from August 24 Nikkei

概算要求　政権公約　見直し相次ぐ　来年度予算　財源難で現実路線　与党内には増額論も

The outline of major ministries and agencies's requests for the fiscal 2011 budget was made public on Monday. According to it, it is clear that the government is going to actually revise a number of DPJ' political pledges such as toll-free expressways and child-rearing allowance, issued as the party's manifestows at the the House of Representatives election last year.

This means the government has shifted to a realistic way because it faces difficulty securing the sources of money for such political promises.

Meanwile there are still strong voices in the DPJ seeking to increase budgetary requests for the party's political pledges. So, there might be twists and turns in the run-up to the end of year when the budgetary compilation is completed.

from yesterday's Nikkei

円急伸、一時８３円台　デフレに追い打ち　日経は９０００円台割れ　株下落、日本が突出

The yen's appreciation and stock price declining are going on now. On the 24th in Tokyo the yen soared temporarily reaching the level of 83 yen against the dollar.

To be more detail,the trading came to be at 83.72 yen per one dollar, a record high in 15 years and four months.

Concerning the stock market,the Nikkei Stock Average fell below the threshold of 9,000 yen for the first time in one year and four months.

These are the results from a bleak outlook on the U.S. economy. And, on an elimination basis people are buying the yen.And the yen's appreciation makes people think that Japanese companies, especially export-oriented ones, would suffer from the situation, resulting in such firms' stock price decling.

Lack of the government's policy disliked by market players, stock price plunges of Japanese companies are very conspicuous everywhere in the world markets other than in Tokyo.

This will mean hiting another blow to the current deflation in Japan.And there is no seeing the exit from it,at present.

from today's Nikkei

円高、企業が緊急対策　ソニー　欧米で値上げ　海外シフト加速も　ホンダ　四輪車の部品輸入　三菱重　円建て支払い要請


As the yen's appreciation is going on now, major domestic companies are going to take an emergency measure against the higher yen such as revamping their production schemes. Specifically,Honda Motor Company has decided to increase purchasing the components from oveaseas for four-wheek vehicles, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will ask their client firms to pay the bill in yen.

In another case, Sony likely will raise its retail prices overseas in Europe and the U.S. to cope with the situation.

Whle there is an unusual yen's appreciation going on now higher than most firms have expected, there is no effective measures by the government. So, companies have to take a self-helping measure for going through the situation.

There is also a possibility that companies would promote transferring their production bases from at home to overseas with these circumstances expected to be continued.

中学生への英語学習支援授業について

８月２２日の午後松山市で標記の授業を行いました。
中学生が相手の授業ですが、内容的にはハイレベルのものでした。

母音については、ə と æ の音の発声法を勉強してもらいました。
また子音については、f,v,r,l,th,m,n の音への対応方法を勉強しました。

語尾の子音に母音をつけて発音してはいけないよ、と実演しながら説明したり
しましたので、きわめて高度なものです。

当日はＮＨＫが取材に訪れ、夕方６：４５のローカルニュースで
この日の授業風景が放送されました。

詳しくは、http://fais-japan.org をご覧ください。

from August 16 Nikkei

政府、インフラ投資促進　官民ファンド創設へ　外環道・関空に活用検討　呼び水資金、国が拠出

The government has started to discuss how to establish a new fund with a public-private tie-up with a view to promoting infrastructure investments.Aomng the ideas of its utilization is one that it should be positively utilized in the projects of the Tokyo Outer Loop Road costruction and the Kansai International Airport maintenance.

Given the current situation that securing the source of money of an investment has been getting increasingly difficult, new way of securing the source is needed, like the way helping the scheme of PFI (private finance initiative).

In the thoughts of people concerned, by the government's providing pump-priming fund the environment will be created that many of megabanks,firms, and individual investors could more easily give their money to each project asked.