日本名店出售冒牌飾物

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:

偽ブランド品 １６０点以上販売か

1月22日 17時52分

国内の５つの大手デパートの催し物の売り場などで、アメリカの人気ブランドの偽物の疑いがあるブレスレットが、１６０点以上顧客に販売されていたことが関係者への取材で分かりました。

各デパートは２２日、ホームページなどで謝罪し商品を回収する手続きを始めました。
大手デパートで偽物の疑いのある商品が販売されたことが明らかになるのは極めて異例です。

偽ブランドの疑いのある商品が販売されていたのは、東京の西武池袋本店と京王百貨店新宿店、名古屋の松坂屋名古屋店、大阪の大丸梅田店、それに伊勢丹の千葉県松戸市にある松戸店など５つのデパートの８つの店舗です。
デパート各社や関係者によりますと、これらの店舗では去年２月から先月にかけてアメリカの人気ブランド、「ＣＨＡＮ ＬＵＵ（チャンルー）」のブレスレットを催し物の売り場などで販売しましたが、偽ブランド品の排除活動をしている社団法人の「ユニオン・デ・ファブリカン」が、先月寄せられた情報をもとに調査したところ、西武池袋本店で販売中の商品が偽物と確認されたということです。本物は、革ひもにトルコ石があしらわれていますが、偽物は本物より作りが粗く、商品に付いているカードも偽物は色が濃いといった特徴があるということです。
文字の形も微妙に違うように見えます。
各デパートでは同じブランド名のブレスレットを８０００円から２万円ほどで合わせて１６０個以上販売したということです。
いずれも静岡県に本社を置くアクセサリー販売会社、「マルヤマ商会」が各デパートと契約を結んで催し物の売り場などで販売したもので、関係者によりますと、マルヤマ商会が商品を仕入れた都内の業者とは現在、連絡が取れなくなっているということで、マルヤマ商会も偽物の疑いがあることを認めています。
各デパートは、同じブランドの正規代理店が扱う商品以外の販売をすでに中止し、２２日午後、ホームページなどで謝罪し、商品を回収する手続きを始めました。
大手デパートで偽物の疑いがある商品が販売されていたことが明らかになるのは、極めて異例です。

(試譯文)

In a press report based on people who had connections with the matter, it was disclosed that 160 or more pieces of bracelet which were suspected to be an imitation of a U.S. popular brand were sold to customers at a sales promotion event in five major company department stores etc. in the country.

On the 22nd individual departments store began the procedure to apologize this in their homepage etc. and to recall the goods.

It was very exceptional to find that goods which were suspected of imitation were sold at major company department stores.

It was in eight stores of five department stores, such as the Seibu Ikebukuro head office in Tokyo, the Keio Dept Store’s Shinjuku store, the Matsuzakaya Nagoya store in Nagoya, the Daimaru Umeda store in Osaka, and Isetan’s Matsudo store in Matsudo-city Chiba that goods suspected to be of a fake brand were sold.

According to the individual department store or the people concerned, the bracelet was the U.S. popular brand the "CHAN LUU", sold in these stores at the promotional sales event etc. between February last year and last month. It was said that when the "Union des Fabricants", a corporation which could perform activities of checking for counterfeit designer-brand goods conducted an investigation based on the information received last month, the goods sold in the Seibu Ikebukuro head office were confirmed to be a counterfeit. Although the leather strip was treated with the turquoise as the genuine goods, it was said that the craftsmanship of the imitation was coarser than the genuine one, and the card attached to imitation goods also had a deeper color feature.

The form of the characters also seemed to be delicately different.

It was said that the bracelet of the same brand name was sold at about 8000 yen to 20,000 yen, and in total 160 or more pieces were sold at individual department stores. 

All the accessories selling company had a head office in Shizuoka Prefecture; the "Maruyama Company" signed a contract with individual department stores, and all sold at the promotional event etc. According to the people concerned, it was admitted that a contractor in the metropolitan area whom the Maruyama Company had bought in the goods could not be contacted now and the Maruyama Company also admitted to suspect that these were imitation goods.

All department stores already stopped the sale of the goods other than those from the official agency of the same brand. In the afternoon of the 22nd they made apology at the homepage etc. and began the goods recall procedures.

It was very exceptional to see incidents that goods suspected of being an imitation were sold at major company department stores.

     I agree that it is a very exceptional incident. I hope this matter would not affect the good image of the companies.

前南韓總統說「最大脅威是美日」

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

韓国元大統領「最大脅威は日米」…０７年に発言

　【ワシントン＝白川義和】米国のロバート・ゲーツ元国防長官は１４日発売の回顧録「Ｄｕｔｙ（任務）」で、ソウルで２００７年１１月に韓国の盧武鉉(ノムヒョン)大統領（当時）と会談した際、盧氏が「アジアでの最大の安保上の脅威は米国と日本だ」と述べ、反米姿勢に仰天したと振り返った。

　後任の李明博(イミョンバク)前大統領は対照的に「意志が強く、現実的でとても親米的だった」と評価した。１０年１１月の北朝鮮による韓国・延坪島(ヨンピョンド)砲撃では、韓国が「我々から見て過度に攻撃的な報復計画」を準備していたと明かした。

　一方、０９年１０月に訪米した中国の徐才厚・中央軍事委員会副主席（当時）に対しては、北朝鮮が崩壊した場合の核兵器や核物質の保全などについて、「米中が率直な対話を行うことに相互の利益がある」と説得したが、徐氏は不快そうに聞くだけだった。

（2014年1月15日23時15分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

American former Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his memoirs "Duty" which was on sale on the 14^th noted that when he conferred with South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun (at that time) in Seoul in November 2007, Mr. Roh said "the greatest threat to security in Asia is the U.S. and Japan"; he looked back and was surprised at this anti-American posture.

The successor, former President Lee Myung-bak was appraised by contrast as having "a strong will and was realistic and had a very pro-American sentiment". When South Korea’s Daeyeonpyeongdo was bombarded by North Korea in November 10th, South Korea had prepared "a retaliation plan that seen by us as too offensive".

On the other hand, about the preservation of nuclear weapon and the nuclear material etc. when North Korea collapsed, although he persuaded Xu Caihou, the Vice President of the Central Military Commission of China (at that time) who visited the U.S. in October 2009 that "it would be for mutual profits for the U.S. and China to perform a frank dialogue", Mr. Xu merely listened to it and showed signs of discomfort.

(23:15 on January 15, 2014    Yomiuri Shimbun)

It is interesting to note the marked difference in perception between former South Korean leaders as far as their national security world view is concerned.

習近平主席権力正在集中

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:

習近平主席への権力集中加速

1月24日 23時57分

中国共産党は、外交や安全保障政策、それに国内の治安維持などを統括する新設の国家安全委員会のトップに、習近平国家主席が就任することを決定し、習主席への権力の集中が加速しています。

この決定は、共産党が２４日開いた指導部の会議で行いました。
国家安全委員会は、共産党が去年１１月の重要会議で新設する方針を発表していたもので、習近平国家主席は、「現在わが国は、対外的には国の主権などの維持、国内では、政治や社会の安定という二重の圧力に直面しており、これらの対策の指導をより統一的に行うことが急務になっている」と設置の理由を説明していました。
これは、朝鮮半島情勢や、沖縄県の尖閣諸島を巡る日本との対立などのほか、格差の拡大や人権問題、それに民族問題などを巡る国民の不満の高まりに指導部が危機感を募らせ、衝突やテロといった突発的な事案に対処する能力の強化を急いでいることを示しています。
委員会は、外交や安全保障政策、それに国内の治安維持などを統括する機関になるとみられ、習主席はそのトップとして強大な権限を握ることになります。
習主席はこのほか、経済をはじめとするさまざまな分野の改革を進めるために、党内に新設された指導グループのトップにも就いており、習主席への権力の集中が加速しています。

(試譯文)

The Communist Party of China had determined that the PRC Chairman Xi Jinping should take up the top post of a new national Safety Board which encompassed the overall diplomacy and security policy which included the maintenance of public order etc. domestically; the concentration of the power to Chairman Xi was speeding up.

The Communist Party made this decision at the meeting of the Guidance Department opened on the 24th.

The National Safety Board explained the reason for this new installation and announced the plan made in the Communist Party’s major session in November last year to establish it, saying that the PRC Chairman Xi Jinping "is faced with the double pressure in the country: diplomatically, in the maintenance of sovereignty of the country etc. and domestically, in politics and social stability; and there is a pressing need to guide unified measures now". Increasing sense of crisis were felt in the situation in Korean Peninsula, in the confrontation with Japan involving the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture etc. and the expansion in gap on human rights including the question of dissatisfied people involving racial problems etc. This establishment showed a strengthening of the capability to quickly cope with sudden incidents, such as conflicts and terrorism.

It was expected that the committee would become an organization which encompassed diplomacy and security policy, including domestically the maintenance of public order etc. Chairman Xi would grasp the authority at the top post.

In addition to this, in order to carry out reform in various fields starting from the economy, Chairman Xi had also taken the top post of an instruction group newly established in intra-party, and the concentration of power to Chairman Xi was increasing.

     

     My feeling is that unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it.

俄國總統會訪問日本

Recently the NHK News reported the following:

ロ大統領 訪日招待を受け入れ

1月21日 23時3分

ロシアのラブロフ外相は、プーチン大統領が安倍総理大臣の招待を受け入れ、日本を訪問する意向を明らかにし、首脳どうしが接触を重ねながら、北方領土問題を含む平和条約交渉に取り組むべきだという考えを示しました。

ロシアのラブロフ外相は２１日、１年の初めにあたって国内外の記者との会見に臨みました。
この中でラブロフ外相は、「プーチン大統領は安倍総理大臣の招待を受け入れた」と述べ、プーチン大統領が日本を訪問する意向を固め、両国政府の間で時期を調整していくことを明らかにしました。
また、安倍総理大臣が来月７日のソチオリンピックの開会式に出席する方向で調整していることを念頭に、「そう遠くない将来、首脳どうしの接触が続く。今後の政府間の作業に方向性を示すことになり、高く評価する」と述べました。
そのうえでラブロフ外相は、北方領土問題を含む平和条約交渉については極めて繊細で難しい問題だとしながらも、「双方が受け入れ可能な解決策を模索していく必要があり、粘り強く取り組む用意がある」と述べ、首脳どうしが接触を重ねながら、平和条約交渉に取り組むべきだという考えを示しました。
さらに、今月３１日に東京で行われる日ロの外務次官級協議について、「北方領土問題を歴史的な側面から検討する予定だ」と述べ、ロシア側の歴史認識に基づいて交渉したいという考えを示しました。

(試譯文)

Foreign Minister Lavrov of Russia clarified that President Putin had accepted Prime Minister Abe's invitation, showing the intention to visit Japan and the idea that a peace treaty negotiation that included the issue on the Northern Territories would be tackled through repeated contacts between the leaders.

On 21^st Foreign Minister Lavrov of Russia attended an interview with journalists in the beginning of the year outside the country.

In this interview Foreign Minister Lavrov said that "President Putin has accepted Prime Minister Abe's invitation", indicating the intention for President Putin to visit Japan and showed clearly that between the two countries the governments were adjusting their time.

Moreover, the adjustment was done bearing in mind that Prime Minister Abe would attend the opening ceremony of the 7th Olympic Winter Games at Sochi next month. It was said that "leaders will continue their contacts in the not too distant future. It will indicate the future working direction between the governments, and thus is highly evaluated".

On top of that, although the peace treaty negotiation that included the issue on the Northern Territories would be a very delicate problem, Foreign Minister Lavrov said "it is necessary to grope for a solution which both sides can accept, and be ready to tackle it tenaciously" and showed the idea that through leaders’ repeated contacts, the peace treaty negotiation would be tackled.

Furthermore, it was said that during the Vice-Minister level diplomatic deliberations between Japan and Russia scheduled to be held in Tokyo on the 31st of this month, it "would examine the Northern Territories issue from the historical side", and showed the idea of hoping to negotiate based on the understanding of Russia’s history.

It is nice to note that Japan and Russia could negotiate their territorial disputes through negotiations.

習主席和温前總理的親人避税

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

習主席の親族ら租税回避地で資産運用…英紙報道

　【北京＝五十嵐文】英紙ガーディアン（電子版）などは２１日、中国の習近平(シージンピン)国家主席や温家宝(ウェンジアバオ)前首相ら有力政治家の親族十数人が、租税回避地として知られる英領バージン諸島の会社を通じて資産を運用していると伝えた。

　同紙記者らが参加する団体（本部・米ワシントン）が入手した関係書類を分析したところ、習主席の義兄や温前首相の娘婿と息子、李鵬(リーポン)・元首相の娘らは、欧米の金融大手や会計事務所の支援で、バージン諸島に資産運用のための会社を設立。２０００年以降だけでも推計１兆～４兆ドルの資産が中国から流出したという。

　中国外務省の秦剛(チンガン)報道局長は２２日の定例記者会見で、「記事の論理には納得がいかず、背後の意図に疑念を抱かずにはいられない」と述べた。

（2014年1月22日23時07分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

     On the 21st the English paper Guardians (electronic edition) reported that about ten relatives of influential PRC politicians such as Chairman Xi Jinping and the former Prime Minister Wen Jiabao were managing property through the companies in the British Virgin Islands which was known as a tax haven.

     The journalist who was a participant of the organization (headquarters at U.S. Washington) that had obtained the related papers, by doing an analysis, noticed that the brother-in-law of Chairman Xi, the former prime minister Wen's son-in-law and a son, and also the daughters of the former prime minister Li Peng, with the support of a major European and American financial company or an accounting office, had established companies in the Virgin Islands for asset management. It was said that an asset with an estimate of 1 trillion - 4 trillion dollars had flowed out of China since the year 2000.

     Mr. Qin Gang, the head of the press bureau of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a routine press conference on the 22^nd that "the logic of the report is not satisfactory, and one cannot but bear a doubt towards the intention behind".

(23:07 on January 22, 2014    Yomiuri Shimbun)

It is an interesting discovery. Mr. Qin Gang’s response is disappointing.

中国進行超高速飛彈実験

Recently the Yomiuri reported the following:

中国が超高速ミサイル実験…米防衛網破る目的か

　【ワシントン＝今井隆、北京＝五十嵐文】中国が１月９日、音速の１０倍以上の速さで飛行する超高速ミサイル「ＷＵ１４」の発射実験を行ったことが１５日、明らかになった。

　米情報サイト「ワシントン・フリー・ビーコン」などによると、このミサイルは、米国のミサイル防衛網を破ることが目的とされ、同様の超高速ミサイルは、米国、ロシアも開発を進めているという。

　米太平洋軍のロックリア司令官は１５日、ワシントン郊外で講演し、同ミサイルについて、「米国よりも開発が進んでいる」と述べ、警戒感を示した。

　一方、中国共産党機関紙・人民日報系の環球時報など中国メディアは１６日、中国国防省高官が、今回のミサイル発射実験に関し、「国内での計画に基づいた科学研究テストは正常であり、特定の国家、目標に向けたものではない」と語り、発射実験の事実を認めたと伝えた。

（2014年1月17日07時16分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

    On the 15th it became clear that China on January 9^th had conducted an experiment to launch an ultra high-speed missile the "WU14" which could fly at a speed 10 times or more of the speed of sound.

    According to the U.S. information site "Washington Free Beacon" etc., this missile was made with the purpose to tear the American missile defense network, and said that in the U.S. and Russia the development of the same ultra high-speed missile were also being continued.

    Commander Locklear, the U.S. Pacific Command, on the 15th gave a lecture in the Washington suburbs and said that regarding the missile "the development is ahead of the U.S.", and showed some wariness.

    On the other hand, on the 16th the China Department of Defense high official talked about this missile launching experiment in the Chinese Communist Party media, such as the Globaltimes which belonged to the People's Daily system by saying that "it is a normal scientific inquiry test based on the plan of the country, and it is not aiming towards a specific state and a target", and acknowledged the fact that there was a launching experiment.

(07:16 on January 17, 2014    Yomiuri Shimbun)

This missile testing indicates that China has developed advanced technology in rocket science.

中国正在建造第二隻航空母艦

Yesterday the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

中国２隻目空母を建造中か、遼寧省党書記が発言

　【北京＝五十嵐文】中国系香港紙・大公報（電子版）は１８日、中国共産党で遼寧省トップの王ミン同省党委員会書記の話として、中国初の空母「遼寧」に続く２隻目の空母が、同省大連の造船所で建設されていると報じた。

　同紙によると、王書記は同日開かれた会議で、大連で国産空母の建設が進んでおり、工期は６年だと発言した。中国が将来、最低４隻の空母を保有するとの見通しも示した。

（2014年1月18日22時23分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

On 18^th the China affiliated Hong Kong newspaper the Tai Kung Pao (electronic edition) reported a talk made by the provincial party committee secretary Wang Min who was the top official of the Liaoning province of the Communist Party in China; he said that the 2nd aircraft carrier would follow the first China’s aircraft carrier "Liaoning" to be built in the shipyard of the said province in Dalian.

According to the paper, in Dalian at the meeting on the same day secretary Wang said that the construction of the Chinese aircraft carrier was progressing and that the time necessary for its completion was six years. It was also shown that in future China would have at least four aircraft carriers

(22:23 on January 18, 2014    Yomiuri Shimbun)

Probably India, Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam etc. would beef up their navy in response.

舊陸軍少尉小野田寛郎逝世

Yesterday the Asahi News on-line reported the following:

元陸軍少尉の小野田寛郎さん死去　ルバング島から帰還

2014年1月17日09時37分

　フィリピン・ルバング島のジャングルで、太平洋戦争終了後も２９年間、潜伏し、生還した元陸軍少尉の小野田寛郎（ひろお）さん（９１）が１６日午後４時２９分、東京都内の病院で死去した。６日から肺炎のため入院していたという。葬儀は未定で、親族による密葬を予定している。

　１９２２年３月、和歌山県の旧内海町（現・海南市名高）に生まれた。４４年に陸軍中野学校二俣分校に入り、ゲリラ戦や情報戦を学んだ後、ルバング島に派遣された。戦争終了を信じずゲリラ戦を継続し、７４年に日本に戻った。

(試譯文)

   Mr. Onoda Hiroo (91), the former army second lieutenant who after the end of the Pacific War hid out for 29 years in the jungles in Lubang Islands of the Philippines and came back alive, died in the hospital in Tokyo at 4:29 p.m. on the 16th. It was said that he was hospitalized for suffering from pneumonia since the 6th. The funeral was not yet finalized and an informal funeral was being planned by the relatives.

   Onoda was born in the old Utsumi-district (now the Nataka, Kainan city) in Wakayama Prefecture in March 1922. After entering the Nakano army school - Futamata branch in 1944 to study guerrilla and information warfare, he was dispatched to the Lubang Islands. He did not believe that the war was over and continued with the fighting in the jungle until he returned to Japan in 1974.

My understanding is that in late 1944 Onoda was given orders by Major Yoshimi Taniguchi and Major Takahashi to lead the Lubang Garrison in guerrilla warfare. He was told that “whatever happens, we'll come back for you. Until then, so long as you have one soldier, you are to continue to lead him”. Onoda took these words more literally and seriously than his division commanders could ever hope for.

学習指導要領説明「尖閣和竹島是日本領土」

Recently the FNN News on-line reported the following:

「尖閣と竹島は日本の領土」　学習指導要領解説書に明記へ

下村博文文部科学相は14日、「尖閣諸島と竹島は、わが国固有の領土」と、学習指導要領の解説書に明記する方針を明らかにした。
下村文科相は「『学習指導要領解説』の記述を、より明確なものとすることについて、現在、検討を行っております」と述べた。
学習指導要領解説書とは、学校で教える教科の内容を定めた学習指導要領に基づいて、教科書の作成や、教員が授業を行う際の指針をまとめた冊子のこと。
現在使われている、中学の社会の解説書。
竹島についての記述は、「わが国と韓国の間に、竹島をめぐって主張に相違があることなどにも触れ、北方領土と同様に、わが国の領土・領域について、理解を深めさせることも必要である」とされている。
高校地理の解説書にも、竹島の学習指導について、「中学校における学習をふまえる」としている。
現行の中学社会の教科書では、「日本海上の竹島は、日本固有の領土ですが、韓国が占拠しており、対立が続いています」と、解説書に沿った記述がなされている。
尖閣諸島については、中学・高校とも、解説書に記述はないが、それを取り上げる教科書もある。
下村文科相は「わが国の将来を担う子どもたちが、日本の領土を正しく理解するということは、極めて重要なことであると考えております」と述べた。
日本ではこれまで、尖閣諸島や竹島は、学習指導要領の解説書に、明確な記述がされていなかった。
一方、中国では、日本の学習指導要領にあたる「国家課程標準」がある。
そして、小学校から、「尖閣諸島は中国の領土」と学習している。
韓国の小学校でも、「ハワイはアメリカ領土。対馬は知らないけれど、独島(竹島)はわが地。日露戦争直後に、所有者のない島だと、(日本は)無理矢理言い張って、本当困るんだよ」などと、旗を振って、全員で合唱する韓国の小学生たちの姿がある。
日本の学習指導要領の解説書に、「尖閣諸島と竹島は、わが国固有の領土」と明記される方針について、北京市民は「絶対に許さない。(尖閣諸島は)中国の領土だから」と話し、ソウル市民は「国民として腹が立つ」と話した。
韓国外務省は、会見で「日本のこのような不当な主張、要するに、話にならない話を、直ちに中断しなければならない」などと述べた。
文部科学省は近く、解説書を改定し、2016年度から使用される教科書に反映させたい考え。

(試譯文)

About the explanatory notes on government’s guidelines for teaching, on the 14^th the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Hakubun Shimomura made public a plan to write clearly that "Senkaku Islands and Takeshima are territories peculiar to our country".

The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Shimomura said that "he is now carrying out an examination to make clearer the words written in the ‘government-guidelines-for-teaching description’".

The government-guidelines-for-teaching explanatory note was a booklet to be used as a guideline to write the textbook, and also as a reference for teachers at the time of teaching a class. It was the government’s guidelines on teaching that would determine the contents of the subject to be taught in schools.

The explanatory guideline on Society was now used in the junior high schools.

Description about Takeshima would be made to "touch on the fact that between our country and South Korea there is a difference in opinion involving Takeshima etc. The same is applicable to the Northern Territories and it is necessary to deepen our understanding about the territory and domain of our country".

About the explanatory note on high school geography about Takeshima, the educational guidance supposed that "it is based on the learning in the junior high school".

With regards to the textbook of the present junior high school on Society, description would follow the explanatory note to say that "South Korea is occupying Takeshima and confrontations continue although Takeshima in the Sea of Japan is a territory peculiar to Japan".

About the Senkaku Islands in the junior high school and high school, although there was no description in the explanatory note, there were textbooks that took it up.

The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Shimomura said "he thinks that it is a very important thing that the children who bear the future of our country understand the territory in Japan correctly".

In Japan, on the description of the Senkaku Islands or Takeshima, clarification to the explanatory note of the government guidelines for teaching was not carried out until now.

On the other hand, in China, there was the "National Course Standard" which was equivalent to the government guideline for teaching in Japan. And starting from the elementary school it was taught that "the Senkaku Islands is a territory of China".

In the South Korean elementary school "Hawaii is a U.S. territory, Dokdo (Takeshima) is my land although Tsushima is not known. In case of an island that was without an owner, immediately after the Russo-Japanese War, it (Japan) insisted on it forcibly, such saying is truly troubling" etc. were taught. There was a scene that the South Korean school children together waving a flag and singing in chorus.

Regarding the Japan’s plan to write clearly in the explanatory note on the government’s guidelines for teaching that "the Senkaku Islands and Takeshima are territories peculiar to our country", a Beijing  resident said that “it could not be allowed by any means since it (Senkaku Islands) is a territory of China". A Seoul citizen said that "as a citizen he gets angry".

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs at an interview said that "in short, it should be discontinued immediately, the story is ridiculous" etc. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology intended to start the reform soon and wanted to reflect the explanatory note in the textbooks starting from the fiscal year 2016.

   It is interesting to note that Japan is taking steps to amend the textbooks at this moment. It seems that the tension among these countries could continue for a while.

日本史成為中學畢業必修課

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

日本史、高校での必修化を検討…中教審諮問へ

　政府が高校での日本史の必修化を検討していることが５日、明らかになった。

　日本史は現在は選択科目だが、海外で活躍する日本人が増える中、自国の歴史を十分に学び、理解している人材を育成すべきだと判断した。文部科学相が今夏にも中央教育審議会（中教審）に高校の学習指導要領の改定について諮問する。教科書検定などを経て、早ければ２０１９年度から日本史が必修科目となる。

　高校の「社会」は１９８９年の学習指導要領の改定で「地理歴史」と「公民」に分かれ、「地理歴史」の中で世界史が必修に、日本史が地理との選択制となった。改定前も日本史、世界史、地理は選択科目だったが、「国際化への対応」を優先した結果、学校現場で「日本史軽視」の風潮が広がった。文部科学省によると、現在３～４割の高校生が日本史を勉強せずに卒業しているとみられる。

（2014年1月6日05時56分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

It became clear on the 5th that the government was considering making the Japanese history in the high school a compulsory school subject.

Although Japanese history was an elective subject now, as the number of Japanese who played an active role overseas had increased, it was judged that the history of its own country should fully be studied and the number of talented people who understand history should be increased. The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology also in this summer would inquire the Central Council for Education (C C E) about amending the government guidelines for teaching in the high school. Through textbook screening etc. Japanese history could become a compulsory subject as early as from the fiscal year 2019.

In the amendment of the government guidelines for teaching in 1989, "Society" of the high school was divided into "Geography History" and "Civic"; and in the World History, "Geography History" was a compulsory subject while Japanese history became a selective with Geography. Although before the amendment, Japanese history, World History, and Geography were selective subjects, as a result of giving priority to "corresponding to internationalization", the trend of "neglecting Japanese history" spread at the school campus. According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, it was expected that currently 30 to 40 percent of high school students could graduated without studying Japanese history.

I think History is an interesting subject. U.S. historian Theodore Stephen Hamerow (1920 - 2013) once said “History appears at present to be a science in technique but an art in interpretation, objective in analysis, subjective in perception, logical or systematic in structure, but intuitive or imaginative in outlook”.