Felix P. Biestek published The Casework Relationship in 1957. Five years earlier, in 1952, Mary Overholt Peters, Field Representative of the Oklahoma State Department of Public Welfare, published “Notes from a Social Worker’s Journal” in an American journal of public welfare (April issue). This paper is an attempt to compare the two publications, which are still widely read by frontline social workers. The author was interested in the fact that they appeared in the same period. The result found that 10 of the 11 items in Peters’ article share common themes with Biestek’s Principles of Social Casework in The Casework Relationship. Second, none of the caseworker’s relationships with fellow caseworkers and supervisors in Peters’ article were applicable to Biestek’s Principles. The Principles of Casework represent the principles of the caseworker’s attitude toward their clients. Therefore, they understandably do not touch on the relationship with their colleagues. On the other hand, no section of“ Notes from a Social Worker’s Journal” mentions the principle of confidentiality. Regarding this issue, Mary Oberholt Peters, author of“ Notes from a Social Worker’ s Journal,” must have been naturally aware of the responsibility as a civil servant to protect the confidentiality of clients’ private information, as she was the liaison officer for the Public Welfare Department of the State of Oklahoma in the US. Finally, as for the connection between Peters’ article and Biestek’s Principles, it seems that practicing social work according the latter and reflecting on the practice based on the former will help improve the quality of social work as the reflection will lead to better practices.

Reprinting Note of Ozu Hisatari's "Iwabashino Nikki". Ozu Hisatari was a merchant of the Edo period. "Iwabashino Nikki" is a travelogue of his visits to Kyoto and other places.

This short essay is a report of what I did during my research travel to Florida in the late September 2024. It is explained why the University of West Florida is good for YPU students who are willing to study abroad in America. It is also proposed how to take advantage of one’s study abroad experience to improve his/her language proficiency to the CEFR C1 level where they can enjoy leisure topics in a foreign language. My proposal is based on the findings from my pragmatic research on parody and cultural accommodation, and consists of three steps. First, express yourself poetically. Second, edit the words given by others. Third, tell your identity. These steps are designed to combine language proficiency with proactiveness, thereby contributing to nurturing Global Communicators, as stated in the new diploma policy of the Faculty of Intercultural Studies.

The “GIGA School Initiative,” announced in December 2019, is a Japanese government program to enhance the digital learning environment in schools. It focuses on providing each student with a personal device and improving internet connectivity to support modern, technology-driven education. Considering this initiative, we have initiated a research program focusing on training language professionals with high digital competency. Since FY2022, we have developed and validated an initial instruction curriculum for English and Japanese through collaboration with the municipal government and local communities. We aim to address educational challenges in a global and multicultural society. In FY2024, the project’s third year, we intend to concentrate on two primary areas: 1) enhancing students’ digital literacy and 2) fortifying regional collaboration. Through these endeavors, we aspire to promote further the training of language teachers with advanced digital competencies and contribute to addressing educational challenges in a global and multicultural context.

Practice of Initiatives Under the Regional Japanese Language Education Start-up Program (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Focusing on the Overview and Reflection of the 'Minnade Hyakoro! Japanese Language Classroom' in Yoshika Town, Shimane Prefecture This paper introduces the main activities of the "Minna de Hyakorou!" Japanese language class launch project in Yoshika Town, Shimane Prefecture, implemented in collaboration between the local government and Yamaguchi Prefectural University in FY2024, as well as the findings from the participants' feedback. Reflecting on the classroom activities, it is important to create opportunities for closer interaction between local residents and foreigners, increase opportunities for face-to-face interaction alongside online sessions, and strengthen information exchange and cooperation with local organizations. It also became clear that there is a need for flexible teaching materials tailored to participants' needs, and for Japanese language education that is more closely connected to real-life situations. To further develop the project in the future, the key will be for the government, universities, and local residents to work together to advance the initiative.

This study examines the Japanese language as it emerged in Taiwan, using Yamaguchi Mamoru’s The Town on Papaya, Anthology of Japanese novels written in Colonial Taiwan, Koseisha,2024, as a reference. As part of project exercise, the author of this study led Yamaguchi Prefectural University students to Chia-Yi, Taiwan, to learn about the historical relationship between Yamaguchi and Taiwan. Chen Cheng-Po, a famous Taiwanese artist closely related to this exercise, wrote his will in Japanese before his execution. The findings demonstrate that although the Japanese language penetrated the Taiwanese people in Japan during the colonial era, it evolved in Taiwan after World War Ⅱ. Knowledge of the Japanese Language in Taiwan requires an understanding of the historical relationship between Taiwan and Japan among YPU students.

In this study, we design digital teaching materials in the basic courses “Information Society Seminar” and “Introduction to Well-Being” in the Department of Information Society Studies. Using Moodle, this study not only focuses on the development of information technology but also presents one possibility for training humanitiesbased DX (Digital Transformation) personnel by solving social issues through technology to improve well-being. In the “Information Society Seminar,” in addition to the traditional study skills using paper and pencil, we decided to provide students with opportunities to learn basic skills using digital materials such as metaverse and smart pen as well as pictogram production, prototyping, and the use of maps, which are necessary for the information society. In the “Introduction to Well-Being,” we constructed lessons that use technology to address a variety of social issues such as medical care, food, disaster prevention politics and work styles.

This paper is a compilation of information on prewar Japanese designer organizations, organized and documented using as a reference the book “Experiential Design History” by Ayao Yamana (David, Inc., 1976). Although “Experiential Design History” is a personal memoir, the author has been active as a designer since the 1920s and has been a driving force in the Japanese graphic design world. The book is an important resource for understanding the history of prewar Japanese design, as it describes in detail, from the perspective of those involved, the period during which those who were called “designers” were recognized by the public as designers. However, many of the introductions of design organizations are in the order recalled by the author, which is cumbersome, so they have been reorganized in chronological order for future use as research material.

Using various historical materials from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period, we will reconstruct the state of Tsukiyama-tate in Yamaguchi, Suo Province, where the Ouchi clan established their base in the late Middle Ages, after the demise of the clan, and extract its characteristics by comparing it with similar examples (samurai residences) from the Middle Ages.

This paper examines the changes in clothing articles in the third volume of SUTAIRU, a magazine edited by Uno Chiyo, in the process of its transformation from a “fun and stylish magazine” that dealt with overseas fashion information and fashionable lifestyles to a magazine that was in line with national policy.