2017 Nagoya University / Japanese / Question 1 / Answer Explanation

[2017 Nagoya University / Japanese / Question 1 / Answer Explanation]

#SupremeModernLiterature #RyoYamazaki #TowardsAnEnrichedShrinkingSociety #AnswerComparison #Sundai #Kawaijuku #UniversityEntranceExam #PrepSchool #Okinawa #GreatVoyage #KingOfJapanese☠️

2017 Hitotsubashi University Japanese / Question 1↓↓ #YuichiShionoya
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2018 Nagoya University Japanese / Question 1↓↓ #ShunichiIkegamihttps://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=909181932606161&id=156247554566273

<Text Comprehension>
The source is Ryo Yamazaki's "Towards an Enriched 'Shrinking' Society".
Paragraphs ①-④. It has been a long time since it was said in various fields that we should move "from quantitative expansion to qualitative improvement." (Specific examples). A major factor in this change is the decline in the domestic population. For a long time, it was thought that the population would continue to increase, and in the 1970s, population control measures were even introduced. From the 2000s, it shifted to a population decline, which should have been a long-cherished wish. It was just around this time that the opening slogan began to be shouted. Thinking about it this way, "it can be said that the times are moving in a very good direction" (underlined part (1)). It is a chance to reduce an over-increased population. It is also a chance to change into an era that produces higher quality things. It is an opportunity to return the total population to an appropriate scale and realize a high-quality life. There is a theory that a population of 40 million is appropriate for Japanese people to live on just the amount of rain that falls on this country's land. It is said that 40 million is also appropriate if food is self-sufficient solely through the land's recovery capacity, and 40 million is the limit to live solely on natural energy. If the population continues to decrease successfully as it is, this country is scheduled to reach an ideal population scale around the year 2200.
Paragraphs ⑤-⑦. However, the current government does not welcome population decline. The business world is not happy either, but rather worried. This is probably because there are many mechanisms that will not work if the population decreases. (Specific examples). However, that is a problem that arises if the population decreases without changing the current structure. Because they do not want to change the social or industrial structure, they sound an alarm that it will be a big problem if the population does not increase. However, even if Japan's total population falls below 100 million, there should be many ways to do it. In short, it is a problem of "how to reduce it." It is neither "reduction" nor "expansion." A policy of "shrinking and enriching" is required, which realizes a fulfilling life while reducing the scale.
Paragraphs ⑧-⑩. The "challenges of the shrinking and enriching era" (underlined part (2)) are diverse, and one of them is the consciousness of residents who are dependent on the administration. The idea that "the administration will take care of town matters" was established in an era when tax revenue and administrative staff increased during the population growth era. From now on, we must place "we will manage town matters ourselves" at the center of our consciousness. In the regional society of the Edo period, the consciousness of operating the regional society by themselves was established. Activities in the region were called "Yui" (cooperation), where people in the region worked together, "Ko" (lectures), where they learned necessary things for life and helped each other, "Ren" (associations), like salons or circles, and "Za" (guilds), like trade associations. Such mechanisms remained in many regions until before the war and were developed in neighborhood associations and town associations.
Paragraphs ⑪-⑬. "The situation changed significantly after the war" (underlined part (3)). Immediately after the end of the war, the occupation forces analyzed that the regional society connected by strong solidarity had led to the war of national mobilization by being linked with the administration, government, and military. Therefore, GHQ ordered the dissolution of town associations, and at the same time, social welfare councils and PTAs were organized under their guidance. This led to other organizations taking over the roles of welfare and education that the regional society had been responsible for (Paragraph ⑪). During the period of high economic growth, companies began to take on the functions of "Yui" and "Ko." Also, road repairs and disaster prevention became items that should be realized under the responsibility of the administration. In this way, regional residents lost more and more opportunities to cooperate and work in their own regions (Paragraph ⑫). As a result, the connection between people in the regional society became thinner, isolated deaths occurred, and mutual aid during disasters did not function well. Population growth also separated places to live and work by function, and it became rare for trade associations like "Za" to exist in the region. If such issues were created by population growth, then the next era of population decline must achieve an ideal shrinking and enriching (Paragraph ⑬).
Paragraphs ⑭-⑯. As one of them, I would like to focus on town development activities. Regional issues should be solved by the people living in the region themselves through their own activities. Let's call the population involved in activities for the region the "active population." Even if the resident population of a region decreases, if the active population increases, a rich regional society will be realized. Why not have a strategy to realize autonomous regional management by increasing the active population ratio of the region, and thereby foster connections among the people of the region?
Paragraphs ⑰-⑲. It does not mean "go back to the past." "Yui" and "Ren" can be realized through SNS. (Omitted). In any case, it is better to avoid population decline while maintaining the current social and industrial structure, and it is even more important to avoid concluding that "population decline is a problem" because of that. I want to start thinking about our own way of life from the point of view that Japan is heading toward an ideal population scale. If consciousness changes, activities change, and if activities change, life changes. If life changes, the region should change little by little. If a "regional society corresponding to the shrinking and enriching era" (underlined part (4)) is born, that model will spread throughout the country. I want Japan to become a leader in "shrinking and enriching" so that countries around the world can reduce their populations with peace of mind. I hope that more countries will escape from the bad myth that "you cannot win international competition unless the population increases."

<Question Explanation>
Question 1 (Kanji/Reading specified in Katakana)
a YAMIKUMO b SUISHO c YAYU d AO e TAKI f SUE g CHINJO h MARE i KE j JOSEI

Question 2 Explain the reason why the author thinks "the times are moving in a very good direction" (underlined part (1)) within 70 characters, based on the text.

Reason explanation question. Since the underlined part follows "thinking about it this way," pick up "it shifted to a population decline, which should have been a long-cherished wish (A)" from the preceding paragraph ② as an element leading to "good direction (G)." From here, think about why "population decline" is "good," and pick up "can return to an appropriate population scale (B) / opportunity to realize a high-quality life (C)" from paragraph ③ following the underlined part. Furthermore, thinking about in what respect it is "appropriate," refer to the specific description in paragraph ④ and derive the content that "(Japan's) natural recovery capacity is commensurate (D)." Construct the answer in the flow of A -> (D/B+C) -> (G).

<GV Answer Example>
Because since the 2000s, Japan's population has shifted to a declining phase, bringing an opportunity to realize an appropriate population scale commensurate with natural recovery capacity and a high-quality life. (70)

<Reference S-dai Answer Example>
Because the modern era, where the population has shifted to a decline and a shift from quantity to quality is aimed for, can be an opportunity to return the total population to an appropriate scale and realize a high-quality life. (69)

<Reference K-juku Answer Example>
Because when the population shifts to a decline and the total population becomes an appropriate scale, it becomes possible to produce higher quality things instead of making them in large quantities, and to realize a high-quality life. (70)

Question 3 (Blank filling)
(1) U (2) KO

Question 4 There is a phrase "challenges of the shrinking and enriching era" (underlined part (2)), but what kind of problem does the author think should be solved? Explain within 30 characters.

Content explanation question. Immediately after the underline, it says "(the challenges) are diverse, and one of them is the consciousness of residents who are dependent on the administration," so there is no doubt that "consciousness of residents dependent on the administration (a)" is one of the problems to be solved. That consciousness was based on the "population growth era" as described in the following text. However, answering as "a, b, c, etc." lacks comprehensiveness, and the "second" and subsequent ones are not clearly stated in the text. I want to "generalize" the 'a' element and answer as "(the problem is) A" in a form that includes the 'a' element. Therefore, looking at the whole text and searching for clues for A, paragraph ⑤ says "the government does not welcome population decline / the business world is also worried / because they do not want to change the social structure or industrial structure, population decline is seen as a problem / they sound an alarm that if the population does not increase..." and paragraph ⑰, which is close to the conclusion, says "it is better to avoid population decline while maintaining the current social structure or economic structure." Combining these, the author argues that changing the consciousness (A) that "the government, the economy, and the residents (-> all levels of the public) are dependent on the existing social structure (including industrial structure) that assumes population growth" is the challenge to lead to the "shrinking and enriching" era of population decline.

<GV Answer Example>
The consciousness of all levels of the public dependent on the existing social structure that assumes population growth. (30)

<Reference S-dai Answer Example>
Trying to deal with population decline without changing the current structure. (30)

<Reference K-juku Answer Example>
The point that the consciousness of the government, business world, and residents does not change from the population growth era. (30)

Question 5 There is a phrase "the situation changed significantly after the war" (underlined part (3)), but how did it change? Summarize the cause and result of the change based on the text within 100 characters.

Content explanation question (partial summary). Based on the conditions of the question, the basic answer format is "A became B due to R (cause)." A (in the past) corresponds to the regional social organizations such as "Yui," "Ko," "Ren," "Za" (⑨) in Edo, and "neighborhood associations and town associations" (⑩) since the Meiji era, but generalize it as "a voluntary (vs. dependent) mutual aid union by regional residents." It was "ordered to be dissolved by the occupation forces (GHQ) because it was considered to have been involved in the war" (R). As a result, "other organizations (social welfare councils and PTAs) took over the roles of welfare and education (⑪)(a)," "the functions of 'Yui' (and 'Ko') were industrialized one after another (⑫)(b)," "regional residents lost opportunities to cooperate and work in their own regions (⑫)(c)," "connections between people became thinner (⑬)(d)," and "places to live and work became separated, and it became rare for trade associations like 'Za' to exist (⑬)(e)." Summarizing the above, B is "the administration and companies took over resident services (ab), and while the separation of work and residence progressed (e), social participation of residents weakened (c), and isolation deepened (d)." As the transition from "Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft" (Tönnies) progresses, an "individual" who has lost their support is produced.

<GV Answer Example>
A voluntary mutual aid union by regional residents was ordered to be dissolved by the occupation forces immediately after the war on the grounds that it had been involved in the war, and as a result, the administration and companies took over resident services, and while the separation of work and residence progressed, social participation of residents weakened and isolation deepened. (100)

<Reference: S-dai Answer Example>
It is considered that the factor driving the local community, which was connected by strong solidarity, toward the total war mobilization of the nation, and the resulting promotion of the reduction of the role of the local community until before the war, caused the loss of opportunities for local residents to cooperate and engage in activities, leading to the weakening of human connections. (100)

<Reference: K-juku Answer Example>
After the war, it became clear that neighborhood associations had been complicit in the war, and as a result of the various roles that neighborhood associations had played until then being transferred to other organizations, opportunities for local residents to cooperate and engage in activities were lost, and relationships between people in the local community also became diluted. (99)

Question 6: Regarding the phrase "a local community adapted to the era of contraction and fulfillment" (underlined part (4)), what kind of society does the author think it is? Explain in 50 characters or less based on the text.

Content explanation question. Checking from where the underlined part is, such a "local community" is one that can serve as a model for the whole country. I will grasp the "local community (A)" as something that possesses such foresight. In addition, I will construct the answer by also considering the first half of the underlined part, "adapted to the era of contraction and fulfillment (B)." For A, paragraphs 14 and 15 serve as the basis. From here, I will synthesize and summarize "local issues are solved by the people living in the region themselves (14)" and "realizing autonomous regional management... fostering connections among local people (15)." For B, I will refer to paragraph 7, which explains the author's defined term "contraction and fulfillment." I connected it to the latter half as "in order to (←adapted to) realize a fulfilling life (←fulfillment) with an appropriate population size (←contraction)."

<GV Answer Example>
A society where residents autonomously solve local issues while deepening their bonds in order to realize a fulfilling life with an appropriate population size. (50)

<Reference: S-dai Answer Example>
A qualitatively rich local community where, even if the settled population is small, many residents autonomously manage the region and people are closely connected. (50)

<Reference: K-juku Answer Example>
A society where, even if the population decreases, the ratio of people who autonomously engage in local activities is high, people are strongly connected, and they can lead a fulfilling life. (50)