【和訳】北朝鮮に関する米政府の最近の発言 Just because: Stuff American officials have said about North Korea (Japanese ONLY)

If you care about this stuff, go to the White House (boring and patriotic), State Dept. (elegant and easy to navigate), and Defense Dept. (slick and expensive-looking) websites. It’s all there in English.

ブッシュ大統領
5月31日の記者会見にて

Q:イラク戦争の前にあなたは「イラク戦争は他の国のWMD開発の抑止となる」と言っていたが、実際はイランや北朝鮮では何の抑止にもなっていないじゃないか。

A:北朝鮮は2000年以前にも隠れた兵器プログラムを持っていた。我々は北朝鮮と2カ国協約を結んでいたが、北朝鮮はそれを破った。それで、私は政策を変えて、北朝鮮が核開発プログラムを廃止するように他の国の参加を呼びかけた。
中国が「責任のある国家であれば、兵器プログラムを廃止しろ」と我々と同じことを言っていることが重要だ。 日本、韓国、ロシアも同じことを言っていることも重要だ。
北朝鮮の件で問題が山積みであるがやめるわけではないし、責任のある国家として扱って欲しいなら、参加している5カ国を聞かなければならないとはっきり分からせることに努力を続けるつもりだ。

Q: 今朝あなたは北朝鮮を扱うのに外交がベストな手法だと言っていたが、失礼だけど、「外交は何の成果を果たしておらず、むしろ北朝鮮核開発を進歩させたじゃないか」と言う人がいる。
A: はい。
Q How do you — what do you say to them? そういう人にたいしてどう言い返すか。
A: さて、考えよう。もし外交が間違った方法であれば、次は軍事だ。それは私の考え方、外交か軍事かだ。私は外交に賛成である。だから、あらゆる提案は検討中だが、外交で解決する機会がある。

チェイニー
先週:チェニー「金正日は無責任」とののしったことに対して、北朝鮮の報道はCHENEYのことを「血に飢えた獣性」と言い返した。

ライス国務大臣

5月26日・BLOOMBERGとのインタビューにて

Q:アメリカと中国にとって今年でもっとも重要な成果とは何か。

A: 色々な面で米中関係が強くなったので、全体的に米中関係は強くなっている。江沢民の完全なる引退をゆえに実力を固めた胡錦涛大統領はとてもいい関係を確立している。北朝鮮の核問題で協力と調整を維持している。未だに解決されていないが、アメリカと中国が、特に北朝鮮と近隣国家である中国が受ける大変なプレッシャーを受けているにもかかわらず、外交を通じて「非核の朝鮮半島」に関して継続的に取り組んでいることはかなりの成果だと思う。
対テロの面でも協力を強くなっており、ほぼなんでも正直に、そして露骨に話せるような関係を作った。

Q:中国が6カ国協議において役立っていると言っているが、中国は米国が(北朝鮮と)もっと実質的な2カ国協議を行って欲しいと言明している。なぜアメリカは2カ国協議をしないか。

A: それは、既にその道で1994年に協約を結んだが、違う手段で核開発を図ってそれをすぐ破ったからだ。
アメリカは北朝鮮と2カ国協議を行うと、NKがケチを言って米朝間の問題にすることができる。しかし、米朝間の問題ではない。地域はどんな形になるのかや、核を持った北朝鮮は朝鮮半島に存在するのかという問題で、それは日本、韓国、中国、ロシア、それからアメリカの安保にとってどんな意味を持つかという問題だ。
6カ国協議の本当の成果は何かというと、いまだに北朝鮮問題を解決していないが、核を持った北朝鮮はアメリカの問題だけじゃなく、北朝鮮の近隣国全部にとって問題であることをハッキリさせたことだと思う。その枠組みを維持しなければならない。我々は(北朝鮮と)はなしている。コミュニケーション目的(交渉目的じゃない)でニューヨークを通じて(北朝鮮と)はなしている。6カ国協議の形でも話している。北朝鮮と話すことが怖いわけではない。ただ、その会話がどんな形を取るかという問題だから、その形が米朝の二カ国関係についてであれば、話すことはあまりない。

Q:この5年で核技術を拡大してきたのにかかわらず、それに対する罰は極めて軽かった。そのまま続けないと思わせる理由はあるか。

A: 罰は軽かったとは思わない。機会費用ならいっぱい費やしているに違いない。1999,2000,2001年には、ロシアと拡張的な関係について協議があった。ルーチンは北朝鮮を訪れた。日本と外交正常化についても協議があった。南北対話も大きく進歩していた。我々も2002年に北朝鮮に対して「大胆なアプローチ」という政策を準備していた。それはリビアに対するアプローチとよく似ており、アメリカや地域全体にももっと改善した関係への道でもっと正常的な関係につながるはずだった。

ラムスフェルド防衛大臣
6月4日・International Institute for Strategic Studiesにて

Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, Saturday, June 4, 2005.

世界で最も自由と圧制の違いがはっきりと現れているところは朝鮮半島と言えよう。
私は「夜で見る朝鮮半島」の衛星写真を机の上に飾っている。DMZの下、南の半分にはほとんど光に覆われている。それは電力、活発している経済、それから生き生きしている民主主義のある国家を意味している。そして、DMZの北をご覧になれば、ピョンヤンのわずかな光を除いて暗闇しか見えない。北でも南でも同じ国民で、同じ資源を持っている。その違いは自由だ。政治的自由と経済的自由。
現場に行けばその対象がさらにハッキリして、意味深いである。大韓民国は自由な国民と自由な市場における活力(DYNAMISM)の一例である。
比較すると、北朝鮮におけるスターリン主義政権を考えてみてください。あそこでは:
反体制の人の子供や孫が強制労働をさせられる
逃れた難民が外国から拉致される、それから
飢餓に遭っている国民が一粒のご飯を見つけるために荒地を探す。

北朝鮮で数ヶ月子供の医療をしていた欧州の医者はこう言った。「北朝鮮では二つの世界がある。ひとつは軍事高官・高層の人たちの世界と、もう1つはそれ以外の人たちのための生き地獄。
北朝鮮の「核の野望」は地域の安保・安定の脅威となり、拡散の前科からみれば世界の脅威ともなる。ブッシュ大統領や後の4カ国の首脳は6カ国協議に戻るよう促している。
それから、アメリカは近隣国の成長を支援してきた開放性と自由を抱くよう促している。
北朝鮮が6カ国協議に戻るのに大きな役割を果たせる国家といえば、その国は中国である。
アメリカや多くの国々は外交、経済、世界の安保など多くの場面で中国と協力したい。多くの国々は平和的で豊かで自由な地域という目標を促進させるようなアジア太平洋構造作りに賛成的である。他国間の取り組みは重要である。中国はその協力に大きな役割を果たせる。

Japan’s Vocabulary Power: 19% of Private University Students at Middle School Level

From Mainichi Shimbun via Yahoo News:

It was found that the vocabulary strength of Japan’s university students is decreasing in a survey of major universities and 2-year colleges. The survey, conducted by independent government-run organization Media Education Development Center (Located in Chiba City), found that 19% of private university students and 35% of 2-year college students have the vocabulary of “a middle school student’s level.” An increasing number of universities are instituting classes or supplemental courses such as “Japanese Techniques” or “Japanese Communication Practice,” but this survey underscores colleges’ unease about this issue.

Professor Hiroshi Ono and others at the Center conducted a preparatory survey of approximately 20,000 middle and high school students. Based on those results, they rated college students’ Japanese skill from “first-year of middle school” to “better than 3rd-year of high school.”

For the survey, the Center created a “Japanese Skill Diagnostic Test”, a multiple-choice format test in which takers must choose the correct meaning of 75 words, since it is possible to decipher the “speaking, writing, and reading skills” that make up “Japanese skill” based on the richness of a person’s vocabulary. 7052 freshman at 19 universities, 6 2-year colleges, and a national college of technology (a total of 26 schools) took the test, and their levels were determined by comparing them to the preparatory survey.

The results? The percentage of students at national public universities (3 schools) who were under “3rd year of middle school,” meaning they didn’t understand words like “鶴の一声” (Tsuru no hitokoe = voice of authority/ word from the top) and “露骨に” (rokotsu ni = frank/conspicuous/broad), was 6%, but at private universities (16 schools) that number jumped to 19%. 35% or more than one third of 2-year college students were at a middle school level. The number stopped at 4% for the national college of technology students.

It is necessary to have high school level Japanese in order to understand a college class. In a similar survey conducted from 1998-2000, the rates of middle school level Japanese were 0.3% at national public universities, 6.8% at private universities, and 18.7% at 2-year colleges. The decline in vocabulary skill is striking.

Professor Ono said of the survey, “On top of the relaxed education policy and the decline in reading among students, Admissions Office Policies that do not require major-specific exams and recommendation admission (practice of high schools making deals with universities to accept a certain number of students each year) are creating a situation where a diverse group of students are mixed together at private universities. At 2-year colleges as well there is a worry that students won’t be properly educated without supplemental Japanese classes.” (Yukiko Motomura Reporting)

Click below to test YOUR Japanese (I stopped at Chu-2 🙁 )! あなたの語彙力を判定しよう!下をクリックしてください。
Continue reading Japan’s Vocabulary Power: 19% of Private University Students at Middle School Level

Highlights From Today’s State Department Press Briefing


I went to another State Dept. briefing today. I even got to ask a question:

MR. BOUCHER: Okay, we’ve got one more in the back. That’s it?

QUESTION: (Inaudible.) [ed: they censored where I said I’m from West Japan Daily] Private Charles Jenkins has been issued a passport by the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and he wants to meet with his 91-year-old mother in North Carolina. When is he coming and will he face charges when he arrives?

MR. BOUCHER: I think the issue of charges and the military has already been dealt with. I don’t think there’s anything more on that. You can check with the Pentagon.

As far as when is he coming to see his mother that would be between him and his mother. I don’t have anything on it.

Ouch. Some unscrupulous (kidding!) journalists at TBS ripped off my question and used it in their broadcasts. You can watch it here. At least I wasn’t the only one who thought it was newsworthy!

The same “French” guy I mentioned last time had another colorful exchange with Boucher today. He’s actually Serbian or something (Something Seprus):

QUESTION: Mr. Boucher, since this coming Friday, May 27th, is the beginning of the process of the creation of an independent Kosovo, may I raise a couple of questions without interruptions, however?

MR. BOUCHER: I don’t think we’ve put out an announcement like that.

QUESTION: Excuse me?

MR. BOUCHER: I don’t think that’s quite the right way to characterize May 27th [ed: He’s being sarcastic because May 27th hasn’t happened yet], but go on.
Continue reading Highlights From Today’s State Department Press Briefing

Anti-Japan Protests Spread to Vietnam

From Reuters Japan:

Anti-Japanese Protests Held at Japanese Embassy in Vietnam
Apr. 17, 2005 7:03pm JST

HANOI (4/17, Reuters) Anti-Japanese protests were held in front of the Japanese embassy in Vietnam’s capital city Hanoi.

Wearing headbands, the participants shouted anti-Japanese slogans into bullhorns and waved banners written in English and Chinese characters. One of the banners read “Japan get out!”

The demonstrators are said to be expatriate Chinese living in Vietnam.

日本語の原稿を読むにはREAD THE REST をクリックしてください。
Continue reading Anti-Japan Protests Spread to Vietnam

日本とドイツが第二次世界大戦のことを共同謝罪すれば?と匿名希望の外交官たちが指摘する Japan’s key to the UNSC: Japan and Germany apologize for WW2 together?

日本の安保理常任入りの鍵となるかも

米日刊新聞「ワシントンタイムス」の14日付の記事の中にこう書かれている:

日本が付けた傷を鎮め、将来に向かって取り組むのに、ドイツがどうやって過去の問題を処理したのかが大きな影響を与えるだろうと指摘する外交官が多かった。

匿名希望のヨーロッパ外交官がこう話している、「ドイツは快刀乱麻{かいとうらんま}を断つ刀を持っている。ドイツは日本が軍事、産業、機関作りを始めた時代から大きな影響力を持ってきた。ドイツが教える最後の指南は謝罪のしかただ。アジア人と欧米人は時間の計り方が違う。我々は5・10周年単位で記念日を祝うが、中国が60年の暦(還暦)をアジアに与えたのだから太平洋戦争からちょうど60年が経った。こんなシーンを想像してみよう-ドイツと日本はドイツの降伏記念日に当たる5月と、日本の降伏に当たる8月に一緒に深い反省を表現し、謝罪すればどうだ。」

Japan’s homework assignment for this month: Call German diplomats! An interesting article in the (Rev. Moon-owned) Washington times from UPI had an interesting suggestion for Japan:

Several respondents mentioned Germany’s role in dealing with its past as an opportunity for Japan to heal wounds and deal with the future.

The best answer came from a European envoy who told UPI, “Germany holds a knife that can cut the Gordian Knot.”

“The Germans have had big influence on Japan’s development going back to the early days of the country’s military, industrial, and institution building along Western patterns,” the envoy said.

“The last lesson Germany can show Japan is how to apologize,” the diplomat added.

The foreign representative noted: “Don’t forget Asians and Westerners measure time in different ways; we look at anniversaries in terms of five and ten years’ time passing- China gave neighboring countries a 60-year calendar which runs full circle this year.”

“Picture this scenario,” the diplomat said. “Germany and Japan together express remorse and apologize for the wrongs they did first in May (when Nazi Germany capitulated) then August (when Imperial Japan surrendered).”

The diplomat believes “joint apologies in Europe and Asia allow the Japanese an initial face saving measure and formula that could enable Japan to apologize on its own in the future.”

Perhaps. UPI notes that Sino-Japanese relations are at a critical impasse, with both sides entrenched and unable to break a destructive cycle of mutual bitter feelings that could destabilize the region unless something is done immediately.

Seems like a great idea, for Japan at least. Germany doesn’t have nearly as much to do to convince the world that it’s really sorry about World War II. Germany doesn’t have much to gain from associating itself with Japan’s method of apology. Looking at it from a cynical political perspective, Japan has to make it worth Germany’s while. That way Japan’s image will improve and maybe China would even support its entry to the UNSC. But I think Japan also has an obligation to express its regret and apology on the 60th anniversary of its surrender.

Forget history: Overview of Japan’s new textbooks

OK, so everyone’s mad about the stupid history books that no one uses? That’s fine, but let’s not forget the real story. In no more than a few short years after just beginning to institute educational reforms known as “Yutori Kyoiku” (Education with room to breathe), Japan’s OECD math test scores plummeted down to number two. Making matters worse, they lost out to KOREA of all countries. These developments, along with fears of rising crime by Japan’s youth, have begun a nationwide debate about the benefits of Yutori Kyoiku versus the traditional system we’re all familiar with.

Responding to the new trends in education, textbook makers have been struggling to stay relevant to youth while fulfilling the central government’s policy requirements (ie: passing the inspection). In with the crop of textbooks that were recently approved were a few strange ones. ZAKZAK has more:

A fly in the ointment? “Masturbation” passes textbook examination

Doraemon” and “Masturbation” are OK, but you can’t use “Tama-chan”?! The content of approved textbooks to be used this spring in middle schools was released April 5. Among the textbooks is a health text that tells of “masturbation” as “the self-pleasuring of a woman”. However, mentions of the character “Tama-chan” from the popular manga/anime Sazae-san were not approved for use in classrooms.

Here are some more odd entries helpfully pointed out by Yomiuri Online:

Chat Smileys, Today’s Japanese: you can read all about them in the new approved textbooks for junior high students

“Ions”, “Heredity”, “Inequality” — “Progressive” curricula that did not exist 4 years ago have returned to the Education Ministry inspections

Here are the new junior high textbooks released to the public April 5th. With contents that surpass upper-level students and exceed the Education Ministry guidelines, there are also many pages devoted to review of elementary school material. As the aptitude of students becomes increasingly polarized, voices of confusion as to what to do with shrinking classroom time mixed with the welcoming of these new texts.

 ◆Smileys

Multiple publishing companies have published tables showing the differences between Japanese and English-language “smileys” such as “laughing face”, “crying face”, and “winky face”, considered useful for Japanese students communicating with foreign friends in English. Japanese smileys use round parentheses to simulate the outline of a face from the front, but in English-language smileys symbols such as “:” and “;” are used as eyes and the face is displayed sideways.

 ◆Equal representation of gender

An English textbook for second-year students introducing various occupations drew concern from inspectors that “it was lacking necessary consideration for a society of equal participation of the sexes” — of 30 occupations displayed only 6 of the illustrations were of women. Because of this, the textbook company changed 9 of the illustrations, including a police officer and a lawyer, from men to women, and the result was 14 men, 15 women — almost equal except for the astronaut whose sex is unclear.

 ◆The ever-changing Japanese language

For Japanese instruction, one company released 3 books that touch on the corruption of Japanese in sections such as “today’s manner of speech”. In one part, written by popular TV host Kajiwara Shigeru, questions modern usage by comparing phrases such as 「こちら味噌(みそ)ラーメンになります」 (“Here’s your miso ramen.”) and 「こちら味噌ラーメンでございます」 (“This is miso ramen.” [tr: ROUGH translation, no questions please]), asking readers, “Which store would you rather eat at?”

 ◆Frogs

One textbook brings back “frog dissection” to science classrooms. This first appeared in Ministry of Education guidelines in 1958. Since then it was widely used, but criticisms that it “goes against the principle of respect for living things” caused it to show up less and less, and it has been absent from modern textbooks. The editor explains, “We included it in the interest of putting in as much material as possible, but we put it at the end since there was some resistance to including it in the main text.

 ◆Separate last names for married couples

There was a textbook in use that portrays separate last names as one possible choice for when people get married, but the Education Ministry changed its inspection policy to “the legalization movement for separate last names has stalled because there are arguments for and against it“, and has issued opinions stating that text previously approved “may give the mistaken impression that separate last names for married couples has been achieved”. The textbook company involved removed it from the list of options.

Japanese Lessons from the Chosun Ilbo

Sekitani and Shimizu
あいつがどれだけ口が達者か

Do you know what a talker that guy is?!

関谷:お前はあいつがどれだけ口が達者か知らないんだよ。
清水:どういう風に?
関谷:こう言えばああ言う、ああ言えばこう言う、こっちが一個と言えば十言ぐらい返ってくるんだから。

Sekitani: You don’t know what a talker that guy is.
Shimizu: How so?
Sekitani: You say this, he says that, you say that, he says this. If you say one thing, he comes back with about 10 things to say.

Thanks, Chosun Ilbo! (I get it for free at the Korean market).

“Kuchi ga tassha” describes a person who is a good talker, or as ALC puts it, has “the gift of gab.” BTW, if you don’t read kanji so much and want to learn more about the vocabulary used, try putting the permalink in rikai.com.

Watch Diet Sessions on the Internet ネットで国会テレビ?!

The first little tidbit I’d like to share with you all that I found from JANJAN is their feature Kokkai Watch. It covers all events related to the Japanese Diet.

Some Interesting links I saw:

衆議院TV (Lower House TV)

参議院審議中継 (Upper House Live)

These are like a Japanese C-Span — watch any meeting of Japan’s legislature at your leisure.

Whenever something important comes up I’ll be sure to keep an eye on these. I also like the UN’s video archive, while we’re on the topic.

Abiru Yuu to continue career as entertainer


Just a quick follow-up to my earlier posts on the subject:

Abiru Yuu to continue career

Abiru Yuu (18) who had been suspended for a comment made on a television program, reported the timeline of events and announced her return to show business on March 31 (tr: late, I know). “Now that I am returning, I would like to show some more maturity in my activities,” she explained.

Abiru got in trouble when she announced she was involved in shoplifting/theft in her past on the program “Coming Doubt”.

In other news, there’s a really good article about the “talent” scene on Japan Today’s Metropolis section that will help put the Abiru Yuu incident in persepctive:

They are everywhere—on TV variety shows, in dramas, singing at concerts, endorsing products on billboards, in commercials and attending glittery events. No matter what channel you watch or which magazine you read, you’ll see the same faces: Aya Ueto, SMAP, Yuko Takeuchi, Ayumi Hamasaki, Yukie Nakama, Becky, Papaya Suzuki and countless more.

The “talent” business in Japan is very different from the West. Someone like 19-year-old Ueto, for example, would seem to be making a fortune. After all, she is the TV commercial queen, a movie star, as well as a regular at promotional events. Yet she’s just an employee of her agency, Oscar Promotion. She is paid a wage and gets a percentage of what Oscar negotiates with its clients—the opposite of the US, where it’s the stars that pay their agents a percentage.

The production companies recruit hopefuls at a young age, train them and then supply them to the media, movies and events. When a new TV show or product endorsement is announced, the media get faxed invitations to the press conference, which they dutifully attend. The photos are then used to fill the tabloid magazines, while the TV variety shows replay the same footage four or five times on each segment. “It’s like a revolving sushi restaurant or a ‘UFO Catcher’ at a game center: There is a never-ending selection to pick from,” says Dave Spector, an American who has been a commentator on TV variety shows in Japan for 20 years.

Companies like Oscar, Johnny’s Jimusho, Sun Music and Yellow Cab have tremendous power when it comes to their talents, so much so that very few newspapers, magazines or TV stations dare carry negative stories. “The production companies are money-making machines,” says Tario Cham, who has operated the website jpop.com since 1996. “They work very hard to create an image that sells but also work very hard to protect that image.”

I encourage you to read the whole article, very interesting stuff!

【お構いなく宣伝】最近GREEにハマってます Lived in Japan? Use GREE to find people you met there!

最近はGREE友達に紹介してもらってハマってる。GREEとは、自分の母校や友達や趣味を登録することで、その友達の友達や同じ趣味の人のプロフィールを見て連絡することもでき、人脈をどんどん広げていくためのサイトである。例えば、「ワシントンに住んだことがある」と検索したらなんと「この人知ってる!」って人の画像がいっぱい出てきた。日本で出会った懐かしい仲間たちを見つけるのが楽しい(まだ一人しか見つかってないが)。やってみたい方は招待が必要なので、ぜひ俺に頼んでください。

A friend recently turned me on to GREE, a kind of Japanese Friendster. Like Friendster, you can use the site to register friends, hobbies, alma maters (almas mater?) or whatever. Another great feature is that it lets you run your blog’s RSS feed through the site, which I have done. You need an invitation to join, so anyone who’s lived in Japan, reads Japanese reasonably well, and wants an invite can feel free to ask me for one. Enjoy!