１６名俄國富豪資産２週內減少１・５兆円

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

ロシア富豪１６人の資産、２週間で１・５兆円減

　【ロンドン＝五十棲忠史】緊迫するウクライナ情勢を受け、ロシア人の実業家らが保有する資産額が急速に目減りしている。

　世界の富豪ランキングをまとめているブルームバーグ通信のウェブサイトによると、ロシアの富豪１６人の資産額は、３月１日時点では２０１９億ドル（約２０・５兆円）だったが、１４日には１８７２億ドル（約１９兆円）まで減った。わずか２週間で１・５兆円（約７％）が吹き飛んだ。

　資産の減少は、ロシア企業の株価や、ロシアの通貨ルーブルが値下がりしていることが要因だ。３月前半の２週間で、イングランド・プレミアリーグ「アーセナル」の大株主として知られるアリシェル・ウスマノフ氏は１９億ドルを、天然ガス大手「ノバテク」の大株主レオニード・ミヘルソン氏は２３億ドルを、それぞれ失った。

（2014年3月16日21時06分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

The assets held by Russian businessmen depreciated quickly due to the situation in Ukraine which had become tense.

According to a website of the Bloomberg communication which summarized the millionaire ranking in the world, while the assets of 16 millionaires in Russia had 201,900 million dollars (about 20,500 billion yen) as of March 1^st, they decreased to 187,200 million dollars (about 19 trillion yen) on the 14^th: 1,500 billion yen (about 7%) was blown away in just two weeks.

As for the asset decrease, one factor was that both the Russia companies’ stock prices and the Russia currency ruble had fallen. In the first two weeks in March, Mr. Alisher Usmanov who was known as a major shareholder of the English Premier League "Arsenal" lost 1.9 billion dollars while Mr. Leonid Mihelson a major shareholder of a key natural gas company the "Novatek" lost $ 2.3 billion.

(21:06 on March 16, 2014    Yomiuri Shimbun)

I hope the economic situation in Russia would not further deteriorate.

中国首次受理二次大戦中被‘強行帶走’民間賠償申請

Recently the FNN News on-line reported the following:

中国の裁判所、第2次大戦中の「強制連行」めぐる訴状を初受理

中国・北京市の裁判所が、第2次大戦中の「強制連行」に関する損害賠償に関し、訴状を受理したことが明らかになった。
中国政府が強制連行に関する個人賠償の裁判を認めるのは、日中の国交正常化後初めて。
原告側の弁護士は「(受理は)労働者の権利を守るうえで、非常に重大な意義がある」と述べた。
訴えを起こした中国人の元労働者らの弁護団によると、18日午後、北京市の中級人民法院から、訴状を受理するとの連絡があったという。
裁判の日程など、詳細はまだ決まっていない。
中国政府はこれまで、民間の対日賠償請求について、中国国内での提訴を受理しなかったが、今回初めて、習近平政権が個人賠償を容認したことになり、今後、同様の訴訟が相次ぐなど、日中関係に大きな影響が出るとみられる。
元労働者や遺族ら40人は、三菱マテリアルなど日本企業2社に対し、1人あたり、日本円でおよそ1,700万円の損害賠償などを求めている。(03/18 20:30)

(試譯文)

It became clear that a court in Beijing of China had accepted a legal case that sought reparations for being "forcibly taken away" during the Second World War.

This was the first time since the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations in that the Chinese government accepted legal cases on personal compensation for ‘being taken away by force’.

The plaintiff's lawyer said "(because of this acceptance) workers' right is protected, it has a very significant meaning".

According to the defense team for the former Chinese workers that started the petition, they said that they were contacted in the afternoon of the 18^th and were told that their complaint had been accepted by the Intermediate People’s Court in Beijing.

Details on the schedule of the trial etc. had not been decided yet.

Because all along the Chinese government had not accept legal challenge from the individual to demand Japanese compensation in China, this meant that for the first time the Xi Jinping Administration allowed individual compensation, and from now on, when similar law suits came out one after another, a huge impact on Japan-China relations could be expected.

Forty former workers and people (from bereaved families) were asking for about 17 million yen reparations etc. per person from two Japanese companies such as the Mitsubishi Materials.

(03/18 20:30)

     I hope such a change in policy in China would not deter Japanese investors.

文科省要求改善教育質素及水平

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

必修でｂｅ動詞教える大学、文科省が改善要求

　文部科学省は１２日、新設の大学や学部などの運営状況を調べた２０１３年度の調査結果を発表した。

　中学校レベルの英語の授業で単位認定を行っていたり、教員数が大学設置基準を満たしていなかったりした２６６校に改善を要求した。

　調査は、卒業生がまだ出ていない新設の大学や短大、大学院を中心に、全国５２８校が対象。学生数が定員と大幅に異なったり、定年に達した教員を雇い続けたりする事例が目立ったほか、ヤマザキ学園大（東京都）では、必修科目の英語で、ｂｅ動詞の使い方などを教える授業が行われており、同省は大学教育にふさわしい水準に改めるよう求めた。

　仙台青葉学院短大（仙台市）では、新設の学科で専任教員の７割以上が大卒や専門学校卒の資格しかなく、教育を行う体制が不十分とされた。聖隷クリストファー大（浜松市）では、新設の学科で大学設置基準上８人必要な専任教員が、調査時に６人しかいなかった。中部大（愛知県）の新設学科でも、設置基準上、教授４人が必要だが、２人しかいない時期があり、現在も３人にとどまっている。

（2014年2月12日23時18分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

On the 12th (February) the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology released the result of an investigation for the fiscal year 2013 which investigated management conditions in new universities and faculties etc.

Improvement was required of 266 schools in which unit authorization was not performed on English lessons at the junior high school level, or the number of teachers did not meet university establishment standards.

In this investigation, 528 schools across the country were the targets, centering on new universities, junior colleges, and graduate schools that had no graduates yet. Cases such as the institutional capacity failed to match the number of students by a large margin; the incidents that teachers who had obviously reached the retirement age continued their employment; in Yamazaki Gakuen University (Tokyo) where English was a compulsory subject, there were classes that taught how to use the “verb to be” etc. This ministry asked for changes in levels to make them suitable for university education.

At Sendai Aoba School junior college (Sendai) in a new teaching subject, only 70 percent or more of all full-time teachers had the qualification of a college graduate or special school graduate, and the educational structure was insufficient. In Seirei Christopher University (Hamamatsu), in a new teaching subject which needed eight full-time teachers by university establishment standards, at the time of investigation there were only six people. At Chubu University (Aichi Prefecture) although four professors were required for a new teaching subject based on the establishment criteria, there were only two people at times, and currently only three people stayed on.

(23:18 on February 12, 2014    Yomiuri Shimbun)

Obviously the government has the responsibility to ensure the quality of educational institutions.

海魚<夢笠子>驗出有放射性物質

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

「ユメカサゴ」基準超の放射性物質 試験操業で初

2月27日 22時12分

原発事故の影響で、試験的な漁が行われている福島県沖で、水揚げされたカサゴの一種「ユメカサゴ」から、基準を超える放射性物質が検出され、漁協は「ユメカサゴ」の出荷を取りやめました。
試験的な漁がおととし６月に始まって以来基準を超える放射性物質が検出されたのは、今回が初めてです。

福島県の沖合では、原発事故の影響で本格的な漁を自粛し、３２種類に限って試験的な漁が行われていて、水揚げされた魚介類については、放射性物質のサンプル検査を行い、漁協が独自に１キログラム当たり５０ベクレルという、国の１００ベクレルより厳しい基準を作って、販売しています。
福島県漁業協同組合によりますと、２７日、いわき市の沖合でとれた「ユメカサゴ」から、基準を上回る、１キログラム当たり１１０ベクレルの放射性物質が検出されたということです。
水揚げされた魚介類から基準を超える放射性物質が検出されたのは、試験的な漁が始まったおととし６月以来、今回が初めてです。
漁協によりますと、２７日水揚げされたユメカサゴ１３．２キロは、すべて出荷を取りやめたということです。
また、２６日水揚げされたユメカサゴについても、サンプル検査で基準を超えなかったものの、出荷された２．５キロについて、漁協は念のために自主回収するとしています。
漁協では、ユメカサゴを、当面福島県沖での漁の対象から外し、他の魚介類については操業を続けることにしています。

(試譯文)

Radioactive material exceeding the standard was detected from a kind of rockfish, the “Helicolenus hilgendorfi" caught in the offing of Fukushima when fishery testing was carried out due to the impact of the nuclear power plant disaster; the fisherman's cooperative association had canceled the shipping out of all the "Helicolenus hilgendorfi".

This was the first time that radioactive material exceeding the standard was detected after the fishery testing was imposed since June two years ago.

Due to the impact of the nuclear power plant disaster, self-discipline was imposed in a full-scale on fishery in the offing in Fukushima Prefecture; fishery testing was performed on only 32 types of fish and shellfishes. When caught, sample inspection on radioactive material would be conducted, and the fisherman's cooperative association independently set the level at 50 Bq per kg for selling purpose, which was more stringent than the national standard of 100 Bq.

According to the Fukushima fisherman's cooperative association, it was said that on the 27^th, from the "Helicolenus hilgendorfi" which could be caught in the offing of Iwaki, 110 Bq per kg radioactive material, exceeding the standard, was detected.

Since the beginning of fishery testing in June two years ago this would be the first time that radioactive material exceeding the standard was detected from the fish and shellfishes landed.

According to the fisherman's cooperative association it was said that the shipment of 13.2 kg of “Helicolenus hilgendorfi” landed on the 27th was canceled altogether.

Moreover, regarding the “Helicolenus hilgendorfi” landed on the 26^th, although the standard was not exceeded during a sample inspection, the fisherman's cooperative association supposed that voluntary recall should be carried out just in case for about 2.5 kg that had been shipped out.

To the fisherman's cooperative association, for the time being “Helicolenus hilgendorfi” was removed from the fishing target off Fukushima, and fishing would continue for other types of fish and shellfishes.

In view of the very high safety standard, I think consumers should have confidence in the fish and shellfishes that come out from the Fukushima Prefecture.

村上春樹短編小説集４月１８日開售

Yesterday the Asahi News on-line reported the following:

村上春樹さん「女のいない男たち」４月１８日に発売

2014年3月15日07時51分

　文芸春秋は１４日、作家の村上春樹さんの９年ぶりの短編小説集「女のいない男たち」を４月１８日に発売すると発表した。月刊誌などに掲載された作品に、書き下ろし１作を加えた全６作を収録する。

　村上さんの短編集は２００５年刊行の「東京奇譚集」（新潮社）以来。１５日から全国の書店、ネット書店で予約を受け付ける。

(試譯文)

On the 14th the Bungeishunju announced that it would for the first time in nine years put on the market on April 18 a collection of short novels written by writer Mr. Haruki Murakami: "Men who do not have a woman". Regarding the work published by the monthly magazine etc., adding the newly-written one, all the 6 pieces of work published were collected.

Short stories collection of Mr. Murakami was first started with "A Collection of Tokyo Tales" (Shinchosha) published in 2005. Reservation would be accepted starting from the 15th by bookstores and Internet bookshops all over the country.

This is good news for fans of Haruki Murakami.

国家主席負責管理網上言論

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

ネット組織トップに国家主席 世論管理強化か

2月28日 0時17分

中国ではインターネットを管理する新たな組織が発足して習近平国家主席がトップに就任し、政府に批判的な国内のネット世論に対するコントロールを強化するねらいがあるとみられています。

国営の中国中央テレビは２７日夜、インターネットを管理する新たな組織「中央インターネット安全情報化指導グループ」が発足し、２７日、初めての会議が開かれたと伝えました。
会議では、組織のトップに就任した習近平国家主席が、宣伝工作などを通じて国内のネット世論を誘導する必要があると強調し、「世論を誘導するタイミングやレベル、それに効果をしっかりと把握し、ネット空間をきれいにしなければならない」と述べたということです。
中国ではインターネットの利用者が６億人を超え、ネット上で幹部の不正や腐敗を訴えたり、政府に批判的な人たちが結びつきを強めたりする動きが広がっています。習近平指導部はこうした動きに危機感を強めていて、今回、新たな組織を発足させた背景には政府に批判的な国内のネット世論に対するコントロールを強化するねらいがあるとみられています。
習主席は、このところ、経済改革などを進める指導グループや、安全保障政策や治安維持などを統括する機関のトップにも相次いで就任していて、権力の掌握を一層、加速させています。

(試譯文)

In China a new organization for managing the Internet was in operation with PRC President Xi Jinping inaugurated into its top post. The expectation was to aim at strengthening controls over domestic public opinion in the Internet that was critical of the government.

The national China Central Television reported this in the evening of the 27^th (February). The new organization being launched was the "Central Internet Safety Information Guiding Group"; it managed the Internet and held its first meeting on the 27th.

At this meeting it was said that PRC President Xi Jinping was inaugurated as the head of this organization and he emphasized that it was necessary to guide domestic Internet public opinion through propaganda maneuvering etc. and that "the timing and level to guide public opinion effectively must be firmly grasped, and Internet space must be clean up".

In China, Internet users exceeded 600 million people, they appealed against management's injustice or corruption in the Internet. A movement to strengthen ties of those people who were critical of the government was spreading. Regarding this Guidance Department of Xi Jinping, it was a step to strengthen a sense of crisis of the said movement, and this time, serving as a backdrop for the launching of this new organization was the aim to strengthen controls over domestic Internet public opinion that was critical of the government.

Recently Chairman Xi was successively inaugurated into the top post of some guiding groups that advance economic reform etc., also organizations that controlled the overall security policy and the maintenance of public order etc., thus accelerating the further seizure of power.

It needs a man with exceptional energy to chair all meetings in person. It seems that the concept of delegation of authority, and the idea of division of duty and responsible are being ignored. For China observers, it is a political development that deserves attention.

南韓主張日本海亦叫東海

Last month the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following

「日本海」の正当性、政府ＨＰで紹介…韓国語も

　政府は２４日、日本海が国際的に確立した唯一の呼称であることについて、外務省ホームページ（ＨＰ）での紹介を開始した。

　日本語、英語、韓国語の３か国語で、２５日からは首相官邸のＨＰにも掲載される。

　ＨＰでは、韓国が近年になって日本海の単独呼称に異議を唱えはじめた事実を指摘、１９世紀初頭には日本海の呼称が圧倒的に国際社会で使われていたことも挙げ、「東海(トンヘ)」の併記を求める韓国の主張は「根拠がない」としている。

（2014年2月25日08時12分  読売新聞）

 (試譯文)

On the 24th (February) the government started introducing through the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s homepage (HP) about 'Sea of Japan' being the only name recognized internationally.

It would be published starting from the 25th in three languages: Japanese, English, and Korean, and also at the HP of the Prime Minister's official residence.

Regarding South Korea’s objection in recent years that ‘Sea of Japan’ was the only name, the homepage showed the facts that the name ‘Sea of Japan’ had been used overwhelmingly by the international community since the beginning of the 19th century, and held the opinion that there was "no basis" for South Korea to request for a parallel entry of "Tonhe".

(08:12 on February 25, 2014    Yomiuri Shimbun)

‘Sea of Japan’ is the international name for the body of water which is bordered by the west side of Japan from Kyushu to Hokkaido (about Lat.30^o N. - Lat.45^o N.); and the east side of South Korea, North Korea and Russia of the same Latitude. To suggest the name ‘Tonhe’ as a parallel name is interesting. Literally Tonhe means ‘East Sea’ and geographically it is completely at the west of Japan. I am wondering whether South Korea has consulted North Korea and Russia before suggesting a parallel name.