Bücher der Reihe International Perspectives in

This book clarifies the geography of the peripheral Japanese islands from a variety of angles. The islands are distributed in the tropical and cool temperate zones, and the most distant inhabited islands are more than 1,000 km from the mainland. In the past, they were Japan's frontier, close to neighboring countries. However, during Japan's modernization process, the islands were positioned as backward regions, supplying food, resources, and labor. Today, the islands are considered to be on the periphery of Japan, with lifestyles different from those of the mainland. The islands are also getting attention as sightseeing locales and emigration regions attracting those who prefer country life-an image of the islands that has been created by the romanticized gaze from the Japanese mainland. The authors describe the various forms of the outlying Japanese islands and at the same time discover their common regional characteristics, as defined by the view from the mainland.

This book describes observed features of urban climate and its long-term variations as well as the relationship of climate to heat stroke in Japan, based on observational data and statistical analyses. Consisting of three parts, the book is a valuable resource for researchers and professionals involved with these topics. Part 1 focuses on urban climate. The basic characteristics of heat islands are reviewed, and long-term urban warming is described with a focus on the distinction from global warming. The influence of microscale environmental changes on the observed temperature is also presented, as well as changes in wind and precipitation in urban areas. They deepen our understanding of the features and mechanisms of urban heat islands and their long-term changes. Part 2 describes the climatological features of heat stroke mortality, which has become a major social problem in Japan, using mortality statistics and meteorological data. The spatial and temporal variations of heat stroke mortality are analyzed quantitatively on various spatial and temporal scales. In addition, the number of ambulance transports is examined as another measure of heat stroke casualty. The results provide insight into the climatological factors related to heat stroke mortality and contribute to the implementation of preventive measures. The climatology of deaths from extreme cold is also presented. For supplementary information, an overview of the geography, climate, and meteorological data of Japan is presented in Part 3.

Management geography explores the spatial characteristics of management-related issues, especially of firms. This book discusses management geography in Japan and other Asian countries from Asian perspectives. The field has made significant contributions to the global economy but has not been deeply investigated in English-language geographical literature to date. The book addresses the following critical questions:What kinds of challenges do multinational corporations in Japan and other Asian countries face?How are managerial actors in multinational enterprises (MNEs) embracing boundary-spanning activities in a global context?How do firms and related entities cultivate business pipelines and 'buzz' within and beyond local regions?How do actors in Japanese MNEs, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and related institutions embed various managerial processes at overseas locations? This book consists of two parts: Part I discusses the application and roles of Japanese and international managerial practices in the globalizing world. Part II examines changing business communities in the industrial and rural spaces of East Asia, focusing primarily on Japan and China. This work will interest readers in a wide range of fields, including geography, management studies, economics, urban planning and sociology. The book is also suitable for upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students in geography, management studies and related fields.