The 8th Youth Culture Symposium
On March 13th, the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation hosted the 8th Youth Culture Symposium on "Youth Identity and Social Participation from an International Comparative Perspective." The event was held with both in-person and online participation, with a total of 65 attendees from Japan and abroad.
This symposium is held annually as a platform for young researchers who have received grants from the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation, following a review by the Research Grant Review Committee based on criteria such as the validity and originality of their research themes.
This time, we held a symposium with the theme "Youth Identity and Social Participation from an International Comparative Perspective". In the fiscal year 2023, presentations of surveys and research findings, as well as question and answer sessions, were conducted by five young researchers who received research grants for "Youth Culture and Lifestyles in Japan and Europe". Opinions and questions from both the venue and online participants were incorporated, making it a lively forum for exchange of views.
In the feedback received from participants through the survey, comments such as "Each presentation had a diverse and very interesting theme" and "Overall, the content was very intriguing, and I look forward to next year's symposium as well" were noted, indicating a desire for the symposium to continue in the future.
After the symposium, a standing buffet-style networking event was held for the first time in four years, providing an opportunity for further communication. Throughout the venue, attendees were seen enthusiastically asking questions and exchanging opinions with researchers and professors, creating a lively atmosphere.
In the latter part of the networking event, a ceremony was held to award the grant recipients of the 2024 fiscal year with their notification letters of acceptance. This year, all the grant recipients who attended were personally handed their notification letters by Director Yukino of the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation, along with words of encouragement.
Next year, the recipients of the 2024 research grants, who were awarded this time, will conduct their research surveys and present their research findings on youth culture and lifestyles in Japan and Europe (Germanspeaking countries). The Yamaoka Memorial Foundation aims to foster researchers who will be at the core of cultural exchange between Japan and Germany, and strives to pioneer new academic fields in the future.
Details of the 2023 research presentations
- Utagawa Koichi (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Nursing Science, St. Luke's International University)
Research theme: Japanese-German comparison of young people's perceptions of “Hobby”
- Ouyang Shanshan (PhD student in the Integrated Doctoral Course (5th year) at the Graduate School of Core Ethics and Frontier Sciences of Ritsumeikan University)
Research theme: "How young “disabled queer/LGBT people with disabilities” participate in social movements - A comparison of LGBT movements in Japan and Germany"
- Malte Schönefeld (University of Wuppertal, Germany, Institute for Public Safety and Emergency Management, Research Associate & PhD student)
Research theme: "Voluntary engagement of teenagers and young adults in disaster management - a comparative analysis between Japan and Germany"
- Anna Schrade (Kwansei Gakuin University, Associate Professor)
Research theme: ” VEGAN - WE CAN! Vegan lifestyle choices among young Germans and Japanese”
- Yamaguchi Yoko (Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (PD), Part-time lecturer at Waseda University and Seijo University)
Research theme: Risograph culture in Japan and Germany today