2012年1月28日 星期六

通用汽車取代豐田再次成為世界銷量冠軍

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:
アメリカの自動車メーカー、GM=ゼネラル・モーターズは、19日、去年の世界全体の販売台数が前の年より7.6%増えて902万5900台余りになったと発表し、4年ぶりに販売台数が世界一となるのが確実になりました。これまでトップだったトヨタ自動車は、去年の販売台数について790万台との見通しを示していることから、ドイツのフォルクスワーゲンの816万台にも抜かれて、3位以下に転落する見通しです。

(試譯文)
On the 19th, the American automaker the GM: General Motors announced that their sales in the entire world last year was 9,025,900, an increase of 7.6% compared with last year; and it became certain that the volume of sales was the world's No. one, for GM for the first time in four years.
Toyota Motor, which was at the top up to now had indicated that it would have a sales volume of 7,900,000 cars last year, it would be displaced by Volkswagen of Germany that had 8,160,000 cars and was expected to fall below the 3rd place.
 
   This outcome is not surprising to the Japanese. A few months ago Toyota already expected that GM would be the world leader in the car production industry again. Would this also prove that the US economy is gradually recovering?

2012年1月26日 星期四

山手線品川―田町車站之間周邊土地再發展

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:
JR東日本が新駅建設を計画している山手線品川―田町駅間(東京・港区)周辺の再開発エリアについて、政府は20日、国際競争力強化のために重点開発を行う「特定都市再生緊急整備地域」に指定した。
 再開発事業者らへの税制支援などが行われることになり、関係者からは「新駅を含む再開発が加速する」と歓迎の声が上がっている。
 指定されたのは、品川、田町駅周辺の184ヘクタールの再開発エリア。羽田空港の国際化やリニア中央新幹線の整備が進んでいることから、「東京と国内外を結ぶ新拠点」として、緊急整備が必要とされた。
 国土交通省などによると、指定により既存の道路をまたぐ形でビルを建設できるといった規制緩和を行うほか、固定資産税や不動産取得税の半額を控除するなどの税制支援も行い、再開発を後押しする。

(試譯文)
On the 20th the government, with regard to the new station construction development plan, had specified the redevelopment area surrounding the Yamanote Line between Shinagawa - Tamachi Station (Minato district Tokyo) of JR East Japan as a "specific urban redevelopment emergency development area" which would receive special development due to its important role in strengthening Japan's global competitiveness.
Taxation system support etc would be offered to redevelopment project companies, and the welcoming voice of "accelerating the redevelopment which include the new station" was heard from the people who had connection with this project.
Having been specified was the 184-hectare redevelopment area around Shinagawa and the Tamachi Station. Because of the internationalization of the Haneda Airport and the maintenance of the linear central Shinkansen were progressing, urgent maintenance was needed for "a new base which connects to Tokyo internally and also to overseas countries".
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism etc., deregulation was allowed over a building that could be built over the existing roads in a form specified; also taxation system support was provided by offering deducting of half the sum of a fixed property tax, or the real estate acquisition tax, so as to back up the redevelopment.

Japan is spending money on improving its infrastructure in public transport, despite its weak economy.

2012年1月23日 星期一

美國放棄二正面戰略

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:
米国のオバマ大統領とパネッタ国防長官は5日、国防総省で記者会見し、国防費削減に伴う国防戦略の見直し結果を発表する。
 米紙によると、地上戦力の縮小により、「二正面戦略」の展開能力を維持しないと明示する一方、中国の脅威などをにらんで、アジア重視の戦力配置を打ち出す見通しだ。
 財政赤字の膨張を受け、大統領は昨年夏、向こう10年間で総額4500億ドル(約34兆5000億円)規模の国防費を削減する方針を表明。議会からは一層の削減要求が出ており、大統領は国防総省に対し、米国と同盟国の安全保障を維持しながら、米軍の効率的運用を図るよう国防戦略の抜本的見直しを指示していた。
 ニューヨーク・タイムズ紙などによると、大統領は「二正面戦略」放棄の代わりに、一つの大規模紛争に対処し勝利する一方、「第二の敵」が戦争を起こさないように封じ込めを図るという新方針を表明する。イラク戦争終結とアフガニスタン駐留米軍の撤収などを受けて、今後、陸軍と海兵隊の人員が大幅削減されるのに伴う措置だ。

(試譯文)
US President Obama and Defense Secretary Panetta gave an interview in the Department of Defense on the 5th, and they would release the re-examination result of the national-defense strategy that accompanied a cut in national defense expenditure.
According to a US newspaper, while it showed the US did not have the deployment capability to maintain the "Two Frontal Strategy" due the reduction of ground military power, it was expected to glare at a Chinese threat etc. and to hammer out the military power arrangement that focused on Asia.
In last year's summer the President announced a plan that would reduce the national defense expenditure at scale up to a total of 450 billion-dollar (about 34,500 billion yen) in the next ten years in response to an increase in budget deficit. Further reduction demand was received from the Congress, and in order to maintain the security of the U.S. and its ally, the President, aiming at the Department of Defense, pointed to radical re-examination of the national-defense strategy to look for more efficient employment of the U.S. Forces.
According to the New York Times, while the President abandoned the "Two Frontal Strategy" and coped with winning one large-scale conflict instead, he announced a new plan that aimed at containment so that "the second enemy" might not cause a war. It was a measure that accompanied with a sizable cut in the army and the marine corps's staff now being carried out, and also in response to the conclusion of the Iraq war and the recovery of U.S. Forces stationed in Afghanistan etc.

It seems that the new plan is a policy of containment in Asia. In a sense the US is returning to Asia.

2012年1月20日 星期五

前囚犯分析廣島逃獄事件

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:
広島刑務所の受刑者脱走事件について、同刑務所で服役経験がある元受刑者の男性(78)も「監視カメラの発達などで、刑務官たちに『脱走なんてできない』という慢心があったのではないか」と指摘する。
 男性は「長期受刑者の中には『脱走したい』と思う者も多いし、私も何度か考えた。実行するかどうかだけの違いだ」と明かす。
 広島刑務所の運動場では、近くの建物の陰が監視している刑務官からは死角になると気付いていたといい、実際、李容疑者もそこを起点に逃げたとみられている。
 「(補修で)外塀の内側に足場が組まれていたり、(容疑者が逃げる姿が)監視カメラ1台にしか映っていなかったりと、驚くことばかりだ」と男性は言う。
 「私がいた頃の刑務官は、受刑者が何を考えているかを察し、心情を把握していた。今は癒着を避けるため、受刑者との間に一線を引く傾向にあるようで、受刑者の心情がつかみにくくなっているのでは」と話した。
(試譯文)
About the convict escape incident at the Hiroshima prison, a male (78) as the former prisoner who had experienced the penal servitude in the prison indicated that "with so many surveillance cameras watching etc, towards the prison officers, there could be a fanciful thought of asking whether was it really that 'there is no way to escape'?"
This male said "among those who had been in prison for a long time, there were many 'Who want to escape', and I had also thought of it several times. The difference was whether you do it or not."
In the playground of the Hiroshima prison, it was said that the shade of a nearby building had become a dead angle for the supervising prison officers; and it was being noticed and in fact it was concluded that Li the suspect also escaped from there, using it as the starting point.
The male also said "at repair site, while scaffolding were being constructed inside the outside wall, and at the same time there was only one surveillance camera to monitor (for signs of any suspected escape activities), that was unbelievable".
It was also said that "The prison officers at the time I was in prison had to guess what the convicts were thinking, and to grasp their feeling. Now, in order to avoid any collaboration, there was a tendency to draw a line with convicts, it was difficult to get hold of convicts' feeling".


I think to challenge the prison security system could be a reason to try to escape.

2012年1月17日 星期二

日本警察重組廣島中國犯逃獄經過

Recently the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:
広島刑務所(広島市中区)から中国籍の李国林容疑者(40)=逃走容疑で逮捕=が脱走した事件で、広島県警は17日、李容疑者が侵入した会社事務所の電話に中国へ二十数回の発信履歴があったことを明らかにした。空き巣に入った民家でも十数回中国に電話し、少なくとも1回は数分間の通話記録があった。中国の親族に執拗(しつよう)に連絡しようとした可能性がある。事件は18日で発生から1週間となるが、李容疑者は取り調べに対して動機や逃走経路などを語らず、黙秘しているという。
 県警によると、12日から13日にかけ、同市西区の民家と会社事務所に侵入し、逃走用の衣類を盗んだり飲食したりしたとみられる。逮捕時に所持していた果物ナイフは、会社事務所から盗んだものだった。
 県警が民家と事務所の電話を調べたところ、国内の接続ポイントにかけて海外につなぐシステムを使った履歴が計約40回確認された。李容疑者が収監されていた単独室からは、親族からとみられる手紙2通がなくなっていたが、逮捕時には手紙や連絡先を記したメモ類は所持していなかった。
 県警はまた、刑務所の北東約300メートルにある防犯カメラが、11日午前10時42分と同43分の映像に李容疑者とみられる人物を捉えていたことを明らかにした。同10時半ごろの刑務所内の監視カメラの映像には、内塀を乗り越える李容疑者の姿があり、同40分の点呼で李容疑者の不在が確認された。逃走はこの約10分間に行われたとみられ、県警は詳しい足取りを調べている。
(試譯文)
In respect of the incident about the arrest of the prison escape suspect Li Guolin (40) who had escaped from the Hiroshima prison (Naka-ku, Hiroshima city), it was understood that the Hiroshima Prefecture Police on the 17th had a record of about twenty times of sending telephone message to China using the telephone in the corporate office which Li the suspect had trespassed. Telephone calls up to about ten times were also made in the private house that had been broken in, and there was at least one telephone record which lasted for several minutes. It might be an attempt to contact the Chinese relatives obstinately. Although by the 18th, this incident would be one week one since its happening, it was said that Li the suspect was telling neither the motive nor the escape route; and he was keeping silent to the investigation.
According to Prefecture Police, from the 12th to the 13th, he trespassed upon a private house and a corporate office at the west district of the same city, and it was concluded that he ate and drank, and stole clothing for the escape. The fruit knife he possessed at the time of arrest was stolen from the corporate office.
When Prefecture Police investigated the telephone of that private house and the office, they checked the using history of the system that connected with overseas by way of a domestic connection point, and confirmed a total of about 40 times of usage. From the independent room where suspect Li was imprisoned, although two letters seen to have been sent from relatives were gone, at the time of his arrest, he was in possession of no letter nor memos which recorded the contact address.
It was understood from the Prefecture Police that prison security camera which was about 300 meters northeast of the prison had, on the 11th at 10.42 am, and then at 43 minutes, captured the image of a person believed to be Li the suspect. The image that Li the suspect had overcome an inner wall was seen in the prison surveillance camera at 10:30, and Li's absence was checked by the roll call conducted at the same hour at 40 minutes. It was concluded that the escape was performed roughly within that 10 minutes, and the Prefecture Police was investigating the detailed steps.

The successful closure of this incident shows that the Japanese police is an effective force.

2012年1月14日 星期六

朝日啤酒新產品包裝惹爭議

Recently the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:
アサヒビールが2月に発売するビール風ノンアルコール飲料「ドライゼロ」をめぐり、業界で波紋が広がっている。キリンビールの松沢幸一社長が11日の記者会見で「(アサヒの主力ビールの)スーパードライと外見が似ており、誤飲につながりかねない」と指摘、サントリー酒類の相場康則社長も同様の懸念を表明した。シェア拡大を狙うアサヒをけん制するとともに、市場が拡大するノンアルコール飲料への批判を避けたい思惑があるようだ。
 アサヒは10日、ドライゼロの発売を発表した。誤飲を防ぐため、外見に「ノンアルコール」と大きく表示しているが、銀色の缶の中央にアサヒのロゴマークがレイアウトされ、スーパードライを連想しそうなデザイン。キリンの松沢社長は「未成年の飲酒や、誤飲による飲酒運転を招きかねない」とアサヒをけん制した。サントリー酒類の相場社長も11日、「(誤飲などのトラブルが)ビール業界に対する規制強化を招かなければよいが」と懸念を示した。

(試譯文)
Regarding the Kaze non-alcoholic drink "dry zero" beer which the Asahi Breweries would put on the market in February, ripples had been spreading in the industry. KIRIN BREWERY President Koichi Matsuzawa at a press conference of the 11th expressed the concern that as it looked like the "Super Dry" (the prime beer of Asahi), it might lead to drinking by mistake, and the same was also indicated by President Yasunori Aiba of the Suntory liquor. It seemed that there was an expectation of wanting to avoid criticizing market expansion of the non-alcoholic drink while at the same time checking Asahi that was aiming at market share expansion.

Asahi announced the sales of dry zero on the 10th. Its appearance had conspicuously displayed the sign "non-alcoholic drink" in order to prevent intake by mistake, but the logo marking of Asahi was arranged in the center of the silver can, and was likely to be associated with Super Dry. KIRIN President Matsuzawa checked Asahi, saying that "Drinking by a minor and drunken driving may be caused by drinking it by mistake". President Aiba of Suntory liquor on the 11th also indicated his concern that "it will be good if it (the trouble such as drinking by mistake) would not cause the toughening of regulations on the beer industry ".

Some people have seen this accusation as part of a war to fight for the market share of beer in Japan.

2012年1月12日 星期四

廣島有中國籍男子逃獄

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:
広島刑務所(広島市中区吉島町)から中国籍の李国林受刑者(40)(逃走容疑で特別手配)が脱走した事件で、広島県警は13日、刑務所から約1・5キロ離れた民家に李容疑者が空き巣に入ったと発表した。

 現場にあった缶ビールから李容疑者の唾液が見つかった。

 発表によると、盗まれたのは、黒色ダウンジャケット1着(XLサイズ、ノースフェイス製)、黒色トレーニングズボン1着(XLサイズ、ユニクロ製)、黒色で白い星形模様入りのぼんぼん付きニット帽、白色マスク数枚。1階台所で缶ビールやご飯を飲食していたという。

 県警は、まだ周辺に潜伏している可能性もあるとみて、李容疑者が空き巣に入った周辺地区に約500人の捜査員を投入して調べている。
(試譯文)
Regarding the incident which the Chinese convict Li Guolin (40)(a suspect wanted for escape from prison) had escaped from the Hiroshima prison (Yoshijima-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima city), the Hiroshima Prefecture Police announced on the 13th that the suspect Li had broken into a private house which was about 1.5 km away from the prison.
Suspect Li's saliva was found from the canned beer which was on the spot.
According to the announcement, the items that had been stolen were: black down jacket one suit (XL size, product made by North Face), black training trousers one suit (XL size, product made by UNIQLO), a black knit cap containing white star-shaped pattern with bonbon, and several white masks. The canned beer and boiled rice found had suggested there were drinking and eating on the first floor kitchen.
Prefecture Police concluded that there was a possibility that he was still hiding at the outskirts, and had sent in about 500 investigators to the surrounding area where Li the suspect had broken in.

It is an interesting case to test the ability of the Japanese police. I hope no one would get hurt before Li the suspect is captured.

2012年1月9日 星期一

福岡市君悅酒店內有食肆食物中毒事件

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:
 福岡市は8日、同市博多区住吉1のホテル「グランドハイアット福岡」内のレストラン「アロマーズ」で食事をした団体客が食中毒を発症したとして、同店を同日午後6時から1日間の営業停止処分とした。
 市によると、4日にバイキング料理を食べた男女約130人のうち数十人が下痢や腹痛などの症状を訴え、検査した16人のすべての便から食中毒を引き起こすウェルシュ菌が検出された。全員が快方に向かっているという。

(試譯文)
On the 8th in Fukuoka city a group of tourists who had meals at the restaurant "Aromazu" inside the "Grand Hyatt Fukuoka" hotel in Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku 1 had showed symptoms of food poisoning. As the penalty the said store's business was suspended for one day starting from 6:00 p.m. on the same day
According to the city, on the 4th, out of about 130 men and women who ate smorgasbord, a few dozens of them complained about symptoms such as diarrhea and stomachache; and Clostridium welchii which caused the food poisoning was detected from the excrement of all the 16 people who were examined. It was said that all them were getting better.

I am disappointed by this food poisoning incident.

2012年1月6日 星期五

活化石腔棘魚有動物和魚類兩種遺傳基因

Recently the Yomiuri News reported the following:
 「生きた化石」として知られるシーラカンスの全遺伝情報(ゲノム)の解読に、東工大と東大、国立遺伝学研究所の共同研究グループが成功した。
 シーラカンスのゲノムの量は通常の魚よりはるかに多く、魚類と陸上動物の両方の遺伝子を持っていた。魚類が陸上へ進出した進化の謎を解く手がかりとして注目される。
 研究グループは、アフリカのタンザニアで捕獲された稚魚のゲノムを解析した。その結果、ゲノムを構成する「塩基対」の数は27億あった。マグロやメダカなど平均的な魚類の約3倍あり、人(約30億塩基対)を含めた哺乳(ほにゅう)類とほぼ同じであることが判明した。また、個体同士の情報伝達に関係する遺伝子群を調べたところ、魚類と陸上動物に特有の遺伝子を両方とも持っていることがわかった。

(試譯文)
The joint research group of the Tokyo Institute of Technology and the University of Tokyo, together with the National Institute of Genetics succeeded in decoding all the genetic codes (genome) of the coelacanth which was known as a "living fossil."
The amount of genome of coelacanth was more than the ordinary fish, and it had a gene of both fish and land animal. Fish attract attention as a key to solve the mystery in the evolution of marching out from water to land.
The research consortium analyzed the genome of the fish fry caught in Tanzania of Africa. The result was that the number of the "base pairs" was 2,700 million and it constituted a genom of about 3 times that of the average fish such as tuna and killifish. It became clear that it had almost the same number as the mammals including human (about 3 billion base pairs).Moreover, in the investigation in the gene cluster related to the communication of information of the individual, it turned out that it had both the gene peculiar to fish and to land animal.

Such a finding would help us know more about the evolution of land animals.

2012年1月3日 星期二

美國支持塔利班在中東成立辦事處

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:
アフガニスタンの反政府武装勢力タリバンは、アフガニスタンの和平に向けてアメリカと交渉を行う事務所を中東のカタールに開設することで、アメリカ・カタール両政府と基本合意したと発表しました。
アフガニスタンでは、反政府武装勢力タリバンがテロや攻撃を続けていますが、アメリカのオバマ政権は、アメリカ軍の撤退を進めるためにはタリバンとの間で政治的な解決が重要だとして、水面下で対話を進めてきました。こうしたなか、タリバンは3日「アメリカと協議した結果、国際社会と交渉をするための政治事務所を開設することで、アメリカやカタールの政府と基本合意した」とする声明を発表しました。事務所の開設は、タリバンとの和平交渉を進めたいアフガニスタンのカルザイ政権もすでに了承しており、実際に開設されれば、これまで停滞していたタリバンとの対話が進み、和平交渉につながる可能性もあります。しかし、タリバンは今回の声明で、アメリカに対してグアンタナモ収容所に収容しているタリバンのメンバーの釈放を強く求めているほか、「アフガニスタンで続く戦闘の当事者は自分たちとアメリカだ」と主張して、アフガニスタン政府が主導する和平交渉には応じない構えも示しています。タリバンの声明を受けて、カブールのアメリカ大使館は「アメリカ政府は、アフガニスタン政府が主導する和平交渉プロセスを支援する」という声明を発表し、アフガニスタン政府を交渉の相手としない構えを見せるタリバンをけん制しました。

(試譯文)
It was announced that Taliban the anti-government armed group in Afghanistan was establishing an office in Qatar in the Middle East in order to negotiate with the United States for peace in Afghanistan; a basic agreement had been reached between the governments of the U.S. and Qatar.

Although Taliban the anti-government armed group was continuing with terrorism and attacks in Afghanistan, the US went ahead with a behind the scene dialog with the Taliban, noting that a political solution was important for the U.S. in order that the Obama Administration could proceed with the withdrawal of the U.S. Forces. Amidst these developing situations, on the 3rd the Taliban issued a statement to announce that "As a result of discussions with the the US, it is establishing a political office to be used for holding negotiations with the international communities, and it has reached a basic agreement with the governments of the United States and Qatar." The establishment of this office had the agreement from the Karzai Administration of the Afghanistan that wanted to push forward a peace negotiation with the Taliban. With the actual establishment of an office, the now stagnant peace negotiation might continue to proceed, and it was possible to lead to a peaceful negotiation. However, by the statement, the Taliban asked strongly the US to release members of Taliban who had been kept in the Guantanamo detention center. It also claimed that "it is a matter between the US and the people who are related to the battles in Afghanistan now", a posture which showed that the Taliban would not respond to any peace negotiations led by the Afghan government. In response to this declaration of the Taliban, the American Embassy in Kabul issued a statement saying that "the American government supports the peace-negotiation process which the Afghan government takes the lead", thus checked the Taliban which showed an intention not to make the Afghan government a partner of the negotiation.

   To allow the Taliban to set up an office in Qatar is a break through politically. It has increased the chance in getting peace in Afghanistan. I always think that politics is about negotiation and compromise.

2012年1月2日 星期一

美國把網絡攻擊視作戰爭行為

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following: 
政府がサイバー攻撃に対する自衛権発動の検討に入った背景には、同盟国の米国が中国への懸念を深めていることがある。

 中国政府は否定するが、多くの例で中国の関与が指摘される。

 こうした攻撃に自衛権を発動した場合、実力行使の手段をどのように取り、どんな手続きを取るのか。「専守防衛」を掲げる日本は、報復の攻撃力を米軍に依存している。政府は、米国との共同対処を念頭に、外務・防衛当局の日米協議を11年9月から始めた。

 米国防総省は同年7月に発表した初の「サイバー軍事戦略」で、外国からのサイバー攻撃を「戦争行為」とみなし、軍事報復を辞さない方針を打ち出した。さらに9月、オーストラリアとの間で、サイバー攻撃の際の共同対処方針を決定。

 日本にも「豪州同様のアプローチを構築する機会がほしい」(10月、パネッタ米国防長官)としており、今後、日米共同対処の枠組み作りが進む見通しだ。ただ、サイバー攻撃を戦争行為とみなすことは、「国際的合意を得ているわけではない」(外務省筋)のが実情だ。欧米諸国では、サイバー空間での行動規範や交戦規則の策定を目指す動きが始まっており、日本政府も関与していく方針だ。

(試譯文)
Against the background that the governments were examining the right of self-defense towards cyber attacks, the U.S. and its ally had deepened their concern over China.

Although the Chinese government denied it, Chinese involvement was pointed out in many examples.
The question was at which moment the right of self-defense could be invoked towards such an attack, and how and what means of force should be used, and what kind of procedure should be taken.
Japan which advocated "exclusively defensive defense" was depending on the US in its offensive retaliation strength. The Japanese government, believing in a joint management with the US, had a US-Japan agreement signed by its foreign affairs and defense authorities that would be effective starting from September 2011.
In its first "Cyber Command strategy" announced in July of the same year, the U.S. Department of Defense considered that the cyber assault from a foreign country an "act of war", and set forth a plan which did not rule out a military retaliation. Furthermore, in September a policy was set up for a joint management plan with Australia in the case of a cyber attack.
Supposedly Japan also " want an opportunity to build the same approach as Australia has" (October, Panetta the U.S. Secretary of Defense), and from now on a framework development for the Japan-U.S. joint management was expected to proceed.
However, in considering that a cyber attack was an act of war, the reality was that "an international agreement has not necessarily been reached" (Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources). In the Western countries, a motion was started that aimed at making a policy over the code of conduct in the cyberspace and over the rules of engagement; the Japanese government was also planning to get involved.

Cyber space is a new frontier for international competition. I hope it will not lead to a war because of conflicts.