全714件 (714件中 1-50件目)
-
4日の日記
TEPCO: N-plant xenon not result of criticality The Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Thursday radioactive xenon detected in the No. 2 reactor at its crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant was the result of spontaneous fission, not a nuclear chain reaction known as criticality as had been feared. TEPCO said spontaneous fission, in which radioactive curium produced during the operation of a reactor splits on its own, is occurring sporadically inside the reactor. The recent detection of minute amounts of xenon can be explained by the splitting of curium, it said. Xenon was detected Tuesday in gas from the No. 2 reactor's containment vessel. Although the amounts were minute--about one-100,000th becquerel per cubic centimeter--TEPCO said a small-scale criticality incident could have taken place temporarily, given the short half-lives of the two types of xenon detected--five days for xenon-133 and nine hours for xenon-135. However, after analyzing the data, TEPCO concluded criticality did not occur, explaining that even a small-scale criticality incident should produce 10,000 times more xenon than the amount detected. TEPCO said the spontaneous fission of curium is a normal phenomenon in idled reactors and it would not hamper ongoing efforts to stabilize the reactor. "There will be no impact on the stabilization of the nuclear reactor and the surrounding environment," the utility said. (Nov. 4, 2011)
2011.11.04
コメント(0)
-
Volcano evacuation zone widens
Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011Volcano evacuation zone widensMIYAZAKI (Kyodo) Officials in Takaharu, Miyazaki Prefecture, have told about 500 households to evacuate because the volcanic eruption on Mount Kirishima could trigger landslides and send boulders flying their way. Extracurricular: Children clean a hallway covered with volcanic ash at their elementary school Monday in Takaharu, Miyazaki Prefecture. KYODO PHOTO Takaharu issued the recommendation at around midnight Sunday after the Miyazaki Local Meteorological Observatory said the lava dome on 1,421-meter Shinmoedake peak was rising. The warning could affect 1,100 residents.About 610 people had evacuated to four shelters as of Monday morning, the town said.But an observatory on the Kagoshima Prefecture side of the volcano said the risk posed by the lava dome isn't high enough to evacuate.According to the Kagoshima Local Meteorological Observatory, satellite images show the lava dome, which measured 100 meters across on Thursday, had widened to about 500 meters Saturday.Smaller eruptions have continued to rock Shinmoedake peak since it blew its top last week in its first major eruption since 1822. The volcano is one of several on Mount Kirishima and appeared in the 1967 James Bond film "You Only Live Twice."発音pool / pull green / grin nurse
2011.02.01
コメント(1)
-
自由論
Whoever undertakes to sell any description of goods to the public, does what affects the interest of other persons, and of society in general; and thus his conduct, in principle, comes within the jurisdiction of society: accordingly, it was once held to be the duty of governments, in all cases which were considered of importance, to fix prices, and regulate the processes of manufacture. But it is now recognised, though not till after a long struggle, that both the cheapness and the good quality of commodities are most effectually provided for by leaving the producers and sellers perfectly free, under the sole check of equal freedom to the buyers for supplying themselves elsewhere. This is the so-called doctrine of Free Trade, which rests on grounds different from, though equally solid with, the principle of individual liberty asserted in this Essay. Restrictions on trade, or on production for purposes of trade, are indeed restraints; and all restraint, qu? restraint, is an evil: but the restraints in question affect only that part of conduct which society is competent to restrain, and are wrong solely because they do not really produce the results which it is desired to produce by them. As the principle of individual liberty is not involved in the doctrine of Free Trade, so neither is it in most of the questions which arise respecting the limits of that doctrine; as for example, what amount of public control is admissible for the prevention of fraud by adulteration; how far sanitary precautions, or arrangements to protect workpeople employed in dangerous occupations, should be enforced on employers. Such questions involve considerations of liberty, only in so far as leaving people to themselves is always better, c?teris paribus, than controlling them: but that they may be legitimately controlled for these ends, is in principle undeniable. On the other hand, there are questions relating to interference with trade, which are essentially questions of liberty; such as the Maine Law, already touched upon; the prohibition of the importation of opium into China; the restriction of the sale of poisons; all cases, in short, where the object of the interference is to make it impossible or difficult to obtain a particular commodity. These interferences are objectionable, not as infringements on the liberty of the producer or seller, but on that of the buyer.
2010.12.11
コメント(0)
-
自由論
Chapter V: Applications THE PRINCIPLES asserted in these pages must be more generally admitted as the basis for discussion of details, before a consistent application of them to all the various departments of government and morals can be attempted with any prospect of advantage. The few observations I propose to make on questions of detail, are designed to illustrate the principles, rather than to follow them out to their consequences. I offer, not so much applications, as specimens of application; which may serve to bring into greater clearness the meaning and limits of the two maxims which together form the entire doctrine of this Essay, and to assist the judgment in holding the balance between them, in the cases where it appears doubtful which of them is applicable to the case. 1 The maxims are, first, that the individual is not accountable to society for his actions, in so far as these concern the interests of no person but himself. Advice, instruction, persuasion, and avoidance by other people if thought necessary by them for their own good, are the only measures by which society can justifiably express its dislike or disapprobation of his conduct. Secondly, that for such actions as are prejudicial to the interests of others, the individual is accountable, and may be subjected either to social or to legal punishment, if society is of opinion that the one or the other is requisite for its protection. 2 In the first place, it must by no means be supposed, because damage, or probability of damage, to the interests of others, can alone justify the interference of society, that therefore it always does justify such interference. In many cases, an individual, in pursuing a legitimate object, necessarily and therefore legitimately causes pain or loss to others, or intercepts a good which they had a reasonable hope of obtaining. Such oppositions of interest between individuals often arise from bad social institutions, but are unavoidable while those institutions last; and some would be unavoidable under any institutions.
2010.10.30
コメント(0)
-
Sea Shepherd member held
Sea Shepherd member held / Intruding antiwhaling activist handed over to JCG in TokyoThe Yomiuri ShimbunThe Japan Coast Guard arrested an activist of the antiwhaling group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on Friday in Tokyo on suspicion of trespassing on a security ship belonging to the Japanese research whaling fleet. Peter Bethune, a New Zealand national, had been detained on the Shonan Maru No. 2 for allegedly boarding it while the vessel was in Antarctic waters last month. The ship, which provided security to the fleet, entered Tokyo Port on Friday morning and Bethune, 44, was handed over to the JCG. It is the first time Japanese authorities have arrested a member of Sea Shepherd, which has repeatedly obstructed Japanese whaling research ships. The JCG plans to question Bethune over allegations including having a small vessel collide with the Shonan Maru No. 2. Bethune was the skipper of the Sea Shepherd's high-tech powerboat, the Ady Gil. The JCG served him with an arrest warrant while he was still on the Shonan Maru No. 2 at about 11:15 a.m. According to the JCG, Bethune approached the ship on a personal watercraft in the Antarctic Ocean on Feb. 15, and climbed aboard by using a knife to cut through a net on the ship that was set up to prevent people from accessing the deck illegally. Bethune was detained on the ship as the Mariners Law allows a ship's captain to take necessary measures to avoid harm if a person performs an action that could cause danger on the ship. The Shonan Maru No. 2 suspended its mission to surveil vessels trying to obstruct Japanese research whaling ships and sailed more than 10,000 kilometers to Japan on its own. According to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, which has jurisdiction over research whaling, the Ady Gil was crippled after it collided with the Shonan Maru No. 2 on Jan. 6. After Bethune climbed onto the ship, he reportedly told the ship's crew that he sought compensation for the Ady Gil. He also reportedly admitted that he had lobbed bottles filled with butyric acid, which emits a strong odor, at the ship. The JCG plans to question Bethune over these allegations on suspicion of assault or forcible obstruction of business. The Criminal Code stipulates penalties for trespassing on a vessel in the same section that causes unlawful entry into a building. Under the Criminal Code, if a person makes an unlawful entry onto a vessel that is capable of accommodating a person, the intruder will face up to three years in prison or a maximum fine of 100,000 yen. === Arrest message to intl community By Mikoto Hata Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer The arrest of an activist from the antiwhaling group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was prompted by the necessity for Japan to emphasize the validity of whaling to the international community. After the activist Peter Bethune, allegedly trespassed onto a security ship belonging to the Japanese research whaling fleet in the Antarctic Ocean on Feb. 15, the Fisheries Agency quickly announced that it planned to hand over Bethune to the Japan Coast Guard, with the intention to punish the New Zealand national in Japan. Such a quick response resulted from a bitter lesson from an incident two years ago. In January 2008, two Sea Shepherd activists were held after they boarded a Japanese research whaling vessel. However, Japan soon handed them over to the Australian government, where the Sea Shepherd has a base. However, antiwhaling activities against Japanese vessels by the group have intensified, while the experience of two years ago has led the agency to rethink its position: That if Japan did not take a resolute attitude toward such incidents, the nation would not be able to claim the validity of whaling to the international community, according to a senior official at the agency. The agency also has in mind the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission to be held in Morocco in June. Last month, the chairman of the IWC made a proposal to allow Japan to resume coastal whaling in exchange for reducing the scale of the nation's research whaling. The Fisheries Agency hopes to expose the radical activities of the antiwhaling group to the international community at the upcoming meeting, and to realize Japan's long-held intention of resuming coastal whaling. However, the antiwhaling group likely will claim in court that Japan's research whaling has provided the nation with a cover to disguise commercial whaling. The development of the investigation into the suspect should be monitored carefully. (Mar. 13, 2010)
2010.03.13
コメント(0)
-
Japan says it won't comply with possible tuna ban
Japan says it won't comply with possible tuna ban By SHINO YUASA Associated Press Writer AP Photo/David Guttenfelder TOKYO (AP) -- Japan will not comply if a ban is imposed on international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, prized by Japanese for sushi, a senior official said after the United States threw its support behind the move ahead of a crucial vote."If worse comes to worst, Japan will inevitably have to lodge its reservations," Vice Fishery Minister Masahiko Yamada told a news conference Thursday.His comments came a day after the United States threw its support behind the ban on the international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna, which conservationists say risks extinction if current catch rates continue.At a March 13-25 meeting in Qatar, 175 member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, will vote on a proposal by Monaco to list the species under Appendix 1 of the convention. If the measure wins support from two-thirds of member nations, trade of the fish would be banned.Environmentalists say that would significantly reduce the catch because 80 percent of all Atlantic bluefin ends up in Japan, where it is a key ingredient in sashimi and sushi. Fatty bluefin - called "o-toro" here - can go for as much as 2,000 yen ($22) a piece in high-end Tokyo restaurants.But Japan may register a reservation on the ban, which in practical terms means it could engage in trade with any other nation that also files a reservation.The impact of such a move remains unclear because it depends on how many other nations might also register reservations. But activists say it could seriously undermine any ban."If major fishing nations show the same position as the Japanese government, it will ruin the concept of the CITES treaty," said Wakao Hanaoka, an ocean campaigner with Greenpeace in Tokyo.Bluefin tuna stocks in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean have dropped by 60 percent between 1997 and 2007, a result of surging demand as well as illegal and underreported catches.The upcoming CITES vote is starting to garner more attention in Japan, with TV programs saying a ban would make it much harder for Japanese to obtain the succulent red and pink tuna meat. Other tuna species, including the Pacific bluefin, bigeye and yellowfin, would not be affected by the ban.Yamada said Japan is committed to protecting bluefin species. Tokyo believes that catch quotas, which have already been cut 40 percent this year to 14,900 tons (13,500 metric tons) by another body, the International Commission on the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna, should be sufficient.But environmentalists say the quotas are widely ignored and are too high anyway.The European Commission has proposed that EU governments commit to the ban, although there still appears to be some division. Greece, Malta, Spain and Italy - which have strong fisherman lobbies - have resisted steps to curtail the hunt for bluefin, but recently France signaled it would support a trade ban if its implementation were delayed.
2010.03.08
コメント(0)
-
Generation Gap (3)
3/5 24 Generation Gap (3)Wakimoto I suppose baby boomers and their kids are getting along much better than earlier generations of parents and their children. Am I right? Hughes Yes, the generation gap has narrowed and mellowed quite a bit in recent years. That wasn't always the case. There used to be a huge gap in terms of understanding and basic values between the generation that grew up in the Depression and fought World War 11 and their offspring. Wakimoto Right. In the 1960s, the two generations went head-to-head over divisive issues such as the Vietnam War, sexuality and civil rights. That gave rise to the term "counterculture" to describe disaffected young people of the era who rejected many of the values held by their parents. KinkaidNowadays, the generation gap is more a matter of amiable disagreement than a deep, acrimonious divide between parents and their kids. Hughes Right. It's as if they've agreed to disagree. Today's younger generation isn't necessarily challenging or questioning the core values of their parents. Wakimoto Even if they don't agree about everything, there's better communication between the generations these days as well. I think there's more willingness on the part of parents to give their kids their own space. They don't want to control every aspect of their children's lives.
2010.03.06
コメント(1)
-
Japanese princess bullied at elementary school
Japanese princess bullied at elementary school By JAY ALABASTER Associated Press Writer AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's Princess Aiko, granddaughter of the emperor, has missed several days of classes because of bullying by boys at her elementary school, a spokesman for the royal family said Friday.The news provided a rare glimpse into the private affairs of the world's oldest hereditary monarchy, which usually abides by strict, formal protocols and is tightlipped about personal matters.The 8-year-old princess complained of a stomachache and expressed deep anxiety and has not attended school since coming home early Tuesday, the spokesman for the Imperial Household Agency said. He declined to provide his name, citing agency policy.An investigation by the agency and the school revealed that she and several other students had suffered "violent things" from boys in another class, the spokesman said, declining to elaborate.The story is likely to shock Japanese. The imperial family is treated with deep reverence in the country, where Aiko's great-grandfather, Emperor Hirohito, was worshipped as a living god until Tokyo's defeat in World War II.But an official at the elite Gakushuin Primary School in Tokyo's central Shinjuku district attended by Aiko said the incident may have been a simple misunderstanding."She had decided to leave school, and just as she had returned from changing into her normal shoes from her school shoes, I hear it was two boys that approached very suddenly and nearly collided with her, which scared her," school director Motomasa Higashisono told reporters.Japanese schoolchildren often have a separate pair of shoes for school use.Aiko is the daughter of Crown Prince Naruhito, son of the current emperor, and Princess Masako. The agency spokesman declined to comment on the reaction of her parents or when she would return to school.Naruhito is to visit Africa starting Saturday but won't be accompanied by Masako, who hasn't attended official duties for several years. She has long suffered from a nervous disorder attributed to the difficulties of adjusting to palace life and the pressure to bear a son.After suffering a miscarriage in 1999, Masako gave birth to Aiko in 2001. The lack of a male heir fanned a movement to change the law to allow Aiko to succeed her father.But Naruhito's younger brother, Prince Akishino, and his wife Princess Kiko had a baby boy in 2006, who is now third in line to the throne.
2010.03.05
コメント(0)
-
Politics and Money in Democracy
Politics and Money in DemocracyMasaru KohnoProfessor, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda UniversityA series of affairs related to Ichiro Ozawa, the secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan, and his secretaries has highlighted again how difficult it is to establish rules about politics and money. As is well known, the Political Fund Control Act has been amended over and over in Japan. In fact, it is an endless loop in which every amendment is followed by problems where its defects are exploited, making yet another amendment inevitable. For example, the media is reporting as a big story that Rikuzankai, Ozawa’s political fund management organization, purchased real estate with political funds. This type of purchase is prohibited by the current law, but not at the time of the purchase. The expensive real estate still owned by the organization is nothing but a symbol of the loophole in the previous law.Why does closing one loophole result in another loophole emerging in the form of another law? One answer would be simply that there is a classic conflict of interest. The Political Fund Control Act restricts politicians’ daily behavior more directly than any of the other numerous laws. The legislative power, however, can only be exercised by the sole law-making organ the Diet and the active politicians inside it. The source of difficulty is the fact that politicians themselves have to create laws which are to regulate their own behavior.However, a more fundamental cause, perhaps, of the recurring problems of politics and money is that a serious discussion has been lacking in Japan on the principle of how to deal with these issues in the democratic system. This essay is an attempt to promote such a discussion from a more theoretical point of view for the improvement of rules governing politics and money.In general, there are three major approaches to restricting political funds: First, to limit the amount of donations from individuals or groups; second, to require politicians or political organizations to report their revenues and expenses in detail in order to make the incoming and outgoing flow of funds more transparent; and third, to stiffen penalties for violations of amount limits or reporting requirements. The current Political Fund Control Act uses these three approaches in combination. Many of the packages that have been proposed for solving the problems of politics and money also incorporate these three elements.Upon reflection, however, these approaches are not necessarily based on the commmon principle or on the same understanding of democracy. If these three elements involve any contradictory views or philosophies, they should not be easily integrated.For example, the first approach limiting the amount of donations is, in other words, a notion that politicians or political parties may not collect unlimited amounts of money. This view assumes that there is, or there should be, an appropriate level set as the total amount that politicians or political parties may spend. In contrast, the second approach increased transparency in the flow of funds would work even without assuming such an appropriate level. In fact, the idea behind requiring politicians to disclose funding information is that the appropriate level should be determined by general voters. Sufficient dissemination of information would allow individual voters to judge for themselves whether specific politicians have collected too much money or whether certain political parties have received contributions from only particular types of groups and then the voters can make their voting decisions accordingly.This difference between the first and the second approaches ultimately reflects the difference in philosophy about how to perceive democracy. According to the libertarian view, different voters should consider different amounts of money as appropriate for political activities. This leads to a conclusion that it is wrong to fix a monetary level binding the behavior of politicians or political parties. For libertarians, such an arbitrarily defined level itself would be against the principle of democracy in the first place. On the other hand, a more interventionist notion emphasizes that this libertarian assumption itself may result in a bias in favor of specific classes of people or groups. Interventionists argue that the democratic society, consisting of voters with varying capabilities, cannot be a political version of a simple economic “market,” and therefore appropriate levels of funding must be set up at various stages in the political process as a matter of course.The third approach heavier penalties is also not always consistent with the second one. Increasing transparency is important precisely because the electorate believe that they can punish politicians whom they regard as inappropriate by voting. On the other hand, the idea of strengthening fines or other criminal penalties is based on a view about democracy that punishing inappropriate politicians takes more than just voting. This reasoning implies that the first and the third approaches are similar in that they are interventionist, and that the difference between them is whether they rely on ex ante or ex post intervention.Following the series of the affairs mentioned above, it is expected that the Diet will discuss various bills for amending the law during the rest of the current session, such as the abolishment of corporate donations and the introduction of a tax system encouraging individual contributions. It is, however, difficult to generate constructive discussion regarding politics and money due to the interests of the political parties that are intricately intertwined with each other. Establishing a broad consensus for reform would first require fully recognizing the beliefs underlying specific proposals and the respective understanding of democracy.Masaru KohnoProfessor, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University[Biography]Prof. Kohno was born in 1962 and graduated from Faculty of Law, Sophia University. He received an M.A. in International Relations from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Stanford University. He has been a Professor on the Faculty of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University since 2003 after serving as an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia; a National Fellow for the Hoover Institute at Stanford University; an Associate Professor for Aoyama Gakuin University, among other positions. Prof. Kohno is also a Research Associate at the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study and a Fellow at The Tokyo Foundation Virtual Center for Advanced Studies in Institution (VCASI).[Major Publications]Masaru Kohno, Japan's Postwar Party Politics, Princeton University Press, 1997.Ichiro Miyake, Yoshitaka Nishizawa, and Masaru Kohno, Politics and Economy under the 1955 System: Analysis of Jiji Public Opinion Data [55-Nen Taisei-ka no Seiji to Keizai: Jiji Yoron Chosa Dehta no Bunseki], Bokutakusha, 2001Masaru Kohno, Institution [Seido], Theories and Models in Social Sciences Vol. 12 [Shakai Kagaku no Riron to Moderu 12], University of Tokyo Press, 2002.Masaru Kohno, ed. From Institution to Governance: Intersection of Knowledge in Social Sciences [Seido kara Gabanansu e: Shakai Kagaku ni okeru Chi no Kousa], University of Tokyo Press, 2006Masaru Kohno and Frances Rosenbluth, eds. Japan and the World: Japan's Contemporary Geopolitical Challenges. New Haven: Yale University Council on East Asian Studies, 2009.Masaru Kohno, ed. Expectations, Institutions, and the Global Society [Kitai, Seido, Gurohbaru Shakai], Keisoshobo, 2009Aiji Tanaka, Masaru Kohno, Airou Hino, Ken Iida, and Opinion Poll Department of Yomiuri Shinbun Newspaper, Why did the change of the administration take place in 2009? [2009-nen, Naze Seiken-koutai dattanoka], Keisoshobo, 2009
2010.02.28
コメント(0)
-
Mao-chan a winner in fans' eyes
VANCOUVER 2010 / Mao-chan a winner in fans' eyesAkiko Yoshinaga / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WriterVANCOUVER--Mao Asada shed tears of vexation Thursday after she failed to capture the figure skating gold medal she so earnestly sought. Asada ended up a distant second behind her South Korean rival Kim Yu Na, who put on a flawless performance at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. But Asada's fans who watched the battle between Asada and Kim offered words of appreciation. "A silver medal also is great," said one, and others complimented her performance or talked of how it moved them. Asada, 19, wept during an interview after the competition. "My performance seemed to go by in a flash," she said before breaking down momentarily, adding in a strained voice: "I feel frustrated, but I did all I could." Skating immediately before Asada, Kim received a very high score, generating a buzz among the crowd that continued into the beginning of Asada's performance. Asada got off to a strong start, successfully performing a triple axel and completed jumps one after another. She slipped up midway through her performance, wobbling a bit on a landing. Asada could not manage a smile immediately following her performance and accepted the cheers of spectators with a grim expression. But she had done enough to win the silver medal. "It was a great performance. Foreign spectators also cheered her on. I want to tell her that she was the most wonderful," said Rika Tone, 29, a company employee from Tokyo who went to the Pacific Coliseum to cheer for Asada. "If Asada is satisfied [with the result], a big fan like me doesn't care about the color of the medal she won. Kim's performance was just too perfect," said Yasuyo Shiono, 49, also from Tokyo. "I want to say congratulations to both Mao and Kim. I don't think we'll see such wonderful performances again for some time," said Kazuko Ueno, 78, of Itami, Hyogo Prefecture. === Fans in Tokyo cheer Asada The Yomiuri Shimbun Crowds cheered and applauded in Tokyo on Friday as Japanese figure skaters competed in the women's long program at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. About 1,200 people gathered in front of a 166-inch screen installed on the ground floor of the Marunouchi Building in Chiyoda Ward. They shouted and clapped their hands as each Japanese skater appeared on the screen. "[Mao Asada] didn't win a gold medal, but getting a silver on the great stage [of the Olympic Games] is a marvelous achievement," said Yoshino Emoto, a 45-year-old company employee of Ota Ward, Tokyo, as he clapped loudly after Asada's performance. The K's Cinema movie theater in Shinjuku Ward, which is now showing a film about a female figure skater aiming to compete in the Olympics, set up a temporary cheering area for the competition. Small national flags were passed out to the about 30 people gathered there, revving them up to cheer on the skaters. "It's too bad [Asada] lost to Kim, but I hope she wins a gold medal at the next Olympic Games," said Kensuke Yamada, a university freshman who is the same age as the 19-year-old Asada. (Feb. 27, 2010)
2010.02.27
コメント(1)
-
Is total ban on smoking in works?
Is total ban on smoking in works? / Ministry soon to urge local govts to bar tobacco use in public facilitiesKatsuki Honda and Takashi Nakamura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WritersCould a total smoking ban in all public facilities, such as schools, hospitals, restaurants and hotels, which is set to be urged for all local governments by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, spread across the country and help prevent health hazards caused by secondhand smoke? Though such a notification would be nonbinding, the ministry shifted from an initial policy of recommending the separation of smoking areas to one to urging a total smoking ban. It is inevitable that the restaurant industry will oppose the measure because of its likely negative impact on customer numbers. But observers wonder whether the ministry's action will lead to progress in Japan's battle against secondhand smoke, which notably lags behind Western countries. Regarding the purpose of the instruction, which was authored by the director general of its Health Service Bureau, a senior ministry official said, "We expect efforts as well as debates on stopping smoking will deepen." It is scientific fact that secondhand smoking, the inhaling of tobacco smoke from others, is harmful to health. The Health Promotion Law, which was enacted in 2003, set a goal of preventing secondhand smoking. But out of consideration for businesses that would be affected by such efforts, the ministry allowed the inclusion of measures to separate smoking areas, despite also stating that a total smoking ban would be desirable. However, global antismoking trends have progressed further than Japan's effort. The World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control went into effect in 2005. The convention's guideline, adopted in 2007, said all measures other than a total smoking ban were imperfect. Many European countries have accelerated measures to ban smoking in public places, saying that separation measures cannot completely prevent health damage from secondhand smoke. Given this trend, the ministry set up a panel to discuss the issue in 2008, and the panel compiled a report in March last year saying smoking should face a total ban in principle in public places. Since last year, the ministry has considered whether a revision of the Industrial Safety and Health Act would be able to compel employers to take measures to prevent secondhand smoke from the perspective of protecting workers. Since the enactment of the Health Promotion Law, measures to ban smoking or to separate areas for smokers and nonsmokers in public places and public transportation have progressed. But since the percentage of male smokers remains high--36.8 percent in 2008--it is not easy to impose such measures on izakaya pubs and hotels. The latest planned ministry instruction allows the separation measures to be instituted on a temporary basis, if a total smoking ban is predicted to seriously hurt such businesses. But the instruction also demands that these businesses ultimately implement a total smoking ban in the future. In 2005, major izakaya pub chain Watami opened four no-smoking restaurants in the Tokyo metropolitan area and elsewhere. Despite their good reputation mainly among female clientele, Watami closed the nonsmoking locations after about a year, because of a drop in group reservations and the fact that most late-night customers are smokers who shunned the restaurants. There are many hotels and department stores that clearly separate where people can and cannot smoke. However, the upcoming ministry notice essentially requests a total smoking ban in such facilities. "Many smokers use hotels. Considering customers' needs, I don't think the total smoking ban is necessary," said an employee of a major hotel chain. A staffer at a major department store also said both smokers and nonsmokers are good customers and the store simply cannot clear out smoking customers. At the same time, some taxi companies are welcoming the developments. A spokesman of the taxi association in Osaka Prefecture, where there are fewer nonsmoking taxis than other areas, said about 70 percent of its drivers support a total smoking ban in taxis if all taxis forbid smoking, despite some concern about losing passengers. "If the [ministry] notice accelerates the [nonsmoking] movement, it would be easier for us to implement [a total ban]," the spokesman added. According to the Japan Federation of Hire-Taxi Associations, taxis in Tokyo and 36 prefectures began asking passengers not to smoke in their vehicles as of November. A federation spokesman said the group feels the idea of a total smoking ban is gradually being accepted by customers, although initially providers were concerned about a decrease in revenue. Many European countries and the United States clearly stipulate smoking bans in public places, and an increasing number of pubs and other eateries in Britain are banning smoking, said Yumiko Mochizuki, who leads smoking policy research at the National Cancer Center. She pointed out that underlying the delay in imposing a smoking ban in public areas in Japan is the fact that the adverse effects on people's health from secondhand smoke have not been clearly recognized. Bungaku Watanabe, chief editor of the monthly magazine "Kinen Journal (nonsmoking journal)" said some eateries overseas actually had more customers when they banned smoking and nonsmokers began patronizing the businesses. "Making the environment harsh for smokers also saves those who want to quit smoking but aren't able to [on their own]," Watanabe added. (Feb. 22, 2010)
2010.02.22
コメント(0)
-
Japan should deepen ties with Australia
Japan should deepen ties with AustraliaThe Yomiuri ShimbunFrom the standpoint of maintaining peace and stability in East Asia, Australia is a very important partner for Japan. Furthermore, Japan depends heavily on Australia for imports of food and energy resources. Against this background, Tokyo should boost its cooperative ties with Canberra on both the national security and economic fronts. Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada is scheduled to visit Australia this weekend, and during talks with Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, the two governments are expected to agree on an early conclusion for an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA). Such accords allow countries to provide each other with food and fuels, as well as transportation and supply services on such occasions as disaster relief operations and for U.N. peacekeeping missions. To date, the United States is the only country with which Japan has concluded an ACSA. The Self-Defense Forces and the Australian military have often jointly participated in international assistance activities in East Asia. For example, they worked together for the peacekeeping activities that started in 2002 in East Timor and as part of relief operations in areas hit by the Indian Ocean earthquake in late 2004. Based on an ACSA, the two governments would be able to lend each other necessary goods, thus allowing both sides to function more efficiently. === Similar goals, concerns Japan also is negotiating with Australia over a safeguard accord on secret information, with the ultimate aim of sharing security data. Should the two sides reach an agreement on this issue, the Commonwealth realm would become only the second nation with which Japan has inked such an accord, after the United States. Japan and Australia have common security challenges in East Asia, such as maintaining the safety of the sea-lane through the Strait of Malacca and dealing with China, which has been expanding its military might. Expanded security-related cooperation between the two countries, both of which are U.S. allies, will doubtless lead to stronger ties between Tokyo, Washington and Canberra--a triumvirate that could in turn contribute to stability in East Asia. Areas of mutual economic concern also should be addressed. Japan gets more of its natural resources--including coal, iron ore and uranium--from Australia than any other country. Japan also is the top importer of Australian energy resources and foods. Though Australia gets most of its automobiles and machinery from China and the United States, respectively, Japan is Australia's third-largest supplier of such goods. === Challenges lie ahead During the foreign ministerial talks, Okada and Smith are expected to agree on the need to accelerate negotiations on an economic partnership agreement. Nevertheless, the talks are expected to be tough going, as they will cover trade liberalization issues relating to such agricultural products as beef and dairy products. Considering the importance of securing stable supplies of food and energy resources, however, Japan could benefit greatly by concluding an EPA with Australia. We hope both countries make further efforts toward concluding such an accord. Meanwhile, Tokyo and Canberra often have clashed over the issue of whaling: Australia is--in the main--an antiwhaling nation. Therefore, it is a matter of course that Japan should justify its whaling-related research activities, and bilateral relations should not be allowed to sour over the issue. Ultimately, both countries must strive to deepen their cooperative efforts in areas where both can benefit. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 19, 2010) (Feb. 19, 2010)
2010.02.21
コメント(0)
-
Japan, U.S. discuss N-deterrence
Japan, U.S. discuss N-deterrenceSatoshi Ogawa / Yomiuri Shimbun CorrespondentWASHINGTON--Senior defense and foreign ministerial officials met with Bradley Roberts, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile defense policy, in Washington on Thursday, in the first bilateral consultative talks on nuclear deterrence strategy.An agreement last summer between Japan--under the previous administration of former Prime Minister Taro Aso--and the United States to launch consultative talks on nuclear strategy had been put on hold by the Democratic Party of Japan-led administration that took power in September.Many ruling coalition lawmakers take a cautious stance on the policy of relying on nuclear deterrence.The Japan side was represented in the talks by Kazuyoshi Umemoto, director general of the North American Affairs Bureau, and Takehiro Funakoshi, director of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty Division, both of the Foreign Ministry, and Kiyoshi Serizawa, director of the Defense Ministry's Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation Division.The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has a policy of seeking a nuclear-free world. However, faced with North Korea's nuclear development program and China's military buildup, Tokyo is concerned about whether the nuclear umbrella offered by the United States will continue to function effectively.In Thursday's meeting, the Japanese side apparently sought explanations from the United States on what substitute deterrent measures would be taken if Washington abolishes weapons that have served as Japan's nuclear umbrella.The two sides also were believed to have discussed the work done to verify whether there were secret agreements between the two countries on the entry into Japan of nuclear weapons and how to deal with the issue in the future.The consultations on nuclear deterrence are part of consultative talks on deepening the Japan-U.S. alliance.The governments of the two countries want to reflect the results of the nuclear deterrence talks in a political document they are likely to compile in November, Japanese officials said.(Feb. 21, 2010)
2010.02.21
コメント(0)
-
Govt to urge total smoking ban in restaurants, hotels
Govt to urge total smoking ban in restaurants, hotelsThe Yomiuri ShimbunThe Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is set to urge all local governments to introduce a total ban on smoking in public places in principle to help prevent health hazards caused by secondhand smoke, sources said. Having judged that the mere separation of smoking areas is not adequate to protect people from secondhand smoke, the ministry is believed to be seeking a total ban in schools, hospitals, restaurants and other public places. The ban would also extend to theaters, department stores, private and public offices, stations, hotels and amusement facilities. Taxis and buses would also be included in the ban. The ministry will allow the operators of such facilities as restaurants and hotels to keep separated smoking areas as a tentative measure if the ban would seriously hurt their business. The ministry, however, would eventually seek the total ban in these facilities, too. The notification will be issued under the name of the ministry's health service bureau chief in line with the Health Promotion Law. The law obliges facilities used by many people to introduce measures to prevent nonsmokers being affected by secondhand smoke. However, violators will not be penalized. A ministry panel of experts discussing ways to combat passive smoking in the workplace is to compile a report in April obliging business operators to try to prevent passive smoking. But opposition from business operators is expected as the measure would require a revision of the Industrial Safety and Health Law. The Kanagawa prefectural government, which in April will be the nation's first local government to enforce an ordinance to ban smoking inside public spaces, welcomed the move. "We'd hoped our efforts would spread throughout the nation. It's great to hear that the national government decided to make the move," said Yasuo Ide, an official of the prefectural government's tobacco management office. Bungaku Watanabe, editor in chief of monthly magazine Kinen (nonsmoking) Journal, said separate smoking areas are not enough to prevent secondhand smoke, and that people who want to quit smoking also need support. "A total ban on smoking is necessary. The government should go further than sending the notice," Watanabe said. "It's important to promote antitobacco measures by revising the law to impose penalty on offenders or by increasing tobacco prices." Hisashi Nakai, secretary general of the Japan Food Service Association, an industrial body of restaurants and catering businesses, said that while it respected the basic societal trend toward protecting health through the prevention of secondhand smoke, it also wanted to cater to customers who wanted to enjoy tobacco while drinking at a bar. "We want to decide our policies after reading the notice and seeing the moves of local governments," he said. (Feb. 19, 2010)
2010.02.19
コメント(0)
-
Eco-friendly chip planned by 4 makers
Eco-friendly chip planned by 4 makersThe Yomiuri ShimbunFour domestic major semiconductor makers will launch a joint project to develop a next-generation large-scale integrated circuit whose electric power consumption will be about one-tenth of the power used by current chips, company sources said Wednesday. The four chipmakers--Toshiba Corp., Fujitsu Ltd., NEC Electronics Corp. and Renesas Technology Corp.--hope to complete the energy-saving LSI chip in five years, according to the sources. The use of the envisaged LSI chip is expected to considerably reduce the power consumption of information-technology devices, thus helping corporations and ordinary households save energy. This will greatly curtail greenhouse gas emissions from the power generation, according to analysts. LSI chips are vital components of flat-screen TV sets, cell phones, video game consoles and other IT devices. The current LSI chips require an input voltage of 1 volt or more. In developing the next-generation LSI semiconductor, Toshiba and the three other chip manufacturers will seek to ensure that even an ultralow voltage of less than 0.4 volt can run the new chip. To achieve this goal, the four corporations will drastically rethink their circuit-design technologies and study what kind of material would best fit the production of the energy-saving LSI chip. The aim is to make sure the power consumption by the next-generation LSI will be about 10 percent of the power used by current LSIs. The LSI is a high-performance semiconductor used in computers, household electrical appliances and cars in large numbers for computing data and storing programs. Efforts to speed up the computation process of such equipment and reduce power use require nanotechnology, including an increase in the density of a circuit in the LSI chip. The four chipmakers will use laboratories and other facilities to be set up in the spring by the government for the study of nanotechnology in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, to conduct their joint undertaking. Experts from these corporations will jointly work to test-manufacture a next-generation LSI. NEC Electronics and Renesas plan to integrate in April. The government likely will extend about 10 billion yen in aid for the project, which will also involve Tsukuba University. The government has said it will seek a 25 percent reduction in Japan's global-warming gas emissions, compared with 1990 levels, by 2020. However, it has proved extremely difficult to cap greenhouse gas emissions in this country. In 2008, for example, the nation's carbon dioxide emissions increased by about 40 percent in office operations and other nonmanufacturing activities of the corporate sector and by about 30 percent in emissions from ordinary households from the 1990 levels, despite a reduction of more than 10 percent in the industrial sector that year. The electric power consumed by IT equipment is projected to see a fivefold increase by 2025, compared with 2006 levels.The new LSI development can be regarded as a highly promising project in that pursuing the 25 percent reduction target will inevitably require the use of energy-saving equipment in various sectors of society, analysts said. (Feb. 18, 2010)
2010.02.18
コメント(0)
-
VANCOUVER 2010 / Japan skates to silver, bronze
VANCOUVER 2010 / Japan skates to silver, bronzeThe Yomiuri ShimbunMo Tae Bum of South Korea, who won the men's 500-meter speed skating event, is flanked by second placed Keiichiro Nagashima, left, and bronze medalist Joji Kato as they pose at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Vancouver at the 2010 Winter Olympics on Monday.VANCOUVER, Feb. 16--Keiichiro Nagashima took silver and Joji Kato grabbed bronze in the men's 500-meter speed skating event Monday, collecting the first medals for Japan at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.Nagashima took second in a combined 1 minute 9.98 seconds over the two races, while Kato clocked 1:10.01. The last time Japan won two medals in the men's 500 meters was the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France.South Korea's Mo Tae Bum won in a time of 1:09.82, delivering the country its first gold medal in speed skating.Yuya Oikawa finished 13th and Akio Ota 17th.Nagashima has long said that winning an Olympic medal was about proving his worth. He said he felt his appearance at the Olympics would be meaningless if he did not win a medal.The 27-year-old skater, who once said he had "worked his way up from among the weeds," achieved the result he has been longing for on the grand stage of the Olympics.Nagashima failed to skate as fast as expected in the first run, finishing sixth in 35.1. But with his back to the wall, he recorded the best time for the second run, lapping in 34.87. Nagashima was beaten only by Mo, who skated after him.(Feb. 17, 2010)
2010.02.17
コメント(0)
-
Antiwhaling activist held on Japan ship
Antiwhaling activist held on Japan shipThe Yomiuri ShimbunAn activist from the antiwhaling group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was held after he boarded a Japanese research whaling vessel in the Antarctic Ocean, the Fisheries Agency said Monday. According to the agency, the male activist, Pete Bethune, boarded the patrol ship Shonan Maru No. 2 before dawn Monday. Bethune, a New Zealander, is the former skipper of the Ady Gil, a high-tech powerboat that sank following a collision with the Shonan Maru No. 2 last month. He was believed to have approached the ship on a jet ski and climbed onto the vessel. He was held without a struggle, the agency said. The boarding of a Japanese research whaling vessel by a Sea Shepherd activist was the first since January 2008, when two activists climbed aboard a Japanese vessel. According to the Japan Coast Guard, Japanese laws are applicable on Japanese vessels. The captain can take necessary measures based on the Mariners Law to avoid harm if a person performs an "action that could cause danger aboard a ship," including boarding the vessel. === Aim was to arrest Japan skipper Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent SINGAPORE--The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society issued a statement Monday, confirming that the former New Zealand skipper of the sunken Ady Gil boarded the Shonan Maru No. 2 before dawn Monday. In the statement, the Sea Shepherd said, "[Captain Pete Bethune's] mission is to attempt a citizen's arrest of the skipper of the Shonan Maru [No.] 2 for the destruction of the Ady Gil and attempted murder of the six Ady Gil crew members." (Feb. 16, 2010)
2010.02.16
コメント(0)
-
Tokyo to receive 2 pandas from China next year
Tokyo to receive 2 pandas from China next year AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese panda fans will be able to see the endangered animals in Tokyo next year for the first time since 2008, after the city reached an agreement to pay nearly $1 million a year to borrow a pair from China, officials said Friday.Tokyo's Ueno Zoo has been without a giant panda for the first time since 1972, when a pair arrived to mark the signing of a peace treaty between Japan and China. Ling Ling, a panda who came to Tokyo in 1992, died in April 2008 at the age of 22, which in human terms is equivalent to about 70.Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara told reporters Friday that two pandas are expected to arrive in Tokyo early next year and would cost $950,000 a year."It's quite a costly deal," Ishihara said, adding that Tokyo officials bargained to get $50,000 off the original $1 million price tag. The payments will help rebuild a panda sanctuary in China's Sichuan province and fund joint breeding projects between Japan and China, he said.The sanctuary was nearly destroyed by a devastating earthquake in Sichuan in May 2008. Nearly 70,000 people were killed.Zoos often pay about $1 million a year to borrow pairs of pandas from China. Any cubs produced by the pandas are the property of China."Pandas are endangered and everyone loves them," Ishihara said. "We've received strong requests from people in Tokyo and around Japan who want to see them in Tokyo again."When Ling Ling died two years ago, people sent condolence messages from around the country and his portrait was displayed inside his cage, along with bouquets and offerings of his favorite bamboo shoots.Chinese President Hu Jintao offered to loan a pair of pandas to Japan during a visit a month later.There are about 1,600 pandas in the wild, mostly in Sichuan.
2010.02.15
コメント(0)
-
VANCOUVER 2010 / Kokubo banned from ceremony
VANCOUVER 2010 / Kokubo banned from ceremonyShoichi Yamashita / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WriterVANCOUVER--Japanese Olympic snowboarder Kazuhiro Kokubo was barred from attending the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics by the head of Japan's Olympic delegation after he flouted the dress code by wearing the Japanese Olympic uniform in a manner deemed inappropriate.Seiko Hashimoto, Japan's chef de mission for the Games, and Kokubo announced at a press conference Friday that Kokubo would not attend the ceremony. Snowboard team manager Fumikazu Hagiwara and two coaches also were barred from the ceremony for not fulfilling their supervisory responsibilities.Kokubo, 21, who will compete in the halfpipe event, departed for Vancouver on Tuesday from Narita Airport with the Japanese delegation, but had his official team trousers hitched below his waist, shirt untucked and tie loosened.Due to numerous complaints to the Japanese Olympic Committee and other entities, Kokubo voluntary refrained from attending Wednesday's ceremony for athletes entering the Olympic Village. At a press conference shortly after the ceremony, Kokubo said he was very sorry for his attire, but prolonged his syllables in a manner that was perceived to be flippant, which fueled even more protests.At Friday's press conference, Hashimoto said Kokubo had violated the delegation's code of conduct and that the Ski Association of Japan plans to take disciplinary measures.Though Hashimoto said the SAJ also wanted to prevent Kokubo from taking part in the Olympic Games, she expressed her intention to support Kokubo during the Games."He regrets what he did," Hashimoto said. "When I spoke with him, he said he wanted to fulfill his responsibility by doing his best at the Games. I'll take full responsibility."Kokubo on Friday, with a much more serious demeanor than before, said: "I'm sorry for causing trouble for so many people. I feel great responsibility for that."He then bowed.(Feb. 14, 2010)
2010.02.14
コメント(0)
-
Japanese firms acquire Venezuelan oil field rights
Japanese firms acquire Venezuelan oil field rightsThe Yomiuri ShimbunMajor petroleum development company INPEX Corp. has acquired the development rights for part of the Orinoco oil field in eastern Venezuela with Mitsu-bishi Corp., according to INPEX.Observers say the development rights for a part of the giant oil field could help secure a stable supply of energy for Japan, which depends on the Middle East for 87 percent of its crude oil procurement.The two companies are part of a group of firms that won a bid for the development rights of the Carabobo area, which has an estimated 2 billion to 2.5 billion barrels in oil reserves, and will be able to produce about 400,000 barrels a day when it is scheduled to reach peak production in 2020.INPEX and Mitsubishi will each hold a 1.25 percent stake in development rights. Venezuela's state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA will have 60 percent stake and Chevron Corp. will have a 34 percent stake.The Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, which is an external body of the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, is also expected to acquire some of the development rights. The total Japanese stake will be 5 percent at most, equivalent to 20,000 barrels a day at peak production.Venezuela holds the world's fifth-largest confirmed oil reserves at 99.4 billion barrels. If the reserves of extra-heavy crude, which is difficult to refine, are included, the country could technically be considered the world's largest oil producer.(Feb. 13, 2010)
2010.02.13
コメント(0)
-
Hatoyama goes on offensive / Edano pick seen as way to seize initiative from Ozawa camp
Hatoyama goes on offensive / Edano pick seen as way to seize initiative from Ozawa campNobutaka Kuribayashi, Junya Hashimoto and Hiroshi Tajima / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WritersIn an effort to buoy his administration, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama seems to be trying to erase his image of being politically reliant on Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa.Hatoyama on Wednesday appointed former DPJ Policy Research Committee Chairman Yukio Edano, who has kept his distance from Ozawa, to the post of state minister in charge of government revitalization.The prime minister had been noncommittal toward the issue of whether House of Representatives member Tomohiro Ishikawa, a former secretary to Ozawa, should leave the DPJ, saying, "It's his own decision."Kozo Watanabe, former vice speaker of the lower house from the DPJ, shook hands with Edano and gave him words of encouragement when the two met in a corridor of the Diet Building on Wednesday evening."I wish you luck with your job. This is a great pleasure also for me," Watanabe told Edano.Edano deeply bowed to him and replied politely, "I seek your continued guidance."Edano is one of seven midranking party lawmakers that have distanced themselves from Ozawa. Watanabe calls them the DPJ's "seven magistrates."Another of the seven is Yoshito Sengoku, state minister in charge of national policy, who strongly recommended to Hatoyama that Edano be given the revitalization post. As a politician, Sengoku has been like a mentor to Edano.Hatoyama has praised Edano for the high profile of his name and ability to resonate with the public. In January, Hatoyama expressed his intention to appoint Edano, who had no post at the time, as an adviser to the prime minister.But the appointment was shelved because Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano insisted the decision be postponed.At the time, Hirano told his aides that it would be good to appoint Edano as a senior vice minister in April, when the overall number of senior vice ministers and parliamentary secretaries would be expanded.But rumors spread through the party that Hirano had given in to Ozawa's wishes.Sengoku spoke up about the situation, and repeatedly asked Hatoyama to give Edano a government post as quickly as possible. On one occasion, according to DPJ sources, Sengoku told the prime minister, "He can have my post."After the problems over Ozawa's fund-management organization allegedly violating the Political Funds Control Law passed a critical juncture with Ishikawa's indictment on Feb. 4, Hatoyama had searched for ways to boost his administration.For Hatoyama, the appointment of Edano, who gained public attention during the government's public screening of budget requests, is seen as a useful shot of adrenaline.The prime minister seemed to expect that appointing Edano would be a good opportunity to show the public that he was weaning himself off reliance on Ozawa.Hatoyama aims to make tangible achievements by the time of this summer's House of Councillors election by using Sengoku, who will craft national strategic visions such as economic growth strategies, and Edano, who will work on eliminating the wasteful spending of taxpayer money, as the two wheels on the vehicle of progress.Ozawa's aides did not oppose the appointment. "We don't have any objections, if Mr. Edano works hard on making policy," one of them said.Azuma Koshiishi, chairman of the DPJ caucus in the upper house, and who is close to Ozawa, told reporters Wednesday, "I want him [Edano] to eliminate wasteful spending of taxpayers' money and review independent administrative entities and public corporations, utilizing his experience of working as the head of the budget request screening."However, some DPJ members predict there will be a tug-of-war between the group backing Ozawa and the Sengoku-Edano team in gaining the initiative over revisions to the party's lower house manifesto for the upper house election.Edano has tough road aheadEdano's new post involves a wide range of responsibilities, including reform of independent administrative institutions and public-interest corporations, regulatory reform and measures to enforce the Antimonopoly Law.Among these different tasks, particular hope is being attached to the Government Revitalization Unit's budget screenings, aimed at cutting the wasteful spending of taxpayers' money. Many hope the screenings will prove a trump card to boost the flagging administration. At his first press conference as state revitalization minister Wednesday, Edano indicated his intention to conduct a second round of budget screenings as early as April, targeting such entities as independent administrative institutions and public-interest corporations."I'll take up this issue with even the nature of the system itself in my sights," Edano said, indicating his desire for reforms that would debate the system's very existence.Working in cooperation with Sengoku, who is responsible for reforming the public employee system, Edano intends to cut deep into the independent administrative institutions, public-interest corporations and other entities where retired government officials often are granted cushy executive posts and put the knife to collusion between politicians, bureaucrats and business leaders.Many in the government and ruling parties hope the budget screenings will draw the public's attention and garner votes in this summer's House of Councillors election. However, there are more than a few reasons for concern.Sengoku, Edano's predecessor, was very busy as both state revitalization minister and national policy minister, and the Government Revitalization Unit's secretariat was said to be unable to function because it could not even make preliminary arrangements with him.Edano intends to promptly move ahead with the selection of the independent administrative institutions and other entities to be subject to budget screenings, but it is unclear how things will proceed.Given the results of last year's budget screenings, many believe they can have only a limited effect in trimming spending. Some have commented that while they want to appeal to the public before the election, they have no idea whether the screenings can achieve a satisfactory result.Ozawa 'feared party disarray'Ishikawa submitted a letter tendering his resignation from the DPJ Thursday, but there are still strong voices in the party that question Ozawa's culpability in the scandal, and the case is unlikely to be closed as the leadership hopes. According to one of Ozawa's close aides, Ishikawa's departure from the party is "a voluntary decision." But many party members believe it reflects Ozawa's desire.Ozawa's view appears to be that the departure is necessary in order for Ishikawa to avoid punishment from the party.Just before Ishikawa was indicted earlier this month, Ozawa reportedly told people close to him: "Once he's indicted, party members will say he should leave the party and resign as a lawmaker, and it'll throw the party into disarray. Unless he voluntarily leaves the party, budget deliberations [in the Diet] will be affected." This sentiment reached Ishikawa via other people, and Ishikawa reportedly replied, "I'll make a decision after talking to my supporters, but I won't insist on staying in the party."(Feb. 12, 2010)
2010.02.12
コメント(0)
-
Repairs begin on Prius hybrids
Repairs begin on Prius hybridsThe Yomiuri ShimbunRepairs began Wednesday on Prius hybrid vehicles being recalled by Toyota Motor Corp. at about 4,800 Toyo-ta dealers throughout the nation.The problem lies in the software controlling the Prius' antilock braking system, which is intended to prevent tires from slipping sideways. Customers seeking repairs at Tokyo Toyopet Motor Sales Co.'s Shibaura shop in Minato Ward, Tokyo, began appearing at about 10 a.m.One such Prius owner was company executive Makiko Noguchi of the same ward. "I've never felt anything wrong while driving, but I asked for the repair just in case," Noguchi said.Mechanics got into driver's seats and changed the software program by attaching external diagnostic devices. Toyota says the repairs usually take about 40 minutes per car.Toyota is recalling four kinds of hybrid vehicles in this country, for a total of about 223,000 cars. About 200,000 Prius cars currently subject to repairs belong to its latest, third-generation model of the popular hybrid, launched in May 2009, but only those manufactured up through Jan. 27. The company said it had fixed a software glitch in the antilock brake system on cars produced from Jan. 28 on.According to Toyota, repairs for the other three types of vehicles--the plug-in Prius hybrid, which can be charged from an external power source, the Sai compact sedan and the luxury Lexus HS250h sedan--likely will be delayed to March.The other models also are being recalled because they are equipped with the same braking system as the Prius.Owners can make reservations for repairs by calling their Toyota dealers, who also are scheduled to begin notifying customers by phone or mail soon.Toyota notified authorities in Japan and overseas Tuesday of a recall of about 437,000 hybrid vehicles.(Feb. 11, 2010)
2010.02.11
コメント(0)
-
JAL stays with American, will expand tie-up
JAL stays with American, will expand tie-upThe Yomiuri ShimbunJapan Airlines, currently in the throes of corporate rehabilitation, officially announced Tuesday that it would scrap tie-up negotiations with Delta Air Lines and expand its business relationship with American Airlines and the Oneworld alliance. JAL and American will apply to the U.S. Transportation Department in mid-February for antitrust immunity to act together in planning routes, capacities and fares in the trans-Pacific market connecting Japan and the United States, JAL said. JAL Chairman Kazuo Inamori, top executives of the Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan and others related to the JAL rehabilitation unanimously made the decision in their meeting and informed Delta of termination of the tie-up negotiations in the afternoon. After the immunity is granted, JAL plans to expand code-sharing flights with Oneworld members such as British Airways and Qantas Airways to improve profitability, JAL said. (Feb. 10, 2010)
2010.02.10
コメント(0)
-
Kirin, Suntory scrap merger / Beverage makers drop integration plans after talks collapse
Kirin, Suntory scrap merger / Beverage makers drop integration plans after talks collapseThe Yomiuri ShimbunKirin Holdings Co. and Suntory Holdings Ltd. announced Monday they will terminate their business integration negotiations owing to differences in opinion on the nature of the envisioned merger.Kirin President Kazuyasu Kato and Suntory President Nobutada Saji held last-ditch discussions in Tokyo on Monday to try to salvage plans to form one of the world's biggest beverage makers.However, the companies could not narrow their differences over the merger ratio and other conditions of the tie-up, such as the degree of influence Suntory's founding families would have over the running of a potential new company."We continued the negotiations in the belief that a merger would play a major role in helping us to survive in a competitive global market," Kato said at a press conference following the collapse of the talks. "However, the companies couldn't reach an understanding on how the new company would be run. It's regrettable in some ways."But looking to the future, Kato added, "We'll harness the strengths of the Kirin Group and strive for qualitative expansion."Suntory's Kaji said to reporters Thursday evening: "It's a shame. Our thinking differed on such matters as [the founding families'] degree of influence and involvement in the running [of the envisioned company]."Revelations that Kirin, the nation's largest distiller, brewer and beverage maker, was in talks with Suntory, the nation's second largest, surfaced in July.The two companies hoped their tie-up would help expand their overseas businesses operations at a time when the domestic market is feeling the squeeze due to a shrinking, aging population, among other reasons.The envisioned company would have been one of the largest alcoholic and soft drink makers in the world, with a 50 percent share in the domestic market for beer and other drinks. Its annual sales would have been about 3.8 trillion yen, calculated based on their sales during the business term ending in December 2008.The beverage makers initially intended to launch their new company in April 2011 and retain the Kirin and Suntory brand names. However, the negotiations soon became bogged down over the share of the new company's stocks to be held by Suntory's founding families, who possess about 90 percent of Suntory's shares. This intractable disagreement could not be overcome.Suntory's founding families had insisted on a more than one-third stake in the new company and the right to continuous influence on the management of the planned company.Kirin, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, judged that a merger would bring problems regarding the transparency and independence of the management of the envisioned company, which also would have been listed.(Feb. 9, 2010)
2010.02.09
コメント(0)
-
74% believe Ozawa should resign his post / Disapproval of Cabinet tops support
74% believe Ozawa should resign his post / Disapproval of Cabinet tops supportThe Yomiuri ShimbunNearly 75 percent of respondents to the latest Yomiuri Shimbun survey said Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa should resign from his post following the indictment of three current and former aides.The same survey found the disapproval rating for Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's Cabinet had increased by five percentage points to 47 percent, surpassing the approval rating--44 percent in this poll--for the first time since the Cabinet's inauguration in September. In the previous survey conducted Jan. 16 and 17, the approval rating was 45 percent.The three current and former aides of DPJ heavyweight Ozawa were recently indicted on suspicion of violating the Political Funds Control Law by falsely reporting his political funds. One of the three is Tomohiro Ishikawa, now a DPJ member of the House of Representatives.The survey was conducted Friday and Saturday by telephone. Following the indictment, 74 percent of respondents said Ozawa should resign as DPJ secretary general.The latest survey clearly shows a gap between public opinion and the stance of the DPJ, which has allowed Ozawa to remain in his post.Among respondents who said Ozawa should step down as secretary general, 66 percent said he also should resign from the lower house. Twenty-nine percent said giving up his Diet seat was not necessary.Ozawa has said the money used for a Tokyo land buy now under scrutiny came from his personal assets, but 86 percent of respondents said they were not fully convinced by his explanation.The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office last week decided not to indict Ozawa over the alleged false reporting of his political funds. Asked if the prosecutors' decision was appropriate, 31 percent said it was and 51 percent said it was not.Regarding Ishikawa, 64 percent said he should resign as a lower house member, while 26 percent said he did not need to do so.The latest survey also found only 5 percent of respondents believe the DPJ has done as much as it could to clean house, far below the 88 percent who said the party had not.Asked which party they would vote for in the House of Councillors election scheduled for this summer, 27 percent said they would vote for the DPJ, down from 28 percent in the previous survey, while 22 percent, up from 21 percent, picked the Liberal Democratic Party, narrowing down the gap between the supporting rates for the nation's two major parties.This trend appears to reflect the level of public dissatisfaction with Hatoyama, who also is head of the DPJ, and the party itself.Asked where the government should transfer the functions of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture, 31 percent chose the site decided upon by the Japan and U.S. governments in 2006. Fifteen percent said outside the prefecture, and 35 percent chose outside the country.Sixty-eight percent were concerned about the future relationship between Japan and the United States under the Hatoyama administration, greatly surpassing 25 percent who said they did not feel that way.Twenty-one percent of respondents said they believed the Hatoyama Cabinet could revive the economy, while 66 percent said they did not think so.Asked which party they support, 33 percent picked the DPJ, down from 34 percent in the previous survey, while an unchanged 20 percent chose the LDP.The nationwide survey was conducted by calling telephone numbers randomly selected by computer. Of the numbers called, 1,707 households had at least one eligible voter, and of these 1,054 voters, or 62 percent, responded.===Hatoyama stands by OzawaHatoyama on Saturday reiterated his intention to let Ozawa continue serving as DPJ secretary general."Prosecutors have made a judgment. I think it would be inappropriate to say more than that," Hatoyama told reporters in Tokyo.Hatoyama had been asked about the results of opinion polls conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun and others that indicated many people felt Ozawa should resign his party post."There may be many people who wonder what the DPJ is doing about this kind of problem [concerning politics and money]," Hatoyama said."Since [the public] strongly expects us to change conventional politics, we cannot allow a return to the old way. We'll play our role as a new administration for the people--that's what it's all about," he said.(Feb. 7, 2010)
2010.02.08
コメント(0)
-
Hakuho in shock
Hakuho in shockThe Yomiuri ShimbunAnd then there was one. Thursday's shock resignation of Asashoryu leaves sumo with only one yokozuna, fellow Mongolian Hakuho. "I don't want to believe it," Hakuho told a press conference at Tokyo's Miyagino stable. "We come from the same place and he was my yardstick. We rose to the top in the same generation and it was an honor to fight him." When asked about his best memory of his rival, Hakuho could not hold back the tears. "The first time I beat him [in the 2004 Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament]," Hakuho said. "He was a yokozuna who inspired us. "Now I feel added responsibility. I will have to do my best for both of us." The two faced off during last weekend's retirement ceremonies. "I felt something was different," Hakuho said of their final bouts. === Council wanted Asa out The head of sumo's Yokozuna Deliberation Council said it had voted to ask for yokozuna Asashoryu's resignation on Thursday for sullying the image of yokozuna. Whether or not Asashoryu reached a settlement with the man he allegedly assaulted in a drunken late-night brawl last month was irrelevant according to the council. "The out-of-court settlement is merely an agreement among the parties concerned," the council's unanimous recommendation to the Japan Sumo Association said. "It does not mean he [Asashoryu] can avoid his responsibility of meeting the public's expectations." Council chairman Takuhiko Tsuruta said: "A majority of council members had very severe opinions....This [act] is inexcusable." (Feb. 5, 2010)
2010.02.05
コメント(0)
-
Asashoryu ends career
Asashoryu ends careerThe Daily YomiuriYokozuna Asashoryu wipes away a tear after announcing his retirement Thursday afternoon.Asashoryu ended his hugely successful, yet often controversial career, on his own terms Thursday afternoon as sumo's first Mongolian yokozuna announced his retirement while facing allegations of assault. Asashoryu made the announcement following a Japan Sumo Association board meeting to which he had been summoned, where the 25-time Emperor's Cup winner faced accusations that he punched a male acquaintance while drunk in Tokyo's Nishiazabu district during the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament he won last month. The Yokozuna Deliberation Council was scheduled to decide on his fate after the board meeting, but Asashoryu beat them to it. Asashoryu, who claims he was too drunk to remember the night of Jan. 16, would have been the first yokozuna to be expelled in the ancient sport's history had the council decided to do so. The council revealed it was preparing to expel Asashoryu had he not retired. "Nothing special's really coming to mind right now," Asashoryu said during a hastily arranged press conference at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. "I sit here because I feel responsible, that I owe something to all those who supported me. "I caused trouble to a lot of people and I feel hugely responsible as yokozuna. I was the only one who could finish this matter the right way. "I think I was destined to end my career like this." Asashoryu does not have Japanese citizenship, which is a prerequisite to stay in sumo postretirement. "We apologize to the victim and all sumo fans for yokozuna Asashoryu's latest actions that have invited distress and worry," JSA chief Musashigawa said. "We discussed the extent of Asashoryu's punishment at the board meeting today, and he and his stablemaster [Takasago] asked to step out of the meeting to make a decision. They returned very apologetic over the incident, asked for retirement and the board accepted." Added Takasago: "It was good he finished his career his way. I'll never forget him. I couldn't even if I tried." Asashoryu, whose real name is Dolgorsurengiin Dagvadorj, came to Japan in 1997 to attend Meitoku Gijuku High School in Kochi Prefecture. He made his sumo debut at the New Year basho two years later, and was promoted to yokozuna in 2003. Asashoryu won a record seven straight titles starting with the 2004 Kyushu Grand Tournament. He has the third most championships of all time behind the legendary Taiho (32) and Chiyonofuji (31). Yet for all his success in the ring, Asashoryu's class as yokozuna was often put into question. Unseen from a wrestler of the highest rank, he would pump his fist and stare down opponents on the dohyo, drawing warnings from the JSA and criticisms from the purists each time. Asashoryu was pushed to the brink of retirement once before in 2007, when he withdrew from the summer regional tour citing injury, but was caught playing soccer in Mongolia with former Japan national team star Hidetoshi Nakata. Many called for his dismissal then, and Asashoryu became clinically depressed as he waited for the verdict from the JSA, which hit him with two-tournament suspension--the worst punishment ever bestowed on a yokozuna. Asashoryu is the first yokozuna to quit under pressure since Futahaguro walked out in 1987 after an argument with his elder and his stablemaster's wife. In 1949, yokozuna Maedayama retired to take responsibility for the bad publicity he generated by attending a baseball game while absent from a tournament due to injury. (Feb. 5, 2010)
2010.02.05
コメント(0)
-
U.S. pushes Japan on eco cars
U.S. pushes Japan on eco carsThe Yomiuri ShimbunThe United States has strongly urged Japan to take additional steps to include more U.S. cars in the government's subsidy program for purchasing eco cars, including reviewing its method for measuring fuel efficiency, according to sources. Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis made the demand at a Japan-U.S. working-level meeting held Monday in Tokyo, the sources said.The Japanese government reportedly refused to accept his request, but this latest development indicates the eco car program might lead to new trade friction between Japan and the United States. On Jan. 19, the government announced it would ease conditions for the program to include imported vehicles. Tests of fuel efficiency, required to qualify for the program, currently must be done in Japan, but under the relaxed terms, the government will accept the findings of such tests conducted in the United States.The government will adopt a system to measure fuel efficiency based on cars' fuel consumption in urban areas, but Marantis reportedly urged the government to calculate efficiency by combining data on fuel consumption in both urban areas and on expressways. Marantis' aim is to increase the number of U.S. cars on the list of eligible vehicles. If data are used from both urban areas and expressways, the data taken on expressways will account for between 60 percent to 70 percent of the total. Cars assessed in this way will be deemed more fuel-efficient than if they were judged based on urban areas alone, which would subsequently increase the number of U.S. cars eligible for the program. Marantis also referred to the strong resolve of the U.S. Congress and said this was a political issue, sources said, suggesting he would seek a settlement not at the working level but at the political level.Protectionist trend in CongressBy Koichi Uetake and Akihiro OkadaYomiuri Shimbun Staff WritersWashington's latest calls for Japan to take additional measures to ensure Tokyo's eco-friendly car purchase incentive program covers more U.S.-made automobiles apparently indicates that the U.S. administration can no longer disregard growing antiforeign protectionist pressure at home, according to analysts.The U.S. government has been increasingly frustrated with the gap in the advantages enjoyed by Japanese and U.S. cars under the current incentive program. Few U.S. models would be eligible for subsidization even under a newly relaxed fuel-efficiency measurement devised for the scheme.The gap could grow into a renewed trade dispute between the two nations, observers said.During working-level talks in Tokyo on Monday, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis raised questions about the fuel-efficiency measuring formula used under the purchase incentive plan. Initially, no U.S. model was found eligible for subsidy under the program.In Monday's meeting, Marantis urged Japan to review the fuel-efficiency measurement and thereby expand the list of cars covered by the program to include more U.S models.According to an Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry estimate, about 90 percent of U.S. cars would be eligible for subsidization if their fuel efficiency is measured at the time of a high-speed drive on a highway. The figure would stand at 70 percent to 90 percent if fuel mileage is measured for a high-speed highway drive combined with an urban-area drive, and about 50 percent for an urban-zone drive.If Japan relaxes its fuel-efficiency measurement method exclusively for U.S. cars, it means domestic automobiles and European models will be unfairly treated in determining their fuel mileage. With this in mind, the government likely will adhere to its initial plan--that is, determining the eligibility of each model for the subsidy by measuring its fuel mileage for an urban-area drive.Another important factor behind Washington's unbending attitude is that Ford Motor Co. strongly supports efforts to rectify the difference in the advantage given to Japanese and U.S. cars from the incentive program. Meanwhile, three congressmen from Michigan, home to the U.S. Big Three carmakers, are lobbying the U.S. administration for a similar action.All this has been combined with an expanding protectionist pressure evident in the U.S. Congress. This comes after such a sentiment was prevalent only among some die-hard protectionist congressmen until recently. Some lawmakers are seeking to make sure employment-promotion legislation under discussion incorporates a buy-American provision.Uetake is a Washington correspondent.(Feb. 4, 2010)
2010.02.04
コメント(0)
-
Valentine's: Sweetest holiday
Valentine's: Sweetest holidayStephen Taylor / Daily Yomiuri Staff WriterAccording to one version of history, it was a Kobe-based chocolate manufacturer in the 1930s that introduced the notion of women giving chocolates to men on Feb. 14. Since then, Japan has embraced St. Valentine's Day with such fervor that it concocted a "White Day" on March 14 for men to reciprocate for the sweets they received. As anyone with a sweet tooth will likely have a penchant for cold treats, too, it was inevitable that ice cream companies would get in on the act. This year, two international ice cream retailers--Cold Stone Creamery and Haagen-Dazs--will be offering Valentine's treats on their respective menus over the next couple of weeks. For this season of romance, the Arizona-based Cold Stone Creamery has created two dishes: the Valentine-themed "Hug Me Choco-Berry" and the White Day-themed "White Tinker Love." As the name suggests, "Hug Me Choco-Berry" has a chocolate ice cream base, with strawberry mousse, whipped cream and strawberry sauce, while "White Tinker Love" features white chocolate ice cream, strawberry chiffon cake and raspberry and strawberry flavors. Both are available in either a paper tub or a waffle shell, which itself may be dipped in chocolate. At Cold Stone Creamery's branch in Shinjuku's Lumine Est--the chain's most popular outlet during the Valentine's period, according to the company--the 960 yen price tag for the pair of "Like It" portions is not only rewarded with a couple of ice creams, but also a song from the counter assistants. Staff are encouraged to sing simple ditties, such as "Jingle Bells" at Christmastime, as part of their customer service. And if the idea of a singing ice cream server might be a bit too gooey for some people, they do ask before they burst into song. The Hug Me Choco-Berry is quite sweet, but fans of chocolate ice cream will welcome the dish with open arms. The White Tinker Love, meanwhile, had a bitter sensation created by the combination of the chiffon cake and the ice cream. The special creations--which have apparently been selling well since their launch earlier this month--will be available until March 14, with the company hopeful that their dishes will spread a little happiness. "We hope that each customer enjoys the season of love with our creations," a Cold Stone Creamery spokesman said. At Haagen-Dazs' outlets across Japan, the "Chocolate For You" dish (480 yen) will be on sale until White Day. Based on a scoop of chocolate ice cream with a hint of raspberry, this was a more straightforward offering than its Cold Stone Creamery counterpart, though the chocolate taste was more pronounced. The addition of custard cream, almond chocolate and nuts flavored with green tea and mascarpone added a bit of color to the dish, and provided a nice contrast of flavors. However, Chocolate For You is served in a rather prosaic plastic dish, slightly diminishing the romantic feel of the experience. While the Valentine's ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery and Haagen-Dazs include berries in their respective recipes, restaurants in Tokyo's Ebisu Garden Place will be offering even more berries from Feb. 1-14, as part of the shopping area's "Very! Berry! Valentine" campaign. Cafe-cum-bar Papa's Cafe will be serving a strawberry roll cake. This Swiss roll dessert, filled with cream and strawberries, will sell for 700 yen. Buco di Muro will offer an Italian twist for their Valentine's delight, with the "Raw Chocolate and Berry Zuppa Inglese," a sponge cake with custard cream. The Ebisu Wine Cafe will be selling its "Mousse Fromage Berry with Red Wine Aroma" for 600 yen. Whether the pairing of cheese-flavored mousse with strawberry sauce and a hint of wine goes well with a glass of red is open to question, but no doubt there will be plenty of willing takers as we approach St. Valentine's Day. Information Cold Stone Creamery www.coldstonecreamery.co.jp Haagen-Dazs www.haagen-dazs.co.jp Ebisu Garden Place http://gardenplace.jp (Jan. 29, 2010)
2010.02.04
コメント(0)
-
自由論
Other countries are not asked to recognise such unions, or release any portion of their inhabitants from their own laws on the score of Mormonite opinions. But when the dissentients have conceded to the hostile sentiments of others, far more than could justly be demanded; when they have left the countries to which their doctrines were unacceptable, and established themselves in a remote corner of the earth, which they have been the first to render habitable to human beings; it is difficult to see on what principles but those of tyranny they can be prevented from living there under what laws they please, provided they commit no aggression on other nations, and allow perfect freedom of departure to those who are dissatisfied with their ways. A recent writer, in some respects of considerable merit, proposes (to use his own words) not a crusade, but a civilizade, against this polygamous community, to put an end to what seems to him a retrograde step in civilization. It also appears so to me, but I am not aware that any community has a right to force another to be civilized. So long as the sufferers by the bad law do not invoke assistance from other communities, I cannot admit that persons entirely unconnected with them ought to step in and require that a condition of things with which all who are directly interested appear to be satisfied, should be put an end to because it is a scandal to persons some thousands of miles distant, who have no part or concern in it. Let them send missionaries, if they please, to preach against it; and let them, by any fair means (of which silencing the teachers is not one,) oppose the progress of similar doctrines among their own people. If civilization has got the better of barbarism when barbarism had the world to itself, it is too much to profess to be afraid lest barbarism, after having been fairly got under, should revive and conquer civilization. A civilization that can thus succumb to its vanquished enemy, must first have become so degenerate, that neither its appointed priests and teachers, nor anybody else, has the capacity, or will take the trouble, to stand up for it. If this be so, the sooner such a civilization receives notice to quit, the better. It can only go on from bad to worse, until destroyed and regenerated (like the Western Empire) by energetic barbarians.
2009.08.25
コメント(1)
-
自由論 訳
No one has a deeper disapprobation than I have of this Mormon institution;誰も私のこのモルモン教の教えに関しての反対意見以上の物を持たない。 both for other reasons, and because, far from being in any way countenanced by the principle of liberty,他の理由と自由の原理によって支持されるやり方とは程遠いと言う両方による。 it is a direct infraction of that principle, それはその原理の直接の違反です。being a mere riveting of the chains of one-half of the community,それは社会の半分の鎖を単に固定するだけのものです。 and an emancipation of the other from reciprocity of obligation towards them. そして後の半分が彼らに対する義務の関係から開放されるだけです。Still, it must be remembered that this relation is as much voluntary on the part of the women concerned in it, and who may be deemed the sufferers by it, as is the case with any other form of the marriage institution; and however surprising this fact may appear, it has its explanation in the common ideas and customs of the world, which teaching women to think marriage the one thing needful, make it intelligible that many a woman should prefer being one of several wives, to not being a wife at all.
2009.08.09
コメント(0)
-
自由論
185ページ9行目から186ページ4行目まで No one has a deeper disapprobation than I have of this Mormon institution; both for other reasons, and because, far from being in any way countenanced by the principle of liberty, it is a direct infraction of that principle, being a mere riveting of the chains of one-half of the community, and an emancipation of the other from reciprocity of obligation towards them. Still, it must be remembered that this relation is as much voluntary on the part of the women concerned in it, and who may be deemed the sufferers by it, as is the case with any other form of the marriage institution; and however surprising this fact may appear, it has its explanation in the common ideas and customs of the world, which teaching women to think marriage the one thing needful, make it intelligible that many a woman should prefer being one of several wives, to not being a wife at all.
2009.07.30
コメント(0)
-
自由論
１８４ページ７行目より１８５ページ５行目までI cannot refrain from adding to these examples of the little account commonly made of human liberty, the language of downright persecution which breaks out from the press of this country, whenever it feels called on to notice the remarkable phenomenon of Mormonism. Much might be said on the unexpected and instructive fact, that an alleged new revelation, and a religion founded on it, the product of palpable imposture, not even supported by the prestige of extraordinary qualities in its founder, is believed by hundreds of thousands, and has been made the foundation of a society, in the age of newspapers, railways, and the electric telegraph. What here concerns us is, that this religion, like other and better religions, has its martyrs; that its prophet and founder was, for his teaching, put to death by a mob; that others of its adherents lost their lives by the same lawless violence; that they were forcibly expelled, in a body, from the country in which they first grew up; while, now that they have been chased into a solitary recess in the midst of a desert, many in this country openly declare that it would be right (only that it is not convenient) to send an expedition against them, and compel them by force to conform to the opinions of other people.
2009.05.12
コメント(0)
-
自由論
183ページ1行目から184ページ6行目までIt is true that the amusement of some is the day's work of others; but the pleasure, not to say the useful recreation, of many, is worth the labour of a few, provided the occupation is freely chosen, and can be freely resigned. The operatives are perfectly right in thinking that if all worked on Sunday, seven days' work would have to be given for six days' wages: but so long as the great mass of employments are suspended, the small number who for the enjoyment of others must still work, obtain a proportional increase of earnings; and they are not obliged to follow those occupations, if they prefer leisure to emolument. If a further remedy is sought, it might be found in the establishment by custom of a holiday on some other day of the week for those particular classes of persons. The only ground, therefore, on which restrictions on Sunday amusements can be defended, must be that they are religiously wrong; a motive of legislation which never can be too earnestly protested against. "Deorum injuriæ Diis curæ." It remains to be proved that society or any of its officers holds a commission from on high to avenge any supposed offence to Omnipotence, which is not also a wrong to our fellow creatures. The notion that it is one man's duty that another should be religious, was the foundation of all the religious persecutions ever perpetrated, and if admitted, would fully justify them. Though the feeling which breaks out in the repeated attempts to stop railway travelling on Sunday, in the resistance to the opening of Museums, and the like, has not the cruelty of the old persecutors, the state of mind indicated by it is fundamentally the same. It is a determination not to tolerate others in doing what is permitted by their religion, because it is not permitted by the persecutor's religion. It is a belief that God not only abominates the act of the misbeliever, but will not hold us guiltless if we leave him unmolested.
2009.05.11
コメント(0)
-
Swine flu threatens seasonal flu vaccinations
Swine flu threatens seasonal flu vaccinationsThe Yomiuri ShimbunThe Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry likely will suspend production of seasonal influenza vaccines for this winter if it decides to produce vaccines for the strain of swine flu currently claiming lives in Mexico, sources said Saturday. However, the ministry faces a dilemma over which vaccine to prioritize as it is feared that the number of influenza deaths, especially among elderly people, would increase if production of seasonal influenza vaccines were discontinued. The National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) is trying to secure a sample of the swine flu virus to allow it to develop a vaccine. The NIID, in line with a government action plan, would swiftly begin preparations to produce a vaccine should the World Health Organization judge the outbreak in North America be that of a new influenza strain. Production, however, is expected to take about six months, and it would take about 18 months to make enough for everyone in the country. Limited facilities and the need to obtain a large number of fertilized eggs reportedly would make it necessary to suspend production of seasonal influenza vaccines and switch entirely to producing swine flu vaccines. About 25 million seasonal influenza vaccines are produced annually. (Apr. 26, 2009)
2009.04.26
コメント(0)
-
No poll before spring, Aso hints
No poll before spring, Aso hintsMakoto Miura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WriterWASHINGTON--Prime Minister Taro Aso hinted Friday he would not dissolve the House of Representatives before spring, to allow the government to concentrate on passing the fiscal 2009 budget this fiscal year. "Considering [the need to introduce] economic stimulus measures, it's important to start [the next fiscal year after passing the budget] by the end of the [current] fiscal year," Aso said at a Washington hotel. "I won't say doing so is all that counts, but it's very important." Referring to a previous impasse over a budget, Aso described the Diet's failure to approve the budget for fiscal 1994 as "a decisive factor in the worsening of the economy." That budget eventually passed the Diet in June 1994. While hinting at a dissolution in spring or after, Aso also said dissolving the lower house at the beginning of the next ordinary Diet session to be convened in January could not be ruled out. "You don't know what will happen in the future. I can't categorically state now that I'll do it [dissolve the lower house] in April," Aso said. "It might come at the beginning [of the ordinary Diet session] after I make the policy speech." While the ruling bloc requested Aso and Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa have a one-on-one debate about measures that should be taken to shore up the economy, the DPJ suggested that Aso and opposition party leaders instead hold an open meeting. "I don't understand why a leaders' meeting is OK and a debate isn't," Aso said. Aso said he would discuss the fiscal 2008 second supplementary budget and the adjournment of the current Diet session with Liberal Democratic Party Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Tadamori Oshima. Regarding a proposal to make a one-off flat-sum payment to citizens, Aso said it was up to each municipal government to decide whether to impose an income eligibility cap. "I guess some municipalities will impose one and some won't," Aso said. Aso said it would be left to municipalities to decide how or whether to coordinate their measures with those of neighboring municipalities. "Mayors can discuss the matter with one another," Aso said, referring to the possibility that neighboring municipalities might rethink their plans if they are found to differ. (Nov. 16, 2008)
2008.11.16
コメント(0)
-
3 Waseda U. students arrested on pot charges
3 Waseda U. students arrested on pot chargesThe Yomiuri ShimbunThree Waseda University students have been arrested on suspicion of growing or possessing cannabis, according to the university and other sources. The Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare drug control department arrested a 21-year-old student at the university's School of Commerce on suspicion of buying cannabis seeds online and growing the herb in August in violation of the Cannabis Control Law, a senior department official said. A court has found the third-year student guilty and handed down a suspended sentence. The university also revealed Saturday that Chiba prefectural police have arrested two other male Waseda students on suspicion of breaking the same law. The department also arrested a man on suspicion of selling seeds to the third-year student online. Kotaro Ochiai, 34, is suspected to have sold seeds to more than 2,000 people nationwide. Ochiai is unemployed and living in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo. The department has reportedly detained 12 other men on suspicion of possession or growing the herb. The department is under the jurisdiction of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. The university has also said that in separate incidents, a 22-year-old Malaysian student and a 20-year-old Japanese student at its School of International Liberal Studies were arrested in June and July, respectively, on suspicion of breaking the same law. Both students reportedly have been expelled from the university. Cannabis is seen as a growing problem among young people in higher education. A Doshisha University student was arrested on suspicion of possessing cannabis at her home in Kobe earlier this month. Late last month, two Keio University students were arrested for allegedly selling the drug. The use of the herb is not restricted to students. Actor Taishu Kase and pro tennis player Joji Miyao have been arrested recently on suspicion of possessing or growing the plant. Three Russian sumo wrestlers, Wakanoho and the brothers Roho and Hakurozan, tested positive for cannabis in August and September, respectively, and were thrown out of professional sumo. (Nov. 16, 2008)
2008.11.16
コメント(0)
-
Developing Original Humor for Your Talk
Developing Original Humor for Your TalkMost humor in the real-world setting is unplanned. It just happens.Most humor in the business setting is unplanned. It just happens. Spontaneous events with clients and co-workers create the surprises and uncomfortable situations which call for humor as a coping tool. We all have differing abilities to recognize, appreciate and create humor. How's your HQ (humor quotient)? Do you work with people who are full of wit? Regardless of where you are now, you can increase your humor skills. When you study humor, it's obvious there's more to it than just spontaneous laughs. There are times when you may want to deliberately use humor, maybe even plan it in advance. Perhaps you want to spice up a training session or a planning meeting. Maybe you want to lighten up a sales presentation. You can learn ways to administer a dose of laughter to help you connect and communicate. There are three elements which can help you understand and structure your humor: surprise, tension and relationships. First, humor is based on the element of surprise. Humor often comes from something as simple as someone saying the unexpected. The surprise twist creates the humor. Because of the element of surprise, when we are deliberately structuring a piece of humor (perhaps for a speech) we don't want to telegraph the joke. A line like, "a funny thing happened to me on the way over here," signals your listeners that a joke is coming. This will lessen the element of surprise. To enhance the surprise, it's best to place the punch line at the end of the joke. And within the punch line, the punch word is usually given last. The punch word is the word that makes the humor work. It's the trigger that releases the surprise. If your humor falls flat, do what professional humorists do. Pretend you are serious. Since the listeners didn't realize you were making a joke, you never need to apologize or explain it. Turn your surprise into a secret. It's no surprise to people who work in pressure-packed work environments that humor is also based on this second principle: release of tension. Laughter is a pressure valve which releases muscle tension. Uncomfortable situations, fear and pain are all tension builders that cry out for humor. We find ourselves laughing at risqu・humor and embarrassing situations because they make us uncomfortable. We release the tension they create with humor. People who intentionally and frequently use humor know tension can be used deliberately to heighten the impact of the humor. A pause placed just before the punch line or the punch word builds a sense of anticipation, a form of tension, which makes the joke stronger. In most jobs, daily challenges give you the opportunity to purposely use tension in setting up your humor. Simply by sharing a real life humorous situation, you can recreate the spontaneous circumstances which generated the laughter in the first place. Although there's nothing like "being there," you can improve on the actual event by embellishing to create a little more tension in the set up. You can structure the punch line for maximum effect by putting the punch word last. And you can pause to add impact. As we plan our humor, we also notice that the third principle of humor is relationships. Most humor is based on how things are related and not related. We can create humorous twists when we play with relationships. Gary Larson's Far Side cartoons are well known for twisting relationships. One of his frequent tools is giving animals human characteristics. For example, the cartoon shows a car driving down the road. Driving the car is a bull. Sitting next to the bull is a cow. And in the back seat is a calf. They're driving past a field with humans standing in the pasture. The picture, by itself, creates a funny picture by twisting the normally expected relationships. The calf sticks his head out of the car window and says "Yakity, Yakity, Yak!" Understanding the principle of relationships, you are able to create your own, original humor. You can create "shopping lists" from which you search for humorous connections. Let's say you had an idea for building some humor. We'll call this idea a seed from which the humor can grow. Perhaps, on a difficult shift at a hospital, someone made a comment that working in a hospital was like working in a war zone. This is the starting point for developing some humor. You'll begin by creating two "shopping lists." On one list you'll put "hospital things." And on the other, you'll list "military things." It will work better if you choose "military" rather than "war zone" because it's a broader category which will give you more options when looking for relationships. Your first step is to brainstorm by making the lists as long a possible. The more items you have on each list, the more likely you'll be able to make some humorous connections. As you make your lists, you'll look for opportunities to branch out and create sublists to multiply your chances of finding humor. For example, if the idea "basic training" comes to mind, your sublist should contain everything you can think of relating to basic training: drill sergeants, marching, inspections. The next step is to search for connections between your two lists which might lead you to humor. Play with it. Then set it aside and come back to it later. Once you find something with humorous possibilities, you'll massage it to maximize the humor impact. To see what this exercise might produce, check out "Why a Hospital is Like the Military," in the sidebar at the end of the article. Whether you're creating a list or a slogan to go on a poster, looking for a monologue to open a speech or training session, or just searching for one joke to make a point, you can use these lists to create your humor. It works. These three principles of humor are illustrated by the classic slip on the banana peel. The slapstick spill illustrates surprise because we weren't expecting someone to fall. We also experience tension. When we see someone get hurt we get startled, and react with tension. It also twists relationships. Seeing a distinguished person sitting on the sidewalk is something our of the ordinary. Surprise, tension, relationships...we laugh! Natural, spontaneous humor is one of your greatest tools for coping with stress as you work. By understanding what makes the humor tick, you can become better at planning and deliberately using this powerful adjunct to your success arsenal.
2008.09.15
コメント(0)
-
The problem for business is
“The problem for business is that despite their complete compliance with the law, it is inevitable for employers with large numbers of immigrant workers that a certain percentage will be unauthorized workers using false documents,” said Peter Schey, a lawyer who represents two California companies facing scrutiny by federal immigration agents. “The system is just as broken for employers as it is for immigrants.”One employer facing this problem is the chief executive of a $20 million company on the outskirts of Los Angeles that assembles electronic parts. She said she had come to fear that her company including its legal workers is at risk of being crippled by an immigration raid. The executive spoke on the condition that neither she nor her company be identified by name, for fear of attracting immigration authorities. A human resources manager who worked for the company a decade ago hired a number of workers without conducting an extra check of their documents with the Social Security Administration, the executive said. Now she has received notices from the agency of mismatches in the identity documents of 20 workers who were hired 10 years ago, out of 90 workers on the assembly floor today. Because of the antidiscrimination rules, the executive cannot check to be certain that the 20 workers, mainly Hispanic women, are illegal. Moreover, they have advanced through training, she said, and excel at their jobs, which require the repetitive assembly of tiny parts by hand, often under microscopes. “I can’t replace those people,” the executive said. She said that despite offering competitive wages from $9 to $17 an hour, the company had failed over the years in repeated efforts to attract nonimmigrant workers because of the state’s tight technology labor market and because of the nature of the work, exacting and tedious. If the workers were fired or arrested, she said, she could fail to meet her contracts.“If we have to terminate 20 people, that’s going to jeopardize 100 other jobs of people who are legal, Americans, people who are making a good living,” she said.Angelo Paparelli, an immigration lawyer who represents the company, said: “This is not an employer who wants to turn a blind eye to lawbreaking. She is facing a tightening of the enforcement vise that does not take into account Congress’s failure to create a workable system.” California employers were shocked by the raid earlier this year at Micro Solutions Enterprises, an established manufacturer of printer cartridges that is based in Los Angeles and has more than 800 workers. Officials said 138 workers were arrested. In a message to his customers, Avi Wazana, the Micro Solutions owner, said the company had been verifying the legal status of all new hires through federal programs for nearly a year.Bush administration officials said the crackdown was the price employers must pay to persuade voters to agree to open the gates to immigrant workers. In an interview, Mr. Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, said, “We are not going to be able to satisfy the American people on a legal temporary worker program until they are convinced that we will have a stick as well as a carrot.”
2008.07.06
コメント(0)
-
Employers Fight Tough Measures on Immigration
July 6, 2008Employers Fight Tough Measures on Immigration By JULIA PRESTONUnder pressure from the toughest crackdown on illegal immigration in two decades, employers across the country are fighting back in state legislatures, the federal courts and city halls.Business groups have resisted measures that would revoke the licenses of employers of illegal immigrants. They are proposing alternatives that would revise federal rules for verifying the identity documents of new hires and would expand programs to bring legal immigrant laborers.Though the pushback is coming from both Democrats and Republicans, in many places it is reopening the rift over immigration that troubled the Republican Party last year. Businesses, generally Republican stalwarts, are standing up to others within the party who accuse them of undercutting border enforcement and jeopardizing American jobs by hiring illegal immigrants as cheap labor.Employers in Arizona were stung by a law passed last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature that revokes the licenses of businesses caught twice with illegal immigrants. They won approval in this year’s session of a narrowing of that law making clear that it did not apply to workers hired before this year. Last week, an Arizona employers’ group submitted more than 284,000 signatures far more than needed for a November ballot initiative that would make the 2007 law even friendlier to employers.Also in recent months, immigration bills were defeated in Indiana and Kentucky states where control of the legislatures is split between Democrats and Republicans due in part to warnings from business groups that the measures could hurt the economy.In Oklahoma, chambers of commerce went to federal court and last month won an order suspending sections of a 2007 state law that would require employers to use a federal database to check the immigration status of new hires. In California, businesses have turned to elected officials, including the Democratic mayor of Los Angeles, to lobby federal immigration authorities against raiding long-established companies. While much of the employer activity has been at the grass-roots level, a national federation has been created to bring together the local and state business groups that have sprung up over the last year.“These employers are now starting to realize that nobody is in a better position than they are to make the case that they do need the workers and they do want to be on the right side of the law,” said Tamar Jacoby, president of the new federation, ImmigrationWorks USA. After years of laissez-faire enforcement, federal immigration agents have been conducting raids at a brisk pace, with 4,940 arrests in workplaces last year. Although immigration has long been a federal issue, more than 175 bills were introduced in states this year concerning the employment of immigrants, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.State lawmakers said they had acted against businesses, often in response to fervent demands from voters, to curb job incentives that were attracting shadow populations of illegal immigrants. “Illegal immigration is a threat to the safety of Missouri families and the security of their jobs,” Gov. Matt Blunt, a Republican, said after the Missouri Legislature passed a crackdown law in May. “I am pleased that lawmakers heeded my call to continue the fight where Washington has failed to act.” But because of the mobilization of businesses, the state proposals this year have increasingly reflected their concerns. State lawmakers “are starting to be more responsive to the employer community because of its engagement in the issue,” said Ann Morse, who monitors immigration for the national legislature conference.The offensive by businesses has been spurred by the federal enforcement crackdown, by inaction in Congress on immigration legislation and by a rush of punitive state measures last year that created a checkerboard of conflicting requirements. Many employers found themselves on the political defensive as they grappled, even in an economic downturn, with shortages of low-wage labor. Mike Gilsdorf, the owner of a 37-year-old landscaping nursery in Littleton, Colo. saw the need for action by businesses last winter when he advertised with the Labor Department, as he does every year, for 40 seasonal workers at market-rate wages to plant, prune and carry his shrubs in the summer heat. Only one local worker responded to the notice, he said, and then did not show up for the job. Mr. Gilsdorf was able to fill his labor force with legal immigrants from Mexico through a federal guest worker program. But that program has a tight annual cap, and Mr. Gilsdorf realized that he might not be so lucky next year. His business could fail, he said, and then even his American workers would lose their jobs. “We’re not hiring illegals, we’re not paying under the table,” Mr. Gilsdorf said. “But if we don’t get in under the cap and nobody is answering our ads, we don’t have employees.” His group, Colorado Employers for Immigration Reform, is pressing Congress for a much larger and more flexible guest worker program. Unhappy California businesses won the support of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, who wrote a letter in March to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff criticizing immigration agents for aiming raids at “established, responsible employers” in the city and urging him to focus on those with a record of labor violations. In Virginia, an employers’ coalition headed off bills that would have closed businesses that hire illegal immigrants and would have required all employers to participate in the federal system to check the working papers of new hires, which is known as E-Verify. Business groups nationwide oppose mandatory use of the system, which is now voluntary, because they say the Social Security Administration database it draws upon is full of errors that could lead to job denials for American citizens and legal immigrants and bureaucratic overload for the agency.Virginia employers said they learned a lesson last year after the broad immigration bill they supported failed in Congress. “The silent masses of businesses out there should have been on the phone with their Congressional representatives calling for rational reform,” said Hobey Bauhan, president of the Virginia Poultry Federation, whose members include some of the biggest low-wage employers in the state. Virginia lawmakers ultimately adopted verification rules aimed at employers who systematically hire illegal immigrants.In this legislative session, Arizona businesses rallied behind a bill to create what would have been the first state guest worker program in the country. Their advertising campaign used the slogan “What part of legal don’t you understand?” a tweak of the battle cry of their opponents, who use the same phrase with the word “illegal.”Arizona employers said they knew that passage would be difficult for the bill, because only the federal government can issue visas to immigrant workers. Although the bill never came to a vote, employers said the debate helped make their views known in Washington. “It’s a message to the federal government,” said Joe Sigg, director of government relations for the Arizona Farm Bureau, “that we need a legal and reliable means to recruit workers.” Employers’ groups have not succeeded everywhere. Under a bill passed this year, Mississippi is the first state to make it a felony for an illegal immigrant to work. The measure also allows terminated employees to sue their employer if they were replaced by an illegal immigrant. President Bush on June 9 ordered all federal contractors to check new workers with E-Verify. The administration is pressing forward with a rule that would pressure employers to fire within 90 days any worker whose identity information does not match the records of the Social Security Administration, as frequently happens with illegal immigrants. The first version of the rule was held up last year by a federal court injunction.While many businesses have come forward, they say they speak for many others with immigrant workers that are lying low after finding that the crackdown has left them in a perilous legal bind. While raids and sanctions are increasing, employers with low-wage immigrant workers are barred by antidiscrimination rules from examining identity documents of new hires too closely or checking the immigration status of employees after they have been hired.
2008.07.06
コメント(0)
-
Japan goes missing: the invisible host at the summit
Japan goes missing: the invisible host at the summitBy Philip Stephens Published: July 4 2008 03:00 | Last updated: July 4 2008 03:00I have a question. Where is Japan? The world leaders and accompanying media hordes heading this weekend for the shores of Lake Toya need not turn to their atlases. The question is one of psychology rather than geography. Japan is still the world's second most powerful economy. Politically, it is all but invisible.Next week's Toyako summit of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations promises a rare moment in the sun. Prime ministers and presidents will pronounce on everything from oil prices and global warming to nuclear proliferation and the fight against malaria. As many as 14 leaders from emerging powers will make cameo appearances. Lunch with the Chinese, coffee with the Senegalese?The international media will devour every inconsequential cough and comma. Summit host Yasuo Fukuda will appear on front pages from Berlin to Buenos Aires. When it is all over Japan can slip back into the shadows.The summit sherpas say we should expect nothing of great significance, though their political bosses must insist otherwise. Japan's preparations have won few plaudits. Ponderous planning has sometimes revealed as many divisions among ministries in Tokyo as among other capitals.The goal is consensus: better bland accord than public discord. Others in the G8 have used their summits to promote pet projects - Britain trumpeted aid for Africa, Germany climate change. Japan seems to lack any burning priorities.This is all of a piece with its barely visible profile in the global arena. I spend a fair part of my life on the international conference circuit. Never before have governments - of rising as well as mature powers - devoted as much time to peering into their crystal balls in search of a new geopolitical landscape. By and large - I can think of one recent exception - Japan is absent from such events. What is more, Japan's place in the new order rarely merits mention by its peers.Scroll back to the late 1980s. Japan was the rising power. Academics and journalists fell over themselves in the rush to predict that its economic might was destined to eclipse that of the US. When foreign policy experts declared that the 21st century would belong to Asia, they were not thinking about China and India.Politicians in Washington fulminated as Japanese companies snapped up such American icons as New York's Rockefeller Center and Hollywood's Columbia Pictures. US motorists swapped their Fords and Chevrolets for Toyotas.And now? Well, western consumers still buy Toyotas; and Sony and Toshiba continue to produce all manner of electronic wizardry. But Japan has become an afterthought in the discourse about the fast-shifting balance of global power. The Asian century is about China and India.There are some obvious explanations for this reversal. More often than not political presence mirrors economic performance. Before the ink was properly dry on those forecasts of an ineluctable march to economic hegemony, Japan entered the great deflation of the 1990s. The asset price bubble burst, banks went bankrupt and the economy went into free fall. Japan lost a decade.The economy has regained its balance, though its growth rate remains low. An ageing and shrinking population holds little prospect of a return to the dynamism of the 1980s. For all that, Japan's disorientation is about more than the miscalculations of economic policymakers. Financial implosion robbed politicians of their confidence; the collapse of the Soviet Union remade Japan's geopolitical co-ordinates.The aftermath of the second world war and the ensuing cold war with communism hitched Japan firmly to the US and Europe. Geography played second fiddle to ideology. A US security guarantee filled the gap left by the tight constitutional constraints on Japan's own military.For all intents and purposes, this Japan was part of the west. It might have seemed different and, sometimes, economically threatening. But it was an ally against communism, like Europe sheltering under the US nuclear umbrella, and provided an Asian pillar for the market economy.Just as the collapse of the Soviet Union weakened the glue in the transatlantic alliance, so it put a question mark over Japan's long-term relationship with Washington. The re-emergence of China then amplified the uncertainties. If the speed of China's rise has disconcerted Americans and Europeans, it has terrified Japan.You can see why. This is a relationship steeped in historical rancour. Nationalist rivalries are never more than an inch below the surface. In two or three years China will displace Japan as America's closest economic rival. Within a decade it may have toppled the US as the pre-eminent power in east Asia.Japan's reflex response has been to draw closer to the US. But China's rise also forces it to face up to an Asian identity it has always shunned. A few weeks back, Mr Fukuda tried to square the circle by turning a page in the atlas. Japan, he said, should be seen in the context not of east Asia but of the much greater number of nations bordering the Pacific. This community bound Japan to the US, Australia and New Zealand as well as to the countries of south-east Asia, China and Russia. It was a nice try, but to my mind dodged my question.Some would say there is no answer. Japan confronts many overlapping options. It is patching up relations with Beijing after a dangerous confrontation in 2005. Simultaneously, it wants Washington to do more to contain China. A US presidential victory for the Republican, John McCain, could hold out the prospect of a new alliance of Australasian democracies. Japan, meanwhile, could abandon the constraints on its own military.The most cogent answer I have heard is from a young Japanese diplomat who posits that his country's natural role is as a bridge between Asia and the west and between mature and rising powers. In this guise Japan would act as a stabiliser in a region that would otherwise be dominated by China: friends with Beijing but also balancing it.For what it is worth, I think that Japan's pre-eminent interest lies in working to extend and strengthen the rules-based international order to draw in China and other rising powers. More than anything else, this part of the world needs a robust mutual security system.As things stand, Japan looks like a nation without a compass. All of the choices mentioned above require decisions about its identity. Now there is something to ponder as the sun sets on Lake Toya.philip.stephens@ft.com
2008.07.05
コメント(0)
-
Court: Keep dike open for 5 yrs / Ruling finds link between Isahaya project, fishing industry damage
Court: Keep dike open for 5 yrs / Ruling finds link between Isahaya project, fishing industry damageThe Yomiuri ShimbunA gate at the dike in Isahaya Bay in Nagasaki Prefecture photographed Friday. The area in front of the gate is the Ariake Sea, and the area beyond the gate is a water level-regulating reservoir.SAGA--The government should keep open the gates at a dike at Isahaya Bay in Nagasaki Prefecture built under a national project for at least five years to study its effect on the environment of the Ariake Sea, the Saga District Court ruled Friday. The court ruled on a lawsuit filed against the government by about 2,500 people in Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki and Saga prefectures. They had demanded the gates be kept open and the dike removed, saying the state project has damaged the local fishing industry. The project is administered by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry and aims to prevent floods in the low-lying area and to create farmland by closing part of the bay with a seven-kilometer-long dike. The project was adopted in 1986 and work on it started in 1989. The drain gates were shut in April 1997. It cost 253.3 billion yen to create 810 hectares of land and about 2,600 hectares of water level-regulating reservoir. Presiding Judge Ryuichi Kamiyama acknowledged a causal link between the land-reclamation project and deterioration of the environment in part of the bay and damage to the local fishing industry. "The government should conduct mid- and long-term surveys with the gates open," he said. The ruling said the government should keep two gates at the northern and southern ends of the dike open for at least five years, suspended for three years after the final decision would be made. The three years were given to provide alternative means of flood prevention that would replace the gates. The ruling dismissed the plaintiffs' demands to demolish the dike and pay compensation to the fishermen. It also rejected the demand made by some of the plaintiffs that sought a provisional injunction to open the dike gates. The farm ministry is considering appealing the ruling to the high court. The lawsuit was filed in November 2002. The plaintiffs claimed that since one-third of the area of Isahaya Bay was sectioned off from the tide by the dike in 1997, they have seen sharp drops in catches of shellfish such as tairagi and clams, and a particularly poor harvest of seaweed in fiscal 2000 in the Ariake Sea. Isahaya Bay is part of the Ariake Sea, which is encircled by the four prefectures in Kyushu. The government said the fishing environment had not changed in the periods before and after the gates were shut, and it has not seen major changes in the amount of seafood catches. Friday's ruling acknowledged that the quality of underwater mud had deteriorated because the gates were shut, causing oxygen deficiency for marine creatures. The district court also pointed out the reclamation project dislodged mud, which might have led to worsening red tide problems, in which seawater toxicity levels rise. It concluded such factors have damaged the local fishing industry. In terms of a causal link, Kamiyama said the plaintiffs "proved a respectable degree of probability" and it is "too much to ask more" from them. Meanwhile, he criticized the government, saying: "It had the obligation to conduct mid- and long-term open-gate research and prove there is no causal link between the reclamation project and the environmental changes, but it didn't. Its refusal to cooperate can be said to be an act of blocking evidence, which is against the principle of faith and trust in a court of law." (Jun. 28, 2008)
2008.06.28
コメント(0)
-
5.6 million pension records may be flawed
5.6 million pension records may be flawedThe Yomiuri ShimbunAbout 1.4 percent of employees pension account records stored on microfilm do not match computer records, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. The figure was announced Friday after a random sampling suggested that 5.6 million of 400 million employee pensions, called kosei nenkin in Japanese, already recorded on microfilm likely include incorrect information, according to sources. The finding likely will fuel calls for the government to respond to the problem, which undermines trust in the computer pension records management system. The ministry sampled 19,979 pension records accounts stored on microfilm, and found that 277 accounts did not match data stored in the computer system. Of those, 48 accounts were partially missing information, while the remaining 229 contained some incorrect identifying information. The information, pensioners names, dates of birth and income, is used to decide pension amounts. Income information, which could have direct influence on pension amounts, was wrongfully recorded in 263 of the 277 accounts. Health Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe reported the problem Friday at a meeting of cabinet ministers in charge of pension records problems. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda demanded that Masuzoe solve the problem, saying: "The results [of this sampling] illustrate key points [needed to solve the problem]. You must carry out this task to the best of your ability." Employee pensions are usually granted based on computer information. If the information--originally filed on paper--is not correctly typed into the computer system, individuals are unlikely to receive their pensions, or may receive a reduced pension. (Jun. 28, 2008)
2008.06.28
コメント(0)
-
G-8 calls on DPRK to help verify N-report / Ministers say N-facilities must be disabled
G-8 calls on DPRK to help verify N-report / Ministers say N-facilities must be disabledKiyomi Arai / Daily Yomiuri Staff WriterKYOTO--The Group of Eight foreign ministers meeting closed here Friday with the release of a chairman's statement that called on North Korea to swiftly disable all of its existing nuclear facilities and cooperate in verifying the declaration of its nuclear programs. The statement welcomed North Korea's belated declaration of its nuclear activities, describing it as an important step toward its denuclearization, but stressed the importance of verifying the contents of the declaration. The statement, issued by Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura, who chaired the two-day event, summarized the shared positions reached by G-8 foreign ministers during the meeting, and urged North Korea to act on other security and humanitarian concerns, such as resolving the issue of Japanese abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and '80s. Komura, speaking Friday at a joint press conference held by the ministers at Kyoto International Conference Center, said, "We agreed that continuing the six-party talks is important to work toward the goal of denuclearizing North Korea." He added that all his counterparts--the foreign ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United States--as well as the first vice foreign minister from Russia, and delegates from the European Union, the European Council and the European Commission strongly supported Japan's calls for North Korea to take strong action toward resolving the abduction issue. The chairman's statement also expressed serious concern over the risk of proliferation posed by Iran's nuclear program and its failure to comply with successive U.N. Security Council resolutions. It urged Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency and suspend all uranium-enrichment activities. In a separate joint statement, the ministers expressed deep concern over the presidential election in Zimbabwe, saying the systematic violence and intimidation employed by Zimbabwean authorities was "deplorable." "We strongly urge the Zimbabwean authorities to work with the opposition to achieve a prompt, peaceful resolution of the crisis in accordance with the democratic wishes of the Zimbabwean people," the statement said. Other matters addressed in the chairman's statement included the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations over the possible establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, for which the ministers reiterated their full support. (Jun 28, 2008)
2008.06.28
コメント(0)
-
Kyoto info center draws foreign press
Kyoto info center draws foreign pressKiyomi Arai / Daily Yomiuri Staff WriterA junihitoe layered kimono attracts the attention of a Russian journalist, far left, at the Kyoto International Conference Center in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, on Thursday.The Kyoto Information Center at the Kyoto International Conference Center, set up in an effort to promote both the traditional and modern cultures of the ancient capital, is attracting the foreign press visiting the city for the Group of Eight Foreign Ministers Meeting, which started Thursday. The Kyoto Committee for 2008 G-8 Foreign Ministers Meeting, comprising the Kyoto prefectural and municipal governments and local economic circles, set up the information center at the press center during the two-day meeting. A replica of a 12-layered kimono, called junihitoe, from "The Tale of Genji," the world's oldest novel, has been a popular attraction. Environmentally friendly miniature model cars made of wood and bamboo with a solar generation system, developed by a Kyoto University professor, and other exhibitions on local firms' efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are also on display. In addition, the center has arranged admission to Kodaiji, Kenninji and Chionin temples, Shimogamo Shrine and Kyoto International Manga Museum for the press free of charge. The institutions have agreed to allow the press to enter by request places that are not usually open to the public, the committee said. "Kyoto has hosted a number of international conferences, but this is the biggest in recent years and the first one related to the G-8 summit meeting," said a committee official. "Hundreds of people from the foreign press will be visiting the city. We can't miss this opportunity." The Kyoto prefectural and municipal governments have attempted to cohost the G-8 summit meeting itself with Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, but the local governments failed to come to an agreement on their plans. Kyoto and Osaka, especially, have been unable to come to terms, with both claiming to be a better location for the summit meeting and marketing separate plans. Although Kyoto was seen as one of the front-runners in the competition, it lost the bid to Toyakocho, Hokkaido. If Kyoto had been chosen as the location for the G-8 summit meeting, the economic benefits would have been enormous, the official said, but the committee hopes the G-8 ministers meeting also benefit the city. Kyoto is the third city to host a G-8 ministers meeting in the Kansai region. The G-8 Environment Ministers Meeting was held in Kobe in May, and Osaka hosted the finance ministers meeting earlier this month. Although the economic effects of hosting the ministers meetings in the two cities have yet to be tallied, Toyakocho has already seen a large increase in the number of tourists visiting the town--145,000 in April, up 14 percent compared to April last year. (Jun 27, 2008)
2008.06.27
コメント(0)
-
Smoking ban exceptions sought
Smoking ban exceptions soughtLegislators to push for lighting up in clubs, family-run businessesBy Amber Ellis 8226 aellis@enquirer.com 8226 June 25, 2008 MIDDLETOWN - A group of local lawmakers is pushing a change in the state's smoking ban that would make it legal for smokers to light up on outdoor patios and in family-owned businesses and private clubs. "The time has come to take this step ... because this measure is hurting business in Ohio," said Sen. Gary Cates, a West Chester Republican and nonsmoker who is a co-sponsor of the proposal.About 200 people gathered Tuesday at the Middletown Moose Family Center to show their support for a proposal that would snuff out restrictions that prohibit smoking in most of these places. DataCenter: Search area smoking complaintsEmployees in the crowd cheered and waved flags that read "Save my Job. Lite up Ohio" and "Let us light up, so it's not lights out."The Moose Family Center has experienced a dramatic drop in business that management blames on the smoking ban that went into effect in May 2007.Revenue for the lodge is down at least 60 percent since then, said Larry Turner, who heads the lodge. Last week, for example, it brought in $16,000, about $8,000 less than what's needed to return what he described as a decent profit.Turner said those numbers have forced the lodge to increase membership dues, shut down unused areas of the building to conserve energy costs, reduce beer distribution orders and severely cut back on charitable donations."It's tough," he said. "Right now, we're barely making it."In Hamilton, the owners of Grub Pub say they're experiencing a similar dive in business. Bar revenues are down 40 percent, and collections from jukeboxes and other games are down at least 50 percent, said Shirley Horsley, who owns the business with her husband, Louis.Patrons of the family-owned, neighborhood bar have been known to walk out or ignore orders when asked to put out their cigarettes, said Patty Walker, who has worked at the pub for the past five years."These people have their own bar stools. You tell them to put (their cigarettes) out, and it's like you ripped their heart out," she said. "They don't just go outside. They won't come back. They'll boycott and stay at home."Under the current smoking ban, which was approved by voters in 2006, smoking is not allowed in bars, restaurants and other public places.Smokers can light up in nonprofit private clubs (if there are no paid employees), plus designated areas of nursing homes and hotels, as well as tobacco stores if 80 percent of their sales are from cigars, cigarettes and other smoking products. This bill also widens the definition of an outdoor patio, which would create more areas where smokers can go.Supporters of the change say their measure would clear up wording that makes it almost impossible for family-owned businesses and nonprofit private clubs to allow smoking."We do this all the time ... when a bill is passed, especially something in a new area," said Sen. Bob Schuler, a Sycamore Township Republican who is the main sponsor of the proposal. "We tweak it. We change it."For health-advocacy groups who backed the initial ban, the argument was never about money. It's about secondhand smoke that can harm, and in some cases kill, employees over time, said John Hoctor, spokesman for the American Cancer Society's Ohio Division.Hoctor noted that the smoking ban won majority support in 72 of Ohio's 88 counties. According to the Cancer Society, a survey of Ohioans one year after the 2006 vote showed that 80 percent of voters now support the law, and 70 percent of respondents said private-club employees should be protected from secondhand smoke.Lawmakers, including local co-sponsor Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Green Township, are expected to review the measure when they return to Columbus this fall. A spokesman for Gov. Ted Strickland said the governor has not reviewed the proposed legislation and is uncertain whether he would back it.Staff writer Jennifer Baker contributed to this story.
2008.06.25
コメント(0)
-
Govt seeks cluster bomb alternative
Govt seeks cluster bomb alternativeThe Yomiuri ShimbunThe Defense Ministry has decided to start procuring new weapons, including new types of cluster bombs, from next fiscal year to replace its stockpile of cluster bombs, whose production and use will be banned after a treaty outlawing such munitions takes effect, sources said Saturday. Last month, the government endorsed a draft treaty banning cluster munitions that was adopted at an international conference in Dublin attended by representatives of more than 100 nations. Its decision prompted the ministry to find alternative weapons to cluster bombs, which were regarded as effective in defending this nation due to its long coastline. Cluster munitions, which contain several to hundreds of bomblets, can be used to bombard wide areas. But they pose lingering risks to civilians. Many people have been killed or maimed by unexploded ordinance after the end of armed conflicts. New types of cluster bombs, however, will not be subject to the ban as they have fewer than 10 bomblets, which are equipped with self-destruct mechanisms, sharply reducing the risk of bomblets failing to explode. The ministry is in the process of formulating a deployment plan that combines five to six measures to replace the cluster bombs in the possession of the Self-Defense Forces. The measures are likely to include the replacement of cluster munitions currently loaded in multiple-launch rocket systems with new types of cluster bombs and those mounted in Ground Self-Defense Force helicopters with conventional munitions with a single warhead, the sources said. The ministry plans to include the required costs in its fiscal 2009 budgetary requests to be made this summer. (Jun. 22, 2008)
2008.06.22
コメント(0)
-
Construction ministry cuts taxi spending
Construction ministry cuts taxi spendingThe Yomiuri ShimbunThe Construction and Transport Ministry, which has been criticized for wasting tax revenues earmarked for road-related projects, nearly halved its spending on taxi coupons in April from the same month a year earlier, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. In the most drastic case, one section at a regional bureau slashed its spending in April and May to just 0.1 percent of the amount spent in the same period a year earlier. The decrease in spending apparently comes after officials refrained from using taxi vouchers amid growing criticism of wasteful spending. The so-called izakaya (pub) taxi scandal, in which officials were found to have received gifts such as beer and cash from taxi drivers they regularly use to drive them home, also has put ministry spending practices in the spotlight again. According to the ministry, spending on taxi coupons for officials at its head office, eight regional development bureaus and affiliated agencies such as the Japan Coast Guard, was 95 million yen in April. Even though the Diet was in session throughout the month, the figure was about 52 percent of the 180 million yen spent in April last year. The average ticket fare per official at the headquarters in the Kasumigaseki district of Tokyo was 16,000 yen, down from 24,000 yen. The figure per official at regional arms of the ministry was 450 yen, down from 1,300 yen. In fiscal 2006, the ministry spent 2.43 billion yen on taxi vouchers for its 63,000 officials. Nearly half, or 1.24 billion yen, was spent on the 4,100 officials at the main office. The Kanto Regional Development Bureau's Road Department, the largest of all sections in the eight regional bureaus with 116 officials, spent 42 million yen in fiscal 2007. Seven of the top 10 officials in terms of spending on taxis belonged to the department. But this April no one at the department used any taxi tickets. In May, the total amount was 7,360 yen, spent on two officials who reported to the office in the wake of an earthquake off Ibaraki Prefecture. The average spending for the two months a year earlier was about 3.5 million yen. That means the average for the two months this year--3,680 yen--is roughly one-thousandth the previous year's total. Meanwhile, officials spent a total of about 250 nights at the office over the two months. Between fiscal 2002 and 2006, the ministry spent an annual average of 2.6 billion yen on taxis. About 1.6 billion yen is covered by funds from seven special accounts, including one for road-related projects, and the other 1 billion yen is covered by the general account. According to a senior ministry official, many officials now would "rather sleep at the office or go home before the last train than be criticized [over the use of taxi vouchers]." Takanobu Igarashi, Hosei University professor of public works studies, said the example of the Kanto bureau shows the officials had in mind to use up the tax revenue for road-related projects. "They may refrain from using [taxi tickets] only temporarily, so we should keep a close eye on them." (Jun. 22, 2008)
2008.06.22
コメント(0)
-
Candle Night to shine light on slow life
Candle Night to shine light on slow lifeTokiko Oba / Daily Yomiuri Staff WriterTokyo Tower will not be illuminated between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday. Nor will the Sapporo Clock Tower in the Hokkaido capital. Nor will Matsumoto Castle in Nagano Prefecture. But don't worry; it's not a solar storm or a rolling blackout--it's part of the Candle Night movement. Candle Night calls on people to turn off their lights and electrical appliances for two hours on the summer and winter solstices. Instead, people are encouraged to use candles for light and, hopefully, spend this time at a more leisurely pace than usual. Since its official start in summer 2003, the movement has grown in leaps and bounds. This year, more than 700 events are planned across the nation and about 66,000 buildings will switch off their lights. According to Shinichi Tsuji, professor at Meiji Gakuin University who is the mastermind behind the movement, Candle Night is not a protest. The grassroots movement does not tell participants how to spend the two hours of the blackout or trumpet any particular message, which perhaps has encouraged people to join in and switch off their lights. "We don't say, 'Let's think about peace,' or, 'We should protest against war.' You can decide the point of this on your own," Tsuji says. Tsuji, an anthropologist and environmentalist, came up with the idea of Candle Night after hearing about a voluntary blackout movement in North America in 2001 triggered by anger at U.S. President George W. Bush's energy policy, which, in Tsuji's words, "flew in the face of the fight against global warming." Although the original movement primarily called on people to switch off their lights, Tsuji added the idea of lighting candles. When he tried out his plan at a cafe he runs, customers at first were slightly taken aback by the unusual ambience, but they soon grew fond of the flickering lights, Tsuji says. In 2003, he put out some feelers to some other groups to test their interest in joining the movement and making it more organized. This impetus has helped the Candle Night movement grow, with groups in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other countries and territories also planning similar events. "Candle Night can be enjoyed in lots of ways," Tsuji said. "When it becomes fun, you might want to do it every week. Then it might even prompt a change in lifestyle." Tsuji had an epiphany about 10 years ago when he came back to Japan after living in the United States and Canada. He said he was dismayed by "aesthetically ugly" rows of vending machines--a sight peculiar to Japan--that were chewing up huge amounts of electricity. Since then, he has never bought a drink from a vending machine and carries a bottle of water wherever he goes. His concerns about energy wastage helped inspire the Candle Night initiative. "Being able to consume as much electricity as we want has been considered a sign of wealth, and we've smiled at satellite photos of Japan's city lights shining brightly," Tsuji says. "But considering the Earth's current state, consuming so much electricity is about the most destructive thing we can do." Tsuji says many Japanese have become wealthy at the expense of spending time with their families and friends, or even by themselves. "Turning off the lights, which you take for granted will always be there, may seem like a small action but it has wider significance," he said at an office of a nongovernmental organization named Namakemono Kurabu (The Sloth Club) in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, that advocates energy-saving. The windows are usually left wide open in summer. Staff go about their work under a few lightbulbs. This year, the Candle Night campaign will be extended through July 7 to raise public awareness of the environment up to the day the Group of Eight summit meeting begins in Toyakocho, Hokkaido. "I believe it's in human nature to look after our environment. We can't afford to destroy Mother Earth or its ecosystem," Tsuji says. "I hope Candle Night to will be an opportunity to remind people of that." (Jun 21, 2008)
2008.06.22
コメント(0)
-
Japan, China drop Asunaro gas field plan / Fear of conflict with ROK seen behind move
Japan, China drop Asunaro gas field plan / Fear of conflict with ROK seen behind moveThe Yomiuri ShimbunJapan and China took the Asunaro undersea natural gas field in the East China Sea off their agreed list of areas to jointly develop to avoid any possibility of conflict with South Korea, sources close to the Japan-China negotiations said Friday. Tokyo and Beijing agreed not to develop the Asunaro gas field, known as Longjing in China, jointly or individually--effectively abandoning all plans to develop the gas field. The Asunaro gas field lies close to both the median line between China and South Korea--a key basis for deciding the boundary of their respective waters--and a continental shelf area Japan and South Korea have agreed to jointly develop. If the gas field were to be developed by Japan and China, it could trigger a dispute with South Korea. After taking this into consideration, Tokyo and Beijing agreed not to develop the Asunaro gas field, the sources said. According to the sources, the Japanese and Chinese delegations involved in the negotiations had considered joint development of the gas field. Scientific tests, however, found the stratum containing natural gas at the site could straddle the China-South Korea median line and stretch into the Japan-South Korea joint development area. This meant that if Japan and China jointly were to develop the Asunaro gas field, South Korea might claim that its gas resources were being tapped. South Korea did not take part in the Japan-China negotiations on the gas field exploration. Japan and China, however, agreed not to proceed with plans to develop the Asunaro gas field, the sources said. When the Japanese government officially released a list Wednesday of agreed gas field sites for joint development with China, the Asunaro gas field was conspicuously absent. The list covers only sea areas south of Asunaro. The government said only that the Asunaro gas field had not been listed as a result of its negotiations with China. During the negotiations, Japan demanded China jointly develop four gas fields in the East China Sea. The two sides agreed to jointly develop the Shirakaba gas field, known as Chunxiao in China, with capital contributions from Japan. (Jun. 21, 2008)
2008.06.22
コメント(0)
全714件 (714件中 1-50件目)
-
-
- 本日のお勧め
- Snow Man「[先着特典付]AMENITY(初回…
- (2026-10-01 14:05:41)
-
-
-
- アクセサリー大好き！
- ■abaskツイストプレーン重ね風リング…
- (2026-09-16 16:55:17)
-
-
-
- 本日のお買い得情報
- わけあり特価の瓶入り万能しょうが …
- (2026-10-01 11:30:03)
-
