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This study adopts complexity theory to explore behavioural brand loyalty (BBL) development by investigating brand perceptional components and loyalty programs (LPs) in the Japanese fashion market through a qualitative comparative study. The authors address two research questions: (1) Under the potential influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, do brand perceptions and LPs contribute to young generation's BBL toward three types of brands with different scales of store numbers and prices? (2) If so, under what conditions do these factors positively influence BBL?

This study considers the effects of complex factors and conditions on BBL formation by testing the asymmetric relationships that exist among brand perceptions, LPs, and BBL via fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The authors surveyed 751 Japanese consumers (aged 18–25 years) who had chosen 26 Japanese fashion brands as their favourites and participated in the LPs of those brands. The use of fsQCA supplements the existing research by explaining how causal variables affect BBL both positively and negatively.

The results (1) present multiple causal solutions in predicting high BBL by profiling young shoppers based on their psychological and behavioural characteristics; (2) show how causal factors and consumer characteristics work differently when developing BBL for different types of brands. The findings established that brand perceptions and LPs could affect BBL positively and negatively, depending on the characteristics of fashion brands and shoppers.

This study offers theoretical and practical implications in two main aspects: (1) the authors adopted a mixed methodology with quantitative and qualitative analysis to propose an integrated model that connects perceptional brand loyalty and LPs with BBL, based on three types of Japanese fashion brands; (2) the results offer multiple solutions for predicting the high level of BBL by profiling shoppers' characteristics, considering the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To investigate (1) the relationship between young adults' behavioural brand loyalty (BBL) and Japanese fashion companies' financial performance (FP) and (2) FP improvement from the perspectives of social media brand engagement (BE) and loyalty programmes (LPs) by applying the complexity theory.

A mixed methodology was employed by combining qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine the prediction of outcomes by various variables in a realistic context. The integrated model associated BE and LPs with BBL and FP, which are essential for fashion companies. We selected 14 fashion brands belonging to 14 publicly traded Japanese fashion companies and surveyed 183 Japanese consumers (aged 18–25 years) who chose these brands as their favourites, engaged with the brands and participated in LPs.

The findings reveal the positive and negative effects of the variables (BE and LP) on the outcomes (short- and long-term FP). They offer marketing implications regarding brand strategy and financial improvement by considering various combinations of causal factors and complex situations, such as the fashion brands' and consumers' characteristics.

Existing empirical studies consider consumers' symmetric reactions to the benefits and losses from variables (BE, LP and BBL) but do not realistically reveal the negative and positive effects on outcomes (FP). This study addresses this gap by applying the complexity theory and offers multiple solutions to target different consumer types to predict high FP.

This article assesses the development of flood relief and recovery, and their narratives, as political sites for the central and local governments to negotiate each other's standing and role in imperial Japan.

The article examines local flood narratives, most prominently from Okayama, to assess how imperial Japan's central government intruded into the periphery through disaster relief, and how the localities negotiated and challenged Tokyo's political agenda on the ground and through these narratives.

The above sources reveal that the national government attempted to use flood experiences to unite the pluralizing society by three main means: building meteorological stations, relief laws, and through the imperial being. The process was systematized gradually, and local prefectures aided and challenged Tokyo's attempts. The prefectures also used disasters to try to bring unity within their community.

Historical flood narratives are often used to mine data from which future preventative and management measures are constructed. The article suggests the narratives' political nature, and hence the nuances that must be considered in these efforts.

Tsuda Hiromichi is a most representative shishi (noble‐minded patriot) of the Meiji Restoration Era. He came from a middle class warrior family of Okayama han. Trained first in Confucianism and later in Western technologies, he was appointed to new high positions in the military and civil services for the Han to cope with changing situations. He was selected as one of the 18 to be despatched by the Meiji Restoration Government for the first round‐the‐world observation tour for one year from 1871 to 1872. On his return, he repaid the balance of travel expenses, which became the foundation of the Ikeda Scholarship. Before long, he was installed as a high official of the Meiji Restoration Government. After the services there, he came back to hometown Okayama to develop enterprises for employing ex‐samurai. An examination of Tsuda’s career will reveal the following as most significant roles played by middle class warriors; work ethics and the tradition of thrift maintained firmly by samurai élites; the feudal system’s flexibility in the later half of the 19th century which allowed their foresight and claims to be satisfied.

Far infrared radiation (FIR) has been shown to have physiological effects when used as a treatment modality for certain medical conditions. Athletic apparel are currently commercially available that are constructed with fabrics that purportedly emit FIR. If apparel with this technology are capable of inducing positive physiological effects, then there may be important implications when worn by an athlete during exercise. The purpose of this study is to examine whether FIR apparel has an effect on oxygen consumption during exercise at submaximal intensities. Twelve male cyclists have completed submaximal incremental cycling tests. Each subject is tested on 4 separate days, twice while wearing a full body Control garment, and twice while wearing a similar garment made out of FIR fabric. Throughout each cycling test, the volume of oxygen uptake is monitored by using a breathing mask and metabolic analysis cart. At lower cycling intensities, the subjects consume statistically significantly less oxygen when wearing the FIR apparel compared to the Control garment, despite performing the same amount of mechanical work. Additional research is required to determine the implication of this effect for a training or competing athlete; however, the results indicate that this apparel technology does elicit a physiological effect.

The overarching aim of our research is the social and environmental sustainability of cities, with a focus on ensuring the rights and needs of the children who live in them are considered in policy and planning arenas. How do we, as researchers, work ethically and effectively with children to foreground their voices and produce robust evidence to inform policies and processes which promote their wellbeing in child-friendly cities, and in line with Sustainable Development Goals? Children have the right to be heard, and their views taken seriously, in policy and planning arenas. Conducting ethical and effective child-centred research requires balancing considerations of children’s rights to genuine participation and their rights to protection at all stages of the research process. This balance requires methodological flexibility and a situated ethical approach, where researchers and participants together determine appropriate research pathways. In this chapter, the authors reflect on ethical and methodological insights gained during a decade of conducting urban-related research with children. The various projects used different methods and provided different lessons; but common to all was an understanding of the importance of relationship-building, of supportive and engaged adults, and of methods which were respectful, age/culturally appropriate and ‘fit for purpose’. These factors are crucial to ethically enable the foregrounding of children’s voices, the collection of robust data and effective dissemination of research with children.

The present paper aims to propose a basic current mirror-sensing circuit as an alternative to the traditional Wheatstone bridge circuit for the design and development of high-sensitivity complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)–microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-integrated pressure sensors.

This paper investigates a novel current mirror-sensing-based CMOS–MEMS-integrated pressure-sensing structure based on the piezoresistive effect in metal oxide field effect transistor (MOSFET). A resistive loaded n-channel MOSFET-based current mirror pressure-sensing circuitry has been designed using 5-μm CMOS technology. The pressure-sensing structure consists of three identical 10-μm-long and 50-μm-wide n-channel MOSFETs connected in current mirror configuration, with its input transistor as a reference MOSFET and output transistors are the pressure-sensing MOSFETs embedded at the centre and near the fixed edge of a silicon diaphragm measuring 100 × 100 × 2.5 μm. This arrangement of MOSFETs enables the sensor to sense tensile and compressive stresses, developed in the diaphragm under externally applied pressure, with respect to the input reference transistor of the mirror circuit. An analytical model describing the complete behaviour of the integrated pressure sensor has been described. The simulation results of the pressure sensor show high pressure sensitivity and a good agreement with the theoretical model has been observed. A five mask level process flow for the fabrication of the current mirror-sensing-based pressure sensor has also been described. An n-channel MOSFET with aluminium gate was fabricated to verify the fabrication process and obtain its electrical characteristics using process and device simulation software. In addition, an aluminium gate metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor was fabricated on a two-inch p-type silicon wafer and its CV characteristic curve was also measured experimentally. Finally, the paper presents a comparative study between the current mirror pressure-sensing circuit with the traditional Wheatstone bridge.

The simulated sensitivities of the pressure-sensing MOSFETs of the current mirror-integrated pressure sensor have been found to be approximately 375 and 410 mV/MPa with respect to the reference transistor, and approximately 785 mV/MPa with respect to each other. The highest pressure sensitivities of a quarter, half and full Wheatstone bridge circuits were found to be approximately 183, 366 and 738 mV/MPa, respectively. These results clearly show that the current mirror pressure-sensing circuit is comparable and better than the traditional Wheatstone bridge circuits.

The concept of using a basic current mirror circuit for sensing tensile and compressive stresses developed in micro-mechanical structures is new, fully compatible to standard CMOS processes and has a promising application in the development of miniaturized integrated micro-sensors and sensor arrays for automobile, medical and industrial applications.

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel manufacturing process that aims to pattern metal tracks onto polyimide at atmospheric pressure and ambient environment. The process can be scaled up for industrial applications.

From a thorough literature survey, different approaches were carried out for processing polyimide. Following a design of experiments for the processing and various characterisation techniques, a micro‐coil was manufactured as a test demonstrator.

The characteristics of some main formaldehyde‐based electroless copper baths were compared. The quality of the sidewalls was characterised and the performance of the process was assessed.

This paper demonstrates a high‐value manufacturing technique that is mass manufacturable, low cost and suitable for use on 3D surfaces. Criteria required for the development of a direct‐writing process have been described. The issues surrounding electroless plating on polyimide have been explained.

With the Japanese economy going through a period of prolonged stagnation many of its established institutions have to redefine themselves. Among these are General Trading Companies (sôgô shôsha), which have traditionally occupied a prominent place in the Japanese economy and are currently trying to increase their role in the Japanese retail sector. This paper explores this development at an early stage by outlining the relationships between General Trading Companies and the retail sector and providing a closer discussion of the most prominent feature within this development: the take‐over of two leading convenience store chains by General Trading Companies.