The Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 27, 2013)
Can Park open the door to better Japan-S. Korea ties?
朴大統領就任 日韓関係の改善を期待したい（2月26日付・読売社説）
We hope the chilled relationship between Tokyo and Seoul will thaw under the new South Korean administration.
韓国新政権発足を機に日韓関係が改善に向かうことを期待したい。
On Monday, Park Geun Hye took office as the first female president of South Korea, a country currently facing plenty of challenges. Park's father is the late former President Park Chung Hee, and this is the first time an offspring of a former South Korean president has assumed the top post.
課題山積の中で、韓国の朴槿恵氏が大統領に就任した。初の女性大統領であり、朴正煕元大統領との初の親子２代にわたる大統領だ。
The new president held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, who attended Park's inauguration ceremony. It is praiseworthy that the two agreed on the necessity of cooperating closely and building a future-oriented relationship between the two countries.
朴氏は、就任式に出席した麻生副総理と会談した。日韓両国が未来志向で緊密に協力していく必要性で一致したのは評価できる。
However, the current state of Japan-South Korea relations is severe. It deteriorated rapidly after Lee Myung Bak, Park's predecessor, visited the Takeshima islands last year and demanded the Emperor apologize for the wartime past. Seoul recently lodged a complaint with Tokyo over the attendance of a Cabinet Office parliamentary secretary at a commemoration ceremony on Takeshima Day, an event hosted by the Shimane prefectural government.
ただ、現状は厳しい。李明博前大統領の竹島訪問と「天皇の謝罪」要求発言で日韓関係は悪化したからだ。島根県主催の「竹島の日」式典への内閣府政務官出席に韓国政府は抗議したばかりである。
===
Learn from past mistakes
Previous South Korean administrations also have trumpeted future-oriented relationships. However, in the end, they have derailed these diplomatic efforts through their actions on territorial issues and historical perceptions. Park's leadership will be tested over whether she can prevent her administration from repeating the mistakes of her predecessors.
歴代の韓国政権は、未来志向をうたいながら、歴史認識や領土問題で結局は対日外交を暗礁に乗り上げさせた。その轍(てつ)を踏まないのか、朴氏の指導力が問われる。
Dark clouds are hovering over South Korea's economy, which had been performing solidly for years. That country's growth rate dropped to the 2 percent level last year, and its export-led economy has been buffeted by a headwind caused by the won's appreciation. South Korea's chaebol conglomerates have developed rapidly by riding the tide of globalization, but this has not led to the creation of jobs.
好調を維持してきた韓国経済にはかげりも見える。経済成長率は昨年、２％台にまで落ち込んだ。輸出主導モデルにウォン高の逆風が吹いている。グローバル化の潮流に乗って財閥は発展したが、国内の雇用創出につながらない。
With a declining birthrate and aging population, South Korea needs to improve its pension and health insurance systems to dispel public anxiety over what life holds for them in old age.
少子高齢化時代が到来し、老後不安の解消へ年金や医療保険制度の充実を図らねばならない。
Park pledged to tackle such problems in her inauguration speech. She referred to the "miracle on the Han River," the dramatic economic development achieved under her father's administration, and stressed she would bring about a "second miracle on the Han River."
こうした課題の解決に向け、朴氏は就任演説で、経済発展を成し遂げた父・正煕氏の「漢江の奇跡」に言及し、「第２の奇跡」を起こすと強調した。
It will be crucial for her to materialize her plan to expand domestic demand and employment by reinforcing the competitiveness of small and midsize South Korean companies and nurturing venture firms.
中小企業の競争力強化や、ベンチャー企業の育成によって、雇用と内需の拡大につなげる構想を、具体化することが必要だろう。
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Cooperate more with allies
Regarding diplomacy and national security, Park demanded North Korea "abandon its nuclear ambitions without delay." She also showed willingness to hold talks with Pyongyang by saying, "I will move forward step-by-step on the basis of credible deterrence to build trust between the South and the North."
外交・安全保障を巡っては、朴氏は北朝鮮に「一日も早い核放棄」を求めた。「確実な抑止力を土台に、南北の信頼関係を積み重ねる」と、対話へ意欲も示した。
South Korea has recently accelerated the reinforcement of its defense capability, such as by extending the range of its ballistic missiles, as the security threat posed by North Korea grows. According to an opinion poll, more than 60 percent of respondents supported South Korea acquiring nuclear weapons.
増大する北朝鮮の脅威に対し、韓国では弾道ミサイルの射程延長など国防力を強化する動きが顕著だ。世論調査では、韓国の核武装を支持する声も６０％を超える。
It will be essential for countries neighboring North Korea to cooperate more closely to deal with heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Park was quite right to mention she will work to strengthen trust with countries including "the United States, China, Japan and Russia" to ease tensions and conflicts in Asia and promote peace and cooperation in the region.
緊張が高まる朝鮮半島情勢に対処するには、周辺国の連携強化が欠かせない。朴氏が、アジア地域の緊張・対立の緩和と平和・協力の推進へ、「米国、中国、日本、ロシア」などと信頼を築き上げると述べたのは当然だろう。
China has a dominant presence in South Korea. South Korea's trade with China exceeds that with the United States and Japan combined. The annual flow of people between China and South Korea exceeds that between Japan and South Korea by more than 1 million.
韓国で、中国の存在感は圧倒的だ。対中貿易は、対米、対日を合計した額を凌駕(りょうが)しており、中韓の人的往来は日韓のそれを年間１００万人以上も上回っている。
All eyes are closely watching whether South Korea will cozy up more to China as it boosts its presence on the peninsula, as this issue certainly has security implications for Japan.
韓国が、朝鮮半島で存在感を増す中国への傾斜を深めるかどうかは、日本の安全にも影響する問題だけに、目を離せない。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 26, 2013)
（2013年2月26日01時21分 読売新聞）
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 26, 2013)
Time to overhaul radiation safety criteria
原発風評被害 放射能の基準から考え直せ（2月25日付・読売社説）
The government should make a sweeping review of safety standards for radioactivity. The recent change of administration offers a golden opportunity to do this.
放射能の安全基準について政府は根底から考え直すべきだ。政権交代はその好機と言えよう。
The Consumer Affairs Agency will reinforce efforts to deal with damage caused by radiation rumors since the crisis began at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Masako Mori, state minister for consumer affairs, said, "The Democratic Party of Japan-led administration increased consumers' anxieties." She has issued an order to study concrete measures to alleviate these fears.
消費者庁が、東京電力福島第一原子力発電所事故による風評被害の対策を強化する。森消費者相は、「民主党政権は消費者の不安を募らせた」と述べ、具体策の検討を指示した。
Agricultural products harvested in Fukushima Prefecture are shipped after they have been confirmed safe to eat, but they do not sell well unless their prices are set lower than other products. Their distribution volume is barely expanding.
福島県産の農産物は、検査で安全を確認し出荷されているが、価格を安くしなければ売れない。流通量もなかなか増えない。
Mori hit the nail on the head when she said a reason for this is that consumers harbor "doubts and concerns about the safety standards."
森氏が、「安全基準への疑問や不安があると思う」と指摘したのは、もっともである。
The administration of former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda adopted stricter standards for radiation contained in food than those in place overseas. The Radiation Council, a government advisory panel, had warned about possible adverse effects this might cause, but then Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoko Komiyama pushed through the new criteria.
野田政権は、食品中の放射能基準を海外より厳格化した。政府の放射線審議会は、弊害が出ると警告したが、小宮山厚生労働相（当時）が政治的に押し切った。
This resulted in more food containing radiation that exceeded the restricted levels. Shipments of wild mushrooms were even halted when a check detected a radioactive substance that could only have been caused by past nuclear tests.
その結果、基準超過が増え、食品の信頼回復は進まない。過去の核実験の影響としか考えられない放射性物質が検出され、出荷停止となった野生キノコもある。
===
Stricter threshold set
The problem is that the Noda government set the yearly radiation exposure of one millisievert as the threshold between safe and dangerous. The one millisievert a year level, which is nothing but a management standard legally set for facilities that handle radioactive substances, was adopted for food safety standards.
問題なのは、野田政権が年１ミリ・シーベルトの被曝(ひばく)線量を安全と危険の境界線としたことだ。年１ミリ・シーベルトは法的に放射性物質を扱う施設の管理基準に過ぎないのに、この線引きを食品基準にも適用した。
The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) also considers it advisable to set the permissible annual radiation dose at no more than one millisievert. But the difference between the ICRP's position and that of the Noda administration is that the former does not consider it dangerous immediately even if radiation exposure exceeds the threshold.
国際放射線防護委員会（ＩＣＲＰ）も、年１ミリ・シーベルト以下が望ましいとしている。ただ、野田政権との違いは、これを超えても直ちに危険とは見なさないことだ。
The international commission believes health effects cannot be detected clearly if the total radiation exposure is held to 100 millisieverts. Thus, the one millisievert a year considered by the ICRP is a ceiling deemed far lower than its safety standard, and comes with the condition that the exposure target can be achieved reasonably.
ＩＣＲＰは総量で１００ミリ・シーベルトまでなら明確な健康影響は検出できないとの立場だ。ＩＣＲＰが考える１ミリ・シーベルトは、安全性に余裕を見込んだ数値で、合理的に達成できるなら、との条件も付く。
Some places in the world are exposed to radiation of 10 millisieverts a year that comes from the ground, among other sources. A radiological examination at a hospital exposes the patient to about seven millisieverts.
世界には、大地などから年１０ミリ・シーベルトの放射線を浴びる地域がある。病院の放射線診断で１回に約７ミリ・シーベルト被曝することもある。
The one-millisievert threshold also has become a factor delaying the return of nearly 160,000 evacuees from the nuclear crisis to their hometowns.
１ミリ・シーベルトでの線引きは、１６万人近くの避難者の帰還を遅らせる要因にもなっている。
===
Gap with international standards
The commission considers that a radiation dose of up to 20 millisieverts a year is permissible when affected areas are in the reconstruction stage, and efforts must be made as much as possible to reduce the annual exposure to less than one millisievert.
ＩＣＲＰは、被災地の復旧過程では、年２０ミリ・シーベルトまで許容し、可能な範囲で年１ミリ・シーベルト以下にするとの考え方を示している。
Then Environment Minister Goshi Hosono, however, stressed the importance of achieving the decontamination target of one millisievert or less. Unlike the ICRP's thinking that equally emphasizes protecting affected residents' daily lives and decontamination, the DPJ-led government gave too much weight to decontamination efforts.
だが、細野環境相（当時）は、１ミリ・シーベルト以下への除染を強調した。ＩＣＲＰの考え方は、住民の生活確保と除染の両立だが、除染が偏重される結果となった。
A mistaken political message also was given by Niigata Gov. Hirohiko Izumida. He condemned the disposal by the prefecture's Kashiwazaki and Sanjo cities of disaster debris from Iwate Prefecture as general waste as a "criminal act."
政治の誤ったメッセージと言えば、泉田裕彦新潟県知事も同様だ。柏崎市、三条市が岩手県のがれきを一般ごみとして処理したことを「犯罪行為」と非難した。
But radiation levels of debris from Iwate Prefecture are the same as trash collected within Niigata Prefecture. We urge Izumida, the head of a local government, not to exacerbate damage caused by nasty radiation rumors.
しかし、がれきの放射能は県内のごみと変わらない。首長が風評被害を増長させては困る。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 25, 2013)
（2013年2月25日01時19分 読売新聞）
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 25, 2013)
Strengthen Japan-U.S. alliance to boost Asia stability
日米首脳会談 アジア安定へ同盟を強化せよ（2月24日付・読売社説）
◆ＴＰＰ参加の国内調整が急務だ◆
The high expectations the U.S. government holds for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe became clear during his visit to Washington. To live up to the U.S. trust placed in him, the prime minister should restore the vitality of Japan's politics and economy.
安倍首相に対する米政府の期待の大きさが鮮明になった。首相は政治、経済両面で「強い日本」を復活させ、その信頼に応えるべきだ。
Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama held their first talks at the White House and agreed to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance.
安倍首相とオバマ米大統領がホワイトハウスで初会談し、日米同盟を強化することで合意した。
"The U.S.-Japan alliance is the central foundation for our regional security, and so much of what we do in the [Asia-]Pacific region," Obama said.
大統領は「日米同盟はアジア太平洋地域の安全保障にとって中心的な礎だ」と述べた。
Abe replied that he wants to declare the strong bond of the Japan-U.S. alliance has been restored completely.
首相は「日米同盟の強い絆は完全に復活したと宣言したい」と応じた。
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Cooperation on energy
◆エネルギー協力も重要◆
Asia has many destabilizing factors, such as China and North Korea. To maintain peace and prosperity in this part of the world, Japan and the United States must properly play their respective roles based on the robust, stable bilateral alliance that is "public property" of the region.
アジアは、北朝鮮、中国など多くの不安定要因を抱える。地域の平和と繁栄を維持するには、強固で安定した日米同盟という「公共財」を基盤に、両国がそれぞれの役割を果たすことが肝要だ。
Japan-U.S. ties became disoriented while Democratic Party of Japan-led administrations held power for more than three years. Seemingly going hand-in-hand with this, Japan's relations with China and South Korea also deteriorated.
日本の民主党政権の３年余、日米関係は迷走し、連動するように日中・日韓関係も悪化した。
The Obama administration apparently believes that restoring U.S. relations with Japan under the Abe administration would bring greater stability to the entire Asian region and benefit its own strategy that gives greater priority to Asia.
オバマ米政権も、安倍政権との間で日米関係を再構築することがアジア全体の安定につながり、自らのアジア重視戦略にも資する、と判断しているのだろう。
The two leaders issued a joint statement on Japan's possible participation in Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement negotiations. Abe and Obama confirmed "it is not required to make a prior commitment to unilaterally eliminate all tariffs upon joining the TPP negotiations," though they maintained the basic principle that all goods would be subject to the negotiations.
焦点だった日本の環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）交渉参加について、日米両首脳は共同声明を発表した。全品目を交渉対象にするとの原則を堅持しながら、全ての関税撤廃を事前に約束する必要はないことを確認した。
Before his visit to the United States, Abe reiterated he would uphold his Liberal Democratic Party's election pledge that the party opposes joining the TPP talks as long as it mandates all tariffs must be eliminated without exception.
首相は訪米前、「聖域なき関税撤廃を前提とする交渉参加には反対する」との自民党政権公約を順守する方針を強調していた。
The latest Japan-U.S. agreement, which allows Abe to maintain his pledge and join the TPP talks, carries great significance.
公約と交渉参加を両立させる今回の日米合意の意義は大きい。
TPP participation, which will enable Japan to harness the vitality of emerging Asian economies, is expected to become a major pillar for the growth strategy of the Abe administration's "Abenomics" economic policy and help the recovery of the nation's economy.
成長著しいアジアの活力を取り込むＴＰＰ参加は、安倍政権の経済政策「アベノミクス」の成長戦略の重要な柱となり、経済再生を促進する効果が期待されよう。
However, some LDP members and agricultural organizations remain strongly opposed to the TPP. Abe must exercise leadership and carefully explain the aims of the trade pact to calibrate opinions within the country as soon as possible to make Japan's participation in the agreement a reality.
自民党内の一部や農業団体には反対論が根強い。だが、首相は、経済連携の狙いを丁寧に説明して指導力を発揮し、ＴＰＰ参加へ国内調整を急がねばならない。
The participation of Japan, the world's third-largest economy, in the TPP will have advantages for the United States, too. Formation of a free trade area featuring the Japan-U.S. partnership will have the effect of putting pressure on emerging China.
米国にとっても、世界３位の経済大国の日本がＴＰＰに参加するメリットがある。日米が連携した自由貿易圏作りは、台頭する中国への牽制(けんせい)効果を持つからだ。
During their meeting, Abe asked Obama to promptly approve U.S. exports of shale gas to Japan. The president replied that his government always takes the importance of Japan as its ally into consideration.
安倍首相が米国産シェールガスの対日輸出の早期承認を求めたのに対し、大統領は「同盟国の日本の重要性は常に念頭に置いている」と応じた。
Some observers said restrictions on shale gas exports could be lifted as early as March, opening a way for Japan to procure cheap natural gas.
３月にも輸出が解禁され、割安なガスを調達する道が開けるとの見方がある。
Abe also stressed that he would review the policy set under the DPJ-led government to shut down all of Japan's nuclear reactors by the end of the 2030s.
首相は、「２０３０年代の原発稼働ゼロ」という民主党政権の方針を見直す考えを強調した。
It is important that Japan and the United States cooperate extensively on economic issues, including energy and nuclear policies.
エネルギー・原発政策を含め、経済面での日米協力を幅広く進展させることが大切だ。
===
Increase pressure on N. Korea
◆対「北」圧力を強めよ◆
In the security field, Abe explained that he would proactively tackle such issues as a revision of the National Defense Program Guidelines, clarifying whether the nation can exercise its right to collective self-defense, and reviewing the Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation.
安全保障分野で安倍首相は、防衛大綱の改定や、集団的自衛権の行使問題、日米防衛協力指針（ガイドライン）見直しなどに積極的に取り組む方針を説明した。
All of these issues are essential for reinforcing the substance of the Japan-U.S. alliance. We hope the government gives priority to these issues and steadily achieves tangible results.
いずれも日米同盟を実質的に強化する重要課題だ。優先順位をつけて、着実に実績を上げたい。
The two leaders agreed to proceed with a plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station from Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to the Henoko district in Nago, also in the prefecture, based on an agreement reached by the Japanese and U.S. governments.
米軍普天間飛行場の移設問題では、日米合意に基づき辺野古移設を進める方針で一致した。
Although the Okinawa prefectural government insists the air station should be relocated outside the prefecture, the Henoko plan is the shortest way to reduce the burdens of communities that currently host the base. The government must steadfastly persuade people involved in this matter to support this option.
沖縄県は「県外移設」を求める立場を崩していないが、地元の基地負担の軽減には辺野古移設が最も近道だ。粘り強く関係者を説得することが求められる。
As for North Korea's recent nuclear test, Abe and Obama confirmed such provocations cannot be tolerated, and that North Korea should not be rewarded for these actions.
北朝鮮の核実験について、日米両首脳は「挑発行為を容認すべきではないし、報奨を与えるべきでもない」と確認した。
While both leaders agreed to seek the adoption of a U.N. Security Council resolution imposing additional sanctions on Pyongyang, they also agreed to consider sanctions independently enforced by such parties as Japan and the United States.
国連安全保障理事会での追加制裁決議の採択を目指すとともに、日米などによる独自の制裁を検討することでも合意した。
After North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006, the administration of then U.S. President George W. Bush cut a deal in which Pyongyang said it would abandon its nuclear facilities and Washington removed North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. North Korea should not receive any such benefit for conducting its third nuclear test this year.
２００６年の北朝鮮の第１回核実験後、ブッシュ米政権は、核施設廃棄と「テロ支援国家」指定解除との取引に応じた。今年の第３回核実験によって、北朝鮮が利益を得ることは避けるべきだ。
===
Form intl tie-up on Senkakus
◆尖閣問題で国際連携を◆
Although the Security Council should adopt an effective sanctions resolution, China has shown a cautious stance. It is important that ways to apply "pressure," other than a Security Council resolution, be considered under the initiative of Tokyo, Washington and Seoul.
本来は、実効性ある安保理の制裁決議を採択することが望ましいが、中国は慎重姿勢を示している。日米韓３か国を中心に、安保理決議以外の「圧力」を具体的に検討することが重要である。
During a bilateral foreign ministerial meeting held after the Abe-Obama meeting, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in reference to Japan-China relations, expressed a view that the Senkaku Islands are covered by the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and fall under the scope of U.S. defense obligations to Japan.
首脳会談後に行われた日米外相会談では、ケリー国務長官が日中関係に関連し、尖閣諸島には日米安全保障条約が適用され、米国の対日防衛義務の対象に含まれるとの見解を表明した。
We welcome Kerry's adherence to the stance of his predecessor, Hillary Clinton.
クリントン前長官の見解を踏襲したことを歓迎したい。
Japan, for its part, should calmly address this issue without being rattled by such provocations as the use of fire-control radar by Chinese forces. At the same time, Japan should strengthen the warning and surveillance operations conducted by the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard. To urge China to exercise self-restraint in its saber-rattling, Japan must deepen cooperation with the United States and other nations concerned.
日本は、中国軍の火器管制レーダー照射などの挑発に動じず、冷静な対応を続ける一方、自衛隊と海上保安庁による警戒監視活動を強化すべきだ。中国に示威活動の自制を促すため、米国など関係国との連携も深めねばならない。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 24, 2013)
（2013年2月24日01時42分 読売新聞）
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 24, 2013)
New strategy needed to resume talks over northern territories
北方領土交渉 「仕切り直し」へ戦略練り直せ（2月23日付・読売社説）
The government's aim of smoothing the way for future talks between Japanese and Russian leaders has been achieved. The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe now faces a test on whether it can devise a specific diplomatic strategy to make progress in negotiations to solve the dispute over the northern territories.
日露首脳会談への地ならしという狙いは達成された。具体的に交渉をどう進めるか、安倍外交の戦略が問われよう。
Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori met recently with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow.
森喜朗元首相が、ロシアのプーチン大統領とモスクワのクレムリンで会談した。
During the meeting, Putin said it is abnormal that the two countries have yet to conclude a peace treaty due to the obstacle of the territorial issue.
プーチン氏は、北方領土問題が障害となり、日露両国が平和条約をいまだ締結していないことを「異常な事態」と表現した。
Drawing a picture of a judo competition area on paper, Putin stated his intention to make a fresh start in the negotiations. He said Japan and Russia cannot compete because both countries stay at the edge of the competition area, and that they should be pulled to the center to start over.
柔道の試合場をメモ用紙に描いて、「両国は試合場の端にいてプレーが出来ない。真ん中に引っ張ってきてそこから始めるということだ」とも語り、交渉を仕切り直す意向を明らかにした。
Putin's predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev, visited Kunashiri Island, one of the four islands in the northern territories, while he was Russian president. During the visit, Medvedev took a hard-line stance on the issue, saying: "This is our native land. We will not give away an inch."
メドベージェフ前大統領は自ら国後島を訪問し、「我々の古来の土地だ。一寸たりとも渡さない」と強硬な姿勢を見せつけた。
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Figure out Russia's real intent
Abe must appropriately interpret Putin's positive signal on the territorial issue. We hope the Abe administration will negotiate with Russia patiently while trying to figure out what Moscow really has in mind.
安倍首相は、領土問題に前向きなプーチン氏のシグナルをきちんと受け止めなければなるまい。その真意を見極めつつ、粘り強く交渉に当たってもらいたい。
During the talks, Mori asked Putin to clarify his remarks in March last year that he would seek "hikiwake"--a judo term meaning a draw--to solve the issue. Putin reportedly said it was meant to be a solution that creates neither a winner nor a loser, but he did not elaborate.
森氏はプーチン氏との会談で、北方領土問題について昨年３月「引き分け」を目指すと発言したことの意味を質(ただ)した。プーチン氏は「勝ち負けなしの解決だ」と述べるにとどめたという。
Putin apparently regards the 1956 Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration as a starting point for negotiations on the territorial row. The declaration stipulates the Habomai islets and Shikotan Island should be returned to Japan after the two countries sign a peace treaty. In recent years, Russia has allocated funding for developing infrastructure in the northern territories to steadily "Russianize" them, especially on the other two islands of Kunashiri and Etrofu.
歯舞、色丹２島の引き渡しを明記した１９５６年の日ソ共同宣言が、領土交渉におけるプーチン氏の立場の原点だ。ロシアは近年、国後、択捉両島などの基盤整備に予算を投入し、北方領土の「ロシア化」を着々と進めている。
On a TV program last month, Mori mentioned the possible option of Russia first returning three of the islets--with the exception of Etrofu Island--not all four at once. He made such remarks apparently in the belief that the nation should quickly aim for a realistic solution.
森氏が先月、テレビ番組で択捉島以外の３島の先行返還に言及したのは、現実的な解決を急ぐべきだと考えるからだろう。
When he was foreign minister, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso floated the idea of dividing the four islands equally in terms of size.
麻生副総理も外相時代に４島全体の面積を２等分する「面積等分論」に言及したことがある。
However, bilateral negotiations between the Abe and Putin administrations have yet to take place. If Tokyo takes a concessional approach before the talks start, Moscow may take further advantage of it. In the same way as previously, Japan should aim for the return of all four islands in the negotiations.
だが、安倍、プーチン両政権による交渉はこれからである。交渉前から譲歩姿勢を示せば一層つけこまれかねない。従来通り４島返還を掲げて交渉に臨むべきだ。
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Expanded cooperation key
At the meeting with Mori, Putin also expressed his hopes of expanded bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, such as in oil and natural gas. He also said his country wants to take advantage of Japan's agricultural technology in developing its vast Far East region.
プーチン氏は、石油や天然ガスなど、エネルギー分野での日露協力の拡大に強い期待感を示した。広大な極東で日本の農業技術を生かしたいとも語った。
Japan's economic strength and technology would be attractive to Russia, which has increased its focus on development of the Far East and Siberia. If the territorial dispute is resolved, Japan and Russia will be able to cooperate in more areas beneficial to both countries. Such expanded bilateral cooperation also could put a brake on China, a growing economic and military power.
日本の経済力や技術力は、極東・シベリア開発に力を入れるロシアにとって魅力だろう。領土問題が解決すれば、日露両国がともに利益を享受できる分野は一段と広がるはずだ。経済・軍事面で膨張する中国への牽制(けんせい)ともなる。
It is vital for both Japan and Russia to increase their shared awareness that bilateral cooperation is strategically important. This could pave the way to solving the territorial issue.
日露協力の戦略的重要性について共通認識を深めていくことが大切だ。それが、北方領土問題解決への環境整備につながろう。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 23, 2013)
（2013年2月23日01時27分 読売新聞）
The Yomiuri Shimbun (Feb. 23, 2013)
Execution of death-row inmates must serve as deterrent to crime
３人死刑執行 凶悪犯罪の抑止につなげたい（2月22日付・読売社説）
Three death-row inmates were executed Thursday. They were the first executions carried out under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration, which was launched in December.
３人の死刑囚に対する刑が２１日、執行された。昨年１２月に発足した安倍政権の下で、初めての執行である。
Justice Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, who ordered the executions just two months after he was appointed to his post, told a press conference after the executions, "The spirit of the law shouldn't be disregarded." His statement shows he attaches grave importance to the Criminal Procedure Code, which stipulates that death sentences should be implemented within six months of being finalized.
就任２か月で執行を命じた谷垣法相は、執行後の記者会見で「法の精神を無視するわけにはいかない」と述べた。死刑確定から６か月以内に刑を執行しなければならないと定めた刑事訴訟法を重視した発言だ。
The statement also indicates his stance to carry out in a somber manner the duties of the justice minister, who bears a heavy responsibility.
法相に課せられた重い職責を、粛々と遂行していく姿勢を示したと言える。
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134 people now on death row
Under the Democratic Party of Japan-led administrations, few executions were carried out. There was even a period of about 20 months in which there were no executions, due to the successive appointments of justice ministers who were critical of the death penalty. As a result, the number of inmates whose death sentences had been finalized increased to 137, including the three most recently executed, the largest figure in the postwar period.
民主党政権では、死刑の執行が少なく、約１年８か月にわたり途絶えた時期もあった。死刑制度に批判的な法相の就任が続いたためだ。その結果、確定死刑囚は今回の執行前で、戦後最多の１３７人に上っていた。
Internationally, countries that have abolished or suspended capital punishment outnumber those who maintain the system.
死刑制度については、国際的には維持する国より、廃止か停止した国の方が多い。
In Japan, on the other hand, 85 percent of the public approves of the death penalty, according to an opinion poll by the Cabinet Office.
一方、日本では、内閣府の世論調査で死刑容認が８５％を占めている。
"At the moment it's unnecessary to review the system," Tanigaki said, taking into consideration this public sentiment.
谷垣法相が「制度を現時点で見直す必要はない」と語ったのも国民感情を踏まえたものだ。
Death sentences have been given in lay judge trials, in which ordinary citizens participate in the trial process, and the sentences for three inmates under that system have been already finalized.
国民が参加する裁判員裁判で死刑判決が出されるようになり、既に３人の死刑が確定している。
Considering these circumstances, we urge justice ministers to implement the death penalty system in a strict manner, after closely examining finalized death sentences.
そんな現状も考慮すれば、確定判決を精査した上で、厳正に制度を運用していくことが求められる。
The three inmates whose sentences were carried out most recently include a man who kidnapped and killed a young girl in Nara Prefecture in 2004, and a man who killed or injured nine people near JR Arakawaoki Station on the Joban Line and at another location, both in Ibaraki Prefecture, in 2008.
今回、刑が執行されたのは、２００４年に奈良県で女児を誘拐し殺害した男や、０８年に茨城県のＪＲ常磐線荒川沖駅などで９人を殺傷した男らだ。
All three cases were contemptible, cruel crimes that horrified society. The victims and their bereaved family members suffered grievous harm. The bereaved families want the culprits to be harshly punished.
いずれも、社会を震撼(しんかん)させた、卑劣かつ残虐な犯罪だ。被害者・遺族が受けた傷は大きく、処罰感情も厳しいものがある。
In the case of kidnapping and murder in Nara Prefecture, the perpetrator abducted a first-grade primary school student who was on her way home from school in order to sexually molest her. He even sent an e-mail with a picture of the girl's dead body to her mother's cellphone. The case was extremely malicious.
奈良の誘拐殺人事件では、帰宅途中の小学１年の女児をわいせつ目的で連れ去り、遺体の写真を女児の母親にメール送信するなど、悪質性が際立っていた。
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Prevention of repeat offenses
This is the case that clarified the trend toward toughening the penalties in murder cases so that people who commit atrocious sexual crimes will face capital punishment even if they have only killed one person.
殺害した被害者が１人であっても、凶悪な性犯罪では極刑を免れないという厳罰化の流れが明確に示されたケースだろう。
The Nara Prefecture case spurred the government to study measures to prevent the recurrence of sexual offenses, as the perpetrator had a criminal record of sex offenses.
奈良の事件は、死刑囚に性犯罪歴があったことから、再犯対策の検討を迫る契機となった。
The Justice Ministry now provides the National Police Agency with information on where people with criminal records of sexual offenses involving children live after their release from prison. Sex offenders in prison are required to attend programs to prevent repeat offenses, in which they are taught ways to control their emotions.
法務省は、子供に対する性犯罪の前歴者について、出所後の居住地情報を警察庁に提供するようになった。刑務所では性犯罪者に再犯防止プログラムを受講させ、感情をコントロールする方法を身に着けさせている。
However, there is no sign of a significant decline in the number of sex offenses. We should think again about the fact that one purpose of implementing death sentences is to deter atrocious crimes.
しかし、性犯罪の被害は後を絶たない。死刑執行は、凶悪犯罪の抑止が目的の一つであることを改めて考えたい。
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 22, 2013)
（2013年2月22日01時14分 読売新聞）