読売、毎日、朝日各社英字新聞の社説を学習研究
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The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 9, 2009)
Efficacy of stimulus measures questionable
緊急経済対策 景気の底割れを防ぐ効果は（12月9日付・読売社説）
The economic pump-priming measures agreed upon by the government and Cabinet on Tuesday seem sizable if judged only on the basis of the amounts involved, but whether we can expect economic effects equivalent to the measures' face value remains an open question.
数字だけを見れば大型の景気対策だが、額面通りの景気刺激効果を期待していいのだろうか。
The emergency economic package lays out 7.2 trillion yen in spending and is predicted to have a ripple effect of more than 24 trillion yen in terms of extending credit to small and medium-sized companies, among other effects.
政府は８日、財政支出の「真水」で７兆円、融資枠などを含む事業規模で２４兆円超の緊急経済対策を決めた。
Japan's economic recovery has been erratic and severe employment conditions and deflation remain. There is concern that the economy might stall in the first half of next year.
厳しい雇用情勢とデフレで景気回復の足取りは弱い。来年前半にも腰折れする恐れもある。
Nonetheless, we welcome the fact that the government and the Bank of Japan have become closely aligned in their pursuit of economic stimulus measures and an easy-money policy.
ともかく政府と日銀が、景気対策と金融緩和で足並みをそろえたことは歓迎できよう。
Adoption of the economic measures was delayed due the People's New Party's demand for even more government spending, but in the end the amount added to the initially envisaged figure was very small. The market is increasingly concerned by the government's incoherent policy decisions. The administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama must compile the fiscal 2010 budget by the end of this year to reassure the market.
だが、対策の決定が国民新党の増額要求で遅れた揚げ句、上積みはわずかだった。市場は政策決定の迷走に懸念を強めている。来年度予算を年内に着実に編成し、市場を安心させねばならない。
===
Multi-pronged approach
The stimulus package aims to prop up the economy by pursuing six policy goals including improving employment conditions, boosting consumption by facilitating the purchase of environmentally friendly products, financing small and midsize firms, and supporting regional economies. The employment measures include expanding eligibility for coverage under the employment adjustment subsidy that prevents dismissal of employees by providing companies with leave allowances from the government, in addition to job-placement assistance for young people fresh out of school.
対策は雇用、環境、景気、地方支援など６本柱で景気の下支えを目指す。雇用では、休業手当を企業に支給して解雇を防ぐ雇用調整助成金の対象拡大や、新卒者の就職支援などを盛り込んだ。
The environmental measures aim at alleviating insufficient domestic demand by facilitating the purchase of eco-friendly cars and energy-saving home electrical appliances, and by introducing an eco-point program for home construction.
環境は、エコカーと省エネ家電に、新たに住宅を加えた「エコ消費３本柱」への購入支援をテコに国内の需要不足の改善を狙う。
The government will also add a total of 10 trillion yen to credit guarantees and emergency lending programs to help financing of small and midsize companies.
中小企業の資金繰りを助けるため、信用保証と緊急融資の枠も、計１０兆円積み増す。
These programs are expected to have some effect since they have a good track record from use on previous occasions. However, most of them are expansions or extensions of past programs and break no new ground. They should proceed under careful, constant scrutiny since some of them have already become ineffective.
これらは、これまでの景気対策で実績があり、一定の効果は期待できよう。ただし、延長や拡充が中心で新味に乏しい。すでに効き目が薄れている可能性もあり、効果のほどを点検しながら取り組みを進めなければならない。
===
Redirecting funds
The government expenditure backing those programs is already padded a little. Of its financial resources, about 3 trillion yen is money saved from freezing some of the economic programs in the first supplementary budget, meaning that the money cut from the previous budget is just being redirected into a new one.
裏付けとなる財政支出は水増し気味だ。財源のうち３兆円弱は第１次補正予算の凍結分で、削った予算が戻るに過ぎない。
The latest package includes some public works projects such as those promoting the greening of cities, repairing old bridges and putting power lines underground. Though the government pruned public works projects, which would have had a quick effect in boosting the economy, from the first extra budget, it now is trying to put them back into the second supplementary budget. Wasn't this just a waste of time?
今回、公共事業として、都市の緑化、橋の補修、電線地中化などが盛り込まれた。だが、景気対策に即効性が期待できる公共事業を第１次補正から一度削り、今度は戻すのでは、その間の時間が無駄になっただけではないか。
This could be the price the Democratic Party of Japan-led government has to pay for sticking to its election campaign pledge to shift spending "from concrete to human resources."
「コンクリートから人へ」などという選挙スローガンにこだわったツケといえよう。
Unless the public works projects, which will be allocated in the latest budget, are highly cost-efficient, the government will be criticized for freezing part of the first supplementary budget when its Cabinet was launched.
今回の予算再配分先がよほど効率の高い事業でないと、「内閣発足直後の凍結作業は何だったのか」という批判も出かねない。
A total of 3.5 trillion yen is provided to help local economies, but 3 trillion yen of it will be used to make up for a decrease in central government tax revenues allocated to local governments, which were cut as a result of reduced central government tax revenues.
総額３・５兆円に及ぶ地方支援にしても、３兆円は国の税収減に応じて目減りする地方交付税の穴埋めに充てられる。
This means that local governments will not receive money in addition to the initially envisaged budgets.
地方にすれば、当初予算に上積みしてもらえるわけではない。
The government should pay consideration to employment and social welfare, and put priority on policy measures effective in stimulating the economy in its compiling of the fiscal 2010 budget, which has entered a crucial phase.
ヤマ場にさしかかった来年度予算の編成では、雇用と福祉に目配りし、景気刺激に役立つ施策に重点を置くべきである。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 9, 2009)
（2009年12月9日01時33分 読売新聞）
Efficacy of stimulus measures questionable
緊急経済対策 景気の底割れを防ぐ効果は（12月9日付・読売社説）
The economic pump-priming measures agreed upon by the government and Cabinet on Tuesday seem sizable if judged only on the basis of the amounts involved, but whether we can expect economic effects equivalent to the measures' face value remains an open question.
数字だけを見れば大型の景気対策だが、額面通りの景気刺激効果を期待していいのだろうか。
The emergency economic package lays out 7.2 trillion yen in spending and is predicted to have a ripple effect of more than 24 trillion yen in terms of extending credit to small and medium-sized companies, among other effects.
政府は８日、財政支出の「真水」で７兆円、融資枠などを含む事業規模で２４兆円超の緊急経済対策を決めた。
Japan's economic recovery has been erratic and severe employment conditions and deflation remain. There is concern that the economy might stall in the first half of next year.
厳しい雇用情勢とデフレで景気回復の足取りは弱い。来年前半にも腰折れする恐れもある。
Nonetheless, we welcome the fact that the government and the Bank of Japan have become closely aligned in their pursuit of economic stimulus measures and an easy-money policy.
ともかく政府と日銀が、景気対策と金融緩和で足並みをそろえたことは歓迎できよう。
Adoption of the economic measures was delayed due the People's New Party's demand for even more government spending, but in the end the amount added to the initially envisaged figure was very small. The market is increasingly concerned by the government's incoherent policy decisions. The administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama must compile the fiscal 2010 budget by the end of this year to reassure the market.
だが、対策の決定が国民新党の増額要求で遅れた揚げ句、上積みはわずかだった。市場は政策決定の迷走に懸念を強めている。来年度予算を年内に着実に編成し、市場を安心させねばならない。
===
Multi-pronged approach
The stimulus package aims to prop up the economy by pursuing six policy goals including improving employment conditions, boosting consumption by facilitating the purchase of environmentally friendly products, financing small and midsize firms, and supporting regional economies. The employment measures include expanding eligibility for coverage under the employment adjustment subsidy that prevents dismissal of employees by providing companies with leave allowances from the government, in addition to job-placement assistance for young people fresh out of school.
対策は雇用、環境、景気、地方支援など６本柱で景気の下支えを目指す。雇用では、休業手当を企業に支給して解雇を防ぐ雇用調整助成金の対象拡大や、新卒者の就職支援などを盛り込んだ。
The environmental measures aim at alleviating insufficient domestic demand by facilitating the purchase of eco-friendly cars and energy-saving home electrical appliances, and by introducing an eco-point program for home construction.
環境は、エコカーと省エネ家電に、新たに住宅を加えた「エコ消費３本柱」への購入支援をテコに国内の需要不足の改善を狙う。
The government will also add a total of 10 trillion yen to credit guarantees and emergency lending programs to help financing of small and midsize companies.
中小企業の資金繰りを助けるため、信用保証と緊急融資の枠も、計１０兆円積み増す。
These programs are expected to have some effect since they have a good track record from use on previous occasions. However, most of them are expansions or extensions of past programs and break no new ground. They should proceed under careful, constant scrutiny since some of them have already become ineffective.
これらは、これまでの景気対策で実績があり、一定の効果は期待できよう。ただし、延長や拡充が中心で新味に乏しい。すでに効き目が薄れている可能性もあり、効果のほどを点検しながら取り組みを進めなければならない。
===
Redirecting funds
The government expenditure backing those programs is already padded a little. Of its financial resources, about 3 trillion yen is money saved from freezing some of the economic programs in the first supplementary budget, meaning that the money cut from the previous budget is just being redirected into a new one.
裏付けとなる財政支出は水増し気味だ。財源のうち３兆円弱は第１次補正予算の凍結分で、削った予算が戻るに過ぎない。
The latest package includes some public works projects such as those promoting the greening of cities, repairing old bridges and putting power lines underground. Though the government pruned public works projects, which would have had a quick effect in boosting the economy, from the first extra budget, it now is trying to put them back into the second supplementary budget. Wasn't this just a waste of time?
今回、公共事業として、都市の緑化、橋の補修、電線地中化などが盛り込まれた。だが、景気対策に即効性が期待できる公共事業を第１次補正から一度削り、今度は戻すのでは、その間の時間が無駄になっただけではないか。
This could be the price the Democratic Party of Japan-led government has to pay for sticking to its election campaign pledge to shift spending "from concrete to human resources."
「コンクリートから人へ」などという選挙スローガンにこだわったツケといえよう。
Unless the public works projects, which will be allocated in the latest budget, are highly cost-efficient, the government will be criticized for freezing part of the first supplementary budget when its Cabinet was launched.
今回の予算再配分先がよほど効率の高い事業でないと、「内閣発足直後の凍結作業は何だったのか」という批判も出かねない。
A total of 3.5 trillion yen is provided to help local economies, but 3 trillion yen of it will be used to make up for a decrease in central government tax revenues allocated to local governments, which were cut as a result of reduced central government tax revenues.
総額３・５兆円に及ぶ地方支援にしても、３兆円は国の税収減に応じて目減りする地方交付税の穴埋めに充てられる。
This means that local governments will not receive money in addition to the initially envisaged budgets.
地方にすれば、当初予算に上積みしてもらえるわけではない。
The government should pay consideration to employment and social welfare, and put priority on policy measures effective in stimulating the economy in its compiling of the fiscal 2010 budget, which has entered a crucial phase.
ヤマ場にさしかかった来年度予算の編成では、雇用と福祉に目配りし、景気刺激に役立つ施策に重点を置くべきである。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 9, 2009)
（2009年12月9日01時33分 読売新聞）
PR
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 8, 2009)
Dole-outs could widen educational disparities
高校無償化 低所得層への支援に転換せよ（12月8日付・読売社説）
The government has begun discussing whether to include an income-cap provision in its plan to make high school tuition effectively free, one of the main pillars of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's manifesto for the last House of Representatives election.
民主党が主要な政権公約に掲げた高校授業料の実質無償化について、政府は所得制限を設けるかどうか検討を始めた。
There is concern among some in education circles over the plan to make high school tuition free regardless of household income, with critics of the plan saying it could actually widen existing gaps in educational opportunity.
所得に関係なく一律に無償化する方式には、教育関係者の間にも「教育格差を助長しかねない」と懸念する声がある。
Instead of earmarking the costs for the plan in the fiscal 2010 budget, the government should instead use the money to strengthen support for those in the low-income bracket and for other education-related projects.
来年度の予算計上は見送り、浮いた財源を低所得層への支援拡充や他の教育関連事業に活用すべきだ。
The plan for free high school education calls for providing households with 118,800 yen a year--equivalent to yearly public high school tuition--for each child they have at public or private high schools. As the tuition of private high schools is about three times the amount charged by public ones, a household with a yearly income of less than 5 million yen and with one or more private high school students will receive effectively double the amount in benefit that would be received by a household with one or more public high school students.
無償化は、公立高校生のいる世帯に授業料相当の年１１万８８００円、私立高校生のいる世帯にも同額を助成する。私立は、授業料が公立の３倍のため、年収５００万円未満なら助成額を倍にする。
In next fiscal year's budget, about 450 billion yen has been earmarked for the plan to provide free high school education. About 12 billion yen was separately allocated to fund scholarships for low-income households.
約４５００億円の予算を要求しており、これに関連し、低所得層向けの給付型奨学金として約１２０億円も盛り込まれた。
Senior Vice Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda has said he will consider setting income caps in implementing free high school education. For his part, Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Tatsuo Kawabata proposes across-the-board free tuition but a reduction in the annual income tax deduction of up to 630,000 yen for families with children between the ages of 16 and 22.
高校無償化について、野田佳彦財務副大臣は所得制限も念頭に置くことを表明した。これに対し、川端文部科学相らは、一律無償化と併せて、１６～２２歳の扶養家族がいる世帯を対象に、課税所得から６３万円を差し引く特定扶養控除の縮小を提案している。
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Poor families to benefit little
Prefectural governments already exempt families on welfare and those in the low-income bracket from paying high school tuition. The tuition-waiver project covers a total of about 430,000 students--10 percent of public high school students and 18 percent of those at private schools.
高校の授業料減免については、生活保護世帯やそれに準じる低所得層に都道府県が既に実施している。公立高校生の１０％、私立高校生１８％の計約４３万人が対象だ。
Low-income families will enjoy little new advantage from the government's plan to provide free high school education across the board. Upper-income households, however, could use the allowance to pay cram-school tuition for their children, which could widen existing education disparities.
一律無償化では、低所得層には新たな恩恵がほとんどない。家計に余裕のある層は塾代に回すことができ、格差が開きかねない。
Households have to shoulder a heavy burden in academic expenses for high school students, including school tuition fees. According to an education ministry survey, families with a public high school student must spend more than 300,000 yen annually just on costs paid to their schools, including tuition fees, while those with a child going to a private high school must shell out about 800,000 yen.
高校生の学費には、授業料以外にも負担が多い。文科省の調査では、授業料を含む学校教育費だけで、公立で年３０万円以上、私立では８０万円近くかかる。
The 12 billion yen earmarked to fund scholarships for children of low-income families targets households whose yearly income is 3.5 million yen or less. The scholarships are intended to pay admission fees and textbook costs. In the budget request for fiscal 2010 under the previous administration of former Prime Minister Taro Aso, about 45.5 billion yen was earmarked in scholarships to be used for wider purposes, including costs of school trips, school uniforms and school supplies.
文科省が低所得層向けの給付型奨学金として計上した約１２０億円は、年収３５０万円以下の世帯を対象としたもので、入学金と教科書代のためだ。前政権下の概算要求では、修学旅行費や制服代、学用品費なども含め、４５５億円が盛り込まれていた。
===
A wiser way to use budget
If the government were to expand eligibility for tuition waivers and increase the amount of money available for scholarships for low-income households, the bill would total less than half of the amount needed to make high school tuition free across the board. Using the available budget in this way would greatly alleviate burdens on poverty-stricken households.
授業料減免の対象を広げ、低所得層向けの給付型奨学金を拡充するための予算を国が負担しても、無償化予算の半分もいらないはずだ。実際に困窮している世帯への負担軽減効果も大きいだろう。
In the 2008 academic year, 2,200 high school students were forced to drop out for financial reasons. The government should prioritize measures to prevent high school students from poor families dropping out and middle school students from such families not advancing to high school. The government should not adopt a dole-out policy for that purpose.
昨年度、経済的理由で中退を余儀なくされた高校生は２２００人いた。こうした高校生や経済的理由で高校進学を断念する生徒をなくすことを優先すべきだ。ばらまきであってはならない。
High school tuition is free in the United States and many European countries, but Japan's education ministry does not seem to understand the actual situation in those countries sufficiently. The ministry should rethink its policy after investigating the circumstances in those countries.
欧米諸国の多くは高校の授業料を無償化しているが、文科省は実情を十分把握していない。調査した上で、改めて検討すべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 8, 2009)
（2009年12月8日01時47分 読売新聞）The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 8, 2009)
Dole-outs could widen educational disparities
高校無償化 低所得層への支援に転換せよ（12月8日付・読売社説）
The government has begun discussing whether to include an income-cap provision in its plan to make high school tuition effectively free, one of the main pillars of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's manifesto for the last House of Representatives election.
民主党が主要な政権公約に掲げた高校授業料の実質無償化について、政府は所得制限を設けるかどうか検討を始めた。
There is concern among some in education circles over the plan to make high school tuition free regardless of household income, with critics of the plan saying it could actually widen existing gaps in educational opportunity.
所得に関係なく一律に無償化する方式には、教育関係者の間にも「教育格差を助長しかねない」と懸念する声がある。
Instead of earmarking the costs for the plan in the fiscal 2010 budget, the government should instead use the money to strengthen support for those in the low-income bracket and for other education-related projects.
来年度の予算計上は見送り、浮いた財源を低所得層への支援拡充や他の教育関連事業に活用すべきだ。
The plan for free high school education calls for providing households with 118,800 yen a year--equivalent to yearly public high school tuition--for each child they have at public or private high schools. As the tuition of private high schools is about three times the amount charged by public ones, a household with a yearly income of less than 5 million yen and with one or more private high school students will receive effectively double the amount in benefit that would be received by a household with one or more public high school students.
無償化は、公立高校生のいる世帯に授業料相当の年１１万８８００円、私立高校生のいる世帯にも同額を助成する。私立は、授業料が公立の３倍のため、年収５００万円未満なら助成額を倍にする。
In next fiscal year's budget, about 450 billion yen has been earmarked for the plan to provide free high school education. About 12 billion yen was separately allocated to fund scholarships for low-income households.
約４５００億円の予算を要求しており、これに関連し、低所得層向けの給付型奨学金として約１２０億円も盛り込まれた。
Senior Vice Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda has said he will consider setting income caps in implementing free high school education. For his part, Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Tatsuo Kawabata proposes across-the-board free tuition but a reduction in the annual income tax deduction of up to 630,000 yen for families with children between the ages of 16 and 22.
高校無償化について、野田佳彦財務副大臣は所得制限も念頭に置くことを表明した。これに対し、川端文部科学相らは、一律無償化と併せて、１６～２２歳の扶養家族がいる世帯を対象に、課税所得から６３万円を差し引く特定扶養控除の縮小を提案している。
===
Poor families to benefit little
Prefectural governments already exempt families on welfare and those in the low-income bracket from paying high school tuition. The tuition-waiver project covers a total of about 430,000 students--10 percent of public high school students and 18 percent of those at private schools.
高校の授業料減免については、生活保護世帯やそれに準じる低所得層に都道府県が既に実施している。公立高校生の１０％、私立高校生１８％の計約４３万人が対象だ。
Low-income families will enjoy little new advantage from the government's plan to provide free high school education across the board. Upper-income households, however, could use the allowance to pay cram-school tuition for their children, which could widen existing education disparities.
一律無償化では、低所得層には新たな恩恵がほとんどない。家計に余裕のある層は塾代に回すことができ、格差が開きかねない。
Households have to shoulder a heavy burden in academic expenses for high school students, including school tuition fees. According to an education ministry survey, families with a public high school student must spend more than 300,000 yen annually just on costs paid to their schools, including tuition fees, while those with a child going to a private high school must shell out about 800,000 yen.
高校生の学費には、授業料以外にも負担が多い。文科省の調査では、授業料を含む学校教育費だけで、公立で年３０万円以上、私立では８０万円近くかかる。
The 12 billion yen earmarked to fund scholarships for children of low-income families targets households whose yearly income is 3.5 million yen or less. The scholarships are intended to pay admission fees and textbook costs. In the budget request for fiscal 2010 under the previous administration of former Prime Minister Taro Aso, about 45.5 billion yen was earmarked in scholarships to be used for wider purposes, including costs of school trips, school uniforms and school supplies.
文科省が低所得層向けの給付型奨学金として計上した約１２０億円は、年収３５０万円以下の世帯を対象としたもので、入学金と教科書代のためだ。前政権下の概算要求では、修学旅行費や制服代、学用品費なども含め、４５５億円が盛り込まれていた。
===
A wiser way to use budget
If the government were to expand eligibility for tuition waivers and increase the amount of money available for scholarships for low-income households, the bill would total less than half of the amount needed to make high school tuition free across the board. Using the available budget in this way would greatly alleviate burdens on poverty-stricken households.
授業料減免の対象を広げ、低所得層向けの給付型奨学金を拡充するための予算を国が負担しても、無償化予算の半分もいらないはずだ。実際に困窮している世帯への負担軽減効果も大きいだろう。
In the 2008 academic year, 2,200 high school students were forced to drop out for financial reasons. The government should prioritize measures to prevent high school students from poor families dropping out and middle school students from such families not advancing to high school. The government should not adopt a dole-out policy for that purpose.
昨年度、経済的理由で中退を余儀なくされた高校生は２２００人いた。こうした高校生や経済的理由で高校進学を断念する生徒をなくすことを優先すべきだ。ばらまきであってはならない。
High school tuition is free in the United States and many European countries, but Japan's education ministry does not seem to understand the actual situation in those countries sufficiently. The ministry should rethink its policy after investigating the circumstances in those countries.
欧米諸国の多くは高校の授業料を無償化しているが、文科省は実情を十分把握していない。調査した上で、改めて検討すべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 8, 2009)
（2009年12月8日01時47分 読売新聞）
Dole-outs could widen educational disparities
高校無償化 低所得層への支援に転換せよ（12月8日付・読売社説）
The government has begun discussing whether to include an income-cap provision in its plan to make high school tuition effectively free, one of the main pillars of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's manifesto for the last House of Representatives election.
民主党が主要な政権公約に掲げた高校授業料の実質無償化について、政府は所得制限を設けるかどうか検討を始めた。
There is concern among some in education circles over the plan to make high school tuition free regardless of household income, with critics of the plan saying it could actually widen existing gaps in educational opportunity.
所得に関係なく一律に無償化する方式には、教育関係者の間にも「教育格差を助長しかねない」と懸念する声がある。
Instead of earmarking the costs for the plan in the fiscal 2010 budget, the government should instead use the money to strengthen support for those in the low-income bracket and for other education-related projects.
来年度の予算計上は見送り、浮いた財源を低所得層への支援拡充や他の教育関連事業に活用すべきだ。
The plan for free high school education calls for providing households with 118,800 yen a year--equivalent to yearly public high school tuition--for each child they have at public or private high schools. As the tuition of private high schools is about three times the amount charged by public ones, a household with a yearly income of less than 5 million yen and with one or more private high school students will receive effectively double the amount in benefit that would be received by a household with one or more public high school students.
無償化は、公立高校生のいる世帯に授業料相当の年１１万８８００円、私立高校生のいる世帯にも同額を助成する。私立は、授業料が公立の３倍のため、年収５００万円未満なら助成額を倍にする。
In next fiscal year's budget, about 450 billion yen has been earmarked for the plan to provide free high school education. About 12 billion yen was separately allocated to fund scholarships for low-income households.
約４５００億円の予算を要求しており、これに関連し、低所得層向けの給付型奨学金として約１２０億円も盛り込まれた。
Senior Vice Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda has said he will consider setting income caps in implementing free high school education. For his part, Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Tatsuo Kawabata proposes across-the-board free tuition but a reduction in the annual income tax deduction of up to 630,000 yen for families with children between the ages of 16 and 22.
高校無償化について、野田佳彦財務副大臣は所得制限も念頭に置くことを表明した。これに対し、川端文部科学相らは、一律無償化と併せて、１６～２２歳の扶養家族がいる世帯を対象に、課税所得から６３万円を差し引く特定扶養控除の縮小を提案している。
===
Poor families to benefit little
Prefectural governments already exempt families on welfare and those in the low-income bracket from paying high school tuition. The tuition-waiver project covers a total of about 430,000 students--10 percent of public high school students and 18 percent of those at private schools.
高校の授業料減免については、生活保護世帯やそれに準じる低所得層に都道府県が既に実施している。公立高校生の１０％、私立高校生１８％の計約４３万人が対象だ。
Low-income families will enjoy little new advantage from the government's plan to provide free high school education across the board. Upper-income households, however, could use the allowance to pay cram-school tuition for their children, which could widen existing education disparities.
一律無償化では、低所得層には新たな恩恵がほとんどない。家計に余裕のある層は塾代に回すことができ、格差が開きかねない。
Households have to shoulder a heavy burden in academic expenses for high school students, including school tuition fees. According to an education ministry survey, families with a public high school student must spend more than 300,000 yen annually just on costs paid to their schools, including tuition fees, while those with a child going to a private high school must shell out about 800,000 yen.
高校生の学費には、授業料以外にも負担が多い。文科省の調査では、授業料を含む学校教育費だけで、公立で年３０万円以上、私立では８０万円近くかかる。
The 12 billion yen earmarked to fund scholarships for children of low-income families targets households whose yearly income is 3.5 million yen or less. The scholarships are intended to pay admission fees and textbook costs. In the budget request for fiscal 2010 under the previous administration of former Prime Minister Taro Aso, about 45.5 billion yen was earmarked in scholarships to be used for wider purposes, including costs of school trips, school uniforms and school supplies.
文科省が低所得層向けの給付型奨学金として計上した約１２０億円は、年収３５０万円以下の世帯を対象としたもので、入学金と教科書代のためだ。前政権下の概算要求では、修学旅行費や制服代、学用品費なども含め、４５５億円が盛り込まれていた。
===
A wiser way to use budget
If the government were to expand eligibility for tuition waivers and increase the amount of money available for scholarships for low-income households, the bill would total less than half of the amount needed to make high school tuition free across the board. Using the available budget in this way would greatly alleviate burdens on poverty-stricken households.
授業料減免の対象を広げ、低所得層向けの給付型奨学金を拡充するための予算を国が負担しても、無償化予算の半分もいらないはずだ。実際に困窮している世帯への負担軽減効果も大きいだろう。
In the 2008 academic year, 2,200 high school students were forced to drop out for financial reasons. The government should prioritize measures to prevent high school students from poor families dropping out and middle school students from such families not advancing to high school. The government should not adopt a dole-out policy for that purpose.
昨年度、経済的理由で中退を余儀なくされた高校生は２２００人いた。こうした高校生や経済的理由で高校進学を断念する生徒をなくすことを優先すべきだ。ばらまきであってはならない。
High school tuition is free in the United States and many European countries, but Japan's education ministry does not seem to understand the actual situation in those countries sufficiently. The ministry should rethink its policy after investigating the circumstances in those countries.
欧米諸国の多くは高校の授業料を無償化しているが、文科省は実情を十分把握していない。調査した上で、改めて検討すべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 8, 2009)
（2009年12月8日01時47分 読売新聞）The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 8, 2009)
Dole-outs could widen educational disparities
高校無償化 低所得層への支援に転換せよ（12月8日付・読売社説）
The government has begun discussing whether to include an income-cap provision in its plan to make high school tuition effectively free, one of the main pillars of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's manifesto for the last House of Representatives election.
民主党が主要な政権公約に掲げた高校授業料の実質無償化について、政府は所得制限を設けるかどうか検討を始めた。
There is concern among some in education circles over the plan to make high school tuition free regardless of household income, with critics of the plan saying it could actually widen existing gaps in educational opportunity.
所得に関係なく一律に無償化する方式には、教育関係者の間にも「教育格差を助長しかねない」と懸念する声がある。
Instead of earmarking the costs for the plan in the fiscal 2010 budget, the government should instead use the money to strengthen support for those in the low-income bracket and for other education-related projects.
来年度の予算計上は見送り、浮いた財源を低所得層への支援拡充や他の教育関連事業に活用すべきだ。
The plan for free high school education calls for providing households with 118,800 yen a year--equivalent to yearly public high school tuition--for each child they have at public or private high schools. As the tuition of private high schools is about three times the amount charged by public ones, a household with a yearly income of less than 5 million yen and with one or more private high school students will receive effectively double the amount in benefit that would be received by a household with one or more public high school students.
無償化は、公立高校生のいる世帯に授業料相当の年１１万８８００円、私立高校生のいる世帯にも同額を助成する。私立は、授業料が公立の３倍のため、年収５００万円未満なら助成額を倍にする。
In next fiscal year's budget, about 450 billion yen has been earmarked for the plan to provide free high school education. About 12 billion yen was separately allocated to fund scholarships for low-income households.
約４５００億円の予算を要求しており、これに関連し、低所得層向けの給付型奨学金として約１２０億円も盛り込まれた。
Senior Vice Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda has said he will consider setting income caps in implementing free high school education. For his part, Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Tatsuo Kawabata proposes across-the-board free tuition but a reduction in the annual income tax deduction of up to 630,000 yen for families with children between the ages of 16 and 22.
高校無償化について、野田佳彦財務副大臣は所得制限も念頭に置くことを表明した。これに対し、川端文部科学相らは、一律無償化と併せて、１６～２２歳の扶養家族がいる世帯を対象に、課税所得から６３万円を差し引く特定扶養控除の縮小を提案している。
===
Poor families to benefit little
Prefectural governments already exempt families on welfare and those in the low-income bracket from paying high school tuition. The tuition-waiver project covers a total of about 430,000 students--10 percent of public high school students and 18 percent of those at private schools.
高校の授業料減免については、生活保護世帯やそれに準じる低所得層に都道府県が既に実施している。公立高校生の１０％、私立高校生１８％の計約４３万人が対象だ。
Low-income families will enjoy little new advantage from the government's plan to provide free high school education across the board. Upper-income households, however, could use the allowance to pay cram-school tuition for their children, which could widen existing education disparities.
一律無償化では、低所得層には新たな恩恵がほとんどない。家計に余裕のある層は塾代に回すことができ、格差が開きかねない。
Households have to shoulder a heavy burden in academic expenses for high school students, including school tuition fees. According to an education ministry survey, families with a public high school student must spend more than 300,000 yen annually just on costs paid to their schools, including tuition fees, while those with a child going to a private high school must shell out about 800,000 yen.
高校生の学費には、授業料以外にも負担が多い。文科省の調査では、授業料を含む学校教育費だけで、公立で年３０万円以上、私立では８０万円近くかかる。
The 12 billion yen earmarked to fund scholarships for children of low-income families targets households whose yearly income is 3.5 million yen or less. The scholarships are intended to pay admission fees and textbook costs. In the budget request for fiscal 2010 under the previous administration of former Prime Minister Taro Aso, about 45.5 billion yen was earmarked in scholarships to be used for wider purposes, including costs of school trips, school uniforms and school supplies.
文科省が低所得層向けの給付型奨学金として計上した約１２０億円は、年収３５０万円以下の世帯を対象としたもので、入学金と教科書代のためだ。前政権下の概算要求では、修学旅行費や制服代、学用品費なども含め、４５５億円が盛り込まれていた。
===
A wiser way to use budget
If the government were to expand eligibility for tuition waivers and increase the amount of money available for scholarships for low-income households, the bill would total less than half of the amount needed to make high school tuition free across the board. Using the available budget in this way would greatly alleviate burdens on poverty-stricken households.
授業料減免の対象を広げ、低所得層向けの給付型奨学金を拡充するための予算を国が負担しても、無償化予算の半分もいらないはずだ。実際に困窮している世帯への負担軽減効果も大きいだろう。
In the 2008 academic year, 2,200 high school students were forced to drop out for financial reasons. The government should prioritize measures to prevent high school students from poor families dropping out and middle school students from such families not advancing to high school. The government should not adopt a dole-out policy for that purpose.
昨年度、経済的理由で中退を余儀なくされた高校生は２２００人いた。こうした高校生や経済的理由で高校進学を断念する生徒をなくすことを優先すべきだ。ばらまきであってはならない。
High school tuition is free in the United States and many European countries, but Japan's education ministry does not seem to understand the actual situation in those countries sufficiently. The ministry should rethink its policy after investigating the circumstances in those countries.
欧米諸国の多くは高校の授業料を無償化しているが、文科省は実情を十分把握していない。調査した上で、改めて検討すべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 8, 2009)
（2009年12月8日01時47分 読売新聞）
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 7, 2009)
National interests key for Japan at COP15v
ＣＯＰ１５開幕 国益最優先で交渉にあたれ（12月7日付・読売社説）
The government faces a crucial stage of negotiations on drawing up a framework to fight global warming at the 15th Conference of Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP15).
地球温暖化対策で、公平なルール策定への道筋をつけられるのか。気候変動枠組み条約の第１５回締約国会議（ＣＯＰ１５）で、日本政府は交渉の正念場を迎える。
The U.N. climate conference will start in Copenhagen on Monday, with leaders from about 100 countries, including Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, scheduled to attend at the climax of the Dec. 7-18 meeting.
ＣＯＰ１５は７日、コペンハーゲンで開幕し、首脳級会合には、鳩山首相ら約１００か国の首脳が出席する予定だ。
Japan will attend the conference having set a midterm goal of cutting domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. By declaring that extremely ambitious goal, the government aims to persuade other nations to cut their emissions further.
日本政府は、温室効果ガスの国内排出量を、２０２０年までに１９９０年比で２５％削減するという中期目標を掲げて臨む。極めて高い目標の提示により、他国にも排出削減を促す戦略といえる。
Due to the global recession and other reasons, preliminary negotiations among countries have become bogged down. Major industrialized countries and developing nations are pressing each other to pledge tougher emissions goals, leaving them at loggerheads on the issue of how to combat global warming.
だが、世界的な経済危機の影響もあって、各国による事前折衝は難航している。先進国と途上国が互いに積極的な取り組みを迫り、その溝は埋まっていない。
===
Hatoyama out on a limb
An international framework to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which expires at the end of 2012, was expected to be adopted at COP15. But it was put off, with the result that the focus of attention now is whether the COP15 nations can reach a major political agreement that could lead to the adoption of a new protocol next year.
ＣＯＰ１５では、１３年以降の削減ルールとなる「ポスト京都議定書」の採択が期待されていた。しかし、これは先送りされ、来年の新議定書採択につながる政治合意ができるかどうかが焦点である。
Japan must prevent a repeat of what occurred when the Kyoto pact was being formulated, when this nation was backed into a disadvantageous position.
ここで大切なのは、日本が不利な削減義務を負った京都議定書の二の舞いを演じないことだ。
As a precondition to make efforts to achieve the self-proclaimed goal, Hatoyama has said that all major emitter countries must join the scheme, agreeing to set ambitious goals. The prime minister must stick firmly to this stipulation.
鳩山首相は、自ら掲げた目標の達成に取り組む前提条件として、「すべての主要国の参加による意欲的な目標の合意」を挙げている。最後までこの条件を堅持していかなければならない。
We hope the government will launch tenacious negotiations toward creating a fair post-Kyoto Protocol framework with the United States and China--the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, which are not obliged to cut their emissions under the current pact.
京都議定書で削減義務を負っていない２大排出国の米国、中国を相手に、公平な枠組み作りに向けて粘り強く交渉してほしい。
The Danish government, the host of COP15, has presented a draft climate change proposal aimed at realizing a political accord that states major industrialized nations would specify individual reduction obligations in an agreement document.
議長国のデンマーク政府が示した政治合意の原案には、先進各国が合意関連文書に削減目標を明記することが盛り込まれている。
If the draft proposal passes, Japan will be in a difficult situation. The numerical target that the United States has presented is to reduce emissions by around 4 percent from the 1990 level by 2020. The U.S. target is far more modest than the Japanese goal.
この原案が通れば、日本は難しい対応を迫られることになるだろう。米国が示している数値目標は、２０年までに９０年比で４％前後削減するというものだ。日本との削減率の差はあまりに大きい。
The government should avoid specifying a goal of reducing emissions by 25 percent under such inequitable circumstances.
こうしたバランスを欠いた状況では、日本として「２５％減」を明記するのは避けねばならない。
===
Easy compromise a bad idea
A demand by developing countries to extend the Kyoto Protocol can hardly be accepted. China and other major developing countries need to shoulder responsibilities for emissions reduction.
途上国側が求めている京都議定書の延長論は到底、受け入れられない。中国など主な途上国も応分の削減責任を負う必要がある。
The Hatoyama administration has not yet presented a road map to achieve its pledge of a 25 percent reduction. Strong opposition from business circles persists against the stringent target.
鳩山政権は、２５％削減を達成するための行程を示していない。産業界には高い目標への反発が強まっている。
In such a situation, if the government accepts unfavorable conditions at COP15, a consensus within the country on emissions reduction may prove hard to reach.
こうした中、政府がＣＯＰ１５で不利な条件をのむようなことがあれば、「２５％削減」の国内の合意形成は遠のくばかりだろう。
During negotiations at COP15, the government must not damage national interests by making an easy compromise.
日本政府は、国益を最優先に交渉にあたるべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 7, 2009)
（2009年12月7日00時58分 読売新聞）
National interests key for Japan at COP15v
ＣＯＰ１５開幕 国益最優先で交渉にあたれ（12月7日付・読売社説）
The government faces a crucial stage of negotiations on drawing up a framework to fight global warming at the 15th Conference of Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP15).
地球温暖化対策で、公平なルール策定への道筋をつけられるのか。気候変動枠組み条約の第１５回締約国会議（ＣＯＰ１５）で、日本政府は交渉の正念場を迎える。
The U.N. climate conference will start in Copenhagen on Monday, with leaders from about 100 countries, including Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, scheduled to attend at the climax of the Dec. 7-18 meeting.
ＣＯＰ１５は７日、コペンハーゲンで開幕し、首脳級会合には、鳩山首相ら約１００か国の首脳が出席する予定だ。
Japan will attend the conference having set a midterm goal of cutting domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. By declaring that extremely ambitious goal, the government aims to persuade other nations to cut their emissions further.
日本政府は、温室効果ガスの国内排出量を、２０２０年までに１９９０年比で２５％削減するという中期目標を掲げて臨む。極めて高い目標の提示により、他国にも排出削減を促す戦略といえる。
Due to the global recession and other reasons, preliminary negotiations among countries have become bogged down. Major industrialized countries and developing nations are pressing each other to pledge tougher emissions goals, leaving them at loggerheads on the issue of how to combat global warming.
だが、世界的な経済危機の影響もあって、各国による事前折衝は難航している。先進国と途上国が互いに積極的な取り組みを迫り、その溝は埋まっていない。
===
Hatoyama out on a limb
An international framework to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which expires at the end of 2012, was expected to be adopted at COP15. But it was put off, with the result that the focus of attention now is whether the COP15 nations can reach a major political agreement that could lead to the adoption of a new protocol next year.
ＣＯＰ１５では、１３年以降の削減ルールとなる「ポスト京都議定書」の採択が期待されていた。しかし、これは先送りされ、来年の新議定書採択につながる政治合意ができるかどうかが焦点である。
Japan must prevent a repeat of what occurred when the Kyoto pact was being formulated, when this nation was backed into a disadvantageous position.
ここで大切なのは、日本が不利な削減義務を負った京都議定書の二の舞いを演じないことだ。
As a precondition to make efforts to achieve the self-proclaimed goal, Hatoyama has said that all major emitter countries must join the scheme, agreeing to set ambitious goals. The prime minister must stick firmly to this stipulation.
鳩山首相は、自ら掲げた目標の達成に取り組む前提条件として、「すべての主要国の参加による意欲的な目標の合意」を挙げている。最後までこの条件を堅持していかなければならない。
We hope the government will launch tenacious negotiations toward creating a fair post-Kyoto Protocol framework with the United States and China--the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, which are not obliged to cut their emissions under the current pact.
京都議定書で削減義務を負っていない２大排出国の米国、中国を相手に、公平な枠組み作りに向けて粘り強く交渉してほしい。
The Danish government, the host of COP15, has presented a draft climate change proposal aimed at realizing a political accord that states major industrialized nations would specify individual reduction obligations in an agreement document.
議長国のデンマーク政府が示した政治合意の原案には、先進各国が合意関連文書に削減目標を明記することが盛り込まれている。
If the draft proposal passes, Japan will be in a difficult situation. The numerical target that the United States has presented is to reduce emissions by around 4 percent from the 1990 level by 2020. The U.S. target is far more modest than the Japanese goal.
この原案が通れば、日本は難しい対応を迫られることになるだろう。米国が示している数値目標は、２０年までに９０年比で４％前後削減するというものだ。日本との削減率の差はあまりに大きい。
The government should avoid specifying a goal of reducing emissions by 25 percent under such inequitable circumstances.
こうしたバランスを欠いた状況では、日本として「２５％減」を明記するのは避けねばならない。
===
Easy compromise a bad idea
A demand by developing countries to extend the Kyoto Protocol can hardly be accepted. China and other major developing countries need to shoulder responsibilities for emissions reduction.
途上国側が求めている京都議定書の延長論は到底、受け入れられない。中国など主な途上国も応分の削減責任を負う必要がある。
The Hatoyama administration has not yet presented a road map to achieve its pledge of a 25 percent reduction. Strong opposition from business circles persists against the stringent target.
鳩山政権は、２５％削減を達成するための行程を示していない。産業界には高い目標への反発が強まっている。
In such a situation, if the government accepts unfavorable conditions at COP15, a consensus within the country on emissions reduction may prove hard to reach.
こうした中、政府がＣＯＰ１５で不利な条件をのむようなことがあれば、「２５％削減」の国内の合意形成は遠のくばかりだろう。
During negotiations at COP15, the government must not damage national interests by making an easy compromise.
日本政府は、国益を最優先に交渉にあたるべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 7, 2009)
（2009年12月7日00時58分 読売新聞）
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 6, 2009)
Long-term view needed on science, culture plans
予算編成作業 科学・文化を衰退させるな（12月6日付・読売社説）
Investment in science, technology, culture and education do not quickly produce tangible results, although they do involve time and money. Therefore, the screening of such fields by the government's cost-cutting panel simply cannot be based solely on short-term cost-benefit analysis.
科学技術や文化、教育などは、費用と手間がかかる割に成果がすぐには見えてこない分野だ。それを費用対効果で仕分けしてよいのだろうか。
A long-term perspective should be adopted when it comes to laying the foundations for the promotion of intellectual creativity.
知的創造活動の基盤整備や人材の育成は、長期的視野から取り組むべき課題である。
The Government Revitalization Unit--tasked with identifying wasteful government spending--has judged that many projects in these fields should be scrapped or their budgets cut. However, the government should boldly review the panel's recent judgments and make appropriate adjustments in the budget.
行政刷新会議の事業仕分けの結果、この分野の多くの事業が「廃止」や「縮減」と判定されたが、大胆に判定を見直して適切な予算措置をとることが必要だ。
In the fields of science and technology, the panel recommended that a program to develop a next-generation supercomputer should be effectively frozen. It also recommended the government abolish a project for promoting science and technology on a regional basis, and slash funding for a proposed collaboration between industry, academia and the government. The project aims at utilizing research carried out by universities to foster the growth of regional industries.
科学技術関係では、次世代スーパーコンピューターの開発が「事実上の凍結」とされたほか、大学の研究成果を地域の産業育成に生かす地域科学技術振興・産学官連携などが「廃止」とされた。
Nobel Prize winners, including Leo Esaki, criticized the panel's budget reductions for science and technology projects, saying in a joint statement it "runs contrary to the government's aim of making the country a science and technology powerhouse." It is no surprise they made such a criticism.
これに対しノーベル賞受賞者の江崎玲於奈博士らは「科学技術創造立国」に逆行する作業だと批判した。当然であろう。
===
Intl competitiveness at risk
The budget cuts proposed without a long-term strategy in mind would see the foundations of the nation's quest for knowledge crumble. It also could undermine Japan's efforts to remain internationally competitive.
長期的戦略を欠いた予算削減は知の探究の基盤を崩すもので、日本の国際競争力維持の観点からも大きな禍根を残しかねない。
The cost-cutting panel also recommended the government abolish the Children's Dream Fund, a project that aims to get more children reading books and was established after a campaign by a suprapartisan group of lawmakers following Children's Reading Year in 2000.
２０００年の「子ども読書年」を機に超党派の国会議員が提唱して創設された「子どもゆめ基金」と、子ども読書応援プロジェクトも「廃止」と判定された。
The fund has supported about 2,000 projects every year aimed at developing environments in which more books are read to and by children.
基金は読書の街づくりや読み聞かせなど、年間約２０００件の民間事業を支援してきた。
Next year has been designated National Year of Reading by a resolution that was unanimously adopted by both chambers of the Diet. The government should maintain this project in view of its important role in promoting the culture of the printed word.
衆参両院で全会一致で採択された決議により、来年は「国民読書年」と定められている。活字文化推進の重要性を踏まえ、これらの事業は存続させるべきだ。
===
Arts facing big cuts
Meanwhile, the panel concluded that the budget for supporting the arts allocated through the Japan Arts Council should be greatly reduced.
また日本芸術文化振興会を通じた芸術支援の予算は、「圧倒的縮減」と判定された。
The budget is used mainly for covering the operational expenses of Tokyo's New National Theatre, which has won high praise internationally for its ballet, opera and live theater productions, as well as for promoting excellence in other cultural and artistic fields. Some members of the panel even called for state funding to be terminated in the future.
バレエやオペラ、演劇の制作で国際的評価も高い新国立劇場の運営費や、優れた文化芸術活動の支援費用を中心とした予算だが、国庫負担を将来はゼロにするよう求める仕分け人もいた。
However, culture and art will never thrive if they are left to operate on an entirely commercial basis. In the United States and across Europe, governments actively support the arts and promote private-sector assistance through tax systems that promote donations.
だが、商業ベースに委ねていたのでは文化・芸術は育たない。欧米諸国も国が積極的に支援をしたり、寄付税制を整備し民間による支援を促進したりしている。
Some say the promotion of culture should be left to local governments, but their culture-related budgets have been eroded by the economic crisis gripping the nation. The central government should draw up a policy that maintains the necessary assistance.
文化振興は地方に委ねるべきだとの主張もあるが、自治体の文化予算は厳しい財政事情により削減される傾向にある。国が筋道を示し支援に取り組む必要がある。
In the education budget, a comprehensive plan for English-language education reform was judged not worth funding.
教育予算では、英語教育改革総合プランが「廃止」とされた。
The panel said the budget for an English-language study guide for primary schoolers should be eliminated, causing dismay among teachers across the country. English-language lessons will become mandatory for all fifth- and sixth-graders in academic year 2011.
１１年度から小学校５、６年生で必修化される英語の補助教材の予算が否定され、現場は困惑している。
The government should move to safeguard key budgets and clarify this stance as soon as possible to prevent unnecessary concern and confusion.
混乱が拡大しないよう、政府は早急に事業継続の方針を明確にすべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 6, 2009)
（2009年12月6日01時15分 読売新聞）
Long-term view needed on science, culture plans
予算編成作業 科学・文化を衰退させるな（12月6日付・読売社説）
Investment in science, technology, culture and education do not quickly produce tangible results, although they do involve time and money. Therefore, the screening of such fields by the government's cost-cutting panel simply cannot be based solely on short-term cost-benefit analysis.
科学技術や文化、教育などは、費用と手間がかかる割に成果がすぐには見えてこない分野だ。それを費用対効果で仕分けしてよいのだろうか。
A long-term perspective should be adopted when it comes to laying the foundations for the promotion of intellectual creativity.
知的創造活動の基盤整備や人材の育成は、長期的視野から取り組むべき課題である。
The Government Revitalization Unit--tasked with identifying wasteful government spending--has judged that many projects in these fields should be scrapped or their budgets cut. However, the government should boldly review the panel's recent judgments and make appropriate adjustments in the budget.
行政刷新会議の事業仕分けの結果、この分野の多くの事業が「廃止」や「縮減」と判定されたが、大胆に判定を見直して適切な予算措置をとることが必要だ。
In the fields of science and technology, the panel recommended that a program to develop a next-generation supercomputer should be effectively frozen. It also recommended the government abolish a project for promoting science and technology on a regional basis, and slash funding for a proposed collaboration between industry, academia and the government. The project aims at utilizing research carried out by universities to foster the growth of regional industries.
科学技術関係では、次世代スーパーコンピューターの開発が「事実上の凍結」とされたほか、大学の研究成果を地域の産業育成に生かす地域科学技術振興・産学官連携などが「廃止」とされた。
Nobel Prize winners, including Leo Esaki, criticized the panel's budget reductions for science and technology projects, saying in a joint statement it "runs contrary to the government's aim of making the country a science and technology powerhouse." It is no surprise they made such a criticism.
これに対しノーベル賞受賞者の江崎玲於奈博士らは「科学技術創造立国」に逆行する作業だと批判した。当然であろう。
===
Intl competitiveness at risk
The budget cuts proposed without a long-term strategy in mind would see the foundations of the nation's quest for knowledge crumble. It also could undermine Japan's efforts to remain internationally competitive.
長期的戦略を欠いた予算削減は知の探究の基盤を崩すもので、日本の国際競争力維持の観点からも大きな禍根を残しかねない。
The cost-cutting panel also recommended the government abolish the Children's Dream Fund, a project that aims to get more children reading books and was established after a campaign by a suprapartisan group of lawmakers following Children's Reading Year in 2000.
２０００年の「子ども読書年」を機に超党派の国会議員が提唱して創設された「子どもゆめ基金」と、子ども読書応援プロジェクトも「廃止」と判定された。
The fund has supported about 2,000 projects every year aimed at developing environments in which more books are read to and by children.
基金は読書の街づくりや読み聞かせなど、年間約２０００件の民間事業を支援してきた。
Next year has been designated National Year of Reading by a resolution that was unanimously adopted by both chambers of the Diet. The government should maintain this project in view of its important role in promoting the culture of the printed word.
衆参両院で全会一致で採択された決議により、来年は「国民読書年」と定められている。活字文化推進の重要性を踏まえ、これらの事業は存続させるべきだ。
===
Arts facing big cuts
Meanwhile, the panel concluded that the budget for supporting the arts allocated through the Japan Arts Council should be greatly reduced.
また日本芸術文化振興会を通じた芸術支援の予算は、「圧倒的縮減」と判定された。
The budget is used mainly for covering the operational expenses of Tokyo's New National Theatre, which has won high praise internationally for its ballet, opera and live theater productions, as well as for promoting excellence in other cultural and artistic fields. Some members of the panel even called for state funding to be terminated in the future.
バレエやオペラ、演劇の制作で国際的評価も高い新国立劇場の運営費や、優れた文化芸術活動の支援費用を中心とした予算だが、国庫負担を将来はゼロにするよう求める仕分け人もいた。
However, culture and art will never thrive if they are left to operate on an entirely commercial basis. In the United States and across Europe, governments actively support the arts and promote private-sector assistance through tax systems that promote donations.
だが、商業ベースに委ねていたのでは文化・芸術は育たない。欧米諸国も国が積極的に支援をしたり、寄付税制を整備し民間による支援を促進したりしている。
Some say the promotion of culture should be left to local governments, but their culture-related budgets have been eroded by the economic crisis gripping the nation. The central government should draw up a policy that maintains the necessary assistance.
文化振興は地方に委ねるべきだとの主張もあるが、自治体の文化予算は厳しい財政事情により削減される傾向にある。国が筋道を示し支援に取り組む必要がある。
In the education budget, a comprehensive plan for English-language education reform was judged not worth funding.
教育予算では、英語教育改革総合プランが「廃止」とされた。
The panel said the budget for an English-language study guide for primary schoolers should be eliminated, causing dismay among teachers across the country. English-language lessons will become mandatory for all fifth- and sixth-graders in academic year 2011.
１１年度から小学校５、６年生で必修化される英語の補助教材の予算が否定され、現場は困惑している。
The government should move to safeguard key budgets and clarify this stance as soon as possible to prevent unnecessary concern and confusion.
混乱が拡大しないよう、政府は早急に事業継続の方針を明確にすべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 6, 2009)
（2009年12月6日01時15分 読売新聞）
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The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 5, 2009)
No room for leniency in Hatoyama fund probe
鳩山「巨額資金」 検察と国税は厳正に対処せよ（12月5日付・読売社説）
The extraordinary Diet session ended Friday without any intensive deliberations focusing on the shadowy fund management of certain politicians, or debates between party leaders. Just as worryingly, the issue of falsified reports on political donations involving Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's fund-management organization remains unsettled.
党首討論も「政治とカネ」の集中審議も開かれないまま、臨時国会が４日閉幕した。だが、鳩山首相の偽装献金問題は終わったわけではない。
The first whiff of scandal arose when it was found that Hatoyama's fund-management organization had listed dead people as donors. Adding to the maelstrom, Hatoyama now is suspected of having received a huge amount of money from his mother. The public has been astonished by these allegations.
首相の資金管理団体が死亡した人を「寄付者」と偽った「故人献金」問題は、母親から首相への巨額の資金提供疑惑に発展し、世間を揺るがしている。
Hatoyama's mother allegedly extended 180 million yen annually as "loans" to the prime minister. These payments, which totaled about 1.1 billion yen over about six years, reportedly began shortly after the 2002 Democratic Party of Japan presidential election, in which Hatoyama was elected party leader for a third term.
「貸付金」と称して提供された金額は、年１億８０００万円、６年余りで１１億円を超える。２００２年の民主党代表選の後から提供が始まったという。
Former Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Kunio Hatoyama, who is the younger brother of the prime minister, also is believed to have received a similar amount of money from his mother.
弟である自民党の鳩山邦夫元総務相も、ほぼ同額を母親から受け取ったとみられている。
===
Unanswered questions
The prime minister's fund-management organization apparently made false entries regarding donations and income from sales of fund-raising party tickets, including money that came from funds provided by Hatoyama's mother, totaling 360 million yen in political fund reports over five years.
首相の資金管理団体が、母親からの資金を原資とする分も含め、献金やパーティー券収入を政治資金収支報告書に虚偽記入した総額は、５年間で３億６０００万円に上っている。
The prime minister has yet to give a proper explanation about these funds, citing the investigation being conducted by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office for suspected violations of the Political Funds Control Law. Asked about the funds from his mother, the prime minister said, "I myself am surprised." Hatoyama's remark gave the impression that he saw this as someone else's problem. We think this is inexcusable.
首相は、東京地検が政治資金規正法違反の疑いで捜査していることなどを理由に、事実関係を説明していない。母親からの資金提供についても、「私自身、驚いている」と人ごとのように言っている。だが、それでは済まされまい。
Why did he need such a massive sum of money? For what purposes was this money used? The prime minister must answer these questions.
なぜこれほどの資金が必要だったのか。一体何に使ったのか。こうした疑問に首相は答えなければならない。
Prosecutors reportedly have decided not to question the prime minister and instead are considering asking him to submit a written statement. However, we think the prosecutors should speak to Hatoyama directly to unravel the truth behind this disturbing affair.
東京地検は首相の事情聴取を見送り、上申書の提出を求めることを検討しているという。だが、真相を解明するには、本人の話を聞く必要があるのではないか。
===
Don't let history repeat
After former Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Shin Kanemaru was found to have illegally received 500 million yen in donations in 1992, the prosecutors office made a summary indictment after letting Kanemaru submit a written statement without undergoing questioning.
１９９２年、金丸信・元自民党副総裁が５億円の違法献金を受けたことが明るみに出た際、東京地検は本人に事情聴取しないまま上申書提出だけで略式起訴した。
Surely prosecutors have not forgotten the public outrage sparked by the handling of the Kanemaru incident. Groups of people filed 40,000 criminal complaints calling for further investigations into the case.
これが国民の反発を買い、４万件の告発が寄せられた事実を忘れてはなるまい。
We believe prosecutors should conduct a meticulous investigation into Hatoyama's donations that will satisfy the general public.
検察は国民の視点に立ち、捜査を尽くすべきだ。
Common sense suggests the amount of money Hatoyama received from his mother was too large to have been loans. Furthermore, it appears that no written documents or agreements specifying repayment of these "loaned" funds were made.
母親からの資金提供は、「貸付金」にしては、常識外れの大きさだ。しかも、借用書や返済についての取り決めはなかった。
If national tax authorities deem this money to be gifts, the prime minister would have to pay more than 400 million yen in tax as he failed to declare them as such.
国税当局が贈与と認定した場合は、単純な申告漏れでも首相に４億円以上の納税義務が生じる。
Tax authorities will determine whether the funds in question were loans or gifts. If the authorities treat the prime minister leniently, the public will feel the matter is not being handled fairly. They might even lose trust in tax authorities.
貸付金か贈与かは、国税当局が実態に応じて判断するが、一国の首相に甘い対応をとれば、国民は不公平感を募らせ、納税に対して疑問を抱きかねない。
The Yomiuri Shimbun has received a number of comments from its readers on this issue. "It's unacceptable that [the prime minister] simply says he didn't know what was going on after he received up to 1.1 billion yen," one reader said, while another complained, "I don't feel like paying my taxes any more."
読売新聞には、「１１億円ももらって知らぬ存ぜぬでは済まされない」「もう税金を納めたくない」という声が寄せられている。
The tax authorities should be relentless in their handling of this case.
国税当局も厳正に対処しなければなるまい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 5, 2009)
（2009年12月5日01時38分 読売新聞）
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Resolve Futenma issue by year-end
普天間移設 年内決着へ首相は再考せよ（12月4日付・読売社説）
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama reportedly has decided to give up on settling the issue of the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station within Okinawa Prefecture this year.
米海兵隊普天間飛行場の移設問題で、鳩山首相が年内決着を断念する意向を固めたという。
Hatoyama's decision apparently stems from a desire to avoid ructions in the coalition government his Democratic Party of Japan formed with the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party. Hatoyama is unable to escape the fact that the SDP opposes the current relocation plan, and that the PNP also takes a dim view of it.
現行計画に反対する社民党や、それに同調する国民新党に配慮し、連立政権の維持を優先するためだとされる。
Hatoyama has reiterated that the agreement made between Tokyo and Washington on the relocation carries weight and that the feelings of the people in the prefecture should be respected. An early resolution to the issue with the current relocation plan is earnestly sought by the U.S. government, the Okinawa prefectural government as well as the Nago city government, which is where the base's facilities would be relocated. We think Hatoyama should rethink his stance on this matter.
鳩山首相は従来、「日米の合意は重い」「沖縄の思いが大事」などと繰り返してきた。米国も、沖縄県も、移設先の名護市も、現行計画による早期決着を切実に求めている。首相は再考すべきだ。
In a summit meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama last month, Hatoyama agreed to "expeditiously" resolve the issue. Hatoyama even told Obama to "trust" him on the dispute. Ensuing ministerial-level working group talks then tried to smooth coordination in line with the current relocation plan.
If a decision will not be reached this year, what was the point of all these get-togethers and discussions?
首相は日米首脳会談で「迅速な解決」に合意し、「私を信頼して」とまで見えを切った。その後、日米の閣僚級の作業部会で、県内移設の現行計画を軸に調整を急いできたのは、何だったのか。
===
Strained ties
The U.S. government's distrust of the prime minister and the Japanese government will certainly deepen due to this to-ing and fro-ing. The incentive at the working group talks to produce a positive result likely will evaporate. The adverse impact on the overall Japan-U.S. relationship could be immeasurable.
米政府が今後、首相と日本政府に対して、不信感を一段と募らせるのは確実だ。作業部会で前向きの結論を出す機運も低下するだろう。日米関係全体に与える悪影響は計り知れない。
Hatoyama's postponement of a final decision until early next year or later is unlikely to result in any concrete scenario for the resolution of the issue.
結論を年明け以降に先送りしても、問題の解決に向けて、その後の具体的な展望が首相にあるとは思えない。
A Nago mayoral election is scheduled to be held in late January. The incumbent, who has accepted the current plan, is running against a first-time candidate who has given it the thumbs-down. If the incumbent fails to win reelection, calls for moving the base outside the prefecture would grow louder, a situation that would leave the Okinawa prefectural government between a rock and a hard place.
１月下旬に予定される名護市長選では、現行計画を容認する現職に、反対派の新人が挑戦する。仮に現職が敗れれば、県外移設を求める声が広がり、沖縄県の立場はより苦しくなるだろう。
Hatoyama himself admitted at a joint press conference with Obama after their summit meeting that resolving this issue will only become more difficult the longer it is left to simmer. The prime minister must not continue his expedient approach. If the current plan is shelved, the envisaged return of the Futenma facilities by 2014 would be left up in the air.
首相自身、首脳会談後の共同記者会見で、「時間がたてば、より解決が難しくなる」と認めたはずだ。その場しのぎの対応を続けるべきではない。現行計画が頓挫すれば、２０１４年の普天間飛行場の返還が宙に浮く。
===
DPJ should pull rank
SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima has indicated her party might leave the coalition if the government decides to go ahead with the current plan.
社民党の福島党首は、政府が現行計画を決定した場合、政権を離脱する可能性を示唆している。
The prime minister should do everything he can to convince the SDP that the issue must be settled by year-end under the current plan to reduce the burdens on communities that host the U.S. base and to ensure the security alliance with the United States remains solid.
首相が今すべきは、日米同盟を堅持しつつ、地元の基地負担を軽減するためには、現行計画での年内決着が不可欠だと、社民党を真剣に説得することだ。
If the SDP refuses to back down and eventually splits from the coalition, the administration would be shaken up for some time. However, it would not be an insurmountable nuisance for the government.
社民党が説得に応じず、連立政権を離脱した場合、一時的に政権運営は不安定になるが、乗り切れないほどではあるまい。
The DPJ holds more than 300 seats in the 480-seat House of Representatives, and is just shy of a majority in the House of Councillors.
民主党は、衆院では３００議席超を占める。参院でも過半数にわずかに届かないだけだ。
The SDP and the PNP each have only five seats in the upper house. The DPJ must not jeopardize landmark measures designed to reduce the burden imposed on Okinawa Prefecture by hosting U.S. bases, or the Japan-U.S. relationship, by cowering to two minor coalition partners.
参院で各５議席ずつしかない社民、国民新の両党に配慮するあまり、画期的な沖縄の基地負担軽減策や日米関係を危うくするのは、避ける必要がある。
The Hatoyama administration also might find it worthwhile to call on the Liberal Democratic Party and other opposition forces to cooperate on key bills and policies to keep the wheels of administration management turning smoothly.
重要な法案や政策については、自民党など野党に個別に協力を要請し、連携するといった工夫をすることで、政権を運営していく手法も十分検討に値しよう。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 4, 2009)
（2009年12月4日01時49分 読売新聞）
1９６２年、私は中学校の一年生でした。
この年、芹沢栄先生のラジオ基礎英語の勉強を開始、すぐに松本亨先生のラジオ英語会話もあわせて聴取するようになりました。
芹沢栄先生の座右の銘は ｢slow and steady wins the race (遅くとも着実なものが勝利する）｣ でした。
週替わりで英語の歌もたくさん教えていただきました。マイボニー懐かしいですね。
松本亨先生のラジオ英語会話は1９７２年、講師が代わるまで聞き続けました。
思えば1０年間も、この一日僅か1５分の番組を聞き続けたことになります。
芹沢栄先生の座右の銘はその正しさが自分の体験を通して実証されました。
大学受験のとき、英語だけは特別に時間を割かなくともそれで通用しました。
松本亨先生が英語学習に対する情熱を次の言葉で何度も表現されるのを聞きました。
"Think in English"（英語で考える、翻訳しないで）
その通りだと思いましたが、翻訳英語がすっかり身に着いているので切り替えはなかなか難しいのです。
それから ｢生きた英語 living English｣ という言葉も何度も耳にしました。
ラジオ英語会話は英語だけで放送されるので、松本亨先生が日本語を話すのを聴いたことがありません。
つい最近、英語教育（研修）を専門業となされているカプラン石綿誠先生のブログに以下のような記事が掲載されていました。
（石綿先生のブログより抜粋）
↓
｢そして読解力を高めるには、松本博士のモットーしかないと考えます。ラジオ英会話で有名になったので、会話の先生としてのイメージが大きかった博士ですが、座右の銘は"Read, Read, and Read"だったそうです。
また、このモットーを博士はこのように和訳しています。「多読、速読、直読」です。この３つを実践していくことがリーディングでは必要だということを、意味しているわけです。｣
松本亨先生の後任、とうごかつあき先生（漢字忘れました）が松本亨先生の読書量、保有されている蔵書の多さに圧倒されたという話をされていました。
松本亨先生は1９７９年に逝去されたそうですね。
ご冥福をお祈り申し上げます。（感謝をこめて）
srachai from khonkaen, thailand
この年、芹沢栄先生のラジオ基礎英語の勉強を開始、すぐに松本亨先生のラジオ英語会話もあわせて聴取するようになりました。
芹沢栄先生の座右の銘は ｢slow and steady wins the race (遅くとも着実なものが勝利する）｣ でした。
週替わりで英語の歌もたくさん教えていただきました。マイボニー懐かしいですね。
松本亨先生のラジオ英語会話は1９７２年、講師が代わるまで聞き続けました。
思えば1０年間も、この一日僅か1５分の番組を聞き続けたことになります。
芹沢栄先生の座右の銘はその正しさが自分の体験を通して実証されました。
大学受験のとき、英語だけは特別に時間を割かなくともそれで通用しました。
松本亨先生が英語学習に対する情熱を次の言葉で何度も表現されるのを聞きました。
"Think in English"（英語で考える、翻訳しないで）
その通りだと思いましたが、翻訳英語がすっかり身に着いているので切り替えはなかなか難しいのです。
それから ｢生きた英語 living English｣ という言葉も何度も耳にしました。
ラジオ英語会話は英語だけで放送されるので、松本亨先生が日本語を話すのを聴いたことがありません。
つい最近、英語教育（研修）を専門業となされているカプラン石綿誠先生のブログに以下のような記事が掲載されていました。
（石綿先生のブログより抜粋）
↓
｢そして読解力を高めるには、松本博士のモットーしかないと考えます。ラジオ英会話で有名になったので、会話の先生としてのイメージが大きかった博士ですが、座右の銘は"Read, Read, and Read"だったそうです。
また、このモットーを博士はこのように和訳しています。「多読、速読、直読」です。この３つを実践していくことがリーディングでは必要だということを、意味しているわけです。｣
松本亨先生の後任、とうごかつあき先生（漢字忘れました）が松本亨先生の読書量、保有されている蔵書の多さに圧倒されたという話をされていました。
松本亨先生は1９７９年に逝去されたそうですね。
ご冥福をお祈り申し上げます。（感謝をこめて）
srachai from khonkaen, thailand
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 3, 2009)
Govt's denial of Okinawa secret pact lacks weight
元局長証言 「沖縄密約ない」は崩れ去った（12月3日付・読売社説）
Now that a former senior diplomat has admitted in court that he signed a document as part of a secret agreement between Japan and the United States over the 1972 reversion of Okinawa, it appears the government's long-held stance that such a pact did not exist has been toppled.
「密約」の文書に署名した――と、日本側の当事者が法廷で証言したことで、「密約は存在しない」としてきた従来の政府見解は、完全に崩れ去ったといえるだろう。
Bunroku Yoshino, who was in charge of negotiations with Washington over the reversion at the time, admitted to the existence of a secret agreement during testimony as a witness in an information disclosure lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday.
１９７２年の沖縄返還を巡る対米交渉の責任者だった元外務省アメリカ局長の吉野文六氏が、東京地裁での情報公開訴訟に証人として出廷し、日米間に密約があったことを明言した。
Yoshino, the then Foreign Ministry's American Bureau chief, had already confessed in interviews with news organizations that there was a secret pact regarding the cost burdens for reverting Okinawa to Japanese rule from U.S. control. But his public testimony in open court carries much more weight.
吉野氏はこれまでも、報道機関に密約の存在を語っていた。だが、公開の法廷で証言したことは、より重い意味を持つといえる。
The lawsuit was filed by a group of plaintiffs, including former Mainichi Shimbun reporter Takichi Nishiyama, who had been found guilty for his involvement in leaking government documents on the secret pact. Group members demanded the disclosure of documents believed to indicate the existence of the secret pact, but the government said it would not disclose them. The plaintiffs then demanded the government nullify its decision not to disclose the documents.
訴訟は、密約の存在を示す文書の漏えいに関与したとして有罪となった元毎日新聞記者の西山太吉氏らが起こした。情報公開請求で、密約関連の文書が不開示とされたため、国に不開示決定の取り消しなどを求めている。
===
U.S. disclosure made
Yoshino testified in court that Tokyo and Washington made a secret agreement to have Japan shoulder 4 million dollars the United States was supposed to pay to restore farmland in Okinawa that had been used by U.S. forces, as well as 16 million dollars for the transfer of a U.S. shortwave radio station.
米軍用地の原状回復補償費４００万ドルと米短波放送中継局の国外移転費１６００万ドル。吉野氏は、これらを日本側が肩代わり負担すると極秘裏に米側と合意したと証言した。
During Nishiyama's trial in 1972, Yoshino denied the existence of the secret agreement. But after giving his testimony this week, Yoshino said, "I've come to believe that pursuing the truth about the past will benefit Japan's future."
吉野氏は７２年、西山氏の公判では、密約を否定する証言をした。今回の証言後、吉野氏は「過去の真実を追求することが、日本の将来のために有益と信じるようになった」と語った。
Thirty-seven years separate Yoshino's two testimonies, and he likely judged that coming out with the truth would not cause any major problems to Japan-U.S. relations or other state affairs.
前回の証言から３７年が経過している。「真実」を明らかにしても、対米関係などに支障は生じないとの判断もあったのだろう。
A number of official documents that support the existence of bilateral secret pacts have been made public in the United States since 2000. There is no reason for the Japanese government to protect such documents as diplomatic secrets.
２０００年以降、密約を裏付ける公文書が米国で公開された。日本政府が「外交秘密」として保護する理由はなくなっている。
===
Time for reconciliation
Under the initiative of Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, a ministry panel comprising external experts has started investigating and analyzing four secret agreements believed to have been made between the two countries, including the one on the cost burdens of Okinawa's reversion.
岡田外相の意向で外務省の有識者委員会が、今回の沖縄返還関連を含めた四つの「密約」を対象に調査・分析作業を進めている。
Following Yoshino's latest testimony, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said, "I intend to let the people learn [the truth] by appropriate means when all the facts are confirmed."
鳩山首相は、吉野氏の証言を受け、「事実関係を確認できた暁には、国民にしかるべき手段でお知らせしたい」と語った。
We hope the government expresses its view on the matter based on a report to be compiled by the panel next month.
来月にまとまる予定の有識者委員会の報告書を踏まえて、政府としての見解を示してもらいたい。
In diplomacy, governments occasionally choose not to make public the content of agreements made with other governments in order to maintain trusting relations and to prevent any damage to national interests that could occur if third-party nations obtained such information. The government needs to explain the circumstances that led to the secret pact Yoshino spoke about.
外交では、相手との信頼関係の保持や、第三国に知られて国益を損なわないようにするため、合意内容を公にしないことがある。政府は今回の密約を結んだ事情についても説明する必要があろう。
In the United States, diplomatic documents in principle can be disclosed 25 years after being made. In Japan, the Foreign Ministry decides whether to disclose its documents after a certain period. We suggest that disclosure be made as defined by rules that would limit the ministry's discretion on the issue.
米国では外交文書について、２５年が経過すると原則的に秘密指定を解除する制度がある。日本では一定期間後、外務省が文書公開の是非を判断しているが、外務省任せにせず、一定のルールの下での公開を促進していくべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 3, 2009)
（2009年12月3日00時36分 読売新聞）
Govt's denial of Okinawa secret pact lacks weight
元局長証言 「沖縄密約ない」は崩れ去った（12月3日付・読売社説）
Now that a former senior diplomat has admitted in court that he signed a document as part of a secret agreement between Japan and the United States over the 1972 reversion of Okinawa, it appears the government's long-held stance that such a pact did not exist has been toppled.
「密約」の文書に署名した――と、日本側の当事者が法廷で証言したことで、「密約は存在しない」としてきた従来の政府見解は、完全に崩れ去ったといえるだろう。
Bunroku Yoshino, who was in charge of negotiations with Washington over the reversion at the time, admitted to the existence of a secret agreement during testimony as a witness in an information disclosure lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday.
１９７２年の沖縄返還を巡る対米交渉の責任者だった元外務省アメリカ局長の吉野文六氏が、東京地裁での情報公開訴訟に証人として出廷し、日米間に密約があったことを明言した。
Yoshino, the then Foreign Ministry's American Bureau chief, had already confessed in interviews with news organizations that there was a secret pact regarding the cost burdens for reverting Okinawa to Japanese rule from U.S. control. But his public testimony in open court carries much more weight.
吉野氏はこれまでも、報道機関に密約の存在を語っていた。だが、公開の法廷で証言したことは、より重い意味を持つといえる。
The lawsuit was filed by a group of plaintiffs, including former Mainichi Shimbun reporter Takichi Nishiyama, who had been found guilty for his involvement in leaking government documents on the secret pact. Group members demanded the disclosure of documents believed to indicate the existence of the secret pact, but the government said it would not disclose them. The plaintiffs then demanded the government nullify its decision not to disclose the documents.
訴訟は、密約の存在を示す文書の漏えいに関与したとして有罪となった元毎日新聞記者の西山太吉氏らが起こした。情報公開請求で、密約関連の文書が不開示とされたため、国に不開示決定の取り消しなどを求めている。
===
U.S. disclosure made
Yoshino testified in court that Tokyo and Washington made a secret agreement to have Japan shoulder 4 million dollars the United States was supposed to pay to restore farmland in Okinawa that had been used by U.S. forces, as well as 16 million dollars for the transfer of a U.S. shortwave radio station.
米軍用地の原状回復補償費４００万ドルと米短波放送中継局の国外移転費１６００万ドル。吉野氏は、これらを日本側が肩代わり負担すると極秘裏に米側と合意したと証言した。
During Nishiyama's trial in 1972, Yoshino denied the existence of the secret agreement. But after giving his testimony this week, Yoshino said, "I've come to believe that pursuing the truth about the past will benefit Japan's future."
吉野氏は７２年、西山氏の公判では、密約を否定する証言をした。今回の証言後、吉野氏は「過去の真実を追求することが、日本の将来のために有益と信じるようになった」と語った。
Thirty-seven years separate Yoshino's two testimonies, and he likely judged that coming out with the truth would not cause any major problems to Japan-U.S. relations or other state affairs.
前回の証言から３７年が経過している。「真実」を明らかにしても、対米関係などに支障は生じないとの判断もあったのだろう。
A number of official documents that support the existence of bilateral secret pacts have been made public in the United States since 2000. There is no reason for the Japanese government to protect such documents as diplomatic secrets.
２０００年以降、密約を裏付ける公文書が米国で公開された。日本政府が「外交秘密」として保護する理由はなくなっている。
===
Time for reconciliation
Under the initiative of Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, a ministry panel comprising external experts has started investigating and analyzing four secret agreements believed to have been made between the two countries, including the one on the cost burdens of Okinawa's reversion.
岡田外相の意向で外務省の有識者委員会が、今回の沖縄返還関連を含めた四つの「密約」を対象に調査・分析作業を進めている。
Following Yoshino's latest testimony, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said, "I intend to let the people learn [the truth] by appropriate means when all the facts are confirmed."
鳩山首相は、吉野氏の証言を受け、「事実関係を確認できた暁には、国民にしかるべき手段でお知らせしたい」と語った。
We hope the government expresses its view on the matter based on a report to be compiled by the panel next month.
来月にまとまる予定の有識者委員会の報告書を踏まえて、政府としての見解を示してもらいたい。
In diplomacy, governments occasionally choose not to make public the content of agreements made with other governments in order to maintain trusting relations and to prevent any damage to national interests that could occur if third-party nations obtained such information. The government needs to explain the circumstances that led to the secret pact Yoshino spoke about.
外交では、相手との信頼関係の保持や、第三国に知られて国益を損なわないようにするため、合意内容を公にしないことがある。政府は今回の密約を結んだ事情についても説明する必要があろう。
In the United States, diplomatic documents in principle can be disclosed 25 years after being made. In Japan, the Foreign Ministry decides whether to disclose its documents after a certain period. We suggest that disclosure be made as defined by rules that would limit the ministry's discretion on the issue.
米国では外交文書について、２５年が経過すると原則的に秘密指定を解除する制度がある。日本では一定期間後、外務省が文書公開の是非を判断しているが、外務省任せにせず、一定のルールの下での公開を促進していくべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 3, 2009)
（2009年12月3日00時36分 読売新聞）
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 2, 2009)
BOJ moves to combat deflationary trend
量的金融緩和 日銀がデフレ退治に動いた（12月2日付・読売社説）
The Bank of Japan has decided to launch a new quantitative monetary easing measure to fight deflation.
デフレ退治のため、日銀が新たな量的金融緩和策に踏み切った。
The central bank held an extraordinary policy meeting on Tuesday and decided to introduce a new money-easing measure to offer three-month loans to financial institutions at an ultralow interest rate of 0.1 percent.
日銀は１日、金融政策決定会合を臨時に開き、０・１％の超低利で、返済期間３か月の資金を金融機関に供給する新たな金融緩和策の導入を決めた。
The central bank showed its intention to overcome deflation in cooperation with the government by compiling its own additional measure before talks between Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa to be held Wednesday.
２日に予定される鳩山首相と白川日銀総裁の会談を前に、日銀として追加策を取りまとめ、政府と一体となってデフレ解消に取り組む姿勢を打ち出したものだ。
We expect the central bank to enhance its coordination with the government further and to prevent Japan from falling into a deflationary spiral--a combination of deflation and recession--with every possible measure.
日銀は、今後も政府と連携を強め、デフレと不況が同時に進むデフレスパイラルの防止に全力を挙げてもらいたい。
The moves to supply funds to the financial system will start from early December at the rate of 800 billion yen per week. The total of injected funds will reach 10 trillion yen in three months and be increased further if necessary.
資金供給は今月上旬から週８０００億円のペースで実施し、３か月後に残高を約１０兆円に積み上げる。必要に応じて上積みする。
Shirakawa said at a press conference the action constitutes "quantitative easing in a broad sense." The new measure is expected to have wider monetary easing effects than the current policy of keeping the key short-term interest rate at 0.1 percent.
白川総裁は記者会見で、今回の措置を「広い意味での量的緩和」と認めた。短期金利を０・１％に誘導する現行の政策より、幅広い緩和効果が期待できるという。
The Bank of Japan decided that quantitative easing needs to be enhanced to deal with the commotion in the international financial market caused by fears of a debt default in Dubai and the yen's soaring value.
日銀は、中東ドバイの信用不安による国際金融市場の動揺や、急速な円高に対応するため、金融緩和の強化が必要と判断した。
===
Bringing yen back to earth
The government has already declared that the nation is in deflation and is planning to put forth additional economic measures, including one to cope with the strong yen, by the end of this week.
政府もすでにデフレを宣言し、円高対策も含めた追加景気対策を今週中にもまとめる方針だ。
It is appropriate that the central bank's policy board hammered out the new measures in an agile manner without waiting until its next regular meeting. A further decline of the interest rate will help alleviate the rise in the yen.
日銀が定例会合を待たず、機動的に追加策を打ち出したのは適切な判断だ。一段の金利低下は、円高の改善も後押ししよう。
However, it was regrettable to see the central bank adopt a tight money policy by terminating part of its corporate financial assistance at the end of October.
ただ、日銀が企業金融支援の一部を打ち切る「引き締め策」を１０月末に決めたのは残念だった。
Many people may not be able to understand the true intention of the central bank in deciding on the additional money easing operation just one month later. The Bank of Japan should explain to the public in detail how it will maintain its policy of monetary easing until deflation has been overcome.
わずか１か月後の今回の緩和措置に、日銀の真意が理解できないという人も多いのではないか。日銀はデフレ解消まで緩和を続けることを丁寧に説明すべきだ。
===
Further measures needed
Of course, an easy-money policy alone is not sufficient to combat deflation.
むろんデフレ対策は、金融緩和だけで十分とは言えない。
The business climate is improving thanks to measures stimulating consumption such as the introduction of eco points in exchange for the purchase of energy-saving home electrical appliances. However, there is concern about whether the government's decision to freeze some public works projects could have adverse effects. Drafting of next fiscal year's budget also must not be delayed.
景気は、省エネ家電のエコポイントなど消費刺激策で持ち直しつつあるが、政府が公共事業の一部を凍結した悪影響などが心配だ。来年度予算の編成が遅れる事態は厳に避けるべきだ。
The government's finances are in critical condition, but it may now be necessary to concentrate the budget on projects with high reflationary effects even if the government has to increase the issuance of bonds to a certain degree.
財政は危機的だ。だが今は、ある程度の国債を増発してでも、景気浮揚効果の高い事業に予算を重点配分することも必要だろう。
However, if the increased issuance of government bonds causes a sharp rise in long-term interest rates, the business climate will suffer strong side effects. The Bank of Japan will be required to support the government financially by buying more government bonds.
ただし、国債増発で長期金利が急上昇すれば、景気への悪影響は大きい。日銀が国債買い入れ額をさらに増やすなど、財政を側面支援することが求められよう。
The strong yen deals a blow to exporting companies and worsens business conditions. At the same time, it increases deflationary pressures by lowering prices of imported items. The government should clarify its determination to stem the soaring appreciation of the yen.
円高は輸出企業に打撃を与え、景気を悪化させる。同時に輸入品の物価が下がり、デフレ圧力も高まる。政府は円高阻止の決意を明確に示すべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 2, 2009)
（2009年12月2日01時13分 読売新聞）
BOJ moves to combat deflationary trend
量的金融緩和 日銀がデフレ退治に動いた（12月2日付・読売社説）
The Bank of Japan has decided to launch a new quantitative monetary easing measure to fight deflation.
デフレ退治のため、日銀が新たな量的金融緩和策に踏み切った。
The central bank held an extraordinary policy meeting on Tuesday and decided to introduce a new money-easing measure to offer three-month loans to financial institutions at an ultralow interest rate of 0.1 percent.
日銀は１日、金融政策決定会合を臨時に開き、０・１％の超低利で、返済期間３か月の資金を金融機関に供給する新たな金融緩和策の導入を決めた。
The central bank showed its intention to overcome deflation in cooperation with the government by compiling its own additional measure before talks between Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa to be held Wednesday.
２日に予定される鳩山首相と白川日銀総裁の会談を前に、日銀として追加策を取りまとめ、政府と一体となってデフレ解消に取り組む姿勢を打ち出したものだ。
We expect the central bank to enhance its coordination with the government further and to prevent Japan from falling into a deflationary spiral--a combination of deflation and recession--with every possible measure.
日銀は、今後も政府と連携を強め、デフレと不況が同時に進むデフレスパイラルの防止に全力を挙げてもらいたい。
The moves to supply funds to the financial system will start from early December at the rate of 800 billion yen per week. The total of injected funds will reach 10 trillion yen in three months and be increased further if necessary.
資金供給は今月上旬から週８０００億円のペースで実施し、３か月後に残高を約１０兆円に積み上げる。必要に応じて上積みする。
Shirakawa said at a press conference the action constitutes "quantitative easing in a broad sense." The new measure is expected to have wider monetary easing effects than the current policy of keeping the key short-term interest rate at 0.1 percent.
白川総裁は記者会見で、今回の措置を「広い意味での量的緩和」と認めた。短期金利を０・１％に誘導する現行の政策より、幅広い緩和効果が期待できるという。
The Bank of Japan decided that quantitative easing needs to be enhanced to deal with the commotion in the international financial market caused by fears of a debt default in Dubai and the yen's soaring value.
日銀は、中東ドバイの信用不安による国際金融市場の動揺や、急速な円高に対応するため、金融緩和の強化が必要と判断した。
===
Bringing yen back to earth
The government has already declared that the nation is in deflation and is planning to put forth additional economic measures, including one to cope with the strong yen, by the end of this week.
政府もすでにデフレを宣言し、円高対策も含めた追加景気対策を今週中にもまとめる方針だ。
It is appropriate that the central bank's policy board hammered out the new measures in an agile manner without waiting until its next regular meeting. A further decline of the interest rate will help alleviate the rise in the yen.
日銀が定例会合を待たず、機動的に追加策を打ち出したのは適切な判断だ。一段の金利低下は、円高の改善も後押ししよう。
However, it was regrettable to see the central bank adopt a tight money policy by terminating part of its corporate financial assistance at the end of October.
ただ、日銀が企業金融支援の一部を打ち切る「引き締め策」を１０月末に決めたのは残念だった。
Many people may not be able to understand the true intention of the central bank in deciding on the additional money easing operation just one month later. The Bank of Japan should explain to the public in detail how it will maintain its policy of monetary easing until deflation has been overcome.
わずか１か月後の今回の緩和措置に、日銀の真意が理解できないという人も多いのではないか。日銀はデフレ解消まで緩和を続けることを丁寧に説明すべきだ。
===
Further measures needed
Of course, an easy-money policy alone is not sufficient to combat deflation.
むろんデフレ対策は、金融緩和だけで十分とは言えない。
The business climate is improving thanks to measures stimulating consumption such as the introduction of eco points in exchange for the purchase of energy-saving home electrical appliances. However, there is concern about whether the government's decision to freeze some public works projects could have adverse effects. Drafting of next fiscal year's budget also must not be delayed.
景気は、省エネ家電のエコポイントなど消費刺激策で持ち直しつつあるが、政府が公共事業の一部を凍結した悪影響などが心配だ。来年度予算の編成が遅れる事態は厳に避けるべきだ。
The government's finances are in critical condition, but it may now be necessary to concentrate the budget on projects with high reflationary effects even if the government has to increase the issuance of bonds to a certain degree.
財政は危機的だ。だが今は、ある程度の国債を増発してでも、景気浮揚効果の高い事業に予算を重点配分することも必要だろう。
However, if the increased issuance of government bonds causes a sharp rise in long-term interest rates, the business climate will suffer strong side effects. The Bank of Japan will be required to support the government financially by buying more government bonds.
ただし、国債増発で長期金利が急上昇すれば、景気への悪影響は大きい。日銀が国債買い入れ額をさらに増やすなど、財政を側面支援することが求められよう。
The strong yen deals a blow to exporting companies and worsens business conditions. At the same time, it increases deflationary pressures by lowering prices of imported items. The government should clarify its determination to stem the soaring appreciation of the yen.
円高は輸出企業に打撃を与え、景気を悪化させる。同時に輸入品の物価が下がり、デフレ圧力も高まる。政府は円高阻止の決意を明確に示すべきだ。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 2, 2009)
（2009年12月2日01時13分 読売新聞）
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The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 1, 2009)
Use all policy tools to rescue economy
デフレ危機 政策総動員で景気の悪化防げ（12月1日付・読売社説）
Falling prices resulting from deflation may seem like a blessed rain after the drought for salaried workers pinching pennies in the economic downturn and pensioners.
デフレによる物価下落は、不況で給料の減ったサラリーマンや、年金暮らしの人にとっては「恵みの雨」だろう。
But deflation is an awful, intractable disease that wreaks havoc on an economy. It is dangerous to make light of it.
だが、デフレは経済を冷やし、衰退させる恐ろしい難病だ。軽視するのは危険である。
◆格安チキンで節約ランチ◆
Recently, a simple lunch combo offered by a convenience store--instant noodles in a cup plus a piece of fried chicken--has proved a hit with salaried workers looking to save money.
「カップめん＋チキン」
コンビニで最近、こんな節約メニューの昼食を選ぶサラリーマンが増えている。
Lawson Gate City Ohsaki convenience store, located in front of JR Osaki Station in Tokyo, is crowded with salaried workers at lunchtime. Not a few of the men among them presumably opt for cup noodles to save time and money.
東京・大崎駅前にあるローソンゲートシティ大崎店の昼時は、サラリーマンやＯＬでにぎわう。確かに、時間とカネの節約からか、男性にはカップラーメン派が少なくない。
But cup noodles alone seems a paltry lunch. Most of them buy one more item under the hit "plus one" offer--a new fried chicken product called L Chiki that went on sale this spring.
でも、カップめんだけではさすがにわびしい。ほとんどの人が「あと１品」を買う。そのヒット商品が、今春発売したフライドチキンの新製品「Ｌチキ」だ。
A single L Chiki nugget weighs about 100 grams, almost the same as Lawson's regular fried chicken nugget, but costs 128 yen, 40 yen less than the regular nugget. According to Ryosuke Kobayashi, 26, head of the Osaki shop, the new product has proved popular because it is cheap and filling, and its sales are between 150 percent and 200 percent greater than the regular product.
約１００グラムと従来品とほぼ同じ量で、値段を１６８円から１２８円へ下げた。小林亮介店長（２６）によると、安くて食べ応えがあると評判で、「以前の１・５倍から２倍も売れている」という。
The new fried chicken product is cheap because imports of low-priced Brazilian chicken have jumped, causing a collapse in the price of chicken, including Japanese chicken. Following the worldwide economic slump that began last year, demand for Brazilian chicken in the United States and European countries, which had been major importers of the product, decreased, and the price-busting chicken began to be imported into Japan in large volumes.
値下げできたのは、安いブラジル産鶏肉が大量に出回り、国産も含め値崩れが起きたためだ。昨年来の世界不況でブラジルの得意先だった欧米の需要が減り、格安の鶏肉が日本に流入した。
This prompted convenience stores to offer low-priced fried chicken products. They have found themselves waging a price war with boxed-meal chain store operators, which are luring customers with fried chicken lunches priced at about 300 yen.
こうして、コンビニに安いフライドチキンが並び、ライバルの弁当チェーンも３００円前後のから揚げ弁当で安さを競う。
The consumer price index, meanwhile, continues to fall, declining 2.2 percent in October from a year earlier, marking the eighth consecutive monthly fall. Prices of food--a daily necessity--had been thought to be resistant to deflation, but food prices have been below those of the previous year for five months in a row.
１０月の消費者物価指数は前年同月比２・２％下落し、大幅なマイナスが続いている。必需品のため、下がりにくいとされる食料も、５か月連続で前年を下回る。
消費者にとってうれしい「食のデフレ」だが、かつてない逆風に苦しむ人たちもいる。
Although this downward trend in food prices may be a blessing for consumers, people on the other side of the shop counter are being buffeted by unprecedentedly strong headwinds.
===
Price wars hit small firms
◆中小企業を襲う価格競争◆
Takayoshi Isoda, 74, president of chicken wholesaler Torishin in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward, deplores the current situation. "The price of Brazilian chicken is almost half that of last year," he pointed out.
東京・板橋の鶏肉販売会社「鳥新」の磯田孝義社長（７４）は「このブラジル産は、去年のほぼ半値に落ちた」と嘆く。
Ninety percent of the chicken Isoda's firm trades in is from Brazil. As major chicken wholesalers have mounted a price-cutting offensive against smaller firms, Isoda is told by his clients, "Sorry, we want to buy chicken from a company that sell the cheapest product." His company's sales of chicken, mainly for commercial use, have tumbled due to a fall in selling prices.
扱う輸入鶏肉の９割はブラジル産。大手が安売り攻勢を仕掛け、取引先からは「悪いけど１円でも安いところで買う」と言われる。販売単価の下落で業務用を中心に売上高が減った。
The prices did not rebound in November, although the year-end, when demand usually spikes, is around the corner, with sales for that month only about 70 percent of last year's.
需要期の年末を控えた１１月も価格は回復せず、売り上げは前年の７割程度に低迷している。
"I've been in this business for 50 years, and this is the first time we've found ourself in such a serious situation," Isoda said.
磯田社長は「５０年商売して、こんな不振は初めて」と、頭を抱える。
The price competition has been intensifying to attract bargain-seeking customers.
「節約需要」を取り込むための価格競争は、激化の一途だ。
Supermarkets and major retailers have added to the lineups of their own-brand products, which are much cheaper than similar well-known brand-name products. Some major retail shops sell own-brand 350-milliliter cans of cola and tea for as little as 30 yen.
スーパーなどで、割安なプライベートブランド（ＰＢ）商品が増えた。３５０ミリ・リットル缶入りで３０円を切るＰＢのコーラやお茶を売る量販店もある。
The deflationary trend in the clothing sector is also notable. For instance, prices of low-priced jeans were progressively slashed to just 880 yen by such retailers as Aeon Co. and Daiei Inc., 850 yen by Seiyu GK and 690 yen by Don Quijote Co.
「衣のデフレ」もすさまじい。格安ジーンズの値段は、イオンとダイエーが８８０円、西友８５０円、ドン・キホーテ６９０円とどんどん下がった。
"I just try clothes on at department stores. I actually buy the clothes from Internet shops, which are cheaper," a female office clerk said, describing how she husbands her limited resources.
あるＯＬは「デパートは試着まで。買うのは安いネット通販で」と家計防衛作戦を披露する。
Department store sales have declined for 20th straight months through October, with sales of clothing marking the sharpest decline. Some department stores even sell men's suits for less than 10,000 yen in a bid to regain lost ground.
百貨店は１０月まで２０か月連続で売上高が減り、中でも衣料品の落ち込みが激しい。失地回復を狙って１万円を切る紳士スーツを売る百貨店も出てきた。
Major retailers can maintain their businesses even in the face of fierce price wars, but small and midsize businesses tend to be driven into a corner in such a situation.
大手ならある程度、値下げ競争に耐えられるが、中小企業は窮地に追い込まれやすい。
The results of a survey by Shoko Chukin Bank, whose clients are small businesses, showed that business sentiment among small and midsize enterprises turned downward in October for the first time in nine months, supporting the theory that the business recovery appears to have ground to a halt.
商工中金の調査によると、中小企業の１０月の景況判断指数が９か月ぶりに低下に転じて、業績回復の足踏みが裏付けられた。
The main cause is a decline in sales due to the downward trend in retail prices. It seems inevitable that small businesses will have to accelerate their restructuring efforts.
主因は、販売価格の下落による売り上げ減少だ。中小企業のリストラ加速は避けられそうにない。
Consumption will deteriorate if employment and wages are curtailed further at small and midsize companies, which employ 80 percent of the Japanese workforce.
労働者の８割が働く中小企業で雇用や給与のカットが広がれば、消費は打撃を受ける。
===
Deflationary threat looms
There are signs that the nation is on the brink of falling into a deflationary spiral, in which shortage of demand pushes down commodity prices, accelerating economic deterioration.
その需要不足が価格を押し下げ、さらに景気悪化が加速する「デフレスパイラル」の危険が高まりかねない。
In response, the government again declared last month that the economy is experiencing deflation, pointing out a demand shortage of as much as 40 trillion yen.
こうした中、政府は再びデフレを宣言した。消費などの需要が４０兆円も足りないためだ。
◆政府と日銀は協調せよ◆
In spite of this, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has frozen the implementation of parts of the fiscal 2009 supplementary budget, including public works projects, stoking fears that the demand shortage will depress the economy even further in the coming year.
ところが、鳩山内閣は公共事業の一部を凍結しており、来年にかけて需要不足が景気を底割れさせるとの懸念が広がる。
The government has proposed the provision of child-rearing allowances and the elimination of tolls on expressways as measures to stimulate domestic consumption. But many question whether these measures will produce positive effects quickly, and whether they are sustainable.
内需刺激策として子ども手当や高速道路無料化を掲げているが、即効性や持続性に疑問がある。
The steep appreciation of the yen and drops in stock prices we saw last week increase deflationary pressure. Hatoyama held an emergency meeting with concerned Cabinet ministers on Sunday at which he instructed them to include measures to deal with the strong yen and bearish market in a planned second supplementary budget for this fiscal year.
先週のような急激な円高と株価下落もデフレ圧力となる。鳩山首相は２９日、関係閣僚と緊急協議し、第２次補正予算に円高・株安対策を盛り込むよう指示した。
Bank of Japan Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa on Monday belatedly acknowledged that the nation was in a state of deflation, saying the central bank will "make utmost efforts to overcome deflation."
日銀の白川総裁も３０日、「デフレ克服のために最大限の努力を行う」と述べ、遅ればせながらデフレを認めた。
The government and central bank are finally preparing to work together to use every available policy tool to combat deflation. A package of comprehensive antideflationary measures must be implemented without delay.
政府・日銀が協調して、政策を総動員する態勢がようやく整ってきた。総合的なデフレ対策を急がねばならない。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 1, 2009)
（2009年12月1日00時58分 読売新聞）
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21 急いでもらいたいとき
22 待ってもらいたいとき
23 日時・場所・天候を尋ねるとき
24 その他
タイの文化、１４の戒律
タイの文化一覧:
01 雨の日にも傘をささないタイ人
02 勉強熱心なタイ人女性たち
03 タイ人は敬謙な仏教徒
04 タイの市場
05 タイの食堂
06 タイ人は外食が大好き
07 果物王国タイランド
08 タイ人の誕生日
09 タイの電話代は高い
10 微笑みの国タイランド
1４の戒律（テラワーダ仏教戒律）
seesaaサイト内リンク一覧：
第０１番目の戒律
第０２番目の戒律
第０３番目の戒律
第０４番目の戒律
第０５番目の戒律
第０６番目の戒律
第０７番目の戒律
第０８番目の戒律
第０９番目の戒律
第１０番目の戒律
第１１番目の戒律
第１２番目の戒律
第１３番目の戒律
第１４番目の戒律
1４の戒律（テラワーダ仏教戒律）
サイト外HPリンク一覧：
１４の戒律解説
第０１番目の戒律
第０２番目の戒律
第０３番目の戒律
第０４番目の戒律
第０５番目の戒律
第０６番目の戒律
第０７番目の戒律
第０８番目の戒律
第０９番目の戒律
第１０番目の戒律
第１１番目の戒律
第１２番目の戒律
第１３番目の戒律
第１４番目の戒律