This paper examines the life and work of Miyazawa Kenji, emphasizing his humanist ideals and efforts to alleviate poverty in his native Iwate. Influenced by the region's harsh climate and frequent natural disasters, Miyazawa became a devoted Nichiren Buddhist. The paper analyzes his distinctive interpretation of Buddhism, his syncretic use of Shinto motifs, and his incorporation of local folklore into his writings. It explores his deep connection to nature, a recurring theme in his stories. The paper concludes that harmony with nature is the only force capable of saving and calming the human mind. In Japan, balance with the universe has been promoted through various religions, making the country’s religious landscape highly integrated, resilient, and profoundly compelling.
The alignment system is a feature that allows us, as spectators, to gain an understanding in each constructed world of Shin Megami Tensei (“Metempsychosis of the True Goddess”) through a unique lens by various interactions with supernatural entities depicted across the globe. When compared to the other three endings offered in the “Canon of Creation” arc, the more chaotic route appears to be portrayed somewhat biased by its developers. Therefore, despite the absence of Amaterasu, who is considered Japan's mythological chief, patriotic ideals stemming during the Edo period (1603-1868) seem to resurface in this creative work to reinforce a “distinctly Japanese” perspective. However, why would such nativist motives even be relevant for this title in particular? Can it be assumed that Japanese made products try, in a way, to manifest the country's presumably uniqueness?
This corpus-based paper reports research findings emerging from an online survey and ten interviews conducted within Ovidius University of Constanta, as part of the Digital Language and Communication Training for EU Scientists (DILAN) Erasmus project. The aim of this paper is to identify sustainable strategies and transformative practices employed in professional and public communication of science in digital environments. It also assesses whether competence in communicating science online to expert and broader audiences needs to be a transversal skill to be taught/learned in higher education institutions. The analysis of our data revealed that digital communication is an emerging yet uneven practice among researchers at Ovidius University of Constanţa who clearly distinguish between communication with peers and communication with the general public. OUC researchers tend to favor traditional, peer-oriented dissemination (journal articles, open-access platforms) for professional visibility, while adopting more accessible formats (blogs, Facebook, institutional websites) when reaching lay audiences. This reflects an awareness of genre adaptation to context and audience, a key feature of digital genre competence.
This article examines cultural perceptions based on a theoretical framework which includes anthropological concepts, especially that of cultural relativism (Franz Boas, Melville Herskovitz, and Ralph Linton), emphasizing that human behaviour and language require contextualization, rather than universal judgement. Utilizing a qualitative interpretative method, the study applies Linton’s cultural reading grid to analyse Erasmus students’ narratives. While the students identify objective Universals and Specialties, through cultural observation and social interaction, their subjective engagement with Alternatives and Individual Peculiarities transforms static norms into a personalized reality; in other words, it turns standard social rules into a unique experience.
This study analyzes the use of Anglicisms in German fashion advertising through a qualitative content analysis of selected fashion posters. The aim is to analyze the formal forms and communicative functions of English language elements in the advertising context. Methodologically, the study is based on the principles of qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. Anglicisms, in their various forms, are intended to appear modern and international, to convey prestige, and to contribute to the emotionalization of the advertising message. The results show that Anglicisms are not used arbitrarily in German fashion advertising but rather constitute a central strategic element of brand communication and serve as a symbolic tool for generating meaning and establishing fashion. Der Beitrag untersucht den Einsatz von Anglizismen in der deutschen Modewerbung am Beispiel ausgewählter Werbeplakate. Auf Grundlage der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse nach Philipp Mayring (2015) werden sowohl formale Erscheinungsformen als auch kommunikative Funktionen im Werbekontext herausgearbeitet. Anglizismen erfüllen dabei in ihren unterschiedlichen Ausprägungen die Funktion, Modernität und Internationalität zu signalisieren, Prestige zu vermitteln und die Werbebotschaft emotional zu intensivieren. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass Anglizismen in der deutschen Modewerbung nicht zufällig verwendet werden, sondern ein zentrales strategisches Element der Markenkommunikation darstellen. Sie fungieren als symbolische Ressourcen zur Bedeutungsproduktion, durch die Marken nicht nur beworben und im Bewusstsein der Zielgruppe verankert, sondern zugleich als relevant, modern und gesellschaftlich anerkannt positioniert werden.
