鯉魚門食海鮮

晚上和舊同事一行十一人到鯉魚門食海鮮.沿著鯉魚門大街,各店陳列出各種不同海鮮,琳瑯滿目.由於這裡位於海灣盡頭,空氣有些特別氣味.當晚的主角是皇帝蟹二食.蟹蓋加入蛋和蟹肉等釀製,味道不錯.蟹腳用蒜茸蒸. 有一海鮮店養了三條花尾躉, 年齡超過二十歲,每條體重超過六十斤,養在店前面的大魚缸作陳列,以廣招來.

廣東樟木頭

前幾天往樟木頭一行,見到街上有些有趣的橫額,說是需要向香港學習. 樟木頭近年發展得很快,有一間在山頂的新開酒店,裝修十分漂亮,提供的食物可以,服務亦算不錯.在市中心有一個大形商場在年初開幕.從觀察所得,在大街見到的不少是香港人.

我的六星期亞洲之旅

今天開始了六星期的亞洲之旅.行程將包括香港,日本和中國大陸.在香港除了省親外,亦會探訪一些老友.在日本,暫定我會到大阪旅行幾天.無懼食物或者環境可能有輻射染污, 去享受一下當地日本美食.在中國我會到深圳等地參觀和購物.

俄國增加對日本天然氣供應

Recently the Yomiuri News reported the following:
東日本大震災に伴う日本の電力不足対策として、ロシアが日本に追加供給する液化天然ガス（ＬＮＧ）の第１船が１６日朝、千葉県富津(ふっつ)市の東京電力富津火力発電所ＬＮＧ基地に到着した。　大きな半球状のタンク４基を備えた専用運搬船「グランド・アニバ」は、露極東サハリンでＬＮＧ６万５０００トンを積み込み、約１週間かけて東京湾まで輸送した。首都圏の電力需要をまかなうため使用される。　北方領土問題をめぐり日本との関係が険悪化していたロシアだが、震災翌日の３月１２日にはプーチン首相が、ＬＮＧや石油などの供給増を直接指示していた。　手配に当たった露国営企業ガスプロムは、「日本が困難を迎えている今、私たちは求められれば、さらに支援を行う」とするメッセージを寄せた。

(試譯文)
As a measure to cope with the electricity shortage in Japan due to the East Japan great earthquake, Russia supplied additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the first ship that carried it arrived at Tokyo Electric Power Company Futtsu thermal power plant LNG base in Chiba Prefecture Futtsu city of Japan on the morning of the 16th. Special vessel "Gurando Aniba" that had four big half ball-shape tanks was loaded with 65,000 tons of LNG in Sakhalin in the Far East, taking a week or so to deliver it to Tokyo Bay. It would be used to meet the power demand in the metropolitan area. Prime Minister Putin directly directed an increase in supply such as LNG and oil on March 12, the day following the earthquake although the issues related to the Northern Territories had worsen Russia's relation with Japan. Russia Government-run corporation the Gazprom that undertook the above arrangements sent the message saying that "Now that Japan is facing difficulties, if it is requested, we would give additional support".

I am trying to figure out why the Russians are so helpful.

日本民意希望繼續依賴核電

Recently the Asahi News reported the following:
朝日新聞社が１６、１７日に実施した全国定例世論調査（電話）で原子力発電の今後について聞いたところ、「減らす方がよい」と「やめるべきだ」が計４１％だった。東日本大震災の復興財源にあてるための増税については「賛成」５９％が「反対」３１％を上回った。

　「原子力発電は今後どうしたらよいか」という質問で四つの選択肢から選んでもらうと、「増やす方がよい」５％、「現状程度にとどめる」５１％、「減らす方がよい」３０％、「やめるべきだ」１１％。日本は電力の３割を原子力発電でまかなっていると紹介したうえで同様の質問をした２００７年の調査では、「増やす」１３％、「現状程度」５３％、「減らす」２１％、「やめる」７％で、「減らす」と「やめる」の合計が２８％にとどまっていた。
　原子力発電の利用の賛否は「賛成」５０％、「反対」３２％。「反対」の層でも、原子力発電の今後について２０％が「現状程度にとどめる」と答えた。男女別では、男性で「賛成」６２％、「反対」２７％だったのに対し、女性では３８％対３７％でほぼ並んだ。
　福島第一原発の事故に対しては、「大いに」５６％、「ある程度」３３％の合わせて８９％が「不安を感じている」と答えた。
　他の原発で大きな事故が起きる不安については、「大いに感じる」が５０％、「ある程度感じる」が３８％。「大いに感じる」と答えた人のなかでは、原子力発電を今後、「減らす」「やめる」と答えた人の合計が５５％と高い。
　復興財源のための増税に賛成する意見は、民主支持層で６６％と高かったが、無党派層で５９％、自民支持層でも５３％に上った。復興の主な財源として増税と国債のどちらがよいか尋ねると、「増税」４８％、「国債」２５％だった。
(試譯文)
On the 16th and 17th the Asahi Shinbun carried out a Nationwide regular public opinion poll (by telephone) to ask about the future of the nuclear power, in total 41% said that "You should decrease it" and "It is necessary to stop it". About using tax increase as the fiscal resources for the recovery after the East Japan great earthquake, 59% was "In agreement", higher then the 31% "In opposition".

When asked "What should be done regarding nuclear power generation in future" and to reply choosing from four answers, 5% chose "You should increase it", 51% "Stop it at the current level", 30% "You should decrease it", 11% "It is necessary to stop it". Compared to the investigation done in 2007 with similar questions and with the explanation that 30 % of the electricity was generated by nuclear power, 13% had said "Increased it", 53% "Keep at current level", 21% "Decrease it", 7% "Stop it"; the total of "Decrease it" and "Stop it" stood at 28%.

On the approval or disapproval for the use of nuclear power generation, 50% was "In agreement", 32% was "In opposite". Among those in opposition, 20% answered that in future the nuclear power generation should "Stop at the current level". By sex, in men it was 62% "In agreement" and 27% "In opposition"; in women correspondingly it was 38% to 37%, which was almost equal. Regarding the accident happened at the number one nuclear plant in Fukushima, in total 89% ("Very much" 56% and "To some degree" 33%) answered that they "Feel insecurity". When asked about was there any uneasy feeling over the happening of big accidents in other nuclear power plants, 38% "Feel it to some degree", 50% "Feel uneasiness very much". Among those people who said feeling uneasy very much, those who answered that in future the nuclear power generation should "Be decreased" and "Be stopped" stood high at 55% in total. The opinion that agreed with a tax increase as a fiscal resource for recovery, it reached 59% among Non-aligned voters and 53% in the Liberal-Democratic Party; Democratic supporters was at a high of 66%. When it was asked whether taxation increase, or government bond was the good major fiscal resource for recovery, 48% was for "Tax increase", and 25% for "Government bond".


Even after the accident at the number one nuclear plant in Fukushima, over half of the Japanese still want to depend on the nuclear plants for electricity.

菲律賓就南海主權向中國抗議

Recently the NHK News reported the following:

フィリピン政府は、中国が南シナ海全域の領有を主張していることに抗議する文書を国連に提出し、フィリピンの石油探査船に艦艇が接近するなど中国がこの海域で活動を活発化させていることへの対抗姿勢を強めています。南シナ海を巡って中国はおととし、その全域の領有権を主張する文書を国連に提出し、東南アジア諸国が強く反発しています。この問題で、フィリピンの国連代表部が今月、中国に抗議する文書をパン・ギムン事務総長に提出していたことが１２日、明らかになりました。この中でフィリピンは、南シナ海の南沙諸島や周辺海域はフィリピンが領有しており、中国の主張には国際法上の根拠がないとしています。フィリピンは先月、南沙諸島付近で活動中の石油探査船に中国の艦艇２隻が接近して活動を妨害したとして中国政府に抗議しています。フィリピンは、ほかの東南アジア諸国と同様、中国の経済成長の恩恵を受けている側面もあり、去年、中国の民主活動家、劉暁波氏に決まったノーベル平和賞の授賞式を欠席するなど、対中関係に一定の配慮をしてきました。今回のフィリピン政府の対応は、ここに来て南シナ海で活動を活発化させる中国に対し、東南アジア諸国が対抗姿勢を強めていることを象徴するものとなりました。


(試譯文)


The Philippine government submitted a document to the United Nation to protest against China's insistence on owning of the whole area of the South China Sea, and strengthened an opposition posture to China towards its reviving of activities in this sea area, and its warships going near the oil exploration ships of the Philippines. Regarding the South China Sea, in the year before last, China submitted to the United Nation a document that insisted on having full right over the whole area, and Southeast Asian nations were objecting that strongly. On this problem, on the 12th it was known that the representatives of the Philippines at the UN had submitted a document to Ban Gimun the director general to protest against China this month. In it, the Philippines assumed that it owned Spratly Islands and the surrounding ocean area in the South China Sea, and that the insistence of China had no grounds, based on International Laws. The Philippines held that last month two warships from China had approached the oil exploration ships working in the vicinity of Spratly Islands; and the activity was obstructive and they protested against the Chinese government. The Philippines, as well as other Southeast Asian nations had indirectly received benefits due to China's the economic growth, and had paid constant consideration regarding their relationship with China, such as the absence last year from the Nobel Peace Prize awarding ceremony for the pro-democracy activist Liu Xiaobo in China etc.The present response of the Philippine government became a symbol of the strengthening of Southeast Asian nations in their opposition posture in reacting to China that had showed its presence and revitalized its activity in the South China Sea.


It seems that the good diplomatic mood between China and the Philippines was ended much earlier than many had expected.

3.11 地震保險賠償將會是阪神地震四倍以上

Recently the Yomiuri News reported the following:
生命保険協会の渡辺光一郎会長（第一生命保険社長）は１２日の衆院財務金融委員会に参考人として出席し、東日本大震災による生命保険金の支払額が業界全体で２０００億円規模にのぼるとの見通しを初めて明らかにした。これまで最大だった１９９５年の阪神大震災（４８３億円）の４倍以上に膨らむ。　渡辺会長は「行方不明の方がたくさんいる。遺族の心情に配慮し、どういうタイミングで支払うかが大きな課題」と述べ、早めに保険金を支払う考えを示した。　また、生保協会は、被災者の保険が失効しないように保険料の支払いを猶予する期間を最大６か月延長することを決めたが、渡辺会長は、これをさらに延長する方向で検討することも表明した。損害保険業界も同様の措置をとる見通しだ。
(試譯文)
Kouichi Watanabe the chairman of The Life Insurance Association of Japan (the president of Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance) attended the House of Representatives Finance Committee on the 12th as a witness, for the first time disclosed the expectation that the amount of payment for the life insurance due to the East Japan great earthquake would rise to 200 billion yen scale in the entire industry. It increased four times or more over the largest amount up to now: the Great Hanshin Earthquake (48.3 billion yen) in 1995. Chairman Watanabe said ｢There are a lot people missing. Taking into consideration of the feeling of the bereaved families, the big problem is the timing of payment｣.The idea of paying insurance at an early time was indicated. Moreover, although the life insurance society had decided that for delayed payments, the period before the insured victim's insurance would lapse was six months, Watanabe the chairman declared that consideration was taken in the direction of extending it further. The damage insurance industry was expected to take similar measures.
It is understandable that the amount of life insurance involved regarding the East Japan great earthquake would be four times more than that of the Hanshin Earthquake in 1995.

福島核電站設計只能抵禦六公尺高海嘯

Recently the NHK News reported the following:
東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故で、先月１１日の津波は、建物や設備に残された跡から、最大で１５メートルの高さに達し、主要な建物があるほぼ全域で、高さ４メートルから５メートル程度、浸水していたことが分かりました。作業員が撮影した動画からは、がけに激しくぶつかって、２０メートル以上の高さまで跳ね上がる津波の様子が映し出されています。
福島第一原発は、先月１１日の東日本大震災の津波で非常用発電機の海水ポンプが水につかってすべて使えなくなり、原子炉などを冷やすための冷却機能が失われ、深刻な事態が続いています。この津波について、東京電力が建物や設備に残された水の跡などを調べた結果、原子炉建屋やタービン建屋など、主要な建物があるエリアの海側の津波の高さは、設計段階の想定の５．７メートルを大幅に超える１４メートルから１５メートルに達していたことが分かりました。また、１号機から６号機までのほぼ全域で、高さ４メートルから５メートル程度、浸水していることが確認されました。この津波を避難した高台から作業員が携帯電話で撮影した動画が公表され、がけに激しくぶつかって、２０メートル以上の高さまで跳ね上がる様子が映し出されています。また、同じ付近を撮影した航空写真には、海岸付近に植えられた樹木が根こそぎ流されている様子が写っていて、津波の激しい威力を物語っています。
(試譯文)
About the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company in Fukushima, it had been understood that the marks left on the buildings and equipment by the tsunami on the buildings and equipment on the 11th last month showed it had reached a maximum height of 15 meters, and the whole area together with the main buildings were flooded by water up to four to five meters in height. From the clip taken by the worker, it appeared that the tsunami had jumped up to the height of 20 meters or more after intensely knocking against the cliff.
At the number one nuclear power plant in Fukushima, because of the tsunami of the East Japan great earthquake on the 11th last month, the emergency seawater pump for the generators became totally not functioning because of the flood, it lost the cooling function to cool the nuclear reactor etc., and serious matters happened one after another. Regarding this tsunami, according to the investigation on the water marks etc left on the buildings and equipment of the Tokyo Electric Power Company, it was understood that the height of the tsunami from the sea side that hit the area which had the main structures such as the reactor buildings and turbine buildings reached 14 - 15 meters which had greatly exceeded a 5.7-meter tsunami assumed at the designing stage. Moreover, it was confirmed that the whole area that was holding the number one machine to the number six machine were mostly flooded by water up to four-five meters in height. The clip on the tsunami taken by a worker using cellular phone from a height at which he took shelter was made public, it appeared that the tsunami knocked against the cliff intensely and jumped up to the height of 20 meters or more. Moreover, from an aero-photo taken at the same vicinity, which had the image that the trees planted in the vicinity of the coast were radically thrown, the intensity of the power of the tsunami was told.
With a less than 6-meter tsunami in mind, when the over 14-meter high tsunami hit, it was all hell broken loose.

日本櫻花2011

這是我家附近街道見到的櫻花, 看來今年特別雪白. 從日本電視新聞得知,今年由於海嘯關係,日本國民出於 “自肅” , 少了人到公園燒烤賞櫻, 吃喝和唱歌. 我感覺上有些遺憾.日本加油.

宮城縣石巻市七成商業機構被水浸

Recently the Asahi News reported the following:
東日本大震災の津波に襲われた宮城県第２の都市・石巻市で、浸水した企業が７割に達したことが分かった。港町で企業立地が沿岸部に集中し、被害が膨らんだ。　
東京商工リサーチ東北支社が７日調査をまとめた。石巻市内に本社がある企業は約２６００社あり、うち６７．３％の１７４９社が浸水した。従業員は正社員だけで１万８千人。東京商工リサーチは「事業を再開できなければ、解雇もあり得る」とみている。　浸水した企業の年間売上高は計約４７２０億円と、市内企業の７３．０％を占める。業種別では、基幹産業である水産加工を含む製造業が１２１３億円で最多だった。
(試譯文)
It was understood that in Ishinomaki City, the number two city in Miyagi Prefecture the enterprise that had been flooded by the tsunami of the East Japan great earthquake had reached 70%. As the corporations concentrated their location at the coastal region of the port, the damage increased. On the 7th, the Tokyo Shoko Research northeast branch office brought together its investigation. There were about 2600 company enterprises that had the headquarters in Ishinomaki city, and 1749 companies or 67.3% were flooded. The number of regular employee alone was 18,000 people. Tokyo Shoko Research thought that "There could be a dismissal, too, if the business cannot be restarted". Annual sales of the flooded enterprises was about 472 billion yen, representing 73.0% of the city's total enterprise sales. As for the types of industries, manufacturing including the seafood processing was the key industry and was the highest, standing at 121.3 billion yen.
It will take some time before the business activities in the region could recover.

福島縣南相馬市居民組織搜索隊

Recently the NHK News reported the following:
福島県南相馬市では、震災で、１０００人を超える住民の行方が分からなくなっていますが、福島第一原発の事故の影響で自衛隊の捜索も十分に進んでいません。こうしたなか、屋内退避の対象になっている市の中心部で地元の消防団や住民が自主的な捜索隊を作り、行方不明者を捜す活動を続けています。
南相馬市では、今回の震災でこれまでに３６８人の遺体が収容されましたが、家族などから捜索願が出されている１１０６人の行方が今も分かっていません。しかし、福島第一原発の事故の影響で市の南部は避難指示や屋内退避の対象になっていて、自衛隊の捜索も十分に進んでいません。こうしたなかで、屋内待避の対象になっている市の中心部の原町区では、地元の消防団や住民のうち、避難せずに残ったり、いったん避難したあと戻ってきたりしたおよそ５０人が自主的な捜索隊を作って行方不明者を捜す活動を続けています。５日も津波の被害が激しかった沿岸部を中心に津波で壊れた建物のがれきを取り除いたり、住宅の中に入ったりしながら、８時間にわたって捜索しました。５日は行方不明者は発見できませんでしたが、これまでの捜索で１０人以上を見つけ家族の元に届けたということです。地元の消防団の長澤初男さんは「屋内退避エリアなので心配だが、行方不明者が大勢残っているので、みんなで一致団結して早く見つけたい」と話しています。
(試譯文)

Because of the accident at the first nuclear power plant in Fukushima that was caused by the earthquake, the searching done by the Self Defense Forces could not be advanced deep enough even though the whereabouts of the over 1000 resident in Fukushima Prefecture south Soma City was not known. In response, at the central portion of the city that was the target of the house sheltering, local fire fighting group and residents established an independent searching party, and the activity to search for missing person was continued.

In south Soma city in the present earthquake, the remains of 368 people had been recovered, 1106 people were reported missing by family members etc and their whereabouts was unknown. However, because of the accident at the number one nuclear plant in Fukushima, residents at southern part of the city had became recipients of the evacuation directive to seek home sheltering; and the searching by the Self Defense Forces was not advancing far enough. In reponse, at the city center portion of the Haramchi ward that was the target of house sheltering, local fire-fighting team members and local residents including those who had not evacuated and stayed, and those who had once sought shelter but had returned, established a 50-people independent searching party to continue looking for the missing person. On the 5th, using the sea-shore as the central point where the damage done by the tsunami was serious, they removed the rubbles in the damaged buildings and entered the buildings; they searched for 8 hours. On the 5th, although unable to find any missing person, over ten bodies were found and delivered back to their own family. Hatsuo Nagasawa of the local fire fighting group said that "There is worry for those in the house shelter area, and many people are still missing, we are united and hope to find them early".

Instead of waiting for government help, local residents are helping themselves.

岩手縣田老地區海嘯浸至37.9公尺高山腰

Recently the Yomiuri News reported the following:
岩手県宮古市の田老地区で、東日本大震災の津波が高さ３７・９メートルまで山中を駆け上がっていたことが３日、東京大学地震研究所の現地調査で分かった。 　
これまでの東日本大震災の津波調査での中では最大記録。明治三陸地震（１８９６年）の際に、同県大船渡市で観測された国内最高の３８・２メートルに迫る。　同地区の小堀内漁港周辺で行った調査では、海岸から２００メートル離れた山の斜面の高さ３７・９メートル地点で、落ち葉が津波により洗い流されていたほか、その数メートル下では消防車が大破していたことが確認された。　同研究所の都司嘉宣准教授は「調査はまだ始まったばかりで、さらに高い地点で津波の痕跡が見つかる可能性は十分にある」と話している。
(試譯文)
On the 3rd, from the site investigation done by the Earthquake Research Institute of the University of Tokyo, it was understood that the tsunami of the East Japan great earthquake had gone up to 37.9 meters in height at the mountain slope in the Taro district of Iwate Prefecture Miyako City. Up to now, it was the highest record in the tsunami investigation due to the East Japan great earthquake. It approached the highest 38.2 meters in the country observed in the same prefecture at Ofunato City at the Meiji Sanriku earthquake (1896). In the investigation that had been done around the fishing port Kobori in the same district, at the slope of the mountain that was 200 meters from the coast, there were fallen leaves washed by the tsunami at a 37.9-meter high location; besides, several meters down, it was confirmed that there was a fire engine that had been damaged seriously. Associate Professor Tsujiyoshinobu of the same research institute said that "The investigation has just started, and there is high possibility in finding signs of the tsunami at even higher location".

It is shocking to note that the highest point of the present tsunami could reach 37.9 meters on land.

日本大學生加入災區工作

Recently the Asahi News reported the following:
文部科学省は全国の国公私立大学に対し、学生が東日本大震災の被災者支援ボランティアに参加した場合、その活動を大学の単位として認めるよう要請する方針を固めた。震災から約３週間がたち、被災地でも徐々にボランティアの受け入れ態勢が整うなか、学生による被災地支援の動きを後押しするねらいがある。　今週中にも各大学に、ボランティア活動を単位認定すること▽ボランティア活動のため休学する学生について、その間の授業料を免除すること▽保険に加入してケガなどに備えるよう学生に周知徹底することを求める文書を出す。　東日本大震災の発生当初は、被災地で食料やガソリンなどが不足し、ボランティアの学生が大勢で現地入りした場合、被災者に行き渡るべき物資を学生が消費してしまう懸念があった。　また、各地から支援に集まってきた人たちに仕事を割り振るボランティアセンター機能も整備されておらず、「募集がかかるまでは現地に行かなくてもできる支援活動を」（明治大学）と、被災地入りを自粛するよう学生に呼びかける大学もあった。　その後、被災地では物資不足は完全に解消されていないものの、被災各県のホームページなどでボランティアの募集が始まり、春休み中の学生たちが相次いで現地で活動を始めている。こうした状況から、文科省は学生のボランティア参加を推奨するねらいを込めて、通知を出すことにした。
(試譯文)
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology had decided on the policy of requesting national public and private universities in the whole country to take the activity of student's participation in the volunteer supporting of victims of the East Japan great earthquake as a unit of the university. It was three weeks since the earthquake disaster, in the stricken area, preparation for the reception of volunteers was gradually in order; there was the aim of backing up the relief activities in the stricken area using the support from students. Within this week, documents would be sent out to universities to request to know the recognized unit of voluntary work; the exemption from the tuition of those students who took leave of absence to do the volunteer work; the insurance added to take precautions against the injury etc were made known to the students clearly. Immediately after the occurrence of the East Japan great earthquake there was the worry that food and gasoline etc were insufficient in the vicinity of stricken area, and with the arrival of a large number of volunteer students entering in the stricken area, they would consume goods that had to be passed on to victims. Moreover, because the volunteer center's function to allocate work to the people who had been gathering at various locations to render support was not yet ready, there were universities that called out at students for self control on the entering of the stricken area, (Meiji University) said that "Before the recruitment, supporting service could be done even without going to the vicinity". Afterwards, although goods shortage was not completely gone in the stricken area, volunteer recruitment had been started on the homepage etc. in each of the stricken prefecture, and students during their spring vacation would keep coming one after another to start up activity in the locale. From such a situation, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, with the aim of recommending student's volunteer participation, sent out the notification.
In Japan, university students will be mobilized to do the relief work in the coming weeks.