「李香蘭」山口淑子９４歳逝世

Yesterday the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

元女優「李香蘭」山口淑子さん死去…９４歳

2014年09月14日 13時55分

　戦時中「李香蘭」の名で一世を風靡(ふうび)した元女優で、元参院議員の山口淑子（やまぐち・よしこ、本名・大鷹淑子＝おおたか・よしこ）さんが７日午前１０時４２分、心不全で亡くなった。９４歳だった。

　告別式は近親者で済ませた。

　父親が満鉄（南満州鉄道）の社員だったため、中国で育つ。１９３８年に満映（満州映画協会）の「蜜月快車」で映画デビュー。日本人であることをふせ、中国人の美人スター「李香蘭」として売り出された。３９年に「白蘭の歌」で長谷川一夫さんと共演、同じコンビで「支那の夜」、「熱砂の誓ひ」をヒットさせた。

　戦後は「漢奸（売国奴）」の疑いで軍事裁判にかけられたが、疑いが晴れて帰国。本名の山口淑子で４８年の「わが生涯のかがやける日」で映画にも本格復帰した。６９年からはテレビのワイドショー「３時のあなた」の司会を務め、中東での取材活動にも励んだ。

　７４年には参議院議員選挙に自民党から立候補し、当選。３回当選を果たし、党婦人局長などを務めた。９２年に政界から引退した後も、「女性のためのアジア平和国民基金」の副理事長などを歴任した。

　８７年には共著「李香蘭　私の半生」が話題になり、９１年には劇団四季による「ミュージカル李香蘭」が初演された。

(試譯文)

A former actress who had gained popularity by the name of "Li Xianglan" during the wartime period, a former Councilor, Ms. Yoshiko Yamaguchi (real name Yoshiko Otaka ), passed away due to heart failure at 10:42 a.m. on the 7th. She was 94 years old.

The farewell service was only for close relatives.

Because her father was an employee of the Man Tie (the South Manchuria Railway), she grew up in China. She made her debut in the movie "Honeymoon Express" of Man Ying (Manchuria Movie Association) in 1938. Hiding the fact that she was Japanese, she was advertised on the market as a Chinese beauty star "Li Xianglan". In 1939 she costarred with Mr. Kazuo Hasegawa in "The Song of the White Orchid"; the same pair also performed in "The Night of China" and "Vow of the Boiling Sand" which were made into hit.

Although taken to the military court on suspicion of being a "Hanjian (traitor)" after the war, the suspicion was cleared and she returned to the country. She also formally returned to the movie by the real name Yoshiko Yamaguchi in 1948 in "The day which my whole life can shine". From 1969, she acted as the chairman of a variety show the "You at 3:00" in the television, and also strove for news gathering activities in the Middle East.

In 1974 at a House of Councilors election she stood as a candidate and won for the Liberal Democratic Party. She was successful in the election for three times, and acted as the head of the Party’s Women's Bureau etc. Even after retiring from the political scene in 1992, she continuously held the vice president post etc. of the "Asian Women's Fund".

The book "Li Xianglan: half of my life" which she collaborated in writing in 1987 became the center of attention, and the "Li Xianglan in Musical" by Shiki Theatre Company was first performed in 1991.

Li Xianglan was a popular name in China in the 1940s. 

東芝電視海外販賣據點減半

A few weeks ago the NHK New on-line reported the following:

東芝 テレビの海外販売拠点 半減へ

7月31日 23時25分

大手電機メーカーの「東芝」は、赤字が続いているテレビ事業を立て直すため、海外にあるテレビの販売拠点を半分に減らすとともに、営業部門の人員を一部減らすと発表しました。

東芝が３１日発表した、ことし４月から６月の決算によりますと、売上高は１兆４０７９億円で前の年の同じ時期より２％増え、本業のもうけを示す営業利益も３９５億円と５７％増加しました。
しかし部門別では、テレビ事業はおよそ５０億円の営業赤字で、依然として赤字体質が続いています。
このため合理化として、来年度前半までに海外に２４あるテレビの販売拠点のうち半数を閉鎖するとともに、海外を中心として国内外で、テレビの営業部門の２５％に当たる３００人を削減することになりました。
東芝ではこれまでも、テレビ事業ではポーランドと中国の自社工場を閉鎖しており、一連の合理化によって今年度にはテレビ事業を黒字化したいとしています。

(試譯文)

"Toshiba", a major electrical equipment manufacturer, announced that it would cut by half the staff in the television sales base overseas and reduce the staff in the sales department in order to reorganize the television enterprise which had a continuous deficit.

Toshiba announced on the 31^st (July) that according to the accounts settlement for April to June, sales increased 2% from the same time of the previous year to stand at 1,407,900 million yen, and the operating profit of the core business showed an increase of 57% to stand at 39,500 million yen this year.

However, breaking down into sections, the television enterprise had about 5 billion yen operating loss, and the deficit situation was continuing.

To rationalize this, among the 24 television sales bases overseas half of them would be closed by the first half of next year. Centering on the overseas, 300 people which was equivalent to 25% of the television sales departments inside and outside the country would be cut.

Within Toshiba’s the television enterprise, the self-owned factory in Poland and China was already closed. By undertaking a series of rationalization in the television enterprise so far, it was likely that company could move into the black in the current fiscal year.

Among the Japanese TV brand names, "Toshiba" is a good choice because its quality is reliable; also its price is cheaper than Sony or Panasonic.

到韓国觀光的日本遊客減少

A few weeks ago the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

韓国、日本人客減に危機感…都内で誘致イベント

2014年07月14日 23時52分

　韓国の観光業界が、日本人観光客の減少歯止めに懸命だ。

　日韓関係の悪化、円安・ウォン高、４月のセウォル号の沈没事故と悪材料が重なり、２０１４年に訪韓する日本人は２５０万人程度と、ピークだった１２年から３割近くも減る見込みだ。一方で、中国からの観光客は、両国の外交上の蜜月を象徴するように、右肩上がりで増えている。

　韓国観光公社は１４日、都内で日本人観光客誘致イベント「韓国観光の夕べ」を開き、両国の旅行業界関係者ら約２００人が参加した。訪韓日本人は、李明博(イミョンバク)前大統領の竹島上陸（１２年８月）をきっかけに減少に転じた。同公社は「歴史問題を巡る対韓感情の悪化が最大の原因」としており、卞秋錫(ビョンチュソク)社長は、「文化や観光の交流は、政治外交と区別して発展させていくべきだ」とあいさつした。

(試譯文)

The South Korean sightseeing industry was eager to stop a decrease in Japanese tourists.

The aggravation of Japan-Korea relations, the weak Yen and strong Won, and the sinking accident of MV Sewol bad news in April adding on each other; the number of Japanese who would visit South Korea in 2014 was likely to be about 2,500,000 people which was a decrease from the peak in 2012 by about 30 percent. On the other hand, the number of tourist from China was increasing, with an upward rise which symbolized the honeymoon in diplomacy between the two countries.

On the 14^th (July) in the metropolitan area the Korea National Tourism Organization opened a Japanese tourist attraction event: the "South Korea evening sightseeing", with about 200 tourist industry community staff from both countries participating. Japanese visiting South Korea started to decrease following former President Lee Myung-bak's landing on Takeshima (August, 2012). The same public organization considered that "centering on problems in history, the landing was a major reason that had caused bad feeling towards South Korea". President Byun Chusoku said in his greeting that "development in cultural exchange and sightseeing should be separate from politics in diplomacy".

I hope the decreasing trend could stop in the near future.

台湾最大海軍基地對外国傳媒公開

A few weeks ago the NHK News on-line reported the following:

台湾最大の海軍基地 外国メディアに公開

7月21日 23時50分

台湾で最大規模の海軍基地が外国メディアに公開され、南シナ海の領有権を巡る対立が続くなか、台湾としては、当事者としての存在感を示したいというねらいがあるとみられます。

台湾の外交部は２１日、日本など外国メディアを対象としたプレスツアーを行い、南シナ海に面した南部の高雄にある台湾で最大規模の海軍基地、左営基地で行われている訓練の様子を公開しました。基地の沖合の海上で行われた訓練では、潜水艦の警戒に当たるため、海軍のヘリコプターから海中に探知機を降ろす作業が行われました。また、周辺海域のパトロールに当たるフリゲート艦「西寧」では、攻撃によって船内で火災が起きたという想定で訓練が行われ、防護服を着た隊員が消火器などを使って消火に当たったり、けが人を救護したりする手順などを確認しました。
基地の公開について台湾外交部の史亜平次長は「台湾の防衛能力と、この地域の平和と安全に役割を果たす自信があることを示したい」と話しており、南シナ海の島々の領有権を巡って台湾を含む周辺の国や地域の対立が続くなか、台湾としても当事者として存在感を示したいというねらいがあるとみられます。

(試譯文)

Taiwan opened its biggest naval base to foreign media while confrontation involving the territorial rights over the South China Sea was continuing; it was expected that Taiwan had the aim of showing its presence as a party of concern.

On the 21st (July) the foreign ministry of Taiwan performed a press tour for foreign media such as Japan to show the training exercise held at the Zuo Ying base in Kaohsiung which was the biggest naval base in Taiwan, locating at the southern part and facing the South China Sea. The training was performed at the base’s offshore sea. As the base was in charge of watching out for submarines, the exercise performed was to lower down to sea a finder from a naval helicopter. Moreover, in the frigate "Xining" which was in charge of patrolling the surrounding ocean area, training was performed by assuming that a fire had occurred on board due to an attack, members who were in charge of the fire extinguishing wore protective garments reviewed the procedures in using a fire extinguisher and rescuing a wounded person etc.

About this public presentation at the base, Assistant General Manager Shi Yaping of the Taiwan foreign ministry division said that “I would like to show Taiwan’s confidence in its defense capability and in playing a role for peace and safety in the area". While confrontation centering on the territorial right over the islands in South China Sea continued among surrounding countries and regions including Taiwan, there was a likelihood that Taiwan aimed at showing its presence as a party of concern.

   It is an interesting press tour for foreign media.

平和資料館展示品相繼更新

A few weeks ago the NHK News on-line reported the following:

平和資料館 展示の見直し相次ぐ

7月25日 22時57分

戦争や平和をテーマにした全国の資料館で、最近、展示内容の見直しが相次いで進められていることが、ＮＨＫが行ったアンケート調査で分かりました。
その理由について、多くは「内容を分かりやすくするため」としていますが、専門家は「見直し方によっては、戦争の実像が伝わらなくなるおそれもある」と指摘しています。

戦後７０年を来年に控えて、ＮＨＫは、戦争や平和をテーマにした全国の公立や私立の主な資料館５２か所を対象にアンケート調査を行い、８７％に当たる４５か所から回答を得ました。
それによりますと、この５年以内に、資料や写真の入れ替えや、説明文の変更など、展示の見直しを行っている施設は２０か所と、全体の４４％に上りました。
その理由としては、「内容を分かりやすくするため」が最も多く１２か所、「今の時代に合わせるため」が４か所、「データや情報を新しくするため」が２か所などとなっています。
中には、展示している年表のうち、太平洋戦争中の項目を大幅に減らしたところや、空襲の記録など日本国内の被害の展示を増やす一方で、国外での旧日本軍の戦闘などに関する展示を減らした資料館もあります。
これについて、歴史学者で平和資料館について詳しい埼玉大学の一ノ瀬俊也准教授は「展示を分かりやすくすることは必要だが、そのやり方によっては、戦争の実像が伝わらなくなるおそれもある。戦争を経験した人たちが減っていくなか、戦争とは何なのかを実感として学べる平和資料館の存在は、今後、ますます重要になる」と指摘しています。

(試譯文)

Based on a questionnaire survey performed by the NHK, it was found out that museums in the whole country in these days had successively conducted reviews on the exhibition contents about the theme of war and peace.

As for the reasons, although many were "in order to make the contents intelligible", a specialist had indicated that "there is also a possibility that the transmission of the real war image may ceased, depending on the way to improve the contents".

Next year would be 70 years after the War. The NHK performed a survey on 52 major museums on the theme of war and peace, both public and private in the whole country. It received replies from 45 locations, amounting to 87%.

According to it, the number of institutions that performed exhibition review by replacing data and photographs, and changing explanatory notes etc. within five years was up to 20, being 44% of the total.

As for the reason, as a majority, in 12 locations it was "in order to make the contents intelligible". In four locations it was "in order to match with the present time", and in two it was "in order to up-date data and information" etc.

Among them, in the chronological table currently exhibited, items about the Pacific War were sharply reduced while exhibition on air raid records etc. and on the damages done in Japan were increased. There were museums which reduced the exhibition about the battles fought overseas by Japan's now-defunct Army etc.

On this matter, a historian the Associate Professor Toshiya Ichinose of the Saitama University who knew details about the peace museum indicated that "while it is necessary to make the exhibition more intelligible, depending on the ways of doing it, there is also a possibility that the real image of war may cease to be transmitted. As the number of people who had experienced the war is decreasing, from now on the existence of a peace museum where one can get a feeling of the war would become increasingly important".

I think it is normal for museums to up-date their exhibition contents at regular intervals.

中国大使批評中国人在非洲的「悪習」

A few weeks ago the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

中国大使、「悪習」染みたアフリカの中国人批判

2014年07月14日 22時17分

　【北京＝五十嵐文】「アフリカの中国人は、悪習が身に染みている」――。

　中国紙・南方都市報（電子版）は１３日、中国の呂友清・タンザニア大使が、アフリカへの進出がめざましい中国企業や中国人に自省を促す異例のインタビュー記事を掲載した。

　呂大使は、タンザニアで中国人だけが空港で荷物検査を受けたり、路上で警察に呼び止められたりするのは、実際に中国人による違法な象牙製品の持ち出しが絶えないからだと暴露した。また、同国内では中国製の粗悪品が出回っており、タンザニア国内で請負工事が許可されなかった中国企業が、周辺国で安価で道路工事をしているとも指摘。将来、問題が発生した場合は「どこそこの企業ではなく、中国が造った道路だと言われることになる。我々は利益より国家のイメージを優先すべきだ」と語った。

(試譯文)

"As for the Chinese in Africa, they are full of bad habits". . .

On the 13th (July) a China newspaper the South City News (electronic edition) published a rare interview report in which Lu Youqing the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania demanded self-respect from Chinese companies and Chinese people that had remarkable success in Africa.

Ambassador Lu said that it was only the Chinese people that were subjected to baggage screening at the airport in Tanzania, or being called upon to stop by the police on the road, exposing the fact that it was because Chinese people had not completely stop carrying out illegal ivory manufacturing. Moreover, in that country, Chinese-made goods of inferior quality had appeared on the market; and that the Chinese company, even without a contract-work permit in Tanzania, performed road works cheaply in neighboring countries. In case that a problem occurred in the future "it will be said that the road was built by China, and would not say it was done by a company from nowhere. We should give priority to our national image over profits".

I think it is a sincere interview that only the South City News dares to carry.

亞馬遜開始有３Ｄ打印服務

A few weeks ago the Asahi News on-line reported the following:

米アマゾン、３Ｄプリント受注開始　４０ドル以下主流

ニューヨーク＝畑中徹

2014年7月29日23時59分接受

　米インターネット通販大手アマゾンは２８日、米国の同社サイトで、顧客がデザインなどを指定した立体造形物を３Ｄプリンターで製造し、配達するサービスを始めたと発表した。

　新サービスでは、ペンダントや指輪などの装飾品、スマートフォンのケース、フィギュア、日用品などの２００以上の商品を注文できる。ウェブ上で好みの色や形、素材を指定し、データを送信。注文を受けたサイトの出店業者が３Ｄプリンターで製造し、発送する。商品の価格は４０ドル（約４千円）以下のものが中心という。

　個人向けの３Ｄプリンターは、米国や日本の家電量販店などで１０万円前後で買えるようになったが、まだ高い。今回のサービスは、３Ｄプリンターを買わなくても、簡単に身近な物を注文できる利点がある。大手のアマゾンが３Ｄプリンター市場に参入したことで、普及が加速しそうだ。（ニューヨーク＝畑中徹）

(試譯文)

   On the 28th (July) a major U.S. Internet mail ordering company the Amazon announced that it would manufacture solid modeling objects with 3D printer according to customer’s specific design etc. and carried out delivery service at the company's site in the U.S.

   With this new service, 200 or more goods such as accessories including pendants, rings, smart phone cases, figures and daily necessaries could be ordered. On the website, after specifying the favorite color, form and material, data could be sent. The shop operator at the site that received the order would manufacture it with 3D printer and ship it out. The focus would be goods with a price below 40 dollars (about 4000 yen).

   Although one could buy individual-oriented 3D printer at around 100,000 yen from U.S. and Japanese household appliance general merchandising store etc., it was still expensive. This service had the advantage that one could order familiar things easily, even if one did not buy a 3D printer. This would likely speed up popularity because Amazon as a major company had entered into the 3D printer market.

Probably this new service would be welcome by many customers.