社説:辺野古掘削調査 知事選まで作業中断を

September 20, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
Editorial: Put new base survey on hold till after Okinawa gubernatorial election
社説:辺野古掘削調査　知事選まで作業中断を

One month has passed since the Defense Ministry's Okinawa Defense Bureau began a boring survey on the seabed off the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, in preparation to build a substitute facility for the U.S. military's Air Station Futenma.
　防衛省沖縄防衛局が、米軍普天間飛行場（沖縄県宜野湾市）の名護市辺野古への移設に向け、海底を掘削して埋め立て地盤の強度や地質を調べるボーリング調査を開始して１カ月たつ。

We are concerned about the way in which the national government is pressing forward with the project as if it is overriding resistance from local residents and creating a fait accompli one after another.
県民の反対を押し切って、既成事実を積み上げようとするかのようなやり方を、私たちは憂慮する。

To avoid further deepening the rift within Okinawa, the central government should suspend the boring survey to see how voters in the southernmost prefecture will react to the project through the Nov. 16 Okinawa gubernatorial election.
沖縄との亀裂をこれ以上、深めないよう、政府は掘削調査を中断し、１１月１６日に投開票される沖縄県知事選の結果を待つべきだ。
   
The national government initially planned to launch a boring survey in 2004 but its attempt was blocked by opponents. As such, the government is guarding the site by designating a larger area off Henoko as an off-limit zone, and has come under fire from opponents of the project and others for being on excessively high alert.
　政府は、２００４年にも掘削調査を実施しようとしながら反対派の阻止行動で中止に追い込まれたことから、今回は立ち入り禁止水域を拡大して警戒を強めており、反対派などから過剰警備との批判が出ている。

The government's tough stance is supported by the fact that Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima granted the government permission to reclaim offshore areas of Henoko.
　政府が強硬方針を貫く支えは、昨年末に仲井真弘多（ひろかず）知事が辺野古埋め立てを承認したことだ。

However, Nakaima deserves criticism that he violated his campaign pledge that he would stick to his demand that Futenma base, situated in a densely populated area of the city of Ginowan, be moved out of the prefecture.
だが、前回知事選で「県外移設」公約を掲げて再選された仲井真知事が、辺野古埋め立てを承認したことは「公約違反」と言われても仕方がない。

Numerous Okinawa residents reacted sharply to Nakaima's about-face. In January this year, Nago voters re-elected Mayor Susumu Inamine, who is opposed to the relocation of Futenma base to Henoko, while pro-mayor candidates won a majority in the municipal assembly in a recent election.
　県民は反発し、１月の名護市長選では移設に反対する稲嶺進市長が再選され、先の名護市議選でも市長派が過半数を維持した。

Furthermore, the prefectural assembly adopted a resolution on Sept. 3 protesting against the national government for going ahead with the boring survey and calling for an immediate halt to the work, with the support of not only four opposition parties but also New Komeito that supports Nakaima.
今月３日には県議会で、野党４会派のほか与党の公明党も賛成して、掘削調査に着手した政府に抗議し、工事の即時中止などを求める意見書が可決された。

Such being the case, whether Nakaima's decision reflects local residents' views on the issue will be a key point of contention in the upcoming gubernatorial race.
　名護市長と多くの県民が辺野古移設に反対する中で、埋め立てを承認した知事の判断は、民意を代表したものだったと言えるのか。１１月の知事選はそれが問われる選挙になる。

However, the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears unwilling to listen to local communities' opinions on the issue.
　しかし、安倍政権はあまり聞く耳を持たないようだ。

Rather, it appears that the stiffer local residents' opposition grows to the project, the further the Abe administration presses forward with the work on the substitute facility for Futenma base in a bid to prevent Nakaima's possible election loss from adversely affecting the project.
それどころか、沖縄で反対の声が高まれば高まるほど、仮に知事選で仲井真氏が敗れても辺野古移設に影響しないようにするため、工事を進めて既成事実化を図ろうとしているように見える。

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a recent news conference, "Primary attention had been focused on whether the Okinawa Prefectural Government would approve the reclamation, but it's already a past concern." However, the remark Suga made as if he dismissed opposition to the project can hardly convince local residents.
　菅義偉官房長官は、先日の記者会見で、辺野古移設について「最大の関心は沖縄県が埋め立てを承認するかどうかだった。この問題はもう過去のものだ」と語った。反対意見を「過去の問題」と切り捨てるような発言は、納得できない。

In an article he contributed to the U.S. news site The Huffington Post last month, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Nye pointed out that as China's ballistic missile technology advances, U.S. bases in Okinawa Prefecture become increasingly vulnerable. He also pointed to Okinawa residents' anger at the burden of U.S. bases on them, and called for reconsidering the structure of the Japan-U.S. alliance, such as the way U.S. forces should be deployed in the Japanese archipelago.
　米国のジョセフ・ナイ元国防次官補は先月、米ニュースサイト「ハフィントン・ポスト」に寄稿した論文で、沖縄の米軍基地が中国の弾道ミサイル技術の進展で「脆弱（ぜいじゃく）」になっていることや、沖縄の人々の基地負担に対する怒りを指摘して、在日米軍の配備のあり方など日米同盟の構造を再考するよう求めた。

Why does the national government view the planned construction of a substitute facility for the Air Station Futenma off Henoko as the only way to settle the issue of relocating the base while even an expert in diplomacy and security like Nye has made such a proposal?
　外交・安全保障の専門家までがこう提言する中で、政府が辺野古移設を「唯一の解決策」とするのはなぜか。

The government bears responsibility to provide a sufficient explanation to Okinawa residents. As such, the boring survey should be put on hold until after the gubernatorial election.
政府は沖縄の人々に十分な説明をする責任がある。掘削調査は、知事選が終わるまで中断すべきだ。

毎日新聞　2014年09月20日　02時30分

社説:ＩＷＣ総会 守るべきは湾岸捕鯨だ

September 17, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
Editorial: Japan must give up Antarctic whaling, focus on preserving coastal hunt
社説:ＩＷＣ総会　守るべきは湾岸捕鯨だ

The Japanese government will unveil plans to resume research whaling in the Antarctic Ocean at the International Whaling Commission meeting now in session in Slovenia.
　政府は開催中の国際捕鯨委員会（ＩＷＣ）総会で、南極海で調査捕鯨を再開する計画を示す。
   
It is an absolute certainty, however, that the move will be strongly opposed by a number of anti-whaling nations, while the International Court of Justice has already ordered Japan to cease research whaling. As such, Japan should switch strategies. It should abandon Antarctic whaling -- the necessity of which is doubtful in any case -- and emphasize instead coastal whaling around Japan, which has a foundation in traditional Japanese food culture.
　しかし、国際司法裁判所（ＩＣＪ）から中止命令を受けた調査に対し、反捕鯨国が強く反発するのは確実だ。必要性の乏しい南極海での捕鯨からは撤退し、伝統的な食文化といえる沿岸捕鯨に理解を求める戦略に転換すべきだ。

The international court ordered Japan to halt its Antarctic whaling program in March this year, stating that the program did not meet international standards for what constitutes scientific research. The court also took issue with Japan's insistence that the take of 103 minke whales in the 2012-2013 season was scientifically useful, despite the country's assertion that a "sample size" of about 850 was necessary for its scientific objectives. The court said that this and other parts of Japan's case "cast doubt" on the "characterization of JARPA II (the research whaling project) as a programme for the purposes of scientific research."
　ＩＣＪが今年３月に中止命令を出したのは、南極海での日本の調査捕鯨が国際条約で認められる科学調査に該当しないと判断したからだ。生態調査には科学的に８５０頭前後必要だとして捕獲枠を確保しながら、１００頭余りしか捕っていない点などが合理性に欠けると認定された。

Japan accepted the international court's decision and called off the whaling expedition for fiscal 2014.
　判決を受けて今年度は南極海での調査を見送り、北西太平洋での調査も規模を縮小した。

The government apparently plans to consult experts in setting a vastly reduced annual whaling quota for missions in fiscal 2015 and beyond, and call on other nations for their understanding.
　今回は来年度以降の南極海での調査について、専門家の意見を踏まえて捕獲枠を大幅に引き下げるなどの見直し案を示し、各国の理解を求めるという。

Anti-whaling leader New Zealand, however, has already submitted a motion to the IWC meeting calling for Japan's research whaling to be postponed. The motion has already received the apparent backing of a number of countries including Australia, and Japan's plan faces a hard road that's quickly getting even harder.
　しかし、総会では既に反捕鯨国のニュージーランドが事実上調査の先延ばしを求める決議案を提出し、オーストラリアなどが賛成の姿勢を示すなど日本に対する風当たりは強まっている。

The Antarctic research whaling program was started to help establish a scientific basis for the resumption of commercial whaling, which has been suspended by the IWC since the 1985-1986 season. Whale meat consumption in Japan, however, has dropped significantly, with the amount of whale on the market now just around 2 percent of what it was at its peak in 1962. Japan furthermore imports whale meat from Iceland -- which has continued commercial whaling -- and there is now an oversupply. There is very little reason to restart commercial whaling in the Antarctic Ocean, which means there is no need to keep doing research whaling to that end.
　南極海での調査捕鯨はＩＷＣが一時停止を決めた商業捕鯨再開のため科学的根拠を示そうと始まった。ところが国内の鯨肉消費は激減し、最近の流通量は最も多かった１９６２年の２％程度にとどまる。しかも商業捕鯨を続けるアイスランドなどからの輸入もあり、需給はだぶついている。南極海で商業捕鯨を再開する必要性は乏しい。それを目的とした調査も、もはや必要ないだろう。

Mind you, neither can Japan completely go over to the other side, joining nations completely opposed to whaling and eating whale meat. Coastal hunts for small whales continue in places such as Abashiri, Hokkaido, Ayukawa, Miyagi Prefecture, Wada, Chiba Prefecture, and Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, where they are an important part of traditional culture and where whale meat is still a part of the local diet. Japan may have no great reason to seek the resumption of the Antarctic whale hunt, but it does need to protect these local culinary traditions.
　もっとも、鯨食を否定してすべての捕鯨を認めない反捕鯨国側の主張にもくみすることはできない。北海道の網走、宮城県の鮎川、千葉県の和田、和歌山県の太地などでは沿岸で小型捕鯨が伝統的に続けられ、鯨食が定着している。そうした地域に根ざした食文化は守る必要がある。

Japan's coastal whalers now take Baird's beaked whales, among other varieties, after the IWC banned the hunt for the previously most popular variety, the minke whale. The Japanese government has called on the IWC to set a limited minke catch for the northwestern Pacific, but has so far been denied. Japan has proposed the same measure again at the current IWC meeting, but support looks hard to obtain.
　沿岸小型捕鯨はミンククジラが主体だったが、ＩＷＣで禁じられたため、管理の対象外のツチクジラなどを捕っている。政府はＩＷＣで北西太平洋沿岸でのミンククジラの捕獲枠設定を求め、否定され続けてきた。今回も提案しているが、理解を得るのは難しそうだ。

Japan's insistence on moving ahead with Antarctic whaling has invited the intense opposition of other IWC nations, which is then also extended to Japanese requests for a coastal whaling compromise. Japan must break the connection between Antarctic whaling and coastal hunts. To gain support from other countries, Japan must use the ecological data already collected to build a persuasive case. The government must make greater efforts to preserve the coastal whaling traditions of Japan.
　南極海での捕鯨に固執して参加国の反発を招き、沿岸での捕獲枠設定まで否定されるという負の連鎖からは脱却する必要がある。各国の理解を得るには、これまで積みあげた生態に関するデータを元に粘り強い説得が求められる。そうした努力は沿岸捕鯨を守るために重ねるべきだ。

毎日新聞　2014年09月17日　02時30分

ｉＰＳ細胞移植 再生医療普及への試金石だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Clinical trial using iPS cells litmus test for promoting regenerative medicine
ｉＰＳ細胞移植　再生医療普及への試金石だ

The latest clinical trial is the first step of epoch-making research that could evolve into regenerative medicine. After careful safety assessment, putting the latest result into practical use should be promoted.
　画期的な研究成果を再生医療に発展させる第一歩である。安全性を慎重に評価し、患者への実用化を進めたい。

A team led by RIKEN ophthalmologist Masayo Takahashi transplanted retina cells produced from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells into the eyes of a woman suffering from age-related macular degeneration. The patient is said to be doing well.
　理化学研究所の高橋政代・プロジェクトリーダーらが、ｉＰＳ細胞（人工多能性幹細胞）から網膜の細胞を作製し、目の難病である加齢黄斑変性の患者に移植する手術を行った。術後の経過は順調だという。

It was the world’s first clinical trial of transplanting iPS cells, which can develop into the cells of various types of tissues, into a human body.
　様々な組織の細胞に変化するｉＰＳ細胞を人間の体に移植し、治療に使う世界初の試みだ。

This clinical trial can be considered a litmus test for regenerative medicine using iPS cells, which could eventually be used widely.
ｉＰＳ細胞による再生医療の普及に向けた試金石とも言えよう。

About 700,000 people are estimated to be suffering from the age-related macular degeneration, the symptoms of which include distorted vision.
　視界がゆがむ加齢黄斑変性の国内の患者は、約７０万人に上る。

The current treatment is symptomatic therapy to prevent the patient’s condition from further deteriorating. With the transplant of retina cells, the patient could make a full recovery. Expectations among patients over the effectiveness of such a transplant are believed to be running high.
現在の治療は、症状の悪化を止める対症療法だが、網膜細胞の移植手術なら完治できる可能性がある。患者の期待は大きいだろう。

Over the past seven years, since Prof. Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University successfully produced human iPS cells, the risk of the iPS cells becoming cancerous — a key issue to be tackled — has almost been resolved, while the efficiency of production has been enhanced.
　山中伸弥・京都大教授が、人のｉＰＳ細胞の作製に成功してから７年、課題とされた細胞のがん化のリスクはほぼ解消され、作製効率も向上した。

The latest surgical procedure carries important implications as a clinical study to confirm the safety of medical technology using iPS cells. Is there an absolute guarantee the iPS cells will not turn cancerous? Are there any unknown risks? These issues will be examined over the next four years.
　今回の手術は、技術の安全性を確かめる臨床研究として重要な意味を持つ。ｉＰＳ細胞から作った網膜細胞は本当にがん化しないのか、未知のリスクはないのか。４年間にわたり検査を続ける。

In an effort to have research results using iPS cells linked to regenerative medicine, the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry plans to spend ¥110 billion from fiscal 2012 to 2022.
　文部科学省はｉＰＳ細胞の研究成果を再生医療につなげるため、２０１２～２２年度に計１１００億円を投じる方針だ。

Faster approval needed

Clinical research using iPS cells in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and serious cardiac failure are planned from next fiscal year.
　来年度以降には、ｉＰＳ細胞を使ったパーキンソン病や重症心不全の治療の臨床研究が計画されている。

Also under way is research to determine the mechanisms behind intractable diseases and develop new medicines for such diseases by producing iPS cells from patients with incurable diseases and transforming them into nerve and muscle cells.
難病患者からｉＰＳ細胞を作って神経や筋肉の細胞に変化させ、病気のメカニズムの解明や、創薬につなげる研究も進む。

It is hoped that with the successful retina cell operation, the transition from basic research to clinical research in regenerative medicine — in which Japan tends to lag behind other major countries — will advance smoothly.
　今回の手術を契機に、日本では滞りがちな基礎研究から臨床研究への移行を円滑に進めたい。

Following the enforcement of the revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law in November, the time needed to put cells and tissues for regenerative medicine into a practical use will be shortened from the current six years to about three years. If the safety of only a few trials is confirmed and their effectiveness deemed reliable, the ministry will give the go-ahead for practical use, although with conditions attached.
　１１月の改正薬事法施行後は、約６年かかっている再生医療用の細胞・組織の実用化が、３年程度に短縮される。治験数が少なくても安全性が確認でき、有効性が推定できれば条件付きで承認する。

Takahashi has established her own venture firm for producing retina cells derived from iPS cells. Her firm plans to start clinical trials in 2016, with the aim of winning the ministry’s approval in 2018.
　高橋氏はｉＰＳ細胞由来の網膜細胞を製造するベンチャー企業を設立している。１６年に治験を始め、１８年の承認取得が目標だ。

A faster approval system must function effectively so patients can receive treatment as quickly as possible.
患者が一日でも早く治療を受けられるよう、迅速な承認制度を有効に機能させることが求められる。

The RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, where the clinical trial was conducted, is scheduled to undergo a drastic shakeup. This will include halving the number of research labs due to fraudulent research articles over the so-called stimulus-triggered acquisition pluripotency (STAP) cells.
　臨床研究の舞台である理研の発生・再生科学総合研究センターは、ＳＴＡＰ細胞論文不正により、研究室の半減など解体的な出直しが決まっている。

We hope RIKEN proceeds with its research on regenerative medicine steadily and makes an effort to regain public trust.
再生医療の研究をしっかりと進め、信頼回復に努めてもらいたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 15, 2014)Speech

社説:読書の秋 若者よ、本を開こう

September 15, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
Editorial: Time to pick up a book
社説:読書の秋　若者よ、本を開こう

The autumn book-reading season is again upon us. Reading not only boosts our knowledge, hones our sensitivities and nurtures our ability to think, but it also helps to broaden our perspective and develop our imagination. It's been said people today are spending less time reading. Now is a good time to take a fresh look at the benefits of books and call upon the young to turn to reading.
　灯火親しむ季節になった。読書は知識を蓄え、感覚を磨き、考える力を養うだけでなく、視野を広げ、想像力を鍛える。「読書離れ」がいわれて久しいが、今こそ、書物の効用を見直し、特に若者が本に向かうように呼びかけたい。
   
The Japanese publishing industry has suffered recently from slumping sales. According to Shuppan Nenkan, an almanac published by Shuppan News Co., sales in the domestic publishing industry stood at some 1.77 trillion yen last year. Of that amount, books accounted for roughly 843 billion yen, and magazines 928.1 billion yen. Last year's sales stood at just two-thirds of the peak figure of 2.698 trillion yen recorded in 1996.
　日本の出版不況が続いている。「出版年鑑」（出版ニュース社）によると、昨年の出版界の売り上げは約１兆７７１１億円。内訳は書籍が約８４３０億円、雑誌が９２８１億円だった。出版界全体のピークは１９９６年の２兆６９８０億円で、３分の２に減ってしまったことになる。

Declining sales are especially serious in the magazine industry. Most likely, this is largely due to the prevalence of smartphones and other devices. Sagging magazine sales lead to declining ad revenues for publishers, which adversely affects bookstores and eventually pushes their numbers down. Today's Internet-oriented society calls into question the roles magazines can play.
　特に雑誌の落ち込みがひどい。スマートフォンなどの普及が大きな理由だろう。雑誌の不況は、出版社にとっては広告収入の減少になり、街の書店の不振や書店数の減少も招く。ネット社会において雑誌に何ができるかが問われている。

That said, Japanese people as a whole are not necessarily turning away from books. In fact, the number of books lent out at libraries across the country remains high. According to the Japan Library Association, there are at least 3,200 public libraries nationwide, which lent out a total of over 710 million books, CDs and DVDs to individuals in fiscal 2012. Compared to a decade earlier, the number of libraries in Japan has increased by at least 400. As a result, the number of books lent out has risen by more than 100 million.
　だが、日本人全体が読書から離れているのかというと、そうとばかりもいえない。図書館の貸出数は多い。日本図書館協会によると現在、全国に３２００以上の公共図書館があり、２０１２年度の館外個人貸し出しは７億１０００万点以上（ＣＤやＤＶＤを含む）だった。１０年前に比べて館数が４００以上増えたが、貸し出しも１億数千万点増加した。

According to a survey jointly conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun and the School Library Association (SLA), children today are not reading less. Rather, the average number of books read by children slightly increased over the past decade. At the same time, the ratio of children who don't read any books in the month of May -- a gauge for determining the level of book-reading -- has been on the decline. The next challenge, many say, is having children read higher quality books.
　毎日新聞と全国学校図書館協議会（全国ＳＬＡ）が合同で実施している学校読書調査でも、子供たちは読書離れをしていない。この１０年間でも、平均読書量は微増傾向だし、不読率（その年の５月に本を読まなかった人の割合）も減っている。ただ、「読む本の質を高めることが今後の課題」という声はよく聞く。

In the meantime, one particular trend requires serious attention. According to a survey by the National Federation of University Co-operative Associations, the number of university students who said they didn't read any books reached 40.5 percent last year, topping 40 percent for the first time since the survey was first conducted in 2004. The revealing survey sent shockwaves through society, as university students are expected to read piles of books.
　一方、深刻な数字もある。全国大学生活協同組合連合会の昨年の調査によると、「まったく本を読まない」という学生が４０．５％に達し、調査を始めた０４年以降、初めて４割を超えた。書物に親しむべき大学生の実態は衝撃的だった。

At elementary and junior high schools, teachers' efforts to encourage reading have been producing results. Morning reading time in classes has played a part in this. However, high school and university students are apparently spending more time on games, the Internet, entrance exam preparations, part-time jobs and other activities, and less time on reading. It can be said that teachers' efforts at high schools and universities are insufficient in encouraging students to read. The trend among those in their late teens of not reading books apparently continues when they grow older.
　小・中学校では学校での読書指導（朝の一斉読書など）が効果を上げている。しかし、高校、大学と進むにつれて、ゲームやネット通信、受験勉強、アルバイトなどで、読書がおろそかにされているのだろう。高校や大学での読書指導も不十分なのではないか。この傾向が２０代以降にもつながっていると思われる。

It is no easy task to change the status quo, but SLA counselor Isao Kobayashi proposes expanding the drive to distribute book coupons at coming-of-age ceremonies, following in the footsteps of the so-called Bookstart movement that offers books to babies and infants. We embrace his idea.
　現状への対策は難しい。全国ＳＬＡの小林功参事は、乳幼児に本を配る「ブックスタート運動」にならって、成人式に図書カードを配ることをさらに広めるなどして、読書を勧めてはどうかと提案する。面白い考えではないだろうか。

Educational institutions, society and households are urged to exercise their ingenuity in providing younger generations with more opportunities to enjoy reading.
　教育機関や社会、家庭を挙げて、若者たちが大いに読書に親しむ工夫を考えたい。

毎日新聞　2014年09月15日　02時30分

香山リカのココロの万華鏡:「女性ならでは」の意味 ／東京

September 14, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: The meaning of a 'perspective unique to women'
香山リカのココロの万華鏡:「女性ならでは」の意味　／東京

The new Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was launched on Sept. 3. He appointed a record-tying five women to ministerial positions, and has established a new post -- minister in charge of promoting women's active participation. He told a news conference that he hopes the new women ministers make creative changes from a "perspective unique to women." I think the latest ministerial appointment reflects the prime minister's policies on encouraging women in the workforce.
　第２次安倍改造内閣が発足した。女性閣僚は過去最多の５人、新たに「女性活躍担当相」も置かれることになり、安倍晋三首相は記者会見で「女性ならではの目線で旋風を巻き起こしてほしい」と語った。「輝く女性応援会議」を開催するなど、女性の活用に積極的な首相ならではの人事だと思う。

In addition, the Cabinet Office has recently invited women of different ages to a meeting to discuss women's participation in the workplace.

But what I don't quite understand is what Prime Minister Abe means by a "perspective unique to women."
　ただここで気になるのは、首相の言う「女性ならでは」とはどういう意味だろう、ということだ。

Abe's wife First Lady Akie talked passionately about "peace-making from a women's perspective" at a seminar last year in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, which was hosted by a local women's group. She went on to say, "Women are straightforward, driven by their instincts. Men want to rationalize themselves."
　首相自身の発言ではないが、夫人の昭恵さんは昨年、山口県下関市で行われた女性団体主催の講演で「女性ならではの平和の作り方をしていきたい」と意気込みを語った。同じ講演では「私のように直感で一直線にいけるのが女性。理屈が必要なのが男性」とも述べており、

I believe what First Lady Akie meant by "women's peace-making" was that women "don't want wars, but want to protect lives and get along with foreign countries" -- a straightforward way of thinking about peace -- and I am all for that.
おそらく「女性ならではの平和」は「戦争はイヤ、命は大切、外国とも仲良くしたい、とストレートに感じて求める平和」と考えてよいのだろう。それには全面的に賛成したい。

So, when her husband says making "creative changes from a perspective unique to women," is he saying that he means what she said?
　安倍首相の言う「女性ならではの目線での旋風」も、同じ意味なのだろうか。

Women in general value people's lives and health, as well as community and solidarity, and they care for the weak. They feel that what they need is a feeling of security, rather than surviving through fierce competition, and that people of all kinds need to get along. Those are the beliefs that are unique to women, as women have been forced into a socially vulnerable position and struggled for a long time in a man's world.
　外交のかけ引き、経済戦略や各分野とのしがらみを度外視してでも、「厳しい競争より、安心して生活できるのがいちばん」「どんな人たちとも分け隔てなく、仲良くやっていきましょうよ」などと命や健康、人との交流や連帯、弱者への配慮を理屈抜きに大切にする。それが、いわゆる“男社会”で長い間、弱い立場に置かれ、苦労してきた女性たちならではの視点と言えるはずだ。

Some of the new women ministers, however, have made bitter remarks toward neighboring Asian countries. At least one minister has said she became a politician to "defend Japan's honor." Of course, I'm not saying that these comments would directly affect their duties as ministers, but I can't help questioning their position, because they don't necessarily appear to care about the weak or minorities. They seem to lack a cooperative attitude of "let's get along and help each other."
　ところが、今回入閣した女性大臣たちの中には、地方での講演で「私が議員になったのは、日本の名誉を守りたいから」と断言したり、アジアの国々に手厳しい発言を繰り返したりする人もいる。もちろんそれが直接、大臣としての執務に影響するとは言えないが、決してその目が、少数者や弱者のほうを向いているとは言えなかったり、「みんな仲良く」「助け合って」という協調路線ではなかったりするように思うのだ。

I wonder what kind of "perspective" Prime Minister Abe expects from these women ministers.
　首相は、そういった女性閣僚たちにどんな「女性ならではの目線」を期待しようとしているのだろう。

I see many women at my clinic who suffer from problems that particularly affect women, such as poverty, domestic violence and enduring stress from taking care of their elderly parents. I sincerely hope that these women ministers take notice of less fortunate women and help them survive in difficult times.
　診察室には、貧困や夫からの暴力、介護ストレスなど「女性ならではの問題」で苦しむ人が大勢やって来る。今回、入閣した女性大臣たちの目が少しでも彼女たちのほうに向けられ、その苦しみが解決に向かうようサポートしてもらいたい、と願っている。（精神科医）

(By Rika Kayama, psychiatrist)
毎日新聞　2014年09月09日　地方版

社説:参院選挙改革 自民の身勝手さに驚く

September 13, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
Editorial: LDP's selfishness exposed in friction over electoral reform
社説:参院選挙改革　自民の身勝手さに驚く

It has been said that achieving consensus over reform of the electoral system for the House of Councillors is no easy task. But the utter confusion within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leaves us dumbfounded.
　元々、合意は難しいと言われていたが、ここまで混乱するとはあきれるばかりだ。参院の選挙制度改革をめぐる自民党の話だ。
   
Masashi Waki, an LDP legislator who heads a consultative body on electoral reform for the upper house, laid out a new reform plan at a meeting of the panel on Sept. 11. The consultative body comprises both ruling and opposition party members, focusing on how to correct vote-value disparities among upper house constituencies.
　経過はこうである。参院選挙区の「１票の格差」是正策を与野党で検討している参院選挙制度協議会の１１日の会合で脇雅史座長（自民党）が新たな案を各党に提示した。

Waki's proposal, however, met a backlash from within the LDP. The following day, the party decided to dismiss him from the post of secretary-general of its upper house caucus. Waki is also expected to be ousted as head of the consultative body.
ところが足元の自民党の反発は収まらず、１２日には脇氏を参院自民党幹事長から外す更迭人事を決定。協議会の座長も交代する見通しで、

The ruling and opposition camps are now likely to face difficulties reaching an agreement over the issue by the end of the year -- the initial target deadline. The incident exposes the LDP's selfishness and reluctance to engage in electoral reform.
この結果、目標としていた年内の与野党合意は難しい状況となっている。自民党の身勝手さとやる気のなさが明らかになったといっていいだろう。

At the Sept. 11 meeting, Waki proposed a plan to merge 10 prefectural constituencies into five electoral districts -- modifying an original plan to integrate 22 prefectural constituencies into 11 electoral zones. However, LDP legislators -- especially those whose electoral districts were to be affected by the plan -- expressed dissatisfaction with the proposal.
　脇氏が１１日提示したのは参院選挙区の１０県を５区に合区する案で、２２府県を１１選挙区に統合するとの当初案を修正したものだ。しかし、肝心の自民党は議席減となる関係選挙区の議員を中心に合区案そのものに対する不満は変わらなかった。

When Waki first presented the proposal of merging upper house constituencies, Kensei Mizote, head of the LDP's upper house caucus, reportedly resisted, saying, "This is the first that I've heard of it." His response reveals a fundamental lack of intra-party coordination within the LDP.
　今春、脇氏が合区案を最初に示した際、同じ参院自民党幹部の溝手顕正参院議員会長は「初めて聞いた」と反発したという。当初から党内調整はずさんだったということだ。

So far, the party has produced no workable alternative. It cannot escape criticism that its legislators, with their vested interests, are inherently reluctant to implement electoral reform.
しかも現状では自民党に合区案に代わる有力案があるわけでもない。これではそもそも自分たちが不利益をこうむる選挙制度改革自体に後ろ向きだと見られても仕方があるまい。

Ahead of the recent Cabinet reshuffle, there was a move within the LDP's upper house caucus to have Waki appointed as a Cabinet minister, in order to unseat him from the head of the consultative body on electoral reform. The attempt to oust Waki failed after he refused the proposed appointment. The idea of linking a ministerial appointment to legislators' own electoral interests leaves us astonished.
　合区案に突き進む脇氏を外すためだったのだろう。先の内閣改造に際しては一時、参院自民党内に脇氏を入閣させ協議会座長から降ろす動きがあった。脇氏が入閣を拒否して見送られたが、議員自らの選挙事情と閣僚人事をからめる発想にも驚く。

The merger proposal may not be the best plan, but it is one possible method to rectify vote-value disparities among electoral districts. Some opposition party members have voiced support for the plan. Even within the LDP, a number have reportedly endorsed the plan, saying they may have no other choice. Waki, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have made sufficient efforts to ease conflict within the LDP, as all he did was to denounce Mizote and other opponents of the plan.
　合区案は私たちもベストとは考えていないが、格差是正の一つの方法ではある。野党の中には賛成する意見も出ており、実は自民党内にも「結局、合区案しかないのでは」との声があるという。一方の脇氏も溝手氏らを非難するだけで党内の取りまとめに努力したとは思えない。

The Supreme Court has ruled that the 2010 upper house election was held "in a state of unconstitutionality." A supplementary provision was subsequently added to the revised Public Offices Election Law, stating that a drastic review of the electoral system would be carried out ahead of the next upper house election to be called in 2016. However, the Diet has thus far only taken the stop-gap measure of reducing the number of seats in the most sparsely populated constituencies by four and increasing that in the most densely populated districts by four. There is little time left to conduct drastic electoral reform for the upper chamber.
　参院選挙区の１票の格差に関しては最高裁が４年前の参院選挙について「違憲状態」との判断を下している。これを受け再来年の次の参院選までに制度の抜本的な見直しを図ることが改正公職選挙法の付則に記された。だが、これまで選挙区定数を「４増４減」する応急措置にとどまっており、抜本改革は待ったなしだ。

In the meantime, a third-party advisory panel to the speaker of the House of Representatives has started discussing reform of the lower house electoral system. This has sparked criticism from Waki and other LDP members. They say it is irresponsible for lawmakers to leave their own electoral system in the hands of a third-party organization. The members stressed that upper house legislators were carrying out reforms "on their own."
　衆院の選挙制度改革では議長の諮問機関による協議がスタートした。脇氏ら参院側は「自らの選挙制度について第三者機関に委ねるのは国会議員として無責任だ」と衆院を批判し、「自前」の改革をアピールしていたはずだ。

Now, however, it seems that the upper chamber will also end up having to outsource the task to a third-party body, as the LDP is making no ground in coordinating the opinions of its members.
自民党が意見をまとめられないとすれば、参院も第三者に委ねるしかなくなるだろう。

毎日新聞　2014年09月13日　02時32分

社説:全米テニス 歴史を刻んだ錦織選手

September 10, 2014(Mainichi Japan)
Editorial: Nishikori makes history at U.S. Open
社説:全米テニス　歴史を刻んだ錦織選手

In an essay shortly before he graduated from elementary school and moved to the United States at age 13, Kei Nishikori wrote that his dream was to be the world champion in tennis. Nishikori has added a new page in the history of tennis although he will have to wait a bit longer for his dream to maybe come true.
　１３歳で単身渡米する前、少年は小学校の卒業作文に「ぼくの夢」は「世界チャンピオン」と書いた。その夢は持ち越しとなったが、歴史に新たなページを刻んだ。

Nishikori, 24, was overwhelmed by the powerful serve of Croatia's 25-year-old Marin Cilic in the final of the U.S. Open. After the match, Nishikori said "it wasn't my best tennis," and apologized for failing to win the trophy. However, he does not have to apologize. He should be proud that he became the first Japanese tennis player to advance to the final of a singles event at one of the four major tennis championships -- the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
　テニスの全米オープン最終日。男子シングルス決勝に進んだ２４歳の錦織圭選手は２５歳のチリッチ選手（クロアチア）の強烈なサーブに圧倒された。試合後、錦織選手は「自分のテニスができなかった。（優勝）トロフィーを獲得できず申し訳ない」と話した。頭を下げる必要はない。４大大会（全豪、全仏、ウィンブルドン、全米）でシングルスの決勝コートに日本選手として初めて立ったことを誇りに思ってほしい。

Nishikori was not highly evaluated before the tournament began. He underwent surgery to his right big toe in early August, and expressed concern about the condition of the toe at a news conference prior to the event. However, he won his more than four-hour-long fourth match by beating one of the world's top-ranked players and won the quarterfinal with his tenacious play, becoming the first Japanese tennis player in 96 years to advance to the semifinal. He then won the semifinal by stunning favorite Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
　大会前の評判は高くなかった。８月初旬、右足親指にメスを入れ、開幕前の記者会見では本人も不安をもらしていた。世界ランキング上位の相手に４時間を超える戦いとなった４回戦と準々決勝は粘り強いプレーでものにした。日本選手として全米では９６年ぶりの進出となった準決勝では世界ランク１位のジョコビッチ選手（セルビア）を破った。

In recent years, the men's tennis world has been dominated by top four players led by Djokovic. This time, Nishikori joined the top-ranked players along with Cilic, who won a major championship for the first time, possibly changing the rankings in the men's tennis world dramatically.
　男子テニス界は近年、ジョコビッチ選手を中心に４強時代が続いてきた。錦織選手はそこに、準決勝で世界ランク３位のフェデラー選手（スイス）を倒すなどして４大大会で初優勝したチリッチ選手とともに割って入った格好だ。世界の勢力図が変わるかもしれない。

Nishikori told a news conference following the final that he hopes to advance to the finals of a major tournament again. His international ranking has risen from 11th prior to the game to eighth. The public can place high expectations on the possibility that his dream will come true next season or beyond.
　記者会見で錦織選手は「また４大大会の決勝に戻ってきたい」と言った。世界ランクは大会前の１１位から自己最高の８位に上がった。来季以降、夢の実現に期待したい。

Nishikori's outstanding performance at the U.S. Open has also shed light on the great Japanese players of yesteryear. 　歴史に埋もれていた日本の偉大なプレーヤーたちに光を当てたことも錦織選手の功績だろう。

Many people have learned that Japanese tennis had its golden age from the late 1910s to the 1930s. Ichiya Kumagai became the first Japanese player to advance to the semifinal of the U.S. Open in 1918. Zenzo Shimizu played in the semifinals of Wimbledon while Jiro Sato made it to the semifinals of the French Open, Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
　日本選手が４大大会でベスト４に進んだのは１９１８（大正７）年全米の熊谷一弥が初めて。その後、清水善造がウィンブルドン、佐藤次郎が全仏、ウィンブルドン、全豪で４強入りするなど日本テニス界は１９３０年代にかけて黄金期を迎えていたことを多くの人たちが知った。

Nishikori is not the only Japanese player who performed outstandingly in the latest U.S. Open. Kimiko Date-Krumm, 43, advanced to the semifinals of women's doubles for the first time, and made it to the semifinals of women's singles -- for the third time in a major championship. Date retired from tennis at the age of 26 but made a comeback in 2008 at age 37 after getting married. Many people apparently sympathize with Date who says she enjoys both tennis and her private life.
　今大会は錦織選手だけではない。４３歳のクルム伊達公子選手は女子ダブルスで４大大会自身初のベスト４に。４大大会のシングルスで３度の４強入りを果たし、２６歳で現役引退した後、結婚を経て２００８年、３７歳でカムバックした。「テニスと人生を楽しんでいる」という彼女の姿に共感を覚える人も多いだろう。

Shingo Kunieda, 30, won the championship in wheelchair men's singles -- for the first time in three years and fifth time overall -- while Yui Kamiji, 20, won her first championship in wheelchair women's singles. Both of them also won doubles. Their performances tended to be overwhelmed by Nishikori's play during the competition, but their achievements should also be highly praised.
　車いすの部ではシングルスで男子の国枝慎吾選手（３０）が３年ぶり５回目、女子の上地結衣（かみじ・ゆい）選手（２０）が初優勝を果たしている。２人はダブルスも制し、２冠を達成した。錦織選手の活躍の陰に隠れがちだったが、その快挙を改めてたたえたい。

毎日新聞　2014年09月10日　02時32分