My opinion of this week(519):
Education Reform Council has proposed to make moral education a subject to be learned at elementary school and junior high school. The proposal will become a law after discussing at diet. Ruling parties will agree with the plan but opposition parties such as Communist Party and Liberal Socialist Party will disagree with making such law.
I personally agree with the proposal provided that further discussion is to be made on the contents and the process before changing basic education laws concerned. Because it is very obvious that the biggest disadvantage about the present elementary school education is the lack of teaching moral and ethic to live in a society. Some other basic subjects such as math and Japanese language can be taught at any stage although it is a little bit later on. But teaching of moral standards should be done at very early stage such as 1st and 2nd grade at elementary school. The teaching must be continued, of course, until the end of compulsory schooling.
Moral education can be done in any other main subjects such as social studies and Japanese language without making it as special subject in calicuram. Moral education has been done very complementally in that respect until today.
Education Reform Council pointed out the fact and said that is not enough. Their proposal concluded that moral education should become one specific subject to be taught at school in order to improve moral standard of children. I basically agree with that direction.
Once moral education become a subject in the whole calcium, the subject must be evaluated in report card. A certain absolute evaluation such as grade A, B, C, etc. will be made in report card. There exists some serious concerns about it. People who are against such evaluation say that how they can make such absolute evaluation where there is no absolute concept of value in society. There exists a great variety of values in this world according to the idea of those people who are against such moral education.
I don't agree with that way of thinking at all. There definitely exists a standard moral value to be used as definite criteria to evaluate whether it is right or wrong. The biggest troubles and chaos at school today derive from the lack of such basic moral standard. They are not taught at all at school.
I know the background why some of those opposition front are against to make such moral education at school. When they hear the word moral education, they remind the moral education done at world war II. Japan was destroyed by the militarism due to such wrong moral education. No body including myself will never admit such moral education done at last war time.
We should not keep such trauma any more. I believe that it is now the time to set up a kind of good moral standard again in our society. Moral education at compulsory school is very necessary to attain that purpose.
2007/3/31
Tadashi HAYASE
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Safety of nuclear power station
My opinion of this week(518)
A number of critical accidents at nuclear power stations which should have been reported properly to Government authorities have not been reported at all in many cases. This has become a big issue in recent news of mass media.
Although there were some small accidents at nuclear power stations from time to time in the past, no critical ones as such which have been reported recently did not occur in recent years. The topic concerned with nuclear power generation itself does not seem to draw so much so social interest in recent years.
In addition, when it comes to issues on ecology, warming of earth by carbon dioxide is a major problem to be solved. Nuclear power generation is now considered to have good advantages in this respect. Owing to this social atmosphere , management of electric power stations seems to have lost some sensitivity concerning public relations on the safety of nuclear power generation. This is why so many hidden cases of accidents at power stations have been disclosed one after another these days. Some mass media explained the case that way and I agreed with their analysis
to some degree.
Japan is prone to earthquakes. Observing so many critical accidents at nuclear power stations these days, people may start having some basic concerns about the safety of nuclear power stations. Are all those sites safe enough if they are hit by such epicentral earthquakes like Hanshin Awaji Earth quakes in 1995 ? But people in general seem not to have not so much interest in this issue.
Local election is now starting. The election of House of Representative starts in July. Some main political issues are on constitution, income disparity, pension system and so on.
But according to my belief , this issue of nuclear power generation should be another central issues in the election to decide the basic energy policy of this country in the future.
2007/3/24
Tadashi HAYASE
A number of critical accidents at nuclear power stations which should have been reported properly to Government authorities have not been reported at all in many cases. This has become a big issue in recent news of mass media.
Although there were some small accidents at nuclear power stations from time to time in the past, no critical ones as such which have been reported recently did not occur in recent years. The topic concerned with nuclear power generation itself does not seem to draw so much so social interest in recent years.
In addition, when it comes to issues on ecology, warming of earth by carbon dioxide is a major problem to be solved. Nuclear power generation is now considered to have good advantages in this respect. Owing to this social atmosphere , management of electric power stations seems to have lost some sensitivity concerning public relations on the safety of nuclear power generation. This is why so many hidden cases of accidents at power stations have been disclosed one after another these days. Some mass media explained the case that way and I agreed with their analysis
to some degree.
Japan is prone to earthquakes. Observing so many critical accidents at nuclear power stations these days, people may start having some basic concerns about the safety of nuclear power stations. Are all those sites safe enough if they are hit by such epicentral earthquakes like Hanshin Awaji Earth quakes in 1995 ? But people in general seem not to have not so much interest in this issue.
Local election is now starting. The election of House of Representative starts in July. Some main political issues are on constitution, income disparity, pension system and so on.
But according to my belief , this issue of nuclear power generation should be another central issues in the election to decide the basic energy policy of this country in the future.
2007/3/24
Tadashi HAYASE
Saturday, March 17, 2007
My opinion of this week (517)
How can ordinal citizen can drink \5000 mineral water?
It appears that only Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is willing to accept farm minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka's foolish explanation about his massive office utility bills. Matsuoka's political fund reports say his office spent 5.07 million yen in lighting, heating and water expenses in 2005 alone and nearly 30 million yen in a five-year period to December 2005. It can't happen because because the office is in the Diet members' office building, which provide public cared , cost-free office space to lawmakers. How he could prepare such expense report ?
The 5.07 million yen Matsuoka reported as his office's utility bills represents 22 years worth of such bills for the average Japanese household headed by a corporate employee. Asked such fact by opposition front at the diet session, he said no men these days drink tap water. He prepared some special device to improve the quality of running water and he drinks some special mineral bottle water which cost \5000 or so. What a silly explanation it is!
A few days after this comments, several lawmakers of Democratic Party of Japan visited his office without any notice and found out the fact that there is no such water device at all. That's quite a laugh as a matter of fact.
Matsuoka's more critical comment is about tap water. According to news reports, some hundreds of people protested his comments about tap water. I want to make the same protest about what he said about tap waters.
I personally drink tap waters from time to time everyday. It is not really so good but not so bad at all. But whether it is tasty or not is not a big issue.
The most critical issue is whether it is safe to drink or not. Matsuoka seems not like the taste of tap waters and he drinks \5000 bottle water. That's fine.
But if he means to say he does not drink tap water because it is not so safe for health, his comments is really serious. He denied the safety of tap water which is provided by local government as public service. I personally believe the safety of tap water because it is provided by public corporation. How can such man like Matsuoka who is in such an important position of Minister of Farm Ministry make such astonishing comments as to drinking water?
He said he would withdraw this comment concerning tap water after he heard a number of adverse criticisms. Since the start of Abe administration, we have heard so many inappropriate comments stated by several moisteners of Abe cabinet. This was just one of such silly comments.
Matsuoka shows no intention whatsoever of fulfilling his responsibility to cleanup
the suspicions with a convincing explanation . As such, he is not suited to serve as a minister. His attitude also shows he lacks the moral integrity to be a Diet member. Prime Minister Abe also should be criticized severely for failing to take any action against Matsuoka.
There is criticism about how Matsuoka is responding to the allegations even within the ruling camp. It seems there exists even no common sense in politics. It is not the matter of law but the matter of moral and common sense from our general public point of views.
Abe and the ruling coalition should make a sincere response to this issue.
2007/3/17
Tadashi HAYASE
It appears that only Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is willing to accept farm minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka's foolish explanation about his massive office utility bills. Matsuoka's political fund reports say his office spent 5.07 million yen in lighting, heating and water expenses in 2005 alone and nearly 30 million yen in a five-year period to December 2005. It can't happen because because the office is in the Diet members' office building, which provide public cared , cost-free office space to lawmakers. How he could prepare such expense report ?
The 5.07 million yen Matsuoka reported as his office's utility bills represents 22 years worth of such bills for the average Japanese household headed by a corporate employee. Asked such fact by opposition front at the diet session, he said no men these days drink tap water. He prepared some special device to improve the quality of running water and he drinks some special mineral bottle water which cost \5000 or so. What a silly explanation it is!
A few days after this comments, several lawmakers of Democratic Party of Japan visited his office without any notice and found out the fact that there is no such water device at all. That's quite a laugh as a matter of fact.
Matsuoka's more critical comment is about tap water. According to news reports, some hundreds of people protested his comments about tap water. I want to make the same protest about what he said about tap waters.
I personally drink tap waters from time to time everyday. It is not really so good but not so bad at all. But whether it is tasty or not is not a big issue.
The most critical issue is whether it is safe to drink or not. Matsuoka seems not like the taste of tap waters and he drinks \5000 bottle water. That's fine.
But if he means to say he does not drink tap water because it is not so safe for health, his comments is really serious. He denied the safety of tap water which is provided by local government as public service. I personally believe the safety of tap water because it is provided by public corporation. How can such man like Matsuoka who is in such an important position of Minister of Farm Ministry make such astonishing comments as to drinking water?
He said he would withdraw this comment concerning tap water after he heard a number of adverse criticisms. Since the start of Abe administration, we have heard so many inappropriate comments stated by several moisteners of Abe cabinet. This was just one of such silly comments.
Matsuoka shows no intention whatsoever of fulfilling his responsibility to cleanup
the suspicions with a convincing explanation . As such, he is not suited to serve as a minister. His attitude also shows he lacks the moral integrity to be a Diet member. Prime Minister Abe also should be criticized severely for failing to take any action against Matsuoka.
There is criticism about how Matsuoka is responding to the allegations even within the ruling camp. It seems there exists even no common sense in politics. It is not the matter of law but the matter of moral and common sense from our general public point of views.
Abe and the ruling coalition should make a sincere response to this issue.
2007/3/17
Tadashi HAYASE
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Is Yasunori Kawauchi's assertion appropriate?
My opinion of this week(516):
A lyricist Kawauchi Yasunori asked Shinichi Mori, a famous Japanese singer to stop singing "Ofukuro-san (Oh, my mother!)" composed by Inomata Kosyou and lyrics written by Yasunori Kawauchi from now on. "Ofukuro-san" is one of the most popular Japanese song and one of the main repertories for Mori.
Since almost 30 years ago, Mori started adding some additional words before singing the original part of lyrics by himself. He has continued such performance from time to time since that has been accepted very well by audiences.
Due to some emotional entanglement between Yasunori Kawauchi and Shinichi Mori, Yasunori Kawauchi said Mori that he should not sing "Ofukuro-san" itself, for Mori has sung the song improper manner for long time without getting any consent from Kawauchi , the original writer of the lyrics.
Yasunori Kawauch'si appealed to JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers) to clear legal right about what he requested Shinichi Mori. In response to Kawauchi's request, JASRAC has said Kawauchi's assertion is right in the sense that addition of some words to the original lyrics by someone else is against the principle of the basic right of Authors. If that is done, the identity of the original lyrics would be impaired to some great extent.
But it's OK for Mori to continue to sing the song so far as he sticks to sing the original lyrics. Several lawyers issued the comment saying Basra's decision is basically right. Mass media reported the possibility of bringing the case to the court decision by both parties.
I am not a specialist about the Right of Authors,Composers and Publishers and not sure about what court decision will be made about this case. But I think what JASRAC said is not necessarily right.
In any music concerts or show, singers often spoke something before he starts singing songs. After they add some words, they start singing original songs without changing the whole lyrics. What Mori has been done for many years is the same kind of thing. He adds some additional lyric like words before he start singing the original lyrics. Yes, it involves some problems if he changes the original lyrics itself, but he has not done it at all. Any of those added words seem not to impair
the original song itself. They rather work to improve the mood of the whole song. So I really don't agree with the decision of JASRAC in that respect.
I am not a professional about the law, so I don't know what will happen about this case. The best way is that Yasunori Karachi admitted such performance by Shinichi Mori without taking such legal action. But even if the case is brought into the court, it is very possible that JASRAC's judgment will be turned down from my point of views, which is rather quite common and sound.
2007/3/10
Tadashi HAYASE
A lyricist Kawauchi Yasunori asked Shinichi Mori, a famous Japanese singer to stop singing "Ofukuro-san (Oh, my mother!)" composed by Inomata Kosyou and lyrics written by Yasunori Kawauchi from now on. "Ofukuro-san" is one of the most popular Japanese song and one of the main repertories for Mori.
Since almost 30 years ago, Mori started adding some additional words before singing the original part of lyrics by himself. He has continued such performance from time to time since that has been accepted very well by audiences.
Due to some emotional entanglement between Yasunori Kawauchi and Shinichi Mori, Yasunori Kawauchi said Mori that he should not sing "Ofukuro-san" itself, for Mori has sung the song improper manner for long time without getting any consent from Kawauchi , the original writer of the lyrics.
Yasunori Kawauch'si appealed to JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers) to clear legal right about what he requested Shinichi Mori. In response to Kawauchi's request, JASRAC has said Kawauchi's assertion is right in the sense that addition of some words to the original lyrics by someone else is against the principle of the basic right of Authors. If that is done, the identity of the original lyrics would be impaired to some great extent.
But it's OK for Mori to continue to sing the song so far as he sticks to sing the original lyrics. Several lawyers issued the comment saying Basra's decision is basically right. Mass media reported the possibility of bringing the case to the court decision by both parties.
I am not a specialist about the Right of Authors,Composers and Publishers and not sure about what court decision will be made about this case. But I think what JASRAC said is not necessarily right.
In any music concerts or show, singers often spoke something before he starts singing songs. After they add some words, they start singing original songs without changing the whole lyrics. What Mori has been done for many years is the same kind of thing. He adds some additional lyric like words before he start singing the original lyrics. Yes, it involves some problems if he changes the original lyrics itself, but he has not done it at all. Any of those added words seem not to impair
the original song itself. They rather work to improve the mood of the whole song. So I really don't agree with the decision of JASRAC in that respect.
I am not a professional about the law, so I don't know what will happen about this case. The best way is that Yasunori Karachi admitted such performance by Shinichi Mori without taking such legal action. But even if the case is brought into the court, it is very possible that JASRAC's judgment will be turned down from my point of views, which is rather quite common and sound.
2007/3/10
Tadashi HAYASE
Saturday, March 3, 2007
My opinion of this week(515):
NHK should accept 20% cut of viewer payments
"The communications ministry abandoned plans to make viewer payments to Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) legally mandatory after the public broadcaster refused to slash the fees by 20 percent, officials said Thursday." Yomiuri March 2
Almost 30% of households of NHK viewers reject to pay viewing fee now and it is serious situation for NHK at the moment. It started to happen after series of scandals by NHK workers had been observed in recent years.
There is another reason why so many rejection of payments have been observed. Under the present Broadcast Law, households with television viewers must sign a subscription contract with NHK. But there is no clause in the law which require viewer to pay the fee mandatory.
Under such situation, NHK must have asked the communications ministry to revise the law so that they can collect the fee without so many troubles. The communication ministry agreed with it. But top officials of the ministry decided to ask NHK to cut 20% of viewer fee to exchange the action to revise the law to collect the fee mandatory.
The Government authorities including the communications ministry must have thought that such request to NHK to reduce 20% of viewing fees is necessary to obtain consensus from people and to pass the law at the diet. It seems that there is no concrete reason why reduction must be 20% or so. It may be 20% or more or less.
There exists a number of complaints about management of NHK among general public of Japan. Some believe NHK is not necessary any more. Some say NHK is necessary but their current management should be improved in many ways. I personally support the latter stance. I agree with the necessity of existence of public broadcasting media such as NHK. But I also agree with the idea that management of NHK should be improved drastically in many ways. I believe that majority of Japanese people think that way as well.
The request of 20% cut of viewer fee against NHK from the communication ministry seems to be a kind of very minimum one. There are a lot more requests to be included for the new law to pass the diet.
But President Hashimoto was very negative about the plan proposed by Communication Minister Suga.
He said he should be very careful about such big reduction of revenue which may give serious effects on the operation of NHK. That's for sure, of course. Minister Suga expressed discomfort with it saying that they would not submit the new law at this time. He said the plan to revise broadcasting law is realized only when NHK agrees to reduce viewer fee by 20 %.
I agree with this stance of the communication ministry. It seems that there are a lot of rooms for NHK to improve their management of their organization, although I don't point out it in some concrete way. President Hashimoto should at least send more positive sign against the plan shown by the communication ministry.
2007/3/3
Tadashi HAYASE
"The communications ministry abandoned plans to make viewer payments to Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) legally mandatory after the public broadcaster refused to slash the fees by 20 percent, officials said Thursday." Yomiuri March 2
Almost 30% of households of NHK viewers reject to pay viewing fee now and it is serious situation for NHK at the moment. It started to happen after series of scandals by NHK workers had been observed in recent years.
There is another reason why so many rejection of payments have been observed. Under the present Broadcast Law, households with television viewers must sign a subscription contract with NHK. But there is no clause in the law which require viewer to pay the fee mandatory.
Under such situation, NHK must have asked the communications ministry to revise the law so that they can collect the fee without so many troubles. The communication ministry agreed with it. But top officials of the ministry decided to ask NHK to cut 20% of viewer fee to exchange the action to revise the law to collect the fee mandatory.
The Government authorities including the communications ministry must have thought that such request to NHK to reduce 20% of viewing fees is necessary to obtain consensus from people and to pass the law at the diet. It seems that there is no concrete reason why reduction must be 20% or so. It may be 20% or more or less.
There exists a number of complaints about management of NHK among general public of Japan. Some believe NHK is not necessary any more. Some say NHK is necessary but their current management should be improved in many ways. I personally support the latter stance. I agree with the necessity of existence of public broadcasting media such as NHK. But I also agree with the idea that management of NHK should be improved drastically in many ways. I believe that majority of Japanese people think that way as well.
The request of 20% cut of viewer fee against NHK from the communication ministry seems to be a kind of very minimum one. There are a lot more requests to be included for the new law to pass the diet.
But President Hashimoto was very negative about the plan proposed by Communication Minister Suga.
He said he should be very careful about such big reduction of revenue which may give serious effects on the operation of NHK. That's for sure, of course. Minister Suga expressed discomfort with it saying that they would not submit the new law at this time. He said the plan to revise broadcasting law is realized only when NHK agrees to reduce viewer fee by 20 %.
I agree with this stance of the communication ministry. It seems that there are a lot of rooms for NHK to improve their management of their organization, although I don't point out it in some concrete way. President Hashimoto should at least send more positive sign against the plan shown by the communication ministry.
2007/3/3
Tadashi HAYASE
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