This workshop examines the sources and consequences of Japan's declining birth rate, using work–life balance as its central analytical lens. Drawing on comparative perspectives from Japan, the United States, and Taiwan, it brings together scholars, legal practitioners, journalists, and filmmakers to explore how labor conditions, gender norms, family law, and immigration policy intersect in an aging society. Session 1 addresses family law as a revealing site of these tensions,

ICC Sophia Food Studies Unit: Online Lecture Series 2026 with Dr. Krishnendu Ray May 19, 2026, 21:00-22:30 (JST) / 08:00-09:30 (US EDT) / 13:00-14:30 (GMT) Link: https://sophia-ac-jp.zoom.us/j/98405194039 Meeting ID: 984 0519 4039 Meeting password: 572276 No registration necessary “In fact, the whole of Japan is a pure invention. There is no such country, there are no such people… The Japanese people are, as I have said, simply a mode of style, an exquisite fancy of art.”

Experiential Learning for Stronger Environmental Engagement Date: May 20, 2026, 18:00-19:30 Place: Library, room 821, Sophia University Format: In person only Registration: Not required This event explores how place-based and experiential learning can help build climate knowledge, strengthen environmental concern, and foster a sense of agency. The speakers will share new survey findings from Japan alongside concrete educational projects in Seattle and Tokyo that bring young