日本人到馬來西亞過退休生活

Recently the NHK News reported the following:

マレーシア移住希望者に説明会
2月25日 23時54分

退職後などに日本から移住する人が急増しているマレーシアで、移住を検討している日本人を対象に、現地での生活などを紹介する説明会が開かれ、マレーシア政府の担当者が、治安のよさや物価の安さなど移住のメリットを強調しました。

この説明会は、マレーシアへの移住を検討している日本人に、現地での生活について知ってもらおうと、マレーシア政府の観光局などが、首都クアラルンプールで開いたもので、日本からの見学ツアーに応募した１００人余りが参加しました。
マレーシアは、退職後の人生を海外で過ごそうとする人などの間で、ここ数年、人気が高まっています。特に、東日本大震災のあとは、移住する人が増えていて、マレーシア政府が発行する長期滞在者向けのビザを取得した人は、去年１年間で、８１６人と前の年の２倍近くに増えています。
説明会では、マレーシア政府の担当者が、「治安がよく政治的にも安定しているうえ、物価も安いので、同じ収入でも、日本より質の高い生活ができる」などと、移住のメリットを強調しました。
高知県から参加した男性は、「安全で、日本人の医師や看護師がいる病院も多く、暮らしやすい国だと感じた」と話していました。
一方で、経済成長が続いているマレーシアでは、物価は年々上昇していて、会場からは、「今後、物価が上がり続けたら、日本の年金の収入だけでは、暮らしていけなくなるのではないか」といった懸念の声も上がっていました。

(試譯文)

In Malaysia, a place where the number of people emigrated from Japan after retirement etc. was increasing rapidly, a briefing session which introduced the local daily life etc. was held for those Japanese who were considering migration; the person in charge from the Malaysia government emphasized the merits of the migration, such as the merit of peace, and the cheap prices.

This briefing session would let those Japanese who were considering migration to Malaysia to know about the local daily life, the tourist board of the Malaysia government etc. opened up the capital Kuala Lumpur for a little more than 100 people from Japan who had subscribed to participate in an inspection tour.

The popularity of Malaysia was increasing in the past several years among those who tried to spend their life overseas after retirement. Especially after the Great East Japan Earthquake those who wanted to emigrate were increasing. The number of people who acquired the long term staying personal visa issued by the Malaysia government was increasing, and it was 816 people last year, about twice that of the previous year.

At the briefing session, the person in charge from the Malaysia government emphasized the merits of migration by saying that "the law and order is good and it is politically stable, and on top of that the prices are also cheap. With the same amount of income you can lead a life at a higher quality than Japan”.

A man from the Kochi Prefecture who participated was saying that "It is safe and there are many hospitals in which Japanese doctors and nurses are present, and he thinks that it is a country that live is easy".

On the other hand, in Malaysia where economic continued to grow, prices were rising up every year and a voice of concern was raised from the meeting hall saying that "Whether if prices continue to go up from now on, would it become impossible to live merely with the pension income from Japan".

It is the first time for me to hear that Japanese are interested in living in Malaysia after retirement.

中國有５．６億人上網

Last month the NHK News on-line reported the following:

中国 ネット利用者５．６億人に
1月15日 23時14分

中国では、スマートフォンなどの携帯電話の普及とともに、インターネットの利用者が急速に増えて５億６０００万人に達し、その４分の３が、携帯電話を通じて利用していることが分かりました。

中国の政府系機関、「中国インターネット情報センター」は、去年暮れの段階での利用者数について、１５日発表しました。
それによりますと、中国のインターネット利用者は、１年前と比べて、５０９０万人増えて５億６４００万人に達し、人口に対する普及率は、４２％余りになったということです。
このうち、スマートフォンなどの携帯電話を通じて利用している人が、全体の４分の３に当たる４億２０００万人に上り、この１年間で６４４万人、率にして１８％余り増えたということです。
一方、官僚の汚職や所得の格差拡大などを巡り、政府を批判する書き込みが多く見られる中国版ツイッター「ウェイボー」は、インターネット利用者の半数以上が利用していて、アカウント数は、３億９００万に達しました。
ただ、中国では先月、個人情報の保護を目的として、インターネット利用者の実名登録の義務化などを盛り込んだ対策が打ち出されており、利用者からは、「ネット世論」の締め付けにつながることを懸念する声も上がっています。

(試譯文)

In China, it turned out that Internet users had increased in number quickly; it amounted to 560 million people, and with the spread of the mobile phone, such as the smart phone, 3/4 of them used the Internet through the mobile phone

As a Chinese government agency the "China Internet-based information center" announced on the 15^th (January) the number of users in the final period of last year.

According it, it was said that the number of Chinese Internet users had increased by 50,900,000 people compared to one-year before; it amounted to 564 million people and the diffusion rate to population became over 42%.

It was said that among these, for those who used the Net through mobile phones, such as the smart phone, they went up to 420 million people, an equivalent of 3/4 of the whole; there was an increase of 6,440,000 people in one year and the rate of increase was slightly over 18%.

On the other hand, more than half of the Internet users used the China version of the twitter "Weibo" to write criticism of the government that were centering on bureaucrat's corruption and the expansion of the income gap etc.; and the number of account opened amounted to 309 million.

However, last month in China the measure of mandatory incorporation of Internet user's real name in the registration etc. was enforced for the purpose of protecting personal information. The voice of users expressing concern about its leading to the tightening of the "public opinion in the net" had also gone up.

As Internet and mobile phone have become so popular in China, I hope they could help make freedom of the speech a reality eventually.

日本指責中國環球時報報道失實

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

菅官房長官は２２日の記者会見で、中国メディアが報じた安倍首相の米紙ワシントン・ポストのインタビュー記事について、「首相の実際の発言を正確に引用していない」として、北京の日本大使館を通じて中国メディアに抗議したことを明らかにした。

　首相のインタビュー記事を掲載したのは「環球時報」という新聞で、菅長官は「誤解を招くものとなっている。ワシントン・ポストに掲載された内容とは違っている。『正確に報道すべきだ』と２１日に申し入れた」と述べた。

（2013年2月23日00時10分 読売新聞）

(試譯文)

About Prime Minister Abe’s interview report in a U.S. paper the Washington Post which the China media had reported on, on the 22nd at the press conference it was made clear that the Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga assumed that "The Prime Minister's actual remark is not quoted correctly", and he protested against the Chinese media through the Japanese Embassy in Beijing.

  Regarding the prime minister's interview report as published in the newspaper the “Universal Times", Secretary Suga said that “it has caused misunderstanding, the content published is different from those in the Washington Post, and proposed that it should be ‘reported correctly’ on the 21st."

It is an interesting incident; a newspaper report in China could draw such a high level attention from the Japan government.

北京日本人学校暫停戶外活動

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:

中国で大気汚染が深刻化するなか、北京の日本人学校で児童の保護者を対象に生活上の注意点についての説明会が開かれ、保護者の間からは、屋外での運動はどこまで控えればよいのかといった不安の声が上がりました。

中国の中でも大気汚染が最も深刻な都市の一つ北京では、２１日も、気管支炎やぜんそくを引き起こすとされるＰＭ２．５と呼ばれる有害な粒子の濃度が基準を上回りました。
北京日本人学校では、２１日、大気汚染対策についての説明会が開かれ、児童の保護者など６０人余りが出席し、日本大使館の医務官が説明に当たりました。
この中で医務官は、北京市の大気汚染の状況は、四日市ぜんそくが発生した１９６０年代から７０年代の三重県四日市市に近い状況だと説明したうえで、できるだけ窓を開ける回数を減らすなど、生活上の注意点を紹介しました。
また、保護者から「体を鍛えたほうがいいという考え方もあるが、屋外での運動をどこまで控えればよいのか」という質問が出たのに対し、医務官は、ＰＭ２．５の濃度が高いときは健康を守るためにも運動を避けるべきだとアドバイスしていました。
北京日本人学校によりますと、先月は、体育の授業など屋外での活動を中止した日が１５日間に上ったということで、学校としては、児童にマスクの着用を徹底させるなど一層の注意喚起をしていきたいとしています。

(試譯文)

In China as the air pollution was aggravating, a briefing session on how to pay attention to daily life was held for the guardians of the children staying in the Japanese school in Beijing, and the voice of uneasiness on how far they should refrain from carrying out outdoor activities had come out from the guardians.

Beijing as one of the cities where air pollution was the most serious in China, the concentration of the harmful particles known as PM2.5 that was supposed to cause bronchitis and asthma had exceeded the standard on the 21st.

The briefing session was held on the 21^st in the Beijing Japanese School to deal with the air pollution. A little more than 60 people including the guardians of the children were present. The medical-affairs official of the Japanese Embassy was responsible for giving the talk.

In the session, the medical-affairs official explained the situation of the air pollution in Beijing, and also about the Yokkaichi asthma incident happened in the 1960s and 1970s and the recent situation of the Yokkaichi city in Mie Prefecture. After that he introduced the attention that was needed in daily life, for example as far as possible to reduce the number of times in opening the window.

Moreover, in answering the question from the guardians on "how far we should refrain from activities in the outdoor while there is also a view that it is better to train up the body", the medical-affairs official gave the advice that due to the high concentration of PM2.5, in order to protect health, activities should be avoided.

According to the Beijing Japanese School, it was said that the number of days which outdoor activities had been stopped, such as the gymnastic lessons, had gone up to 15 days last month. As for the school it was supposed that it should further arouse attention by ensuring that children would make the wearing of a mask into a practice.

It is a pity to see that the air pollution problem has become so serious in China.

日本一月份貿易逆差擴大

Recently the FNN on-line reported the following:

1月の貿易収支は、円安で火力発電向け燃料などの輸入が膨らんだことなどから、赤字額が過去最大の1兆6,294億円になった。
財務省が発表した1月の貿易統計によると、輸出額が、前の年の同じ月から6.4%増えた一方、輸入額は、火力発電向け燃料の需要が膨らんだことなどから、7.3%増加した。
その結果、輸出から輸入を差し引いた貿易収支は、1兆6,294億円の赤字となり、2012年1月の1兆4,815億円を超え、比較可能な1979年以降では過去最大となる。
こうした中、火力発電の燃料費増大で、2012年度の最終赤字が、過去最悪の500億円に達する見通しの四国電力は20日午前、7月から家庭向け電気料金の平均10.94%の値上げを経済産業相に申請した。

(02/20 13:03)

(試譯文)
Because the import of fuel for thermal power generation etc. had increased due to the cheap yen, the trade balance in January reached 1,629,400 million yen, being the highest amount of deficit ever.

According to the foreign trade statistics in January which the Ministry of Finance announced, while export value amount went up 6.4% compared to the same month of the previous year, import value increased 7.3% due to the increased demand for fuel for thermal power generation etc.

As a result, deducting import from export the trade balance recorded a loss of 1,629,400 million yen, exceeding the1,481,500 million yen in January 2012, and henceforth being the highest ever since 1979 when comparable figures became available.

Meanwhile, due to fuel cost increase in thermal power generation, Shikoku Electric Power was expecting a net loss in the 2012 fiscal year that would reach 50 billion and being the worst ever; in the morning of the 20th the company had applied to the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry for an average of 10.94% of price increase in the electricity bill for homes starting from July.

So, inflation has arrived in Japan after a long period of deflation.

日本將會恢復學校每週上課６日制

Last month the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following;

下村文部科学相は１５日、閣議後の記者会見で、公立小中高校の土曜授業を復活させる学校週６日制について「どのような課題があるのか、省内で整理している」と述べ、導入に向けた検討を始めたことを明らかにした。

　授業時間を増やして学力向上を図る狙いがあるが、教員の増員など課題も多く、実現までには曲折も予想される。

　下村氏は記者会見で、週６日制復活について、保護者の８割超が賛成しているという調査結果を紹介した上で、「世論の理解はある」と語った。文科省は今後、導入に向けた課題を整理した上で、具体的なスケジュールなどを詰める考えだ。自民党は先の衆院選政権公約で、土曜授業の復活を盛り込んでいた。

　学校週５日制は、「ゆとり教育」の一環として、１９９２年９月から月１回、９５年度から月２回と段階的に試行され、２００２年度から完全実施された。その後、児童・生徒の学力低下が指摘されるようになり、安倍首相は第１次安倍内閣当時、学習指導要領改定の検討に際し、「脱ゆとり教育」を掲げた。０８年に告示された新学習指導要領では授業時間が増え、東京都など一部の自治体では土曜授業を実施するようになっている。

（2013年1月15日19時21分 読売新聞）

(試譯文)

On the 15^th (January) at the press conference after a cabinet meeting Shimomura, the Minister for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, touched on the 6-day school week system and the revival of the Saturday lesson in public primary schools and junior and senior high schools. He said that"arrangement is on hand in the department to look into what kind of subjects to face with" and showed clearly that an examination towards its introduction had begun.

  Although it was aiming at the goal to increase school hours and to improve academic ability, there were also many subjects such as an increase in teaching personnel. A winding path for its realization was also expected.

  At the press conference Mr. Shimomura, after introducing the results of an investigation which showed that more than 80 percent of the guardians would agree with the revival of a six-day week system, mentioned that "there is an understanding in public opinion". From now on the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, after overhauling the issues towards its introduction, intended to pack a concrete schedule etc. The Liberal Democratic Party incorporated the revival of the Saturday lesson as a policy pledge in its previous Lower House election

  The five-day week school system was tried gradually from September 1992 as part of "pressure-free education" starting from 1 time per month, and in 1995 fiscal year 2 times per month, and full enforcement was carried out from the 2002 fiscal year. Then, it was pointed out that there was a decline in academic achievement of children and students. Prime Minister Abe at the first Abe Cabinet while reviewing the government-guidelines-for-teaching amendment, raised the idea of "reversing the pressure- free education". In the new guidance on study announced in 2008, school hours had been increased, and Saturday lessons were carried out in some self-governing bodies such as Tokyo.

My feeling is that in Asia the concept of “pressure-free education” has no market. So the traditional way of education will return to Japan after trying it for more than a decade.

日本燃料價格開始上升

Yesterday the FNN News on-line reported the following:

ガソリン価格の高騰が加速している。今週のガソリン価格は、前の週に比べて2円以上値上がりし、1リットルあたり153円80銭と、10週連続の値上げとなった。
今週のレギュラーガソリンの全国平均価格は、1リットルあたり153円80銭と、前の週に比べて、2円10銭上昇した。
10週連続の値上げは、2010年11月以来で、値上げ幅も2012年8月以来最大となる。
また灯油も、101円20銭と11週連続の値上げとなっている。
これは、原油価格の上昇傾向と円安によるもので、調査した研究所は「小売価格は当面上昇が続く可能性がある」としている。

(試譯文)

The pace of gasoline price increase was accelerating. Compared with last week, the price of the gasoline this week rose by 2 yen or more to become 153 yen 80 sen per liter because of the ten-week continuous price increase.

The national average price of the regular gasoline of this week rose by 2 yen 10 sen compared with last week to become 153 yen 80 sen per liter.

It was a ten-week continuous price increase since November, 2010; and the markup was the highest since August, 2012.
Moreover, kerosene also had reached 101 yen 20 sen, having a 11-week continuous price increase
This situation was due to the upward tendency of the oil price and the weak yen; the investigating research institute supposed that "for the time being, there is a possibility that the retail price would continue to rise".

It seems that an inflationary cycle has been started in Japan. I am interested to know whether Japan can achieve its targeted 2% inflation.