committee Member, Evaluation Committee for Incorporated Administrative Agencies, Ministry of Internal Aﬀairs and Communications; Member, Kanagawa Prefecture Exploratory
Committee on Medical Charges, Member, Survey, etc. Contractor Selection Committee, Citizen s Bureau, Adachi Ward

Akira HOYANOProfessor

Regular Member, Science Council of Japan

Motomitsu UCHIBORI Professor

Regular Member, Science Council of Japan; Member, Leading Graduate School Program Committee, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Fumihiko GOMI

Member, Special Committee on World Cultural Heritage, Subcommittee on World Cultural Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage, Council for Cultural Aﬀairs, Agency for Cultural Aﬀairs

Professor

Masato TAKIURA Professor

Councilor, The Linguistic Society of Japan

Shiro MIYASHITA Professor

Expert Member, National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation

Hiroshi KATO

Professor

Member, Steering Committee for MIC-sponsored Research Research and Development of Local Broadcast Distribution Technologies at Evacuation Centers, etc. During an Emergency;
Director, Japan Society for Educational Technology; Deputy Editor, Journal of the Japan Society for Educational Technology; Councilor, Japan Society for Science Education

Masaaki KUROSU Professor

President, Human Centered Design Organization

Tomotsugu KONDO

Professor

Expert Member, Committee on Scientiﬁc Research Costs (Subcommittee on Social Sciences, Review Group No. 3); Member, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC24WG09 Subcommittee(Investigative Committee on Information Standards, Information Processing Society of Japan)

Haruo KODAMA

Professor

Director, Japan Association of Business Law (Cooperative Academic Research Group with the Science Council of Japan)

Makiko MIWA

Professor

Member, Legal Deposit System Council (National Diet Library); Executive Committee Member, Japan Society of Library and Information Science; Chairperson, International Committee

Tamiaki YONEYA Professor

Councilor, Okayama Institute for Quantum Physics

Junsuke HARA

Director, Miyagi Study Center

Regular Member, Science Council of Japan

Yukio OKANO

Director, Gifu Study CenterCouncilor, Japanese Biochemical Society

Yutaka TOCHIHARA Director, Fukuoka Study Center

19

through involvement with academic societies, as well as national and local
governmental organizations. The following are some of their activities.

Chairperson, Universal Fukuoka City Fukuoka Promotion Council

Public Lectures
Providing the products of education and research accu-

specialized knowledge to society through lectures.

mulated at universities strips away the barriers between
universities and society and holds the promise of greater
mutual development. OUJ faculty members give back theirSome of these activities are presented below.

Public Lectures
Name

Michiko MIYAMOTO Professor

Hiroshi OHSONE Professor

Yumiko NARA

Professor

Yasuhiro KAWAHARA Associate Professor

Associate Professor

Mitsumasa OKADA Professor
Akira HOYANOProfessor

Motomitsu UCHIBORI Professor

Yuko SHIMAUCHI Professor
Shiro MIYASHITA Professor
Atsushi IGUCHI

Associate Professor

Co-hosting, etc.

Korean Historical Dramas and Historical Recognition of Korea and Japan

Kagawa Study Center

The Japan Society for the Study of Vocational and Technical Education 54th Joint Research Conference

Nagoya University

How to Create an Environment in Which Young People can Become Independent:
Vision for Increasing Young People Who Stand On Their Own

For workers of the Shinjuku City Autonomy Development Research InstituteChildren and Young People Living in a Time That Makes Independence Diﬃcult

Aomori Prefecture

What will change with the Act on Measures to Prevent Damage to Health due to Alcohol?

35th Japanese Society of Alcohol-related Problems Gifu Conference

Aiming to Achieve an Employment System Supported by Society‒ Employment Measures for Disabled People Overseas

Kanto Council of Social Work Centers Convention, Omiya

Developments and Vision for Lifestyle Risk Management

Japan Risk Management Society 37th Conference

Considering Social Risk Management from a Lifestyle Perspective

Business Administration Committee No.1, Science Council of Japan

Aspects of Contemporary Risk Management: Social Risk Management and Risk Literacy

Organized by the Japan Risk Management Society

Risk Communication

The National Institute for Defense Studies

Advanced Course for Disaster Mitigation (Umashi-kuni-okoshi Mie Sakimori Jyuku)

Mie University

Impact of Neck Cooler-based Neck Cooling on Worker Physiology,
Psychology and Performance

Japan Society for Precision Engineering Autumn
Conference and Symposium

Trends and Issues Regarding Recent Government Educational Policies

Japanese Association of School Health 60th Research Conference

Trends and Issues Regarding Recent Government Educational Policies

Iwate Prefecture Educational Assessment Study Group

Issues Regarding Recent Government Educational Policies and Regional Educational Policies Institute of Administrative Management/Educational Rehabilitation Seminar
Discussion and Outcome of Reform to the Board of Education System

National Seminar of Municipal School Superintendents

Reform of the Board of Education System and Future Issues

Symposium Jointly Hosted by Liaison Council of Education-related
Associations and Science Council of Japan

Deliberations by the Central Council for Education Subcommittee on Upper Secondary Education and Issues with
Upper Secondary Education
Public Lectures for Nurses and Explanatory Sessions on Obtaining Degrees (University-graduate Nurses) or
Psychology Qualiﬁcations
New Environmental Problems for the Seto Inland Sea 40 Years After Enactmentof the Seto inland Sea Preservation Law

Wakayama Prefectural High School Principals Association Workshop

Responding to New Environmental Issues

Ehime Prefecture

Kagoshima Nursing Association
Ehime Environmental University

Philanthropic Eﬀorts

Masahito OGAWA Professor

Kaoru HOSHI

Theme

Title

Mitsuo YOSHIDA Vice President

Introducing the Heat Island Phenomenon and Measures to Combat It
How Do We Make Tokyo a Low Energy City?

Mottainai Society Symposium

Races and Ethnic Groups Learned in Secondary Education and Human Diversity

Science Council of Japan Subcommittee on Physical Anthropology
Public Symposium

From the Iban People of Borneo to the Zaﬁmaniry People of Madagascar

National Museum of Ethnology Seminar

Re-reading Anthropology of Spirits: Considering Semangat and Antu

Professor Iwata Memorial Symposium

Hojoki and Tsurezuregusa

Sensoji Temple Social Welfare Hall Cultural Course

Living in the Classics

Tokyo Tama Study Center

How to Enjoy a Life Described in Literature

Tokyo Bunkyo Study Center

Thoughts on Old Age from the Essays of Montaigne

Kobe Municipal Presbyopia University

English Language Therapy

Tokyo Bunkyo Study Center

Replicating and Extending Research on Relations between Visual Aesthetics
ACM SIGCHI 2013, RepliCHI Workshop
and Usability, Noam Tractinsky and Masaaki Kurosu
Masaaki KUROSU Professor

Ethnography for Connecting the Latest Technology to User Experiences

OSRC 2013 2nd Research Section Meeting

Exploring New Medical Care ‒ Considering the Ease of Use of Websites

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Grant in Aid for ScientiﬁcResearch, Research Group
Japan Ergonomics Society Subcommittee on Sensory Information
Processing and Sensory Evaluation 2013 Lecture

Sensory Information Processing in User Experiences
Yukio OKANO

Director, Gifu Study Center The Mechanism of Cell Division ‒Also In Relation to Cell Cancerization‒

Korean Historical Dramas and Historical Recognitionof Korea and Japan

Gifu Municipal University of the Aged

Public Lectures for Nurses and Explanatory Sessions on Obtaining
Degrees (University-graduate Nurses) or Psychology Qualiﬁcations

English Language Therapy

20Center for Open Distance Education
FoundedIn April 2013, the newly-created Center for Open Distance Education created new forms of learning utilizing
ICT at OUJ and has focused on providing educational support. The main activities undertaken by thecenter in the 2013 academic year are introduced below.
(1) Provision of e-learning services, effective utilization of teaching materials and opening up of educational resources(2) Improving the quality of broadcast subjects and classroom sessions, diversifying learning styles and improving
the ICT literacy of OUJ as a whole(3) Planning, development and operation of educational information systems and tools, in particular by creating
mechanisms for taking instruction through PC and mobile terminals and by promoting universal accessContent for Open Education and Platform for Online Lectures

Center for Open Distance Education

As the only open university in Japan, OUJ takes part in avariety of Open Educational Resources (OER) initiatives
to provide teaching materials at no cost. The Center forOpen Distance Education provides support for making
Open Courseware (OCW) subjects publicly available andhas also help achieve a cross-searching function for theJapan OCW Consortium (JOCW).
Further, while OUJ will formally begin online-based
lecture subjects from the 2015 academic year, the Center
for Open Distance Education has launched multiple pilot
courses and veriﬁed the effects. The OUJ MOOC platform
embraces the keywords “large-scale,” “global,” “electronic
textbooks” and “open classes.” In autumn 2013 OUJ alsobegan taking part in MOOC, which stands for Massive
Open Online Course, and launched the Japan MOOC(JMOOC) Consortium. To date, most open educational
resources, typiﬁed by open courseware, have only involved
the sharing and distribution of teaching materials. Whatmakes MOOC distinct is its attempt to open up free learning
instruction and certiﬁcation as well, and to ensure sustainability by implementing this on a large scale.
More than a thousand learners from dozens of countries
have taken part in “NIHONGO Starter” (jointly offered by
The Japan Foundation and the NPO organization CCCTIES), one of the MOOC offered by OUJ.

“The NIHONGO Starter” registration screen (Facebook™ top page)

Part of the “NIHONGO Starter” electronic textbook

21

Accessibility of University Lectures
Adding Subtitles to OUJ Lectures through Voic Recognition Technology
From 2016, Japan will enact a law for the elimination of
discrimination against persons with disabilities, which willprohibit discrimination on the basis of a personʼs disability. For
OUJ, which has twice the number of disabled students
compared with regular universities, making its lectures
accessible is a pressing issue.
Working in conjunction with Professor Tatsuya KAWAHARA
of Kyoto Universityʼs Academic Center for Computing andMedia Studies since 2012, the Disabled Persons Support
Project has made progress in appending subtitles to anddigitizing OUJ lecture audio using voice recognition. Professor
KAWAHARA and his team are known for their development of
the open source voice recognition software Julius and thedeveloping voice recognition to produce minutes for House ofRepresentatives meetings, and are currently deploying thesevoice recognition technologies in a cloud server system.
At present, with the cooperation of the project and the
KAWAHARA Laboratory, a massive database speciﬁcally foruniversity lectures is being built using OUJ printed andaudio-visual teaching materials. If a language model thatutilizes vocabulary and sentence structures consistent withthe content of lectures and voice models utilizing the voices ofvarious lecturers are employed, although there is somevariance in recognition accuracy depending on the speaking
style and voice quality of the lecturer, text with over 90%
accuracy can be achieved, depending on the lecture.
Moving forward, an increasing number of students will start
to view TV and radio teaching materials over the Internet, andonline learning will also increase. With these developments, thecreation of subtitles using voice recognition systems will makelectures accessible and expand the possibilities for learning.

PCs and the Internet have become indispensable parts oflearning today. Given this, we are faced with the challengeof how to enable students who have no experience withcomputers to utilize them and engage in fruitful learning.
To tackle this issue, since 2010 OUJ has been developing
teaching materials for the “PCs from the Ground Up”
classroom sessions and providing support to lecturers. In
this classroom session, students will learn everythingfrom switching on the power of a PC, controlling a mouseand entering text to using the web and email, observing
security and manners, and the basics of document creationand presentations, through lectures and exercises.
The classroom sessions will also introduce the use of thecampus network, System WAKABA, electronic library and
UPO-NET. To this end, we have created a common textbook
of more than 170 pages in length (designed for use whenreviewing content after classroom sessions), produced
PowerPoint presentations for lecturers and student learningmaterials, and operated an information sharing site for
lecturers.
The classroom sessions are held at all OUJ Study Centersand have already been taken by about 4,000 students, withages ranging from teens to those in their 90s. Throughthe ﬁlling out of checklists before and after the classroom

Center for Open Distance Education

Classroom Sessions to Support PC Novices“ PCs from the Ground Up”

sessions, we have veriﬁed improved
ICT skills due to the sessions andconﬁrmed a statistically signiﬁcant
improvement in sense of self-efﬁcacy, likely the productof the detailed instruction provided by lecturers andteaching assistants.
In 2013, a follow-up survey of course takers was conducted
and conﬁrmed that the most of the ICT skills acquired
had been retained. OUJ hopes to continue these initiatives
to ensure that all students are able to make use of OUJʼs
information services.

22

Interactive Learning System Substantiation ProjectCenter for Open Distance Education

23

With the advance and widespread adoption of theexperience with online lectures ﬁrst become students

Internet, online lectures have already become commonplace in the Western world. While online lectures comein many forms, in Japan most such offerings have
involved the distribution of teaching materials wherevideo and slide-based materials are simply posted to
the Internet.
On the other hand, Western online lectures are not limited
to providing information through traditional lectures;interactive lessons and learning methods oriented
towards building knowledge have become mainstream,and in terms of developing the skills and abilities
required in modern society, there has been acknowledgment of need for lessons formats in which students
can actively participate.
The aim of this project is to organize the considerations
necessary for substantiating interactive online lecturesand speciﬁcally design and develop online lectures so
as to clarify the frameworks and systems OUJ will needto organize in the future as it develops systems foronline lectures.
Moreover, to ensure that teaching staff who do not havethemselves and gain experience with the format, we created the module “My First Online Lecture” in Moodle,
which maintains the leading worldwide share as anopen source learning management system.

This is a website that provides knowledge and wisdom regarding the creationof broadcast subjects.
The website “How to Make Broadcast Subjects” introduces thebasic steps and innovations employed by experienced creators inline with the OUJ subject creation ﬂow. The site contents areorganized based on each step in the creation ﬂow, including,
namely “Planning,” “Syllabus Creation,” “Authoring and Proofreadingof Printed Teaching Materials,” “ Collection of Materials and onLocation Work,” “Pattern Creation,” “Determining Conﬁguration
and Producing the Script,” “Rehearsals” and “Recording” (Broadcast).
While the website is primarily aimed at outside lecturers and thoseengaged in the creation of broadcast subjects for the ﬁrst time, in
addition to basic content (“basics for everyone”), the site is full ofuseful information such as unique ideas and innovations teaching
staff have come up with on their own (“my special secret”).

For instance, the website includes the following content.
- Receiving and utilizing materials which have already been createdas video materials free of charge- Different patterns for showing things using graphical representations- Recording lectures in a way that utilizes your particular expertiseand characteristics- Using the web to add extra value to printed and broadcast
teaching materials
In addition, a Q&A on the use of copyrighted works required
throughout the overall process is provided across 22 items.
OUJ plans to further enhance the content of “How to Make Broadcast
Subjects” in the future.

Study Center Activities
over the Past Year
Newly Enrolled Student Gatherings
Newly enrolled student gathering were held at individual Study
Centers in April and October.
The Open University of Japan
has a total of 53,810 students
enrolled nationwide in the Facultyof Liberal Arts and School ofGraduate Studies. E a c h n e w
student took the ﬁrst step
towards fulﬁlling their desire
for learning.

Shiga Study CenterTokyo Bunkyo Study Center

Aichi Study Center

Fukushima Study Center

Prestigious Open University of Japan Student Ceremony

Study Centers

In April 2010, OUJ established the “Prestigious Open University ofJapan Student” system. The system aims to honor motivated students
who have dedicated many years to study and increase the motivation of
OUJ students to learn, and applies to students who have received
degrees in all ﬁve OUJ courses.
During the 2013 academic year, 42 students became Prestigious Open
University of Japan Student. Students who attained the honor received
commendations from the OUJ President at the March Degree Conferment
Ceremony. Also note that from the 2011 academic year awards onwards,
having a favorable personality and attitude towards study has been madea requirement in addition to having completed all ﬁve OUJ course. Students
who have received the honor are granted various beneﬁts, such as the ability
to use Study Center facilities even after graduating from OUJ.

Newly Appointed Study Center Directors
In the 2013 academic year, new directors
were appointed to sixteen Study Centers.
They are each engaged in activities to further
enhance and develop their Study Centers.

Newly Appointed Study Center Directors
Akita Study Center

Hiroshi INOUE

Wakayama Study Center Akihiro TAKEUCHI

Fukushima Study Center Michio MORITA

Tottori Study Center

Tochigi Study Center

Takashi KAINO

Yamaguchi Study Center Noritaka ABE

Chiba Study Center

Momoko MIYANOTokushima Study Center Tokuo ONISHI

Ryoji WAKA

Kanagawa Study Center Tatsuhiko IKEDA

Fukuoka Study Center

Yutaka TOCHIHARA

Nagano Study Center

Yasushi NINOMIYA

Nagasaki Study Center

Tadashi TOJO

Gifu Study Center

Yukio OKANO

Miyazaki Study Center

Hirofumi UDA

Shizuoka Study Center

Toshihiko TAKAGI

Kagoshima Study Center Toshihiko SUGANUMA

24

Ceremonies Held to Celebrate the 15th and 20th Anniversaries
at nine Study Centers
The Aomori, Iwate, Tokyo Adachi, Kyoto and Hyogo

University of Japan also held at some Study Centers.

Study Centers observed their 20th anniversaries, while
the Wakayama, Tokushima, Saga and Kagoshima Study
Centers observed 15th anniversaries, with celebrations
timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Open

President OKABE delivered talks at the memorial lectures
held at these Study Centers. Through the ceremonies,
lectures and other events, participants interacted with
one another and celebrated the Study Center milestones.

Kyoto Study Center / Memorial Lecture by President OKABE and Celebratory Gathering

Study Centers

Hyogo Study Center / Anniversary Ceremony and Memorial Lecture by President OKABE

Tokushima Study Center / Anniversary Ceremony and Memorial Lecture by Former OUJ Foundation Director Tamae ONISHI

25

Community-Based Education
Classroom Sessions
OUJ continued to hold a wide variety of classroom
sessions at individual Study Centers. Many students took
advantage of the sessions, which were taught by faculty
members as well as lecturers active on various fronts
and dealt with community-oriented themes as well as thefundamentals of different academic ﬁelds.

Gifu Study Center“Considering the Natural Environment from Gifuʼs Forests”●Gifu Study Center
Considering the Natural Environment from Gifu s Forests●Wakayama Study Center
Beliefs, History and Climate of Spirituality in Kumano●Shiga Study Center
Introduction to Studies of Ohmi

Wakayama Study Center“Beliefs,History and Climate of Spirituality in Kumano”

Shiga Study Center“Introduction to Studies of Ohmi”

Chugoku/Shikoku Block ‒“Open Classes”

Study Centers

In the Chugoku / Shikoku Block, “Open Classes” where
members of the general public were able to take classroom
sessions were established. At Study Centers within theblockʼs nine prefectures, a common theme of “Climate
and Peopleʼs Lives in the Chugoku and Shikoku Regions”
was established. “Climate” was broadly interpreted toinclude nature and various cultural aspects, and theclassroom sessions were developed by having each Study
Center set subjects and then determining matters suchas lecturer selection and session locations. The sessions
were offered at each Study Center as “Open Classes,”
which members of the general public could take in thesame way as regular students for a tuition fee of 5,500 yen.

26

Study Centers as Meeting Places
OUJ Study Centers also serve as meeting places. As well as for studying, students make active use of Study Centers
as places of exchange for club activities, mutual interests, and so on.

Study Tours
At Study Centers around
Japan, study tours are conducted to promote exchanges
between students as well as
between students and staff.

Akita Study CenterTokyo Tama Study Center

Tottori Study Center

Kumamoto Study Center

Gifu Study Center “Exhibition of Works”

Kochi Study Center “Art and Craft Festival”

Chiba Study Center “Autumn Festival”

Tokyo Tama Study Center “Tama Festival”

School Festivals
Study Centers
27

Many Study Centers holdschool festivals where students exhibit and celebrate
their study achievements andthe products of club activities.
As well as being an occasion
for students to conductexchanges with one another,school festivals are also an
opportunity to deepen
exchanges with faculty andadministrative staff as well as
members of the community,
who also take part.

Club and Student Activities
To deepen social bonds between students and haveunder a common purpose with the elderly or people withstudents build a rich campus life that extends beyond

completely different life experiences from one anotherschoolwork, OUJ supports club activities. In the courseof these club activities, the chance to engage in activities

will offer wonderful experiences.

Fukushima Study Center “Mountain Climbing Club”

Saitama Study Center “Yu Yu” Leisurely Balance Exercise

Tokyo Adachi Study Center “Touring Club”

Mie Study Center “Art Square”

Kagawa Study Center “Environment and Culture Club”

Tokyo Tama Study Center “Astronomy Club”

Kochi Study Center “Calligraphy Club”

Study Centers

Chiba Study Center “Ocean Club”

28

Study Centers with Close Ties to the Community
Study Centers hold many public lectures, classes, sympo-

those issues together. In addition to lecturers connected tosiums and other events that anyone can join. The events
give people the opportunity to acquire the latest knowledge
regarding various issues which are useful not only to OUJ
students but to members of the community, and consider

OUJ, Study Centers invite a diverse range of lecturers
active across various regions and ﬁelds. Below is a small
sampling of the lectures offered at Study Centers in 2013
academic year.

Public Lectures
Hokkaido Study Center

LectureLecturer
Creating Your Own Way of Living ‒ Transcending Stress ‒ Professor Emeritus, Hokkaido University Kimiharu SATO

Aomori Study Center

The Spoken Language and Culture of Edo‒The Language-based Life Seen in Yotsuya Kaidan ‒Director, Aomori Study Center

Katsuyuki
WARASHINA

Miyagi Study Center

How to Mix Public Opinion Polls with Market Research‒Creating the Social Research Broadcast Lecture ‒Director, Miyagi Study Center

Junsuke HARA

Akita Study Center

Learning About Akita Lecture Series V

Key Figures from All Fields in Akita Prefecture

Yamagata Study Center

Learning from Tsunami and Earthquake-aﬄicted Iwate‒The Reality of Tsunami Damage and the Basic Role of Regional Disaster Prevention ‒ Director, Iwate Study Center

Fukushima Study Center

Going About Relearning ‒Techniques for Eﬀective Learning‒ Director, Fukushima Study Center Michio MORITA

Ibaraki Study Center

Simple Science and Engineering in Everyday Life Director, Ibaraki Study Center

Masatake SHIRAISHI

Tochigi Study Center

Proving Yourself Under Pressure‒In Matches, Presentations, Entrance Exams‒

Takashi KAINO

Study Center

Director, Tochigi Study Center

Saitama Study Center Considering Gross National Happiness (GNH) with Bhutan Professor, OUJ
Chiba Study Center

The Joy of Music

Akinobu KAWAI

Director, Chiba Study Center

Momoko MIYANOTokyo Adachi Study Center Latest Developments in Myanmar

Director, Tokyo Adachi Study Center Noriko TOMINAGATokyo Shibuya Study Center Supporting Elderly People who Live Alone ‒Business, Family and Local Community‒

Specially-appointed Professor,
J.F. Oberlin University

Tokyo Tama Study Center Living in the Classics ‒Focusing on the Hojoki and Tsurezuregusa Professor, OUJ

Michiko NAOI
Yuko SHIMAUCHI

Kanagawa Study Center The Port City of Yokohama and Civilian Life

Director, Kanagawa Study Center Tatsuhiko IKEDA

Niigata Study Center

Considering Future Food and Agriculture

Director, Niigata Study Center

Tadao ITO

Toyama Study Center

Beneﬁcial and Harmful Intestinal Bacteria

Director, Toyama Study Center

Masao HATTORIOUJ Vice President

Wataru KOTERAYAMA

Director, Mie Study Center

Tatsuhiko UENO

Shizuoka Study Center The Global Environment and Oceans

Study Centers

Mie Study Center

Crime and Punishment in Modern Society

Shiga Study Center

Deciphering the Tumultuous Situation in the Middle East Professor, OUJ‒Development of Nuclear Weapons and the Iran Crisis: War or Negotiation?‒

Kazuo TAKAHASHI

Nara Study Center

Considering the Origins of Life ‒The GADV Hypothesis‒

Director, Nara Study Center

Kenji IKEHARA

Osaka Study Center

Goethe and Italy

Director, Osaka Study Center

Masanori HAYASHI

Tottori Study Center

Learning Flows

Director, Tottori Study Center

Ryoji WAKA

Shimane Study Center

Unraveling the History of Momotaro ‒The Folklore of Japanese Culture‒ Director, Shimane Study Center

Okayama Study Center What Does Public Law and Private Law Mean?

Etsuo ADACHI

Director, Okayama Study Center Masao OKADA

Director, Yamaguchi Study Center Noritaka ABE
Yamaguchi Study Center The Appeal of Chemistry
Kagawa Study Center The Power of Lifestyle Management to Reshape One s Life Professor, OUJ
Sachiko MATSUMURA

Ehime Study Center

The Iyo Region in Japanese History

Professor, OUJ

Kochi Study Center

Look For Dreams

President, Tokyo University of the Arts Ryouhei MIYATA

Fukuoka Study Center

Details of Research into Environmental Ergonomics‒The Safety and Comfort of Warmer Environments‒

Director, Fukuoka Study Center

Saga Study Center

Acting Like Yourself ... Acting Like Myself ...

Chairperson, Saga Nursing Association Tetsuko MINE

Nagasaki Study Center The Immortal Soul

Fumihiko GOMI

Professor, Graduate School of Kyushu University Keiyo FUJIIWARA
Professor, Kumamoto Gakuen University
Ryoichi KODA

Lifelong Learning Anywhere Project Public Lecture: Mandakoh

Okinawa Study Center

Okinawan Health Comes from the Power of Fermentation ! Professor Emeritus,‒Hidden Awamori and The Secrets of Okinawan-style Fermented Tofuyo‒ University of the Ryukyus

Kochi
K hi Study
S d C
CenterYutaka TOCHIHARA

Professor Emeritus, Nagasaki University Shunichiro SHINOHARA

Kumamoto Study Center

Akita St
Akit
Study
d C
Centert

29

Tokumi SAITO

KumamotoKt Study
St d Center
C t

Masaaki YASUDA

Oki
Okinawa S
Study
d C
CenterAlumni Association Activities
Alumni associations have been established at 47 Study

and association newsletters.

Centers and Satellite Spaces around Japan. Membershipis open to graduates of all Faculty of Liberal Arts courses
and those who have completed graduate programs, withtotal membership having surpassed 11,000.
Alumni associations at each Study Center help gatheringsof new enrollees and degree conferment ceremonies,
and deepen the social bonds and exchanges between
members through activities such as lectures, study tours

graduation and course completion celebrations after theannual graduation and degree conferment ceremonies.
After the Degree Conferment Ceremony held in NHK Hallon Saturday, March 21 this year, some 600 graduates andthose who completed courses took part in a celebration
held at the Hotel New Otani, where they recounted theirmemories of student life with students and teachers alike.

Alumni Association Federation website

Graduation and Course Completion Celebratory Party

The Alumni Association Federation also plans and runs

Exhibition of the Collection Housed by the Open University of Japan Library
Each year, OUJ exhibits parts of the collection housed at the OUJ
Library at various locations around Japan. The exhibitions were
designed to give people the opportunity to see rare materials
ﬁrst-hand as well as to facilitate a deeper understanding of OUJ.
In the 2013 academic year, exhibitions were held at the four

Study Center
Yamanashi Study Center

PeriodFriday, June 14 to Monday,
June 17

Location

Number of Visitors(people)Yamanashi Prefectural Library(Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture)540

Nara Prefectural Library andInformation Center(Nara, Nara Prefecture)
City Sightseeing
Thursday, October 17 to Sunday, Hirosaki
Information Center
Aomori Study Center October 20(Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture)

Nara Study Center

Wednesday, July 17 to Sunday,
June 21

Tuesday, November 5 to Sunday, Tokyo Bunkyo Study CenterTokyo Bunkyo Study Center November 10(Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo)

Tokyo Bunkyo Study Center

Study Centers

locations noted in the table below.
In Aomori, an exhibition was held as part of Aomori Study Center
20th anniversary celebrations, while an exhibition was held at theTokyo Bunkyo Study Center as a part of OUJ 30th anniversary
events. At each venue, the exhibitions were titled “Residual Imagesof Japan - The Last Days of the Edo Period and Meiji Period Told
through Illustrated Crepe Paper Books and Old Photographs,“ anddisplayed illustrated crepe paper books from the Meiji period andold photographs from the last days of the Edo period to the Meiji
period. Old photographs related to the area were also put on
display, and each event met with great success. The exhibitions
served as an opportunity for visiting members of the generalpublic to deepen their understanding of OUJ and for OUJ
students to develop a stronger attachment for OUJ.

1,400
485
1,130
A
d C
t
Aomorii St
Study
CenterYamanashi Study Center
Nara Study Center

30

New Trends at
The Open University of Japan
Regional Contribution Project
To date, OUJ has promoted regional contribution in various forms
working from the Study Centers deployed in each region as a base.
Many OUJ students study at the various Study Centers spread throughout Japan. Among them are a great many students who are alreadyactive as leaders in their respective communities, and in the 2013
academic year, Study Centers took a leading role in supporting theactivities of these students, while also launching 21 regional contribution projects aimed at fostering the development of new leaders tocarry on such efforts. This projects are characterized by the implementation of regional contribution projects that utilize the three points
described below, which represent the strengths of OUJ.
1. Centers of knowledge spread throughout Japan (50 Study Centersand seven Satellite Spaces)
2. Human resources whose skills can be put to use immediately(approximately 90,000 adult students and more than 880 Study Centerteaching staff who support them)
3. Powerful educational information system (broadcast lectures,classroom sessions and public lectures run nationwide)
Through these projects, OUJ is expected to contribute to the development of local communities while producing the human resources whowill lead Japan through the 21st century.

Regional Contribution Project Website

Research Report on
Regional Contribution

Establishment of the Latter Period of the School ofGraduate Studies Doctoral ProgramOUJ established the School of Graduate Studies Masterʼs Programin the 2001 academic year and has since instructed adult students
tackling programs in many workplaces and local communities andachieve a measure of results. However, to tackle new problems
associated with the increasing sophistication and diversiﬁcation ofJapanese society, each year saw increasing calls from those
aspiring to education and research at a higher level than masterʼscourse education. In response to those requests, OUJ applied forthe establishment of a latter period doctoral program to foster

the development of practical and advanced adult researchers whowill become leaders in solving local community and workplaceissues as well as reﬁned and intellectual researchers possessing
the ability to conduct high-level research and disseminate
knowledge. OUJʼs application was approved in October 2013. In
April 2014, the Latter Period of the School of Graduate Studies
Doctoral Program, otherwise known as the Doctoral Program, wasestablished, with OUJ starting to accept students from Octoberof the same year.

New Vistas

Support of Assistant Research Supervisors(In Minor Fields, Major Fields andFieldsAdjacent to Major Fields)
Advice from Study Center
Directors and Visiting Lecturers

AttainmentofDoctorate

Effective Utilization ofTeaching Material Archives
Review of Preliminary
Doctoral Thesis

Review ofDoctoral Thesis

oral
DoctoralTh
ThesisCreation
ecial
ial ReResearch
Special
Basic Researchh(Special Lectures, Investigative Techniquesin Major Fields, Investigative Techniquesin Minor Fields)

Instruction from Consistent Chief
Research Supervisor (Major Field)

Consistent and Effective Utilization of Media

31

Group Promoting Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC)
That Anyone Can Take for Free
Participation in the Japan Open Online Education Promotion Council (JMOOC)
The Japan Open Online Education Promotion Council(JMOOC), which promotes the provision and increased
recognition of a platform for “Massive Open Online Education” that involves offering a large number of university-levelcourses free of charge was established in October 2013.
Katsuhiko SHIRAI, Chancellor of the Open University ofJapan Foundation, assumed the position of Chairperson of
JMOOC, while OUJ President OKABE serves as a board
member, with OUJ afﬁliated with JMOOC as a full member.
The ﬁeld of open education has its roots in Open Courseware (OCW) unveiled by the US-based Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2001. OCW began in Japan
in 2005, and in the time since the Japan Open Courseware
Consortium has swelled to a membership of 41 organiza-

tions including 21 universities, with more than 3,000 subjects
available to the public. From 2012, Massive Open Online
Courses (MOOC) underwent rapid development, with some
100,000 registrants studying from around the world,
primarily in the United States. MOOC continues to expand
on a global scale and its manner of utilization has steadily
worked its way into social currents, with universities making
moves to recognize courses as genuine credits and certiﬁed
qualiﬁcations utilized as recruitment criteria for companies.
Courses started from April 2014 with OUJ also offering
two courses, namely “How Computers Work” and “NIHONGOSTARTER.”

Returning to the Kyushu University Campus
after 16 Years

Study Center students are able to make use of the library, cafeteria andco-op store on campus and the new location is expected to enableeducation and study in a more academic atmosphere.

New Vistas

The Fukuoka Study Center was ﬁrst established on the grounds of the
Kyushu University Hakozaki Campus in 1990. Later on in 1998, it was
relocated to what is now the Hakata-Ori Building due to crowding. In
recent years, the new location also became crowded, and the Study
Center was further relocated to the Kyushu University Chikushi Campus
in April 2014.
The new Study Center features 20% more ﬂoor area than the previous
location. The number of classrooms has been increased by one to now
total four, with total seating for 282 students.
This has resolved the issue of restrictions on maximum sizes for classroom sessions. There are also two rooms for students, making it easy forstudents to gather during credit certiﬁcation exams and classroom
sessions, and the room are also expected to be more actively utilized forclub activities. The environment and scenery has undergone a signiﬁcantchange. While the Hakata-Ori Building is located along a downtown street
near Hakata Station, the new Study Center is located amongst abundant
greenery on the Kyushu University Chikushi Campus.

Fukuoka Study Center

New Fukuoka Study Center Campus

32

The Open University of Japan in Figures
Ofﬁcials, Faculty Members■ and Administrative Staff(Unit:person)

Oﬃcials

7

President

1Vice Presidents

3

Faculty Members＊1■ Student Enrollment (Unit:person)
Faculty of Liberal Arts

1st Semester 2nd Semester

Student Type

Total

Regular Students

7,765

4,093

11,85891

One-Year Non-Degree Students

11,496

5,963

17,459Administrative Staﬀ

239

One-Semester Non-Degree Students

6,504

7,525

14,029Total

339

Special Auditing Students

1,189

3,459

4,648

Total

26,954

21,04047,994＊2＊3(As of March 31, 2014)＊1. Includes President (Trustee) and Vice Presidents (Trustee).
＊2. Includes Vice Presidents (Trustee).
＊3. The sum of the categories will not equal the total,
because the categories overlap.

(2013 academic year)

School of Graduate Studies

1st Semester 2nd Semester

Student Type

Total

■ Current Students (Unit:person)

Master s Course Students

440

Facultyy of Liberal Arts

One-Year Non-Degree Masters
Course Students
One-Semester Non-Degree Master s
Course Students

2,651

1,114

3,765

655

956

1,611

Total

3,746

2,070

Student Type

Current Students

Regular Students

55,717

One-Year Non-Degree Students

17,533

One-Semester Non-Degree Students

7,525

Special Auditing Students

3,459

Total

84,234■ Student Types and Current Students
1,159（1.3%）

School of Graduate Studies

Current Students

Master s Course Students

1,159

One-Year Non-Degree Masters
Course Students
One-Semester Non-Degree Master s
Course Students

3,805

Total

5,920

956
（1.1%）

7,525（8.3%）(As of 2nd semester, 2013 academic year)■ Regular Studentss

Students Enrolled in Summer Intensive Course■ Non-Degree Students

One-Year

Current Students■ One-Semester
Non-Degree Students

School Librarianship Certiﬁcation
Program807■ Special Auditing Studentsts

Nurse Qualiﬁcation Course

496

ents
■ Master s Course Students

Total

1,303
(2013 academic year)

3,805（4.2%）

3,459（3.8%）

956

Student Type

5,816
(2013 academic year)(As of 2nd semester, 2013 academic year)

Student Type440-

17,533（19.4%）

Total
90,154（100%）

55,717（61.8%）

Non-Degree Master s■ One-Year
Course Students
Non-Degree
gree Master s■ One-Semester
Course Students＊Special auditing students are those enrolled at otheruniversities while studying at OUJ under agreements
between their universities and OUJ.

Credit-Transferring■ Schools(Unit: Schools)

1st Semester 2nd Semester

School Type

Number

1,632

2,786

Total
4,418

Cumulative Total
79,186

Graduate Schools

7

Universities

272

Colleges86■ School of Graduate Studies Alumni (Unit:person)

Higher Professional Schools

13

1st Semester 2nd Semester

Total

378
(As of March 31, 2014)33■ Faculty of Liberal Arts Alumni (Unit:person)(2013 academic year)

9

311

Total
320

Cumulative Total
4,177(2013 academic year)2-11 Wakaba, Mihama-ku, Chiba-city
261- 8586 Japan
TEL: +81- 43- 276 -5111 (central switchboard)
http://www.ouj.ac.jp/eng/

Published August 31, 2014