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Last Week in Japanese News 01/01/2023-01/07/2023 [1]
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Date: 2023-01-08
Hello, this is RWPOINTWOMAN and this Last Week in Japanese News. Here, I translate Japanese articles from the Easy section of the Easy Japanese news reader app into English.
My reading comprehension is currently good enough to comprehend entire articles about familiar topics from the Easy section without clicking on the dictionary entries. If it is all JLPT N5, it should be in that category. However, my vocabulary spans N5-N1, common words not in any of those levels with significant gaps in anything above N5. My grammar grasp goes up to about mid-N3, but I have some familiarity with N2 due to Easy Japanese. My listening comprehension is good enough that I can now decipher entire sentences like Shinoda Chiaki. Ni-juu-roku-sai. Geeto-nai butsuri tokusei ni kansuru rombu de, shuushigou o shutoku. Sotsugyougo, kokuritsukenkyuujo de kinmu. Nishuukan nagara mudan kekkin. Genzai no shozai wa fumei.
I learned Japanese from JapanesePod101, IMABI, watching anime with and without Japanese subtitles available and subtitled YouTube videos not originally in Japanese, Asahi News Network's YouTube channel, and reading news articles and manga.
My main methods of immersion are Easy Japanese and anime. My reading practice these days consists of the Darker Than Black manga, the kanji study app graded reading sets, and Easy Japanese. My listening practice consists of anime and audio of Easy Japanese news articles that have recordings available in the app. My writing practice consists of writing the occasional bit in Japanese in a Google doc and writing kanji study app. My speaking practice consists of reading sentences into Easy Japanese using a feature only available in the app.
January 1, 2022:
"All bike riders will helmets" starting April. (NHK)
The law required only children under 13 to wear helmets when riding a bicycle whenever possible. However, starting this April 1, everyone will have to wear bicycle helmets when riding a bicycle even if at least 13 years old. This is because bicycle accidents are increasing. According to the National Police Agency, in bicycle accidents in the 5 years up to the year before last, cyclists not wearing helmets had over 2.2 times the death rate of cyclists who were. Not wearing a helmet carries no penalty. However, they say that this will get everyone in the habit of wearing one and will reduce things like injuries and death.
Japan Post to deliver things like letters and packages by drone in fiscal year 2023. (NHK)
Regulations pertaining to flying drones were changed last December. Drones could now be flown past the visual range of the pilot over houses, etc. Because of this, the Japan Post plans to launch a stone delivery service for things like letters and packages in fiscal year 2023. It will use 1.5 m drones the red color of the post. All of them can carry up to 5 kg up to 35 km away. They plan to launch this service in places like mountainous areas and islands where there is a shortage of personnel.
Winter scenery can be enjoyed from kotatsu line on Sanriku Railway in Iwate Prefecture. (NHK)
The Sanriku Railway, which runs near the sea in Iwate Prefecture, runs a kotatsu train from Kuji Station to Miyako Station in the winter. It contains a warm kotatsu, and the winter scenery can be enjoyed. There are 12 kotatsu in the train. The passengers could enjoy dishes such as bento prepared with things like sea urchin and abalone harvested in the sea off the coast of Iwate Prefecture. The passengers can stop where there is beautiful scenery to take pictures. In the middle of the route, namomi, which have the faces of oni, appear, walk around the inside of the train, and shout. Everyone was surprised. A person with the Sanriku Railway said, "We want passengers to experience the wonders of the coast of Iwate Prefecture." The kotatsu train runs every Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday until March 26. It also runs from January 1 to January 3.
A kotatsu is defined by Jisho as an electric heater with a hanging quilt that retains heat. The electric heater was originally a charcoal brazier set in the floor.
Bento is a Japanese boxed lunch that can be very elaborately done.
Namomi is the name they gave for namahage. Those would be beings that resemble demons are portrayed by men wearing heavy oni masks and straw capes during a New Year's ritual.
Oni are youkai portrayed in Japanese folklore as horned, murderous, cannibalistic monsters but not everything they do is classified as evil.
Japan and Vietnam celebrate 50 years of cultural exchange by composing opera. (NHK)
Japan and Vietnam began a cultural exchange 50 years ago this year. At the festivities, Japan and Vietnam decided to compose an opera together. The opera is based on events that occurred about 400 years ago. It is a story of Sotaro Araki, a trader, who came from Nagasaki to Vietnam and married Princess Anio. Last month, at an event in Hanoi, an actress playing Princess Anio sang a song about her coming from distant Nagasaki from faraway Vietnam. The opera will be performed in Hanoi this September. The plan is for the performers to come to Nagasaki in advance for the cultural exchange.
January 2, 2022:
There were no Easy stories about Japan on this day. Here is a Difficult one:
"Details": What do experts foresee for this year's economy? Attention to wage increases paid. (NHK)
The Japanese economy is recovering in the area of inbound economic activity from the novel coronavirus and it is becoming more common to see conditions as improving. However, on top of continuously rising commodities prices and in the midst of rising worries about an economic slowdown elsewhere in the world, the question of whether the trend of rising wages can boost things like conditions and consumer spending is being asked. The economic outlook for this year and the next is one in which real GDP growth is +1.5% adjusted for increases in commodities. The Japan Center for Economic Research, a nonprofit corporation, gathered estimations from 36 nongovernmental economists and the average was +1.07%. Foreign tourists, which were previously held back by the pandemic, are increasingly common, inbound demand is recovering, and the view that with rising commodities and a labor shortage, businesses are likelier to increase wages is becoming increasingly common. Meanwhile, worries that a recession will put that brakes on rising inflation and steeply rising interest rates and that Japan will not emerge unscathed are increasingly common and these opinions were identified. The question of whether rising wages will spread amongst businesses at the spring bargaining, pushing up things like conditions and consumer spending this year order to avoid circumstances under which a strong recovery cannot materialize while commodities prices are rising and another economic slump is being asked. Chief economist Jun Takeda, a macroeconomics expert with Itochu Research Institute Inc., identified the key determinant of the trajectory of the Japanese economy this year as how much businesses can adopt a proactive attitude. Q. The Japanese economy this year. Can we expect sustained growth? Both the government and each private firm predict positive economic growth. Over half of GDP is individual consumer spending, which is still low as it has not recovered from the pandemic plunge, so it has great potential for growth. There is potential for adequate growth if businesses do things like increase wages and investment in accordance with a forward-thinking attitude. Q. What are the primary causes of these positives concerning the Japanese economy? A. There are 4 big positive factors. Abatement of the novel coronavirus Japan's recovery from the novel coronavirus has been delayed, but Japan entered a phase called With COVID, which means coexisting with the novel coronavirus, and there is still tremendous room for normalization. There is hope that so-called revenge spending will continue. Desire of businesses for capital investment Every survey has found that the desire businesses for capital investment is high and in the midst of an ongoing labor shortage they are trying to increase capital investment in order to increase production efficiency. Their dissatisfaction with their equipment is extreme enough to push the diffusion index into the negative, which is to say that they continue to be dissatisfied with their equipment. Rebound of inbound demand Last January, the maximum number of foreigners who could enter Japan per month was 20,000, but in October it was about 500,000 and in November it exceeded 900,000. This trend will continue into this year, thereby regularizing inbound demand. Up to now, inbound demand peaked in 2019 at over ¥5 trillion and GDP was a large 1%, but the extent to which it will revive is being observed. Price Increases Commodities prices continue to rise, but the level is more in check than in Europe and America. Because the depreciation of the yen is also less rapid than before while the sudden price increases of resources like food and energy overseas have passed their peak, it is predicted that domestic price increases will settle at a slightly lower rate than the most one of over 3%. Q. What is the primary reason there is a risk of recession? A. The most seriously worried about issue is economic worsening overseas. Europe and America are suffering from inflation and continue to have the stance that they must put the brakes on it by raising interest rates and preparing for a recession. FRB, America's equivalent to a central bank, and ECB, Europe's central bank, both have displayed the approach of continuing to raise interest rates. Q. What overseas economy is being observed? A. Recently, economic chaos has been seen in China. China has ended its Zero COVID policy, but as preparations were inadequate, infections skyrocketed. Because of this, going outside was restricted, actions like halting production at factories were also taken, and this should continue to worsen conditions. No one knows when the infection will be suppressed. Therefore, it is most likely that China's current economic pain will continue to worsen. Q. What effects will overseas economic worsening affect Japan? A. In addition to Europe and America, China has worsening conditions, so in regards to Japanese exports, there has been considerable damage. Japanese exports have been falling since last fall and there is strong possibility of this continuing for a while beyond this point. While it would be preferable to merely stop the fall in exports, if business sentiment worsens while expected wage increases are held back due to worsening consumer sentiment, then this will dampen the positive effect of increased domestic demand that has been hoped for. The greatest concern is related to factors like the worsening of capital investment and consumer spending. Q. What must be done to break the deadlock of this state of affairs? A. On the one hand, the probability of the wage increases workers are hoping for failing to materialize is not low, but on the other hand, if the considerable fraction of businesses that have labor shortages and inadequate equipment want to grow, then increased employment and capital investment are guaranteed. The Japanese economy does not revolve around overseas conditions and Japanese corporations must overcome them by continuing gutsy, proactive moves to reorganize with a focus on their own finances. This year, they want to believe in the potential of domestic demand to turn this around. Q. What other aspects of the Japanese economy are being watched this year? A. The No. 1 concern should be the monetary policy stances of the Bank of Japan. Last December, the Bank of Japan plunged into monetary policy revision and an opportunity to raise interest rates began to present itself. The Bank of Japan will finish replacing its president this April and the framework for the economic policy might change as well. If that is the case, the chance of an interest rate hike happening even sooner have risen and this is also a year in which we must prepare for that. (Interviewer: Daisuke Nogami, Economics Department)
January 3, 2022:
Department store opens earlier than usual to lessen hatsuuri congestion. (Asahi)
At the beginning of hatsuuri, department stores in Ikebukuro, Tokyo have large crowds. The main store of Seibu Ikebukuro decided to open 30 minutes for hatsuuri early to avoid this. The store has resumed selling lucky charms after a 3-year hiatus. This year, the store had the most sales of any year, and the store's target is 110% over last year. It is said that in addition to food, they anticipate an increase in sales of things like clothes for traveling and winter.
Thermal power plants see highest ever number of stoppages due to causes like breakdown. Risk of tightening of supply and demands rises. (Asahi)
In the midst of worries over electricity shortages, Japan had the highest ever number of thermal power plant shutdowns for reasons such as breakdown this year at 212. According to an ANN investigation, the number of unplanned thermal power plant shutdowns from January 2022 to December 31, 2022 climbed to 212. In December 2022, one plant after another shutdown including Nakoso Thermal Power Unit #9 in Fukushima Prefecture and Kimitsu Cooperative Thermal Power Unit #6 in Chiba Prefecture, an increase of nearly 30% compared with 2021, exceeding the previous record of 208 in 2018. A person with three government issued a warning, saying, "The risk of tightening of supply and demand is getting higher due to the aging of thermal power plants," this year in order to increase the restarting of shut down thermal power plants in response to electricity shortages.
4 major banks raise interest rates on fixed rate home loans. (Asahi)
Mitsui Sumitomo Banking Corporation, Mizuho Bank, MUFJ Bank, and Resona Bank announced increases in interest rates for fixed-rate home loans for January in December. Mitsui Sumitomo Banking Corporation is raising what until now was its most favorable 10-year fixed-rate interest rate of 0.88% by 0.26 percentage points for a total of 1.14%. Also, Mizuho Bank is raising its 1.1% interest rate for fixed-rate home loans by 0.3 percentage points to 1.4%. MUFJ Bank is raising its fixed-rate home loan interest rate by 0.18 percentage points from 0.87% to 1.05%. Resona Bank is raising its fixed-rate home loan interest rate by 0.1 percentage points from 1.08% to 1.18%. All 4 banks are going to leave the interest rates of loans of the unfixed type alone. They are experiencing an increase in interest rate fluctuations from ±0.25% to ±0.5% set at the December 20, 2022 Bank of Japan monetary policy meeting.
January 4, 2022:
Bangladesh: railroad built in cooperation with Japan begins operation. (NHK)
A new railroad began operation in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, on December 28, 2022. Part of it runs through the heart of Dhaka. This is the first railroad to run through a Bangladeshi main street. The railroad was built in cooperation with a Japanese company. The Japanese government also cooperated and lent necessary money. Passengers will use an IC card at the station, a Japanese technology. This railroad will also be women only. The plan is to have the entire thing running in 2025. Dhaka is a heavily town. It also has congested roads and heavily polluted air. The citizens want to eliminate that with the new railroad.
Origami design chosen as logo for Hiroshima G7 summit. (NHK)
This May, the leaders of G7 countries like Japan and America will assemble in Hiroshima for the G7 summit. The summit's logo was chosen and it is a design by Keiichi Kusano of Nagasaki City. The design shows origami paper in 7 different colors pinned together by the G in G7, which is made to resemble a paper clip. The meaning is of the 7 countries uniting for the sake world peace. 854 logo designs were collected. This was narrowed down to 5, and Prime Minister Kishida made the final decision. Kusano stated, "I was surprised that my design was chosen. I am happy that they used my design when it would improve the image of places like Japan and G7."
Food price increases to continue into this year. 580 items in January to have prices raised. (Asahi)
Food price increases will also continue into this year. Over 1.5 times as many food items will have their prices raised through April compared with last year with 580 coming in January. The 580 items to have their prices raised in January include things like pasta and pasta sauce; sweetened buns, flours like tempura flour, dressing, canned goods, and rice. The rising cost of raw ingredients, logistics, and labor and the increased cost of importation due to the depreciation of the yen are the primary causes. Repeat and frequent price increases are also common and there is a long term price hike rush. 7,152 price increases have been decided through April, over 1.5 times as many as the same time last year, particularly for February, which will see price increases for over 4,300 items, which is over half. An analysis by Teikoku Databank found that because the closer an industry is to the consumer, the less costs are passed onto them, then the probability that prices will increase because profits are not being met is high.
Lucky bags sold out in one minute. "Food" most popular due to price increases. (Asahi)
On January 2, hatsuuri started at many department stores. The contents of the lucky bags have also changed completely due to high commodities prices. In the midst of rising commodities prices continuing from last year, lucky bags containing affordable food items were popular at Matsuya Ginza and also sold out in less than a minute. On the other hand, at Matsuya Ginza, the lucky bags containing Western-style clothing, which were the most popular, were not this year. Reportedly, inventories have greatly shrunk, making it difficult to cost-effectively fill the lucky bags. Also, multilingual printed instructions have been placed at locations such as makeup counters this year in anticipation of the return of foreign tourists.
30% of people 20-and-under want a "cashless payment" as a New Year's gift nowadays. (Asahi)
When it comes to New Year's gifts, most people give cash, but it has been discovered that 30% of those receiving gifts want "cashless payments". Intage, a marketing research company, has just completed a survey of what gifts were given this New Year's, and about 90% of respondents answered cash while less than 10% said they gave cashless payments with a smartphone. The most common reasons given for giving cash were, "to give something of value," and, "I feel this is actually happening." On the other hand, the percentage of people aged 20 and under who want a cashless payment grown to 30%. Most of them said, "I usually use cashless payments because it is convenient." Most budgeted, "between ¥10,000 and ¥20,000," followed by, "between ¥5,000 and ¥10,000."
Ukrainians practice landmine removal in Cambodia. (NHK)
In Ukraine, there are a great many landmines left by the Russian military. The Cambodian government in cooperation with Japan has decided to train Ukrainians to remove landmines. Cambodia was full of landmines after the Cambodian Civil War. After the war, the Cambodian government collaborated with countries like Japan to remove them. This month, 15 Ukrainians were invited to Phnom Penh to practice using landmine detecting equipment. The plan is to send experts to Poland, which is next to Ukraine, around April to train Ukrainians. The Japanese government is also thing of sending things such as the necessary equipment.
First arrows of the year fired "in order to become more skilled at archery." (NHK)
An archery gathering was held on January 3 in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, the first of the new year. Participants consisted of 52 people ranging from children to adults of about 80. At the gathering, they first had a representative stand in front of the target at a distance of 28 m and fire the first arrow of the year in a ceremony. Afterwards, the participants lined up and prayed to become more skillful while firing 2 arrows each. The female participants wore kimono with beautiful colors like pink and light blue. A 20-year-old university student said, "I try very hard art both my studies and archery and I want to have a good year."
January 5, 2022:
This year will also see price hikes for a variety of foods. (NHK)
It appears that a variety of foods will increase in price due to raw ingredients becoming more expensive. Foods containing wheat such as flour for okonomiyaki and pasta became more expensive. Things like pasta sauce, dressing, canned goods, and confectioneries also became more expensive. According to a marketing research company, 7,152 foods and beverages will become more expensive between January and April. This is 1.5 times greater than last year. This is particularly true in February, which will see this happen to over 4,200 of them. According to a different marketing research company, it appears as if households consisting of more than 2 people will spend over ¥96,000 more through this March compared with the same last year. This other company says that life will be harder for low income households due to price increases coming in starting in April.
Train tickets reading "nyuugaku" at Gaku Station in Tokushima Prefecture popular with students taking entrance exams. (NHK)
Many students take entrance exams for things such as high school and college starting around this time. There is a train station called Gaku Station in Yoshinogawa City, Tokushima Prefecture. On the ticket needed to enter the station, nyuu and gaku are written. They can be read as nyuugaku, so they are popular with students taking entrance exams. Usually, the station is deserted except for riders, but around this time every year there is a special sales counter that sells sets consisting of tickets and amulets containing prayers for success with exams. A sticky rice from this region, which is resistant to things like wind and rain, called nyuugakumai is also sold. A family from Hiroshima City consisting of two parents and a child said, "We want them to push onward and pass their exam.* We also bought this rice, so everything will be okay." Sets of tickets and charms will be sold at Gaku Station until January 9. After the 9th, they can also be purchased at places like a big train station in Shikoku.
Nyuugaku means, "entering school."
"Quiet hour" becoming more common.
Some people are so sensitive to noise that the slightest sound leaves them exhausted and electric lights give them headaches. Establishments such as stores have instituted "quiet hour" for them, decreasing the volume and dimming the lights. Tsuruha Drug, which sells medicine, has it for 1 hour a week at 23 stores and turns off the music and dims the lights during that time. Toyohashi Zoo & Botanical Garden in Aichi Prefecture is open on holidays after discussions with families. This is so people who find crowds aggravating can see the animals. Otaru Aquarium in Hokkaido Prefecture turned the microphones off for a dolphin show last year. The show had explanations for what was going on written in big letters so patrons would understand. Designated hours just for people sensitive to sound, light, etc. are gradually becoming more common.
January 6, 2022:
12 prefectures have most novel coronavirus cases. (NHK)
The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare announced that there were 226,904 cases of the novel coronavirus on January 5. 334 people had died. 12 prefectures had the most cases. They were Oita Prefecture, Miyazaki Prefecture, Gifu Prefecture, Kagoshima Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, Shimane Prefecture, Okayama Prefecture, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Saga Prefecture, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kagawa Prefecture, and Ehime Prefecture. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, it became difficult to transport sick people to the hospital starting last year. There were 7,158 cases in which over 4 hospitals were unable to take a patient and no hospital could be found in the week spanning December 26 and January 1. This is the most to date. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency stated, "The cause is combination of factors like health care facilities closing for the end of the old year and the beginning of the new and an increase in novel coronavirus cases."
Reserved duty free goods can be taken out of a locker. (NHK)
Foreigners coming to Japan on trips, etc. do not have to pay taxes even on purchases if they are reserved in advanced. These are called, "duty free." A company in Tokyo has created a machine resembling a locker from which duty free goods reserved in advance over the Internet can be received. When goods such as food and makeup are reserved duty free in advance, a QR code is given. When one leaves Japan, the goods can be received from the machine by displaying things like one's QR code and passport. This also represents the end of the payment and taxation process. It is unnecessary to purchase these goods at a store and walk around with them during one's trip. The company set up 5 machines in Japan including 1 at the train station near Haneda airport. The plan is to install more this year.
Website set up to tell story of Great Kanto Earthquake that occurred 100 years ago. (NHK)
The Great Kanto Earthquake occurred on September 1, 1923. During the major earthquake, many buildings collapsed, fires broke out, and over 100,000 people died. It has been 100 years since that earthquake. The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) created a website that presents things like photographs from that incident in order to tell the story of the damage. In the photographs of the area around Tokyo Station, everything including the buildings was burned by a nearby fire. What is depicted in these photographs includes a damaged temple in Kanagawa Prefecture and the beaches of Shizuoka Prefecture after a tsunami hit them. A graph can also be seen of the seismic activity. The JMA says, "We want everyone to learn about the damage caused by the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and what preparations are necessary to defend lives during a major earthquake." JMA website "Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 100 years on."
SONY and Honda to jointly develop EV, start accepting orders in 2025.
SONY and Honda have announced to the world for the first time that they jointly developed a prototype of an electric vehicle. Reportedly, it not only allows riders to enjoy things like movies and games but the Metaverse as well. Yasuhide Mizuno, CEO of SONY Honda Mobility: "Please allow us to introduce our new brand. It is called Afeela." SONY Honda Mobility exhibited its concept car in Las Vegas on January 4. The interior of the Afeela is designed so that things like video games and music can be enjoyed and it has a remarkably large screen. Furthermore, it is said that the virtual reality of the Metaverse can be experienced fully. Additionally, it is equipped with level 3 self-driving capabilities for use under normal conditions. The plan is to begin accepting orders in 2025 and start shipping to new owners in Japan in the second half of 2026.
January 7, 2022:
Number of cars sold in Japan last year lowest in 45 years. (Asahi)
Last year, the number of new cars sold in Japan in a single fell to a 45-year low. According to data collected from such groups as the Japan Automobile Dealers Association, 4,201,321 new cars were sold in Japan last year, which represents a 5.6% decrease compared with the previous and makes this 4th consecutive year of year-over-year decline in new car sales. Due to the difficulty procuring parts related to a global semiconductor shortage, the number of cars fell to the lowest level since 1977, when it a little over 4,190,000. With regards to specific classification, vehicles like standard size cars and trucks are down 8.3% compared with the previous year and k-cars by 0.9%. An industry group said, "Each manufacturer is incapable of fully reading how long they will be affected by hindrances such as semiconductor shortages and delayed parts shipments, making it impossible to predict."
Interest rate of 10-year government bonds rises to 0.05%, the highest in about 8 years. (Asahi)
At the bidding on the 10-year government bonds issued by the Ministry of Finance this month, the coupon rates, which display the annual interest to be paid, the interest rate, which heretofore had been 0.02%, was raised to 0.05%. The coupon rate for 10-year government bonds was raised from 0.01% to 0.02% last April, but this time it was raised to 0.05%, the highest in 8 years and 1 month. After the Bank of Japan amended the monetary easing policy and raised the upper limit on long-term interest rate fluctuations to 0.05%, interest on government bonds traded on the market rose and the Ministry of Finance declared, "This matched the reality of the market." When the coupon rate rise, the interest investors obtained by by using government bonds will also rise but on the other hand, so will interest payments by the government, increasing concern about worsening public finance.
That's all for now.
[END]
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