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タイ在住11年目、妻はタイ人、娘が2人、養女が2人

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Lavish budgetary handouts will not solve nation’s various problems
補正予算編成　バラマキで課題は解決しない

What is the purpose of a supplementary budget? The compilation of the envisaged budget must include efforts to fully examine its objective and its effectiveness.
　何のための補正予算なのか。その目的と効果を十分に吟味した編成が求められよう。

The government is working to draw up a supplementary budget for fiscal 2015, under instructions from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The size of the budget will likely be somewhere in the first half of the ¥3 trillion range. The government will seek to shepherd the budget through the Diet after submitting it to an ordinary session of the legislature to be convened early in January.
　政府が、２０１５年度補正予算の編成作業を進めている。安倍首相が指示したもので、総額は３兆円台前半の見通しだ。年明けに召集される通常国会に提出し、成立を目指す。

The main pillars of the budget include emergency measures to realize “a society that will promote the dynamic engagement of all its citizens,” as well as steps aimed at addressing problems affecting the agricultural sector due to a broad agreement reached in multilateral talks over the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact.
　「１億総活躍社会」を実現するための緊急対策や、環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）の大筋合意に伴う農業対策が柱となる。

Another main feature of the budget is a plan to establish more nursing facilities for elderly people, in pursuit of the goal touted by the Abe administration to ensure that no one has to quit their job to provide nursing care for a relative. It can be hoped that the plan, if translated into action at an early date, will produce even greater results.
　安倍政権が掲げた「介護離職ゼロ」に向けた介護施設の増設などは、早期に着手することで、より大きな効果が期待できよう。

The budget is also likely to include allocations for such policies as antiterrorism measures to be taken in preparation for the Ise-Shima summit of Group of Seven nations in May next year, and rehabilitation work to be carried out in areas that were struck by natural disasters. They can be understood as urgent budgetary appropriations.
　来年５月の主要国首脳会議（伊勢志摩サミット）のテロ対策や、災害復旧の費用なども、緊急を要する予算であると理解できる。

However, the budgetary content currently being studied by the government entails a considerable number of items open to question. Doubts can be raised about whether they truly need to be funded by the supplementary budget.
　しかし、政府が検討中の内容には、補正予算で手当てする必要が本当にあるのか、疑問が生じる項目が少なくない。

There are concerns that the budget may include policies that could be viewed as lavish government handouts, in the guise of trying to improve the quality of social security services and addressing problems arising from the TPP accord. Such policies may serve as a means of responding to requests from elderly people and regional communities in preparation for next summer’s House of Councillors election. Each item included in the budget must be rigorously assessed by closely examining its cost-effectiveness.
　来夏に参院選を控え、高齢者や地方の要望に応えようと、社会保障の充実やＴＰＰ対策に名を借りた、バラマキ的な政策が紛れ込まないか。費用対効果を精査し、厳しく査定すべきだ。

Why limited to elderly?

One typical example of such lavishness is a plan to pay about ¥30,000 in benefits per person to elderly people who receive low pension payments. The plan has been described as a measure to address the increasing burden felt by ordinary households as a result of a rise in the consumption tax rate and rising prices due to the depreciation of the yen.
　典型的なのは、年金受給額が低い高齢者に１人あたり３万円程度の給付金を支給する案だ。消費税率の引き上げや、円安による物価上昇で家計の負担感が増していることに対応する狙いだという。

The number of elderly people eligible for such government benefits will likely surpass about 10 million, with the necessary budgetary funding expected to total as much as ¥300 billion. However, such a one-time benefit program may prove to be limited in producing good results.
　対象者は、約１０００万人超に上り、総額３０００億円規模の予算が必要となるが、一時的な給付金では効果は限られよう。

First of all, it is difficult to understand why the persons covered by the benefit program will be limited to pension recipients at a time when a large number of young people who are working in non-regular jobs for low salaries are experiencing financial hardships.
　そもそも、低所得で生活が苦しい若い非正規労働者も多いのに、給付対象を年金受給者だけに限ることも理解に苦しむ。

We believe the government should thoroughly discuss measures to aid low-income members of the population within the social security policy framework — not just try to address pertinent issues on an ad hoc basis with the supplementary budget.
　補正予算で場当たり的に対応するのでなく、社会保障政策全体の中で、低所得者対策をしっかりと議論すべきではないか。

The budget is also expected to incorporate such TPP-related measures as plans to build and improve farm roads and carry out other land improvement projects. We doubt that our nation’s agricultural competitiveness will be increased only through efforts to add such conventional agricultural civil engineering projects to the existing ones. The boost to the economy will also be limited.
　ＴＰＰ対策では、農道整備などの土地改良事業が盛り込まれるとみられる。こうした従来型の農業土木事業を積み増しても、農業の競争力強化にはつながるまい。景気浮揚効果も限定的だ。

We believe importance should be attached to implementing measures aimed at supporting farmers who are willing to adopt a proactive stance regarding their agricultural operations. Specific steps include cultivating channels for overseas sales conducive to bolstering agricultural exports and developing new high value-added products.
　農作物の輸出を後押しする海外販路の開拓や、付加価値の高い新商品の開発など「攻めの農業」の支援策に重点を置きたい。

Fiscal resources necessary for the supplementary budget will be raised by using appropriations left unused under the fiscal 2014 budget and extra gains accrued from greater-than-expected tax revenue due to an economic recovery in fiscal 2015.
　補正予算の財源は、１４年度予算の使い残しと、景気回復で増えた１５年度税収の上振れ分で賄う。

We find it reasonable to avoid issuing new government bonds under the budget. In consideration of the nation’s critical fiscal condition, however, it should not be forgotten that the reasonable option for utilizing an unused portion of budgetary allocations is to set it aside to repay debts.
　新規国債の発行を回避するのは妥当だが、危機的な財政状況を考えれば、本来、余った予算は借金返済に充てるのが筋であることも忘れてはなるまい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 7, 2015)

December 6, 2015 (Mainichi Japan)
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: My life is fine as it is
香山リカのココロの万華鏡: 私の人生　これでよし　／東京

I recently appeared on a radio program as a guest.
　ラジオの特別番組のゲストに出た。

The subject of the program was songs that speak our feelings.
テーマは「私の気持ちを代弁してくれる歌」。

We collected requests from listeners for songs.
生放送中にリクエストを募るのだが、

Perhaps because the radio host, myself and the other two guests were all women, we received emails and fax messages from female listeners across a wide range of ages.
パーソナリティーも３人のゲストも女性だからか、幅広い世代の女性リスナーからたくさんのメール、ファクスが来た。

Every person wrote not only the name of the song they wanted, but when and under what circumstances they listened to it in the past.
　どの人も、曲名だけでなく、いつ、どんな状況で好きだったかを書いてくれる。

"When I lost my husband of many years, I was cheered up by this song," wrote one listener.
「長年連れ添った夫を亡くしたとき、どれほど励まされたか」

"I quietly handed this CD over to my son, who was becoming a shut-in," wrote another.
「引きこもりぎみの息子にそっとＣＤを渡しました」といった感動的な話から

Yet another listener sent a story that made me worry a bit, reading, "When I reunited with this person who I used to like, we were both married.
「好きだった人と再会したときはお互い既婚者。

I now keep in contact with this person as a friend, and I put my feelings in this song."
いまは友だちとして連絡している私の気持ちを曲に託します」など、思わず「大丈夫か」とドキドキしてしまう話まであった。

At any rate, I really feel that women have a lot of changes in their lives.
　それにしても、つくづく「オンナの人生、いろいろなことがある」と思う。

From marriage to childbirth to child-raising, their roles in life change around quickly and drastically.
結婚から出産、育児と立場が目まぐるしく変わり、

Sometimes they may live overseas as their husband's jobs are relocated, or they may suddenly have to deal with caring for an elderly relative.
ときには夫の転勤などでいきなり外国に住んだり突然介護の問題が迫ってきたりすることもある。

Having children is a happy thing, but they are also the source of great concern, such as when they won't talk to their parents, or when they are slow in becoming independent.
子どもがいるのは幸せなことだが「親と口をきかない」「いつまでも自立しない」など大きな悩みの種になることもある。

Women's lives don't go at all according to their plans.
自分でいくら人生のプランを立てても、ちっともその通りにいかない、というのが女の人生だ。

Neither the radio show personality nor I have children.
　パーソナリティーを務めた女性アナウンサーにも私にも子どもはおらず、

We occasionally do jobs together once every few years, and our situations are similar.
何年に一度かいっしょに仕事をする機会があるが、お互い状況はあまり変わらない。

When the radio show ended at around 11 p.m., we went out for drinks, and remarked on our carefree lives.
放送が夜１１時近くに終わってから「飲みに行こう」と街にくり出し、「私たちはずいぶん気楽な生活だな」と苦笑してしまった。

The national government is pushing a goal to ensure active lives for all citizens, creating a society where people can have and raise children without concern, and not have to worry about quitting their jobs to care for elderly family.
　政府は「１億総活躍」というキーワードを掲げ、安心して子どもを産み育て、介護で仕事をやめる必要のない社会を作ろう、と言っている。

I will be perfectly happy if that happens, but I don't want the national government or government organs telling people how to live, and even if people decide their own lives, things don't necessarily go to plan.
そうなるのはおおいに歓迎だが、それでも「こう生きなさい」と国や行政に決められたくはないし、自分で決めたとしてもなかなかうまくいかない場合もある。

When things don't go to plan, we don't have to think of our lives as failures.
そのときに「私の人生、失敗ね」と自信を失う必要はない。

Every life is a unique one that only that person can live.
どんな人生も、その人にしか歩めない、世界にふたつとないものだからだ。

Whether that life is one that we chose or one that came unexpectedly, we should be proud and say, "My life is fine as it is."
それが選んだ結果であっても期せずしてそうなった場合でも、自分で「私の人生、これでよし」と誇りに感じるべきだ。

I myself did not live focusing solely on my work.
　私にしても、「これしかない」と強く思って仕事ひとすじに生きてきたわけではない。

But before I knew it, I had become this age.
はっと気づいたらこの年齢、という感じだ。

Still, as I drank good wine with that radio show host who I've long known, I felt, "This life isn't so bad."
それでも長いつき合いの女性アナとおいしいワインで乾杯していると「まあ、この人生、悪くないな」と思えてくるからおもしろい。

(By Rika Kayama, psychiatrist) （精神科医）
毎日新聞2015年12月1日　地方版

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 5
EDITORIAL: Stench of corruption lingers over Futenma relocation plan
（社説）辺野古とカネ　移設の陰の不透明さ

An Okinawa construction company that won a public works contract related to the U.S. military base relocation plan in Nago donated 900,000 ($7,310) yen to six candidates in the 2014 Lower House election.
The six all won their single-seat districts in the prefecture. A political donation linked to a national election made by a central government contractor represents an illegal act banned by the Public Offices Election Law.
The company won a contract to build an embankment on Nago’s Henoko district shore, where the government plans to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan, also in Okinawa Prefecture.
　沖縄・米軍普天間飛行場の辺野古移設工事を受注した建設業者が、昨年の衆院選の前、当選した６人に計９０万円を寄付していたことが分かった。
　国と契約を結ぶ業者からの国政選挙に関する寄付は、公職選挙法で禁じられた違法行為だ。

The Asahi Shimbun has learned that the contractor also made donations to candidates for local government chief elections in the past.
　受注業者は、首長選でも候補者側への寄付を重ねていた。

These dubious campaign donations inevitably raise suspicions. They suggest that the company paid the cash in the hope of building collusive ties with politicians to gain favor with regard to government contracts for the gigantic public works airbase project.
　辺野古移設という巨大な公共事業をめぐり、選挙支援と引き換えに政治家の利権に期待する建設業者――。そんな癒着が疑われても仕方がない構図だ。

Both the politicians and the company should, of course, start behaving with greater integrity.
　政治家も、業者もきちんと襟を正すのは当然のことだ。

This is not the first time that shady cash payments related to the Futenma relocation plan have come to light.
　辺野古移設に関して、不透明なカネのやりとりが明るみに出たのはこれだけではない。

It has also been disclosed that three members of a government panel to study the project’s environmental impact, including the committee chairman, received donations totaling 11 million yen from contractors undertaking the construction work.
　移設工事を環境面から監視する専門家委員会の委員３人が、委員就任決定後に受注業者から計１１００万円の寄付金を受け、

Another committee member received remuneration from a corporation affiliated with one of the contractors.
他の１委員も受注業者の関連法人から報酬を受けていたことも先に明らかになっている。

The central government set up the panel to discuss the project from a scientific viewpoint and inform them about developments in related projects.
　委員会は国が設置。移設事業を科学的に審議し、工事の変更などを国に指導する。

The fact is that the experts tasked to assess the environmental impact of the construction works received cash from the companies that carry out the works.
その任をゆだねられた専門家が、事業を請け負う業者からカネを受けとっていた構図だ。

The government claims the panel has been discussing issues in a fair and neutral manner. But it’s hard to believe the companies that paid the money expected nothing in return.
　政府は「委員会は公平中立な立場で議論が行われている」としているが、カネを出す業者側に何らかの期待がないとは思えない。

Refusing to receive money or other gifts from any interested party is the minimum ethical requirement for members of such a committee.
利害関係者から金品を受けとらないことは、委員の最低限の倫理ではないのか。

There has also been a case of questionable payments with regard to the project by the government itself.
　政府自身が不透明な公金を支出する例もある。

At the end of last month, the administration decided to provide state subsidies to the three districts of Kushi, Henoko and Toyohara in Nago, collectively known as the “Three Kube Districts.”
The three districts, which are located near the site where the new military facilities are being built, will each receive up to 13 million yen in state subsidies for the current fiscal year.
　政府は先月末、名護市の移設先周辺の「久辺（くべ）３区」（久志、辺野古、豊原）に今年度は１区につき最大１３００万円の補助金を出すことを決めた。

The Three Kube Districts, however, are not official administrative units like Tokyo’s 23 wards. They are more like neighborhood associations.
　区といっても東京２３区のような自治体ではなく、町内会のようなものだ。

The decision represents an unusual move by the central government. It will supply the public funds directly, bypassing the authorities of Okinawa Prefecture and Nago, whose chiefs are opposed to the government’s plan to relocate the Futenma air base to Henoko.
移設に反対する県や市の頭越しに、３区だけに公金を出す異例の施策である。

The government seems to have lost sight of administrative decency and fairness in a rush to build the new base.
　辺野古移設を急ぐあまり、行政としての公正さ、公平さを見失ってはいないか。

Actually, there have been a number of cases across the nation in which questionable cash payments related to public works projects have divided communities.
　沖縄に限らず、公共事業をめぐる不透明なカネが地域に分断を生んできた例はこれまでも数多い。

It should be noted that many local construction companies struggling to stay afloat depend on public works projects for survival.
疲弊する地域の建設業者にとって、公共事業が「命綱」である側面もあるだろう。

Even so, politicians and bureaucrats should strictly prohibit themselves from getting involved in any opaque or questionable cash payments. This kind of shady money only deepens distrust among local populations, undermines the arena for honest public debate and causes divisions within communities.
　だとしても、政治家や行政が不透明・不自然なカネのやりとりにかかわることは、住民の不信を広げ、ともに考える土俵を損ね、住民の間に分断を持ち込むだけだ。厳に慎むべきである。

For both advocates and opponents of the Futenma relocation plan, fair and above-board procedures for related decisions and measures must be the minimum precondition for discussions on this issue.
　手続きが公正・公平であることは、基地移設への賛否を超えて、この問題を議論する最低限の前提でなければならない。

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 3
EDITORIAL: Doubts remain on effectiveness of corporate tax cut
（社説）法人減税加速　効果が見通せない

The Abe administration has decided to lower the effective corporate tax rate to less than 30 percent next fiscal year. The reduction of taxation on corporate profits will come earlier than originally scheduled.
　企業の利益にかかる法人実効税率が予定を早めて引き下げられ、来年度に３０％を切る見通しとなった。

The Finance Ministry and other related government bodies had agreed with Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), the nation’s most powerful business lobby, to lower the rate more gradually, from the current level of slightly higher than 32 percent to below 30 percent in fiscal 2017.
財務省などの関係省庁と経団連は、今は３２％強の実効税率を段階的に下げ、１７年度に２０％台とすることで一致していた。

But the prime minister’s office, which has been keen to push through corporate tax reform, has decided to quicken the pace of the tax reduction.
それを法人税改革に熱心な首相官邸が前倒しした。

If the proposal is implemented, the effective corporate tax rate will have been lowered by a total of 7 percentage points since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to power in December 2012.
第２次安倍政権の発足以来、計７％幅の引き下げになる。

The corporate tax reform is aimed at re-energizing the economy by encouraging companies to raise wages and expand their investment in equipment and facilities.
　改革の目的は、賃上げや設備投資の回復につなげて経済を元気にすることだ。

Both wages and corporate capital investment are showing signs of growing, but only moderately. Instead of spending heavily to increase wages and capital investment, companies are building up their cash reserves.
しかし、賃金、投資とも改善の傾向にはあるものの力強さを欠き、企業は手元資金を積み上げている。

Will simply accelerating the pace of tax reduction produce expected results? Or is there a more focused and effective approach to stimulating companies to ramp up their spending?
　これまでの取り組みを加速すれば効果が期待できるのか。企業のおカネを動かすために、もっと的を絞った対策はないのか。

The Abe administration has made the decision without holding sufficient debate on these and other questions that should be sorted out.
詰めるべき論点を素通りしたと言わざるをえない。

The process leading to the decision raises even more questions about the wisdom of the measure.
　今回の検討の過程を振り返ると、疑問はいっそう膨らむ。

In its talks with business leaders, the Abe administration made repeated requests for wage hikes and expansion of investment even though decisions concerning these issues should in principle be left to individual companies.
　最終的には個々の企業が決める賃上げや投資増について、政権は「官民対話」の場で要求を繰り返し、

Those in the business community responded to these requests by saying they need a corporate tax cut and other measures to ease their burden.
経済界は「それには法人減税などが不可欠」と切り返してきた。

In the end, Keidanren expressed the “expectation” that profitable companies will give their employees bigger wage hikes next fiscal year than the increases in the current year. The business group also made the “projection” that corporate capital spending will increase by 10 trillion yen ($81.6 billion) from this year to more than 81 trillion yen in fiscal 2018.
　結局、賃上げについて「収益拡大企業への、今年を上回る引き上げへの期待」を、設備投資では「今年度と比べて１０兆円増の８１兆円強に増えるとの見通し」を経団連が表明し、

The administration welcomed Keidanren’s replies as “important messages” and decided to push down the effective corporate tax rate.
政権が「重く受け止める」と応じて、税率下げの前倒しが固まった。

During the talks between the government and the business community, however, more time could have been spent on such relevant issues as the merits and demerits of so-called special tax measures.
　官民対話では、たとえば租税特別措置（租特）の功罪について議論を深めてもよかった。

Special tax measures could degenerate into hotbeds of vested interests, but they often produce immediate effects.
　租特には、既得権の温床になりかねないマイナス面の一方、即効性がある。

There are currently special tax benefits in place for achieving such policy objectives as promoting capital investment and research and development spending by companies and stimulating wage and job growth. But there may be room for improvements and upgrades in these measures.
今も設備・研究開発投資の促進や雇用増、賃上げを狙った特別措置が実施されているが、改善と工夫の余地はないだろうか。

Proponents of lower corporate taxation claim the effective tax rate in Japan is high by international standards and serves as a factor that discourages foreign companies from expanding into Japan.
　実効税率の引き下げにしても、「日本は国際的に高く、だから海外の企業が日本に来ない」とされるが、

But is the corporate tax rate really the main cause of stagnant growth in foreign direct investment in Japan?
対日投資が伸びないのは税制が主因なのか。

The government and the ruling coalition intend to adjust the rules concerning the corporate enterprise tax, a local tax, to prevent the cut in the effective corporate tax rate from making a big dent in the tax revenue.
　政府・与党は、法人実効税率を下げる一方で地方税の法人事業税を見直し、税収減を防ぐ考えだ。

Specifically, the scope of so-called pro forma standard taxation, which is based on measures of the companies’ size, such as payrolls and interest payments, instead of profits, will be expanded to increase taxation on money-losing companies. Only large companies with capital exceeding 100 million yen are subject to this local tax.
資本金１億円超の大企業を対象に、利益ではなく人件費や利払い額を基準に課税している「外形標準課税」を広げ、赤字企業への課税を強める。

This policy of expanding the taxation base by using pro forma standard taxation while reducing the effective tax rate is in line with the latest international trend.
　外形標準課税などで課税ベースを広げつつ税率を下げる方向性は、最近の国際的な傾向に沿う。

But there can be a serious debate on whether it is appropriate to exempt small and midsized companies, many of which are unprofitable, from the tax.
ただ、赤字が多い中小企業が対象外のままでよいのか。

Individual taxpayers in this nation are facing the prospect of a higher consumption tax.
　国民は消費増税に向き合っている。

Unless they become more convinced of the benefits of the corporate tax reform, Japanese consumers could start feeling strong doubt and discontent about the tax system as a whole.
法人税改革の成果が見通せないと、税制全体への疑問や不満が高まりかねない。

The Abe administration needs to be aware of this risk.
政権は自覚してほしい。

--The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 3
EDITORIAL: Henoko court battle raises fundamental question of Japanese democracy
（社説）政府と沖縄県　地方自治は存在するか

“Do local autonomy and democracy really exist in Japan?” was the big question as the trial over the government’s plan to build a new U.S. military base in Okinawa Prefecture got under way.
　「日本には、本当に地方自治や民主主義は存在するのでしょうか」――。

The question posed by Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga during the trial’s first hearing at the Fukuoka High Court’s Naha branch on Dec. 2 should be taken very seriously.
沖縄県の翁長雄志知事が、福岡高裁那覇支部の法廷から問いかけた言葉を、重く受け止めたい。

The court battle was triggered by the land minister’s move to demand that the central government be authorized to override Onaga’s decision to invalidate his predecessor’s approval of reclamation work off the Henoko district of Nago, a city in the prefecture. Former Governor Hirokazu Nakaima supported the plan to build a new airbase to replace Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in the crowded city of Ginowan, also in Okinawa.
　米軍普天間飛行場の辺野古移設をめぐり、国土交通相が知事に埋め立て承認取り消しの撤回を求めた、代執行訴訟の初回口頭弁論での意見陳述だ。

When there is a disagreement between the central government and a local entity, it should be worked out through talks.
　国と地方に意見の対立があれば、話し合いで打開するのが本来の姿だ。

The Abe administration’s decision to bring the case to the court represents a refusal to seek a solution to this sticky issue through dialogue, a disturbing sign of the poverty of politics in Japan these days.
それを法廷に持ち込んで押し切ろうとする政府の姿勢は、対話による解決を放棄した政治の貧困を物語る。

The focus of the trial will be on the legitimacy of the administrative procedures in which Onaga’s predecessor approved the reclamation work to build a new base, and those that Onaga used to rescind Nakaima’s administrative action.
　裁判の主な争点は、前知事による埋め立て承認や、翁長知事の承認取り消しが適法だったか、といった行政手続きの可否になるだろう。

But questions raised by this trial far transcend these procedural issues. The dispute also raises some fundamental questions about the principle of local self-government endorsed by the Constitution.
　だが、この裁判が、真の意味で問うものはそれにとどまらない。憲法がうたう地方自治の内実が問われている。

The basic principles of local autonomy that have been upheld by the government’s Committee for the Promotion of Decentralization call for communities to make their own decisions on local issues of their concern and respecting the right to self-determination as much as possible.
　自らの地域のことは、自らの判断で考える。地域の自己決定権をできる限り尊重する。それが政府の地方分権推進委員会の議論で打ち出された地方自治の原則である。

In 1999, the Local Autonomy Law was radically revised in line with these principles.
　その理念に沿って、１９９９年、地方自治法は大幅改正された。

The revision has transformed the relationship between the central and local government from one of higher and lower or between superior and subordinate to a relationship of equals and of cooperation.
国と地方の関係は「上下・主従」から「対等・協力」へと大きく転換したのである。

Now that the central and local governments are on an equal footing, the instances in which the central government restricts a prefectural government’s powers should be very limited in application.
　国と地方が対等となった今、国が県の権限を制限する代執行は極めて限定的であるべきだろう。

From this viewpoint, the Abe administration’s move to file a suit over the case without having sufficient dialogue with Okinawa Prefecture is a far cry from how it should act according to the principle of local autonomy.
その意味でも、十分な対話がないままの政府の提訴は地方自治のあるべき姿とは程遠い。

The administration warns that trust between Japan and the United States could collapse if the plan to relocate the Futenma base to Henoko falls through.
　政府は、辺野古移設が実現できなければ米国との信頼関係が崩壊しかねないという。

If so, why is the administration not trying to win Washington’s understanding of Okinawa’s position on the issue?
ならばなぜ、米国に理解を求めようとしないのか。

Even if diplomacy and national defense are matters that fall within the responsibility of the central government, the intentions of the prefecture involved should not be ignored.
外交・防衛は国の役割だとしても、県の意思が無視されていいはずがない。

The Okinawa prefectural government argues that the presence of U.S. military bases in the prefecture directly violates its right to self-government. 　県は、米軍基地は自治権を直接侵害していると主張する。

These facilities lead to crimes and accidents involving U.S. servicemen and noise pollution by U.S. military aircraft.
米軍兵士らによる犯罪や事故、米軍機による騒音被害を引き起こし、

The privileges granted to the U.S. forces by the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement hamper the prefectural government’s exercise of its administrative power.
日米地位協定による米軍の特権が行政権を妨げる……。

That’s why the prefectural government claims that the construction of a new U.S. military base within Okinawa, which makes up only 0.6 percent of Japanese territory but is home to 73.8 percent of the facilities used exclusively by the U.S. military in Japan, constitutes a violation of its right of self-government guaranteed by the Constitution.
　だからこそ県は、国土面積の０・６％の沖縄に米軍専用施設の７３・８％も集中させていながら、「さらに新たな基地を造ることは自治権の侵害で違憲だ」と主張しているのだろう。

This case has huge implications that go beyond the interests of Okinawa.
　この訴訟は、ひとり沖縄だけの問題ではない。

If it suggests that the central government can adopt an overbearing attitude toward a local government when they are at odds over an issue, the suit has serious implications for all local governments across the nation.
考えの対立する自治体を政府が高圧的に扱えるとすれば、全国の自治体にとっても切実な問題ではないか。

Japan’s local autonomy and democracy have been called into question by the bitter dispute over the plan to relocate the Futenma base to Henoko.
　辺野古移設が問うているのは日本の地方自治、民主主義そのものである。

We are eager to see the court hand down a ruling that moves beyond simply determining the legitimacy of the administrative procedures involved and addresses the more fundamental issues raised by the case.
単なる行政手続きの可否を超えた、踏み込んだ判断を司法に求めたい。

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Gathering of global leaders sets stage for antiterrorism solidarity
パリ首脳外交　対テロ連帯アピールする場に

The leaders of about 150 nations and territories have gathered in Paris, about two weeks after coordinated terrorist attacks in the city. This demonstrates a growing antiterrorism mood in the international community.
　同時テロの発生から２週間余りのパリで、約１５０か国・地域の首脳らが一堂に会した。国際社会の「反テロ」機運の高まりを示すものだ。

What is important is to have this momentum lead to reinforced cooperation among countries concerned to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) extremist militant group.
　これを過激派組織「イスラム国」制圧に向けた関係国の連携強化につなげることが肝要である。

In his address at the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21), French President Francois Hollande, whose country is the conference chair, said that the fights against terrorism and global warming are “two big global challenges we have to face up to.”
　国連気候変動枠組み条約の第２１回締約国会議（ＣＯＰ２１）で、議長国フランスのオランド大統領は、「テロとの戦いと地球温暖化との戦いはいずれも、重要な世界規模の課題だ」と演説した。

German Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized that participating countries strongly condemn terrorism no matter where it happens.
　ドイツのメルケル首相も、「どこで起きようが、テロを糾弾する」と強調した。

The sight of world leaders offering silent prayers for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris must have made a strong impression on people around the world.
　首脳らがそろって同時テロの犠牲者に黙祷もくとうをささげた姿は、世界中に強い印象を与えただろう。

In talks with Hollande, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, “Such terrorist acts challenge values we hold in common,” confirming that both countries would cooperate in antiterrorism measures.
　安倍首相は、オランド氏との会談で、「テロ行為は共通の価値に対する挑戦だ」と述べ、テロ対策で連帯することを確認した。

U.S. President Barack Obama held talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and agreed on the importance of a ceasefire in the Syrian civil war and of the implementation of a political road map aimed at realizing a transition to a new regime.
　オバマ米大統領はプーチン露大統領と会談し、シリア内戦の停戦と新政権移行に向けた行程表の履行の重要性で一致した。

There still remains a gap between the United States, looking for an end to the administration led by Syrian President Bashar Assad, and Russia, which supports Assad. But it deserves recognition that both leaders kept in place a cooperative trend in fighting against ISIL.
　シリアのアサド政権の排除を目指す米国と、支援するロシアの間で依然溝は残るが、対「イスラム国」協調の流れが維持されたのは評価できる。

U.S., Russia still at odds

Obama asserted that Russia should focus on fighting ISIL, while Putin brought forward the need for dividing the multiple rebel groups in Syria into extremist groups to be targets of airstrikes and moderate opposition groups as parties to negotiate with.
　オバマ氏は「イスラム国」に標的を集中すべきだと主張した。プーチン氏は、複数のシリア反体制派組織を、空爆の対象とする過激派と、交渉相手の穏健派に区分けする必要性を提起した。

In realizing peace talks between the Assad regime and the opposition groups, it is quite significant to make efforts to distinguish these rebel groups.
　アサド政権と反体制派の和平協議の実現のためにも、区分けに取り組む意義は小さくない。

Offering his condolences regarding the Russian pilot who died after his military aircraft was shot down by Turkish warplanes, Obama told Putin that the United States will ease its sanctions against Russia once the ceasefire agreement to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine is fully implemented. This can be translated as the United States giving consideration to France, now aiming to form an international coalition to fight ISIL.
　オバマ氏は、トルコ軍機に撃墜された露軍機パイロットへの弔意を示し、ロシアがウクライナ東部の停戦合意を履行すれば、制裁を緩和する方針も表明した。対「イスラム国」での大同団結を目指すフランスへの配慮だろう。

What is worrisome is that deteriorated relations between Russia and Turkey following the downing of the Russian warplane have cast a shadow over the solidarity of the international community.
　懸念されるのは、撃墜に伴うロシアとトルコの関係悪化が国際社会の結束に影を落としていることだ。

Russia has imposed a package of economic sanctions against Turkey, restricting trade and tourism with the country, while Moscow is demanding Ankara apologize as one of the conditions for Putin to hold a dialogue with his Turkish counterpart.
ロシアは、貿易や観光などを制限する経済制裁をトルコに科し、トルコ側の謝罪を首脳間の対話の条件にしている。

Putin accused Turkey of being involved in ISIL-led oil smuggling. Ankara denied Putin’s claim, saying that it is the Assad regime that is buying oil from the militants.
　ロシアは、トルコが「イスラム国」の石油密売に関わっていると非難した。トルコは「石油を買っているのはアサド政権だ」と反発している。

The U.N. Security Council has adopted a resolution calling for reinforced efforts to stop the sources of funding for ISIL. It will also become necessary to make efforts to conduct thorough controls on borders with Syria so as to contain the flow of people and goods to ISIL.
　国連安全保障理事会は資金源遮断の取り組み強化を求める決議を採択している。シリアとの国境管理を徹底し、「イスラム国」への人やモノの流れを封じ込める努力も求められよう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 2, 2015)

The Yomiuri Shimbun
New framework for emissions cuts must involve emerging economies
ＣＯＰ２１開幕　新興国も責任果たす枠組みに

Can a new framework to replace the Kyoto Protocol be put in place on emissions control? The international climate conference is important as it influences the future course of measures to fight global warming.
　京都議定書に代わる新たな枠組みに合意できるのか。今後の地球温暖化対策を左右する重要な会議である。

The 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) opened amid tight security in Paris, not long after deadly terrorist attacks in and around the city.
　同時テロから日が浅いパリで、厳戒態勢の中、国連気候変動枠組み条約の第２１回締約国会議（ＣＯＰ２１）が開幕した。

In an extraordinary move, a summit meeting was held at the outset of the conference. It is significant that leaders from about 150 countries committed to tackling a subject of common interest to all of humankind without yielding to terrorism.
　会議冒頭に首脳会合が行われる異例の日程となった。約１５０か国の首脳が、テロに屈せず、人類共通の課題に立ち向かうことを確認する意義は大きい。

But it remains to be seen how the conference will turn out. There is a wide gap between the positions of developed and developing countries.
　ただ、会議の行方は予断を許さない。先進国と途上国の主張に大きな隔たりがあるためだ。

Measures to combat global warming have been based on the idea that developed nations have a greater responsibility than developing ones as they have emitted a great amount of greenhouse gases in the course of their economic development. Under the Kyoto Protocol adopted in 1997, only developed nations were obliged to cut back on emissions.
　温暖化対策は、経済発展に伴って多量の温室効果ガスを排出してきた先進国には、途上国より重い責任がある、という考え方に基づいている。１９９７年に採択された京都議定書では、先進国のみが削減義務を負った。

The situation has changed greatly from what it was at the time. Emissions by emerging economies including China and India with no reduction obligations have increased significantly. China is now the world’s largest producer of gas emissions, surpassing the United States.
　当時とは状況が大きく変化している。削減義務のない中国やインドなど、新興国からの排出量が大幅に増えた。中国は今や、米国を上回る最大の排出国だ。

The greatest focus of the conference will be on whether a new framework, which will take effect in 2020, can be made into a system in which all major greenhouse gas emitters fulfill their shares of responsibility.
　２０２０年に発効する新たな枠組みを、全ての主要排出国が応分の責任を果たす仕組みにできるか否かが、会議の最大の焦点だ。

Reduction targets not enough

Countries have announced their own reduction targets ahead of the COP21. China’s target is to cut its emissions by 60 percent to 65 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 — as measured per unit of gross domestic product.
　ＣＯＰ２１に向け、各国は独自の削減目標を掲げた。中国は、国内総生産（ＧＤＰ）当たりの排出量を、３０年までに０５年比で６０～６５％削減するという内容だ。

This can be translated into an increase of emissions if the economy grows greatly. We have to say that it is not an adequately set goal.
　これでは、経済が大きく成長すれば、排出量は増加する。不十分な目標と言わざるを得ない。

On the other hand, if a demanding goal is pushed on it, China may leave the new framework. This is a dilemma.
　一方で、中国に厳しい目標を求めれば、新たな枠組みから離脱しかねないジレンマがある。

The U.S. target is to curtail emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent from 2005 levels in 2025. Japan has set a goal of a 26 percent cut in fiscal 2030 compared with fiscal 2013 levels. Developed nations’ proactive approaches to emissions cuts are considered effective in prompting China and other emerging economies to also tackle the global issue positively.
　米国の目標は、２５年に０５年比で２６～２８％減だ。日本も、３０年度に１３年度比で２６％減を掲げている。先進国が削減に積極姿勢を示すことは、中国など新興国にも前向きな取り組みを促す上で有効だ。

Even if emissions targets by all the parties to the convention are added up, it will not be possible to achieve an international goal of reining in the rise in the average temperature at the end of this century by less than 2 C compared with the period before the Industrial Revolution.
　各国が示した削減量を積み上げても、今世紀末の平均気温の上昇を、産業革命以前に比べて２度未満に抑えるという国際的な目標は達成できない。

A matter to be studied is establishment of a system under which countries are obliged to report the status of emissions cuts periodically for verification and work toward raising reduction targets as much as possible.
　各国が定期的に削減状況を報告して検証を受け、可能な限り目標を引き上げる。こうした仕組みを構築することも課題である。

Emerging and developing countries strongly call on developed nations to expand financial assistance and to transfer technology.
　新興国・途上国は、先進国からの資金援助の拡充や技術移転を強く求めている。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will announce a plan to raise Japan’s annual assistance from ¥1 trillion to ¥1.3 trillion and provide renewable energy technologies, among others. Japan must contribute to reducing emissions as a whole in the world.
　安倍首相は、日本としての支援額を年１兆円から１・３兆円に引き上げ、再生可能エネルギー技術などを提供することを表明する。世界全体の排出削減に向けて、役割を果たしたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 1, 2015)

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Finland’s decision on final disposal of spent nuclear fuel makes good sense
核廃棄物処分　現実的なフィンランドの判断

The recent decision by Finland may serve as a good guideline to countries that are racking their brains over how to dispose of high-level radioactive waste generated from nuclear power plants.
　原子力発電に伴う高レベル放射性廃棄物の処分に苦慮する国々の参考になるのではないか。

The Finnish government has granted a licence for the construction of a final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel, first such action in the world. Posiva, an organization tasked with the construction project, will start building the facility by the end of next year, with the aim of starting operation in 2023.
　フィンランド政府が世界で初めて、最終処分場の建設を許可した。計画を担うポシバ社は、来年末までに着工し、２０２３年の稼働を目指す。

As high-level radioactive waste releases intense radioactivity for a long period of time, a geological repository for burial deep underground is considered an ideal method of disposal.
　高レベル放射性廃棄物は、長期間にわたって強い放射線を発するため、深い地下に埋める地層処分が最適とされている。

The Finnish government’s decision is based on the view that an above-ground impact will be avoided almost permanently if a stable geological stratum at least 400 meters deep and not accessible to human development is chosen for burying the spent nuclear fuel and multiple safety measures are taken.
　安定した地層を選び、開発が及ばない地下４００メートル以上の場所に何重もの安全措置を講じて埋設すれば、半永久的に地上への影響は生じない、という考え方だ。

Finland, a front-runner in this field, faces the challenge of verifying this concept in its implementation.
　先頭を走るフィンランドは、その実証に挑むことになる。

Unlike Japan, Finland plans to bury the spent nuclear fuel directly without reprocessing it. In any case, a high degree of safety is required. Other countries will be watching whether the construction of the facility proceeds smoothly.
　日本と異なり、フィンランドは使用済み核燃料を再処理せず、直接埋める計画だが、高度な安全性が求められることに変わりはない。工事が円滑に進むかどうか、各国の関心は高まろう。

The country’s geopolitical situation is one reason behind the project’s approval.
　建設許可まで進んだ背景には、フィンランドの地政学的事情もある。

Lacking in energy resources, Finland depends on nuclear power for 30 percent of its electricity. Finland used to transfer spent nuclear fuel to Russia, its neighbor, but considering international circumstances, the country cannot continue its dependence on Russia.
エネルギー資源に乏しく、電力の３割を原発に頼る。使用済み核燃料を隣国ロシアに移送した時期もあるが、国際情勢を考慮すればロシア依存は続けられない。

Level-headed talks needed

The Finnish government and the nuclear power industry started looking for a final disposal site in the 1980s. Based on data on geological strata, more than 100 candidate sites were chosen. Having won the local community’s agreement, the country’s parliament approved Olkiluoto for the final disposal facility in 2001.
　フィンランドでは、政府と原子力業界が１９８０年代に処分地探しを始めた。地層データから１００以上の候補地を選び、国会が０１年、地元の了解を得て、オルキルオトを予定地として承認した。

Posiva, established by the nuclear power industry to construct the facility, has conducted studies on conditions of the geological strata and the groundwater since 2004 in an underground research facility called ONKALO in Olkiluoto.
　原子力業界が建設主体として設立したポシバ社が０４年から、オルキルオトの地下調査施設「オンカロ」で、地層や地下水の状態を調査してきた。

Stable bedrock underlies the whole area and is believed to have remained stable for more than 1 billion years. But it is practically impossible to prove its stability far in the future.
　一帯の地下は、安定した岩盤から成る。１０億年以上動いていないとされるが、将来の安定性まで証明するのは事実上、不可能だ。

The Finnish government has requested that Posiva proceed with the project in stages, and make efforts to improve the safety at every stage, based on information and knowledge collected at each phase.
　フィンランド政府はポシバ社に対し、計画を段階的に進め、得られた知見を踏まえて安全性をその都度、向上させるよう求めた。

In many countries, including Japan, there are such extreme views as that the construction of such a facility cannot be approved unless it is certain that it will remain safe permanently. In the United States, the selection of candidate sites for such a facility has come to a standstill, as the safety of sites for more than 1 million years ahead came to be seen as a problem.
　日本など多くの国では、永久に安全だと証明できないのなら建設は認めない、といった極端な意見が出る。米国でも、１００万年以上も先の安全性が問題視され、候補地の選定は頓挫したままだ。

In this respect, the Finnish government’s way of thinking can be considered realistic.
　この点、フィンランド政府の考え方は現実的と言えよう。

The local government accepted the idea of hosting the facility by attaching importance to job creation and tax revenue increases. Although a political party opposing nuclear power once joined a ruling coalition, the issue has not become a political football.
　地元は、雇用創出や税収増を重視して受け入れた。反原発の政党が与党に加わったこともあるが、政争の対象にはならなかった。

In Japan, the central government has failed to win approval from a local government and it has been unable to even collect detailed data on geological strata. In exploring a disposal site, level-headed discussion is important.
　日本では、地元の了解が得られず、詳細な地層データさえ収集できない。処分地探しには、冷静な議論が重要である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 30, 2015)