ID
Name
Title
Supervisor

200091
Haruka KUDO
Environmental Consciousness: Through Comparison between
Japan and the U.K., and Ecotourism
Prof. Chihiro KATO
Summary

These days, environmental problems are becoming worse and it is necessary to act
for a sustainable society. The purpose of this thesis is to help Japanese people to act forenvironmental preservation through ecotourism and this thesis aims to clarify whether
ecotourism can be effective in influencing people's actions. The method is a comparative
analysis of the government policy of Japan and the UK, the environmental consciousnessof Japanese and British people, respectively, by using the data of the previous studies, andthrough investigation of ecotourism.
First, according to the result of previous research by Murakami (2021) and Boston
Consulting Group (2022), most Japanese people do not act towards a sustainable society
even though they realize that extreme weather is caused by human action. In contrast, themajority of British people changed their lifestyles to deal with abnormal weather.
Accordingly, I state that Japanese people are less environmentally active.
Secondly, I argue that through ecotourism, tourist can enjoy nature and the culture,
which leads them to make environmentally considerate decisions in their lifestyle. PostCOVID-19 more Japanese have a desire to travel, so the demand in the domestic tourism
sector should increase. Due to the increased tourism and Japanese interest in nature
tourism, there is a probability that ecotourism will experience a surge in popularity inJapan.
Therefore, I found that ecotourism contributed to Japanese people’s awareness ofenvironmental conservation. However, ecotourism is unfamiliar to many Japanese people
and few of them have participated in ecotours, so it is essential to disseminate it throughadvertising such as conducted by the national trust in the U.K. The significance of thispaper is that it clarifies Japanese people’s environmental awareness by comparing with
the British and aims to reform their consciousness by taking advantage of tourism as they
are highly interested in sightseeing. This is important to raise awareness regarding
sustainable society and increase the use of ecotourism in Japan.
Keywords: Environmental consciousness, Ecotourism, Sustainable Society

250

ID
Name
Title
Supervisor

200111
Akari SAITOWomen’s Oppression in The Moon and Sixpence:
From the Perspective of Feminist Criticism
Prof. Chihiro KATO
Summary

The purpose of this thesis is to critique The Moon and Sixpence written by William
Somerset Maugham from the perspective of feminist criticism. This work describes thelife of the main character Strickland, an ordinary stockbroker, who one day abruptly
leaves home to become a painter. Many researchers have studied this work from various
perspective; however, few studies have focused on the female characters in the work.
Therefore, by analyzing the text with a focus on female characters, this thesis aims toreveal whether gender issues that were not considered in the past are hidden in the text.
First, I confirmed what had been revealed in the reference studies, for example
Wang&Pancheng(2021). Second, I analyzed two male characters; Strickland and Strove,and three female characters; Mrs. Strickland, Branche, and Ata from the perspective of
feminist critique and compared how they were portrayed as male and female. Finally, I
considered what view of gender this piece was written based on.
I found that one of the common features of male characters was that they imposed
their ideal roles on women, for instance Struve expected always kind wife. I also
discovered that the common feature of female characters was that they were subject tovarious forms of oppression because they were women. From these I elicited the issue
that this work was based on masculine-centric values which had been overlooked inprevious studies.
In conclusion, in addition to the gender inequality present in this work where
women cannot have the freedom that men can have, male ideals are imposed on women.
Therefore, I identified the problem that this work affirms the evaluation of women basedon masculine-centric values. The significance of this thesis is to compare the portrayal ofmale and female characters, which has not been done in previous studies. Additionally, I
pointed out a problem that this work affirmed male-centric values.
Keywords: The moon and sixpence, Feminist criticism, Women’s oppression

251

ID
Name
Title
Supervisor

200162Nana TAKEDAThe Japanese image of Butler in Manga and Animation:
Manga “Black Butler as an Example”
Chihiro KATO
Summary

Today, “Manga” has become popular content not only in Japan but also in the world
and come to be recognized as a part of Japanese culture. The purpose of this thesis is toanalyze manga, “Black Butler" and its difference from anime and movies. The aim is to
examine how the modification of the story influences cultural understanding bycomparing manga, animation and movies, and analysis of interviews and questionnaires
with authors and audiences.
First, I compared the differences in butlers between the UK and Japan, as well as
historical and modern. Hiring a butler is now shown as a "symbol of wealth and glory"
for a moderately wealthy family. Manga "Black Butler" showed that while theoccupational names and job descriptions were based on the traditional English butler, it
was understood that the servants' jobs were not assigned as faithfully as in the historicalaccount to give priority to the characters' personalities and competencies.
Second, I analyzed the anime and film adaptation, and translation of "Black Butler"
and discussed the differences from the manga. There were instances in which the names
and genders of the characters were changed, and new characters were created, but thesechanges differed from the elements of the anime and films that viewers were expecting.
In addition, the British culture, tea and manner lessons from the butler came to be
associated with the butler portrayed in the manga.
In this paper, I observed that as the manga "Black Butler" has been translated andadapted, it has influenced the understanding of one aspect of British culture, the butler,
and the formation of a unique image of the butler in Japan. In conclusion, the influenceof the diverse content of the manga Black Butler was significant in creating a uniquely
Japanese image of the butler, with its links to the flexible modern butler. The significanceof this study is that it points to the impact of the image of the butler on the viewer bycomparing various content with British culture as the main focus.

Keywords: manga, butler, cultural understanding, Japan and the U.K.

252

ID
Name
Title
Supervisor

200164
Mii TAKENAKAThe Study of British Tea Culture and Women: Comparative
Research of Tea Culture between the UK and Japan
Chihiro KATO
Summary

The UK is famous for its love of tea, and people regardless of gender and classconsume a large amount of tea every day. The subject of this paper is the role of womenin British Tea Culture during 17th to 19th century, and the purpose of the paper is to clarify
how British women have contributed to the establishment of Tea Culture. The study
analyzes the previous research of the British Tea Culture and compares British andJapanese Tea Culture from a gender perspective.
First, based on the study of British tea history, I clarified that tea industry had
developed especially in the period of 18th to 19th century, possibly causing the increase oftea consumption in the country. Secondly, I found that the tea party had been the custom
among wealthy women, where authority and opulence were proudly shown off by thefurniture and tea set of the host and the behavior of participants.
Furthermore, I researched the traits of British Tea Culture by comparing withJapanese Tea Culture, conforming that British tea parties were held mainly by women.
Finally, I categorized and investigated three factors of the women’s contribution to British
Tea Culture; the women belonging upper class had the influence to promote tea drinking
nationally; the media such as newspaper and illustrative advertisement contributed to
attract women’s interest of tea; and the gender role of women had encouraged them tohold and join tea parties more frequently at home during 19th century.
I concluded that more women in the UK had actively participated in the Tea Culture
during 17th to 19th century leading to popularizing and accepting tea. Also, the femininityof Tea Culture is ascribed to the trait that Tea Culture in the UK had been developed
mainly by women. The significance of this paper is that by focusing on the role of womenin the Tea Culture and conducting comparison of Tea Culture between Japan and the UK,
new points of view were illuminated.
Keywords: Tea Culture, women, UK, Japan

253

ID
Name
Title
Supervisor

200239Takeru HORIGUCHIThe Practice and Possibility of Multicultural Education in Japan:
A Case Study of the United Kingdom
Prof. Chihiro KATO
Summary

These days, international exchanges within Japan are becoming increasingly
active. As a multicultural society is predicted in Japan, where people of diverse races live
together, multicultural education is indispensable for the creation of such a system.
Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present a concrete proposal for the developmentof multicultural education in Japan as a curriculum. As a research method, themulticultural education policy in the UK will be analyzed and specific proposals will be
discussed.
First, I confirmed the concept and definition of multicultural education in thisthesis and clarified how such a concept emerged from the US Civil Rights Movement in
the 1960s. I also discussed the education that could be introduced to Japan frommulticultural education in the UK. Points to be learnt from multicultural education in the
UK included: language awareness education, religious education, and citizenshipeducation.
Secondly, I clarified the current situation of multicultural education in Japan anddiscussed what kind of UK multicultural education could be utilized in Japan. The
solutions identified included: strengthening educational support in terms of language,
reviewing teacher programs, developing teaching materials that better promoteintercultural understanding, and increasing opportunities for intercultural exchanges.
In this paper, I observed the need for multicultural education in contemporary
Japan and the content of multicultural education in the UK, as well as feasible educational
policies for Japan. I concluded that multicultural education in Japan was inadequate
because opportunities to learn are still limited and improving this situation was the firststep towards developing multicultural education. The significance of this paper is that itpresents multicultural education not just for students, but also for teachers and thecommunity as a proposal for improvement.
Keywords: Multicultural Education, Intercultural Understanding, Immigrants, UK, Japan

254

ID
Name
Title
Supervisor

200251
Chika MIZUIDEGuaranteeing the rights to education of pregnant high school
students in Japan:
Focusing on initiatives related to teenage mothers in the U.K.
Prof. Chihiro KATO
Summary

In Japan today, there is an issue that women suffer disadvantages because of
pregnancy and maternity in receiving higher education. The subject of this paper isguaranteeing the rights to education of pregnant high school students in Japan. This thesis
aims to clarify the causes of losing access to education because of pregnancy andmaternity among high school students, and challenges in improving current situation. The
method is a comparative analysis of policies and laws implemented by Japanese andBritish authorities, and social attitude in Japan and the U.K. towards marriage, having
children and the rights to education based on statistics by previous works.
First, based on previous research, I argued that some Japanese high schools
believed getting pregnant at high school age was punishment worthy and they
recommended pregnant students leave school due to unfair reasons. I also claimed that
there are not enough legal frameworks and initiatives to help pregnant high school
students access to education in Japan, but the U.K. has a law to protect pregnant students
from discrimination, and an initiative to help the students retain access to education.
Furthermore, based on statistics by previous works, I advocated that getting
pregnant at high school age could be considered as a negative thing in both of Japan andthe U.K. due to age norms for getting pregnant. Finally, I argued that Japanese
government downplayed the rights to education of pregnant high school students, but
British government respected the rights, and this difference determined whether
initiatives to help pregnant students access to education were launched or not.
I concluded that the reason why pregnant high school students lose access to
education is that Japanese government downplays the rights to education of the students
and does not protect the students from being treated unfairly by schools. It is essentialthat Japanese government respects the rights of pregnant high school students and create
policies to help the students access to education. The significance of this paper is that it
analyzed cultural backgrounds in Japan and the U.K. based on previous works.
Keywords: pregnant high school students, the rights to education, Japan, the U.K.
255

ID
Name
Title

Supervisor

200279Hina YOKOMORIThe Challenges of Gender Pay Gap in Japan and Remedies
for Improvement:
OBN as Japanese Cultural Stereotypes and a comparison with
Spain
Prof. Chihiro KATO
Summary

In Japan today, the persistence of gender pay gap stands out as a significant obstacle
to achieve gender equality. The subject of this paper is correction of gender pay gap inJapan, comparing wage and employment systems, as well as gender stereotypes, between
Japan and Spain. The aim of this thesis is to clarify the challenges faced in Japan, explore
the factors contributing to advancing gender equality in Spain, and assess the feasibilityof implementing Spanish system in Japan.
First, I examined the global, Japanese, and Spanish perspectives on the gender pay
gap, revealing a shared history of women’s rights oppression in Japan and Spain. Secondly,
I investigated the wage and employment laws in Japan and Spain. There is a differenceof the concreteness of law. Furthermore, I pointed out that Spain’s progress is attributed
to corporate recommendations, frequent revisions, and the proactive approach of the
Spanish cabinet.
I investigated gender stereotypes in Japan and Spain, attributing Japan’s gender
pay gap to Japanese traditional stereotype called Old Boys Network (OBN). In Spain on
the other hand, there is a significant improvement of gender roles and job stereotypes.
Finally, I concluded that Japan needs systemic reform, emphasizing concrete legal
measures, corporate input, and increasing policy revisions to address gender pay gap.
In conclusion, it is necessary to change Japanese system to break down OBN andinitiate a positive cycle. The challenges to achieve this are the lack of public
understanding and limited accessibility of women’s voice. Therefore, it is crucial to
improve Japanese education and to increase the number of congresswomen. This paper’s
significance lies in its dual approach, examining both the political system and culturalvalues, comparing laws, systems, and gender stereotypes between Japan and Spain.
Keywords: gender pay gap, OBN, gender stereotypes, Spain, Japan

256