企業で一番大切なものはなんでしょうか？
有り余る運営資金でしょうか？

そうではありません。
私は企業で一番大切なものは社員の一致団結、結束だと思います。
社員が常に同じ思い（意識）を共有するのが大切なんです。
そこで社内snsの出番なんです。

SNS（ソーシャルネットワーキングサービス）としては、ツイッターとかフェイスブックが有名ですが、こちらではあまり内輪の内情の話しは出来ませんね。
社内snsだと、閲覧者が社員に限定されるので、思い切ってなんでも打ち明けることが可能なんです。
この一点で社内snsの効果は計り知れません。

企業の社員のお付き合いは本音で語るのが大切です。
社内の悩み、心配、問題点、疑問点、トラブル、商品開発等々、何でもこのSNSを使えば解決出来ます。
社内ナレッジ（知識）の共通認識、共有にはもってこいの仕組みではないでしょうか。
社内sns は企業の活性化には最適な手段だと考えます。

The Yomiuri Shimbun September 11, 2013
Tokyo Olympics sporting tonic to spur recovery, economic growth
２０２０年東京五輪　復興と経済成長の起爆剤に（9月10日付・読売社説）

　◆オールジャパンで成功させたい◆

We are delighted that the Olympic flame will be lit again in Tokyo.
　東京に再び聖火がともることを喜びたい。

Tokyo has been chosen to host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympics after comfortably defeating Istanbul in the decisive vote at the International Olympic Committee’s general meeting in Buenos Aires.
　２０２０年夏季五輪・パラリンピックの開催都市が東京に決まった。
　ブエノスアイレスでの国際オリンピック委員会（ＩＯＣ）総会で、イスタンブールとの決選投票を大差で制し、招致を勝ち取った。

Fifty-six years after it hosted the Olympics in 1964, Tokyo will be home to the sports extravaganza for a second time. Together with the Winter Games in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998, the 2020 Games will be the fourth time Japan has hosted the Olympics.
　東京では１９６４年以来、５６年ぶりの五輪だ。冬季の札幌（７２年）、長野（９８年）と合わせると、日本では４度目の五輪となる。

Athletes from around the world will converge on Tokyo. The news that Tokyo has been selected to host the Games has probably given hope to many Japanese people. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he wants the Games to be “a spark to end deflation.”
　世界のアスリートが東京に集う。五輪決定の報は、多くの国民に希望をもたらしただろう。安倍首相は、五輪開催をデフレ脱却の「起爆剤にしたい」と語った。

All-out efforts got job done
　◆国挙げた招致が奏功◆

Seven years remain before the Tokyo Olympics begin. The nation must make unbridled efforts to ensure the international sports event is a success.
　開幕まで、あと７年。国を挙げて準備に万全を期し、スポーツの祭典を成功させたい。

Tokyo was said to be locked in a tight struggle with Istanbul and Madrid in the bidding race, but the final result was a solid victory by Tokyo.
　招致レースはイスタンブール、マドリードとの横一線と言われたが、結果は東京の完勝だった。

Final presentations by Paralympic athlete Mami Sato and other speakers at the IOC general meeting were all excellent and brimming with enthusiasm.
　ＩＯＣ総会で、パラリンピック選手の佐藤真海さんらによる最終プレゼンテーションは、いずれも熱意がこもった見事な内容だった。

Princess Hisako of Takamado expressed gratitude for the international support given after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami disaster in 2011. Her remarks apparently struck a chord with IOC members who cast votes.
　高円宮妃久子さまが、東日本大震災での各国からの支援に謝辞を述べられたことは、票を投じたＩＯＣ委員の心に響いたのではないか。

One factor behind Tokyo’s victory was the all-out campaigning made by the wide spectrum of sectors behind the bid. The political and business worlds offered their full support. The public support rate for hosting the Games was significantly higher than it was during the unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Olympics.
　勝因の一つはオールジャパン体制で臨めた点だ。政財界が招致を全面支援した。五輪開催に対する国民の支持率は、２０１６年五輪の招致時より大幅に上昇した。

Ardent lobbying of IOC members by the Tokyo bidding committee, which consisted of Olympic medalists and others, also achieved the desired result.
　メダリストら招致委員会のメンバーによるＩＯＣ委員への積極的なロビー活動も功を奏した。

Tokyo’s blueprint and vision for the Games were rated highly from the very beginning. The main event venues will be within an eight-kilometer radius of the Olympic Village to minimize travel times for athletes as much as possible. The plans give utmost consideration to the athletes.
　東京の開催計画は、当初から高い評価を受けていた。移動時間を短縮させるため、主要な競技会場を選手村から半径８キロ・メートル圏内に集中させるなど、選手に最大限、配慮した内容と言える。

In light of its high public safety, well-prepared transport networks and accommodation facilities, and stable financial backing including funds of ¥400 billion, some IOC members likely voted for Tokyo because they recognized the capi-tal’s excellent ability to host such a major event. Tokyo fared well in these aspects, compared with the two other candidate cities, which are fraught with such problems as political instability and a fiscal crisis.
　４０００億円の基金など都の安定した財政基盤、整備された交通網や宿泊施設、良好な治安――。政情不安や財政危機などの問題を抱えた他の２都市と比較し、東京の高い開催能力を支持の決め手としたＩＯＣ委員もいただろう。

A primary concern that threatened to derail Tokyo’s bid—and an issue widely reported overseas—was the leaks of contaminated water at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
　最も懸念されたのは、海外でも報じられている福島第一原子力発電所の汚染水問題だった。

On Friday, South Korea announced it would ban imports of marine products from Fukushima and seven other prefectures. This step, devoid of any scientific backing, is seen by some as an attempt by Seoul to tarnish Tokyo’s image.
　韓国は６日、福島県など８県の水産物の輸入を禁止すると発表した。科学的根拠を欠く措置だ。東京のイメージダウンを図ったとの見方もある。

Toxic leak issue festering
　◆汚染水問題の収束急げ◆

In response to a question by an IOC member, Abe said: “The impact [of the leak] has been completely blocked within the port facilities of the nuclear plant...In numerical terms, the level [of contaminants] monitored in waters off Fukushima Prefecture is one-500th of the standards set under the World Health Organization guidelines for drinking-water quality.”
　安倍首相は、ＩＯＣ側の質問に対し、「影響は原発の港湾内で完全にブロックされている」「福島近海でのモニタリング数値は、最大でもＷＨＯ（世界保健機関）の飲料水ガイドラインの５００分の１だ」などと説明した。

By using hard facts that ruled out the possibility that contaminated water might have an adverse impact on the Olympics, Abe’s explanation helped dispel concerns held by some IOC members.
　具体的事実を挙げて、五輪開催への影響を明確に否定したことが、ＩＯＣ委員が抱く不安の解消につながったと言えるだろう。

The government must steadily bring an end to these toxic water leaks.
　政府は今後、着実に汚染水問題を収束させねばならない。

The 1964 Tokyo Olympics showed the international com-munity that Japan was back on its feet after the end of World War II. In step with the holding of the Games, the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train line went into operation between Tokyo and Osaka, and the Shuto Expressway network was built in the capital. Tokyo’s infrastructure was upgraded by leaps and bounds.
　６４年の東京五輪は、戦後の復興を世界に示した大会だった。東海道新幹線が開通し、首都高速道路が建設された。東京のインフラ整備が飛躍的に進んだ。

What legacy will the 2020 Olympics leave for future generations?
　２０２０年五輪は、どのような遺産を未来へと残すのか。

The expectations for the Games are massive. Abe even went as far as describing them as the “fourth arrow” of Abenomics, his economic policies comprising the “three arrows” of bold monetary easing, fiscal stimulus and a growth strategy.
　安倍首相が、経済政策であるアベノミクスの「第４の矢」と言うほど、五輪への期待は極めて大きい。

The economic effects of the Games are estimated at ¥3 trillion, and 150,000 jobs will be created.
　経済効果は３兆円に上り、１５万人の雇用を生むと試算されている。

The Olympics will certainly generate a ripple effect that reaches various sectors, including the construction industry, which will build Games-related facilities, and tourism and real estate. The share prices of “Olympics-related” companies have shown signs of rising since the IOC’s decision.
　確かに、施設整備を担う建設業をはじめ、観光や不動産業など、様々な分野に効果が波及しよう。こうした「五輪関連銘柄」の株価は上昇傾向を見せている。

We hope hosting the Games will reinvigorate not only Tokyo, but also areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nation as a whole.
　五輪開催を東京だけでなく、東日本大震災の被災地、さらに日本全体の活性化につなげたい。

It is also necessary to steadily promote environmentally conscious construction projects, including the use of renewable energy to power facilities for major events and large greenery projects in the Tokyo Bay area.
　主要競技場の電力に再生可能エネルギーを使用することや、湾岸部などの大規模な緑化事業など、環境に配慮した整備計画も着実に進める必要がある。

As Tokyo prepares to hold the Paralympics, it is important to promote efforts to make the city barrier-free and easier to get around for people with disabilities.
　パラリンピックの開催に備え、街のバリアフリー化を一層、推進することも大切だ。

Strategic athlete development
　◆戦略的な選手強化を◆

Excellent performances by Japanese athletes will be crucial for making the Games sizzle.
　五輪が盛り上がるためには、日本選手の活躍が欠かせない。

The leading athletes in seven years are more than likely now middle or high school students. An increasing number of children will undoubtedly put their heart into their favorite sports as they dream of participating in the Games in their home country.
　７年後の主力となるのは、現在の中学生や高校生だろう。自国での五輪出場を夢見て、スポーツに打ち込む子供たちがますます増えるに違いない。

The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry and the Japanese Olympic Committee need to strategically development athletes, with the focus on today’s middle and high school students.
　文部科学省や日本オリンピック委員会（ＪＯＣ）は、中高生を中心とした選手の強化に、戦略的に取り組むことが必要だ。

The program at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will feature 28 sports, including wrestling, whose return as an Olympic sport was decided Sunday.
　２０年の東京五輪では、残留が決まったレスリングを含め、２８競技が実施される。

We can hardly wait for the Games to start seven years from now.
　７年後が今から待ち遠しい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 10, 2013)
（2013年9月10日01時22分  読売新聞）

The Yomiuri Shimbun September 10, 2013
Exploitation of young workers should never be tolerated
ブラック企業　若者の使い捨ては許されない（9月8日付・読売社説）

Businesses referred to as “black companies”—firms that compel young employees to work under brutal conditions—have become a social problem.
　若者に過重労働を強いる「ブラック企業」が社会問題となっている。

The Health, Welfare and Labor Ministry has embarked on on-site investigations of about 4,000 companies, which have markedly high attrition rates and where unpaid overtime and nonpayment of regular wages are common occurrences.
　厚生労働省は、離職率が極端に高く、サービス残業や賃金未払いが常態化している企業約４０００社を対象に、立ち入り調査を始めた。

The ministry says it will make public the names of firms whose labor practices are deemed especially vicious. It should solidly grasp the prevailing situation and resolutely exercise its leadership in issuing corrective instructions to black companies.
　悪質な企業については、社名を公表するという。実態を把握し、指導を強めてもらいたい。

There is no clear-cut definition of a “black company,” but such firms generally give their workers little choice but to work excessively long hours and treat them inhumanly as if they are worthless. There are many cases in which superiors intimidate younger workers through verbal abuse.
　ブラック企業に明確な定義はないが、共通するのは、異常な長時間労働をさせた上で、社員を使い捨てにする点だ。上司の暴言などによるパワーハラスメントが横行しているケースも多い。

In some cases, employees receive no overtime pay even though they work more than 100 hours of overtime per month. Some workers are criticized repeatedly after completing their normal shift, and forced to practice how to serve customers. One young male worker was so depressed he quit his job and had no choice but to support himself on welfare payments.
　残業が月１００時間を超えても残業代が支払われない。業務終了後も上司から繰り返し叱責され、接客の練習をさせられる。うつ病になって退職し、生活保護を受けている。若手男性社員のこのような例もある。

A situation in which a young worker who, under ordinary circumstances, would play a role in helping to support the nation’s social welfare system through payment of taxes and publicly run insurance premiums, conversely becomes a welfare recipient is a true loss for society.
　本来なら働いて税や保険料を納め、社会保障の支え手となるべき若者が、逆に受け手となるのは社会全体の損失だ。医療費や生活保護費は国民の負担となる。

Unscrupulous companies that profit by passing social welfare costs on to society should be criticized as irredeemably selfish.
　こうしたコストを社会に押しつけて、利益を上げようという企業経営は、あまりに身勝手だ。

The recent increase in black companies is the result of a stagnation of job offers due to the business slump, and the labor market becoming a buyer’s market for employers.
　ブラック企業が増えている背景には、不況に伴う求人の低迷で、就職戦線が買い手市場になっていることがある。

Relief steps urgent

These exploitative companies hire young workers en masse, assuming that most of them would be unable to endure the harsh working conditions and eventually quit.
　早期退職が続出するのを見越して大量採用する。

After hiring young workers, some firms assign abnormally heavy work burdens on them, permitting only those who fulfill their quotas to continue on the payroll to “fight” for the companies.
その上で、過剰なノルマを課し、成果を上げた社員だけを「即戦力」として選別する企業もあるという。

Ordinary companies provide new recruits with in-house job training to help them become fully fledged members of the firms.
　普通の企業なら、若手を一人前に育てるために社員教育を実施する。

Judging from what they are doing, however, black companies have no intention of tapping the abilities of new recruits or enhancing their job skills.
しかし、ブラック企業の実態からは、社員の能力を引き出し、伸ばしていこうという人材育成の姿勢が全く見えない。

To prevent young workers from being compelled to accept unreasonable treatment because of their weak positions vis-a-vis management, a mechanism should be established so young employees’ voices of protest against harsh working conditions can be heard.
　弱い立場の若手社員が、泣き寝入りしないためには、過酷な労働実態を訴える声をすくい上げる体制整備が、まずは欠かせない。

The ministry, for that matter, plans to create a telephone counseling service for young employees. Some lawyers’ organizations as well as the ministry’s “Hello Work” job placement offices also plan to expand counseling services for young workers. These programs should be effective in functioning as “shelters” for exploited young workers.
　厚労省は、若者からの電話相談窓口を新設する。弁護士団体やハローワークも相談業務を拡充する方針だ。“駆け込み寺”として有効に機能させたい。

A European Union regulation makes it obligatory for companies to have workers rest for 11 straight hours or more every 24 hours.
　欧州連合（ＥＵ）では、２４時間につき連続１１時間以上の休息を社員にとらせることを企業に義務づけたルールがある。

In Japan, the Labor Standards Law stipulates the upper ceilings of working hours, but under special labor-management agreements, employees can be forced to work as long as the companies want.
　日本では、労働基準法で労働時間の上限が定められてはいるが、労使が特別な協定を結べば、企業が事実上、際限のない長時間労働を社員に課すことができる。

It is a key task for the government to establish a system to restrict excessive overtime similar to that of the EU.
　ＥＵなどの例も参考に、過度な長時間労働を抑える仕組み作りも、今後の課題だろう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 8, 2013)
（2013年9月8日01時46分  読売新聞）

データ管理会社の命はその立地条件ではないでしょうか。
都心に近い場所は確かに便利ですが、大地震や大津波が来たらひとたまりもありません。
バックアップサービスの基地が自然災害リスクのきわめて低い北海道石狩にあったらどうでしょうか。
これだけで大安心ではないでしょうか。
まったくうまいことを考えたものだと感服いたしました。
プライベートクラウド／システム運用代行サービスのエヌシーアイのことなんです。
石狩の他には、横浜と大阪にデータベースの拠点があります。
この三拠点が相互補完するかたちでクラウドバックアップのシステムを保守していけば完璧ではないでしょうか。
エヌシーアイのサービスラインナップはセキュリティからネットワークまで幅広い分野をカバーしているので安心してお任せすることが出来ます。
ZETA Cloud Backup のご利用をおすすめいたします。

藤圭子さんの自殺、まったく知りませんでした。
彼女の歌｢新宿の女｣が好きでしたね。
残念です。
ご冥福をお祈りいたします。
（スラチャイ記）

September 08, 2013(Mainichi Japan)
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: Storms of instability calm with age
香山リカのココロの万華鏡:心の嵐、年とともに治まる　／東京

Singer Keiko Fuji, a face of the Showa era and the mother of singer Hikaru Utada, recently took her own life. Based on comments released by her family, it appears that she had long suffered from a mental illness involving extreme emotional shifts.
　昭和を代表する大歌手、藤圭子さんが自ら命を絶った。家族が発表したコメントによると、藤さんは感情が激しく変化する「心の病」に長い間苦しんでいたことがうかがわれる。

The singer displayed dizzying swings, yet there was a time when she was cheerful and was able to perform stably as a singer. The name of her illness was not given, but judging from these traits, it's possible that she had a personality disorder -- a malady marked by a lack of stability.
診断名などは書かれていないが、めまぐるしく揺れ動く半面、明るい時や歌手としてきちんと活動できる時もあったことから推測すると、不安定さを特徴とする「パーソナリティー」の障害だった可能性も考えられる。

A significant number of people suffer from frequent waves of emotion due to illnesses such as borderline personality disorders, while their families are left at their mercy. The recent turn of events no doubt shocked them.
　不安定なパーソナリティーを特徴とする心の病、たとえば「ボーダーライン性パーソナリティー障害」を持ち、頻繁に訪れる感情の波に苦しむ人やそれに翻弄される家族は少なくない。そういう人たちは、今回の出来事にショックを受けているのではないだろうか。

But not everybody faces endless instability and a tragic ending. Recently I had the opportunity to sit in on a lecture by psychiatrist Kenichiro Okano at a meeting of a certain academic society. Okano introduced a U.S. study which found that 70 percent of patients who were diagnosed as having a borderline personality disorder didn't meet the requirements to be diagnosed with that disorder six years down the track. He surmised, "It's possible that the conventional perceptions of personality disorders being hard to treat and continuing for life are wrong."
　しかし、誰の場合でも不安定さがずっと続き、悲劇的な結末が待っているわけではない。先日、ある学会で精神科医の岡野憲一郎氏の講演を聴く機会があった。岡野氏は「ボーダーライン」と診断された患者さんを６年後に再び診断したところ、その７割が診断基準を満たさなかった、という米国の研究を紹介し、「パーソナリティー障害というと治りにくいもの、一生続くものという従来の常識は間違っている可能性がある」と話した。

In his own experience, Okano found that traits such as aggressiveness and impulsiveness would settle as patients got older. Conversely, loneliness and other such feelings sometimes continued for a long time. Unstable personalities tend to "wither" with age -- something that goes for ordinary people, too.
岡野氏の経験でも、特に攻撃性や衝動性といった傾向は、年齢を重ねるうちに落ち着いていくことが多いという。逆に「むなしさ」などは長く残ることがある。一般の人でもそうだが、不安定なパーソナリティーも年齢とともに「枯れていく」のだ。

Personally, I've found that when people who are highly creative have unstable personalities like those symbolic of "borderline" disorders, the speed of the withering process ironically slows down. One artist in their 60s, who continued to paint pictures with vivid colors, would curse other family members and go out on the town at night, just like someone going through puberty.
　私の経験では、もともと創造性の高い人が「ボーダーライン」などの不安定な人格を有していた場合、皮肉なことに「枯れ」のスピードが遅いように思う。６０代になっても鮮烈な色彩で激しい絵を描くアーティストは、その年齢でも思春期の頃と同様に、家族をののしったり夜の街に飛び出して行ったりしていた。

However -- and this is a fortunate thing -- many people don't have that much energy, and when instability comes, they somehow make it through without shouting at other people or running amok. Even if a feeling of loneliness lingers in someone's heart, they should be able to fit in with the people around them.
　ただ、これは幸いなことだと思うのだが、多くの人はそこまでのエネルギーを保てず、不安定さが押し寄せてきても怒鳴ったり暴れたりせずに、なんとかしのげるようになる。「むなしさ」が心の中に残っていても、それを周囲と調和させることもできるようになるはずだ。

I want people who are now struggling with a storm of instability inside to tell themselves: "This storm will certainly pass with age."
　今、自分の中で荒れ狂う不安定さに困り果てている人も自分に言い聞かせてほしい。「この嵐は年齢とともに必ず治まっていくはず」。

It's heartbreaking that that didn't happen for Keiko Fuji. I want to pray that we can at least listen to her music, and by doing so, soothe her soul.
そうならなかった藤圭子さんは本当に痛ましい。せめて私たちが彼女の歌を聴き続けることで、その魂が安らぐことを祈りたい。

(By Rika Kayama, psychiatrist)
毎日新聞　2013年09月03日　地方版

The Yomiuri Shimbun September 8, 2013
U.S.-Russia differences over Syria overshadow G-20 summit meeting
Ｇ２０シリア問題　攻撃巡る米露対立が際立った（9月7日付・読売社説）

If no military action is taken against Syria, the use of chemical weapons against people—a grave crime—will go unaddressed. However, carrying out military strikes could make the Syrian situation even more chaotic.
　シリアを攻撃しなければ、化学兵器使用という大罪を見過ごすことになる。攻撃すれば、混乱が広がりかねない。

During a summit meeting of the Group of 20 developed and developing economies in St. Petersburg, the United States and Russia, which have expressed conflicting views over a possible response to Syria’s use of chemical weapons, tried various ways to obtain backing for their stances from other countries.
　ロシア・サンクトペテルブルクでの主要２０か国・地域首脳会議（Ｇ２０サミット）は、シリア問題を巡り米露両国が相反する主張を掲げて、多数派工作を行う異例の展開となった。

U.S. President Barack Obama, who has expressed his determination to carry out limited military strikes against the administration of Syrian President Bashar Assad, called the use of chemical weapons “a tragedy” and a violation of international law.
　アサド政権への限定的攻撃を決断しているオバマ米大統領は、化学兵器の使用が「悲劇」であり、国際法に違反していると訴えた。

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who acts as Syria’s protector, countered that there is no evidence that Damascus used chemical weapons.
シリアの後見役であるプーチン露大統領は、政権側による使用を断定する証拠がないと反論した。

The use of chemical arms is clearly unacceptable on humanitarian grounds. Syria’s civil war has taken more than 100,000 lives, and Assad bears the blame for worsening the strife. The international community should not idly stand by.
　化学兵器の使用が人道上許されないのは自明だ。まして、内戦の死者は１０万人を上回る。事態悪化の責任はアサド大統領にある。国際社会は無為ではいられない。

However, Obama has struggled to expand support for his position. France is the only major country that has backed a military response to Syria’s behavior. A joint statement adopted by G-20 leaders did not refer to Syria, and even the prospects of a resolution by the U.S. Congress to authorize the strikes remain uncertain.
　だが、オバマ氏への支持は依然、広がりを欠く。主要国で攻撃参加を表明したのはフランスだけだ。Ｇ２０サミットで採択された首脳宣言にもシリアへの言及はなかった。米議会ですら攻撃承認の決議案を可決するかどうか不透明だ。

Concerns over extremists

This is probably due to the uncertainty about future developments in Syria if military action is taken. A limited military operation could punish Syria for the use of chemical weapons, but it is unlikely to deal a significant blow to the Assad regime. Some are concerned that the military intervention could destabilize the country further if Assad and his loyalists fight back.
　攻撃後、シリア情勢がどうなるのか、見通せないからだろう。限定的攻撃は、化学兵器使用の懲罰にはなっても、アサド政権の軍事力に大きな打撃は与えられまい。政権側の反撃で、情勢が一層不安定になることも懸念される。

The goal of ousting Assad, which Japan, the United States and European countries have sought, is nowhere in sight. As rebels fighting the Assad government remain divided, anti-U.S. Islamist extremists could increase their influence amid the confusion.
　日本や米欧が求めるアサド氏退陣への道筋も見えてこない。反体制派にはまとまりがなく、混乱に乗じ、反米的なイスラム過激派が勢力を増す恐れがある。

How should the international community deal with Syria to solve the problem? The United States has been urged to implement a comprehensive strategy based on both political and military perspectives.
　今後、シリアにどう関与し、事態を収拾するのか。米国に問われているのは、軍事、政治両面にわたる総合的な戦略と言える。

Russia and China have used their vetoes to block U.N. Security Council resolutions condemning the Assad government. But in the meantime, the countries have failed to propose effective measures to end the Syrian civil war. They should fulfill their international responsibility.
　国連安全保障理事会で、ロシアは中国とともに拒否権を行使し、アサド政権への非難決議を葬ってきた。内戦収拾への効果的な方策は示していない。国際的な責任を果たすべきだ。

On the sidelines of the G-20 summit, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a meeting with Obama, during which Abe reportedly said, “The use of chemical weapons is far from acceptable.” Abe also told Obama he fully understands the U.S. president’s position on the Syria issue.
　一方、安倍首相はオバマ大統領との会談で、「化学兵器の使用は断じて許されない」と強調した。さらに「大統領の考えは十分理解している」と、表明した。

Abe’s stance that he would not overlook the use of weapons of mass destruction stands to reason.
　大量破壊兵器の使用は看過しないとする首相の認識は当然だ。

Japan faces a threat of nuclear and chemical weapons possessed by North Korea, which has military ties with Syria. A failure by the international community to warn the Assad government against using chemical weapons again could send the wrong message to Pyongyang.
　日本はシリアと軍事協力関係にある北朝鮮の核と化学兵器の脅威に直面している。国際社会がアサド政権に警告を発し、化学兵器の再使用を防がねば、北朝鮮に誤ったメッセージを送りかねない。

It is vital for Japan to work together with the United States, its only major security ally, and assess changes in the Syrian situation.
　日本は、唯一の同盟国である米国と連携し、情勢の変化を見極めることが大切だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 7, 2013)
（2013年9月7日02時02分  読売新聞）

The Yomiuri Shimbun September 8, 2013
G-20 unity needed to tackle new economic challenges
リーマン５年　新たなリスクに問われる結束（9月7日付・読売社説）

The worst is in the past for the world economy, but the recovery lacks vigor. Industrialized and newly emerging economies alike must strengthen cooperation to make economic growth compatible with fiscal reconstruction.
　世界経済は最悪期を脱したが、景気回復は力強さを欠く。経済成長と財政再建の両立へ、先進国と新興国は連携を強化する必要がある。

The declaration adopted after the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in Russia stated, “Strengthening growth and creating jobs is our top priority and we are fully committed to taking decisive actions to return to a job-rich, strong, sustainable and balanced growth path.”
　Ｇ２０サミットが採択した首脳宣言は、「成長強化と雇用創出を最優先課題」とし、「持続的で均衡ある成長への回帰を目指して断固たる行動を取る」と強調した。

It has been almost exactly five years since the so-called Lehman Shock, triggered by the bankruptcy of major U.S. securities house Lehman Brothers, brought the world to the brink of depression.
　米大手証券リーマン・ブラザーズが経営破綻し、世界恐慌の寸前まで陥ったリーマン・ショックから、まもなく５年を迎える。

At the G-20 summit held in November 2008 in the immediate aftermath of the Lehman Shock, Japan, the United States and Europe joined hands with China and other emerging economies and agreed to take all possible measures, such as large-scale stimulus programs and ultraloose monetary policy, to overcome the unprecedented shock.
　リーマン・ショック後のＧ２０サミットでは、日米欧と中国など新興国が結束し、大型景気対策や超金融緩和策などの総動員で空前のショックを乗り切った。

Now, however, the G-20 is suffering the aftereffects of those exceptional measures. It should be assumed that difficulties will continue.
　だが、Ｇ２０は今、危機克服のための異例の対策がもたらす後遺症に苦しめられている。試練がなお続いていると見るべきだ。

Attention will be focused for the moment on the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, which is expected to soon launch an “exit strategy” of scaling back quantitative monetary easing.
　当面の焦点は、米連邦準備制度理事会（ＦＲＢ）が近く、量的緩和策を縮小する「出口戦略」に踏み出しそうなことである。

Investment funds have begun to flow back from emerging economies, including Brazil and India, into the U.S. market in anticipation of hikes in U.S. interest rates.
　米金利上昇を先取りする形でブラジル、インドなどの新興国から投機資金が流出し、米国市場に戻る動きがでている。

Inflationary trends have appeared in emerging economies, as their currencies have been rapidly weakening, which causes import prices to rise. Discontent has mounted due to the continued business slowdown. It is feared that deterioration of the business climate in emerging economies will adversely affect industrialized countries.
　新興国では急激に通貨安が進み、輸入物価上昇を引き金にしたインフレ傾向が目立つ。景気減速も続いており、不満は高まっている。新興国経済の変調が先進国にも悪影響を及ぼしかねない。

Ripple effects feared

The latest G-20 declaration stated that member nations would take note of negative knock-on effects. Behind this could be their stronger caution toward risks and consideration to emerging economies.
　首脳宣言が「負の波及効果に留意する」と明記したのは、こうしたリスクへの警戒感を強め、新興国に配慮したのだろう。

To prevent the world market from falling into chaos, countries must cooperate with each other and pay attention to excessive fund movements.
　世界の市場の混乱を回避するため、各国が連携し、行き過ぎた資金移動を注視すべきである。

The European financial crisis, which became more serious following the Lehman Shock, has begun to show signs of coming to a close. But a full-scale recovery is far from expected yet, and close watch still must be kept.
　リーマン・ショック後に深刻化した欧州危機は収束の兆しが出てきたが、景気の本格回復にはほど遠く、まだ警戒は怠れない。

Ballooning of fiscal deficits in the G-20 nations is another challenge to tackle. It is natural that the Leaders’ Declaration and the Action Plan emphasized the need to achieve economic growth and fiscal soundness in a balanced manner.
　各国の財政赤字拡大も課題といえる。首脳宣言と行動計画が、経済成長と財政健全化を両立させる必要性を強調したのは当然だ。

Attention was focused on Japan, which has the biggest fiscal deficit.
　注目されたのは、先進国最悪の財政赤字を抱える日本だった。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stressed his determination to end deflation and revitalize the Japanese economy by implementing his Abenomics economic policies and explained about the country’s medium-term fiscal program.
　安倍首相は、経済政策「アベノミクス」によって、デフレ脱却と日本経済を再生させる決意を強調し、中期財政計画も説明した。

Other G-20 nations did not make any special requests of Japan, but the country is being tested as to whether it can put words into action.
　各国から日本に特に注文はなかったというものの、問われるのは日本の実行力だろう。

Abe will decide in early October whether to raise the consumption tax next spring as scheduled. Japan’s economic revival is largely expected to stimulate the global economy. He is urged to make a judgment while also taking into account the recently intensified Syrian situation.
　首相は１０月初めに予定通り来春に消費税率を引き上げるかどうかを決める。日本の経済再生が世界景気に弾みをつけることに期待は大きい。緊迫するシリア情勢も踏まえた判断が求められる。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 7, 2013)
（2013年9月7日02時02分  読売新聞）

The Yomiuri Shimbun September 6, 2013
Top court prioritizes protection of children born out of wedlock
婚外子相続差別　家族観の変化に沿う違憲判断（9月5日付・読売社説）

The latest decision by the Supreme Court is a historic judgement of unconstitutionality that took changes in Japanese family values into consideration.
　日本人の家族観の変化を踏まえた歴史的な違憲判断である。

The top court’s Grand Bench reached the decision Wednesday, finding that a provision in the Civil Code stipulating that the inheritance share for a child born to unmarried parents shall be one half of that of a child born in wedlock violates the Constitution, which guarantees “equality under law.”
　結婚していない男女間に生まれた非嫡出子（婚外子）の遺産相続分を、結婚した夫婦の子の２分の１とした民法の規定について、最高裁大法廷は「法の下の平等」を保障した憲法に違反するとの決定を出した。

The decision said that reasonable grounds to make such a distinction have been lost.
　「区別する合理的な根拠は失われた」との理由からだ。

In 1995 the Supreme Court judged the same Civil Code provision to be constitutional. We think the top court reversed the decision because it seriously considered changes in circumstances surrounding children born out-side of marriage.
　最高裁は１９９５年、民法のこの規定を「合憲」と判断した。今回、正反対の結論になったのは、婚外子を巡る状況の移り変わりを重視した結果と言えよう。

According to the decision, the Supreme Court listed conditions to be taken into consideration, including national traditions, social circumstances and public sentiment, in deciding the nation’s inheritance system. On that basis, the Grand Bench said these conditions change with the times, so the rationality of the system should be constantly reviewed.
　決定は、相続制度を定める際に考慮すべき要件として、国の伝統、社会事情、国民感情を挙げた。そのうえで、これらの要件は「時代と共に変遷するため、合理性について不断に検討されなければならない」との見解を示した。

What the Supreme Court said is quite natural if we consider the point that the Civil Code is a law closely connected to the daily lives of the people.
　民法が国民生活に密接に関わる法律であることを考えれば、当然の指摘である。

In recent years, the number of children born out of wedlock has been increasing. The term “shinguru maza” (single mother) has taken root in society. So-called de facto marriages are not uncommon now and the social view to perceive children born out of wedlock as different has probably withered considerably.
　近年、婚外子の出生が増えている。シングルマザーという言葉も定着した。事実婚も珍しくなくなった。婚外子を特別視する風潮は薄れているだろう。

In residence certificate and family register notations describing relationships to the head of the household or parents, the distinction of a child born out of wedlock has already been abolished.
　住民票や戸籍の続き柄の表記では、出生による区別が既に廃止されている。

In major Western countries such as the United States and Europe, the abolition of inequalities in inheri-tance has progressed considerably. Japan is the only major advanced nation that still has discriminatory regulation.
　欧米では相続格差の撤廃が進み、主要先進国で格差が残っているのは日本だけになっている。

The Supreme Court’s unconstitutionality judgment was made in line with the current international legal climate.
　違憲判断は、こうした流れの延長線上に位置づけられよう。

Equality for all children

The distinguishing point of the latest decision is that it strongly reflects the belief that protection of the rights of children born out of wedlock should be considered a top priority.
　今回の決定で特徴的なのは、婚外子の権利保護を最優先に考えるべきだという姿勢を色濃くにじませている点だ。

A Cabinet Office opinion poll taken last year revealed that 61 percent of Japanese think children born out of wedlock should not be treated disadvantageously under the law.
　内閣府の昨年の世論調査でも、婚外子に対し、法律上、不利益な扱いをしてはならないと考える人は６１％に上っている。

The Supreme Court said in the judgment that children born out of wedlock should not be at a disadvantage as a result of their parents not being married, a situation the children had no control over. We think many people will accept the decision without dis-comfort.
　「父母が婚姻関係になかったという、子にとっては自ら選択・修正する余地のない事柄を理由として、その子に不利益を及ぼすことは許されない」。最高裁のこの判断を、多くの国民は違和感なく受け止めるのではないか。

The provision of inheritance inequalities was made during the Meiji period and passed down to the current Civil Code, which was revised after World War II. The underlying reason was the traditional view attaching great importance to statutory marriages.
　婚外子の相続格差の規定は明治時代に設けられ、戦後の民法に受け継がれた。法律婚の重視という伝統的な結婚観が根底にある。

It is undeniable that the provision to set the share in inheritance of children born out of wedlock at one half of that of children born in wedlock has consequently helped to create a discriminatory environment for children born out of wedlock.
　相続分を半分にするという規定が、結果として婚外子の差別を助長してきた面は否めない。

Given the Supreme Court’s decision, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said, “It’s a matter of course to make legal arrangements.” The government plans to submit a bill to revise the Civil Code to an extraordinary Diet session at the earliest.
　最高裁の決定を受け、菅官房長官は「立法的手当ては当然だ」と語った。早ければ臨時国会に民法改正案を提出する方針だ。

We urge that the law should be swiftly revised.
　速やかな改正を求めたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 5, 2013)
（2013年9月5日01時32分  読売新聞）

The Yomiuri Shimbun September 5, 2013
With debt over ¥1 quadrillion, govt must tighten fiscal discipline
概算要求　財政規律の緩みにメス入れよ（9月4日付・読売社説）

The government’s fiscal discipline is far too lax considering that the country’s outstanding debt exceeds ¥1 quadrillion.
　国の借金が１０００兆円を超えているにもかかわらず、財政規律があまりに緩んでいないか。

The Finance Ministry must strictly assess the budget appropriation requests submitted by other ministries, including the Cabinet Office, and cull any spending deemed neither essential nor urgent.
　財務省は各府省からの要求を厳しく査定し、不要不急な歳出を削減すべきだ。

Total budget requests for fiscal 2014 are expected to reach a record ¥99.2 trillion, far larger than the initial budget of about ¥92.6 trillion for the current fiscal year.
　２０１４年度予算の概算要求の総額が、過去最大の約９９・２兆円に達する見通しとなった。１３年度当初予算の約９２・６兆円を大きく上回る規模である。

The primary reason for the expected expansion in budget requests is the government’s failure to place ceilings on expenditures because it has been unable to come up with tax revenue projections, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has yet to decide whether the consumption tax rate should be raised next spring.
　要求が膨らんだ主因は、来春に消費増税に踏み切るかどうか、安倍首相が最終的に判断する前で、税収見通しが立たず、歳出上限額を事前に示せなかったためだ。

The government earlier set a policy of reducing by 10 percent the allocations for discretionary spending, such as for public works projects.
　政府は、公共事業など裁量的経費を１０％削減する方針を示した。

However, the government established what it called a “priority framework for a new Japan.” This allowed the ministries to submit requests, separately from ordinary budget requests, for public works spending in such areas as growth strategy and disaster management. This has turned out to be a loophole.
しかし、成長戦略や防災対策の名目で公共事業などの要求を別に認める「優先課題推進枠」を設けたことが抜け穴になった。

Under the circumstances—and with the backing of the ruling parties—the ministries have increased their requests by a large margin.
　こうした状況の下、与党が後押しして、各府省が要求を大幅に積み上げたと言えよう。

Symbolic of this is that the ministries hurriedly put in requests totaling about ¥3.5 trillion, the framework’s upper limit.
　象徴的なのが、約３・５兆円の推進枠の上限いっぱいまで要求が殺到したことだ。

Yet it is doubtful whether these requests are in line with the framework, as many concern conventional public works such as road construction and farmland improvement.
道路建設や農地整備など旧来型の事業も多く、推進枠の目的に沿った事業だけが要求されているのか疑わしい。

Also, several ministries and agencies made separate requests that appear similar, such as the promotion of the use of so-called big data.
　ビッグデータの活用促進など複数の省庁がほぼ同じ狙いの事業を別々に要求している例もある。

Use funds wisely

It is problematic that public works spending requests, when added to requests under the priority framework, have increased significantly.
　その結果、推進枠と合算した各府省の公共事業費が大幅に増額されたのは問題だ。

Public works spending requested by the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry totals ¥5.2 trillion, up about 17 percent from the fiscal 2013 initial budget. The ministry included requests for the construction of roads and dams and for extending Shinkansen lines, under the overall theme of “promoting projects to enhance national land resilience.”
　国土交通省の公共事業は前年度当初予算比で約１７％増の５・２兆円に上った。「国土強靱(きょうじん)化」を旗印に、道路やダム、整備新幹線の建設費などを積み上げた。

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry has increased its requests for public works projects by about 19 percent to ¥770 billion, due to an increase in spending on land improvement projects, which was reduced markedly under the previous government led by the Democratic Party of Japan.
　農林水産省の公共事業は、民主党政権で大幅に削られた土地改良事業の増額などで約１９％増の７７００億円ほどの要求となった。

Measures to deal with decrepit infrastructure and the rejuvenation of the farming sector are important. But the government should not allocate large sums of money for road construction or to subsidize the farming sector, both of which are not considered essential.
　インフラ（社会基盤）の老朽化対策や農業活性化策は重要だが、必要性が乏しい道路建設や農業支援策に多額の予算を計上する余裕はない。

The government must rack its brains to ensure effective use of a limited amount of funds and employ the principle of “selection and concentration” in implementing projects.
限られた財源の有効活用に知恵を絞り、事業の「選択と集中」を徹底すべきである。

If the ministries merely inflated their budgetary requests in anticipation of tax revenue increases following the economic recovery and the consumption tax hike, they are completely devoid of a sense of crisis regarding the deterioration of the nation’s fiscal situation.
　各府省が、景気回復に伴う税収増や消費増税を当て込み、要求を増やしたとすれば、財政悪化への危機感が乏し過ぎる。

Even if the consumption tax hike is implemented as planned, the expected increase in tax revenue is principally intended to finance ballooning social security programs, leaving no room for the government to throw money around.
　たとえ消費増税を実施したとしても、社会保障財源に充てるのが本来の目的で、予算の大盤振る舞いの財源にはならない。

If the government fails to compile a carefully thought out budget, the government’s efforts to achieve fiscal reconstruction will be more difficult.
メリハリの利いた予算を編成しなければ、財政再建への道のりは遠のく。

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry’s budget request is an estimated record ¥31 trillion, sending the social security budget spiraling upward. The government must waste no time in wielding the ax to slash some of the highest expenditures in this request.
　厚生労働省の要求が約３１兆円と過去最大になるなど、社会保障予算も膨らんだ。最大の歳出項目に切り込む改革も待ったなしだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 4, 2013)
（2013年9月4日01時39分  読売新聞）

The Yomiuri Shimbun September 4, 2013
U.S. must disclose adequate info to obtain approval on Syria attack
シリア攻撃決断　米は十分な情報開示と説明を（9月3日付・読売社説）

U.S. President Barack Obama has decided to take military action against Syria, as he is firmly determined not to let the use of chemical weapons go unchallenged.
　オバマ米大統領がシリアへの軍事攻撃を決断した。化学兵器は黙認しないという決意表明だ。

In a statement, Obama harshly criticized the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad for allegedly launching a chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds of civilians. In expressing his outrage, Obama said the attack “also presents a serious danger to our national security” and “could lead to proliferation of chemical weapons to terrorist groups.”
　オバマ氏は声明で、シリアのアサド政権が化学兵器で市民多数を殺害したとして、強く非難した。「米国の安全保障にも深刻な脅威」であり「テロ組織への拡散につながりかねない」と危機感を示した。

Although Syria is not a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, Damascus is strongly suspected of violating international rules on the use, possession and proliferation of chemical weapons.
　シリアは化学兵器禁止条約に未加盟だが、化学兵器の使用や保有、拡散を禁じている国際規範に違反している疑いが濃厚だ。

The White House has released a report in which it concluded that, based on wiretapped communications between leaders of the Assad administration, there could be “no doubt” the Syrian government used chemical weapons.
　米政府は報告書の中で、政権幹部の通信傍受記録などをもとに、アサド政権が化学兵器を使ったと「確信する」と結論づけた。

But the U.S. government has not revealed any details of its claims under the pretext of protecting classified information. It should disclose sufficient information and give detailed explanations.
　ただ、米政府は、詳細は機密情報として明らかにしていない。十分な情報を開示し、丁寧に説明することが求められる。

A U.S. president is authorized to take military action without a declaration of war. However, Obama opted to seek congressional approval on military action against Syria, as he probably wants to show domestically and internationally that the United States is unified on this matter. He is taking a gamble that could deal him a political blow if congressional approval is not obtained.
　米大統領は宣戦布告なしに軍事行動を行う権限を持つのに、あえて、オバマ氏は議会に攻撃の承認を求めた。米国が一枚岩だと、国内外に強調したいのだろう。承認を得られない場合は、政治的痛手となる“賭け”だ。

U.S. public opinion is divided over military action on Syria. The U.S. administration of former President George W. Bush cited weapons of mass destruction as a reason for attacking Iraq but no such weapons were discovered. This was a bitter lesson for the United States.
　シリア攻撃の賛否を巡り、米世論は割れている。ブッシュ前政権がイラク攻撃の根拠とした大量破壊兵器は結局、見つからなかった。米国にはこの苦い教訓がある。

Focus on Congress

World attention is focused on deliberations in the U.S. Congress, which will resume its full session Monday.
　９日に本格的に再開する米議会で行われる審議の行方を、世界中が注視している。

Britain has decided not to join in a military attack on Syria. France is the only major nation willing to take part. If the U.S. Congress gives the green light on the attack, it may result in winning greater international approval.
　英国は軍事攻撃への不参加を決め、参加に前向きな主要国はフランスだけだ。米議会が攻撃を承認すれば、国際的な支持取り付けにも弾みがつく可能性がある。

Obama said an attack on Syria would involve “no boots on the ground” and would be “limited and narrow” in terms of duration and scale. But there is concern in the U.S. Congress that a limited attack would not lead to the toppling of the Assad administration.
　オバマ氏は、攻撃が地上軍派遣を伴わない、「期間と規模を限定したものになる」と強調した。だが、米議会には、限定的な攻撃ではアサド政権の打倒にはつながらないと懸念する声もある。

Attention is also focused on whether Obama’s decision will help end Syria’s civil war.
　大統領の決断が内戦収拾に道を開くかどうかも焦点である。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe showed understanding of Obama’s announcement of possible military action against Syria, saying it represents a “weighty political decision.” Regarding the worsening situation in Syria, Abe criticized the Assad government by saying it is “responsible for depriving innocent people of their lives and ignoring the deteriorating human rights situation.”
　安倍首相は、オバマ氏の発表について「大統領の重い決意の表明」と理解を示した。シリア情勢の悪化については「無辜(むこ)の人命を奪い、人道状況の悪化を顧みないアサド政権に責任がある」とアサド政権を非難している。

Abe’s assessment of the situation is appropriate. If the Assad administration is proved beyond doubt to have used chemical weapons as alleged by Washington, Japan would not be able to remain aloof as it faces the threat of weapons of mass destruction from North Korea.
　妥当な認識だ。アサド政権が実際に化学兵器を使用したなら、北朝鮮の大量破壊兵器の脅威を受ける日本としても看過できない。

In an effort to determine the reasoning and conditions behind the statement he will make on Japan’s position in the event of military action against Syria, Abe should call on Washington to describe the evidence it has collected on the use of chemical weapons, while collecting information on U.S. congressional moves.
　首相は、軍事攻撃時の態度表明をどんな論理や条件で行うかを見極めるうえでも、化学兵器の使用を認定した根拠の説明を米国に求めるとともに、米議会の動向の情報収集に努める必要がある。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 3, 2013)
（2013年9月3日01時16分  読売新聞）