韓国半導体競争力台頭

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

パナソニック、半導体競争力失う…韓国勢台頭で

パナソニックが、デジタル家電向けの半導体を生産している主力３工場を、イスラエル企業に売却する交渉に入ったのは、韓国勢の台頭などで半導体事業が競争力を失ったためだ。今後は、成長が見込まれる自動車や産業分野での開発に力を入れ、２０１５年度の黒字化を目指す。

　魚津（富山県魚津市）、砺波（富山県砺波市）、新井（新潟県妙高市）の３工場を、半導体受託製造会社タワージャズ社に売却する。売却すれば、国内での半導体の自社生産から事実上撤退することになる。３工場で合計約２５００人いる従業員の大半は、タワージャズと設立する合弁会社で雇用を継続する予定だ。合弁会社に移らない人員は、パナソニックの他の部門に配置転換する。

（2013年11月27日23時02分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

Panasonic entered into a negotiation with an Israel company to sell off its 3 prime factories which produced the digital-appliances-oriented semiconductor because the semiconductor enterprise lost its competitive power in face of the looming presence of South Korea etc. From now on, Panasonic would put a lot of energy into the automobile and industrial sectors which growth could be expected, and aimed at a surplus in the 2015 fiscal year.

     The three factories in Uozu (Uozu-shi, Toyama), Tonami (Tonami, Toyama), and Arai (Myoko-shi, Niigata) would be sold off to the semiconductor contractor manufacture company the Tower Jazz. If they were sold off, Panasonic would withdraw from the in-house production of the semiconductor in the country as a matter of fact. Most of 2500 employees in these three factories would continue their employment in the Tower Jazz in a joint corporation to be established. The staff that did not move to the joint corporation would be transferred to other sections of the Panasonic.

It seems that the South Korean has become a strong competitor in the electronic industry. Japanese companies have to work harder in order to survive.

日航３路線停止使用７８７型飛機

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

積乱雲が苦手…日航、３路線で７８７の使用中止

　日本航空は２３日、ボーイング７８７型機を使用している羽田―シンガポールなど国際線３路線について、２５日から別の機体に変更すると発表した。

　高度９０００メートル以上で積乱雲などに入った際、搭載する米ゼネラル・エレクトリック（ＧＥ）製のエンジンに不具合が出る恐れがあるためで、１２月１日から７８７型機を投入予定だったシドニー線も変更する。積乱雲の影響を受けない他の国際線では、従来通り同型機で運航する。

　ＧＥ製のエンジンは内部に氷の結晶が堆積して一時的にエンジンの推力低下が起きるおそれがあることがわかり、米ボーイング社が積乱雲などの周囲約９０キロの飛行を禁止する通知を出した。日航は当面の間、７７７型機などを使用する。

　全日空の７８７型機は日航とは異なるメーカー製のエンジンを使用しているため、運航に影響はない。

（2013年11月23日22時59分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

On the 23^rd (November) the Japan Airlines announced that starting from the 25th it would change into another airplane type for the 3 international airline routes, such as from Haneda to Singapore which was using Boeing 787.

It was because when this airplane went into a cumulonimbus cloud etc. at an altitude of 9000 meters or more, there was a possibility that fault might appear in the engine of the airplane that was made by the U.S. General Electric (GE). Also starting from December 1, for the Sydney line, it would change the previous plan of using the 787 type airplane. In other international airlines that were not subject to the influence of the cumulonimbus clouds, it would operate with the same type of airplane as usual.

It turned out that there was a possibility that icy crystals might accumulate inside and thus the engine thrust might fall temporarily. For the engine made by GE, a notice was issued which forbade U.S. Boeing to fly within about 90 km circumferences of a cumulonimbus cloud. At present the Japan Airlines used the 777 type airplanes etc.

As for the All Nippon Airways, since the engine maker of its 787 type plane was different from those of the Japan Airlines, the operation was not affected.

(22:59 on November 23, 2013    Yomiuri Shimbun)

It is interesting to note that for the 787 type planes they could have different engine makers.

１２國家完全撤消對日本海產輸入規制

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

日本の魚輸入規制、１２か国が完全撤廃

　東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故を受けて各国が導入した日本の水産物の輸入規制が、今年に入り、解除される動きが出てきた。

　日本の水産物輸出額は震災前の水準に戻りつつあり、安倍政権が掲げる「農林水産物の輸出拡大」の後押しとなりそうだ。

　農林水産省の統計によると、今年１～９月の日本の水産物の輸出額（速報値）は、２０１０年同時期比で１７％増の１５７５億円だった。今年３月に初めて１０年の水準を回復し、その後も毎月、１０年同時期比を上回っている。特にタイなどアジア向けのカツオ、イワシの輸出が増えている。

　日本の水産物を巡っては今年９月、韓国が福島第一原発の汚染水を理由に８県産の全面禁輸に踏み切るなど規制を強化した。一方で、ベトナムは同月、震災後に導入した輸入物の抜き取り検査などの規制を撤廃。同国への水産物輸出額は、規制があった１２年も約１１８億円と米国、中国などに次いで５番目に多く、有力な輸出先だ。

　日本の主要マーケットである東南アジアでは、今年３月にマレーシアが輸入規制を撤廃。震災後、約５０の国・地域が原発事故に関連した規制を導入したが、これでカナダ、メキシコ、ニュージーランドなど１２か国が規制を完全撤廃した。

（2013年11月21日07時18分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

At the beginning of this year, a movement had come out to cancel the restriction imposed on the import of Japanese marine products that was introduced by individual countries in response to the accident of the Tokyo Electric Power Fukushima Number One nuclear power plant.

     Marine product export value of Japan was likely to return to the level before the earthquake disaster, and was likely to serve to back up "the export expansion of agriculture-and-forestry marine products" which the Abe Administration had upheld.

     According to statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the export value (preliminary figures) of the marine products of Japan for the period from January to September was 157,500 million yen, being an increase of 17% compared to the same period in 2010. In March for the first time it recovered back to the level of 2010. Furthermore, every month it exceeded the same month of 2010. Especially the export of bonitos and sardines in Asia, such as Thailand, was increasing.

Centering on Japanese marine products, in September this year South Korea tightened up its regulation, such as deciding on a complete export ban on eight prefectures for reasons of the contaminated water from the Fukushima Number One nuclear power plant. On the other hand, in the same month Vietnam abolished its regulation of randomly inspecting the imported goods etc. that was introduced after the earthquake disaster. As for the marine product export value to this country, in 2012 even with the regulations in place, it was about 11,800 million yen, being at the 5^th place following the U.S., China, etc.; it was a leading export destination.

In Southeast Asia which was the main market for Japan, Malaysia abolished the import restriction in March this year. After the earthquake disaster, although about 50 countries and areas introduced the regulation having regard to the nuclear power plant disaster, 12 nations, such as Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand had fully abolished their regulations now.

I think the abolition of regulation should be good news for the fishermen in Japan.

韓國發現日本殖民地時代死者名冊簿

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

韓国「日本植民地時代の死者 名簿発見」

11月19日 21時51分

韓国政府は、日本の植民地時代に起きた独立運動や関東大震災の死者、それに日本に徴用された労働者らの名前を記した１９５０年代の名簿が見つかったとして１９日に公開し、韓国で日本の過去の歴史に対する批判がさらに高まるおそれもありそうです。

名簿は、ことし６月、東京の韓国大使館で移転作業中に見つかったもので、いずれも１９５３年ごろ、当時のイ・スンマン（李承晩）大統領の指示で韓国政府が作成したということです。
このうちの１冊には、１９１９年に起きた「３・１独立運動」の死者６３０人、もう１冊には１９２３年の関東大震災の死者２９０人の名前が記されており、個人を特定した名簿の発見は、共に初めてだとしています。
また、残る６５冊には、太平洋戦争中に日本に徴用された労働者、およそ２３万人の名前などが記されています。
元徴用工の名簿は、すでにある別の名簿と重なる部分が多いとみられ、日本企業を相手取って韓国で起こされている裁判への影響は小さいとみられます。
ただ、関東大震災の名簿で、死亡した経緯について「日本の憲兵に銃殺された」と記されたものもあるなど、名簿の公開によって、韓国で日本の過去の歴史に対する批判がさらに高まるおそれもありそうです。

 (試譯文)

 On the 19th (November) the South Korean government opened to the public the name lists created in the 1950s that recorded the people who died during the Independence Movement, the Great Kanto Earthquake, and also names of workers who were forced to go to Japan, all occurred during the colonial days of Japan; for this there was a possibility that it would likely further raising criticism in South Korea over the past history of Japan.

It was said that the name lists were found during the transfer work inside the South Korean embassy in Tokyo in June this year, and the South Korean government created all of them with directions from the then President Lee Sung-man in around 1953.

Among them was a volume that recorded the 630 people died during the "March 1st independence movement" occurred in 1919. One volume had the names of 290 people died in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, and supposedly that was the first time to discover a roster that an individual was identifiable. Moreover, recorded inside the 65 volumes which remained were the names, etc. of about 230,000 people which were workers forced into Japan during the Pacific War.

It was concluded that the former name list of conscripted laborer might have many parts overlapped with certain other names lists that already existed; and it was also concluded that the effect for these lists to cause trials against Japanese companies in South Korea was small.

However, about the name list on the Great Kanto Earthquake, on the circumstances that they died, there were some being described as "being shot dead by the Japanese military policeman"; by opening the name list to the public, there was a possibility that criticism on Japan’s past history might further increase in South Korea.

The above situation reminds me what E.A. Freeman (1823-93), the English historian had once said: History is past politics, and politics is present history.

炸豬排連鎖店重復使用食剩白菜和鹹菜

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

　「和幸」運営のトンカツ店、キャベツ使い回し

トンカツ店チェーン「和幸商事」（川崎市）が運営する「恵亭松屋銀座店」（東京都中央区）で、急に食材が足りなくなった時に、客が残したキャベツやお新香を使い回していたことがわかった。

　同社は２８日、中央区保健所に報告した。

　同社によると、同店では、トンカツなどメーン料理とは別に、キャベツとお新香を専用の大皿や小鉢で「取り放題」として提供していた。客が手を付けなかったキャベツなどを再利用しないよう指導していたが、キャベツは２００５年６月～１０年夏頃に計６回、お新香は同店が開店した０５年４月下旬からの約１か月間と０９年春頃～１０年夏頃に２、３回、再度盛りつけをして客に出していたという。

（2013年11月29日07時29分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

It turned out that when foods became insufficient suddenly, the cabbage and pickles that were the left over of the customers were re-used in the "Megumi-tei Matsuya Ginza store" (Chuo-district, Tokyo) that was managed by the pork cutlet chain store, the "Kazuyuki trading company" (Kawasaki).

The company reported this to the Chuo-district health center on the 28^th (November).

According to the company, aside from the main dishes such as a pork cutlet, they also provided exclusively, in a small bowl or platter, cabbage and pickles that were free to pick. As a rule the cabbage etc. that a customer had not picked might not be re-used again, but it was said that from around June 2005 to the summer of 2010 for 6 times in total the cabbage was dished up again. As for pickles, for a duration of about one month, they were dished up again to the customers starting from the end of April 2005 when the said store was opened; and also from around the spring of 2009 up to the summer of 2010, for 2 to 3 times.

I think hygiene is an important aspect for food providers to pay attention. To recycle food in this way is unacceptable.

美國核彈蔽護中心成為博物館

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

世界の雑記帳:ケネディ元大統領の核シェルター博物館、暗殺50年で再び脚光

2013年11月20日　13時11分

　

［ピーナット島（米フロリダ州）　１９日　ロイター］ -米フロリダ州東部の小島に設置されたジョン・Ｆ・ケネディ米元大統領用の核シェルターが博物館として利用され、暗殺から丸５０年となるのに合わせて再び注目を集めている。

　このシェルターは、ケネディ一家が冬の休暇先として過ごしたパームビーチにほど近いピーナット島にあり、主室には大統領のデスクや会議用テーブル、ベッド１５台などが設置された。

　軍用食や水、放射線探知装置なども備蓄され、核攻撃があった場合、ケネディ一家と主要スタッフ３０人が１カ月暮らすことができたという。

　同島は長く一般に公開されていなかったが、敷地を借り受けたパームビーチ・マリタイム・ミュージアムが１９９９年にシェルターを博物館としてオープン。施設を管理する同ミュージアムのアンソニー・ミラー氏によると、元大統領が実際にシェルターに避難する訓練を行っていたという。

(試譯文)

      Regarding the bomb shelter for the former U.S. president John F. Kennedy installed on the island located at east of the U.S. Florida state that was used as a museum, it attracted attention again because it would be 50 years since the assassination.

This shelter was located on the Peanut Island near Palm Beach, a beach where the Kennedy family used as a location to spend their winter vacations; a presidential desk, a conference desk and 15 beds etc. were set up in the main rooms.

Military ration, water, and a radiation detection device etc. were stored. When a nuclear attack occurred, it was said that the Kennedy family and the 30 main staff were able to live for one month.

Although the island had not been open to the public for a long time, the Palm Beach maritime museum which borrowed this site was open in 1999, using the shelter as a museum. According to Mr. Anthony Miller of the museum who managed the institution, the former president said that he had once performed a training which actually took refuge in this shelter.

Next time when I travel to the US, probably I will visit this museum.

LASIK視力矯正手術有80宗受害報告

 Yesterday the FNN News on-line reported the following:

レーシック手術で約4年半の間に80件の健康被害報告　注意喚起

レーシックの手術をめぐり、消費者庁が初の注意喚起を行った。
消費者庁によると、レーシックの手術を受けたあと、視力が矯正されすぎて遠視になったり、光をまぶしく感じるなどの被害を受けたとの報告が、11月までのおよそ4年半の間に80件寄せられたという。

(試譯文)

In connection with the operation of LASIK, the Consumer Affairs Agency called for alert for the first time.

According to Consumer Affairs Agency, after undergoing the operation of LASIK, there were reports that the eyesight was corrected too much and thus suffered damages such as becoming farsightedness or feeling light dazzling. It was said that 80 incidents were received during the four and a half years up to November.

So check carefully whether LASIK is suitable for you before receiving the operation.