2007年12月25日 星期二

菓子業界、大手3割で品質管理不適切・農水省調査

菓子業界、大手3割で品質管理不適切・農水省調査

 食品偽装が相次いだ菓子業界で、大手菓子メーカーのうち約3割が品質管理や法令順守体制に問題を抱えていたことが25日、農林水産省の調査でわかった。 期限表示でも日付設定の基準があいまいな企業もあり、同省は「大企業ですら規範のないところが多いことが裏付けられた」としている。

 調査は売上高が年間10億円以上の332社を対象に実施。今年8月に石屋製菓(札幌市)の「白い恋人」で賞味期限改ざんが発覚して以降、菓子各社が進めてきた社内点検の状況をとりまとめた。

 調査の結果、92社(27.7%)で衛生管理や事故対応に関するマニュアルがなかったり、法令順守の体制が未整備だったりした。専門部署で法令順守体制の整備を進めていた会社は121社(36.4%)にとどまった。(25日 21:01)

関連特集

関連記事

2007年12月23日 星期日

島岡達三 (しまおかたつぞう)

島岡達三 (しまおかたつぞう) TATSUZO SHIMAOKA.

島岡達三 (しまおかたつぞう) TATSUZO SHIMAOKA.


Tatsuzo Shimaoka, 88, Master of Pottery, Is Dead

2007年12月21日 星期五

Japan drops humpback whale hunt

2007/12/21 清晨還在看bbc的相關特別節目
日本外交部一位眉目清秀的發言者還信誓旦旦
他們所作所為都"合法"

不過真搞不清楚他們的"世情"--世界輿論--之了解


bbc
國際壓力下 日本暫停捕殺座頭鯨

座頭鯨
澳大利亞派艦船追蹤日本捕鯨船隊

日本政府內閣長官表示,日本暫時放棄了它備受爭議的、在南太平洋捕殺座頭鯨的行動。

日本內閣長官町村信孝說,雖然日本捕鯨船隊不准備捕殺座頭鯨,但還將在南太地區捕殺其他種類的鯨魚。

相信日本此舉是因為受到了國際捕鯨委員會的壓力。

本台駐東京的記者霍格說,日本可能在一年的時間裡都無法再追捕座頭鯨。

在1966年國際捕鯨委員會要求保護座頭鯨前,座頭鯨曾幾乎被捕殺殆盡。

澳大利亞施壓

澳大利亞對日本暫停捕殺座頭鯨的決定表示歡迎。

此前,澳大利亞新總理陸克文表示,有可能就日本調查捕鯨一事向國際法庭提起訴訟。

為搜集證據,澳大利亞向南太平洋派遣軍艦,追蹤日本捕鯨船隊並拍攝相關照片。

日本一直宣稱他們的捕鯨行動是出於科學研究的目的。

但環保人士對此予以駁斥,指責日本利用冠冕堂皇的科研理由開展商業捕鯨活動。

今年日本的捕鯨計劃備受爭議,這支捕鯨船隊前往南太平洋地區,計劃捕殺50頭座頭鯨、935頭南極小鬚鯨以及50頭長鬚鯨。

日本內閣長官町村信孝說,國際捕鯨委員會現在的運作"不正常"。




Under pressure, Japan drops humpback whale hunt: official

TOKYO (AFP) — Japan said Friday it was dropping plans to start hunting humpback whales for the first time in four decades after protests led by Australia seeking to spare the popular mammals.

It is the first time that Japan has backed down over one of its whaling expeditions, which have been a longstanding strain in its relations with its Western allies.

It also marks a coup for Australia's new left-leaning Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who has stepped up the pressure on Japan since taking office this month, including ordering a patrol ship and planes to track the whalers.

Japan had planned to harpoon 50 humpback whales starting with its current expedition, the first time since the 1960s that Tokyo would have hunted the species, which are major attractions for Australian whale-watchers.

"Japan will not hunt humpback whales," chief government spokesman Nobutaka Machimura told a news conference.

"It's true that Australia expressed quite a strong opinion to Japan on this," he said. "As a result, I hope that this will lead to better relations with Australia."

But he vowed the fleet en route to the Antarctic Ocean would go ahead with its hunt of nearly 1,000 whales other than humpbacks, saying that Australia and Japan had basic cultural differences on the issue.

"Australians consider whales to be very affectionate, something I can't really relate to. But apparently they give names to every whale and there's quite strong public sentiment," Machimura said.

US ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer had earlier said that Japan agreed to stand down during diplomatic negotiations.

Japan carries out the hunt using a loophole in a 1986 global moratorium on commercial whaling that allows "lethal research" on the giant mammals. Only Norway and Iceland defy the moratorium outright.

Environmental movement Greenpeace and the militant splinter group Sea Shepherd have each sent a ship to Antarctic waters to try to disrupt Japan's whaling.

In Australia, Greenpeace pledged to continue to press Japan, noting that the fleet still planned to kill some 50 fin whales -- the world's second largest animal after blue whales and which environmental groups consider endangered.

"Japan should turn its fleet around immediately, stop the hunt and cancel any plans for the construction of a new factory whaling ship," Greenpeace Australia Pacific chief Steve Shallhorn said.

The tone was different in Japan, where environmentalists have fought a long and lonely battle against the government's whaling programme.

"This proves that international pressure can work," said Junichi Sato, who heads the anti-whaling campaign for Greenpeace Japan.

"The decision also reflects the fact that Japanese people actually don't eat whale meat a lot. Many Japanese wonder why Japan has to go all the way to Antarctic Ocean to hunt whales," Sato told AFP.

Humpback whales, protected under a 1966 worldwide moratorium after years of overhunting, are renowned for their complex songs and acrobatic displays.

The humpbacks' slow progression along Australia's coast to breed has turned into a major tourist attraction bringing 1.5 million whale watchers a year.

Japan's fleet set off last month despite warnings from Western nations. Rudd's Labor party had accused the defeated conservative government of John Howard of being too soft on Japan out of consideration for economic ties.

Machimura denied that Japan was backing down to Australia, saying it made the decision as part of its efforts to "reform" the International Whaling Commission.

"This is a very emotional issue, but Japan insofar as possible would like to conduct its scientific research and have cool-headed discussions," Machimura said.

2007年12月17日 星期一

「生活安心」対策

政府が緊急の「生活安心」対策…食品Gメンなど

 政府は17日午前、国民生活の安全・安心を確保するための「生活安心プロジェクト」の関係閣僚会合を首相官邸で開き、緊急対策として61項目を決定した。

Click here to find out more!

 食品偽装事件が相次いでいることから、農林水産省内に「食品表示特別Gメン」(20人規模)を新設するなど、不正表示の監視や取り締まりを強化することなどが柱だ。2008年度予算案に必要経費を計上する。

 生活安心プロジェクトは、福田首相が掲げる「消費者・生活者の視点に立った行政」を具体化するものだ。〈1〉食べる〈2〉働く〈3〉作る〈4〉守 る〈5〉暮らす――の5分野で、関係法令の見直しや行政サービスの改善を進めるため、国民生活担当の岸田沖縄相に、首相が対策のとりまとめを指示した。

 このうち、食品Gメンは、大規模で悪質な食品偽装事案が発生した際、全国どこにでも機動的に駆けつけ、専門的な検査・調査を行う。

 食品表示について調べる「Gメン」は、現在も同省や各地の農政局にいるが、各管内での調査や検査に限られる。新設される特別Gメンは、大規模な事 案に対応するため、全国各地で活動するという。法令違反があれば、農水省に報告し行政指導を求めるほか、警察庁との情報共有も図る。東京、大阪、福岡の農 政事務所に配置する予定だ。

 さらに、国と都道府県が連携する「食品表示監視協議会(仮称)」を新設する。関係省庁の連絡体制も強化し、悪質業者の処分を円滑にできるよう態勢を整える。

 また、悪徳商法根絶に向け、課長級による「悪徳商法関係省庁連絡会議」を今年度中に設置し、取り締まりや規制を強化する。子供の安全確保のため、大規模地震で倒壊する危険性が高い公立小中学校約1万棟を対象に、今後5年程度かけ、自治体が実施する耐震化事業を促進する。

 ◆「生活安心」施策の要旨◆ 

 政府が17日決定した「生活安心プロジェクト」緊急施策の要旨は次の通り。

 【食べる】

 ▽加工食品に原料供給者の表示を義務づけ▽輸入食品の検査強化のため、食品衛生監視員(現在は334人)を増員

 【働く】

 ▽日雇い派遣労働者の雇用安定のため、年内に労働者派遣制度見直しの結論決定▽フリーターの常用雇用化プランの目標を25万人から35万人に引きあげ▽契約社員を正社員に登用した事業主への奨励金制度創設

 【作る】

 ▽おもちゃの塗料に使う鉛などの規格基準を厳格化▽国民生活センターに、ひやりとした情報を書き込める「事故情報データバンク(仮称)」構築▽国民生活審議会に有識者の「重大な事故等オンブズマン制度」設置▽「200年住宅」の関連法整備

 【守る】

 ▽国民生活センターに「裁判外紛争手続き機関(ADR)」設置▽医療事故死の原因究明を行う「医療安全調査委員会(仮称)」新設

 【暮らす】

 ▽民生委員らに悪徳商法や製品事故に関する情報をメール配信▽伝統文化などの地域資源を生かした事業への支援

2007年12月17日12時51分 読売新聞)

2007年12月16日 星期日

日本改採西洋曆

看這篇才知道日本改採西洋曆是這樣"胡里胡塗"的算計的

Measure quality of 2008 by time on your hands

12/17/2007

The older I get, the faster time seems to fly. It is already the last month of this year--called shiwasu, another way of saying December. The traditional chores done in December include sending seibo year-end gifts, writing New Year's greeting cards and giving one's home a thorough cleaning.

At work, other tasks have to be completed before the year-end, and there are bonenkai year-end parties to attend. Many people also visit their valued clients to thank them for their patronage during the year.

There is no moment to spare during shiwasu. But in 1872, the month had only two days in Japan. That was the year Japan switched from the old lunar calendar to the modern solar calendar, and Dec. 3 became Jan. 1, 1873.

The government announced the switch only 20 days before it took effect. The whole nation was thrown into confusion. The reason for the abrupt transition was almost like a joke befitting a rakugo comic tale.

According to the lunar calendar, 1873 was to have a "leap month," which meant that the year would have 13 months and the government would have to pay civil servants' salaries over 13 months, rather than 12.

This was quite a dilemma for high-ranked bureaucrats because the government was heavily in debt at the time.

But someone apparently came up with the ingenious idea of switching to the solar calendar to get rid of that extra month.

And by hacking the month of December down to only two days, the government got away without paying anything for the month, thereby effectively saving two months' worth of salary payments.

Whoever thought this up must have been the original wily bureaucrat who knew how to serve the government and confound the public.

Japan has stuck with the solar calendar system ever since. New calendars for 2008 now line shelves at bookstores and stationery shops. While nobody can see time with their own eyes, these calendars enable us to envision the "amount" of time the coming year will entail.

However, they do not let us visualize the quality of time. If we aren't careful, we can easily waste our time the same way that we sometimes let money fly out of our wallets. Shiwasu is also a good month to plan the flow of our time next year.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 2(IHT/Asahi: December 17,2007)

謝長廷日本演講 主張強化台日關係

bbc
謝長廷日本演講 主張強化台日關係
謝長廷
台灣民進黨總統參選人謝長廷主張加強台日關系

台灣民進黨總統參選人謝長廷周日(16日)受邀到日本京都大學母校演講,強調強化台日關係。

據台灣中央社報道,謝長廷以"日台關係強化之道"為題,向僑界、留學生做為時一個小時的演說。

謝長廷從留學日本談到台日關係,他盼台灣與日本之間能有類似美國的"台灣關係法",針對台灣的定位等問題做規定與保障。

謝長廷是在當地時間下午6點抵達京都大學芝蘭會館,他全程用日文演說,聆聽演講的國內政治人物還有高雄市長陳菊、立委蕭美琴、林國慶、唐碧娥,嘉義縣長陳明文、高雄縣長楊秋興等人。

謝長廷指出,台灣人對中國不斷用導彈對準台灣,越來越反感﹔尤其中國不斷對台灣實施法律戰、心理戰,並在國際孤立台灣,剝奪台灣加入國際社會的權利,包括阻撓攸關台灣人民健康的加入WHO及聯合國等。

中央社報道引述謝長廷的話說,台灣願意和中國對話,也承諾在當選總統之後,在中國正視台灣主體的前提下就是兩岸對話的契機。

台日要如何強化彼此的關係?謝長廷從政治面、非政府組織及經濟信息方面做剖析。

他說,台灣和日本之間沒有類似美國的"台灣關係法",針對一些台灣的定位等問題做規定保障,使得台日高層往來常遭到中國抗議,讓台日關係無法有突破性的發展,他盼日方能克服這種障礙,進一步發展台日關係。

謝長廷強調和解共生是他的理念,也是他對台灣人民的承諾,他說有信心當選總統後,兩岸一定會有一個和平尊嚴的對話空間,以"和平化兩岸",用最進步年輕力量的連結來強化台日關係。

謝長廷發表演說的演講廳擠滿聽眾,入場票價是5000日元。

Japanese Monks Stage Fashion Show

築地本願寺 (浄土真宗本願寺派本願寺築地別院)


関東の人々に「築地本願寺さん」と親しまれているこのお寺は、正式には「浄土真宗本願寺派本願寺築地別院」と言います。その発祥は、元和三(一六一七)年、西本願寺の ...
www.tsukijihongwanji.jp/ - 17k

Tsukiji-honganJi, officially called “Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Honganji Tsukiji Betsu In” is a temple located in Chuo district, Tokyo. ...


Japanese Monks Stage Fashion Show

By MARI YAMAGUCHI –


Photo 1 of 3

Buddhist monks present display their robes before spectators during a monk collection at Tsukiji Honganji temple in Tokyo Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007. Japanese monks and nuns held a fashion show _ replete with rap music and a catwalk _ at the major Tokyo temple Saturday to promote Buddhism. In the "Tokyo Bouz (monk) Collection" held at Tsukiji Honganji, nearly 40 monks and nuns from eight major Buddhist sects joined in the event aimed at winning back believers. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

Related News

段落與原作不同


Japanese Monks Stage Fashion Show By MARI YAMAGUCHI – 1 day ago TOKYO (AP) — Japanese monks and nuns hit the catwalk in Tokyo on Saturday in a bid to spread Buddhism among younger people in this rapidly aging society.

The fashion show opened with a Buddhist prayer set to a hip-hop beat at the centuries-old Tsukiji Honganji temple, where nearly 40 monks and nuns from eight major Buddhist sects showed off elaborate robes in an effort to win back believers.


Five monks from each school walked on the runway, then chanted prayers and wrapped up in a grand finale with confetti resembling lotus petals.


Confetti Bursts Recalled

confetti
DJ: []

n. (名詞 noun)
  1. 五彩碎紙
  2. 糖果


Buddhist monks traditionally wear simple black robes. But to appeal to more fashion-conscious youth, the monks wore green and yellow clothes, some with gold embroidery. Others wore elaborate, multilayered robes."Their robes were gorgeous," said Sayaka Anma, one of the audience in her 20s, after the monks' show.

"I was a bit surprised in the beginning, but it was very moving."More than 1,200 years after it first arrived from mainland Asia, Buddhism in Japan is in crisis, priests say.

Almost three-quarters of Japan's population of 120 million are registered as Buddhist, but for many, the only time they enter a temple is to attend a funeral. That has sent many of the country's 75,000 temples into financial trouble.Japan's aging population has meant more funerals, but the declining population and birth rate means fewer young people to share the bill to keep temples afloat.


"We wanted to show the young people that Buddhism is cool, and temples are not a place just for funerals," said Koji Matsubara, a chief monk at Tsukiji.The Tsukiji Honganji offers theological seminars in English for foreign visitors, and has fitted its main hall with a pipe organ for Western-style weddings to attract young couples.

Some other temples have also introduced cafes, art galleries and other innovations to reach out to young people who are interested in a different lifestyle."

Many of us priests share the sense of crisis, and a need to do something to reach out to people," said priest Kosuke Kikkawa, 37, one of the organizers of Saturday's event.


"We won't change Buddha's teachings, but perhaps we need a different presentation that can touch the feelings of the people today."

2007年12月13日 星期四

根回し

「根回」(nemawashi)係指和所有相關者、受到影響者共同討論問題及可能的解決方法,收集他們的意見,並對解決途徑取得一致共識。這種共識過程雖花時間,但能幫助擴大解決方法之謀求,並奠定一旦作出決定後就能快速執行的基礎。


研究日本将近半个世纪,日本文化在你身上留下什么印记?
傅高义想了想说,“我想,大概是日本人的做事风格吧。日文里有个词,叫NIMAWASHI。大概就是中文里‘根’的意思。日本人如果要搬移大树,他一定会事先把坑一个个都挖好,一切准备定当,才开始做。日本人在做事之前,想得很细密,会与当事人一个个商量,寻求共识。这不仅仅是面子问题,而是了解对方,也让对方理解为何这样做。这样的话,要办一件事情,就会容易些。

2007年12月12日 星期三

汉语学习在日本

2007.12.05
直言中日:汉语学习在日本为何不人气?

  日本经济新闻社 从2006年开始与“中国教育国际交流协会”合作主办面向中国日语专业大学生的“日语演讲大赛”。大赛首先在北京、上海、广州等8个主 要城市展开预赛,选拔出17名学生前往日本,在东京一决胜负。大赛每年举办1届,2008年为第3届。07年的优胜者为华东师范大学三年级的郭侃亮。

  据中国教育国际交流协会介绍,中国的大学最近几年,日语学习热不断升温。虽然有利于就业是最主要的原因,但“对日本动画感兴趣”或是“喜欢日本歌手”的也不乏其人。不管是什么原因,对于日本人来说,学日语的中国人增加自然是件让人高兴的事情。

  那么,日本的汉语学习情况又怎样呢?虽然没有准确的统计,但是据估计受到2005年中国发生的大规模反日游行的影响,以2005年为界,学习汉语的人数骤减。随着日中关系跌入谷底,汉语学习在2006年也没有升温。

  在温家宝总理访日成功,双方回归友好气氛的今天,按说汉语学习人数应该会逐渐增加,但实际情况却似乎并非如此。日本某著名外国语大学的校长在接受采访时表示,该大学“学习汉语的学生越来越少,俄语和泰语却是热门”。

  汉语在日本热不起来的原因不仅仅是反日游行的影响。这位校长表示,“日本的学生即使学习汉语也不一定就有助于就业。最近,有很多非常优秀的中国学生在学习日语,与会汉语的日本人相比,进军中国的日本公司更多地雇用会日语的中国人”。

  在与参加日语演讲大赛决赛的中国学生接触中可以发现,参赛者确实都是非常优秀的年轻人。不仅有日语能力,而且能够明确地提出自己的主张。暂且不论是不是他们的存在降低了日本的汉语学习热,但对中国年轻一代的崛起,大多数日本人都非常羡慕。(作者:北上 重广)

2007年12月9日 星期日

火種

(BBC) 日本外相周日(9日)指中國擅自修改了中日高層經濟對話的聯合新聞公報內容,稱中方刪減了有關日本期待中國調升人民幣匯率的部分,並要求中方作出更正。

日本共同社說,日方發表的共同文件中包括"日方期待中國為允許人民幣更快升值作出努力"的文字,顯示出了日方對人民幣升值的期待,但是中方公布的共同文件中文版卻將這一部分完全刪除。

日本外相高村正彥在東京對記者說,"我想可能出了差錯導致疏漏。目前正在向中方確認共同文件應該是這樣的。"

據報道,中國公布的《首次中日經濟高層對話新聞公報》只有一處談到匯率問題,即第六條的第二部分,其中提出,"中方認為,日本走出流動性過剩問題引發的泡沫經濟的經驗教訓值得借鑒。日方對中方增強人民幣匯率彈性的方針表示歡迎。"

日本《朝日新聞》稱,這種擅自改變新聞公報的作法極不尋常,引起了日本的不滿,經由外交渠道進行抗議並要求中方予以更正。

報道指出,中日雙方經由負責官員同意下完成新聞公報的內容,日本於1日晚在北京發表日本版的全文,中國則於3日經由新華社報道中文版,次日刊登在《人民日報》等網站。

日本媒體說,日方發現中國公布的新聞公報刪除了"日本表明期待中國努力調升人民幣匯率"和"日本指出中國參加能源憲章條約所具有的意義"的部分。

中日首次高層經濟對話是12月1日在北京結束的。日本方面有六名官員出席,中國則由副總理和七名官員出席,就經濟問題廣泛交換意見。

火種


日中経済対話 中国、公表文書書き換え 日本側は抗議

2007年12月09日14時33分

 北京で1日に開かれた日中ハイレベル経済対話でまとめられたプレスコミュニケ(報道文書)を中国側が一方的に書き換えて公表し、これに日本側が外交ルー トを通じて抗議、訂正を求めていることがわかった。中国側が公表した文面からは、人民元の為替レート上昇に日本が期待を表明した部分などが削除されてい る。日本側は独自の中国語版の作成と公表を検討するなど異例の展開を見せ、福田首相の訪中を控える中で、中国側の対応次第では日中間の新たな火種にもなり そうだ。

 いったん合意したプレスコミュニケの文面を一方的に変えて発表するのは極めて異例のことだ。

 同経済対話は北京の人民大会堂に日本の閣僚6人、中国の副首相と7閣僚が集まり、経済問題を包括的に議論。翌2日には日本の5閣僚が中国 の温家宝(ウェン・チアパオ)首相と会見し、「非常に成功した」と対話の成果を評価した温首相に、高村外相は「共同文書の発表ができて成功だった」と応じ た。

 複数の日中関係筋によると、コミュニケは対話と並行して双方の実務者が検討し、各分野の表現を担当閣僚が了承、完成した。日本側は1日夜、北京で記者団に日本語版の全文を発表した。

 中国側は新華社通信が3日、中国語版を伝え、翌日付の人民日報や商務省のウェブサイトに掲載された。ところが、日中双方の閣僚らが1日の 対話で合意した当初の文面から、中国側が人民元の為替レートの上昇に向けて努力することに日本側が期待を表明した部分と、エネルギー憲章条約への中国の参 加の意義を日本側が指摘した部分が削除されている。

 人民元の為替レートは、中国人民銀行(中央銀行)の市場介入で低く抑えられているとして、巨額の対中貿易赤字を抱える米国や欧州から批 判が根強い。また、エネルギーに関する貿易の自由化や投資の保護について定めた国際ルールであるエネルギー憲章条約については、中国は署名せず、オブザー バー国にとどまっている。

 中国側が削除した部分は、いずれも日本が中国に努力を促すくだり。日本政府当局者は「中国側はコミュニケの作成自体に消極的だった。文 書化したうえ、言われたくないことを明記することへの抵抗感が強かったのだろう」と見る。日本側からは「副首相はじめ担当閣僚が合意しておきなら、無断で 変更を加える行為は両国の信頼関係を傷つける」「外交上やってはいけない暴挙」などの声が上がっている。

 日中関係者は「中国共産党指導部が注文をつけたとしか考えられない」と指摘するが、中国側が文面に変更を加えた意図や背景は不明だ。中国外務省報道局は8日夜の段階で、朝日新聞の問い合わせに答えていない。


2007年12月4日 星期二

In Japan, Rural Economies Wane

日本城鄉失調的問題最堪借鏡

In Japan, Rural Economies Wane as Cities Thrive

Ko Sasaki for The New York Times

In regions like Akita, downtowns have emptied, factories have closed, and an exodus to Tokyo of youths seeking jobs has left behind towns that are predominantly for the elderly.


Published: December 5, 2007

NOSHIRO, Japan — The only outward sign of conflict here is the red flags of protest, but this small logging city on Japan’s remote northern coast is seething.

A proliferation of national chain stores outside town has already forced the closing of about half of the city’s once teeming central shopping district. Now, many in this normally restrained rural community see the megamall being built nearby, by a company based near Tokyo, as the final nail in the coffin of their economy.

“We don’t want to fight, but we are desperate,” said Seiji Yanagihara, an official with the Noshiro Chamber of Commerce, which opposes the mall. “Tokyo is eating all the goodies, and not even leaving us with scraps from the table.”

Japan’s $4.7 trillion economy has expanded for the last five and a half years. Urban centers like Tokyo and Nagoya, the seat of the Japanese car industry, are thriving, as seen in the building boom decorating Tokyo’s skyline with glittering new high-rises.

But in regions like Akita, the mountainous northern prefecture that is home to Noshiro, downtowns have emptied and factories have closed, and an exodus to Tokyo of youths seeking jobs has left behind towns that are predominantly for the elderly.

There is widespread concern here that these changes are turning Japan into a nation divided into winners and losers, split geographically between prosperous cities and the depressed rural areas. Many here attribute this growing disparity to Japan’s embrace of American-style economic liberalization, begun in the 1990s to end the nation’s decade of stagnation.

The measures to open up markets helped revive cities like Tokyo and lowered prices for Japan’s long-suffering urban middle class. But elsewhere in Japan, they are seen as bringing unwelcome and wrenching change.

And now, with recent signs of a coming economic slowdown in Japan, divisions could deepen. On Monday, Japan’s top central banker, Toshihiko Fukui, warned of ripples from the housing downturn in the United States, one of Japan’s largest overseas markets. He said he was particularly concerned about the impact on Japan’s small and midsize companies, many of which are in rural areas.

The new economic policies are blamed for undoing one of Japan’s proudest achievements after World War II, the creation of an egalitarian society that was almost uniformly middle class. They have also eroded one of the pillars of Japan’s postwar political stability, rural voters’ stalwart support for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The changes began during Japan’s doldrums, when the government tried to revive growth by slowly but steadily deregulating entire swaths of the economy, like banking, insurance and groceries. As seen in Noshiro, some of the biggest upheavals followed the lifting of restrictions on large stores, a step originally urged by Washington to admit American retailers.

As in the United States, this has filled the countryside with large shopping malls and strips of chain stores, some American but most domestic, at the expense of town centers.

Rural areas also lost out in the 1990s because of the gradual dismantling of government-sanctioned price cartels, which had guaranteed jobs by protecting industries from “excessive competition.” As Japan’s markets opened, a flood of cheaper industrial and textile products from China and other Asian countries gutted local economies, which still depend heavily on manufacturing.

Rural areas were hit hard again in the early 2000s, when Junichiro Koizumi, then prime minister, tried to unshackle the private sector by shrinking the government. Akita lost thousands of construction jobs as Mr. Koizumi made deep cuts in public works projects, which had been a way to redistribute Tokyo’s tax revenue to the countryside.

The economic hardships have led to a growing sense of resentment that began to spill into national politics in July.

Angry rural voters handed the Liberal Democrats a crushing defeat in elections for the upper house of Parliament. This rural discontent has helped the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, which made closing Japan’s regional economic gaps the central plank of its campaign.

Many opposition politicians now talk about halting or rolling back American-style liberalization to protect traditional ways of life. Many blame Washington for having pushed Japan into opening markets. Stung by defeat, the chastened Liberal Democrats and their new leader, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, have backed away from their support of economic liberalization and have begun emphasizing steps to fix regional disparities.

“The elections were the first scream of distress by Japan’s regions,” said Daigo Matsuura, an opposition Democratic Party member from Akita who defeated the ruling party incumbent in July for a seat in the upper house. “America pressured Japan into making these changes. The result was the birth of regional economic gaps.”

Whatever the cause, the widening of these gaps is apparent in government statistics. Over the last decade, Tokyo’s economy has grown 6.9 percent. Land prices in the capital are rising so fast that there is talk of a property bubble, and the city’s population has grown by 900,000, to 12.7 million residents, at a time when Japan’s overall population growth has flattened.

By contrast, Akita’s economy and population have both shrunk by about 7 percent in the last decade, and land prices have been dropping for 15 years. Akita’s average annual income has fallen to 2.3 million yen, or about $20,000, exactly half Tokyo’s average.

Last year, after the restrictions on building large stores were lifted, Aeon, one of Japan’s largest retail companies, proposed a 378,000-square-foot shopping center near Noshiro that would be the largest in northern Akita. The mayor and consumer groups in this city of 60,000 have supported the plan, saying it would bring more jobs and cheaper prices. But they face bitter opposition from the local business establishment, particularly merchants.

Residents say it is the first time they have seen the community so divided.

Opponents have erected red flags saying “Oppose Aeon!” and are seeking a referendum on whether to allow the mall. The notion that a company, and particularly one from near Tokyo, can come in and compete with their businesses runs against the grain in rural communities like this one, where a tradition of harmonious coexistence has made the creation of economic winners and losers abhorrent.

“This is the first time that I’ve seen people here so up in arms,” said Munenori Kitagawa, 64, owner of a women’s clothing store he inherited from his father.

Mr. Kitagawa opposes the mall. “We are fighting for our survival,” he said.

For all of Japan, the question now is whether this sort of reaction will be strong enough to stop or reverse economic liberalization. The central government has already begun to tighten restrictions on large stores, and many in rural areas are calling for more public works.

But many in Tokyo and regions like Akita say Japan’s soaring fiscal deficits make it impossible to return fully to the old ways, and many advocate opening markets further.

Some analysts and politicians fear that Japan is entering a period of political stalemate, with the government taking no significant steps in either direction.

“There is no more consensus on economic policy,” said Heizo Takenaka, a former economic policy minister who earlier this decade was an architect of many of the changes.

So far, regions like Akita have not adapted on their own to the changing economic environment. In interviews, local business leaders bemoaned their declining fortunes, but also quickly dismissed suggestions that they seek new opportunities in nearby emerging markets like China or Russia, which sits just across the narrow Sea of Japan from Akita.

Indeed, local leaders who have tried to make changes complain of running into a thicket of local interest groups and powerful bureaucrats in Tokyo — both forces against altering the status quo. Norihisa Satake, the mayor of Akita city, the prefecture’s capital, says he has hit such obstacles as he has tried to promote revitalization plans like expanding his city’s port for large Russian ships, luring tourists from Tokyo or even holding a one-day jazz festival.

“It’s hard to convince people that they need to adapt to economic changes,” Mr. Satake said. “It’s as if they still want to use horse-drawn carts to compete in the age of the auto.”

But in small ways, some in Akita are learning to adapt.

Arata Chinda, whose used-book store in Noshiro is one of only 10 shops left on a downtown commercial street filled with either shuttered storefronts or vacant lots, said sales at his store had fallen 90 percent in the last decade. But instead of giving up, he has found an alternative marketplace online.

Mr. Chinda, 60, says he now supplements his income by selling used fantasy card games, which were popular in Akita, to collectors elsewhere in Japan. But he said he is the exception.

“It will take 10 or 20 years for this city to think of new ideas,” he said. “By that time, the downtown will be nothing but a ghost town.”

2007年12月3日 星期一

Dennis Keene

Dennis Keene

デニス・キーン氏死去 詩人、翻訳家

2007年12月1日 23時27分
デニス・キーン氏(詩人、翻訳家)11月30日、脳腫ようのため英オックスフォードの病院で死去、73歳。ロンドン出身。 61年に来日。約30年間日 本に在住し、日本女子大教授などを務めた。日本文学の翻訳に取り組み、92年に北杜夫氏の「幽霊」の英訳で野間文芸翻訳賞。著書に「モダニスト横光利一」 など。妻は舞踊評論家ケイコ・キーンさん。





Donald Keene’s Latest Japanese Adventure

Scholar Donald Keene, who has dedicated his life to studying Japanese literature, culture and customs, revealed last week that he's following another Japanese tradition: adult adoption.
Donald Keene arriving for his permanent relocation to Japan in 2011
Associated Press
Donald Keene, one of the world’s best-known Japanologists, has dedicated his life to studying Japanese literature, culture and customs. Last week, he revealed he’s following another Japanese tradition: adult adoption.
Mr. Keene, 90 years old, told an audience in northern Japan that in March he adopted his long-time friend Seiki Uehara, a 62-year-old performer of the shamisen, a Japanese stringed instrument.
“It felt like the natural course of things,” the former Mr. Uehara—now Seiki Keene—told JRT on Wednesday. The adoption grew out of a friendship that started in 2006, and eventually led to Mr. Uehara’s moving into Mr. Keene’s Tokyo home and helping the older man out with things like keeping his large collection of books organized.
Adult adoption is a fairly common practice in Japan, with around a third of all adopted individuals being adults, according to a survey carried out by the Ministry of Justice in 2010, ahead of stricter checks for accepting adoption applications. In 2011, there were 81,600 cases of adoption in Japan. In many cases, adult men are adopted into families in order to carry on the family name—and sometimes business—when there are no male descendants.
Mr. Keene, who’s known for books and scholarship introducing Japanese literature to the West—as well as his friendships with many of the Japanese literary giants of the postwar period, has no children or other family.
The pair originally came together over a keen interest in kojyoruri, an ancient form of Japanese musical performance. Mr. Uehara had performed in a similar style—jyoruri—for 25 years, as a shamisen player at the Bunraku-za puppet theater, under the stage name of “Tsurusawa Asazo V.” He retired in 1997 and returned to his home prefecture in northern Japan to help his family’s brewery business, but remained passionately interested in the genre.
Mr. Keene is known as a leading expert on kojyoruri. In November 2006, Mr. Uehara approached the older man backstage, after a Tokyo talk, to ask whether Mr. Keene would be his mentor on the subject. Mr. Uehara told Mr. Keene he “had no one to seek guidance from,” the younger man told JRT.
At the time, Mr. Keene was still teaching at Columbia University, where he’d been for more than half a century, and spending time in the U.S. as well as Japan. But following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Mr. Keene decided to move permanently to Japan and become a Japanese citizen. That’s when he brought up to Mr. Uehara the idea of adoption.
“When he’d first mentioned adoption, I thought he was joking,” the junior Mr. Keene says. “But eventually I understood that he was being serious.” Now the younger man helps his adoptive father organize his busy schedule from their apartment in Tokyo, while holding shamisen performances of his own. The older Mr. Keene gained Japanese citizenship in 2012.
The pair say their cross-cultural partnership has been smooth so far. The former Mr. Uehara says his family was delighted at the news of his adoption, and that nobody close to Mr. Keene raised objections either. And what does the younger Keene think of his new surname?  “I like it a lot,” he told JRT. “I’ve finally managed to get used to it.”

listeners to decide if words are true ?

品管界一些老兵

劉先生提”QC旨在追求真 ROOT CAUSES …..而真象會死人的……”

我說了MOMENT OF TRUTH 其實是海明威翻譯西班牙鬥牛的決戰之剎那間”…..

今天讀發現真實的失落  文、題字/漢寶德

每個社會都有類似問題
日本2007年11月的一些代表性真真假假事件:


It's up to listeners to decide if words are true

12/01/2007

The weak, wintry sunlight makes me more conscious of the darkness and shadows that seem to define aspects of life. My selection of November quotes concern truths that remain unknown.

Senba Kitcho, which operates a chain of high-class Japanese restaurants, was caught falsifying expiration dates on food labels.

A Senba Kitcho director, Shoji Yuki, blamed part-time workers for "acting on their own," but a woman worker disputed that charge.

Insisting that it was Shoji Yuki who ordered the staff to falsify the labels, she stated, "He yelled at us: 'These things last. Just extend the consume-by date by a month or so.'"

A poultry supplier that the president of Senba Kitcho, Masanori Yuki, accused of betraying his trust by passing broilers off as jidori free-range local chicken, shot back: "The company never ordered any jidori meat from us."

Toshiya Kadowaki, owner of the Japanese restaurant Azabu Kadowaki in Tokyo, refused to be rated by the new Michelin Guide.

"Some patrons bring guests to a restaurant to entertain," said Kadowaki. "Or a gentleman may want to bring his lady friend for a romantic dinner. Dishes that are meant for all occasions couldn't be interesting."

Michelin's inspectors check restaurants anonymously. The guide awarded its top three-star rating to eight Tokyo restaurants.

One is Hamadaya in Tokyo's Nihonbashi-Ningyocho district. Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga was there a year ago, according to disgraced former Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya.

"I am deeply upset to have to face interrogations based on (Moriya's) flimsy claim," Nukaga complained.

To establish his alibi, Nukaga has produced a photograph that places him at a different location on the night in question. Kenji Yamaoka, chairman of the Diet Affairs Committee of opposition Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan), sniffed: "Anyone can doctor the date and time on a picture taken by a digital camera."

Foreign nationals are now required to submit to fingerprinting and having a photo taken of their faces upon entry to Japan. Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama, who blurted out that his "friend's friend" happened to be an al-Qaida member, said: "Scary terrorists are roaming Japan freely."

But Hatoyama may be more interested in cracking down on illegal immigrants than terrorists.

The Hiroshima District Court has acquitted a man charged with murdering his mother and two daughters in a life insurance fraud. The prosecution had demanded the death penalty.

Presiding Judge Keisuke Hosoda explained his verdict: "In many ways, his innocence is highly questionable, which puts him in the gray zone. But I could not pronounce him guilty."

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 30(IHT/Asahi: December 1,2007)

defense lobbyists

lobby (PERSUADE)

Defense lobbyists fallen into deep pit of greed

11/30/2007

Golf is a sport that respects Mother Nature. According to the Japan Golf Association, a ball that falls into a mole's or rabbit's hole can be pulled out and then dropped near the hole with no penalty. But it is against the rules to do so if the ball is in a hole dug by a dog, an animal that burrows only for pleasure.

Apparently, humans who have fallen into a deep pit of greed are beyond redemption by any rules.

Former Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya and his wife, Sachiko, were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of receiving bribes in the form of golfing trips arranged and paid for by a former senior executive and other personnel of a defense contractor.

But the golf-crazy former bureaucrat and his spouse could not be the only players in this scandal. This time, I want prosecutors to make sure they expose to taxpayers the dark shadows in which lawmakers affiliated with the defense industry have been scurrying around. The money spent on entertaining the Moriyas must have been peanuts compared with the vast sums of taxpayers' money misappropriated or abused.

From small arms to fighter planes, the prices of equipment bought by the Self-Defense Forces are said to be higher than those of American or European armed forces. Laymen have no way of judging the market value and performance of this state-of-the-art equipment. And since it is being purchased with taxpayers' money, the buyers feel no need to haggle, which enables the sellers to quote whatever price they want, making huge profits.

During the 1979 probe into the so-called Douglas-Grumman payoff scandal, Shigeki Ito (1925-1988), who would serve as public prosecutor general from 1985 to 1988, hinted at a development in the investigation targeting leading politicians when he told the Diet: "The important thing in any criminal investigation is to expose a great evil, not just dig up minor evil."

Unfortunately, the investigators stopped short of going the distance, and left intact the structure of vested interests that might be described figuratively as mole tunnels that are infested in the woods of defense spending.

Moles are voracious animals that devour earthworms, insects and any other small creatures that wander into their tunnels. Mole tunnels may be thought of as giant traps in themselves. Tunnels featuring "good living conditions" are inherited from one generation to the next.

The prosecutors must exterminate the great evil and the labyrinthine underground tunnel that leads to the national coffers.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 29(IHT/Asahi: November 30,2007)

2007年11月28日 星期三

Japan's Oil Decoupling

文中表述不代表道瓊斯的觀點


Japan's Oil Decoupling

2007年11月21日13:54
It is hard to find good investment news from Japan these days. Domestic politics are in disarray, economic reform has slowed, and the stronger yen is threatening exporters' earnings. But in this gloom, it is easy to overlook one great strength: the country's immense success in reducing oil dependence. This success is paying economic dividends as oil prices skyrocket.

Japan's oil imports today total about 4.25 million barrels per day, compared to 5 million in 1973. The change is even more dramatic when oil consumption is compared to GDP growth. During the booming 1960s, oil use grew at about twice the growth rate of inflated-adjusted, or real, GDP. But between the first and second oil crises in the 1970s, real GDP growth started to outpace oil usage. Then the trend reversed: From 1979 to 1989, oil use fell by 14% while real GDP rose by 27%. Since 1989, oil use has risen, but not as fast as output.

Japan's efforts have saved immense amounts of energy. Today's GDP would require about 40% more energy per year than is actually used, if Japan had languished at 1975 efficiency levels. Converted to barrels of oil and valued at today's oil prices, this energy saving amounts to about 16 trillion yen ($140 billion) per year.

This decoupling from oil came first from conservation. In particular, successive Japanese governments redesigned cities to encourage public transportation and high density. Auto companies kept developing high mileage engines even when oil prices fell. Oil saving was also promoted by a host of public programs and incentives. The move toward nuclear power accelerated with the 1974 laws on electric power supply, for instance. Overall conservation was accelerated with the 1979 'Law Concerning Rational Use of Energy.'

Japan's decoupling from oil is also a story of deliberate diversification of energy sources, both among fossil fuels and away from fossil fuels as a whole, as the nearby table shows. As an additional benefit, Japan is also a leader in nuclear technology today, a lucrative business.

The change in the level and composition of fossil fuel dependence has reduced the vulnerability of Japan to energy shocks. Of course, the prices of all fossil fuels tend to move together, but timing lags among the different types of fossil fuels can give the economy significant adjustment room.

Yet despite remarkable progress, Japan is not free of energy worries yet. Japan still imports 82% of its primary energy, down only five percentage points in 35 years. With oil hovering around $90 a barrel, there is likely to be another major shift away from oil. Since the end of 2003, retail gasoline prices are up by about 40%, and total passenger car sales are down about 6%, even though real wage income is up by about 2%.

If history is any guide, Japan is likely to outperform other countries in adjusting to high oil prices. Japanese companies and the government have demonstrated their ability to pursue many technology alternatives. In May last year, the cabinet pledged to improve household appliance efficiency by a further 30% on average over the next 25 years, and to raise the share of electric power from nuclear plants to as much as 40%, up from 30% today. Achieving these goals would allow virtual elimination of oil as a source of power generation.

As a result of such policies, the Japanese government can expect to enjoy a greater cushion from the economic pressures of rising oil prices than most governments could hope for. The challenge will be to exploit that maneuvering room to continue other needed economic reforms, such as pension, tax and agricultural policy, to name a few. Just reducing Japan's overreliance on oil won't be enough to fuel growth for the future.

Robert Alan Feldman



日本擺脫對石油的過度依賴

2007年11月21日13:54 wsj
近一段時間日本很少傳出投資方面的好消息。國內政治一團混亂﹐經濟改革放緩﹐走高的日圓威脅著出口商的利潤。但在一片慘淡之中﹐人們很容易忽視一個重大的優勢﹕這個國家極為成功地降低了對石油的依賴。在石油價格瘋漲之際﹐這個成就將為經濟帶來極大的好處。

日 本現在的石油進口量為每天425萬桶﹐而1973年為500萬桶。如果將石油消耗量與GDP增幅作一對比﹐這一變化就更引人矚目了。在經濟飛速發展的上世 紀60年代﹐日本石油消費量的增長速度約為經通貨膨脹因素調整後GDP(或實際GDP)增速的兩倍。但在70年代的先後兩次石油危機中﹐實際GDP的增長 速度開始超過石油用量的增速。隨後形勢發生了逆轉﹕1979至1989年間﹐石油使用量下降了14%﹐而同期實際GDP則上漲了27%。1989年後﹐石 油用量又開始增加﹐但上漲幅度趕不上GDP增幅。

日本的努力節省了大量能源。如果日本退回到1975年的能效水平﹐維持當前的GDP每年所需能源將比實際用量高40%。如果折合成桶裝石油﹐按當前油價計算﹐每年節省的能源約值16萬億日圓(合1,400億美元)。

日 本得以減輕對石油的依賴首先要歸功於節能。具體來說﹐歷屆日本政府都致力於城市的重新規劃﹐鼓勵發展公共交通和提高人口居住密度。汽車公司一直在努力開發 低油耗發動機﹐即便在油價下跌的時期也不例外。一係列公共項目和獎勵措施也促進了節油。比如1974年製定的電力供應法便加快了核電的發展。1979年的 《合理使用能源法》(Law Concerning Rational Use of Energy)則促進了全面節能。

日本對石油依賴度的下降也應歸因於它所用能源的多元化﹐這既體現為礦物燃料的多元化﹐也反映在礦物燃料在能源總使用量中所佔比例的下降上。這一進程還額外產生了一個好處﹐那就是日本的核技術如今已處於全球領先地位。

對礦物燃料依賴度的下降以及在礦物燃料中石油不再一家獨大增強了日本應對能源危機的能力。當然﹐所有礦物燃料的價格通常都會一起波動﹐但不同種類的礦物燃料在價格變動方面通常會有時間差﹐這就給日本經濟留下了充足的調整空間。

不 過﹐雖然取得了顯著的成就﹐日本還沒有達到安枕無憂的地步。其一次性能源仍有82%依賴進口﹐在35年內只下降了五個百分點。隨著油價在每桶90美元左右 徘徊﹐日本在擺脫石油方面有可能再掀高潮。自2003年底以來﹐汽油零售價上漲了40%左右﹐而小汽車的總體銷量則下滑了約6%﹐雖然實際工資收入增加了 2%。

如果歷史可以為鑒﹐日本可能會比其他國家更好地適應高油價局面。日本的企業和政府已經顯示出它們有能力採用多種替代技術。日本內閣 去年5月宣稱﹐要在未來25年內將家用電器的能效平均提高30%﹐並將核電佔總發電量的比重從目前的30%提高到40%。如果達到這些目標﹐就可以實現不 再利用石油發電。

實施這些政策後﹐日本政府將能比大多數國家的政府更輕鬆應對油價高漲帶來的經濟壓力。挑戰在於如何利用這一喘息空間來繼續推行養老金、稅收和農業政策等方面的必要改革。僅僅減少對石油的過度依賴還不足以推動未來的發展。

Robert Alan Feldman

(編者按﹕本文作者為Morgan Stanley Japan Ltd.的經濟研究主管)

2007年11月26日 星期一

Japan's Salarymen, With Pensions At Stake,

「退休金一半歸老婆」 日爆離婚潮
依照日本政府今年四月頒行的新法,婦女訴請離婚時最高可要求取得男方公司退休金的一半。華盛頓郵報廿六日報導,這項新法四月生效後,日本全國訴請離婚案激增六點一個百分點,且九成五是由女方提出,造成一波家庭危機。 專家認為,更多的離婚案正在醞釀中,在婚姻中備受冷落長達數十年的一些婦女,正在細算離婚後可自男方手中取得多少財產。 日本「亭主關白協會」創辦人天野秀一表示:「這項新法律促使許多日本男性重新思考岌岌可危的婚姻。」他表示,即將退休的日本男性特別緊張。他說:「對日本男性而言,離婚等於被判處死刑,因為他們不會照顧自己。」 他又說,當他的妻子八年前告訴他幾乎確定準備離他而去時,他當時下廚只會煎蛋煮麵。從此以後,他開始學習如何傾聽對方的心聲,倒垃圾,整理居家,做飯。 日本人的婚姻正歷經艱困時期。和美國及多數已開發國家一樣,日本人首次結婚的年齡不斷往後延。 1962年至去年之間,日本婦女平均首次結婚的年齡由原來的廿四歲往後延至廿八歲。 另外,受過良好教育卻決定單身的日本年輕婦女也越來越多。1980年,四分之三大學畢業的日本婦女結婚時的平均年齡是廿九歲,如今,廿九歲仍然未婚的婦女已達到七成。過去二十年來,該年齡層婦女抱定單身主義的比率增加將近一倍,達到百分之廿九。(hc案:依原文似應該是28%) 東京婚姻顧問池內裕美指出,這是因為許多婦女唯恐嫁為人婦後,陷入孤獨與無盡家務牢籠的結果。她說:「我認為這不是男人的錯,主要是因為企業文化要求男人加班到很晚。」 數十年來日本離婚率持續上升,2003年通過的新法容許離婚婦女拿到老公的半數退休金,就有人警告實施後可能爆發離婚潮,果然今年四月起離婚率激增,而且九成五是由女性提出,顯然這些婦女有意等待新法實施才提離婚。 池內裕美說,接近退休年齡的上班族特別危險,因為他們長久以來只知道賺錢養家,卻完全忽視家人的情感需求。她說:「這些男人回到家就像個外星人,任何妻子都很難接受這種外星人。」


Article | 11/26/2007

Learn to Be Nice to Your Wife, or Pay the Price: Japan's Salarymen, With Pensions At Stake, Work on...

Blaine Harden, A01 (Post)

...cronies and stumble home late to long-suffering wives -- have danger waiting for them as they near retirement. Divorce. A...





IMAGE GIRL 其他

日本最佳愛侶 三浦夫婦

明治安田壽險公司發表日 本「最佳夫婦」調查結果,三浦友和與山口百惠夫婦繼去年再次名列榜首。三十至五十多歲年齡層多認為「能夠感受到他們夫妻間的相輔相愛」。據調查,四成日本 夫婦每天平均交談時間不到半小時,其中約三成表示對配偶沒有愛意;而每天交談超過半小時的夫婦中,比例僅百分之五。可見經常交談可增進夫婦的感情。(觀 蘅)



IMAGE GIRL

サッポロ、来年のイメージガールは江頭ひなたさん

2007年11月26日

 来年のサッポロビールの顔は北海道出身――。同社が26日発表した2008年の新イメージガールは江頭(えとう)ひなたさん。お披露目の会では多才なところを見せた。(アサヒ・コム編集部) 〈写真特集〉はこちら

写真

江頭ひなたさん=東京・恵比寿で

写真

元気な笑顔が印象的

写真

特技のピアノを披露

2007年11月20日 星期二

Toyota公司重松氏的一場講演摘要

日本和中國(後文)的標題不一樣
我們除了技術之外 還可以思考原文中的"倫理觀"在此中文中不知如何處理
還可以了解 model base 是 platform 之部分集合.....
對(好談翻譯的) 我而言 一般稱董事為"重役" 不過 Toyota公司稱"役員"



【日經BP社報導】

ーエレクトロニクス

【ET2007】「パワー半導体の重要性はガソリン・エンジンと同じ」トヨタ自動車の常務役員の重松氏が講演

2007/11/16 22:30

 トヨタ自動車 常務役員の重松崇氏は,「組込みソフトウェア開発におけるトヨタ自動車の挑戦」と題した講演を「Embedded Technology 2007(組込み総合技術展)」(パシフィコ横浜,2007年11月14~16日)で行った(図1)。今回の講演は,組み込みソフトウエア開発というテー マを掲げてはいるが,実際は組み込みソフトウエア開発を含む,同社の電子技術開発全体について説明するものとなった。

中国での安全技術,まずは電気よりメカで

 自動車を電子化する目的の一つに,安全技術の向上がある。同氏はまず,世界の地域ごとに,電子化による安全技術をどのように展開していくのかを述 べた。同氏によると,世界の全ての地域に電子化による安全技術を搭載した自動車をすぐに投入するつもりはないという。理由として地域ごとの交通事故状況の 違いを挙げ,特に中国を例にとって説明した。

 交通事故件数は日米欧では減少や横ばいであるのに対し,中国では急激に増加している(図2)。中国で事故件数を減らすには,電子化による安全技術 を搭載した高価な自動車を投入していくよりも,まずはメカ構造を工夫して衝突安全性などを高めるといった比較的安価な安全技術を搭載した自動車を普及して いくことが重要との認識を示した。その後,制動時にタイヤのロックを防止するABS(anti-lock brake system)や,横滑り防止装置などの電子化による安全技術を搭載した自動車を投入していく考えだという。

 欧米については,今後,横滑り防止装置が法制化する動きを挙げ,その動きに備える必要性を示した。

交通渋滞にはプローブ情報を活用

 次いで,自動車の電子化に対する同社の取り組み事例を順に挙げていった。ハイブリッド車による燃費向上の重要性や,横滑り防止装置などの安全技術 に対する取り組み,インフラと自動車を協調する路車間通信などである。そうした中で同氏は,同社が2007年6月に発売した「プレミオ」「アリオン」から 実用化している自動車のプローブ情報を使った交通渋滞緩和サービスについて特に言及した。プローブ情報とは,自動車を「走るセンサ」に見立てて,各車両の 位置や速度といったデータを情報収集センターに適宜送ることで蓄積した情報である。通信には携帯電話機や専用の通信モジュールを使う。この情報を使って, 精度の高い渋滞情報などをカーナビに送信する。現在,このプローブ情報を活用する自動車が全国で2000台程度走行しており,「全国主要都市の交通情報は 十分に集まっている」(重松崇氏,以下の発言は全て同氏)(図3)。ただし,全国の交通情報を集めるには「1万台程度の自動車が必要で,さらなる普及が必 要」という。

 同氏はプローブ情報を使ったサービスの課題にも言及し,情報収集センターと自動車間での通信に掛かる費用をユーザが負担している点を挙げた。プ ローブ情報を使ったビジネス・モデルは,ユーザが通信費を払う対価として,高精度の渋滞情報などを受け取るというものである。このビジネス・モデルでは, ユーザの「善意によって成り立つ」要素も大きい。このため,「さらに普及を進めるにあたり,このビジネス・モデルを多くのユーザに受け入れてもらえるかど うか分からない」と語り,「国の施策として実施するべき技術かもしれない」と述べた。

「パワー半導体はガソリン・エンジンと同じ位置付け」

 電気自動車の開発にとって重要となる,デバイス技術の開発方針についても説明した。デバイス技術の中でも特に,パワー半導体やMEMSセンサ, ASICといった制御ICを重要な技術と捉えており,自社やグループ企業などで内製していく方針だという。特にパワー半導体については「技術の重要性はガ ソリン・エンジンと同じ位置付け」と語った。

 同社では,内製する技術を決定する際に,技術発展度の大小という軸と,車載専用機能か標準汎用機能かという軸で,4領域に分けて考えている(図 4)。技術発展度が大で,車載専用機能の領域に該当する技術を内製する方針で,パワー半導体(図5)やMEMSセンサ(図6),制御IC(図7)が該当す る。具体的なパワー半導体としてはSiCやGaN素子を使ったインバータ・モジュールなどを挙げる。MEMSセンサとしては,ヨーレート・センサや加速度 センサがある。制御ICとしては,自動車向けのノウハウが必要となる電源回路や入出力回路,通信回路などという。

組み込みソフト開発,重要なのは技術者の「モチベーションと倫理観」を高めること

 同氏は冒頭で「数年前は自動車にソフトが本当にいるのか,という雰囲気だった」と述べ,ここ数年間で急激に自動車の組み込みソフトウエア開発の重 要性に対して認識が広がっていることを指摘した。そして,現状に対する危機感を表す例として,自動車に搭載する電子制御ユニット(ECU)におけるソー ス・コードの容量を示した。例えば,エンジン制御系で1~2Mバイト,ボディー制御系で500kバイト~1Mバイト,情報系でギガ・バイト・オーダである と言う。そして,「私が入社した頃を考えると,高い信頼性が要求される自動車の組み込みソフトウエアで,1Mバイトのソース・コードになるのは信じられな い」という表現で,組み込みソフトウエアが大規模化している現状を示した。

 大規模化する組み込みソフトウエア開発への対策として,開発プロセスをコンポーネント開発からモデルベース開発へ,そしてプラットフォーム開発へと移行していくことを述べた(Tech-On!関連記事)。

 さらに組み込みソフトウエア開発の重要な点として,ソフトウエア技術者の育成を挙げる。現在,ソフトウエア技術者のスキルを標準化して評価すると いう取り組みが行われている(図8)。ところが,こういった活動では,エンジニアのモチベーションや倫理観といった要素は計れない。同氏は,この計れない 要素にこそ「組み込みソフトウエアの質に大きな影響がある」と述べ,技術者のモチベーションや倫理観を高めていくことの重要性を強調した。



【ET2007】豐田常務董事:“中國的汽車安全技術,當務之急不是汽車電子而是機械”
DATE 2007/11/21


 豐田汽車的常務董事重松崇在“Embedded Technology 2007(嵌入綜合技術展)”(太平洋橫濱會展中心,2007年11月14~16日)展會上,發表了題為“豐田汽車在嵌入軟體開發方面的挑戰”的演講(圖 1)。此次的演講雖然以嵌入軟件開發為主題,但實際上卻介紹了包括嵌入軟體開發在內的豐田在汽車電子開發方面的整體情況。

中國的汽車安全技術,當務之急不是汽車電子而是機械

  實現汽車電子化的目的之一,在於提高安全性能。重松崇首先闡述了全球不同地區的電子化安全技術將如何發展。重松崇表示,目前並不計劃馬上向全球所有地區投放配備了電子化安全技術的汽車。作為理由,他列舉了不同地區的交通事故狀況的差異,並重點以中國為例進行了介紹。

  在交通事故件數方面,與日美歐地區日益減少或持平形成對比的是,中國的交通事故正迅速增加(圖2)。重松崇認為,要減少中國的事故件數,與其投放配備 了電子化安全技術的高價汽車,到不如首先普及配備較為廉價的安全技術的汽車更為重要,即:通過強化汽車的機械構造,來提高碰撞的安全性等。豐田汽車計劃在 實現了機械構造的強化之後,投放配備有制動時防止輪胎鎖死的ABS(anti-lock brake system)、以及防側滑裝置等電子安全技術的汽車。

  關於歐美地區,重松崇列舉了今後將把汽車安裝防側滑裝置義務化的趨勢,並介紹了應對這一動向的必要性。

利用探測資訊解決交通堵塞

  接下來,重松崇列舉了豐田致力於汽車電子化的事例。具體內容包括:通過混合動力車提高燃效的重要性,對防側滑裝置等安全技術的開發,以及協調基礎設施 與汽生產線關係的路生產線通信等。其中,重松崇特別提到了該公司從2007年6月推出的“Premio”“Allion”等車型開始付諸實用的利用汽車探 測資訊實現的交通堵塞疏導服務。探測資訊是指將汽車當作“行駛的感測器”,將各車輛的位置及速度數據適量地發送至資訊收集中心,累積得來的資訊。這些資訊 使用手機以及專用通信模組發送。利用這些資訊,可向汽車導航儀發送高精度的交通堵塞資訊等。目前,日本全國有大約2000輛配備有這種探測資訊的汽車, “已收集到了足夠的全國主要城市交通資訊”(重松崇,以下發言均為重松崇)(圖3)。不過,要收集日本全國的交通資訊,“需要大約1萬輛汽車,因此必需進 一步普及”。

  另外,重松崇還提到了利用探測資訊提供的服務所面臨的問題,並舉出了資訊收集中心與汽生產線通信所需的費用由用戶負擔這一點。利用探測資訊的商務模式 應該是:用戶支付通信費,作為相應的回報,可獲取高精度的交通堵塞資訊等。這種商務模式“基於(用戶)的善意,方可成立”,這一因素相當重要。因此,重松 崇表示“進一步推進探測資訊的普及所遇到的問題是不知道這一商務模式能否被大多數用戶接受”,並認為“這項技術或許應該作為國家的政策實施”。

“功率半導體的重要性如同汽油引擎”

  另外,重松崇還介紹了對於電動汽車的開發至關重要的元器件開發方針。在元器件技術中,該公司重點放在功率半導體、MEMS感測器以及ASIC之類控制 0IC技術上,計劃在公司內部以及集團企業內部進行自產。尤其是功率半導體,“我們將該技術放在與汽油引擎同等重要的位置”。

  豐田在確定自行開發技術時,根據技術是否有發展前景以及為車載專用還是通用,將開發分成了4個領域(圖4)。對於技術前景大、屬於車載專用的領域進行 自行開發,功率半導體(圖5)、MEMS感測器(圖6)以及控制IC(圖7)均屬於該領域。作為具體的功率半導體產品,重松崇列舉了採用SiC及GaN元 件的變頻器模組等;MEMS感測器則包括偏航速率感測器(Yaw Rate Sensor)以及加速度感測器;控制IC則包括需要車載用途訣竅的電源電路、輸入輸出電路以及通信電路等。

嵌入軟體的開發,重要的是提高技術人員對待工作的“態度以及理念”

  重松崇在演講開始時便提到:“數年前,人們還普遍懷疑汽車是否真的需要軟體”,近幾年對汽車嵌入軟體開發的重要性認識才迅速提高。另外,作為對現狀抱 有危機感的例子,重松崇舉出了汽車配備的電子控制單元(ECU)中源碼容量問題。例如,引擎控制系統為1~2MB級,車體控制系統為500kB~1MB 級,資訊系統為GB級。“回想一下我進入公司的情景,具有高可靠性的車用嵌入軟體的源碼達到1MB,變化的巨大簡直難以置信”,以此反襯嵌入軟體日益大規 模化的現狀。

  重松崇表示,作為日益大規模化的嵌入軟體開發對策,開發技術將從組件開發向模型庫(Model Base)開發乃至向平臺開發過渡。

  另外,作為嵌入軟體開發的要點,重松崇指出了軟體技術人員的培養問題。目前,豐田汽車正著手將軟體技術人員的技能標準化來加以評價的系統(圖8)。不 過,這種做法並無法評價軟體工程師對待工作的態度以及理念等因素。而正是這些無法評測的因素“對嵌入軟體的品質有重大影響”,所以重松崇強調表示提高技術 人員的工作積極性以及理念最為重要。(記者:清水 直茂)

2007年11月19日 星期一

snow domes or snow globes

這玩藝日本似乎特別風行
不過這由來已久 Wikipedia article "Snow globe".

photoSnow globes with symbols of Christmas fill the shelves at the Snow Dome Museum in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward. When shaken, white particles in the globes mimic a wintry snowfall. Operated by a nongovernmental organization, the museum has gathered more than 5,000 snow domes from around the world.(MINAKO YOSHIMOTO/ THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)


PUSH ITEM

富士山5合目

609円(税込)
観光地シリーズの中で、海外へのお土産として大変喜ばれております。W:94mm H:74mm D:74mm

お店の紹介
水 に満たされた小さな透明のドームの中にミニチュアの置物がはいっており、揺らすと、置物と一緒に入っている小さな粒粒がまるで雪のように舞い上がり、ファ ンタジクな気分を演出してくれるスノードームの専門店を東京青山で営業しております。2坪ほどのお店には120種類の可愛い物語が閉じ込められているドー ムばかり。ちょっとしたお土産、インテリア小物としていかがでしょうか?

2007年11月18日 星期日

棻與”香木”【正倉院】

昨天網路有問題所以今天再轉貼


棻與【正倉院】”香木”

分類:史地
2007/11/18 14:40

有香味的樹木。集韻˙平聲˙文韻:梤,說文:香木也。亦作棻。

茂盛。文選˙班固˙西都賦:五穀垂穎,桑麻鋪棻。

這字讓我想起多年前參訪日本正倉院所看到的香木

しょうそういん しやうさうゐん 【正倉院】

(1)律令時代、正倉が建てられていた区域。また、その建物。多く垣で囲まれていた。
(2)
奈良東大寺大仏殿の北西にある高床建築の倉。奈良時代、東大寺の正倉として建てられたもの。南・中・北の三倉に分かれ、南倉・北倉は校倉(あぜくら)造り。聖武天皇の遺品をはじめ、東西文化交流のさまを示す仏具・調度類など奈良時代の各種の美術品を収めている。

2007年11月15日 星期四

Bullying Cases

Number of Bullying Cases in Japan Rises

TOKYO (AP) — The number of bullying cases reported in schools across Japan has risen sharply after officials broadened the term's definition following a series of student suicides linked to bullying, the Education Ministry said Thursday.

A total of 124,898 cases of bullying were reported at elementary, junior high and high schools in the year ending in March 2007, up from 20,143 cases a year earlier, the ministry said.

A ministry official attributed the sharp rise to the wider definition of bullying and to the inclusion of private and national government-run schools in the total. Previous surveys only included schools run by local governments.

The ministry dropped words such as "repeated" and "one-sided" in its definition of bullying for the latest survey.

It found that six students — five in junior high school and one in high school — killed themselves in incidents that were linked to bullying in the most recent year, up from one suicide a year earlier, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, according to policy.

Most of the bullying cases at some 40,000 schools have been resolved, according to the ministry.

Bullying has long been a problem in Japanese schools, where students are under harsh competitive pressure, conformity is valued and those who do not fit in can be mercilessly picked on.

Authorities took countermeasures in the 1990s, allowing victims to attend alternative schools, lecturing students against bullying and easing curriculum requirements to reduce pressure.

But the issue came to light again following a series of student suicides linked to bullying.

The ministry will enhance counseling programs to respond to bullying, the official said.

2007年11月11日 星期日

葡萄酒 薄酒萊的亞洲攻勢

薄酒萊的亞洲攻勢:日本篇

葡萄酒的亞洲攻勢:日本篇 Manga uncorks French wine

Weekend Beat: Manga uncorks French wine

11/10/2007

BY MARIE DOEZEMA, STAFF WRITER

French winemaker Thibault Despagne has a new appreciation for Japanese manga. Ever since the oenophile (電影迷 passion for cinema ) manga "Kami no Shizuku" ("The Drops of God"「神の雫」 a story about two guys who fights over 2000000000 yen assets which were left by world's greatest wine commentator who had been controlled a world wine market. ...) described one of his wines as the band Queen in a bottle, consumers across Asia have been clamoring to buy the elixir.

2007年11月10日 星期六

日本的殺人罪文過記 L.A. Times criticizes Japan over sumo wrestler's death

L.A. Times criticizes Japan over sumo wrestler's death

LOS ANGELES--Friday's issue of the Los Angeles Times carried a story harshly criticizing Japanese police over the recent case of a 17-year-old sumo wrestler who died after being beaten by his stablemaster and his stablemates, claiming that police are too reluctant to conduct judicial autopsies.

The article said: "Photos of the dead teenager's corpse show a deep cut on his right arm, horrific bruising...and his legs are pocked with small burns the size of a lit cigarette...The cause of death was 'heart disease,' police declared."

Referring to the decision by Aichi prefectural police not to conduct an autopsy and instead conclude that the wrestler, Takashi Saito, of the Tokitsukaze stable, had died of a health condition, the front-page article said Japanese police "try to avoid adding murders to their case load unless the identity of the killer is obvious."

As reasons for the low rate of implementing autopsies, the article quoted Japanese sources as saying, "Police discourage autopsies that might reveal a higher murder rate in their jurisdiction and pressure doctors to attribute unnatural deaths to health reasons, usually heart failure," and, "There is also a cultural resistance in Japan to handling the dead, with families often reluctant to insist upon a procedure that invades the body of a loved one."

The article concluded that though Japan's autopsy system was introduced by the United States just after the end of World War II, it is not functioning sufficiently.

(Nov. 11, 2007)


洛衫磯時報

COLUMN ONE

Japan's police see no evil

Kyodo News
HOMICIDE REVEALED: A sumo stable master speaks to the media after apologizing to the family of Takashi Saito, a wrestler whose killing, allegedly permitted by the stable master’s predecessor, was nearly covered up.
The boy had been badly beaten but his death was ruled natural. The case was closed in an official culture that discourages autopsies.
By Bruce Wallace, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 9, 2007
TOKYO — Photos of the teenager's corpse show a deep cut on his right arm, horrific bruising on his neck and chest. His face is swollen and covered with cuts. A silhouette of violence runs from the corner of his left eye over the cheekbone to his jaw, and his legs are pocked with small burns the size of a lighted cigarette.

But police in Japan's Aichi prefecture saw something else when they looked at the body of Takashi Saito, a 17-year-old sumo wrestler who arrived at a hospital in June. The cause of death was "heart disease," police declared.

Related Stories - Wider global role urged for Japan - Strong sales outside Japan drive up Toyota's earnings As is common in Japan, Aichi police reached their verdict on how Saito died without an autopsy. No need for a coroner, they said. No crime involved. Only 6.3% of the unnatural deaths in Aichi are investigated by a medical examiner, a minuscule rate even by nationwide standards in Japan, where an autopsy is performed in 11.2% of cases.

Forensic scientists say there are many reasons for the low rate, including inadequate budgets and a desperate shortage of pathologists outside the biggest urban areas. There is also a cultural resistance in Japan to handling the dead, with families often reluctant to insist upon a procedure that invades the body of a loved one.

But Saito's case has given credence to complaints by a group of frustrated doctors, former pathologists and ex-cops who argue that Japan's police culture is the main obstacle.

Police discourage autopsies that might reveal a higher homicide rate in their jurisdiction, and pressure doctors to attribute unnatural deaths to health reasons, usually heart failure, the group alleges. Odds are, it says, that people are getting away with murder in Japan, a country that officially claims one of the lowest per capita homicide rates in the world.

"You can commit a perfect murder in Japan because the body is not likely to be examined," says Hiromasa Saikawa, a former member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police security and intelligence division. He says senior police officers are "obsessed with statistics because that's how you get promotions," and strive to reduce the number of criminal cases as much as possible to keep their almost perfect solution rate.

Japan's annual police report says its officers made arrests in 96.6% of the country's 1,392 homicides in 2005.

But Saikawa, who says he became disillusioned by "fishy" police practices and in 1997 left the force in disgust after 30 years, claims that police try to avoid adding homicides to their caseload unless the identity of the killer is obvious.

"All the police care about is how they look to people; it's all PR to show that their capabilities are high," Saikawa says. "Without autopsies they can keep their percentage [of solved cases] high. It's all about numbers."

The former policeman has written a memoir of his time on the force. Called "Policeman at the Scene," it describes a police culture that has chipped away at the effectiveness of an autopsy system created during the U.S. occupation after World War II.

"The police textbooks taught us not to trust doctors," he says, adding that police officers indirectly pressure doctors to sign death certificates without an autopsy. "Doctors are afraid of the police. They are afraid of retaliation. They worry the police could prosecute them for malpractice. So they are easily pressured.

"There is no one refereeing the police," Saikawa says. "It's scary."

After the war, Americans created a medical examiner's office for Tokyo after learning that thousands of deaths in the postwar rubble were being ascribed to starvation without any forensic examination. It was soon discovered that a tuberculosis epidemic was the main culprit.

The system was soon expanded to six other big cities which, for the most part, are the jurisdictions where autopsies are done with the most frequency (in 2004, autopsies were conducted in 29% of Kanagawa prefecture's unnatural deaths; 18% of those in Tokyo). But much of the country remains without a fully functioning medical examiner system.

"There aren't many doctors who want to do this kind of work and that means some areas don't have a medical examiner at all," says Dr. Masahiko Ueno, a former chief medical examiner in Tokyo who spent 30 years in the coroner's office until he retired in 1988. Since then he has written more than 30 books about the cases that animated his career and the cold cases that intrigue him in retirement.

Ueno says his experience leaves him convinced that many homicides are being missed and he, too, blames a system that gives police great discretion over when an autopsy is performed. Although doctors are legally required to report "unnatural deaths" to police, the country's medical act does not precisely define what that is.

The philosophical approach to death investigations differs between the West and Japan.

In the West, autopsies are performed to determine the cause of death. That is one reason the autopsy rate for people who die in hospitals has fallen in most Western countries: Improved medical diagnostics has removed much of the uncertainty about why a patient died.

But in Japan, investigations are not as concerned with uncovering the cause of death as with whether a crime has been committed. Without obvious signs of homicide, police are less likely to ask for an autopsy.


Revealed
Kyodo News
HOMICIDE REVEALED: A sumo stable master speaks to the media after apologizing to the family of Takashi Saito, a wrestler whose killing, allegedly permitted by the stable master’s predecessor, was nearly covered up.
Japan's police see no evil
November 9 2007


Page 2 of 2 ><<> 1 2

That applies to investigations of apparent suicides.

Japan has one of the world's highest suicide rates, accounting for more than 30,000 deaths a year, but police request "almost no autopsies on suicides," which could determine whether the cause of death is what it appears, Saikawa says.

Many police examinations of the body are cursory, he alleges, sometimes nothing more sophisticated than a visual examination.

Take the case in January 2006, when financial advisor Hideaki Noguchi was found dead in an Okinawa hotel with knife wounds. Noguchi was a close associate of Takafumi Horie, the brash founder of the Internet company Livedoor, which had just been the target of a nationally televised police raid and seen most of its multibillion-dollar value evaporate.

But despite being a central figure in a sensational criminal investigation and privy to Livedoor secrets, police declared Noguchi's death a suicide. They did not ask for an autopsy, and the body was cremated.

Or take the suicide in April of Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka, who was found hanged in his Tokyo apartment. Matsuoka was embroiled in a scandal involving the misappropriation of political funds that suggested a broad system of organized influence peddling. Even though Matsuoka's troubles were destabilizing the government and his death occurred just hours before his scheduled appearance to answer questions before a parliamentary committee, no autopsy was conducted to ensure that he had not died from something other than hanging.

A day later, Shinichi Yamazaki, a businessman implicated in the same scandal, plunged to his death in a parking lot outside his Yokohama apartment. No autopsy was conducted in that case either.

"The police said it was suicide," says an incredulous Saikawa, "because he had left his shoes placed neatly together on the balcony."

Japan's forensic specialists have long been calling for an overhaul of the coroner system, but it took the death of the young sumo wrestler to finally bring the shortcomings under sharper scrutiny.

Doctors at the hospital where Saito was brought in, unconscious and battered, have since acknowledged that they had doubts about the police verdict. They said they initially attributed his death to acute cardiac failure, which occurs when the heart stops suddenly and does not rule out foul play.

But the police insisted otherwise. So the hospital signed a death certificate that blamed a diseased heart for killing the 17-year-old. It released the body to Junichi Yamamoto, the master of the training facility where Saito lived and had collapsed after what was described as a "strenuous" practice session. No need to pick up the body, the boy's grieving family claims Yamamoto told them by phone. We're having him cremated.

Had Saito's parents not demanded to see their son's body, the truth about the wrestler's death might never have been known.

But when the body was returned home in another prefecture, they were shocked by its battered state. The family asked medical professors at Niigata University to perform an autopsy, which revealed that Saito's heart stopped from the shock of injuries inflicted upon him. He probably had been beaten to death.

On this wisp of suspicion rested justice for a dead boy.

More than a month later, under pressure from the family and Japan's muckraking weekly magazines, Aichi police opened an investigation that found the stable master and other wrestlers had viciously beaten Saito. It was punishment, they said, because he was trying to quit sumo. The stable master has admitted hitting Saito in the forehead with a beer bottle the night before he died.

Leaks to the media from the police investigation indicated that the boy was beaten again the next morning, punched, kicked and hit with a baseball bat by other wrestlers while Yamamoto watched.

Under fire from an appalled public, the Japanese Sumo Assn. last month finally acted and banned Yamamoto from the sport. Aichi police did not respond to questions about the investigation, or the agency's policies and practices on requesting autopsies.

They have yet to file charges.

bruce.wallace@latimes.com

Naoko Nishiwaki and Hisako Ueno of the Times' Tokyo Bureau contributed to this report.

2007年11月9日 星期五

"新学習指導要領"提前實施

(まえだおし 前倒し

~する move up.

(1)前にたおすこと。
(2)
予算で、主要な収入支出が、年度の早い時期に計上されていること。

ゆとり

物事に余裕があって窮屈でないこと。余裕。
のある部屋」「のある生活」「時間にをもたせる」

room; space; time.
~のある暮らしがしたい I feel a need for more time to myself in my life.

Panel says cram-free education a failure

20071029 星期一

日本的"減課量"教改宣佈失敗 (英文)

日本的"減課量"教改宣佈失敗)






新学習指導要領 実施前倒しへ

 中央教育審議会(文部科学相の諮問機関)が「ゆとり教育」からの転換を打ち出した次の学習指導要領。その実施時期が、一部の内容について、当初予定され ていた2011年度から09年度に前倒しされる見通しになった。新指導要領で学校現場や授業がどう変わるのかを探った。(社会部 村井正美、渡辺光彦)

授業内容に深み、教師ら歓迎 総合学習削減には賛否

不 満

 「出来るものからやっていきたい」。渡海文部科学相は9日の閣議後記者会見で、そう言及した。

 実は、渡海文科相が新指導要領の実施時期の前倒しを検討するよう、担当部署に指示したのは前日の8日だった。中教審が中間報告をまとめた先月30 日や正式決定した今月7日には、文部科学省は、教科書作成の時間などから、「実施は早くても11年度」と考えていた。ただ、保護者から「早く実施してほし い」という声が上がっていることも認識しており、前倒しに向け、準備を始めることになった。

 前倒しの背景には、現状への根強い不満がある。現行の指導要領(小中は1998年、高校は99年に改定)は、子供たちの「ゆとり」の確保を目的に、授業時間を減らし、教える内容を3割も削減した。その結果、教科書から内容そのものが消えたり、「発展的記述」として教科書に載るものの、教えるかどうかは現場の判断に任されたりした。

 例えば、小学5年で学習してきた「台形の面積の公式」は、教科書から消えた。小学理科では、「卵の中の成長」と「人間の母体内の成長」の両方が教科書に記載されているが、指導要領により「学ぶのはどちらか一方」とされた。

 また、ほとんどの小学社会の教科書に、発展的記述として縄文時代の「三内丸山遺跡」(青森県)の説明があるが、指導要領で「小学校で学ぶ日本の歴史は弥生時代から」と決められたため、縄文時代を総合的に説明する記述はなかった。

復 活

 新指導要領では、台形の面積の公式は小学5年に、「さいころの目が出る確率の求め方」は中学2年から小学6年に戻る。小学理科では、「卵の中」と 「母体内」のいずれの成長も学ぶ。小学社会では縄文時代の歴史から学習するようになる。現在、中学社会の地理分野で学ぶ世界の国々は「2~3か国」とされ ているが、新指導要領では国数を限定せず、各地域の多様性を学ぶことが求められる。

 多角的に知識を教えた上で、考える時間も確保し、授業に深みを持たせるようにした。

 現在の発展的記述について、東京都内の区立小学校長は、「教えるかどうかが教師次第で、不公平」と矛盾を指摘する。今回、新指導要領で実施時期が早まるのは、発展的記述などの内容が中心になると見られる。

影 響

 現行指導要領では、現場の教師から「実験、観察の時間がない」との声が上がっていた。例えば、小学校の理科の授業時間数は350コマ(1コマは 45分)で、総合学習の430コマより少ない。このため、東京都新宿区立戸塚第二小は、野菜栽培や小動物の観察など、従来、理科の授業で行ってきた活動 を、総合学習の時間で消化している。

 新指導要領では総合学習が減り、算数・数学や理科など主要教科の時間が増える。小学理科は16%増となり、同小の川越秋広校長は「理科の授業で観察などの活動ができるので、総合学習の時間は、福祉施設や企業の見学などほかの活動に使える」と期待する。

総合学習

 一方、総合学習の削減には賛否がある。

 さわやか福祉財団理事長の堀田力さんは「新指導要領では、各教科の中で考える力をはぐくむというが、現実に直面する問題は教科ごとにあるわけではない。こうした力をつけるために最も適しているのが総合学習の時間だ」と言う。

 これに対し、ゆとり教育を批判してきた西村和雄・京都大経済研究所所長は、「総合学習で優れた授業をしている教師もいるが、どの教師も実践できるわけではない。主要教科の時間を十分に確保し、その中で、基礎と応用力を身につけさせるべきではないか」と主張している。

 発展的記述 学習指導要領の範囲を超える内容の記述。全員が学ぶ必要はないが、学習内容の3割削減への批判を受け、2002年度検定の教科書から掲載が始まった。本文と区別するため、「発展」などのカットを付けることが条件。

中学1・2年武道必修 道具・指導者…確保に課題

道徳「教科化」は見送り 公算

 昨年改正された教育基本法に「伝統・文化の尊重」が盛り込まれたことを受け、中学の1、2年の保健体育で武道が必修となった。だが、道具の整備や指導者の確保といった課題が山積している。

 現在は、男女とも生徒一人一人が1年生で武道かダンスから一つを、2、3年生では武道、ダンス、球技の中から二つを選択する。

 東京都北区立王子桜中学は、男子用の剣道の防具を40人分そろえているが、中尾豊三郎校長は、「男女同じ道具を使うわけにもいかず、さらに防具が必要だ。女子には『痛い、こわい』といった抵抗感もあるかもしれない」と心配する。

 女子校ではダンスを選択する生徒が大半なだけに、都内の私立女子中学の副校長も、「体育の教員に武道を学んでもらうか、外部から呼ばなければいけない」と頭を抱える。

 一方、政府の教育再生会議が今年6月の第2次報告で提言した道徳の教科化は、新指導要領では見送られる見通しだ。中教審の中間報告では「道徳教育の充実」として目標の一つに掲げるにとどまった。

 これに対し、教育再生会議は、道徳の教科化を再度、第3次報告に盛り込むことを検討するなど、中教審が来年1月に新指導要領に関する最終答申をまとめるまでに、巻き返しをはかりたい考えだ。

子供たちのために最善を

 新学習指導要領に関する中教審の中間報告が公表された直後、渡海文科相は、現在のゆとり教育で学ぶ子供たちへのメッセージを問われ、「君たちの やってきたことは間違いではない。一生懸命勉強してほしい」と述べたが、やはり気がかりだったようだ。文科省が新指導要領の前倒し実施に向けて動き出した のは、「早く実施しないと子供たちがどんどん卒業してしまう」という理由が大きい。

 文科省はゆとり教育への批判を受け止めるとともに、移行期の子供たちが不利益を被らないよう、最善の努力をしてほしい。(村井)

(2007年11月10日 読売新聞)

ビーズ 1 [beads] 日本食飲產品漲價壓力

ビーズ 1 [beads]

球形・管形などの小さな、色とりどりのガラス玉。糸でつないで、婦人服の飾りや手芸品にする。南京玉(なんきんだま)。

中国、ビーズ玩具輸出停止 米豪の誤飲事故受け

2007年11月10日 11時29分

 【北京10日共同】中国の国家品質監督検査検疫総局は9日、米国やオーストラリアで毒性の化学物質を含む中国製ビーズ玩具の誤飲事故が発生、回収などの対象となったことを受け、ビーズ玩具の輸出を暫定的に停止したと明らかにした。新華社が伝えた。

 対象のビーズ玩具は米国とオーストラリアで、誤飲した子どもが意識を失うなどの被害が5件報告されており、検疫総局は輸出していた企業の製品を差し押さえ処分とした。

 中国側は米当局と連絡を取って事実関係を確認した上で、国内の検疫機関に調査を指示。化学物質混入の経緯や程度を詳しく調べているとみられ、調査結果がまとまり次第公表するとしている。

 問題のビーズ玩具は、オーストラリア各州の当局が6日、販売禁止措置を取り、米国でも7日、カナダの業者が約420万点の自主回収を始めたと消費者製品安全委員会が発表した。






You can't put a price on reasonably priced food

11/10/2007

Besides among people, disparity exists among mushrooms, too, and it's actually pretty extreme. Enokidake mushrooms, which have long, skinny white stems and tiny caps and are used in tabletop-cooked one-pot nabe dishes, are sold for only 100 yen a bunch. On the other hand, a single domestic matsutake 松茸mushroom can fetch 10,000 yen or thereabouts. Moreover, this mushroom has always received every kind of hyperbolic praise from epicurean writers in Japan.

Masaaki Tachihara (1926-1980) wrote: "Sautee the matsukate, pile them on a large plate of Bizen ware (a type of Japanese pottery), and squeeze fresh sudachi citrus juice onto them. For me, this is the best way to enjoy matsutake." Kenichi Yoshida (1912-1977) said of matsutake's fragrance, "Sometimes, I can even hear music in it."

I wouldn't dare to ask for a big plate of this expensive delicacy, but I certainly would love a whiff or two of what was "music" to Yoshida's nostrils.

However, this year's matsutake harvest is said to be unprecedentedly meager due to the record summer heat and prolonged drought. It appears that this seasonal luxury is going to be even less affordable this year.

Now, it's one thing to sigh in resignation at this, but much more disturbing is the recent rise in the prices of everyday groceries that are indispensable to families with growing children--juice, curry roux, ham, spaghetti and bread, just to name a few.

Price hikes are also scheduled early next year for items preferred by adults such as beer, miso bean paste and ingredients for oden.

Unlike with matsutake, the higher prices of these daily necessities are going to squeeze household budgets. One cannot feign a stiff upper lip by claiming not to really love them.

How do we survive the crunch? Sticking to sale items may be one way, but a column in the living section of The Asahi Shimbun advises: "When in doubt, don't buy."

In "Reizoko de Shokuhin o Kusarasu Nihonjin" (Japanese who let their food spoil in the fridge), published by The Asahi Shimbun, author Jinnosuke Uotsuka says that we need to start with modifying our lifestyle of loading up the shopping cart, cramming many things into the freezing compartment of our giant fridges, and forgetting about them.

Nowadays we hear so much about Chinese imports of dubious safety and false labels on food by Japanese makers, not to mention the rising food prices.

I become upset whenever I come across unwelcome news concerning food. Perhaps this is because of instinct, as no living being can do without food.

Even though there is a lot of bad news on food, with the deepening of the autumn, I find the modest price of enokidake all the more endearing on cold nights.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 3(IHT/Asahi: November 10,2007)