郵貯限度額上げ 自民党提言の「含意」はどこに

The Yomiuri Shimbun
What are implications of LDP move to raise limit on Japan Post deposits?
郵貯限度額上げ　自民党提言の「含意」はどこに

Is there any convincing reason for hastening an increase in the deposit limit at the state-owned Japan Post Bank Co.? The wisdom of raising the ceiling is extremely questionable.
　郵便貯金の限度額引き上げを急ぐ必要があるのか、甚だ疑問である。

The Liberal Democratic Party has worked out a set of proposals that would increase the per-person deposit ceiling for postal savings from the current ¥10 million to ¥30 million in stages.
　自民党が、ゆうちょ銀行の貯金限度額を１０００万円から段階的に３０００万円に引き上げるべきだとする提言をまとめた。

The LDP has also set out a policy seeking to boost the maximum amount of life insurance coverage at Japan Post Insurance Co. to ¥20 million from the present ¥13 million. The party is calling for the government to put the proposals into force by the end of September this year.
　かんぽ生命保険の加入限度額についても、現在の最大１３００万円から２０００万円に増額する方針を掲げた。政府に対し、今年９月末までの実施を求めている。

The proposals say the current limit on postal savings is excessively low when taking into consideration such factors as convenience for depositors. However, the additional Diet resolution that accompanied the April 2012 enactment of the revision of the Postal Service Privatization Law stated explicitly that the deposit cap will “not be raised at least for the time being.”
　提言は、利便性などを考えれば、現行の限度額は低すぎると指摘している。しかし、２０１２年４月の郵政民営化法改正時の付帯決議は、限度額を「当面は引き上げない」と明記している。

This move by the LDP is clearly running counter to the spirit of the additional Diet resolution.
この趣旨に反するのは明らかである。

Japan Post Group is a state-owned, privately run enterprise with the government holding 100 percent of its paid-in capital. Should Japan Post Bank scramble to increase its total deposits on the strength of an implicit government guarantee, there could be a drain on deposits at private-sector regional financial institutions that compete with the postal bank.
　郵政グループは、政府が１００％出資する国有民営の企業だ。政府の信用を背景に貯金集めに走れば、競合する地域金融機関から預金が流出することになろう。

It is only natural that the banking world is strongly concerned that an increase in the postal bank deposit cap would squeeze private businesses in the financial sector.
　金融業界が、限度額の引き上げによる「民業圧迫」に強い懸念を示しているのは当然である。

The proposed deposit cap increase is also inconsistent with the business strategy of Japan Post Bank, which aims to facilitate collaboration with regional financial institutions through such means as formulating business ties with them. The government should carefully consider the advisability of the LDP proposals.
　地域金融機関との業務提携などを目指すゆうちょ銀の経営戦略とも整合性を欠く。政府は、提言の是非を慎重に検討すべきだ。

Japan Post Group is scheduled to list the stocks of three companies, Japan Post Holdings Co. and two units under its umbrella — Japan Post Bank Co. and Japan Post Insurance Co. — at the same time this coming autumn or later.
　郵政グループは、持ち株会社の日本郵政と傘下のゆうちょ銀、かんぽ生命の計３社の株式を、今秋以降、同時に上場する予定だ。

Post offices’ vote-drawing power

The pace at which the three companies’ stocks will be put on the market remains unclear, however. Fully privatizing Japan Post Bank and the others by selling all their stocks is just a nonbinding goal to strive for.
　ただ、３社の株式がどのようなペースで市場に売却されるのか不透明である。ゆうちょ銀株などを全て売却する完全民営化は、努力目標に過ぎない。

Preparations for raising the deposit limit should be launched only after the specific path toward full privatization of the Japan Post Group firms is clarified, after the sale of their shares to the public gets on track.
　限度額の引き上げは、株式の売却が軌道に乗り、完全民営化への道筋がはっきりした段階で着手するのが筋だ。

The outstanding deposits at Japan Post Bank are estimated at ¥180 trillion, nearly double the figure for any one of the nation’s private mega-banks.
　ゆうちょ銀の貯金残高は約１８０兆円とメガバンクの２倍近い。

Its huge sum of government bond holdings, which account for more than half the assets of the postal bank, has excessively low interest rates, making it difficult for the postal bank to secure profits from holding them.
巨額の資産の半分以上を占める国債は低金利で、運用益は思うように上がっていない。

If the postal bank continues increasing its savings without any promising outlook for using them, it will become even harder for it to manage its deposits.
展望もなく貯金を増やせば、運用難に拍車をかける恐れがある。

Japan Post Co. President Taizo Nishimuro said at a news conference in April that although he believes the deposit cap should eventually be eliminated, he wondered whether abolishing the ceiling “would really be a move in the right direction when viewed from the perspective of the financial world as a whole.”
　日本郵政の西室泰三社長は４月の記者会見で、限度額撤廃が望ましいとしつつ、「金融界全体からみて正しい方向かどうか疑問を持っている」と述べた。

However, the National Association of Postmasters (Zentoku), the nationwide organization of local post office chiefs, has been seeking a higher cap on the deposits, because raising the cap will increase commission revenues for individual post offices.
　ただ、個々の郵便局は貯金額などに応じて手数料が増えるメリットがあり、全国郵便局長会（全特）は引き上げを求めている。

In the 2013 House of Councillors election, a candidate from Zentoku ran in the proportional representation contest on an LDP ticket and won with the largest number of votes of any LDP candidate.
　一昨年の参院比例選で、自民党の全特出身候補が党内トップ当選を果たした。

The ruling party subsequently included a review of the postal bank deposit cap in the electoral platform in last year’s House of Representatives election.
自民党は昨年の衆院選公約に限度額見直しを掲げた。

The LDP may be eager to see post offices give full play to their vote-gathering abilities in next year’s upper house election as well.
来年の参院選でも郵便局に集票力を発揮してほしい。

The party’s recent proposals may have been designed to serve such a purpose.
そんな意図を込めた提言ではないか。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 29, 2015)

日露電話会談 Ｇ７合意踏まえた対話が重要

idioms and words in this news,
leave no stone unturned　 八方手をつくす.
(srachai)

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Vital for Japan to continue dialogue with Russia, based on G-7 agreement
日露電話会談　Ｇ７合意踏まえた対話が重要

It is vital that Japan continues to hold dialogue with Russia, and to firmly criticize it over the current situation in Ukraine.
　ウクライナ情勢では批判をきちんと加えつつ、ロシアとの対話を重ねることが大切である。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone. Abe again invited Putin to visit Japan this year, and both leaders agreed to continue bilateral dialogue.
　安倍首相がプーチン露大統領と電話会談し、年内の来日を改めて招請した。日露間の対話継続でも一致した。

Abe called on Putin to play a constructive role toward the complete implementation of a ceasefire agreement in eastern Ukraine. It is quite natural that Japan is in step with other members of the Group of Seven advanced nations in refusing to accept Russia’s unilateral attempts to change the status quo in Ukraine.
　首相はプーチン氏に、ウクライナ東部での停戦合意の完全な履行に向けて建設的な役割を果たすよう求めた。ウクライナ情勢でのロシアによる一方的な現状変更は容認できず、先進７か国（Ｇ７）の足並みをそろえるのは当然だ。

This was the first conversation between Abe and Putin since they met in Beijing in November 2014. During their talks, the two leaders agreed Putin would visit Japan “at an appropriate time” before the end of this year.
　両首脳の対話は、昨年１１月の北京での会談以来だ。この会談では、今年の「適切な時期」のプーチン氏来日で合意している。

The government will soon dispatch Shotaro Yachi, chief of the National Security Council’s secretariat, to Russia to help coordinate arrangements regarding the schedule for Putin’s visit and summit talks between Abe and Putin in third nations this autumn. A visit to Russia by Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is also under consideration. We hope these opportunities for constructive exchanges of opinion at various levels will continue.
　来日日程や今秋の第三国での首脳会談を調整するため、政府は近く谷内正太郎国家安全保障局長をロシアに派遣する。岸田外相の訪露も検討中だ。様々なレベルで建設的な意見交換を続けたい。

Abe has been navigating a tortuous path as he seeks to make progress in Japan-Russia relations in a bid to resolve the northern territories issue. Western nations have imposed a travel ban on Sergei Naryshkin, speaker of Russia’s lower house. But when Naryshkin visited Japan in May, Abe boldly pushed for a meeting and showed his stance of attaching great importance to improving Tokyo-Moscow ties.
　首相は、北方領土問題の解決を目指し、日露関係の前進を図ろうと、難しい舵かじ取りを続けている。米欧が入国禁止対象とするナルイシキン露下院議長が５月に来日した際、あえて会談し、対露関係を重視する姿勢を示した。

In an interview with heads of foreign news agencies in mid-June, Putin said it is possible to resolve any problem and showed his willingness to hold a summit meeting with Abe.
　プーチン氏も今月中旬、外国通信社幹部との会見で、「すべての問題は解決可能だ」と述べ、日露首脳会談に意欲を見せている。

Fishing ban a poke at Japan?

At a time when Russia’s economy is increasingly feeling the pinch due to economic sanctions imposed by the United States and European nations, taking steps that could invite deterioration in relations with Japan is not a smart policy for Putin.
　米欧の経済制裁の影響でロシア経済が厳しさを増す中、プーチン氏にとっても、対日関係の悪化を招くのは得策ではあるまい。

It is unfortunate that both houses of the Russian Federal Assembly passed a bill that will ban drift-net fishing for salmon and trout from January within Russia’s exclusive economic zone, which extends for 200 nautical miles from that nation’s coast.
　残念なのは、ロシア上下両院が、同国沿岸から２００カイリの排他的経済水域（ＥＥＺ）内でのサケ・マスの流し網漁を来年１月から禁止する法案を可決したことだ。

This ban will come into force if Putin signs it. If this happens, Japanese fishing boats will, in effect, become unable to operate in waters off the Chishima islands and some other areas.
　プーチン氏が署名すれば施行され、千島列島沖などで日本漁船は事実上、操業できなくなる。

It has been estimated that if this ban comes into effect, the economic impact on industries in eastern Hokkaido could reach up to ¥25 billion annually. 　その場合、北海道東部の経済への影響額が年２５０億円に上るとの試算もある。

The government will need to leave no stone unturned as it devises countermeasures to minimize the impact of this blow.
打撃を最小限に抑えるため、政府は、対策に知恵を絞らなければならない。

Russia has justified the bill by saying it is intended to protect marine resources. However, the Japanese government has argued there are sufficient resources in these waters.
　法案は「漁業資源の保護」を理由としており、日本側は「資源は十分ある」と反論してきた。

During his phone conversation with Putin, Abe called on the Russian side to give consideration “to what is a very alarming situation for fishermen in the region.” About four hours after this request, the bill was passed.
安倍首相も電話会談で「地域の漁民には大変憂慮すべき事態」とロシア側の配慮を求めたが、その約４時間後に法案は可決された。

It is regrettable that Japan’s plea was not accepted.
　日本の主張が受け入れられなかったのは遺憾である。

Russia has extended for one year its ban on imports of agricultural products from the United States, the European Union and elsewhere, which it launched in response to sanctions that have been slapped on Moscow.
　ロシアは、対露制裁を続ける米国や欧州連合（ＥＵ）などから農産物の輸入を禁止する対抗措置を１年間延長した。

It seems to us that Russia might, under the guise of resource protection, be trying to shake Japan’s sanctions.
資源保護を名目に、日本の制裁にも揺さぶりをかけてきたのではないか。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 28, 2015)

米大統領交渉権 ＴＰＰの早期妥結につなげよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
U.S. legislation on fast-track authority must lead to early TPP trade accord
米大統領交渉権　ＴＰＰの早期妥結につなげよ

The conditions are finally in place to significantly push forward negotiations regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact.
　環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）交渉を大きく進展させる環境が、ようやく整った。

Japan, the United States and 10 other participating countries should speed up negotiations to seal a multilateral trade deal as early as possible.
　日米など参加１２か国は交渉を加速し、早期妥結を実現させるべきだ。

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a Trade Promotion Authority bill that will grant President Barack Obama fast-track authority on trade deals. The bill was earlier approved by the House of Representatives and will become law after Obama signs it.
　米上院が、オバマ大統領に通商一括交渉権（ＴＰＡ）を与える法案を可決した。下院ではすでに可決しており、大統領の署名を経て成立する。

There was concern that if a trade deal was reached without Obama being given TPA, any accord agreed to by the United States would be nullified due to U.S. congressional opposition. This prevented other participating nations from rallying the momentum to reach a broad TPP agreement.
　大統領がＴＰＡを持たずに合意しても、議会の反対で約束が反故ほごにされる恐れがある。このため参加国では、ＴＰＰ大筋合意への機運が高まらなかった。

With the TPA legislation, the participating countries will aim to hammer out a broad accord at a ministerial meeting in July. For now, we welcome the TPP negotiations’ entry into a new phase.
　ＴＰＡ成立を受け、参加国は７月中の閣僚会合で大筋合意を目指す。交渉が新たな局面に入ったことを、ひとまず歓迎したい。

TPP is an ambitious vision for creating a high-level free trade zone in the Asia-Pacific region. If realized, it will contribute greatly to the development and stability of the region. But tough negotiations lie ahead for all the participating countries because they are confronted with domestic opponents calling for protection of their domestic industries.
　ＴＰＰは、アジア太平洋地域に高いレベルの自由貿易圏を創出する野心的な構想だ。実現すれば、地域経済の発展と安定に大きく寄与する。ただ、各国とも国内産業の保護を唱える反対派を抱え、難しい交渉を迫られている。

The Obama administration’s stance is to promote the TPP deal. But the Democratic Party, which is supposed to support Obama, takes a strongly cautious view of the deal because the party is backed by labor unions. In contrast, most lawmakers from the Republican Party are in favor of pushing the TPP deal.
　オバマ政権は、ＴＰＰ推進の立場だが、身内のはずの民主党は、労働組合を支持層としていることもあり、慎重論が根強い。一方、共和党では、ＴＰＰに前向きな議員が多数派を形成する。

Overall perspective vital

Due to the differences in opinion between the president and the Democratic Party, the TPA bill was in limbo for more than two years.
　大統領と民主党の意見の食い違いが災いし、ＴＰＡ法案の扱いは２年以上も迷走した。

The lack of leadership by Obama, who is passive about winning over the opposing legislators, is undeniably to blame for exacerbating the turmoil surrounding the matter.
　議会の説得に消極的だったオバマ氏の指導力不足も、混迷に拍車をかけたことは否めまい。

Now that the battle in Congress has been settled, the focus has shifted to the fate of the TPP negotiations themselves. But it cannot be predicted how the talks will unfold.
　米議会での攻防が収束し、焦点はＴＰＰ交渉そのものに移る。その行方は予断を許さない。

Japan and the United States have made progress in their bilateral negotiations on such matters as tariff cuts on beef and pork imports. The issues left unresolved include expansion of U.S. rice imports by Japan, on which Tokyo is reluctant to concede, and the timetable and range of U.S. tariff cuts on automobile parts imported from Japan.
　日米交渉は、牛・豚肉の関税引き下げなどで進展している。ただ、日本が難色を示してきた米国産コメの輸入拡大や、米国の自動車部品関税引き下げの時期や範囲など、残された課題もある。

Tough battles have continued between the United States and emerging countries in negotiations related to intellectual property rights, including the protection period and range for newly developed medicines.
　米国と新興国は、新薬開発データの保護期間など知的財産権の分野で厳しい対立を続ける。

Top priority must be given to preventing the negotiations from drifting off course. As the countries to lead the TPP talks, Japan and the United States must cooperate to work out a final agreement as early as possible from a comprehensive standpoint.
　交渉全体の漂流を回避することが最優先だ。ＴＰＰ交渉を主導する日米が大局的な見地に立ち、最終合意を急ぐことが肝心だ。

The significance of TPP is not limited to economic benefits accruing from the expansion of trade and investment. The TPP framework is also expected to serve as a check on China, which has been increasing its presence in both the economic and security spheres.
　ＴＰＰの意義は、貿易や投資の拡大を通じた経済的な利益にとどまらない。経済と安全保障の両面で存在感を高める中国を、牽制けんせいする役割も期待される。

China has been making steady progress in pushing for such plans as establishment of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank while expanding its aggressive maritime activities in the East and South China seas. If the TPP plan breaks apart in midair, it will help China become more aggressive and assertive. The participating countries should share this concern.
　中国はアジアインフラ投資銀行（ＡＩＩＢ）の設立などを着々と進め、東・南シナ海で強引な海洋進出を図っている。ＴＰＰが空中分解に終われば、中国の攻勢はさらに強まろう。交渉参加国は、危機感を共有すべきである。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 26, 2015)

米中戦略対話 「責任ある競争相手」に程遠い

The Yomiuri Shimbun
After high-level talks with U.S., China still far from ‘responsible stakeholder’
米中戦略対話　「責任ある競争相手」に程遠い

The United States found a stage to deliver a stern reminder to China, which is continuing its high-handed behavior in maritime areas and in cyberspace, that it needs to follow the rules and fulfill its responsibilities as a major power.
　海洋やサイバー空間で独善的な行動を続ける中国に、ルールを守り、大国としての責任を果たすよう、米国が厳しくクギを刺す場となった。

The seventh round of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue has been held in Washington. Over two days, high-level officials from both nations held discussions on a wide spectrum of issues ranging from national security to economic matters.
　第７回米中戦略・経済対話がワシントンで行われ、双方の閣僚級が２日間、安全保障から経済まで幅広い課題を巡って議論した。

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on China to halt its land reclamation around reefs and military facility construction in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. “We do have a strong national interest in freedom of navigation and overflight,” Kerry said.
　南シナ海のスプラトリー（南沙）諸島での中国による岩礁埋め立てと軍事施設の建設について、ケリー米国務長官は「米国は航行、飛行の自由に大きな国益をもつ」と述べ、中止するよう要求した。

Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi hit back, saying China has a “firm determination to safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.” China is attempting to unilaterally enclose the South China Sea as “its own sea.” We think this approach, which has no basis under international law, is completely unacceptable.
　中国の楊潔チ国務委員は「海洋問題で領土主権と権益を守る」と反論した。国際法の根拠のないまま、南シナ海を「自国の海」として一方的に囲い込もうとする中国の姿勢は到底容認できない。

In mid-June, the Chinese government announced some of its land reclamation work will be completed soon. This was probably intended to temporarily ease antagonism with Washington ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States in September.
　中国政府は今月中旬、埋め立てを「近く完了する」と表明した。習近平国家主席の訪米を９月に控え、米国との対立を一時的に緩和したい思惑があったのだろう。

However, what some observers have termed “a Great Wall of sand” has already been built due to China’s land reclamation. There appears to be no change in China’s plan to push on with preparing military facilities and a 3,000-meter runway. If this situation continues, distrust of China will only grow.
　だが、埋め立てによる「砂の長城」はすでに築かれている。３０００メートル級の滑走路や軍事施設の整備などを続ける方針にも変化は見られない。このままでは、対中不信が高まるばかりだ。

Some progress made

In the economic field, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew issued a sterner-than-usual criticism of China on cyber issues. “We remain deeply concerned about Chinese government-sponsored cyber-enabled theft of confidential business information and proprietary technology from U.S. companies,” Lew said.
　経済分野では、ルー財務長官が「米企業の機密情報や特許技術を盗み取るサイバー攻撃を中国政府が支援していることを深く懸念する」と批判を一段と強めた。

Yang said Beijing supports the principle of developing an “international code of conduct for cyber information-sharing,” but a bilateral working group on cyber issues remains suspended. It would be a stretch to say China provided a sincere response on this issue.
　楊氏は「各国がサイバー情報を共有するため、国際的な行動規範の構築に取り組むべきだ」と語ったが、サイバー問題に関する米中の作業部会は中断している。真摯しんしな対応とは言えまい。

U.S. President Barack Obama also expressed “ongoing U.S. concerns” about China’s cyber and maritime behavior, and he urged China to take “concrete steps” on these issues. It is hugely significant that the president directly called on China to deal with these matters appropriately.
　オバマ大統領も、海洋進出とサイバー問題で中国側に「懸念」を伝え、「具体的措置」をとるよう促した。大統領が直接、中国に善処を求めた意義は小さくない。

With China seeking to build a “new type of major-power relationship” with the United States, it said both sides should “respect and accommodate each other’s core interests.” U.S. Vice President Joe Biden reportedly urged China to be a “responsible stakeholder” in the international system.
　中国側は「新しいタイプの大国関係」構築に向けて、領土・主権など双方の「核心的利益」を尊重することを改めて訴えた。バイデン副大統領は「責任ある競争相手」になるよう戒めたという。

If China genuinely wants to realize a “major-power relationship,” in which it stands on an equal footing with the United States, it should start by fulfilling the responsibilities commensurate with such a position.
　中国が米国と対等の「大国関係」を実現したいのなら、まず相応の責任を果たすべきだろう。

There was progress made elsewhere, as the United States and China reached agreement on a raft of issues including climate change and people-to-people exchanges. They also agreed to expand technological cooperation as a countermeasure to combat climate change. China is scheduled to announce this month its reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions.
　一方、米中が気候変動や人材交流など様々なテーマで合意できたのは成果だ。気候変動対策では、技術協力拡大でも一致した。中国は今月中に、温室効果ガスの排出削減目標を公表するという。

The United States and China are the world’s two largest emitters of these gases. They must steadily make progress in reducing their emissions. The key question will be whether they can produce actual results, not just stage a show of cooperative ties.
　排出量で世界１、２位の中国と米国は着実に削減を進めねばならない。問われるのは、協調関係の演出ではなく、実績である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 26, 2015)

骨太方針素案 財政再建への踏み込みが甘い

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Govt must present clear measures to cut spending in fiscal reform plan
骨太方針素案　財政再建への踏み込みが甘い

The basic idea to seek both economic growth and fiscal reconstruction is appropriate, but strong enthusiasm for reducing government spending cannot be felt.
　経済成長と財政再建の二兎にとを追う基本的な考え方は妥当だが、歳出削減への強い意気込みが感じられない。

The government has compiled the draft outline of its Basic Policies for Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform.
　政府が、「経済財政運営と改革の基本方針」（骨太の方針）の素案をまとめた。

The government, in the draft outline, sets a medium-term target of cutting the deficit in fiscal 2018 to about 1 percent of gross domestic product as a step toward achieving the government goal of turning the primary balance of the central and local governments into a surplus by fiscal 2020.
　２０２０年度に国と地方の基礎的財政収支を黒字化する政府目標の達成に向け、１８年度の赤字を国内総生産（ＧＤＰ）の１％程度に抑える中間目標を設けた。

The central government designated the three years until fiscal 2018 as a period for intensive reform and showed a “criterion” of limiting rises in general account spending, excluding redemptions of government bonds and certain other items, to about ¥1.6 trillion for the three years to March 2019. The draft outline calls on the government to limit growth in social security costs, which are expected to increase by ¥1 trillion each year, to ¥1.5 trillion for the three years.
　１８年度までの３年間を集中改革期間と位置づけ、政策経費の歳出増加額を計１・６兆円程度に抑える「目安」を示した。毎年１兆円ほど増える社会保障費を、３年で１・５兆円の伸びにとどめる。

Akira Amari, economic revitalization minister, and others were reluctant to put a ceiling on government spending. But without the ceiling, there is a fear that tax revenue increases as a result of economic growth could be used for an expansion of expenditures in an unregulated manner. It is significant that the draft outline put a certain brake on increases in government spending in line with the opinions of Finance Minister Taro Aso and others.
　甘利経済再生相らは、歳出の上限設定に難色を示したが、それでは経済成長による税収増などが、野放図に歳出拡大へ回される恐れがある。麻生財務相らの主張に沿って、歳出増に一定の歯止めを設けた意義はあろう。

It is worrisome that the draft outline is lacking in concrete measures to curtail government spending in the future as planned.
　懸念されるのは、今後の歳出を想定通りに抑制するための具体的な方策が乏しいことである。

The target amount of an increase in general account spending, excluding redemptions of government bonds and certain other items, was determined based on past performance in fiscal 2013 to 2015. With the aging population, there is no guarantee that the government could curtail spending in the future as much as it did in that period. Ceaseless efforts for spending reform are indispensable.
　政策経費の伸びの目標額は、１３～１５年度の実績をもとに定めた。高齢化は進行しており、今後も同様に抑え込める保証はない。不断の歳出改革が不可欠だ。

Face the pain

However, the draft outline seldom mentioned important issues, such as hikes in out-of-pocket payments for medical fees for high-income senior citizens, or heavier taxation on their pension money.
　ところが、裕福な高齢者の医療費負担増や、年金課税の強化などの重要課題について、素案はほとんど言及しなかった。

The draft outline also did not clear a concrete target date to realize an increase in the use of generic medicine to more than 80 percent, which is a essential to controlling medical costs. In consideration of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, which is cautious about setting the target date, the draft outline said only in an ambiguous manner that the realization should be made “at the earliest date possible in [the period from] fiscal 2018 to the end of fiscal 2020.”
　医療費削減の柱とされた後発医薬品の「普及率８０％以上」の実現時期も、踏み込み不足だった。慎重な厚生労働省に配慮し、「１８～２０年度末のなるべく早い時期」という曖昧な表現に落ち着いた。

Since the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in 2008, the government has introduced a system to add extra amounts of money to tax grants from the central government to local governments. The draft outline postponed the abolition of the system, instead only mentioning “trying to make efforts to change the system to the status quo ante.”
　０８年のリーマン・ショック後に緊急対策として導入した地方交付税の別枠加算は、「平時モードに切り替えを進めていく」とするにとどめ、廃止を見送った。

We have to say that the government got cold feet in fear of the refutation of the ministries and local governments opposing various expenditure cuts.
　歳出カットに対する各府省や地方自治体の反発を恐れ、腰が引けていると言わざるを得ない。

Japan’s debt has topped ¥1 quadrillion, already the worst fiscal condition among advanced countries. Looking toward fiscal 2025 and later, when the baby boomers pass the age of 75, it is necessary to start painful reforms earlier.
　日本の債務残高は、１０００兆円を超え、既に先進国で最悪の財政状況だ。団塊の世代が７５歳以上に達する２５年度以降を見据えれば、痛みを伴う制度改革にも早めに手をつける必要がある。

From the start, the fiscal reconstruction measures this time are determined based on the assumption of real economic growth of 2 percent. If growth remains at 1 percent, the deficit in the primary balance would increase by ¥7 trillion. The harsh reality should not be forgotten.
　そもそも今回の財政再建策は、実質２％という高成長が前提だ。成長率が１％にとどまれば、２０年度の基礎的財政収支の赤字幅は、７兆円も増える。厳しい現実を忘れてはなるまい。

The government should beef up concrete measures for spending reform to steadily realize the goal of turning the primary balance of the central and local governments into a surplus by fiscal 2020 and laying the foundation for future fiscal consolidation.
　２０年度の黒字化目標を着実に実現し、その先の財政健全化に布石を打つ。こうした視点から、歳出改革の具体策を補強すべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 24, 2015)

首相沖縄訪問 現実的な基地負担軽減を図れ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Realistic approach needed to reduce burden of U.S. bases in Okinawa Pref.
首相沖縄訪問　現実的な基地負担軽減を図れ

One of two important tasks is to maintain the deterrent capability of the Japan-U.S. alliance to preserve our national security. The other is to reduce the excessive burden shouldered by Okinawa due to the presence of U.S. bases there. Political leaders are obliged to come up with realistic measures to ensure the two goals are compatible, and make steady progress in achieving these objectives.
　平和の確保へ、日米同盟の抑止力を維持する。過重な米軍基地負担を減らす。この二つの目標を両立する現実的な方策を選択し、着実に前に進めることが、政治の責任だろう。

On Tuesday, a ceremony was held in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, to commemorate those killed in the prefecture during World War II. It is believed that organized combat in the Battle of Okinawa ended on June 23, 1945.
　太平洋戦争の沖縄戦で組織的な戦闘が終結したとされる「慰霊の日」の２３日、沖縄全戦没者追悼式が沖縄県糸満市で開かれた。

In his address during the ceremony, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said with emphasis, “We have earnestly walked the path of peace in abhorrence of war over the past 70 years.”
　安倍首相はあいさつで、「この７０年間、戦争を憎み、ひたすら平和の道を歩んできた」と力説し、

“We must also continue making tireless efforts toward achieving international peace,” the prime minister said. Abe also reiterated his intention to do his utmost to reduce the burden shouldered by local residents because of the U.S. bases in the prefecture.
「これからも世界平和の確立に向け、不断の努力を行う」と訴えた。沖縄の基地負担の軽減に全力を挙げる考えも改めて表明した。

In his peace declaration, Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga called for halting a project to transfer functions of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station to the Henoko area. “People [in the prefecture] expressed their opposition [to the relocation project] in [last year’s] election, and it is therefore difficult [to build a new base at Henoko],” he said.
　翁長雄志知事は平和宣言で、米軍普天間飛行場の辺野古移設について「選挙で反対の民意が示されており、困難だ」と述べ、中止を求めた。

Onaga also said, “The suggestion that Okinawa should present an alternative plan [for the transfer of the Futenma functions to Henoko] cannot be condoned.”
「沖縄が（辺野古移設の）代替案を出しなさいとの考えは到底許容できない」とも語った。

The governor devoted nearly half his speech to making references to the Futenma issue.
　普天間問題への言及は全体の半分近くを占めた。

We believe Onaga was out of order for advancing his political views during this opportunity to pay tribute to the war victims and renew a pledge to pursue peace. Solely emphasizing his confrontational stance against the central government will do nothing to resolve the complex and difficult Futenma base issue.
　犠牲者に哀悼を捧ささげ、平和への誓いを新たにする場を利用し、自らの政治的主張を前面に出したことには、違和感を禁じ得ない。政府との対決姿勢を強調するだけでは、この複雑で困難な基地問題を解決することはできまい。

Constructive dialogue vital

It was decided not to arrange a formal meeting between Abe and Onaga on the sidelines of Tuesday’s ceremony. One of the factors behind this decision may have been the improbability that any progress would result. Still, the decision is disappointing. We hope the prime minister and the governor will use every opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue.
　首相と翁長氏の正式な会談は見送られた。具体的成果が見込めないとの判断もあったのだろうが、残念な対応である。首相と翁長氏は、様々な機会をとらえて、建設的な対話を重ねてもらいたい。

The Futenma base, used by the U.S. forces since the war ended in 1945, lies in the central part of Ginowan. There is a possibility of serious accidents if the installation remains there. At the same time, it has long hindered the city’s development.
　終戦の年から米軍が使用する普天間飛行場は、宜野湾市中心部にある。重大事故の危険性に加え、市の発展の障害となってきた。

The only practical solution to overcoming this situation is relocating the Futenma facility to Henoko.
　この現状を打開するための実現可能な選択肢は、辺野古移設しかない。

The Futenma Air Station symbolizes the U.S. military presence in the prefecture. If the relocation project is translated into action, it would represent a significant achievement after many years of great efforts by the central government and local entities to promote the realignment of U.S. forces.
普天間飛行場は在沖縄米軍基地の象徴的存在でもある。移設が実現すれば、政府と地元関係者が長年、多大な努力を重ねてきた米軍再編の重要な成果となる。

Questions must be raised about the latest action taken by the Social Democratic Party, the Japanese Communist Party and other forces that constitute the mainstay of the Onaga-led prefectural government. They have submitted to the prefectural assembly a proposal for the creation of an ordinance that would impose restrictions on bringing earth, sand and stone into the prefecture from outside of the prefecture, citing the need to implement environmental protection measures. Such materials are used for land reclamation work.
　疑問なのは、社民、共産など翁長県政与党が、環境対策として、埋め立て工事に使用する県外からの土砂や石材搬入を規制する条例案を県議会に提出したことだ。

If the proposed ordinance is adopted, it could cause delays not only in the Futenma-to-Henoko transfer plan but in the ongoing construction of a second runway at Naha Airport. The new runway project is aimed at invigorating the prefecture’s economy while also resolving overcrowded flight schedules at the airport. The project was started in response to the strong desire by local residents for a new runway. Business circles in the prefecture also are worried about the proposed ordinance.
　可決されれば、辺野古移設だけでなく、那覇空港第２滑走路整備の工事も遅延しかねない。滑走路整備は、沖縄経済の活性化と空港の過密解消が目的で、地元が強く要望していた。経済界からも条例案へ懸念の声が出ている。

We find it difficult to understand what kind of environmental benefit can be gained through restrictions on earth and sand being brought into the prefecture from other parts of the country. We regard the submission of the proposed ordinance as opportunistic. Doing so will only deepen the schism between the central government and local residents.
　そもそも、同じ国内の土砂などの規制にどんな環境面の効果があるのか、理解に苦しむ。ご都合主義であり、いたずらに政府との対立を深めるだけではないか。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 24, 2015)

日韓５０年式典 関係改善への転機にできるか

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Can both countries use this occasion as a turning point to improve ties?
日韓５０年式典　関係改善への転機にできるか

Can Japan and South Korea take this opportunity as a turning point to improve their chilled bilateral relations? The will and efforts of both countries will be closely watched.
　冷却化した日韓関係を改善するための転機とできるのか。双方の意志と努力が問われよう。

The governments of both countries on Monday held ceremonies in Seoul and Tokyo to commemorate the 50th anniversary of normalizing diplomatic relations.
　日韓両政府がソウルと東京で、国交正常化５０周年記念式典をそれぞれ開いた。

In Tokyo, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emphasized, “Let us build a new era for our two countries together, while looking back at the 50 years of history of friendship and looking forward at the next 50 years.”
　安倍首相は東京で、「５０年の友好の歴史を振り返り、これからの５０年を展望し、両国の新たな時代を築いていこう」と強調した。

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said in Seoul, “It is important to lay down the heavy burden of history issues ... As we seek to do so, our two countries can make a fresh start.”
　朴槿恵大統領はソウルで、「歴史問題という重荷を下ろすことが重要だ。両国がそうしたスタートをする時、新たな未来を切り開く」と語り、歴史問題に言及した。

Japan and South Korea have been recently in fierce conflict with each other over historical perceptions, including on the issue of so-called comfort women, and over the Takeshima islands. This spring, both countries were far from celebrating the 50th anniversary of normalizing bilateral ties.
　日韓両国は最近、慰安婦など歴史認識や竹島の問題で鋭く対立している。今春ごろは、５０周年を祝福するムードにほど遠かった。

Around the time when South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung Se’s visit to Japan was decided last week, momentum grew for both countries to compromise.
　先週、韓国の尹炳世外相の来日が決まった前後から、双方に歩み寄りの機運が高まった。

With the attendance of both Abe and Park, who did not initially plan to attend these ceremonies, both countries were able to call for mending bilateral ties and to transmit constructive messages both at home and abroad.
当初は予定になかった両首脳の式典出席で関係修復を演出し、前向きなメッセージも内外に発信できた。

Park has set solving the comfort women issue as the condition for holding summit talks with Abe. She has also engaged in “tale-telling diplomacy,” criticizing Japan’s historic perception in third countries.
　朴氏は、慰安婦問題の解決を首脳会談の条件に掲げる。第三国で日本の歴史認識を批判する「告げ口外交」も展開してきた。

Yet her adherence to history issues has only escalated anti-South Korean sentiment in Japan, while bringing about no positive results in the diplomacy of her country.
　だが、朴氏の歴史問題への固執は、日本の「嫌韓」感情を高めただけで、韓国外交に何の成果ももたらしていない。

Ball in Park’s court

It is quite reasonable that calls for Park to change her policy have grown even within South Korea, besides those coming from the United States.
米国に加え、韓国国内でも方針転換を求める声が高まっているのは当然である。

Taking advantage of the 50th anniversary to unload “the heavy burden of history issues,” Park should review her unyielding stance of pressing Japan alone to compromise unilaterally. Such a move on her part will benefit both countries.
　５０周年の節目を契機とし、「歴史問題という重荷」を下ろすため、日本だけに一方的な譲歩を求める朴氏の頑かたくなな姿勢を見直すことこそが日韓双方の利益となろう。

Prior to attending the ceremony, Abe held talks with Yun in Tokyo. During the talks, Abe told Yun: “We have various issues to tackle because we’re neighbors. It is important to hold candid talks with each other.” He thus showed his willingness to hold talks with Park.
　記念式典に先立ち、安倍首相は韓国の尹炳世外相と会談した。「隣国ゆえに様々な課題があるが、お互いに胸襟を開いて話し合うことが重要だ」と語り、朴氏との会談に意欲を示した。

Meanwhile, Park held talks with former Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga in Seoul, telling him that the two countries “must pursue trust in diplomacy while healing the wounds of the past.” She also said she will closely watch Abe’s statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
　朴氏はソウルで額賀福志郎・元財務相と会談し、「過去の傷を癒やしつつ、日韓の信頼外交を展開せねばならない」と語った。安倍首相の戦後７０年談話について「注目している」とも述べた。

Diplomatic authorities in both countries are discussing a plan to hold the first summit talks between Abe and Park, following the announcement of Abe’s statement in August, on the occasion of summit talks involving Japan, China and South Korea scheduled to be held this autumn in Seoul.
　日韓の外交当局は、８月の戦後７０年談話の発表後、今秋にもソウルで日中韓首脳会談を開くのに合わせて、初の日韓首脳会談を行う案などを検討している。

There are now many outstanding matters between Japan and South Korea, in addition to history and territorial issues. Included in the issues are a conclusion of an agreement on general security of military information, negotiations on a free trade accord, and South Korea’s import restrictions on Japan’s fishery products.
　日韓間には今、歴史や領土の問題に加え、多くの懸案がある。軍事情報包括保護協定の締結、自由貿易協定の交渉や、韓国の日本産水産物の輸入規制などだ。

Needless to say, a single instance of summit talks cannot dramatically improve the bilateral ties. But through a series of dialogues, the leaders of both countries will come up with ideas to advance diverse challenges. This is the role a national leader has to assume.
　無論、１回の首脳会談で関係が劇的に改善するわけではない。だが、対話を重ねる中で、様々な課題を進展させる知恵を出し合う。それが指導者の役割だろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 23, 2015)

日韓国交５０年 「歴史」克服して未来に進もう

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan, S. Korea should proceed toward future by surmounting history problems
日韓国交５０年　「歴史」克服して未来に進もう

　◆東アジア安定へ責任を共有せよ◆

June 22 marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Japan-Republic of Korea Basic Relations Treaty that normalized the bilateral diplomatic ties. In light of the paths the two countries have taken during the half century, efforts should be redoubled to address the task of rebuilding the bilateral relationship that has stagnated over the past few years.
　日本と韓国の国交を正常化した日韓基本条約の調印から、２２日で５０年を迎える。半世紀の歩みを踏まえ、近年は停滞している両国関係の再構築に取り組みたい。

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung Se visited Japan for the first time for talks with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida. Regarding the so-called comfort women, no specific accord was reached except for an agreement to continue consultations between Tokyo and Seoul.
　韓国の尹炳世外相が初めて来日し、岸田外相と会談した。慰安婦問題については、協議を継続することで一致するにとどまった。

Concerning Japan’s bid to gain World Cultural Heritage status for Meiji-era (1868-1912) industrial revolution sites, over which South Korea has raised objections, Kishida and Yun concurred that the two countries should go hand in hand in moving forward with Japan supporting South Korea’s efforts to have historic sites from the ancient kingdom of Baekje put on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
　「明治日本の産業革命遺産」の世界文化遺産登録に韓国が反対していた問題では、韓国推薦の「百済歴史地区」とともに、日韓が登録に協力することで合意した。

Politicization of World Heritage registration should have been avoided, and the matter placed in the hands of experts on the cultural values of the properties in question.
　本来、専門家による文化財の価値判断を尊重するのが筋で、政治問題化すべきではなかった。

Park urged to end bigotry
　◆頑なな朴外交の転換を

In the 1965 Agreement Between Japan and the Republic of Korea Concerning the Settlement of Problems in Regard to Property and Claims and Economic Cooperation, Japan pledged to provide South Korea with economic assistance worth $500 million in grants and government loans. The accord also explicitly stated that all compensation issues were settled “completely and finally.”
　１９６５年に締結された請求権・経済協力協定は、日本側が無償・有償計５億ドルの経済協力を約束し、請求権問題は「完全かつ最終的に解決された」と明記した。

In addition to the funds available under the 1965 agreement, the subsequent investments and technological transfers from Japan to South Korea contributed greatly to South Korea’s dramatic economic growth that has been referred to as the “miracle of Hangan.”
　この資金に加え、日本からの投資や技術移転は、「漢江の奇跡」と呼ばれる韓国の飛躍的な経済成長に大きく寄与した。

The 1998 Japan-South Korea Joint Declaration by then South Korean President Kim Dae Jung and Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi marked the advent of a new era between the two nations. While Obuchi in the landmark declaration offered a forthright apology for “damage and suffering” inflicted on the Korean people because of Japan’s colonial rule, Kim expressed a desire for developing “future-oriented relationship” between the two countries.
　金大中大統領と小渕首相による９８年の「日韓共同宣言」は、新時代を画した。小渕氏が植民地支配による「損害と苦痛」に謝罪し、金氏が「未来志向的な関係を発展させる」と表明した。

Following the Obuchi-Kim talks, the South Korean president allowed by stages the entry of Japanese popular culture into his country. Cultural exchanges between Japan and South Korea gained momentum, later leading to the emergence in Japan of a Korean pop culture boom.
　金氏は韓国で日本大衆文化を段階的に開放した。文化交流に弾みがつき、その後の日本の韓流ブームにもつながった。

South Korea now ranks seventh in the list of the world’s biggest exporting countries and is a member of the Group of 20 major economies. Joint undertakings by Japanese and South Korean enterprises have been on the rise and a relationship of interdependence has deepened between the two countries.
　韓国は今、世界７位の輸出大国で、主要２０か国・地域（Ｇ２０）の一員だ。日韓企業の共同事業が増え、相互依存関係も深まった。

A trip, however, in August 2012 by then South Korean President Lee Myung Bak to the Takeshima islands, and his remarks calling for an apology by the Emperor soured bilateral ties. President Park Geun-hye, who took office in February 2013, has made the holding of a summit meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe contingent on resolving the comfort women issue, and she has stubbornly refused to meet with the prime minister.
　だが、２０１２年８月の李明博大統領の竹島訪問と天皇陛下への謝罪要求発言で、関係は暗転した。１３年２月に就任した朴槿恵大統領は、慰安婦問題の解決を首脳会談の条件に掲げ、安倍首相との会談を頑かたくなに拒み続けている。

In reference to the speech Abe delivered in the U.S. Congress in April this year, Park criticized the prime minister for “failing to take advantage of the opportunity to make a sincere apology ... and strengthen trust with neighboring countries.”
　今年４月の首相の米議会演説も、「誠実な謝罪によって近隣諸国と信頼を深める機会を、生かせなかった」などと批判した。

Resolve ‘comfort women’
　◆「慰安婦」を打開したい

Fundamentally, the compensation problem involving the comfort women has been legally resolved under the 1965 agreement. The Asian Women’s Fund that was established by the Japanese government, however, made payments of “atonement money” to 61 former South Korean comfort women, accompanied by letters of apology by the then Japanese prime minister.
　慰安婦の賠償問題は本来、請求権協定で法的に解決済みだ。それでも、日本政府が設立したアジア女性基金は、韓国の元慰安婦６１人に首相のお詫わびの手紙とともに「償い金」を支給している。

As long as Park ignores these facts and does not change her stance of pressing the Abe administration for unilateral concessions, it will be difficult for the Japanese side to compromise.
　朴氏が、こうした事実関係を無視し、安倍政権に一方的な譲歩を迫る姿勢を改めない限り、日本側も歩み寄るのは難しいだろう。

Behind South Korea’s tough stance on Japan are the country’s growing anti-Japan nationalism, which could be said an adverse by-product of the country’s democratization, and the government’s populist policy.
　韓国の対日強硬姿勢の背景には、民主化の副作用とも言える反日ナショナリズムの高まりと、政府の大衆迎合がある。

With regard to comfort women, a private organization in support of former comfort women is in the forefront of public opinion.
　慰安婦問題では、元慰安婦を支援する民間団体が世論を牛耳る。

A statue of a girl symbolizing comfort women that this organization erected in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul contravenes the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which stipulates that a host country must protect a diplomatic mission, such as an embassy. To repair diplomatic relations, the statue must first be removed.
この団体がソウルの日本大使館前に設置した慰安婦の少女像は、大使館の保護などを定めたウィーン条約に抵触する。関係改善には、まず少女像の撤去が必要だ。

Park’s pressure on Japan to have a “correct perception of history,” apparently going along with anti-Japan opinion in the country, intensifies anti-South Korean sentiment in Japan, leading to a vicious circle.
　朴氏が国内の反日世論に迎合して「正しい歴史認識」を強要することが、日本側の「嫌韓」感情をあおり、悪循環を招いている。

We think that even if there are differences in views on territorial issues or historic perception between Japan and South Korea, the primary task of diplomacy is to minimize the negative impact of such differences on the overall relationship between the two countries.
　領土問題や歴史認識で意見の相違があっても、日韓関係全体への影響を極小化することこそが、外交本来の役割ではないか。

We also cannot overlook the fact that South Korea’s judiciary authorities in recent years have shaken the foundation of the 1965 agreement on property claims.
　韓国司法が近年、日韓請求権協定を揺るがしているのも看過できない。

The South Korean Constitutional Court has issued a ruling that called for the government to negotiate with the Japanese government over comfort women.
　憲法裁判所は、慰安婦問題での対日交渉を政府に求めた。

Meanwhile, South Korean courts have handed down one ruling after another ordering Japanese companies to pay damages to South Koreans who were forced to work in wartimes.
戦時中の徴用工問題で日本企業に損害賠償を命じる判決も相次いでいる。

South Korea’s unlawful occupation of the Takeshima islands is also an issue that must be dealt with under international law and therefore needs to be settled at the International Court of Justice.
　韓国による竹島の不法占拠も、国際法にかかわる問題で、国際司法裁判所で決着させるべきだ。

After the war, Japan, as a pacifist nation, has contributed to the development of South Korea. Good examples of such development are the Pohang integrated steel mill, for which engineers, including those of Nippon Steel Corp., cooperated in the construction of the facilities in the city, and the development of a subway system in Seoul.
　戦後日本は、平和国家として韓国の発展に貢献してきた。新日本製鉄などの技術者たちが現地で協力した浦項総合製鉄所の建設や、地下鉄の整備は、その好例だ。

School textbooks and local mass media in South Korea seldom refer to such assistance. This is one of the factors behind anti-Japan sentiment among South Koreans.
　韓国の教科書やマスコミは日本の協力をほとんど紹介しない。国民の反日感情が続く一因だ。

Worries over China, N. Korea
　◆中朝にどう自制を促す

Deteriorating relations between Japan and South Korea have also become a cause for worry for U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration in its Asian rebalancing policy. To pressure the North Korean regime, led by Kim Jong Un, to abandon its nuclear development, it is vital for Japan, the United States and South Korea to reinforce their cooperation.
　日韓関係の悪化は、オバマ米政権のアジア重視政策の不安要因ともなっている。北朝鮮の金正恩政権に核放棄を迫るには、日米韓の連携強化が欠かせない。

It is also a cause for worry that Park, attaching importance to strengthening ties with China, has shown signs of forming a unified front with China against Japan over historical issues.
　朴氏が中国との関係強化を重視し、歴史問題で共闘する動きを見せていることも懸念材料だ。

One goal is to press for restraint by China, which is aiming to change the regional status quo by force, as seen by its extensive maritime advance. Another goal that must be pursued is to realize the peace and prosperity of East Asia over the mid- and long term. This is the time for both Japan and South Korea to share such strategic goals.
　強引な海洋進出など、地域秩序の「力による現状変更」を目指す中国に自制を促す。中長期的に東アジアの平和と繁栄を追求する。そうした戦略的な目標を日韓両国は共有すべき時ではないか。

Following the conclusion of the treaty normalizing relations with Japan, then South Korean President Park Chung Hee said in the National Assembly that his country must not take the wrong path in the present and the future by adhering too much and solely to the past.
　国交正常化を果たした朴正煕大統領は国会演説で、「過去にのみ執着するあまり、現在および未来への道を誤ってはならない」と説いた。

This is a sentiment that we hope his daughter, the current president, will take to heart.
娘の朴氏に、今一度、かみしめてもらいたい言葉である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 22, 2015)

農地集積バンク 利用促進の努力が足りない

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Farmland accumulation banks must do more to consolidate farming plots
農地集積バンク　利用促進の努力が足りない

The farmlands intermediary administration institute system, also known as the farmland accumulation bank, that was created in each of the nation’s 47 prefectures as part of the government’s growth strategy has been performing poorly.
　政府の成長戦略の一環として全都道府県に創設された農地中間管理機構（農地集積バンク）の実績が低調である。

The thinking behind the system is to borrow plots of farmland from small-plot farmers and others and then rent them out in bulk. High expectations have been placed on the system as a promising means of increasing the area of farmland per farming unit.
　小規模農家などから借りた農地をまとめて貸し出す仕組みで、農地大型化の切り札として期待されている。

The area of farmland leased during the first fiscal year of the leasing facilitation program, however, was no more than 24,000 hectares nationwide, compared to the government-set target of 150,000 hectares, so the achievement rate stood at a mere 16 percent. The percentage was 1 percent or less in 10 prefectures, including Tokyo, meaning the program was hardly utilized, indicating a lack of effort on the part of the intermediary administration institutes.
　ところが、初年度の貸し出し面積は、政府目標の１５万ヘクタールに対して２・４万ヘクタールにとどまり、達成率はわずか１６％だった。１０都府県では１％以下と、ほとんど利用されておらず、努力不足が否めない。

If measures to make good use of the institutes are taken with the aim of aggregating parcels of farmland to large-plot farmers or companies operating farming businesses, Japan’s agricultural productivity will be enhanced and its international competitiveness strengthened. The leasing scheme can also be conducive to reducing abandoned farmland and reinvigorating regional economies.
　機構を活用し、大規模農家や企業に農地を集約すれば、農業生産性が向上し、国際競争力を強化できる。耕作放棄地の縮小や、地方経済の活性化にもつながろう。

The central and local governments must try to find the causes of the poor performance of the farmland leasing system and work out measures to improve the situation and expedite its utilization.
　政府と自治体は、低迷の原因を分析して改善策を講じ、利用促進に努めるべきだ。

To facilitate farmland consolidation via the intermediary institutes, the government has brought about an institutional change to enable leasing and borrowing of farmland without the permission of a relevant agricultural committee.
　機構による農地集約を促進する狙いで、政府は各地の農業委員会の許可がなくても農地を貸借できるよう制度を改めた。

The area of farmland that farming companies and others said they wanted to borrow totaled 230,000 hectares, but plots of farmland available for leasing contracts were no more than 29,000 hectares. Sufficient results could not be achieved.
　企業などが借りたいと希望した農地は２３万ヘクタールに上ったが、貸し出せる農地が２・９万ヘクタールしか集まらず、実績は伸びなかった。

A major factor behind the dearth of prospective lenders of farmland is that many farmers tend to shy away from leasing their plots, as they often consider them precious property handed down by ancestors for generations.
　貸し手不足の背景には、先祖伝来の土地を他人に預けることをためらう農家が多い事情がある。

Boosting understanding

In addition, there are many instances of misunderstanding that farming plots, once leased, will not be returned to them. It is actually possible to have the contracts end after the agreed-upon period, such as 10 years.
　１０年などの契約期間を過ぎれば貸し出しを打ち切れるのに、一度貸したら戻ってこなくなる、といった誤解も少なくない。

In Toyama Prefecture, where the achievement rate was the highest in the country at 99 percent, 70,000 copies of a booklet explaining the leasing system through manga were distributed to alleviate farmers’ anxieties.
　目標達成率が９９％と全国首位だった富山県では、農家の不安を和らげるため、漫画形式のパンフレットを７万部作成していた。

Reportedly, farmers typically said they “feel at ease,” as they easily understood how the system works. This can be used as a good reference for other local entities.
　農家からは「仕組みがよくわかり、安心できた」といった反響があったという。他の自治体の参考になるだろう。

Many local areas with high achievement rates used their own initiatives even before the leasing intermediary institutes were launched, such as listening to the intentions of companies and others wishing to enter the farming sector, while engaging in such activities as finding farming plots suitable for leasing contracts.
　達成率の高かった自治体には、機構ができる前から農業参入を希望する企業などの意向を聞き、貸し出しに適した農地を探すなど、独自の取り組みを進めてきたところが多い。

In finding prospective lenders, it is necessary to grasp the circumstances of individual farming households, such as whether they have successors. Boosting the institutes’ cooperation with city, town and village governments is also important.
　貸し手を効率的に探すには、後継者の有無など個々の農家の事情を把握する必要がある。市町村との連携強化も重要となる。

There also are many farmers who opt to hold on to their farms, even if they are not being used, because they hope to profit on future sales in the event of the farmland being converted for residential or commercial purposes. Low tax rates on farmland are fueling this tendency.
　宅地や商業地への転用を期待して、使わない農地を持ち続けている例も多い。農地の税負担の軽さが、これを助長している。

The government’s Regulatory Reform Council recently came up with a set of proposals calling for such steps as raising tax rates on abandoned farmland and alleviation of tax burdens on the part of those farmers who lease their plots. These proposals should be positively considered.
　政府の規制改革会議は、耕作放棄地への課税強化や貸し手農家の税負担軽減を提言した。実現するよう前向きに検討したい。

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi’s suggestion that preferential treatment in budgetary and other matters be offered to prefectures achieving good performances in the leasing facilitation program, however, is questionable. We fear such measures would lead to wasteful use of taxpayers’ money.
　林農相が、実績を上げた都道府県に予算配分などで配慮する考えを示したのは疑問だ。予算の無駄遣いにつながるのではないか。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 21, 2015)

派遣法改正案 処遇向上の実効性を高めたい

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Bill should ensure better treatment of temporary employees at firms
派遣法改正案　処遇向上の実効性を高めたい

A bill to revise the Worker Dispatch Law, over which the ruling and opposition parties confronted each other, passed the House of Representatives on Friday.
　与野党の対決法案である労働者派遣法改正案が衆院を通過した。

The House of Councillors, to which the bill has been sent, must deepen constructive discussions on it to improve treatment of temporary workers and stabilize their employment.
　派遣労働者の処遇向上と雇用安定のため、参院では、建設的な議論を深める必要がある。

If enacted, the bill will virtually abolish the limit on the length of time that companies can use dispatched workers. On the other hand, staffing agencies will be obliged to take measures to support temps in career enhancement, such as training programs, and to stabilize their employment by asking companies where they work to hire them directly.
　改正案は、企業が派遣労働者を受け入れる期間の制限を事実上なくす。一方で、派遣会社に対し、計画的な教育訓練など、派遣労働者のキャリアアップ支援や、派遣先への直接雇用の依頼といった雇用安定措置を義務づけている。

The current law mainly aims to prevent companies from replacing regular employees in some jobs with temps.
　現行法は、企業が正社員の仕事を派遣労働者に切り替えるのを防ぐことを主眼にしてきた。

Therefore, the law makes three years the maximum length of time for companies to use dispatched workers except in some specialized jobs. On the other hand, the law does not have enough regulations to protect jobs and the working conditions of temps.
　そのため、一部の専門業務を除き、企業の派遣受け入れ期間を最長３年に制限している。反面、派遣労働者の雇用や待遇を守る規定が手薄だった。

As there is a wider variety in ways to work in our society, the bill seeks to move the legal emphasis from protection of regular employees at companies where temps work to protection of temporary employees. We think this concept of the bill is reasonable.
　多様な働き方が広がる中、派遣先の正社員の保護から派遣労働者の保護に軸足を移す。改正案のこの考え方は妥当である。

However, the Democratic Party of Japan and some other parties oppose the bill because they say it will only increase the number of temps. They also criticize a measure stipulated in the bill to support them in career enhancement as “not viable.”
　民主党などは「派遣労働者を増やす」と反対し、キャリアアップ支援なども「実効性がない」と批判している。

Enhanced govt supervision

However, the bill will put all the staffing companies under a license system and strengthen government supervision of them. If it functions effectively, this system will contribute to the betterment of employment conditions for temps.
　だが、改正案は、派遣会社を全て許可制とし、政府の監督体制を強化する。制度が有効に機能すれば、処遇改善に寄与しよう。

The Japan Innovation Party helped the bill pass in the lower house. Though it opposed the bill, the JIP made a deal with the ruling parties and participated in a vote on the bill. The JIP and the ruling parties agreed with each other to work for the enactment of a separate bill proposed by the JIP and others to promote the principle of equal pay for equal work after making some revisions of it.
　改正案の衆院通過は、維新の党が後押しした。改正案には反対したが、与党と協調し、採決には応じた。維新などが提出した「同一労働同一賃金」推進法案を修正のうえ、成立させることで、与党と一致したためだ。

The initial bill would have required companies to pay the same wages for temps and regular workers doing the same job.
　当初案は、派遣労働者と正社員の仕事が同じなら賃金も等しくする「均等待遇」を求めていた。

But the phrase “balanced treatment” was added to the revised bill to allow companies to change employment conditions for regular and temporary workers after considering whether they can work overtime or be transferred to different workplaces. We think the revision is pragmatic, considering the reality of the corporate sector in Japan, where traditional practices such as lifetime employment and seniority-based remuneration are still strongly rooted.
　修正案には「均衡待遇」との表現を加えた。転勤や残業の有無など正社員と派遣労働者の立場の違いを考慮した処遇を認めるものだ。終身雇用や年功賃金の慣行が根強く残る日本の企業社会を考えれば、修正は現実的である。

Deliberations on the bill to revise the Worker Dispatch Law took a total of 30 hours in the lower house. We praise the JIP for making concessions to the ruling parties without stringing out deliberations unnecessarily.
　改正案の衆院審議は約３０時間に上った。維新が審議をいたずらに引き延ばさず、与党に歩み寄ったのは、前向きに評価できる。

What disappointed us is the behavior of the DPJ. The party opposed efforts by the ruling parties to end deliberations on the bill at the lower house Committee on Health, Labor and Welfare and used force to prevent its chairman from entering the conference room. That caused an injury to the neck of the chairman, which will take two weeks to heal completely.
　あきれるのは、民主党の対応である。与党が衆院厚生労働委員会の質疑を終結しようとしたのに反発し、委員長の入室を阻止する「実力行使」に出た。委員長は、首に全治２週間のけがを負った。

Akira Nagatsuma, acting president of the DPJ, defended the obstruction of deliberations, saying, “It would not be in line with Japan’s national interests if the opposition sat quietly and let the bill pass.”
　長妻昭代表代行は、「野党がお行儀よく座って、法律を通してしまうことが国益にかなうのか」などと審議妨害を正当化した。

However, this exceeded the role of an opposition party in resisting the ruling camp. The DPJ must be criticized more severely than ever.
　これでは、「抵抗野党」の域を超えている。より厳しく批判されるのは当然である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 20, 2015)

香港長官選法案 「高度な自治」は看板倒れか

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Was China’s offer of ‘high degree of autonomy’ for Hong Kong a facade?
香港長官選法案　「高度な自治」は看板倒れか

Will the “high degree of autonomy” China promised to Hong Kong under the “one country, two systems” formula turn out to be a mere facade?
　「一国二制度」の名の下に、中国が約束している香港の「高度な自治」は、結局、看板倒れになるのか。

An electoral reform package for the poll to choose Hong Kong’s next chief executive in 2017 has been voted down by a majority of pro-democracy lawmakers.
　２０１７年の次期香港行政長官選挙に向けた選挙制度改革法案が議会で、民主派議員の反対多数で否決された。

With this, a “normal election” in which Hong Kong’s voters directly select their leader will not go ahead. Instead, the current indirect election system — in which the leader is chosen by a committee comprised of industry group representatives and others — looks set to continue.
　有権者が直接投票する「普通選挙」は次期選挙では実施されず、業界団体代表らによる現行の間接選挙が続く見通しとなった。

Although the reform bills offered the prospect of one vote for each eligible voter, only pro-China candidates would have been allowed to run in the race. We can understand why pro-democracy lawmakers voted to oppose this proposal, which they denounced as offering a “fake direct election.”
　法案は「１人１票」の直接選挙とはいえ、親中派しか立候補できない仕組みである。「ニセの普通選挙」と抗議する民主派が反対票を投じたのは、理解できる。

Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997, ending British control there. The Chinese government accepted that Hong Kong would retain a high degree of autonomy and set the goal of holding a normal election rooted in universal suffrage as espoused by Hong Kong’s Basic Law, which equates to its Constitution.
　１９９７年に英国から返還された香港では、中国政府が「高度な自治」を認め、憲法に当たる基本法で「普通選挙」実施を目標に掲げたのである。

In August 2014, the Chinese government decided to introduce an electoral system in which Hong Kong residents could choose their leader in a “normal election” based on the Basic Law. However, all candidates were required to secure the support of more than 50 percent of a newly formed nominating committee that was dominated by pro-Beijing members. The administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping obviously intended to block the emergence of an anti-China democratic-minded chief executive.
　昨年８月、基本法に基づき、「普通選挙」の導入を決めたのだが、親中派主体の「指名委員会」を新設し、その半数以上の支持を立候補の要件とした。習近平政権の狙いが反中的な「民主派長官」の誕生の阻止であるのは、明白だ。

For 2½ months, students and activists angered by this decision staged protests and camped in the streets. Despite this, Hong Kong’s government ignored the protesters’ demands and drew up legislation that faithfully adhered to the wishes of the Chinese government. This also became a problem.
　決定に反発する学生らが２か月半、道路占拠デモを行った。にもかかわらず、香港政府がその要求を無視し、中国の意向を忠実に踏まえた法案にしたのも問題だ。

Don’t misinterpret protests

At a regularly scheduled press conference after the bills were voted down, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said, “That the chief executive of the special administrative region’s government should not be chosen as such in 2017 is a result we are unwilling to see.” This comment also has somewhat of a hollow ring to it.
　中国外務省報道官は定例記者会見で、法案の否決について、「１７年に香港で行政長官の『普通選挙』が行われないという結果は、目にしたくなかった」と語った。どこか空々しさもうかがえる。

Protests by students and activists ahead of this week’s vote did not reach the scale of the demonstrations held during last year’s “umbrella revolution.” This appears to be because many Hong Kong residents felt deep resentment toward the prolonged demonstrations, which created traffic congestion and economic losses.
　今回、採決を巡る学生らの抗議デモは、昨年の「雨傘革命」ほどの規模には広がらなかった。デモの長期化による交通渋滞や経済的損害に対する一般住民の嫌悪感が強かったためとみられる。

The media manipulation and propaganda of the Xi administration — which has sought to isolate the students by portraying them as disrupting Hong Kong’s social stability — has been effective in this regard.
　社会の安定を乱しているとして学生側を孤立させる習政権の世論工作も、奏功したのだろう。

It would be most unwise for the Xi administration to decide that this has quieted the voices demanding democracy in Hong Kong.
　これを、香港の民主化を求める声が小さくなったと、習政権が判断しているなら、あまりにも浅慮ではないか。

Abandoning the reform process as it stands now is unacceptable.
　改革プロセスをこのまま放棄することは認められない。

We are concerned that the more the Xi administration comes down with an iron fist, the more the backlash from pro-democracy activists and students will intensify. This deepening rift could harm Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity. In the end, China will likely pay the price for this.
　懸念されるのは、習政権が強権的手法をとればとるほど、民主派や学生の反発が先鋭化することだろう。深まる溝は香港の安定と繁栄を損ないかねない。そのツケはやがて中国にも回るはずだ。

The Xi administration must respect Hong Kong’s autonomy and push ahead with dialogue with the students and pro-democracy activists. Unless progress continues to be made toward holding genuine normal elections, the Xi administration will not gain the wide trust of the international community.
　習政権には、香港の「自治」を尊重し、民主派や学生らと対話を進めることが求められている。真の「普通選挙」実現へ、歩みを続けなければ、国際社会の幅広い信頼を得ることはできまい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 19, 2015)

香山リカのココロの万華鏡：「患者さん」に救われた ／東京

June 07, 2015(Mainichi Japan)
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: Illness does not erase a person's intrinsic qualities
香山リカのココロの万華鏡：「患者さん」に救われた　／東京

While I was seeing a patient the other day, we were hit by an earthquake. Earthquake alerts blared simultaneously from people's mobile phones. The quake registered a 4 in Tokyo on the seven-point Japanese seismic intensity scale.
　先日、外来診療中に地震があった。東京は震度４、携帯電話の緊急地震速報があちこちでけたたましく鳴り響いた。

I half rose from my chair, saying, "This one's pretty big, isn't it?"
　私は思わず、「あ、地震。けっこう大きいですね」と椅子から立ち上がりかけてしまった。

The patient in my consulting room smiled. "I've long worked in construction," he said, "and I can tell this building will be just fine in an earthquake this size."
　診察室にいたのは、そのとき診療中だった男性の患者さん。彼はまったく動じることなく、「先生、大丈夫ですよ。私は建設現場で長らく仕事をしていたのでわかりますが、これくらいの地震じゃこの建物はびくともしません」と笑顔で話してくれたのだ。

Relieved, I finally sat back down. From that point on, the patient told me stories about his past with a sense of humor, like about the time he experienced an earthquake while he was high off the ground on scaffolding. He was probably trying to relax me, seeing that my face was still ashen from fear.
　その言葉に私もほっとして、「そうですか、よかった」と腰を落ち着けることができた。それからひとしきり、その男性の患者さんは「昔、高い足場の上にいるときに地震が来たことがあって」などと昔ばなしをユーモアを交えて披露してくれた。おそらくまだ私の顔が青ざめていたので、気をつかってくれたのだろう。

Thanks to the man's kindness, I was able to finish the rest of my consultations that day without any problems. When I said goodbye to the nurses and left the hospital, I thought to myself, "That man saved me today."
　その男性の気配りのおかげで、その後の診察も滞りなく終えることができた。看護師さんたちに「お疲れさまでした」と告げて病院を出るとき、私は「今日はあの人に救われたな」としみじみ思った。

Until the earthquake, the man had been talking about the various symptoms that he was suffering, and I had been the one giving him advice. But in the moment the earthquake occurred, our positions flipped. I was now the troubled one, and he gently calmed me down. You could say that as a human being, my patient had far more poise than me.
　思い返してみると、地震が起きるまではその男性の患者さんが体の不調をあれこれ訴えて、私のほうが「困りましたね。ちょっと外出のトレーニングなどをしてはどうですか」などとアドバイスする立場だったのだ。それが、あの揺れの瞬間、立場が逆転して、私のほうがオロオロして、彼が私をやさしくなだめてくれた。人間としてはその人のほうがよほど落ち着いている、と言ってもよいだろう。

I am merely a doctor by occupation, and that does not make me more mature than anyone else. But it's possible that being addressed as "Doctor" all the time, giving advice and prescribing medications, has gotten me fooled into believing subconsciously that I'm more mature and composed than I actually am.
　もちろん、私は職業として医者をやっているだけで、決して人格的にすぐれているわけではないことは言うまでもない。しかし、いつも「先生」と呼ばれ、助言したり薬を出したりしているといつの間にか自分でもカン違いし、どこかで「私はしっかりした人間だ」などと思い込んでいる可能性もある。

At the same time, I was reminded that people who are in the position of "patient" may suffer from a range of ailments, but that doesn't mean they've lost their intrinsic kindness and strength.
　そして同時に、日ごろは体調不良や気持ちの落ち込みに悩み、“患者さん”と呼ばれる立場にいる人も、当然のことだがもともとのやさしさ、強さなどまで失っているわけではないことにも改めて気づいた。

A person is uniquely that person regardless of illness.
　いくら病に陥っていても、その人はその人。

Their strong suits are still there.
持ち前の良さはそのままなのだ。

The earthquake made me reflect upon a lot of things.
地震の一件は、私にいろいろなことを考えさせてくれた。

（精神科医）
(By Rika Kayama, psychiatrist)
毎日新聞　2015年06月02日　地方版

国立大学改革 人文系を安易に切り捨てるな

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Do not abandon humanities studies in reforming national universities
国立大学改革　人文系を安易に切り捨てるな

It is important for national universities to promote their own reforms so they serve as centers of knowledge.
　「知の拠点」としての役割を果たせるよう、国立大学が自ら改革を進めることが重要だ。

The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry has sent a notice to 86 national universities urging them to reexamine their overall organization and operations. In line with the notice, universities will be expected to draw up six-year plans of their operational targets, starting next fiscal year.
　文部科学省が、８６の国立大学に対し、組織や業務の全般的な見直しを求める通知を出した。各大学は通知を踏まえて、来年度から６年間の運営目標と計画を作成する。

National universities have been granted a greater degree of freedom in operational and financial management under legislation designed to transform them into incorporated institutions in fiscal 2004. Nevertheless, there is no denying that some national universities are lackluster and lack distinctiveness.
　２００４年度の国立大学法人化により、大学の運営や財務は自由度が高まった。にもかかわらず、依然として魅力や個性に乏しい大学があるのも否めない。

Colleges and universities are expected to function as institutions tasked with producing people who can work and act internationally or have the ability to vitalize regional communities. Therefore, we find it reasonable for the education ministry to issue such a notice, which calls on universities to clarify the strengths and distinctive features they possess.
　大学が、グローバルに活躍する人材や地方創生の担い手を育成する機能への期待は大きい。文科省が今回の通知で、各大学に改めて、強みや特色を明確に打ち出すよう促したのは理解できる。

Last year’s amendment to the School Education Law has made it easier for university presidents to exercise leadership in administering their institutions of higher learning. It is essential that they provide a better environment for educational and research activities at their institutions, a task requiring them to appropriately exercise their vested authority in dealing with personnel and budgetary matters in a way that serves their strategic purposes.
　昨年の学校教育法改正で、学長はリーダーシップを発揮しやすくなった。学長が人事や予算の権限を適切に行使し、戦略性を持って、教育・研究の環境整備を図ることが欠かせない。

But one feature of the ministry’s notice is open to question. This concerns the proposed reform at university departments and postgraduate schools devoted to literature, humanities and social science studies as well as teacher training. Universities covered by this reform have been urged to abolish some of their departments or convert them into ones dedicated to the exploration of fields in high social demand.
　疑問なのは、文科省通知が、文学部など人文社会科学系や教員養成系の学部・大学院について、組織の廃止や社会的要請の高い分野への転換を迫った点だ。

Admittedly, one aspect of humanities and social science studies is that it is not easy to see what has been accomplished over the short term. In fact, the results of studies in these disciplines seem to be less tangible than those of science and technology studies, which are conducive to the creation of new industries, as well as medical courses that lead to progress in medical technology. In many cases, graduates from humanities and social science faculties land jobs that have nothing to do with their major fields of study.
　確かに人文社会系は、研究結果が新産業の創出や医療技術の進歩などに結びつく理工系や医学系に比べて、短期では成果が見えにくい側面がある。卒業生が専攻分野と直接かかわりのない会社に就職するケースも少なくない。

Proper balance required

With an increasing number of corporations saying they cannot afford to train employees, industrial circles are strongly pressing colleges and universities to have their students acquire practical skills helpful to them when they enter the workplace after graduation. Some people even go so far as to say it would be more profitable for students to be trained to gain high scores in English proficiency tests, rather than being taught English literature.
　社内教育のゆとりが持てない企業が増える中、産業界には、仕事で役立つ実践力を大学で磨くべきだとの声が強まっている。英文学を教えるより、英語検定試験で高得点をとらせる指導をした方が有益だという極論すら聞こえる。

However, it should be noted that students who explore classical works, philosophy and history will be able to acquire viewpoints that will allow them to look at things from different perspectives. Such students can also expect to develop a mental attitude marked by a respect for different values. We believe one important task for colleges and universities is to help students gain a broad range of general knowledge and deep insight.
　だが、古典や哲学、歴史などの探究を通じて、物事を多面的に見る眼めや、様々な価値観を尊重する姿勢が養われる。大学は、幅広い教養や深い洞察力を学生に身に付けさせる場でもあるはずだ。

What is needed is to make sure colleges and universities conduct educational and research activities in a manner that ensures a proper balance between humanities and social science studies and those of science and technology.
　必要なのは、人文社会系と理工系のバランスが取れた教育と研究を行うことだろう。

Beginning next fiscal year, the education ministry plans to grant universities larger subsidies to help cover operational expenses if they are willing to promote organizational reforms. In assessing the degree of each university’s success in such endeavors, the ministry reportedly will use such yardsticks as the outcome of students’ job hunting activities and university-launched venture activities. Another yardstick will be the extent to which progress has been made in putting intellectual property into practical use.
　文科省は来年度以降、積極的に組織改革を進める大学に、運営費交付金を重点的に配分する方針だ。学生の就職実績や、大学発ベンチャーの活動、知的財産の実用化の状況といった指標を基に、評価するという。

With the government’s dire fiscal situation in mind, it also will be necessary to allocate more budgetary resources where truly necessary, and less elsewhere. However, our nation’s university education could eventually lack depth if mistakes are made in judging what society really wants from institutions of higher learning, a move that could lead to abandoning humanities and social science studies.
　厳しい財政事情を踏まえれば、メリハリをつけた予算配分も大切だろう。ただ、「社会的要請」を読み誤って、人文社会系の学問を切り捨てれば、大学教育が底の浅いものになりかねない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 17, 2015)

香山リカのココロの万華鏡：仕事切り上げる勇気も ／東京

June 14, 2015(Mainichi Japan)
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: Have the courage to leave work early
香山リカのココロの万華鏡：仕事切り上げる勇気も　／東京

I am dispatched from the hospital where I work to a number of companies to check on the health of their employees. In accordance with the Industrial Safety and Health Act, I do as many interviews with employees working over 80 or more hours of overtime a month as I can.
　勤務している病院から派遣され、いくつかの企業の健康管理室で産業医という業務についている。企業サイドにも立ちながら、働く人たちの健康管理に携わるのが役目だ。労働安全衛生法に従って、月８０時間以上残業している従業員の面接もできる限り行っている。

If long work hours and abnormal living habits go on for a long time, they are said to lead to a buildup of exhaustion, higher risk of depression and problems with the heart or blood vessels in the brain. With that in mind, I conduct my interviews and offer lifestyle guidance, but sometimes I feel powerless. A typical conversation with an employee goes like:
　長時間労働やその結果としての不規則な生活が続くと、疲労が蓄積し、脳血管や心臓疾患、うつ病などのメンタル疾患のリスクが高まると言われる。面接ではその観点に基づいて健康チェックをし、生活指導を行うが、ときどきむなしい気持ちに襲われる。

"Are you tired?"
「疲れてますか？」

"I'm tired."
「疲れてます」

"Do you eat meals regularly?"
「食事は規則的に食べてますか？」

"I always eat dinner late at night."
「いつも夕食は深夜です」

"Do you play any sports on your days off?"
「休日にスポーツなどは」

"I don't. I just sleep."
「してません。寝てるだけです」といった会話が続くのだ。

Often, it ends with me asking, "Can you do anything to change your way of working?" and them saying, "That would be difficult."
そして最後は、「その働き方、どうにかなりませんかね」「うーん、むずかしいですね」で終わることが多い。

Lately, perhaps because of the improved economy, many people say their workloads have increased. Companies may be happy with this, but not necessarily employees. Some men tell me that due to their long work hours, they cannot help with house chores or child-raising and are on bad terms with their wives.
　とくに最近は景気が上向きになってきたせいもあってか、業務量が増えたという人も少なくない。会社としてはうれしいかもしれないが、働く側にとってはそうとも言えない。長時間労働の結果、家事や育児にもまったく参加できず、妻と険悪になっていると話してくれる男性もいる。

From Japan's period of rapid economic growth through to its bubble period, many people in Japan worked overtime until late at night, believing a myth that "the harder you work, the happier you and your family and society will be." However, this led to a sharp increase in the number of suicides and depressed patients, a fallen birthrate and a lack of international competitiveness. Everyone lost out, yet once again we might be on the cusp of entering an overworking society.
　高度成長期からバブル時代にかけて、日本社会は「働けば働くほど自分も家族も世の中も幸せになる」という幻想を多くの人が信じ、深夜までの残業もいとわず誰もが働き続けてきた。しかしその後、自殺者やうつ病患者は激増、少子化には歯止めがかからず、国際競争力も上がらず、誰もが損をするような結果になったのである。それなのに、また私たちは「働きすぎ社会」に突入しようとしているのだろうか。

I often tell companies' personnel divisions, "It's good that employees are working, but if they fall ill, take sick leave or quit, that is a big blow to the firm, right? Instead, I think it will benefit the company and them to let them take time off, have a good family life, and work with their body and mind at peak condition."
　私は企業の人事課には、よくこんなことを言っている。「どんどん働いてもらうのはいいけれど、その人が倒れて休んだり辞めてしまったりするのは、会社にも大きな損失ですよね。それより休むときはきちんと休んでもらって、家庭も円満、心身ともベストな状態で力を発揮してもらうのが、会社のためにもなると思いますよ」

An upturn in the economy is a wonderful thing, but if more work brings better company results, hardworking people will always want to push themselves harder, putting aside their exhaustion and working until late at night.
　景気が好転するのはおおいにけっこうなこと。働けば働くだけ業績が上がれば、まじめな人はどうしても「もっとがんばりたい」と疲れも気にせず遅い時間まで仕事をしてしまう。

However, studies show that that will not make you or your family happy. It is necessary to have the courage to end your day's work while you still have energy left.
しかし、それが自分や家族をハッピーにしないことは、調査結果などが明らかにしている。余力を残しながら仕事を切り上げる。そんな“勇気”も必要だろう。

（精神科医）
(Answers by Rika Kayama, psychiatrist)
毎日新聞　2015年06月09日　地方版

南シナ海情勢 人工島を合法と強弁する中国

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Unity key to dealing with China’s construction of artificial island
南シナ海情勢　人工島を合法と強弁する中国

China’s provocative stance toward Asian security has been brought into sharp focus at a recent international conference. The countries concerned must bolster unity to regain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
　アジアの安全保障秩序に挑戦する中国の姿が浮き彫りになった。南シナ海の平和と安定を取り戻すために、関係国は結束しなければならない。

Defense ministers and military experts from Asia and elsewhere exchanged views on security issues during a recent Asia Security Summit meeting in Singapore. It was a natural development that the focus of the conference was China’s accelerated reclamation efforts around rock reefs in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
　アジア諸国などの国防相や軍事専門家らが議論を交わすアジア安全保障会議がシンガポールで開かれた。中国が南シナ海のスプラトリー（南沙）諸島で急ぐ岩礁の埋め立てが焦点になったのは、当然の流れである。

In a speech at the meeting, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter criticized China over its reclamation project, saying it “has become a source of tension in the region” and “the United States is deeply concerned about the pace and scope of land reclamation.” Carter thus demanded that China halt its reclamation immediately.
　カーター米国防長官は講演で、埋め立てについて、「地域の緊張の原因だ。その速度や規模を深く懸念する」と中国を非難しつつ、即時中止するよう強く迫った。

His demand is based on the belief that sea-lanes might be threatened due to the rapid transformation of a reclaimed artificial island into a military base.
　埋め立てた人工島の軍事基地化が加速し、海上輸送路（シーレーン）が脅かされかねない、との判断からだろう。

On the sidelines of the security conference, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, Australian Defense Minister Kevin Andrews and Carter held trilateral talks and issued a joint statement, expressing their “serious concern” over the Chinese land reclamation work. This was extremely significant.
　会議に合わせて、中谷防衛相と、カーター国防長官、アンドリューズ豪国防相が会談し、埋め立てに対する「深刻な懸念」を共同声明で示した意義は大きい。

It is necessary to disseminate widely China’s unilateral moves to alter the status quo, thereby ramping up international pressure on Beijing.
　中国の一方的な現状変更の実態を幅広く訴え、国際社会の対中圧力を高めることにつなげたい。

Antagonism toward U.S.

One matter of concern is China’s blatant antagonistic stance toward the United States.
　問題なのは、中国が米国に対峙たいじしようとする姿勢を露骨に表したことである。

Adm. Sun Jianguo, Deputy Chief of the general staff department of Chinese Military, rejected the U.S. demand for halting reclamation work, insisting obstinately that it “falls well within the scope of China’s sovereignty and are legitimate, justified and reasonable,”“[the reclamation work] do not ... affect the freedom of navigation.”
　中国軍の孫建国副総参謀長は会議での講演で、埋め立ては「完全に主権の範囲内であり、合法で道理にかなったものだ。航行の自由には影響しない」と強弁し、米国の中止要求を拒否した。

Concerning the construction of the artificial island, Sun declared that it was for military purposes. Asked about the possibility of China setting an air defense identification zone over the South China Sea, Sun did not deny this, saying his country “will decide on the matter after making an overall assessment on how the aerial safety of the region is threatened.”
　人工島の造成についても、孫氏は軍事目的であると公言した。南シナ海での防空識別圏設定の可能性を問われて、「上空での安全がどの程度脅かされているかなどを総合的に判断する」と述べ、否定はしなかった。

His statement can be taken to indicate China’s secret intention to enclose the South China Sea as “a Chinese sea” without being based on any international law, thereby eliminating U.S. influence in the region.
　国際法の根拠がないまま、南シナ海を「中国の海」として囲い込み、米国の影響力を排除しようという底意がうかがえる。

Chinese President Xi Jinping aims to lead the move to build a security order in Asia through a new concept of “Asian peoples maintaining Asia’s security.” But isn’t it China that has been destabilizing the region with its self-righteous moves?
　習近平国家主席は「アジアの安全はアジアの人々が守る」とする新たな構想「アジア安全観」を掲げ、安保秩序の構築を主導しようとしている。しかし、独善的な行動で地域を不安定化させているのは、中国自身ではないか。

Nakatani said during his speech, “It is extremely important to improve the reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.” This was an indication Japan would augment assistance to the military and maritime security organizations of such countries as the Philippines and Vietnam, which face Chinese threats.
　中谷防衛相は「東南アジア諸国連合（ＡＳＥＡＮ）の警戒監視能力を向上させることは極めて重要だ」と講演した。中国の脅威に直面するフィリピンやベトナムなどの軍や海上保安機関への支援を拡充する考えを示したものだ。

Enhancing the defense capabilities of these Asian nations is indispensable to ensure the security of the South China Sea. In cooperation with the United States, the Philippines and other countries, Japan needs to press China to exercise self-restraint.
　各国の能力向上は南シナ海の安定に欠かせない。日本は米国やフィリピンなどと連携し、中国に自制を促していく必要がある。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 2, 2015)