水俣病救済合意 長年の争いに幕を引く時だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jul. 3, 2009)
水俣病救済合意　長年の争いに幕を引く時だ（7月3日付・読売社説）
Time to end the battles over Minamata disease

Fifty-three years have passed since the Minamata mercury poisonings were officially confirmed. The disease's victims are aging, and it is high time to put an end to the years of dispute surrounding Minamata disease, which is seen as the starting point for environmental pollution cases in this country.
　公式確認から５３年が経過した。被害者の高齢化も進んでいる。公害の原点である水俣病問題は、長年の争いに終止符を打つべき時にきている。

The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito and the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan reached an agreement Thursday to amend a bill to offer financial relief to people who have yet to be recognized as Minamata disease sufferers, paving the way for the bill to be passed during the current Diet session.
　水俣病未認定患者の救済法案について、与党の自民、公明両党と民主党が修正合意し、今国会で成立の見通しとなった。

Both the ruling and opposition blocs made concessions over the range of victims entitled to the proposed compensation plan. Given the necessity of providing relief measures to unrecognized sufferers as early as possible, the agreement is a great step forward.
　被害者の救済範囲などで、双方が歩み寄った。被害者の早期救済が必要であることを考えれば、大きな成果を得たといえよう。

===

Chisso's burden

Under the major pillars of the proposed relief package, Chisso Corp., which caused the disease by releasing mercury-laced waste water from its factory, will offer lump-sum payments to people who were not recognized under state criteria as Minamata disease sufferers. In the case of Niigata Minamata disease, a similar disease that occurred in Niigata Prefecture, Showa Denko K.K., which has been held responsible, is expected to make payments. The central government, for its part, will provide medical expenses for sufferers.
　国の認定基準では水俣病と認められなかった被害者に対し、原因企業のチッソ（新潟水俣病は昭和電工）が一時金を支払う。国は被害者に医療費を支給する。これらが救済策の主な内容だ。

We urge lawmakers to quickly agree on the amount of the lump-sum payments to ensure the money gets to the victims.
　一時金の額を速やかに決め、確実に実施してもらいたい。

To be recognized by the state as Minamata disease sufferer, a person is required to be diagnosed as suffering from two or more symptoms, such as numbness in feet and arms, and impaired muscle coordination. However, sufferers will be entitled to the new relief measures as long as they have developed any one of the listed symptoms, including numbness in the arms and feet, systematic sensory impairment or sensory disorders around the mouth.
　水俣病と認定されるには、手足のしびれや運動失調など、複数の症状の組み合わせが必要となる。これに対し、今回の救済策は、手足や全身のしびれ、口の周囲の感覚障害などのいずれかの症状があれば対象となる。

The relief measures are designed to expand the scope of victims as broadly as possible. More than 30,000 people are likely to be subject to the new agreement.
　可能な限り被害者を救済する内容で、３万人以上が該当する可能性があるという。

The bill also incorporates a plan to divide Chisso into two entities. The company, which currently is faring well thanks to its liquid crystal material production, will be split into one unit for business operations and another unit for compensating victims. Gains made on sales of the business section's listed stocks are expected to be used to pay compensation to sufferers.
　法案には、チッソの分社化も盛り込んだ。液晶生産などで業績好調なチッソを事業会社と補償会社に分離し、事業会社の株式の売却益を補償などに充てる計画だ。

Chisso seems to be trying to escape its image as a company responsible for pollution. However, the primary responsibility for such environmental degradation lies with the company that caused it. Whatever changes are made to Chisso's corporate structure, the firm must continue to bear the burden of steadily providing compensation to victims.
　チッソには、公害企業からの脱却という思惑があるとみられるが、公害の一義的な責任が原因企業にあることは、言うまでもない。会社の形態がどのように変わっても、チッソは、水俣病の補償を滞りなく進めていく義務がある。

===

Opinion still divided

In 1995, the Cabinet of then Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama endorsed a political settlement, formulating a relief package that covered more than 10,000 unrecognized patients.
　水俣病問題を巡っては、１９９５年に村山内閣が１万人余の未認定患者を対象にした救済策をまとめ、政治決着が図られた。

However, the dispute was reignited following a 2004 Supreme Court ruling on a collective lawsuit filed by victims based in the Kansai region. The nation's top court acknowledged people with a wider range of symptoms as Minamata disease victims than the government's standards.
　だが、２００４年の関西水俣病訴訟の最高裁判決により、問題が再燃した。最高裁が、国の認定基準よりも幅広く未認定患者を水俣病と認めたためだった。

The Supreme Court ruling was followed by a series of applications by victims seeking recognition and the filing of lawsuits, making it necessary to offer a new relief program.
判決後、認定申請や提訴が相次ぎ、新たな救済策が必要となった。

Because of strict criteria for recognizing Minamata disease sufferers, different lines have been drawn to define who is a victim, including people recognized by the central government, those who accepted the 1995 relief package without being officially recognized by the government, individuals who were recognized as sufferers by the top court, and people expected to be subject to the new legislation.
　認定患者、９５年の救済策を受け入れた未認定患者、裁判所が水俣病と認めた人、さらに、今回の救済策の対象者。認定基準が厳しいため、被害者が幾重にも線引きされた。

The complexity concerning sufferer recognition could be said to have delayed settlement of the issue.
その複雑な構図が水俣病問題の解決を遅らせたといえる。

Opinions among Minamata disease sufferers are divided over whether they should accept the proposed legislation. While some were positive, saying they would finally be able to get financial relief, others expressed discontent, saying lawmakers are not listening to them.
　「やっと救済される」「被害者の声を聞いていない」。救済策を受け入れるかどうか、被害者の反応は割れている。

The response of victims will be the key to determining whether the proposed legislation will finally settle the long-standing dispute.
今回の救済策が最終決着となるかどうかは、被害者側の対応がカギを握る。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 3, 2009)
（2009年7月3日01時49分 読売新聞）

鳩山氏架空献金 調査も説明も極めて不十分だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jul. 2, 2009)
Probe, full clarification of Hatoyama case needed
鳩山氏架空献金　調査も説明も極めて不十分だ（7月2日付・読売社説）

In the wake of an illegal donation case involving former Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa that saw him resign his post, a political-fund scandal involving current party leader Yukio Hatoyama has surfaced.
　違法献金事件で辞任した民主党の小沢一郎前代表に続き、鳩山代表にも「政治とカネ」をめぐる不祥事が発覚した。

Hatoyama admitted at a press conference Tuesday that his political fund management organization had made false statements in its fund reports, listing individual donations from about 90 people who had not actually donated money, including a number of deceased people, and he offered a public apology. The amount of misstated funds totaled 21.77 million yen from 2005 to 2008.
　鳩山代表は記者会見で自らの資金管理団体の政治資金収支報告書に、故人を含め約９０人の架空の個人献金を虚偽記載していたことを認め、謝罪した。２００５～０８年の虚偽記載は総額２１７７万円にも上る。

Hatoyama's government-paid first secretary is said to have dealt with the fictitious donations when he transferred Hatoyama's individually donated funds to the fund management organization.
　公設第１秘書が鳩山代表の個人資金を団体に繰り入れる際、別人の献金として処理したという。

Although the combined amount of fictitious donations is huge and each apparently violates the Political Funds Control Law, the investigation into and explanation of the scandal have been extremely insufficient. Hatoyama should provide a convincing explanation to the public after a thorough investigation into the facts has been conducted.
　多額の架空献金であり、政治資金規正法違反が明白なのに、調査も説明も極めて不十分だ。鳩山代表は、事実関係を徹底的に調査したうえ、国民が納得できるよう説明を尽くすべきだ。

===

Why so many small donations?

The focus now is on why the secretary invented so many fictitious donors.
　焦点は、なぜ秘書が多数の架空の献金者を仕立てたのかだ。

According to the Hatoyama side, the secretary had failed to make requests for donations from the lawmaker's supporters, so he tried to cover up his negligence. But this is a far from convincing explanation. It is difficult not to think there may have been reasons why the money could not have been dealt with as standard donations from Hatoyama or loans to the organization.
　鳩山代表側は、秘書が支持者への寄付の依頼を怠り、それを隠そうとしたと言うが、とても納得できる説明ではない。代表本人の寄付や貸付金にできない理由があったと見られても仕方がない。

In the past three years, the amount of small-sum anonymous individual donations to Hatoyama's fund management organization topped 100 million yen at the very least. We wonder whether other donations from fictitious donors may be found among those donations, and what of the donations made prior to 2005.
　資金管理団体には最近３年間だけで、小口の匿名の個人献金が総額１億円以上ある。この中にも架空献金が含まれているのではないか。０４年以前はどうなのか。

Hatoyama has urged Ozawa to fulfill his responsibility to explain what occurred regarding Nishimatsu Construction Co.'s alleged illegal donations to Ozawa's office. Hatoyama should be aware, therefore, that he too must clearly respond to the string of questions concerning his own scandal.
　鳩山代表は、西松建設の違法献金事件で小沢前代表に説明責任を果たすよう促していた。自らの問題に関する一連の疑問について明確に答えねばなるまい。

As with Ozawa's case, it involves a government-paid first secretary working in unison with a lawmaker. Any excuse that claims what was done occurred at the discretion of the secretary alone cannot be accepted. Hatoyama has a grave responsibility to supervise his secretary.
　小沢前代表と同様、公設第１秘書は政治家本人と一体の関係にある。「秘書が独断でやった」との言い訳は通用しない。鳩山代表には重大な監督責任がある。

===

DPJ cannot stand aloof

It does not stand to reason that the DPJ, for its part, can remain an onlooker, claiming the scandal is an individual matter.
　民主党も、鳩山代表の「個人の問題」として、傍観しているのはおかしい。
1
DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada has said that Hatoyama has fulfilled his accountability over the case. However, Okada's remark does not chime with the public's growing awareness of the matter.
岡田幹事長の「説明責任は果たされた」という発言は、一般国民の認識と乖離(かいり)がある。

In light of the Nishimatsu donation scandal, the DPJ has submitted a bill to the Diet to revise the Political Funds Control Law so it totally bans corporate and organization donations, starting three years from now.
　民主党は西松建設事件を踏まえて、企業・団体献金を３年後に全面禁止する政治資金規正法改正案を国会に提出している。

The bill was crafted based on the idea that all corporate donations are evil and individual donations are virtuous. However, this cannot be said to always be the case, as shown by the Hatoyama scandal in which the system of individual donations was abused. In addition, the freedom to engage in political activity should be remain open to corporations.
　「企業献金は悪で、個人献金は善」との発想だが、個人献金を悪用していた今回の例を見れば、説得力がない。企業にも政治活動の自由は認められるべきだろう。

The DPJ is not the only political party to be beset by political-fund scandals. Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai and Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano, both lawmakers of the Liberal Democratic Party, have been singled out for their opaque corporate donations and have been grilled in the Diet.
　政治資金の問題があるのは民主党だけではない。自民党の二階経済産業相や与謝野財務・金融相も不透明な企業献金が指摘され、国会で追及を受けた。

An audit system covering the expenditures of political organizations is to start this fiscal year. The way in which revenue is raised also must be checked thoroughly. The ruling and opposition parties should hold in-depth discussions on what kind of system would be most effective.
　政治団体の支出については０９年分から監査制度が始まる。収入も厳しいチェックが必要だ。どんな制度が効果的か、与野党は第三者も交えて議論を深めるべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 2, 2009)
（2009年7月2日01時14分 読売新聞）

核持ち込み 政府は密約の存在を認めよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jul. 1, 2009)
Govt should admit secret N-deal with U.S.
核持ち込み　政府は密約の存在を認めよ（7月1日付・読売社説）

It is no longer possible for the government to maintain its official stance of denying the existence of a deal between Japan and the United States that tacitly allows U.S. forces to bring nuclear weapons into Japanese territory. The time has come for the government to admit the existence of this accord and explain the facts surrounding it to the public.
　米軍の核持ち込み容認の密約はないとする政府見解の維持は、もはや困難だ。政府は、密約の存在を認め、国民に事実関係を説明すべき時だ。

In a recent interview with news media, including The Yomiuri Shimbun, Ryohei Murata, a former administrative vice foreign minister, revealed the existence of the accord between the Japanese and U.S. governments under which Japan tacitly approves port calls and passage through Japanese territorial waters by U.S. warships carrying nuclear weapons.
　日本は、核兵器を搭載した米軍艦船の日本への寄港や領海通過を黙認する――。そうした日米両政府の「秘密の了解」の存在を、村田良平・元外務次官が報道機関のインタビューで明らかにした。

When the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty was revised in 1960, the two countries agreed that U.S. forces would only bring nuclear weapons onto Japanese soil if prior bilateral consultations were held.
　１９６０年の日米安全保障条約の改定時に、米軍の核兵器の持ち込みは、両国が事前に協議する対象と定められた。

However, while this applied to the deployment or storage of nuclear weapons at U.S. bases in Japan, it has long been speculated that the two countries reached a secret deal to exempt port calls, stopovers and passage through Japanese territorial waters and airspace by U.S. warships and aircraft carrying nuclear weapons from the bilateral consultation rule.
　一方で、陸上の米軍基地への配備や保管と異なり、艦船・航空機の寄港・立ち寄りや通過は、事前協議の対象外とする密約の存在が以前から、指摘されていた。

The government has consistently denied the existence of a secret accord, but it should seriously consider the fact that a former top bureaucrat of the Foreign Ministry, who had direct knowledge of the secret accord within the ministry, has admitted its existence.
　日本政府は一貫して否定しているが、密約の引き継ぎに直接関与していた外務省の事務方トップがその存在を認めた事実は重い。

===

Cold War confrontation

Around 1960, in the midst of the Cold War, the general public of this nation was strongly allergic to all things nuclear, and there was constant confrontation between the conservative and progressive sides of politics.
　東西冷戦下の６０年当時、日本では、政治的な保革対立に加えて、一般国民の核アレルギーも強かった。

Therefore, it can be seen in some ways unavoidable that the government concluded a secret accord with Washington, with an eye on national security in the event of military emergency.
政府が、有事における安全保障の観点から密約を結んだのは、やむを得ない面もあったろう。

It is right and proper that secrets associated with diplomatic negotiations be kept if a country is to maintain mutual trust with its partner.
　外交交渉に伴う機密を守るのは、相手国との信頼関係を維持するためにも、当然のことだ。

However, nearly half a century has passed since then and the situation both at home and abroad has dramatically changed.
　だが、半世紀近くが経過し、国内外の状況は大きく変化した。

On the U.S. side, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Edwin Reischauer and others have, in the past, revealed the contents of the secret accord to the media. Many U.S. official documents that include mention of the deal have been publicly disclosed.
　米側では、ライシャワー元駐日大使ら関係者が密約の内容を証言した。密約を詳細に裏付ける公文書も多数公開されている。

In Japan, after the collapse of the so-called 1955 regime, which saw a political polarization with the Liberal Democratic Party on one side and the Japan Socialist Party on the other right through to 1993, the environment is becoming ripe for a comprehensive debate on national security.
　日本でも、自民、社会両党主軸の５５年体制が崩壊し、より健全な安全保障論議ができる環境が整いつつある。

===

Review nonnuclear principles

Any continuation by the government of its labored attempts to hide the existence of the secret deal is not in line with national interests. Rather, maintaining the line that there is no deal can only bring negative effects as it would, for example, damage public trust in the government's handling of diplomatic and national security policies.
　これ以上無理を重ねて、密約を否定し続けることが、国益に沿うとは言えまい。むしろ、政府の外交・安保政策に対する国民の信頼を損ねるなど、マイナス面の方が大きいのではないか。

If the government is to review the secret accord, it will inevitably be required to revisit its long-standing three nonnuclear principles of not possessing, not producing and not allowing nuclear weapons on this nation's soil.
　密約を見直せば、核兵器を「持たず、作らず、持ち込ませず」とする非核三原則のあり方にも踏み込まざるを得ないだろう。

However, while it is appropriate to maintain the principles of not possessing or producing nuclear weapons, the government should be given free rein to review, in a considered manner, the principle of not allowing nuclear weapons on the country's soil.
　核兵器の保有と製造の禁止を継続するのは妥当だとしても、「持ち込ませず」は、冷静に議論し直していい。

Temporary port calls and passage through Japanese territorial waters by U.S. warships carrying nuclear weapons are significantly different in their implications to the deploying and storing of nuclear weapons on the ground.
陸上への配備や保管と、一時的な寄港や領海通過では、意味合いが相当異なる。

Japan is faced with growing security concerns due to both the increasingly serious nuclear and missile threat posed by North Korea and China's rapid military buildup.
　北朝鮮の核とミサイルの脅威が深刻化し、中国の軍備増強が急速に進むなど、日本の安全保障環境は厳しさを増している。

To enhance the nation's deterrent ability under the U.S. nuclear umbrella, it is important that U.S. forces be allowed to operate flexibly in the event of a military emergency. The government must tackle the debate on nuclear weapons with no subject considered taboo.
　米国の「核の傘」による抑止力を高めるには、有事の部隊運用の柔軟性が重要だ。タブーにとらわれない核論議が求められる。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 1, 2009)
（2009年7月1日01時53分 読売新聞）

郵政株主総会 西川社長再任は条件付きだ

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jun. 30, 2009)
Nishikawa's return subject to conditions
郵政株主総会　西川社長再任は条件付きだ（6月30日付・読売社説）

Will the reappointment of Japan Post Holdings' incumbent directors improve the corporate culture of the scandal-tainted company?
　数々の不祥事を起こした日本郵政の体質が、これで変わるだろうか。

The government, as the company's sole stockholder, approved the reappointment of all of Japan Post Holdings' nine directors, including Yoshifumi Nishikawa as president, at a general meeting of shareholders held at its head office in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo, on Monday. The decision on personnel was then finalized with the approval of Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Tsutomu Sato, who is responsible for overseeing Japan's postal system.
　２９日に開かれた日本郵政の株主総会で、国は西川善文社長ら取締役９人全員の再任を承認し、佐藤総務相も人事を認可した。

The government decided to let the current management continue to operate Japan Post after it examined and accepted the company's responses to its business improvement order--imposed after the envisaged sale of Kampo no Yado hotels and resort facilities at unreasonably low prices came to light--and the company's punitive actions against the employees involved, including pay cuts for Nishikawa and the other directors.
　「かんぽの宿」売却に関する業務改善命令への回答や、西川社長ら役員の報酬カットなど社内処分を受け入れ、現経営陣にかじ取りを任せた。

However, a majority of the public are very critical of Nishikawa's reappointment, according to several opinion polls. The opposition Democratic Party of Japan said that it would fire Nishikawa if the party wins the upcoming House of Representatives election and takes power. Nishikawa should run the company in a humble manner, considering his reappointment as Japan Post president is subject to conditions.
　しかし、続投については国民の多くが強く批判しており、民主党も衆院選で勝利して政権を取った場合は、更迭する意向を表明している。西川社長は、あくまで条件付きの再任と受け止め、謙虚に経営にあたらねばならない。

The bidding on the Kampo no Yado hotels was handled in a very suspicious way with higher bids not chosen and no record kept of the negotiation process.
　「かんぽの宿」の入札では、高額での購入提案が選ばれず、交渉過程の記録もないなど、極めて不自然だった。

===

Staff held accountable

Four of the company's senior officials, who came from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and were known as "Team Nishikawa," have been held responsible for that and will be dismissed soon to return to the bank. But, Nishikawa, too, bears heavy responsibility for letting his staff get out of control.
　こうした責任を問われ、三井住友銀行出身で、「チーム西川」と呼ばれた幹部４人は近く解任されて、銀行に戻る。部下の暴走を許した西川社長の責任は重い。

According to the company's business improvement plan, Japan Post will establish a new management advisory committee to monitor its problem-plagued management system. The company will also create a new post of chairman and appoint one of the external board members to the post. The chairman will double as head of the committee. To accomplish the improvement plan's aims, the current external board members who overlooked the scandals should not stay, but should be replaced with new members invited from outside the company.
　多くの問題が見つかった経営手法を監視するため、経営諮問会議を新設する。議長は社外取締役から選ぶ会長が兼任する。趣旨を生かすには、不祥事を見過ごしてきた現在の社外取締役でなく、外部から新たに招くのが筋だ。

According to Japan Post's plan, the Kampo no Yado enterprise, which is the original cause of the whole problem, posted a deficit of 5.4 billion yen in fiscal 2008 but should move into the black in fiscal 2011.
　問題の発端となったかんぽの宿は、２００８年度に５４億円の赤字だった事業を、１１年度に黒字にする計画という。

The turnaround is intended to allow Japan Post to sell the resort facilities at higher prices, but can Japan Post end the hotels' chronic deficits through only such conventional measures as developing a new customer base and reducing labor costs?
　高値で売却するためだが、新規顧客の開拓や人件費削減などありきたりの方策で、長年の赤字体質から抜け出せるのだろうか。

===

Deadline looming

The Kampo no Yado hotels are required to be either sold or shut down and liquidated by autumn 2012. If business conditions remain tough, such as lingering doldrums in real estate prices, Japan Post should consider the option of disposing of those facilities with huge deficits first, but waiting for better circumstances to sell the others.
　かんぽの宿は２０１２年の秋までに売却か廃止が義務づけられている。不動産価格の低迷が長引くなど環境が悪ければ、赤字の大きい施設などは処分しつつ、有利な売り時を待つ選択肢もあろう。

In the privatization of postal services, it is necessary to both promote efficiency and and preserve the universality of services such as mail delivery. We must closely monitor the postal service privatization to prevent it from focusing exclusively on efficiency and make it an instance of privatization the public can consider a success as the internal affairs and communication minister said.
　民営化では、効率アップと郵便などのサービス維持の両立が求められる。効率一辺倒になっていないか、佐藤総務相の言う「国民が良かったと思う民営化」にできるか厳しく監視せねばならない。

Both Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance will be fully privatized by October 2017.
　ゆうちょ銀行とかんぽ生命保険は、２０１７年１０月までに完全民営化する。

But, the two companies will be criticized for "oppressing private companies" if they try to expand their businesses to seek sufficient revenues in preparation for full privatization. It is essential for them to sufficiently explain their actions to win the public's understanding.
　独り立ちに必要な収益を求めて業務を拡大すれば、「民業圧迫」の批判も出るだろう。理解を得るための説明が欠かせない。

However, Nishikawa seems to be insincere at times as he refused to hold press conferences on some important occasions, such as when he gave the final business improvement report to the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry. We would like to ask him to be fully accountable as president of Japan Post Holdings.
　西川社長は、総務省への最終報告など節目で記者会見に応じないなど、誠実さに欠ける面も見られた。説明責任をしっかり果たすよう求めたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 30, 2009)
（2009年6月30日01時59分 読売新聞）

日韓首脳会談 忍耐強く「北」に圧力をかけよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jun. 29, 2009)
United front needed in confronting N. Korea
日韓首脳会談　忍耐強く「北」に圧力をかけよ（6月29日付・読売社説）

As long as North Korea does not change its provocative attitude, it is important for the international community to patiently continue to put pressure on the country.
　北朝鮮が挑戦的な姿勢を改めない以上、国際社会は忍耐強く圧力をかけ続けることが肝要だ。

During a summit meeting in Tokyo on Sunday, Prime Minister Taro Aso and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak reaffirmed that "Pyongyang's nuclear development poses a serious threat and is not acceptable." They also agreed on the importance of bilateral cooperation, as well as working with the United States, in dealing with North Korea, aiming for the "faithful implementation" of a U.N. Security Council resolution on sanctions against North Korea.
　麻生首相と李明博韓国大統領は２８日の会談で、北朝鮮の核開発は「重大な脅威で容認できない」（麻生首相）と改めて確認した。日米韓が連携し、国連安全保障理事会の制裁決議の「忠実な履行」（李大統領）を目指すことでも一致した。

After North Korea conducted a nuclear test in 2006, the United States lifted its own financial sanctions against North Korea to get the country back to the six-party talks. In addition, the United States continued to take a soft approach by supplying heavy oil and removing the country from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
　３年前の核実験後、北朝鮮を６か国協議に復帰させるため、米国は独自の金融制裁を解除した。さらに、重油支援やテロ支援国指定の解除とアメを与え続けた。

However, the process of verifying that Pyongyang's declared nuclear programs had been halted and all its existing nuclear facilities had been disabled was left unfinished.
　しかし、北朝鮮の核計画の申告や核施設の無能力化作業は中途半端で、検証も実現しなかった。

The same mistakes should not be repeated. It is natural not to reward North Korea for returning to the six-party talks and it is indispensable to impose harsh punishment on reckless deeds that ignored the warnings of the international community.
　今回は、その轍(てつ)を踏んではなるまい。協議への復帰に見返りを与えないのは当然であり、国際社会の警告を無視した暴挙には厳罰で臨むことが不可欠だ。

===

China's role vital

The success of the U.N. Security Council resolution on sanctions against North Korea, including cargo inspections, depends on how China deals with North Korea because Beijing has a large influence on Pyongyang through trade and food and energy assistance.
　貨物検査など国連決議の履行の成否は、貿易や食糧・エネルギー支援を通じて北朝鮮に影響力を持つ中国の対応にかかっている。

China also clearly said that it will not allow possession of nuclear weapons by North Korea. Strengthening military deterrence among Japan, South Korea and the United States to counter Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats is not desirable for China.
　中国も、北朝鮮の核保有を認めないと明言している。北朝鮮の核とミサイルに対抗するため、日米韓が軍事的抑止力を高める構図は中国に望ましいものではない。

It is extremely important to continue to urge China to make a "responsible response" to North Korea, including putting pressure on the country.
　中国に対し、北朝鮮への圧力を含む「責任ある対応」を促し続けることが極めて重要となる。

Many observers pointed out that the aim of Pyongyang's missile launches and nuclear tests is not to just strengthen its bargaining chip against the United States, but also are tied to the domestic situation and the need to solidify the regime of the successor to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
　北朝鮮のミサイル発射や核実験の狙いが、単なる対米交渉カードの強化ではなく、金正日総書記の後継体制を固めるという国内事情にある、との見方が多い。

If this is true, it is possible North Korea could turn a deaf ear to warnings by relevant countries and dare to launch longer-range missiles. The international community needs to prepare for a long war.
　事実なら、北朝鮮が今後も、関係国の働きかけに耳を貸さず、より長射程のミサイル発射などに走る可能性が否定できない。国際社会は長期戦の覚悟が必要だ。

===

Deeper discussions

Meanwhile, it is important to discuss a new type of consultation in preparation for a future return of North Korea to the six-party talks. If the talks continue as five-party talks without North Korea, as proposed by Lee, such an occasion would be a good opportunity to deepen the discussion for that purpose.
　一方で、北朝鮮がいずれ対話に戻る時に備えて、新たな協議のあり方を検討しておくことが大切だ。李大統領の提唱する日米中韓露の５か国協議が実現すれば、その議論を深める機会となろう。

The framework of the six-party talks itself is reasonable and it should be maintained in terms of the role it affords Japan in handling issues related to North Korea. Furthermore, participating countries should rack their brains for measures to apply the brakes to any future nuclear test by Pyongyang and ways to lead North Korea toward nuclear disarmament .
　５か国と北朝鮮による６か国協議の枠組み自体は合理的であり、日本の発言権を確保する観点からも維持したい。さらに、北朝鮮に二度と核実験を行わせないための歯止め措置や、核廃棄に誘導する方法論に知恵を絞るべきだ。

In Sunday's summit meeting, Aso and Lee also agreed to promote cooperation on assistance for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and on antipiracy efforts off Somalia.
　首脳会談では、アフガニスタン・パキスタン支援やソマリア沖の海賊対策について、日韓協力を推進することでも合意した。

Since the start of Lee's administration in February 2008, the bilateral relationship between Japan and South Korea has strengthened in a wide range of fields. We hope that the two countries will establish a stronger relationship of trust by achieving tangible results.
　昨年２月の李政権発足以来、日韓関係は幅広い分野で強化されてきた。具体的な実績を上げ、より強固な信頼関係を築きたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 29, 2009)
（2009年6月29日01時43分 読売新聞）

平成農地改革 農業再生の第一歩となれば

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jun. 28, 2009)
Farmland reform aims to revitalize agriculture
平成農地改革　農業再生の第一歩となれば（6月28日付・読売社説）

The idea of arresting the decline of agriculture by shifting the focus of the farmland system from ownership to effective use informs the revised Agricultural Land Law, which recently passed the Diet.
　農地制度の軸足を「所有」から「利用」に移して農業の衰退に歯止めをかける。こんな狙いを込めた改正農地法が、国会で成立した。

This is a major revision in that the owner-cultivator system maintained since the postwar farmland reform, which gave ownership of farmland to those who cultivate it, was overhauled. The revised law allows letting and leasing of farmland in principle and has eased regulations on the entry of corporate entities into agribusinesses.
　農地解放以来の「農地は耕作者のもの」とする「自作農主義」を見直す大改正だ。農地の貸借を原則自由とし、企業の農業への参入規制も緩和する。

The biggest problems that the nation's agriculture industry faces are a dearth of farmers and low productivity. It is an urgent task to promote the entry of corporations into the agribusiness sector as a major player in the industry and improve efficiency. The enactment of the revised law should serve as the first step toward revitalizing the nation's agricultural sector, and the so-called Heisei-era farmland reform should be carried out as soon as possible.
　日本の農業の最大の課題は、担い手不足と低い生産性にある。企業の農業参入を促して新たな担い手とし、効率化を進めることが急務だ。改正農地法の成立を農業再生の第一歩とし、「平成の農地改革」の実現を急ぐべきだ。

===

Fears over rise in land misuse

Farmland that companies may lease had been limited mainly to abandoned land. But under the new system, companies may also lease prime land. Tenure, which had been limited to 20 years, has been extended to 50 years.
　企業が借りられる農地はこれまで耕作放棄地などに限られていたが、今後は優良農地も借りられるようになる。最長２０年だった貸借期間も５０年に延長された。

At the same time, consolidation of farmland for lease is expected to be promoted. Regardless of who is the lessee, the government will provide subsidies to farmers who let their land. Municipal governments and agricultural cooperatives will systematically provide information on farmland available for lease to prospective lessees.
　同時に、貸し出す農地の集約事業も進める。借り手を問わずに農地を貸し出す農家に国が交付金を出し、市町村や農協が農地をまとめて借り手に紹介する。

It will be easier to improve efficiency with the use of agricultural machinery if farmland is consolidated. It also is expected that abandoned farmland, which totals about 400,000 hectares nationwide, will be reduced by letting it in combination with prime farmland.
　まとまった農地なら、機械化による効率経営を進めやすい。他の農地と「まとめ貸し」をすることで、全国に約４０万ヘクタールある耕作放棄地を減らす効果も期待できる。

But there still is much work to do to ensure that farmland is used more efficiently.
　ただ、農地の有効利用には、なお残された課題も多い。

There are concerns that the law revision may lead to an increase in the number of cases in which borrowed land is illegally diverted for such purposes as parking lots and garbage dumps.
　心配なのは、借りた農地を駐車場やごみ捨て場などに不正転用するケースが増えることだ。

In 2008 alone, farmland with an area equivalent to 121 Tokyo Domes was illegally diverted for other purposes. In 90 percent of such cases, local governments reportedly rubber-stamped the misuse of the land in question, thus benefiting those acting illegally.
　２００８年だけで、東京ドーム１２１個分の農地が不正に転用されている。その９割は自治体が不正転用を追認しており、「やり得」というのが実態だ。

Under the revised law, the upper limit of fines imposed on companies that illicitly use farmland for purposes other than farming has been raised from the previous 3 million yen to 100 million yen. But this toughened penalty will have only a limited effect.
　改正法では不正転用した企業に科す罰金の上限を３００万円から１億円に引き上げたが、罰則の強化だけでは限界がある。

===

Watchdogs must stay alert

Municipal governments' agricultural committees are in charge of checking whether farmland is being used illegally. But it is indispensable to drastically review the function of these committees. It is said that registries containing such information as the size of farmland and its ownership are not updated in some cases. Concerned officials should first grasp the actual situation in the areas they administer and crack down on the illegal use of farmland.
　転用の監視役は市町村の農業委員会だが、その抜本的見直しが不可欠だ。農地面積や権利関係を記した基本台帳すら、過去の記録のまま放置されている例があるという。まず地域の実態を把握し、厳しく転用を取り締まるべきだ。

The increase in the maximum tenure period raises the risk that leased farmland will not be returned within the due period, or that it will be misused. If farmers, feeling concerned about such potential problems, become reluctant to let their land, the entry of companies into the agribusiness industry will not be facilitated. Companies will not be able to win trust from landowners if they withdraw from agribusinesses just because they failed to make a quick profit.
　貸借期間が長期化すれば、期限が来ても返されなかったり、改廃されたりする恐れが高まる。農家がこれを嫌って貸し出しを渋れば企業の参入は進まない。企業が目先の収益だけで撤退するようでも貸し手の信頼は得られない。

To ensure that the revised law does not end up pie in the sky, it is important for farmland letters and lessees to have mutual understanding. Pursuing efficiency and cost-effectiveness alone is unlikely to lead to the stable management of the agribusiness sector. Companies, as a vital player in the industry, must bear this in mind as they seek synergy with regional agriculture.
　改正法を絵に描いたモチに終わらせないためには、貸し手と借り手の相互理解が重要だ。効率化やコスト意識だけでは、安定した農業経営はできない。担い手の一人として、企業は地域農業との共生を忘れてはならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 28, 2009)
（2009年6月28日01時36分 読売新聞）

物価大幅下落 デフレ退治に最善を尽くせ

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jun. 27, 2009)
Take every step to fight deflation
物価大幅下落　デフレ退治に最善を尽くせ（6月27日付・読売社説）

Are we seeing the start of a vicious circle in which both the economy and prices decline simultaneously?
　景気と物価が同時に落ち込むデフレの悪循環が始まったのだろうか。

The nationwide consumer price index fell 1.1 percent in May, year on year, recording the largest drop since the end of World War II.
　５月の全国消費者物価は前年同月比１・１％低下して、戦後最大の下落率を更新した。

The previous biggest fall in the CPI was 1 percent, recorded in May 2001. At that time, the Bank of Japan was fighting deflation, using the quantitative easing policy for the first time.
　これまで最大の下落率は１・０％、記録したのは２００１年５月だった。当時、日銀は初の量的金融緩和でデフレと戦っていた。

Prices have dropped more steeply than those at that time, and the pace of decline is expected to quicken.
その時より物価は下がり、今後さらに下落率は拡大が見込まれる。

In the summer of 2000, the central bank lifted its zero-interest-rate policy on the strength of its optimistic view on the outlook for the economy. The move aggravated deflation.
　２０００年夏、日銀は景気の先行きを楽観してゼロ金利政策を解除し、デフレを悪化させた。

This time, one misstep could lead to deflationary spiral. Now that the economy has shown slight signs of recovery, every measure needs to be taken to fight deflation.
今回も一歩誤れば、連鎖が止まらぬ「デフレスパイラル」を招きかねない。景気に薄日が差す今こそ、デフレ退治に最善を尽くすべきだ。

The effects of falls in crude oil and grain prices, which skyrocketed last year, are huge. However, prices of items excluding gasoline and food are increasingly falling. Even disregarding these special factors, current circumstances will tend to push the economy further into deflation.
　前年に高騰した原油や穀物の価格が、一転して下がった影響は大きい。だが、ガソリンや食料を除いた物価も下げ幅の拡大が続いている。特殊要因を除いても、デフレ圧力は強いと見た方がいい。

===

Domestic demand anemic

One major factor is the slump in domestic demand, including consumption.
　主な原因は、消費をはじめとした内需の低迷である。

Department store sales have posted declines for 15 months in a row, and supermarket sales have fallen for six straight months.
　百貨店は１５か月連続、スーパーも６か月連続で売上高が減った。

Many stores have cut the prices of items they sell and brought forward summer sales. This is because goods tend not to sell unless they are marked down. Department stores are struggling to sell clothing items, but low-price brand stores are doing good business.
夏のセールの前倒しなど、値下げの動きが広がるのは、安くしないと売れないからだ。百貨店で不振の衣料品も、低価格ブランドの専門店は売れ行き好調という。

With shrinking incomes due to corporate restructuring and cuts in overtime work, households are have been sharply reining in their spending. As a result, companies are engaged in price wars, leading to a decline in profits. This in turn translates into wage cuts.
　リストラや残業カットで収入が減り、家計は少しでも安い商品を選ぶようになる。その結果、企業は値下げ競争に走って利益が減り、さらなる賃下げを招く。

Curtailing spending is the right choice for individuals, but at the macroeconomic level, it prolongs a slump. In this regard, deflation is an intractable disease that robs an economy of dynamism.
　節約は個人の正しい選択だが、経済全体の停滞は長く深くなる。デフレは、経済の活力を奪う「難病」なのだ。

One major problem is the 45 trillion yen demand-supply shortfall. So that the effects of current economic measures can kick in, the government must come up with new policies seamlessly.
　問題は日本経済全体で４５兆円の需要不足にある。景気対策の効果が息切れしないよう、切れ目ない政策対応が必要となる。

Measures that can boost demand--such as programs to fight unemployment, aid for medical and nursing care, and promotion of growing businesses, such as those in the environmental and energy-saving fields--must be given priority. Belt-tightening polices such as across-the-board cuts in social security spending are a no-no under deflation.
　失業対策や医療・介護現場への支援、環境・省エネなど成長産業の振興など、高い需要創出が見込める事業を優先したい。社会保障費の一律カットなど緊縮政策は、デフレ下では禁物である。

===

Quantitative easing needed

If pessimistic views that deflation will deepen prevail, the economic situation may drastically deteriorate.
　「デフレが深刻になる」という悲観論が広がると、事態が急激に悪化する恐れが出てくる。

To combat the financial crisis that started in autumn, the Bank of Japan has supplied a large amount of funds to the market by purchasing long-term government bonds and corporate bonds, and the market has calmed down.
　日銀は昨秋からの金融危機を沈静化させるため、長期国債や社債の買い入れで資金を大量供給し、市場は落ち着きを取り戻した。

The main battlefield of monetary policy likely will shift to deflation. The central bank would be advised to come up with comprehensive quantitative easing measures with numerical targets and pledge those measures will be maintained until prices start to rise.
　今後はデフレが金融政策の主戦場となろう。数値目標を掲げる全面的な量的緩和に踏み切り、物価がプラスになるまで続けると約束してはどうか。

The Bank of Japan needs to show its determination to fight against the malignancy of deflation.
　日銀は、悪性のデフレを防ぐ決意を示してほしい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 27, 2009)
（2009年6月27日01時28分 読売新聞）

官製談合 あきれ果てた国交省の体質

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jun. 26, 2009)
Transport ministry needs to recheck its checks
官製談合　あきれ果てた国交省の体質（6月26日付・読売社説）

Another bid-rigging case involving officials at the Construction and Transport Ministry has bubbled to the surface. The ministry needs to seriously reflect on the preventive measures it has taken following previous scandals.
　またも国土交通省の官製談合が発覚した。これまでの再発防止策は、一体何だったのか。国交省は猛省すべきだ。

Suspecting that ministry officials were involved in bid-rigging practices related to official vehicle services for the ministry's Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau, the Fair Trade Commission issued the ministry with a remedial action under a law that forbids collusive bidding by government officials.
　公正取引委員会は、国交省の出先機関、北海道開発局が発注した公用車の運転・管理業務の談合に職員が関与していたとして、官製談合防止法に基づき、国交省に改善措置を求めた。

The FTC issued the order, citing a violation of the Antimonopoly Law, to stop bid-rigging practices by 10 companies that had won contracts for official vehicle services for the ministry's Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau and eight other regional bureaus, slapping the firms with a total of about 2.6 billion yen in penalties.
　北海道開発局と八つの地方整備局の公用車業務を受注した１０社には、独占禁止法違反で排除措置命令を出し、計２６億円の課徴金納付を命じた。

Former ministry officials who landed lucrative posts at these private companies are said to be involved in bid-rigging concerning contracts of the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau and five regional bureaus.
開発局と５地方整備局の発注分では、ＯＢも再就職先で談合にかかわっていたという。

===

Flawed logic

Collusive bid-rigging practices by government officials have occurred repeatedly at the Construction and Transport Ministry. Not only is it the only ministry that has been ordered to take remedial action, it is also the second time it has been ordered to do so, the first coming after a bid-rigging scandal concerning floodgate construction projects in 2007.
　国交省では官製談合が繰り返されてきた。中央官庁で改善措置要求を受けたのは、国交省だけだ。しかも、２００７年の水門設備工事談合に続き、２回目である。

In 2008, the then director general of the ministry's Hokkaido Bureau was arrested on suspicion of interfering with a public tender by preadjusting the prices on bids for improvement work on the Ishikarigawa river during his time as a department chief of the ministry's Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau. He was convicted on the charges.
　０８年には、現職の北海道局長が北海道開発局の部長時代に談合に加担したとして競売入札妨害容疑で逮捕され、有罪が確定した。

Behind all of this lies the collusion and cozy ties of former bureaucrats who work for private companies after leaving the ministry. A pattern forms in which current ministry officials leak information on public biddings and award orders to companies at which their former superiors and colleagues now work.
　背景にあるのは、天下りしたＯＢとのなれ合い、癒着だ。現役職員が、かつての先輩や同僚が再就職した会社に入札情報を漏らし、受注させる構図である。

In this latest bid-rigging story, more than 50 former ministry officials took on jobs at the three companies that were awarded most of the orders.
　今回の談合で受注の多い３社には、一時、計５０人を超すＯＢがいた。

The 2008 bid-rigging case involving the head of the ministry's Hokkaido Bureau was partly aimed at ensuring that bureaucrats would have lucrative jobs when they enter the private sector. However, the Sapporo District Court in its verdict criticized this as a selfish motive based on the institution's flawed logic.
北海道局長の事件でも職員の再就職先確保が一因だったが、札幌地裁判決は「組織の論理に基づく身勝手な動機」と批判した。

===

Outside oversight a good start

In response to the 2007 bid-rigging scandal concerning floodgate projects and the 2008 scandal of the Hokkaido Bureau chief, the Construction and Transport Ministry on both occasions compiled reports through committees that included outside experts examining the cases. The committees proposed reviews of bid contract methods and the nature of reemployment for retired ministry officials, as well as a strengthening of compliance.
　水門談合や北海道局長の事件を受けて、国交省はその都度、第三者を交えた対策検討委員会で報告書をまとめた。入札契約方式や再就職のあり方の見直し、法令順守の強化などを打ち出した。

The committee said in a report submitted at the end of April that the management of ministry staff, including any reemployment at private companies, should be handled in an integrated manner by the development administration department of the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau.
　４月末に出した報告書では、北海道開発局について、「再就職を含む職員管理は開発監理部で一元的に実施する」とした。

The report aims to prevent senior officials at each operating division, such as rivers and ports and harbors projects, from engaging in bid-rigging in an attempt to secure jobs in private companies after retirement.
河川や港湾など各事業部門の幹部が、職員の再就職先確保のため、談合に関与するのを防ぐ狙いだ。

However, in the bid-rigging related to ministerial vehicle services, it was the chief and deputy chief of the development administration department of the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau who relayed bidding information to former bureaucrats working at private companies.
　だが、公用車談合でＯＢの社長らに情報を漏らしていたのは、この開発監理部の部長や次長らだった。

The ministry again set up a committee to examine this case. However, there also needs to be a look into past preventive measures.
国交省は今回も対策検討委を設けているが、こうした過去の再発防止策も見直す必要がある。

Ensuring the efficacy of preventative measures is crucial. Just this month, the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau appointed an FTC official for the newly created post of bid contract inspector. This move--the hiring of an outside expert--is one of the ways to help ensure the strength of the inspection department.
　肝心なのは、対策の実効性をどう担保するかだ。北海道開発局は今月、新設の入札契約監察官に公取委職員を起用したが、外部の専門家を拡充するなど監察部門の強化もその一つだろう。

With the move to decentralize administrative power, the review of branch ministerial offices, including regional development bureaus, has become an important task. The current situation in which these matters lie beyond the reach of local assemblies and residents should be changed.
　地方分権改革で、地方整備局など国の出先機関の見直しは重要なテーマになっている。議会や住民の監視の目が届きにくい現状は、変えていかねばなるまい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 26, 2009)
（2009年6月26日01時59分 読売新聞）

公文書管理 法律はできたが課題も多い

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jun. 25, 2009)
New archive law marks start of major change
公文書管理　法律はできたが課題も多い（6月25日付・読売社説）

The nation's national archive system, which has not performed as well as those of other countries, is set to fundamentally change.
　諸外国と比べ不備が目立つ公文書館制度が根本から改められる。

A law on management and preservation of official state documents was enacted Wednesday that sets out the procedures for drawing up and managing documents by administrative authorities as well as rules covering their transfer to the National Archives of Japan. The law is expected to come into effect in April 2011.
　行政にかかわる文書の作成、管理から国立公文書館への移管までの手続きを包括的に定めた公文書管理法が成立した。２０１１年４月から施行される見込みだ。

As a democratic nation, it is the government's responsibility to preserve documents detailing policy decision-making processes and to fulfill its responsibility to make such information available to the public.
　政策決定の過程を伝える文書を着実に保存し、国民に対し説明責任を果たすことは、民主主義国家として当然の責務である。

The law makes it clear that state documents are intellectual resources to be shared by all citizens to support the foundations of a healthy democracy. It also stipulates that people are allowed to proactively use such documents.
　公文書は「健全な民主主義の根幹を支える国民共有の知的資源」であり、「国民が主体的に利用し得るものである」ことが法律に明記された。

To meet the aims stated under the law, we must steadily work to better preserve and manage state documents.
　法の趣旨を踏まえ、公文書の保存・管理を着実に進めていかなければならない。

Ministries and agencies currently preserve administrative documents for at least one year and up to 30 years. In the final fiscal year of the preservation period, a decision on whether to discard the information, transfer it to the National Archives of Japan, or extend the preservation period have been determined at the initiative of the relevant ministry or agency.
　省庁が行政文書を保存する期間は１年から最長３０年で、最終年度に、廃棄か、国立公文書館に移管か、保存期限を延長するかが各省庁の主導で決められてきた。

===

Logbooks, lists lost

National archives management has been so poor, however, that the logbooks of a Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel were discarded before their preservation term had expired, and a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry document listing patients suspected of being infected with hepatitis C through tainted blood products was left in a storage area.
　管理体制もずさんで、海上自衛隊の航海日誌が保存期限前に破棄されたり、厚生労働省の薬害肝炎の症例リストが倉庫に放置されたりする問題もおきている。

The new law stipulates that the consent of the prime minister is needed before documents are discarded and that administrative documents, which are valuable as historical materials, will be transferred to the National Archives of Japan in almost all cases.
　新法では、廃棄には首相の同意が必要なことや、歴史資料として重要な行政文書は原則として国立公文書館に移管されることなどが定められた。

However, the law, which was proposed by the government, does not cover Diet and court documents.
　政府が提案したこの法律では、国会と裁判所の文書については対象外とされた。

===

Archives law must be debated

A report compiled by an expert government panel in November sought to promote the transfer of documents drawn up by the Diet and courts to the National Archives of Japan. For that purpose, the panel has proposed a reorganization of the body that oversees the archives, changing it from its current status as an independent administrative corporation to a special administrative corporation.
　昨年１１月に政府の有識者会議がまとめた報告書は、国会と裁判所の文書の国立公文書館への移管を促進することを求めている。そのため、国立公文書館を現在の独立行政法人から「特別の法人」に改組するよう提言した。

The Diet resolution accompanying enactment of the law stated that an examination must be made of how the National Archives of Japan should be reformed. Thorough discussion of the issue is indeed needed to ensure the new plan quickly takes shape.
　こうした国立公文書館のあり方についての検討は、国会の付帯決議に盛り込まれた。議論を深め、具体化を急ぐ必要がある。

The expansion of the National Archives of Japan will be a big task. It has been pointed out that the capacity of the main building, located in Kitanomaru Garden in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, will be reached within a decade. The current number of staffers is merely 42 people, in contrast to the 2,500 employed in the United States and 800 in Germany.
　国立公文書館の拡充も大きな課題だ。東京・北の丸公園内にある本館は、１０年以内に満杯になると指摘されている。職員数もわずか４２人で、米国の２５００人、ドイツの８００人に遠く及ばない。

Archivists must be quickly trained. A change in the current mindset of officials at ministries and agencies toward preserving documents also should be promoted.
　文書管理の専門家の養成が急務だ。各省庁の職員の文書保存に対する意識改革も、併せて進めていくべきだろう。

With progress of IT, the number of electronic documents has greatly increased in recent years, making it necessary to draw up rules for the efficient management of electronic documents.
　ＩＴ化の進展で、近年は電子文書も増えている。効率的な電子文書の管理が出来るようルール作りも必要だろう。

Many tasks need to be tackled, but we must steadily promote the preservation of documents by taking a long-term view and seeing this project as one concerning the very basis of our nationhood.
　課題は山積しているが、国の根本にかかわる事業として、長期的な視野から、着実に推進していかなければならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 25, 2009)
（2009年6月25日01時33分 読売新聞）

西川社長続投 理解得られぬ甘い「けじめ」

The Yomiuri Shimbun(Jun. 24, 2009)
Public won't accept Nishikawa reappointment
西川社長続投　理解得られぬ甘い「けじめ」（6月24日付・読売社説）

A settlement has been reached, but it will not satisfy most of the public.
　こんな決着で、国民の多くは果たして納得するだろうか。

It has effectively been decided that Japan Post Holdings Co. President Yoshifumi Nishikawa will stay in his post.
　日本郵政の西川善文社長の続投が、事実上、決まった。

Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Tsutomu Sato said Monday he had decided to authorize the proposed reappointment of Nishikawa after the president informed him that Japan Post's five executives, including himself, would take self-disciplinary pay cuts.
Sato also said Prime Minister Taro Aso had approved the decision.
　佐藤総務相が２２日、西川社長から本人を含む役員５人の報酬を自主返上する社内処分の報告を受けて続投を認め、麻生首相も総務相の判断を了承したという。

===

Questions remain unanswered

The biggest issue now facing Japan Post are questions revolving around the attempted sale of its Kampo no Yado nationwide network of resort hotels.
　日本郵政をめぐる最大の疑問は「かんぽの宿」の売却問題だ。

Why did Japan Post attempt to sell 70 resort facilities developed at the hefty cost of 240 billion yen for a mere 10.9 billion yen?
　２４００億円もかけて整備した７０施設を日本郵政はなぜ１０９億円の安値で売ろうとしたのか。

The process behind Japan Post's sloppy procedures for the attempted sale of the facilities, which went unchallenged, must be fully explained. The firm even admitted a lack of records concerning the process of selecting a buyer, which is unthinkable for a private company.
売却先を選ぶ過程の記録が欠落するなど、民間では考えられない杜撰(ずさん)な手続きがまかり通った経緯も詳しく知りたい。

The ministry issued Japan Post with a business improvement order in April, asking it to explain these points. However, Sato endorsed Nishikawa's reappointment after only being given a brief explanation of what occurred. Japan Post was scheduled to submit its final report on the matter Wednesday.
　総務省は業務改善命令でこうした疑問への説明を求め、２４日にも日本郵政が最終報告する予定だった。しかし、総務相は概要の説明を聞いただけで続投を認めた。

Many questions remain unresolved. The impression cannot be easily dismissed that Sato, having judged that prolonged confusion is damaging, rushed to draw a line under the issue.
　数々の疑問は、まだ解消されていない。混乱の長期化は得策ではないとみて、幕引きを急いだ印象がぬぐえない。

Many problems also remain in terms of Japan Post's disciplinary action against its top management.
　経営陣に対する社内処分にも問題が多い。

Nishikawa promised Sato he would immediately dismiss executives he had recruited from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. where he once served as president. But Nishikawa himself will do no more than give up 30 percent of his pay over the next three months. This is too lenient.
　西川社長は、自身が頭取を務めた三井住友銀行から連れてきた幹部たちを「速やかに辞めさせる」と総務相に約束した。一方で、社長自らは報酬の３０％を３か月間、自主返上するだけで済ませるというのでは、甘過ぎるだろう。

Questions were raised over the disciplinary measures proposed by Nishikawa, even from within the Liberal Democratic Party, with LDP General Council Chairman Takashi Sasagawa saying, "Resignation is his best option if he's admitted responsibility [by taking a pay cut]."
Criticism of Nishikawa is growing within the opposition parties, who are demanding a thorough debate of the matter.
　自民党からも、笹川総務会長が「（報酬返上で）自分の責任を認めたのなら辞めた方がよい」と述べるなど、疑問を呈する声が出ている。野党各党もこの問題の集中審議を要求するなど、批判は強まる一方だ。

After all that has occurred, only one outcome would be satisfactory--Nishikawa should voluntarily resign.
　やはり西川社長は、自発的に辞任するのが筋だろう。

The business improvement measures presented so far by Japan Post also are questionable in terms of their likely effectiveness.
　日本郵政が示した改善策も、実効性に疑問がある。

Japan Post said that to strengthen supervision of its management it will establish the post of chairman, above the post of president. The chairman also would concurrently chair a newly set up management advisory council.
　経営への監視を強めるため、西川社長の上に会長を置き、新設する経営諮問会議の議長を兼任させるという。

However, Japan Post plans to appoint the chairman from the ranks of its outside directors. Can this cosy system, formed of the firm's unchanged current top management lineup, be sure to strengthen oversight of the company?
だが、会長は現在の社外取締役から充てる案だ。顔ぶれが変わらぬ「内輪同士」で、チェック機能は強まるだろうか。

===

Responsibility rests with PM

The final responsibility for approving Nishikawa's reappointment rests with Aso.
　西川社長の続投を決めた最終責任者は麻生首相である。

The prime minister dismissed former Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Kunio Hatoyama earlier this month for having confused matters regarding the reappointment of Nishikawa--a decision that lacked any sense of balance.
　一方で首相は、鳩山邦夫・前総務相を「事態を混乱させた」として更迭した。著しくバランスを欠く対応だ。

With a view to replacing Nishikawa, Aso several months ago handed Hatoyama a list of candidates to succeed the president. Hasn't the confusion been caused by Aso's about-face rather than actions of Hatoyama?
首相は数か月前、社長交代を前提に後継候補のリストを鳩山氏に渡していた。事態を混乱させたのは、心変わりした首相自身ではないのか。

It appears inevitable that Aso will face growing criticism over his role in this affair.
　首相に対する批判が高まるのは避けられないだろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 24, 2009)
（2009年6月24日01時36分 読売新聞）