Professor Kyoko Fujii (Faculty of Education) presented on the theme "Structure of the Concept of Kanyo in Adolescent Friendship" at the 22nd European Conference on Developmental Psychology.

This study examined the structure of Kanyo—a uniquely Japanese concept—in the context of adolescent friendships. In Western psychology, “tolerance” and “forgiveness” are generally treated as separate constructs. However, within Japanese cultural frameworks, these elements are often integrated under the broader concept of Kanyo, and adolescents tend to make little distinction between them (Hattori, 2024). The present study focused on two core dimensions—tolerance and forgiveness—as the foundational components of Kanyo, and developed a new measurement scale to assess this concept. The reliability and validity of the scale were carefully examined. The presentation attracted particularly favorable responses from researchers in Germany and Sweden, countries currently grappling with immigration issues. The session proved to be a highly stimulating opportunity for advancing future research.

The 22nd European Conference on Developmental Psychology was jointly hosted by Vilnius University and the European Association for Developmental Psychology. The conference brought together approximately 300 researchers from over 50 countries, primarily across Europe, for presentations and discussions. In addition, six leading developmental psychologists delivered keynote lectures on topics including adolescent personality dysfunction, academic achievement disparities among children, the psychological impact of digital games, youth mental health, and the challenges of the Syrian refugee crisis. The conference provided valuable insights and implications for educational practice and youth interventions in the Japanese context.