日本汽車大國地位面對挑戰

Recently the NHK News reported the following:
日本の自動車メーカー各社は、震災で部品の調達が滞って減産が続いており、落ち込んでいる海外の販売を巻き返せるかどうかが課題となっています。
自動車の生産は、震災で電子部品などの調達が滞ったため、落ち込みが続いており、販売面にも深刻な影響が出ています。アメリカの調査会社によりますと、アメリカの５月の新車の販売台数は、▽トヨタ自動車が１０万８３８７台と前の年の同じ月に比べて３３％余り減って、販売シェアは１年前の１４．７％から１０．２％に落ちました。一方、▽韓国のヒョンデ自動車グループは３３％余り増えて、１０万７４２６台となり、販売シェアは７．２％から１０．１％に伸びトヨタに迫る勢いとなっています。トヨタなどメーカー各社は、電子部品などの調達の回復にめどがついたことから、生産は秋ごろから震災前の水準に回復し、これに伴って販売も回復すると見込んでいますが、アメリカや新興国など販売競争が激しい海外での巻き返しが大きな課題となっています。また、震災の影響に加えて、外国為替市場で１ドル＝およそ８０円程度となっている円高ドル安の問題も輸出企業の業績を左右しそうです。三菱自動車工業の益子修社長は１３日の記者会見で「円高が大きな負担となっている。今の為替水準が続けば、価格競争力の面で大きな課題となる」と述べ、強い懸念を示しました。またトヨタ自動車の小澤哲副社長は先週の記者会見で「この円高の水準で、国内で生産を続けるのは限界に近づいている」と述べ、円高が国内での生産や雇用に悪影響を及ぼしかねないという危機感を示しました。
(試譯文)
For the auto manufactures in Japan, because of the earthquake, the procurement of parts became stagnant, output continued to decrease, and whether decreased sales to foreign countries would recover became a problem.
Car production that had been decreasing because the procurements such as electronic parts became stagnant, and the deep effect surfaced and had been reflected in the sales. According to a research company in the US, the number of sales of new cars in the United States in May, for Toyota was 108,387, a decrease of as much as 33% compared with the same month the previous year; and the sales share fell from 14.7% a year ago to 10.2%. On the other hand, for South Korea, the Hyonde car group, the sales share was expanded from 7.2% to 10.1%, creating a situation of pressing towards Toyota. Although manufacturers such as Toyota expected that procurement such as electronic parts could recover and production could recover to pre-earthquake level by autumn, thus the expectation was that it could bring along the recovery of sales. But because in overseas market the sales competition from countries such as the United States and the rising new nations was tense, whether they could return back to the old days was a big question. Moreover, on top of the influence of the earthquake, the problem of strong yen against the dollar, that is one dollar equal to about 80 yen in a foreign exchange market was a factor instigating exporting company's performance. On the 13th President Osamu Mashiko of Mitsubishi Motors at the press conference, showing deep worry, described that "Appreciation of the yen is a large encumbrance. If the current exchange level continues, it becomes a big problem in respect of the price competitiveness". Moreover, vice president Satoshi Ozawa of Toyota Motor said at last week's press conference that "Under the present level of yen appreciation, domestically to keep production is near the end of the limit", and showed the feeling of crisis that appreciation of the yen would harmfully influence production and employment in the country.

There are good reasons for the Japanese car makers to worry that their leading role in the sales of car would come to an end.

福島縣超過三百校園表面泥土需要移去

Recently the NHK News reported the following:
福島県が今月１日から行った放射線量の調査で、全体のおよそ２２％に当たる３７２の小中学校や高校などで、１時間当たり１マイクロシーベルト以上の放射線が検出されたことが分かりました。各自治体では、校庭などの表面の土を取り除く作業を急ぐことにしています。
東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故を受け、文部科学省は、１時間当たり１マイクロシーベルトの放射線量が検出された場合は、校庭などの表面の土を取り除く費用のほぼ全額を負担して各自治体に対応に当たってもらうことにしています。これを受けて、福島県は今月１日から原発から半径２０キロ圏内の警戒区域や計画的避難区域を除くすべての小中学校や高校、それに保育園など１７００か所余りで測定を行いました。その結果、全体の２２％にあたる３７２か所で１時間当たり１マイクロシーベルト以上が測定されたということです。
(試譯文)
In the investigation started in Fukushima Prefecture from the 1st of this month on the dosage of radiation, it had been understood that radiation of more than one micro sievert an hour was detected in 372 (equivalent to 22% of the total number) elementary and junior high schools and high schools, etc. In all municipality, the work to remove the surface soil such as at the schoolyards was sped up.
The accident of the number one nuclear plant in Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima was noted, and when the dosage of radiation of one micro sievert an hour was detected, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology almost bore the full amount of each municipality of the correspondent cost to remove the surface soil such as at the schoolyards. This was accepted, starting the 1st of this month, Fukushima Prefecture measured places within the 20-kilo in radius from the nuclear power plant and over 1700 places except for the precaution district and the premeditated shelter district were measured. Places were elementary and junior high schools, the high schools and day nurseries. As a result, the measurement was more than one micro sievert an hour in 372 places that was 22% of the total.

Although to remove the surface soil is a huge task, it is a necessary step to take in order to protect the school children from harmful radio-active materials.

宮城・南三陸町等地有紀念死難者活動

Recently the FNN News reported the following:
東日本大震災から11日で3カ月となった。警察庁が把握する死者は1万5,413人にのぼり、いまだ8,069人が行方不明のままとなっている。
地震の発生時刻にあわせ、各地で黙とうがささげられた。
また、職員27人が津波の犠牲となった宮城・南三陸町の防災庁舎にも、犠牲者の家族らが訪れた。
三浦 ひろみさんの夫・毅さんは、町の危機管理課の課長補佐で、震災当日、防災無線で住民に避難を呼びかけている最中、津波にのみこまれ、行方不明となっている。
三浦 ひろみさんは「『もういいから帰ってきて』。それだけ、いつも毎日語りかけています」と話した。
一方、全校児童のおよそ7割にあたる74人が死亡、または行方不明となった石巻市の大川小学校にも、花を手向ける親たちの姿があった。
(試譯文)
On the 11th, it would be three months from the East Japan great earthquake. The number of death that the National Police Agency got hold of had risen to 15,413 people, and with 8,069 people remained missing.
Together at the time of the occurrence of the earthquake, silent prayers were offered in various places.
Moreover, family members of the deceased 27 staff paid visit to the Disaster Prevention Public Office Building in Miyagi at the south Sanriku-cho where their were their love ones died during the tsunami.
The husband of Hiromi Miura, Tsuyoshi-san who was the assistant manager of the crisis-management section in the town was missing; he was drown by the tsunami while using the disaster prevention wireless to urge the residents to look for shelter on the day of the earthquake.
Hiromi Miura said that "everyday she always says 'Come back because it is all right now' ".
On the other hand, parents were also being seen offering flowers in the Okawa elementary school in Ishinomaki City where 74 people, about 70 percent of the students of school were hit and became dead or missing.

Although it is now three months from the earthquake, family members of the deceased are struggling to recover from the wounds caused by the tsunami.

宮城縣有超過一萬件災後失物待領

Recently the Asahi News reported the following:
東日本大震災が起きた３月１１日～５月３１日に、宮城県内の被災地で回収された拾得物が約１万９８００個にのぼり、現金は総額で約１２億４６００万円になったことが１０日、宮城県警のまとめで分かった。
　県警会計課によると、津波の影響で、沿岸部を中心に金庫や現金、金の延べ棒、アルバム、自転車などが届けられた。紙幣だけを持ってきた例もある。
　持ち主に返還したのは約４９００個。残りは所有者が不明だったり、所有者が分かっても連絡が取れなかったりしており、現金は約３億円が返還できていない。県警は当面保管するという。
(試譯文)
On the 10th it was understood from the Miyagi prefecture police that during the period between 11th March when the East Japan great earthquake occurred and up to May 31, the items found and collected from the stricken area in the Miyagi prefecture had arisen to about 19,800 pieces, and there was cash worth about 1 billion 246 million yen in total. According to the prefecture police's Office of Accounting, the safe with cash, the ingot of gold, the album, and the bicycle, etc. were delivered from around the coast because of the tsunami. There was an example of bringing in only the bank note, too. There were about 4,900 items that had been returned to the owner. The remaining items could not be returned because the owner could not be confirmed, or because it was not possible to make contact even if the owner was known; cash of about 300 million yen could not be returned. Prefecture police said that they would keep it for the moment.

Probably some of the owners of these items had met their fate in the tsunami. Individually, each item could have a sad story to tell.

福島縣１１處新検出放射性物質

Recently the Asahi News reported the following
文部科学省は８日、放射性ストロンチウムが東京電力福島第一原子力発電所から６２キロ離れた福島市など、福島県内１１カ所の土壌で新たに検出されたことを明らかにした。放射性セシウムが検出されたところでは、微量に見つかるとされており、それが証明された形だ。放射性ストロンチウムには半減期が長いものがあって、体に入ると長期間影響を及ぼす可能性があり、監視が必要だ。
　検出されたのは４月１０日～５月１９日に採取された土壌。福島市では半減期約２９年と長いストロンチウム９０が１キロあたり７７ベクレル、半減期約５０日と短いストロンチウム８９が５４ベクレル検出された。

　最も多かったのは浪江町赤宇木で、それぞれ２５０ベクレルと１５００ベクレル。北西部に３６キロ離れた飯舘村では１２０ベクレルと１１００ベクレルで、これまでに２０キロ圏内で検出されていた値よりも高かった。ほかに田村市、広野町、川内村、南相馬市、二本松市でもストロンチウムが検出された。文科省は採取した土壌をさらに細かく分析するという。
(試譯文)
On the 8th, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology clarified that radioactive strontium was newly detected in the soil of 11 places in the Fukushima prefecture such as Fukushima City which was 62 kilos away from the number one nuclear plant of the Tokyo Electric Power Company in Fukushima. The fact that in this place radio-active strontium was found, while it was a bit of strontium and not too much, it was a proof.

Radioactive strontium had a long half - life, and when it entered the body, there was a possibility of long term influence, so it was necessary to be monitored. It was in the soil collected between April 10th to May 19th that was detected. Strontium 90 that had a long half - life of about 29 years was detected in Fukushima City at 77 Becquerel at one kilo, and strontium 89 with a short half-life of 50 days was detected at 54 Becquerel. Most often found was at Namiemachi, it was anywhere from 250 Becquerel to 1500 Becquerel. At the northwest in Iitatemura that was 36 kilos away, it was 120 Becquerel and 1100 Becquerel; it was higher than the value that had been detected in the 20-kilo range so far. Besides, strontium was detected in Tamura City, Hiroyamachi, Kawauchimura, south Soma City, and Nihonmatsu City. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology said that they would analyze the gathered soil in more detail.

It seems that the Japanese government still has a lot of clean-up work to do.

作家山田風太郎私人信件曝光

Recently the Asahi News reported the following:
忍法帖（にんぽうちょう）シリーズなどで知られる作家山田風太郎（１９２２～２００１、本名山田誠也）が旧制中学時代の友人に書いた直筆の手紙やはがきが見つかり、出身地の兵庫県養父市関宮の山田風太郎記念館に届いた。戦中から、有名作家になった１９７０年代までの計５８通で、気が置けない友人に「忍術だからデタラメでも結構」などと冗談めかして記していた。
　見つかったのは、兵庫県豊岡市の旧制豊岡中学時代の同級生で、青山学院大教授だった故・吉田靖彦さんあてに書いた手紙２１通とはがき３７通。２年前に吉田さんが亡くなり、家族が記念館に送った。記念館によると、山田と吉田さんは互いに読書家で、卒業後も交流を続けていたという。
　「甲賀忍法帖」を発表した１９５８年には、滋賀県彦根市にいた吉田さんに７月、「甲賀、伊賀に旅行する」とはがきを送った。しかし、１０月の手紙では夏の暑さや新連載の忙しさなどを理由に、「どうせ忍術なんだからデタラメでも結構だろうと横着をかまえることにした」と書いている.
(試譯文)
Letters and postcards, with the autograph of writer Fuutarou Yamada (1922-2001 and the real name is Seiya Yamada) who was known for his Ninpouchou series etc., that were addressed to his friend in the old system junior high school era were found, and they had reached the Fuutarou Yamada Memorial in Hyogo Prefecture Yabushi Sekinomiya. From during the War to becoming a reputed writer in the 1970s, in total 58 pieces of writing were sent to an intimate friend, joking manner writings such as "Because it was ninjutsu, it was fine even to be detarame" were being recorded.
What were found were 21 letters and 37 postcards written to the late Mr. Yasuhiko Yoshida, the classmate in the old system Toyooka junior high school period in Hyogo Prefecture Toyooka City, who later become the professor of Aoyman Gakuin. Mr Yoshida died two years ago, and his family sent them to the Memorial. According to the Memorial, it was said that Yamada and Yoshida, as avid readers, kept writing to each other after graduation.
　In 1958 when "Koka ninpojou" was published, a postcard was sent to Mr.Yoshida in Shiga Prefecture Hikone City in July, saying that "Traveled to Koka and Iga". However, in a letter in October, for reasons of the summer heat and being working busily for the new series, it was written that "neglecting formality because after all it is just ninjutsu, so it is perfect to be detarame".
It is good news for fans of Yamada. These items should be useful for those who want to study this famous story writer.

日本將會分段加消費稅

Recently the Yomiuri News reported the following:
政府の「社会保障改革に関する集中検討会議」（議長・菅首相）は２日、社会保障改革案を取りまとめた。
　年金、医療、介護、子育て支援の給付拡充策を盛り込み、消費税率を１５年度までに１０％への段階的な引き上げが必要だと明記した。
　改革案では、給付拡充策の実施で、１５年度に必要な追加財源を２・７兆円程度と試算。消費税を「社会保障目的税」とすることを明記し、基礎年金財政や社会保障費の自然増などにも対処するため、消費税１０％で「安定財源を確保する」とした。税制改革の法整備は今年度中に実施することも掲げた。
　首相は近く、政府・与党幹部による「コア（中核）メンバー会議」を設置し、１２年度にも３％程度、１５年度までにさらに２％程度引き上げる「２段階増税」案を最終調整する。今月下旬には「社会保障と税の一体改革案」として決定し、野党に協議を呼びかける。
(試譯文)
On the 2nd, the government's "Conference focused on reviewing the social security reform" (chairperson: Prime Minister Gan) made arrangements for the social security reform plan.
The policy to increase pension, medical treatment, nursing, and child-nurturing support was included, and the need to increase consumption tax rate to 10% in phases by the fiscal year 2015 was described clearly.
Based on the reform plan, in order to carry out the expansion, about 2.7 trillion yen additional fiscal resource was necessary for fiscal year 2015 as calculated provisionally. The assumption that consumption tax was regarded as a "Social security special purpose tax" was clearly stated, and it was used to deal with the natural increase etc. in financing the basic pension and the cost of Social Security; "the fiscal resource stability will be ensured" by setting the consumption tax at 10%. It was made known that preparations for tax revision laws would be carried out within the current year.
Recently, the Prime Minister had set up a "Core member conference" of the government and leaders in the ruling party, and finally decided on a "Two-stage tax increase" idea that would increase tax by about 3% in the fiscal year 12, and by further 2% by fiscal year 15. It was regarded as a "Comprehensive tax and social security reform plan", and called for discussion with the opposition party by the end of the month.

To meet social security needs, tax increase in Japan seems unavoidable.