EJU Syllabus for Examination of Japan and the World (to be applied to the questions of the 2016 EJU 1st Session (June)

[Aims and Nature of the Examination]

Japan and the World takes up themes centered mainly on the contemporary world and Japan as seen from the perspective of multicultural understanding. It is aimed at measuring international students’mastery of the basic knowledge of contemporary Japan deemed necessary to study at the college level in Japan, as well as their capacity to think logically and critically about basic issues in modern international society.

[Syllabus]

The topics of the questions are selected mainly from the fields of Politics, Economy, and Society, as well as from Geography and History. The syllabus below lists the major thematic groups of each field, and the topical areas from which questions may be drawn.

1. Contemporary Society
Information society, Aging society with fewer children, Multicultural understanding, Bio-ethics, Social security and social welfare, Transformation of local communities, Redress of inequality, Food issues, Energy issues, Environmental issues, Sustainable society

2. Economy
Economic systems, Market economy, Price mechanism, Consumers, Business cycle, Government roles and economic policy, Labor issues, Economic growth, National economy, International trade, Foreign exchange, Balance of payments

3. Politics
Principle of democracy, the Constitution of Japan, Fundamental human rights and the rule of law, Diet, Cabinets, Courts, Parliamentary democracy, Local government, Elections and political participation, New human rights

4. International Society
International relations and international law, Globalization, Regional integration, United Nations and other international organizations, North-South problem, Race/ethnicity and ethnic issues, Global environment issues, International peace and international cooperation, Japan’s international contributions

Geographical examination of features and issues of the modern world
Globes and maps, Distance and direction, Aerial photography and satellite pictures, Standard time and time differences, Geographical information, Climate, Natural features, Vegetation, Lifestyles/cultures/religions around the world, Resources and industries, Population, Urban and rural settlement, Traffic and communication, Natural environment and disasters/disaster prevention, Land and environment of Japan