ヒバクシャ広島／長崎：’０９冬／３ 下平作江さん 重なった惨劇、心奮い立たせ

(Mainichi Japan) March 5, 2009
Hibakusha: Pair of A-bomb survivors vow to 'persevere together' as they battle against pain
ヒバクシャ広島／長崎：’０９冬／３　下平作江さん　重なった惨劇、心奮い立たせ

　＜ノーモア核被害　ｄｏｃｕｍｅｎｔａｒｙ　ｒｅｐｏｒｔ／７８＞
When I met Sakue Shimohira, 74, at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum on Feb. 4, she could not manage a smile. She said that her husband Takatoshi "had been hospitalized" for problems with his internal organs.
　今月４日、長崎原爆資料館で会った下平作江さん（７４）に笑顔はなかった。「夫が入院したんです」。夫隆敏さん（８０）の内臓に異常が見つかったのだという。

From the way that Takatoshi, 80, who uses a wheelchair, appeared on New Year's Day, she could not have predicted that his health would take a turn for the worse. For the first time in three years, about 20 of their children and grandchildren had gathered, and Takatoshi distributed cash envelopes as gifts to the grandchildren. The sight of their family together during the New Year holiday reminded her of the joys of being with her family.
　今年の元日の様子からは、車椅子生活の夫の体調が悪化するとは思えなかった。３年ぶりに子や孫ら約２０人が顔をそろえ、夫はお年玉を孫たちに手渡した。その姿を見て、家族と生きる幸せを改めてかみしめた。

But on Feb. 2 Takatoshi's condition deteriorated. He did not eat the rice gruel that Sakue tried to feed him, and could not move his arms and legs, yet he refused hospitalization. She somehow convinced him to enter the hospital by saying, "If you refuse hospitalization, then I might pass away first."
　だが、今月２日の様子は違った。おかゆを食べさせようとしても食べず、手も足も動かせなくなっていた。それでも入院しようとしない夫。「入院しないなら、私の方が先に逝くかもしれませんよ」。何とか言い含めた。

The war and the atomic bomb have claimed the lives of Sakue's mother and father, two older brothers, and older sister. Immediately after the war ended, she survived by eating food scraps and wild grasses, and drinking river water. Her only younger sister struggled with illness and committed suicide in 1955. Sakue tried to kill herself so that she could join her sister, but her husband stopped her, telling her that they should "persevere together." They were married in April 1955. Having been educated under the prewar system, her husband, an A-bomb survivor himself, had little to say about the atomic bomb but nevertheless quietly supported Sakue's peace activities.
　下平さんは戦争と原爆で父母と兄２人、姉１人を失った。終戦直後は残飯や野草を食べ、川の水を飲んだ。生き残ったただ一人の妹は病気を苦に５５年に自殺した。後を追って死のうとしたが「一緒に頑張ろう」と引き止めてくれたのが夫だった。同年４月に結婚。戦前教育を受けた夫は自らも被爆しているが原爆について多くを語らず、下平さんの平和活動をそっと支えた。

When Sakue's husband wanted to quit his company due to his hand-trembling, which is believed to be the result of exposure to the A-bomb, it was now Sakue's turn to convince him to persist. Her husband later suffered from diabetes and other ailments, and once he began dialysis, he could not walk without assistance.
　原爆後遺症とみられる手の震えなどから会社を辞めようとする夫を、今度は下平さんが何度も説得した。夫はその後も糖尿病などで苦しみ、透析を受けるようになると介助なしで歩けなくなった。

The couple became inseparable. From the year before last, Sakue's lower back and legs had begun to hurt, and caring for her husband, who weighs 12 kilograms more than she does, had become physically taxing. But then her emotions were roused by the heart-breaking images that appeared in the TV news reports of the Israeli Army's bombing of Gaza. The sight of children fleeing and being injured by the rubble reminded her of her own experiences at the time of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
　２人寄り添う日々。一昨年からは下平さん自身も足腰が痛み、１２キロ差の夫の介護が体力的にきつくなってきた。しかし、心を奮い立たせないではいられない映像が目に入った。イスラエル軍によるパレスチナ自治区ガザ地区への攻撃を伝えるテレビニュース。がれきの中で傷つき、逃げ惑う子供の姿が、被爆時の自分と重なった。

"There are people who justify war, and argue for possessing nuclear weapons, but war is absolutely wrong," she said emphatically, as if admonishing herself. (By Tomohiro Shimohara, Nagasaki Bureau, Mainichi Shimbun)
　「戦争を正当化して核兵器保持を訴える人がいるが、絶対に戦争はいけない」。自らを叱咤（しった）するように、力を込めた。＜文・下原知広、写真・徳野仁子＞＝つづく

Profile: Sakue Shimohira survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki at the age of 10. She was about 800 meters from Ground Zero. She began lecturing on her A-bomb experiences around the age of 40, and has given approximately 10,000 lectures. She is the chairman of the Association of Bereaved Families of Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Victims.
　◇下平作江さん
　１０歳の時に爆心地から約８００メートルで被爆。４０歳ごろから始めた被爆体験講話は約１万回に及ぶ。長崎原爆遺族会会長。

毎日新聞　2009年2月25日　西部朝刊

アメリカよ・新ニッポン論：第２部・改革の構造

(Mainichi Japan) March 5, 2009
U.S. can learn from Japan's structural reform experience during 'lost decade' (Pt. 2)
アメリカよ・新ニッポン論：第２部・改革の構造／１（その２）
　＜１面からつづく＞

　◆改革、実態は追随

　◇主導者も手本もなく

In February this year, Mario Mizukami, 75, former LTCB vice president, wrote a letter to Tsuneo Suzuki, 66, the last president of the LTCB, and the author of a book titled "The Disappearance of a Mega Bank."
　１９９８年に破綻（はたん）した日本長期信用銀行（長銀、現・新生銀行）の水上萬里夫元副頭取（７５）は２月、最後の頭取だった鈴木恒男氏（６６）に手紙を送った。鈴木氏が昨年１２月に出版した「巨大銀行の消滅」（東洋経済新報社）を読み、矢も盾もたまらず筆を執った。

Suzuki's book ends with the phrase, "I want to believe that the confusion that the LTCB's failure and disappearance of all long-term credit banks in Japan caused to economic society and the public's burden were aimed at establishing the new principles for financial institutions and the reconstruction of the financial system."
　著書は次の言葉で終わっている。
　「金融機関の新しい理念の確立と金融システムの再構築。長銀の破綻、長信銀の消滅に伴う経済社会の混乱と巨額の国民負担は、そのためのものだったと、私は思いたい」

Former LTCB executives won all criminal and civil trials over their responsibility for the failure of the bank, which lasted for about 10 years. The top court ruled that they could not be found guilty of failing to abide by hastily created rules.
　鈴木氏や前任の大野木克信元頭取ら旧経営陣が、不良債権隠しの粉飾決算容疑に問われた１０年越しの刑事・民事事件は昨年７月、いずれも無罪・棄却に終わった。司法は、急ごしらえの新ルールに従わなかった「罪」は問えないと判断した。

After confirming that the government made a mistake in the way it revised relevant rules, Suzuki expressed his view in his book.
　政府のルール変更のやり方に過ちがあったことを確認した鈴木氏は、同書で初めて見解を公にした。

Nevertheless, former executives are responsible for their mismanagement. It is these former executives that accumulated nonperforming loans that triggered the failure of the LTCB because they were unable to manage the risks involving loans for real estate transactions. This also rings true for executives at U.S. banks who used a method of computational finance but failed to manage the risk involved. Mizukami expressed these thoughts in his letter to Suzuki.
　それでも、経営失敗の「罪」は消えない。破綻の原因となった不良債権は、不動産融資のリスクを管理できない経営陣が積み上げた。金融工学を駆使したあげくリスク管理に失敗した現在の米銀行経営陣と同じだ。水上氏は私信で問いただした趣旨を説明した。

Mizukami added: "Suzuki and other executives firmly believed that banks will not go down as long as they follow the instructions of the Finance Ministry, and that the ministry will protect them. However, the ministry itself became unable to resist the trends of globalization. If that is the case, it is executives that determine the direction of their own banks. Suzuki's book does not display a sense of responsibility for failing to save their bank. Is everything attributable to the United States, the trends of the times and the Japanese government?"
　「鈴木氏たちは、旧大蔵（現財務）省の言うことを聞いてさえいれば、銀行のかじ取りは間違うことはない、国が何とかすると思い込んでいたが、大蔵省自体が金融グローバル化の流れに耐えられなくなっていた。国がそうなら自分で進路を決めるのが経営者だ。鈴木氏の本からは、経営に失敗した者の責任感が感じられない。何もかもアメリカや時代や政府のせいなのか」

In an interview with the Mainichi Suzuki said, "My view is nothing more or less than what I wrote in my book."
　鈴木氏は取材に対し「私の認識は本に書いたこと以上でも以下でもない」と答えた。

Mizukami and Suzuki were in completely different positions prior to the failure of the LTCB.
　破綻前の長銀で２人は対照的な立場にいた。

Mizukami, who specialized in international business, was playing a key role in the structural reform of the bank. He pursued a U.S.-style business model to keep pace with U.S.-led globalization. "The liberalization of financial services is historical inevitability. We have no choice but to transform ourselves into an investment bank," he had told colleagues.
国際派の水上氏は長銀「構造改革」路線の中心にいた。「金融の自由化は歴史的必然。生き残るには投資銀行になるしかない」と、米主導のグローバル化の流れに自ら打って出る米国型の経営モデルを目指した。

Radical reform led by Mizukami raised concern among other executives. Domestic-minded executives rallied and they returned to the LTCB's traditional business centering on loans for real estate transactions when it adopted its 1989 business plan. In other words, it sought to survive in line with the Finance Ministry's policy. Mizukami consequently quit the bank.
　急激な「改革」に不安や不満が高まった。国内派は巻き返す。８９年の経営計画で不動産融資の従来業務中心に逆戻りし、旧大蔵省の方針に沿う形での延命を目指した。水上氏は銀行を去った。

Those who were focusing on the domestic market came to a deadlock following the bursting of the speculation-driven, asset-inflating bubble economy in the early 1990s. In 1993, Yoichi Takahashi, who was an official with the Finance Ministry's Banking Inspection Department, urged banks to assess their loans extended to nonblank financial institutions using the so-called discounted cash flow method initially introduced by the United States.
"Sumitomo Trust and Banking followed it while the LTCB did not," recalls Takahashi, who is now a professor at Toyo University.
　国内派は、バブル崩壊で行き詰まる。９３年に大蔵省金融検査部にいた高橋洋一東洋大教授は、不良債権のリスク管理のため、当時最先端の米国式「収益還元法」を使ったノンバンク向け融資の査定を各行に促したが、「住友信託銀行は受け入れ、長銀は採用しなかった」と証言する。

Shortly before the LTCB went under, then Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, then Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa and then Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka summoned the acting president of the Sumitomo Trust and Banking to the prime minister's official residence late at night and asked that it absorb the LTCB.
　破綻の直前、当時の小渕恵三首相、宮沢喜一蔵相、野中広務官房長官が、夜の首相公邸に住友信託銀の社長を呼び、長銀の救済合併を頼み込んだエピソードは象徴的だ。

A month later, then U.S. President Bill Clinton agreed in talks with Obuchi that the Japanese government would provide banks with an infusion of public funds to prevent them from going under. This is despite the fact that then U.S. Secretary of Treasury Lawrence Henry Summers had openly said bad banks should go under.
　米国はサマーズ財務副長官が「駄目な銀行はつぶすべきだ」と公言していたが、首相公邸の晩から１カ月後、クリントン大統領は小渕首相との会談で、破綻前の銀行への公的資金投入を容認した。

"The U.S. government changed its policy because an economic crisis occurred in Russia and adversely affected Wall Street," recalls Eisuke Sakakibara, who was deputy vice minister for financial affairs at the Finance Ministry at the time.
　榊原英資財務官（当時）は「ロシア経済危機が起き、ウォール街に火の粉が飛んだので、米国は方針転換した」と解説する。

However, Diet deliberations on relevant bills were deadlocked, and frustrated Nonaka agreed to accept a bill presented by opposition parties on measures to rehabilitate the financial sector, including placing the LTCB temporarily under state control.
　結局、国会の停滞にしびれを切らした野中氏が、長銀を一時国有化する野党の金融再生法案を丸のみし、終止符を打った。

　◇なお残る経営責任
After all, the LTCB went under because it was left behind following dramatic changes in the government's policy to keep pace with global trends. Those who failed to change themselves were accused of not abiding by the new rules. Even though they were acquitted a decade later, the former executives have been held responsible for failing to change themselves, which led to the collapse of the bank.
　米主導の世界の潮流に合わせて国策が急転換し、変化に取り残された長銀は破綻。変われなかった旧経営陣は、新ルールに従わなかった「罪」に問われ、１０年後に免罪されたものの、自らを変えられず経営に失敗した責任は永遠に残った。

The process from the collapse of the LTCB leading up to the former executives' acquittal illustrates how Japan has carried out structural reform at the mercy of the United States.
　長銀の破綻から無罪までのてんまつは、米国の都合に振り回された日本の「改革の構造」を浮き彫りにする。

Japan's experiences of structural reform during the so-called "lost decade" not only offer the U.S. a lesson but also raise questions as to how Japan should survive in an age when the United States is drifting.
　「失われた１０年」と呼ばれた構造改革の経験は、今の米国の教訓になるどころか、米国追随でしか変われずにきた日本が、米国漂流の時代をどう生きていくのかを問い掛けている。

毎日新聞　2009年3月2日　東京朝刊

余録：鳥インフルエンザ

(Mainichi Japan) March 3, 2009
Bird flu outbreak a change in fortune for 'lucky' quails
余録：鳥インフルエンザ

A passage from "Kiyu Shoran," a book published in the Bunsei Era (1818-1829) describing the "uzura awase" competition over the beauty of quails' songs, reads: "Each participant is supposed to create a pair (of cages) -- using karaki (Chinese wood), raden (shell or pieces of precious metals set in the lacquer) and takamakie (raised lacquer work) strewed with gold and silver ..."
　「金銀をちりばめ、唐木（からき）、象牙、螺鈿（らでん）、高蒔絵（たかまきえ）にて皆一双づつ作らせ」とあるのは、一体何の工芸品かと思うが、実はウズラの鳥籠（とりかご）だという。江戸時代、ウズラの鳴き声の良さを競った「鶉合（うずらあわせ）」流行の様子を記す文政年間の書物「嬉遊笑覧（きゆうしょうらん）」の一節だ

Bird lovers would gather early in the morning, split themselves into two teams -- east and west, as in sumo -- and see whose quail had the most beautiful song. Feudal lords and merchants are believed to have started the event, as the quails' call sounds like the word "gokitcho" (good luck).
▲江戸中の鳥好きはウズラがよく鳴く早朝から集まり、相撲のように東西に分かれ自慢の鳥の声を披露した。物好きなことだが、ウズラの鳴き声が「ゴキッチョー（ご吉兆）」と聞こえるということで大名や商人の間から広まった遊びらしい

Despite their association with good luck, however, quails at a breeding farm in Japan have been found infected with bird flu. The virus was identified as the H7N6 strain, with attenuated virulence. This is the first time that H7N6 has been discovered in Japan, with previous outbreaks in Slovakia, Mongolia and Australia.
▲その吉兆を告げてくれるはずのウズラの飼育場で発生したという鳥インフルエンザだ。ウイルスの検査で弱毒性のＨ７Ｎ６型と確認され、これまでスロバキアやモンゴル、オーストラリアで発見されているものの、国内での検出は初という

The farm is located in Aichi Prefecture where 70 percent of Japan's quails are bred. Moreover, quails at another farm in the prefecture subsequently tested positive for bird flu.
It's only natural that local quail breeders are concerned not only about a further spread of the virus, but also harmful rumors about quails. The government should take prompt measures to provide accurate information to consumers and residents, who shouldn't panic over the issue.
▲全国のウズラ生産の７割を占める愛知県のことだ。新たに近くの別の飼育場でも感染の疑いのある検体が見つかり、地元では感染拡大の不安とともに風評被害への懸念が広がるのも分かる。ここは行政が速やかに正確な情報を提供し、消費者も地元もそれを冷静に受け取ることだ

The virus was found during the first batch of tests conducted on quails as part of the national government's anti-bird flu policy. If it had been overlooked, the virus could have spread rapidly, or mutated into a deadlier strain. A disaster was avoided, thanks to the quails' sacrifice.
▲国の鳥インフルエンザ対策にもとづく初のウズラ検査で、発症前にウイルスを見つけた今回のケースである。見過ごせば知らぬ間に感染が広がり、ウイルスの毒性も変異していたかもしれない。つまりはウズラが身をもって告げた“凶兆”のおかげで最悪の事態は防げたといえる

One cannot help but wonder how the virus found its way into the farms in the first place. However, if the bad luck predicted by the quails is interpreted accurately, it could lead to a new clue toward future anti-bird flu measures. ("Yoroku," a front-page column in the Mainichi Shimbun)
▲それにしてもウイルスは一体どうやって飼育場内の鳥にとりついたのか。ウズラが示してくれた兆しをしっかりと読み取れば、今後の鳥インフルエンザ対策の新たな手がかりも見つかろう。

毎日新聞　2009年3月3日　0時04分

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住基ネット 違法状態は早期に解消せよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun　(Feb. 15, 2009)
All local govts must join Juki Net system
住基ネット　違法状態は早期に解消せよ（2月15日付・読売社説）

The Basic Residents' Registration Network, or Juki Net, has already been confirmed as constitutional by the judiciary. As such, expeditious measures must be taken to rein in the fraction of local governments that have decided--at their own discretion--not to participate in the Juki Net system.
　住民基本台帳ネットワークの合憲性は司法の場で既に確認されている。一部の自治体が独自の判断で住基ネットに参加しないという違法状態は、早期に解消すべきだろう。

The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry instructed the Tokyo metropolitan government to issue the Kunitachi municipal government with an order to correct its illegal nonparticipation in Juki Net. The ministry also plans to take a similar step against the town government of Yamatsurimachi, Fukushima Prefecture.
　総務省が東京都に対し、住基ネットに参加していない国立市に違法状態の是正要求を行うよう指示した。やはり不参加の福島県矢祭町にも同じ措置を取るという。

It is the first time for the ministry to issue this kind of correction order based on the Local Government Law. Although it is an unusual step, we believe this is an appropriate action.
　地方自治法に基づく総務相の是正要求指示は初めてだ。異例ではあるが、適切な措置と言える。

Kunitachi dropped out of Juki Net in December 2002, citing fears over information leakage, among other reasons. The Tokyo metropolitan government has slapped Kunitachi with similar orders on two previous occasions, but it has stubbornly refused to return to the fold.
　国立市は２００２年１２月、情報漏洩(ろうえい)の危険性などを理由に住基ネットから離脱した。東京都から２回にわたり、参加するよう勧告されたが、応じていない。

===

Top court judgment

In March 2008, the Supreme Court handed down its judgment on a series of so-called Juki Net suits filed nationwide, saying: "There is no concrete evidence that residents' information is in danger of being leaked to third parties. The privacy rights of citizens will not be violated."
　最高裁判所は０８年３月、一連の住基ネット訴訟で、「住民の情報が第三者に漏れる危険は生じておらず、プライバシー権は侵害しない」との判断を示している。

If local governments ignore the top court's legal determination and continue to violate the Basic Resident Register Law, it will no longer be possible to perceive this country as operating under the rule of law.
In one such suit, the Suginami Ward government had demanded the introduction of a system in which residents would only register with Juki Net if they wished to participate.
However, the ward government subsequently dropped this demand and signed up to Juki Net last month.
　自治体が最高裁の司法判断を無視し、住民基本台帳法に違反し続けるのでは法治国家と言えまい。希望する区民だけがネットに参加する方式を求めていた東京都杉並区も今年１月、参加に転じた。

In September last year, the Kunitachi Municipal Assembly adopted a resolution asking the municipal government to integrate its residents' data with Juki Net. This decision likely was made in consideration of the convenient services that would become available to residents, such as electronic tax declarations.
　国立市議会は昨年９月、住基ネットに接続するよう市側に求める決議を採択している。納税の電子申告ができるなど、市民の利便性も考慮したのだろう。

Though the Kunitachi municipal government can ask for an administrative review of the correction order, this may be a good time for it to take a long, hard look at the situation and make moves toward teaming up with the rest of the country.
　国立市は、是正要求に対して不服審査を求めることも可能だが、ここは冷静な判断を下し、住基ネットに参加する時ではないか。

===

Efficient system

Juki Net helps streamline administrative procedures. Local governments presently use the online system to provide the central government's administrative institutions with an annual 100 million pieces of resident-verification data, which greatly cuts clerical costs.
　住基ネットは行政の効率化に貢献している。自治体から国の行政機関などに年約１億件の本人確認情報がオンラインで提供され、事務費が節減されている。

Under the system, about 30 million citizens annually need not submit pension payment status reports, and the 4.5 million people who request passports and other services each year are not obliged to submit residential certificates. This provides the people of this nation with a great benefit.
　年３０００万人分の年金の現況届提出や、年４５０万件の旅券申請時などの住民票添付が不要になり、国民のメリットも大きい。

Though there has not been a single instance of personal information leakage since Juki Net was launched in August 2002, the government should not rest on its laurels. Rather, it should seek to further enhance the efficiency and convenience of the system, while ensuring that the control of personal information remains at the top of its agenda.
　０２年８月の住基ネット稼働以来、個人情報の流出例はない。情報管理を徹底しつつ、一層の効率化と利便性を追求すべきだ。

The introduction of a social security numbering system capable of integrating and managing personal data relating to pension, health care and other programs has become a hot topic within government and ruling party circles. If such a system were to become a reality, it would be practical to utilize the current Juki card as a social security card.
　政府・与党内では、年金や医療などの情報を一元管理する社会保障番号制度の導入論が高まっている。その場合、現在の住基カードを社会保障カードとして活用するのが最も現実的だろう。

At present, however, a mere 2.3 percent of the population hold Juki cards. This low rate may be attributable to certain defects within the system. For instance, a card cannot be used if a person moves from one municipality to another. The ministry aims to address this shortcoming by revising the law to enable Juki cards to be used outside specific localities.
　ただ、住基カードの普及率は２・３％にすぎない。別の自治体に転居するとカードが使えなくなる、といった制度上の欠陥が影響しているのではないか。
　総務省は今国会で、カードの継続使用を可能にする法改正を目指している。

The government should continue to make efforts to improve the functionality and convenience of the Juki Net system.
より便利な制度に改善する努力を怠ってはならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 15, 2009)
（2009年2月15日01時52分 読売新聞）

自民党混迷 「郵政」で争う時ではない

The Yomiuri Shimbun　(Feb. 14, 2009)
LDP shouldn't waste time on internal strife
自民党混迷　「郵政」で争う時ではない（2月14日付・読売社説）

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has been shaken by the careless remarks of Prime Minister Taro Aso in which he indicated his willingness to review the privatization of postal services.
　麻生首相の軽率な郵政民営化見直し発言で、自民党が揺らいでいる。

Even former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who spearheaded the drive for postal privatization and already has announced his intention to retire from politics, openly criticized Aso's remarks.
　郵政民営化を推進し既に引退表明している小泉元首相までもが、首相の一連の発言を公然と批判した。

But the LDP should not rekindle the internal strife that was so recently triggered by consumption tax rate hike debates. First of all, the LDP should make every possible effort to ensure the early passage into law of related bills for the second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008, and for the fiscal 2009 budget.
　だが、消費税問題に続いて党内抗争を再燃させてはなるまい。自民党はまず、第２次補正予算の関連法案や２００９年度予算案の早期成立に全力をあげるべきだ。

It is Aso himself who caused this trouble in the party.
　騒動を引き起こしたのは、ほかならぬ首相自身である。

===

Aso's remarks confuse voters

At the House of Representatives Budget Committee, Aso said the review of the current four-company setup under Japan Post Holdings Co. launched in 2007 as part of the postal privatization process should be discussed. Aso added that he was not in favor of the plan when he was a Cabinet member under Koizumi.
　衆院予算委員会で、日本郵政グループの４分社化体制の経営形態見直しを検討すべきだとの考えを示した。小泉内閣当時、郵政民営化には「賛成ではなかった」とも付け加えた。

As long as the Postal Services Privatization Law stipulates that the progress of privatization must be reviewed every three years, Aso is entitled to mention such a review.
　郵政民営化法に「見直し」規定がある以上、見直しに言及することは、差し支えない。

However, the LDP's landslide victory in the last lower house election had postal privatization as its core campaign issue. Now, the incumbent LDP president has clearly said he opposed postal privatization. This will serve to bewilder voters.
　だが、前回衆院選では、郵政民営化の是非を争点に自民党が圧勝している。今になって現総裁が、反対だったと明言しては、有権者は大いに戸惑うだろう。

Before Aso makes such remarks, he should present a revised plan based on careful examination. But even for the cabinet secretariat, his remarks probably struck like a bolt out of the blue. The remarks by the prime minister were unsubstantiated and careless.
　第一、こんな発言をするなら、入念な検証に基づく見直し案があってしかるべきだ。ところが、この答弁は、内閣官房すら寝耳に水だったようだ。首相の発言は、実体に乏しく、あまりに不用意にすぎたといえる。

After his comments, Aso offered explanations and excuses for his remarks. But this also stirred confusion. Koizumi criticized him, saying, "We cannot fight an election if there is no trust in the prime minister's words." This criticism is valid.
　その後、首相は釈明の答弁を続けたが、これも、混迷に拍車をかけた。「首相の発言に信頼がなければ、選挙が戦えない」と、小泉元首相から批判されたのも、仕方のないことだろう。

===

Rebellion a possibility

Also, concerning the distribution of cash benefits in the second supplementary budget, Aso has repeated remarks that appear to be an attempt to retract what he said.
　首相は、第２次補正予算に盛られている定額給付金の支給に関しても、前言を翻すような発言を重ねてきた。

For the first time, the approval rating of Aso's Cabinet has fallen below 20 percent, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey conducted this month. Aso's careless words and actions over the cash handout scheme and postal privatization can be seen as contributing significantly to this low approval rating.
　今月の本社世論調査では、麻生内閣の支持率が２割を切った。定額給付金や郵政民営化をめぐる首相の軽はずみな言動が、大きく響いているとみていい。

If its approval rating drops further, the Aso Cabinet will have little hope of implementing its policies. The prime minister needs to be more prudent in future to avoid remarks that will make the voters question his qualifications and wisdom.
　これ以上、支持率を低下させては、政策遂行もおぼつかなくなる。首相は、資質や見識を疑わせる発言を繰り返すことのないよう、自重自戒してもらいたい。

Koizumi expressed reservations over having bills related to the second supplementary budget cleared through the Diet using the ruling parties' two-thirds majority in the lower house in a second vote. "I don't think the bills are such that they need to be passed using the two-thirds majority," he said.
　小泉元首相は、定額給付金などの補正予算関連法案について、衆院の３分の２以上の再可決で「成立させなくてはならないとは思ってない」と異議を表明した。

Koizumi, however, voted for the related bills for the supplementary budget at the lower house. His remarks, which could embolden younger LDP lawmakers and others to rise in rebellion, only invite confusion in the Diet.
　だが、関連法案の衆院採決では、小泉元首相も賛成したはずではなかったか。自民党の若手議員らの造反を誘うかのような発言は、国会に混乱を招くだけだ。

It is necessary to swiftly implement economic pump-priming and employment measures. The LDP cannot afford to waste time on internal strife over the postal privatization issue.
　景気や雇用対策の早急な実行が求められている。“郵政政局”に費やす時間はないはずだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 14, 2009)
（2009年2月14日01時30分 読売新聞）

人工衛星衝突 宇宙ごみ対策を強化せねば

The Yomiuri Shimbun　(Feb. 13, 2009)
Space debris measures must be strengthened
人工衛星衝突　宇宙ごみ対策を強化せねば（2月13日付・読売社説）

Our planet is surrounded by space debris, a matter that is becoming of increasing concern.
　地球の周りが「宇宙ごみ」だらけになってしまう。それが心配だ。

The collision of a U.S. satellite weighing about half a ton with a Russian satellite about twice that size, about 800 kilometers above the Earth's surface, reportedly produced a huge amount of debris. We wonder if the collision could have been avoided if their orbits had been adjusted.
　米露の人工衛星が高度約８００キロ・メートルで衝突した。露の衛星は１トン、米の衛星はその半分程度で、どちらも標準的な大きさだ。大量の破片が散らばったという。軌道変更で回避できなかったのか。

Since the world's first satellite was launched in 1957, thousands of satellite launches have taken place, meaning there are a large number of objects drifting around the Earth.
　世界で衛星打ち上げが始まったのは１９５７年だ。それ以来、数千回の打ち上げが実施された。これにより、地球の周りには、今も多数の物体が漂う。

Among the space debris in orbit around our planet are satellites that are no longer functioning, either because they have outlived their usefulness or have malfunctioned. Space debris also includes rocket booster parts, the remains of collisions among space vehicles and equipment dropped by astronauts. It is estimated that there are between 30 million and 40 million items of space debris currently adrift, weighing a total of about several thousand tons.
　耐用年数を過ぎたり、壊れたりして休止した衛星、打ち上げロケットの破片、これらの衝突で生じたごみ、宇宙飛行士が落とした工具など、その数は３０００万～４０００万個、重量で数千トンに達すると推計される。

In 2007, China's destruction of one of its weather satellites produced a huge amount of debris.
　中国が一昨年、衛星破壊実験でごみを大量に出した例もある。

If nothing is done to address the problem, mankind faces serious problems in its use of space as space debris has massive destructive potential.
　このままでは人類の宇宙利用に支障が出かねない。宇宙ごみは猛烈な破壊力を持つ。

Such debris can travel at speeds of about 5 kilometers per second, while the energy generated from a collision of debris even just 1 centimeter across can be equivalent to that of a car crash on a highway. The smashing of satellites into one another is clearly disastrous.
　漂うと言っても、秒速５キロ・メートル前後の速度で飛ぶ。衝突時のエネルギーは、約１センチの破片でも、自動車が高速で突っ込んだのと変わらない。まともにぶつかれば、衛星はひとたまりもない。

===

An international problem

Previously, a French satellite was seriously damaged after colliding with space debris. In the United States, a rocket launch was postponed to prevent a collision with space debris.
　過去に、宇宙ごみとの衝突により、仏の衛星が機能損傷した例がある。米では、宇宙ごみとの衝突を避けるため、ロケット打ち上げが延期されたことがある。

What is of particular concern this time is the threat to the International Space Station, which has been under construction with the participation of Japan and other nations. The ISS orbits about 400 kilometers beneath where the latest collision took place, and it is unlikely that debris will hit the ISS. But it is still possible that debris could pass over the ISS.
　今回心配なのは、日本も参加して建設が進む「国際宇宙ステーション」だ。米露の衛星が衝突した軌道より４００キロ・メートルほど下にあり、直撃はないとみられる。だが破片が飛来する恐れはある。

An extended stay at the ISS by Koichi Wakata, the first of its kind for a Japanese astronaut, is expected to begin soon, and it is of some concern that the space shuttle flying to the ISS could be affected by the debris.
　日本人宇宙飛行士としては初めて、若田光一さんのステーション長期滞在が近く始まる予定だ。ステーションに向かうスペースシャトルの飛行に問題はないか。

The ISS is equipped with protective walls designed to absorb shocks from small debris and the station would alter its orbit to avoid large pieces of debris, which are tracked by radar from the ground by the U.S. military when a shuttle is to be launched.
　ステーションには、小さな破片なら衝撃を吸収する防護壁がついている。大きなごみは、軌道を変えて避ける。シャトル打ち上げも、米軍が地上からレーダーで大きなごみを監視している。

===

Breaking the cycle

But if the amount of debris continues to increase, it will become more difficult to take all possible preventive measures. Greater precautions must therefore be taken to try and prevent troubles that could affect the ISS.
　だが、ごみが増えれば万全の対策は難しい。警戒は怠れない。

A further concern is the apparent vicious circle of increased space debris from collisions, which in turn creates more potential for destruction, as can be seen in the latest collision. The growing amount of debris means the probability of more collisions is set to explode in about a decade or so.
　今回のような衝突・破壊で、ごみがさらに増える悪循環も懸念されている。そうなれば、あと１０年で宇宙ごみとの衝突確率が爆発的に増える、とも言われる。

International guidelines state that large satellites should be brought back to Earth. But is this enough? Is there no way that space debris can be collected? Japan needs to call on other nations that have space development programs to address the issue and play a more active role in strengthening measures to tackle the problem.
　大型衛星は地球に落とす、などの国際ガイドラインはあるが、それで十分か。ごみの回収はできないのか。日本は、他の宇宙開発国にも呼びかけ、対策強化に積極的な役割を果たす必要がある。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 13, 2009)
（2009年2月13日01時45分 読売新聞）

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