departmental bulletin paper

Due to the COVID-19, many countries including Japan have reinforced regulations at the borders. As many international students could not enter Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some universities offered online education services as an alternate. On the other hand, since April 2020, many of international student livening in Japan have not been able to go back to their countries.

In 2020, global phenomena such as unprecedented scale forest fires, storms, melting glaciers, and dramatic declines in northern polar glaciers are very likely to be caused by climate change. By the middle of this century, it is becoming clear that it is not enough for Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions to be cut by 80％ compared to 1990 levels. In December 2015, to meet the climate targets agreed in the Paris agreement, stricter cuts from Germany are required, limiting global temperature rises to an average of 2 ℃（better 1.5 ℃） compared to pre-industrial levels. With regard to the transition of Germany’s energy systems, this paper begins with a comprehensive model of the Germany power and thermal sector in future energy systems with a major contribution to renewable energy technologies. Based on REMod-D （Renewable Energy Model - Germany）, the basic structure is summarized briefly. Then, we introduce some of the simulation results by REMod-D models by Philip et al. （2020）. The aim is to assess the energy transition and the possibility of climate-neutral systems in Germany.

We will discuss why Japan succeeded after the Meiji Restoration and why she has been stagnated since 1990s, and propose the conditions for the revitalization of the Japanese economy based on M.E. Porter’s factor condition and Michio Morishima’s view of population history. Michio Morishima maintains that the quantity and quality of population is the foundation of economy and society. This paper focus on values which is one of the qualitative aspects of human beings.

Taiwan is not a party to the Paris Agreement, but the impact of climate change on Taiwan is enough to be one. The Government of Taiwan has set a target of adjusting the power mix to 50% natural gas-fired, 30% coal-fired and 20% renewable energy by 2025, increasing the proportion of relatively low carbon emissions and renewable energy, and aiming to reduce GHG emissions as a climate change policy. One of the key aspects of Taiwan’s energy policy is to phase-out nuclear power generation by 2025, and to increase the share of renewable energy in the power supply configuration and reduce the use of coal-fired power. The phase-out of nuclear power plants was initially faster than the expansion of renewable energy, reducing CO2 emissions from electricity production as needed to a small amount. Nevertheless, since 2016, Taiwan has been evaluating the “energy transition” derived from Germany and is trying to decentralize its power supply using conventional large-scale, inflexible power generation systems. 　With regard to coal-fired power plants, Taiwan will accelerate the improvement of air pollution facilities at existing coal-fired power plants and implement utilization management measures in order to match air quality. Gas-fired and green energy power supplies will be the mainstays of power supply, which is the power stabilization target, in order to maintain 15% of the supply reserve rate. The government needs to plan supply-side measures and implement various tasks to save energy and reduce carbon emission in order to reduce electricity demand. To build clean energy systems and healthy living conditions, to promote the development of new green energy industries, to promote green employment, realize the spirit of energy empowerment, promote energy democracy and justice. Going forward, the focus will be on overall system integration, where all power supplies can ensure a sufficient level of revenue. In this study, we will consider Taiwan’s climate change and energy policy since the Paris Agreement, and summarize the current situation and issues.

As one of the first British diplomats to be posted to Japan, Sir Ernest Satow (1843~1929) became a firsthand observer of the political situation in the country in the years immediately preceding the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Throughout his first posting in Japan (September 1862~February 1869) Satow kept a journal in which he recorded his experiences. Satow later edited this journal for publication as A Diplomat in Japan (henceforth, Diplomat ) published in 1921, many years after the events of the 1860s. The subtitle for the first edition of Diplomat was, ‘The inner history of the critical years in the evolution of Japan when the ports were opened and the monarchy restored, recorded by a diplomatist who took an active part in the events of the time, with an account of his personal experiences during that period.’ This study is an examination of Satow’s ‘personal experiences during that period’ relating to what he ate and drank, and the culinary hospitality he received. This paper will then briefly discuss what can be inferred about the eating habits of Westerners in bakumatsu Japan based on the evidence of Diplomat .

ラオスでは、土地・森林政策の一環として、村落の中に住民が共同で利用できる、村落共有林を法的に認可している。本論文では、宇沢弘文氏が提唱した「社会的共通資本」理論の視座から、その村落共有林が土地・森林政策に果たす役割について分析を行いたい。