Phylogeography of Fischer’s blue,Tongeia fischeri,in Japan: Evidence for introgressive hybridization

The widespread lycaenid butterfly Tongeia fischeri is distributed from eastern Europe to northeastern Asia and represented by three geographically isolated populations in Japan. In order to clarify the phylogeographic history of the species, we used sequences of three mitochondrial (COI, Cyt b and ND5) and two nuclear (Rpl5 and Ldh) genes of 207 individuals collected from 55 sites throughout Japan and five sites on the Asian continent. Phylogenetic trees and the median-joining network revealed six evolutionary mitochondrial haplotype clades, which corresponded to the geographic distribution of the species. Common ancestors of Japanese T. fischeri might have come to Japan during the mid-Pleistocene by multiple dispersals of continental populations, probably via a land bridge or narrow channel between western Japan and the Korean Peninsula. The geographical patterns of variation of mitochondrial and nuclear markers are discordant in northeastern Kyushu, possibly as a result of introgressive hybridization during the ancient contact between the Kyushu and Shikoku populations in the last glacial maximum. The phylogeographic pattern of T. fischeri in Japan are probably related to the geological history, Pleistocene climatic oscillations and distribution of the host plant.     

Ruth Benedict’s Japan: the Benedictions of Imperialism

Critics and defenders continue to debate the meanings and uses of Ruth Benedict’s Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture (1946). Recently reporters have used Benedict’s ideas to justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq, citing, for example, Pauline Kent’s defense of Benedict published in Dialectical Anthropology (1999; 24(2): 181–192). This essay examines the flaws of Chrysanthemum and Kent’s views, including Kent’s attacks on the best critique of Chrysanthemum to date by Lummis (1981). Drawing from Lummis, it highlights Benedict’s radical political transformation during the 1940s, her embracement of U.S. nationalism, and subsequent reversals of her anthropological positions. It shows how in Chrysanthemum Benedict compared nationalist cultures and ideologies rather than ethnic cultures, but demonstrates that Benedict’s methodology remained consistent. Finally, it scrutinizes the logic of Benedict’s vision and portrayal of Japanese ethnicity as a “shame culture” and her argument for saving the emperor system and culturally rehabilitating the Japanese.

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An inventory of the mires of Hokkaido,Japan—their development,classification, decline,and conservation

Hokkaido Island is located in the cool temperate zone, and its climate conditions facilitated the formation of a variety of wetland types, the majority of them peat-forming mires. Most of these remained in a natural state until the early 20th century. However, drainage and subsequent conversion mostly to agricultural land have since destroyed more than 70% of the original wetland ecosystems. This paper (1) provides an overview of mire types, (2) reviews the development process of mires in Hokkaido during the Holocene, (3) analyzes the causes of losses of wetland areas, and (4) gives a summary of the current conservation and management status. Basic mire types that have been described in other parts of the northern hemisphere can also be recognized in Hokkaido, although there are floristic differences, and the frequency and intensity of volcanic impact and tsunamis is higher than in most other regions with abundant mire formation. Mire formation started at various points during the postglacial period; a few mountain mires in southwest Hokkaido date back to the Lateglacial, but most mountain mires formed during the mid to late Holocene. Most lowland mires developed at altitudes below 20 m and were influenced by the Jomon transgression that peaked ca. 6,000 years BP. The largest lowland mires started forming after the sea retreated, and many are not older than ca. 3,000 years. In 1996, the total number of wetlands (including peat-forming mires, freshwater marshes, and saltmarshes) greater than 1 ha was 150, with a total area of 59,881 ha. In 1928, when many wetlands were yet undeveloped, their total area was 200,642 ha. Most losses occurred between the 1950s and 1970s, when post-war development economics promoted agriculture and large-scale reclamation projects. Currently, 90.7% of mountain wetlands are public land, while 81.3% of the lowland wetlands are private or in mixed ownership. The ownership condition affects the possibilities for the protection of complete mire complexes especially in the lowlands. For effective conservation of wetland ecosystems it is necessary to include the catchment area in the planning of protected areas.     

Growth-related morphology of “Kunimasu” (Oncorhynchus kawamurae: family Salmonidae) from Lake Saiko,Yamanashi Prefecture,Japan

Biological characteristics of “Kunimasu” (Oncorhynchus kawamurae), poorly known even before the species was prematurely believed extinct, have now become apparent following the examination of 59 specimens from Lake Saiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan and comparison with 58 examples of “Himemasu” (kokanee of Oncorhynchus nerka in Japan), also from Lake Saiko. Significant (p < 0.01) differences between Kunimasu and Himemasu from Lake Saiko occurred in counts of anal-fin rays, pectoral-fin rays, gill rakers (no overlap found) and pyloric caeca. Secondary sexual characters related to maturity level were also found in Kunimasu, the body being more compressed in pre-spawning and spawning males and females than in immature and maturing individuals. Furthermore, maturing male Kunimasu and Himemasu also differed in body shape. Body coloration of Kunimasu also differed according to level of maturity, the nuptial coloration in both sexes being olive-green when alive and black when fresh. Dark dots, found in ca. 40 % of Kunimasu individuals examined, were less distinct than in Himemasu. The spawning season of Kunimasu extended through winter and early spring in Lake Saiko, with spawning males and females remaining near the bottom, compared with non-spawning individuals which occupied the upper and middle profundal zones in the daytime.     

Japan’s Hidden Youths: Mainstreaming the Emotionally Distressed in Japan

One of the most talked-about social issues in Japan in recent years has been the problem of the nation's purportedly one million "hidden" youths, known as hikikomori (literally, "the withdrawn"). Most observers agree that the category of hikikomori encompasses a wide range of problems and provocations. The fact that these various dilemmas lead to the shared outcome of shutting oneself away at home is the point of departure here. The article explores the spheres of mental health care, education and family, focusing on the reluctance to highlight underlying psychological dimensions of hikikomori and the desire on the part of schools and families to "mainstream" Japanese children, accommodating as many as possible within standardized public education. Hikikomori can perhaps be seen as a manifestation of Japanese democracy, in which the good society is imagined as cohesive, protective and secure, rather than one in which the individual can freely exercise the right to be different. Schools, families and the sphere of mental health care have focused on producing social inclusion but have discouraged citizens from being labeled as "different" -- even when such a distinction might help them. The dearth of facilities and discourse for caring for the mentally ill or learning disabled is, in many respects, the darker side of Japan's successes. Those who cannot adjust are cared for through the institutions of families, companies and various other spheres that offer spaces to rest and to temporarily "drop out"; however, the expectation is that rest will eventually lead to a re-entry into mainstream society. Often the psychological problem or disability that led to the problem goes unnamed and untreated (hikikomori, psychiatry, special education, youth, family, Japan).