Something is strange 16: rising share prices

Now, Japan has been seething with rising share prices after a long time.

But I worry a little about it.

It is a bubble economy burst.

A stock plunge occurred in Japan, 1989.

Since then, the economic growth rate of an average of 5% has fallen from 0 to 1 % for 20 years or more.

In further 2007, the Lehman shock happened.

現在、日本は久しぶりの株価高騰に沸いています。

しかし私には気がかりがあります。

それはバブル崩壊です。

１９８９年に株価暴落が起きました。

平均５％の経済成長率は、それを境に２０年以上１～０％まで落ち込みました。

さらに２００７年、リーマンショックが追い打ちをかけました。

＜　a transition of the Nikkei Stock Average　＞

After the bubble economy burst in 1989, an average 150 trillion yen (30% of GDP) value had been disappearing every year, and it continued nine years.

In 1989, the amount of domestic asset evaluation was 457 trillion yen, and the price of GDP was 409 trillion yen.

Is the bubble a fate?  Must we live with it?

The damage is too serious.

There are those who increase assets sharply, but on the other hand, those who reduce occur one after another.

100 trillion yen transfers lightly in the domestic market, and a part of it becomes defaults.

It has happened every about ten years repeatedly.

８９年のバブル崩壊後、株と土地は毎年平均１５０兆円（ＧＤＰの３０％）の価値が消えて行き、9年間も続いた。

８９年の最盛期、国内の資産評価額は４５７兆円、その年のＧＤＰは４０９兆円でした。

（上記数値は「ゼミナール日本経済入門２００５年版」より）

バブルは宿命であり、受け入れざるを得ないのでしょうか？

その損害はあまりにも甚大です。

資産を大幅に増やす人がいる反面、減らす人が続出し、国内で軽く百兆円が移転し、一部は返済不能になる。

概ね１０年毎に繰り返し発生しています。

What is the problem of the bubble?

A huge amount of debt remains, and people must be paying it.

It becomes the fetters of the next development over a long period of time.

Furthermore, in order to fill a gap between the bulging annual expenditure and the massive decrease in annual tax revenue, public investment and issue of bond are performed boundlessly.

As a result, the immense outstanding obligation stacks.

This makes a national finance rigid too.

バブルの何が問題なのか？

巨額負債が残り、国民がそれを負担せざるを得ず、長期にわたり次の発展への足枷となります。

さらに膨れあがった歳出と、大幅な税収減との差を埋める為に、公共投資と公債発行が際限なく行われ、その結果、莫大な債務残高が積み上がります。

これが国の財政をまた身動き出来ないものにします。

＜　revenue, expenditure and amount of government bond issuance in Japan, 1984~

2010 year、red: expenditure, dark blue: revenue, green: bond issuance 　＞

Not only that.

The profits of speculation have been concentrated on the rich class that has a large amount fund more.

This makes additionally the consumption downturn, and speculative money expansion.

And it causes the return of bubble and the economic discrepancy.

From the 1980s, this tidal current has advanced in the world and is increasing more and more.

The statesman and economist who are going to accuse and prevent this are few.

Next time, it is followed.

それだけではありません。

投機の利益は、より巨額資金を持つ富裕階層に集中します。

これは更なる消費の低迷と投機マネーの膨張を促し、バブルの再来と経済格差を招きます。

この潮流は、１９８０年代から世界で進行し、益々増大しています。

これを告発し阻止しようとする為政者や経済学者はほんの一握りです。

次回に続きます。

Something is strange 15： Osaka Mayor Hashimoto is amazing

<  Hashimoto is right side  >

I was evaluating Mayor Hashimoto's capability highly.

He is excellent in insight and judgment.

I expected him, though I have felt a shade of anxiety.

There were some persons who compare him to dictator Hitler.

Although he also has had a habit of discarding the socially weak and hawks, but in order to change old-style political system, I thought that his force was required.

私は橋下知事の能力を高く評価していた。

彼は洞察力や判断力が優れている。

私は一抹の不安を感じながらも期待していた。

彼を独裁者ヒトラーになぞらえる人もいた。

彼には弱者切り捨て、タカ派の面もあるが、旧態依然とした政治を改革するには、彼の強引さは必要だと思っていました。

" Anyone must understand that the military's comfort-women was required."

His utterance is uncanny.

Many rascalities are performed in the war all over the world, and he says that it is only one of the necessary evils.

" Because the Japanese have been incorruptible unlike foreign country, didn't execute the rascality in battle area.” 

There are people believing so.

On the other hand, in the West, the group behavior of Japanese soldier was looked unusual.

He denied, " The rascality act did not exist" and admitted that it is the range of common sense.

It may develop to " Taking women by force were required."

Although his intention is different from it, the influence is great.

「慰安婦制度は必要なのは誰だってわかる。」彼の発言が凄い！  

彼は多くの非道が世界中の戦争で行われており、必要悪の一つに過ぎないと言います。

「他国と違って日本人は清廉潔白であり、非道なことをするはずがない。」と信じる人々がいます。

一方、西欧から見れば、日本兵の集団行動は異常に見えます。

彼は「非道はなかった」を否定し、それは常識の範囲だとしたのです。

さらに「彼女らの強制連行は必要だった」へと展開するかもしれない。

彼の意図とは違うが、その影響は大きい。

＜　a comfort woman statue and an American Mayer　＞

From a slightly different angle

If it was older days, there were many unjust acts and much disregard for human rights. it is sure.　

However, there have been people's efforts little by little, and it is improved.

This problem is that he was trying the daring utterance that many politicians avoid usually.

He wants to serve as the mouthpiece of people that have disallowed the past aggression of Japan.

A thing that I was worried was that he emphasizes an ultra nationalism tendency.

In present Japan, the ultra nationalism is strongly connected with conservatism, and becomes hostile to the neighboring country.

At the beginning, Hitler pretended a friend of workers.

Escalating into conflict, he partnered with conservative class that has a funding ability and a military strength.

And he had a nation in his hands.

Our history has shown it.

Our democracy is denied soon and a possibility of miserable conclusion becomes high.

少し見方を変えましょう。

昔は非道なこと、人権無視が確かに多く行われていました。

しかし少しづつながら、人々の努力があって改善されて来ました。

問題は、普通、政治家が避ける発言を敢えてしていることです。

彼は日本の侵略行為を認めない立場を代弁したかった。

私が、当初抱いていた不安とは、彼が国粋主義傾向を露わにすることでした。

今の日本では、国粋主義が保守と強く結びつき、隣国に敵対的になります。

ヒトラーは当初、労働者の味方の立場を装うこともありました。

しかし対立が激化すると、軍事力と資金力のある保守層と手を握りました。

そして彼は国家を我が手中に収めたのです。

このことは歴史が示しており、やがて民主主義が否定され、悲惨な帰結を迎える可能性が高くなります。

＜　a march of battle of Imphal　＞

Anthropologist Emanuel Todd indicated that Japan and Germany have the strong tendency.

人類学者エマニエル・トドは、この傾向が強いのは日本とドイツだと指摘しています。

Birth of primitive art １７： It might tell us something.

＜　The color of earth people's skin　＞

This series of "Birth of primitive art " is finished in this time.

We look at things that people of ３００００ years ago left and have more than one interpretation today.

I feel that the secret of human-beings evolution and a still more important suggestion are hidden in them.

今回で、「原初美術の誕生」の連載を終えます。

数万年前の人々が残し、解釈が定まっていない物を見ます。

それらには、人類進化の秘密、さらに重要な示唆が隠されているような気がする。

＜　Left fig.: making negative hand shape. Right fig.: the hand shape ＞

These hand shapes were painted 20,000 years ago in a cave, France.

Many kind of pattern were painted bending finger as indicated.

These are found all over the world at 15% of ruins in 13000～35000 years ago.

It may show the number.

There are peoples who count number of heads until 20 using the finger of his hand within the reindeer nomad in Siberia.

この手形はフランスの洞窟に2万年前描かれたものです。

図のように指を曲げて、幾通りもの指が欠けたパターンを描いたようです。

世界中で、３５０００～１３０００年前の遺跡の１５％で見つかっています。

これは数字を示しているらしい。

シベリアのトナカイ遊牧民には、手の指を使い２０まで頭数を数える人々がいる。

＜　partial diagrammatic view, Venus of Laussel, France, 25000 years ago　＞

This Venus has a horn of the bison on which the lines of 13 was engraved.

The lines probably show a number of the moons for one year, and some days.

このビーナスは１３の線が刻まれたバイソンの角を持っている。

この刻線は１年間の月数か何か日数を示しているらしい。

＜　a board made from a bone, France, 28000 years ago　＞

Many symbols that have segregated and been continuing probably show phases of the moon.

描き分けられた図形が連続しており、月の満ち欠けを示していると考えられる。

＜ The symbols of rock arts of the prehistoric age、by Bradshaw Foundation ＞

The symbols were drawn repeatedly in 146 caves in France.

Surprisingly, the same as the symbols had appeared all over the world.

The symbols were drawn 13000～35000 years ago.

Within the 26 symbols, there are 15 symbols that are found at 15% or more of all the ruins.

The zig-zag sign at the right lower was found in Australia, the north-south United States, India, and inside and Southern Africa.

The symbols were drawn 13000～20000 years ago.

この記号はフランスの洞窟壁画（１４６箇所）に頻繁に描かれていたものです。

驚くことに世界中にこれと同じ記号が出現しているのです。

この記号群は３５０００～１３０００年前に描かれたものです。

この２６個の記号中、全遺跡の１５％以上で見つかったものは１５個あります。

右下のジグザグ記号はオーストラリア、南北アメリカ、インド、中・南部アフリカで見つかっています。

それが描かれた時期は２００００～１３０００年前の期間です。

What would these mean?

They had already treated the number.

With that、The number of game animal was counted, the calendar was recorded and the period like childbirth was possibly measured.

They have recognized surrounding nature abstractly, and were thinking of it and expressing it.

Their capability to express fine arts and the symbols suddenly did not appeared in glacial epoch of Europe.

I think that people in those days were unable to tell the symbols to all each continent.

Those days, all people that had diffused on the earth must have had the same intelligence and feeling.

Because human beings had been adapted to the climate for the past 10,000 years at most, the color of skin changed, and the race was birthed.

Europe of the glacial epoch enabled the settlement of group, and explosion of fine arts was induced, and disappeared by warming.

That's just about it.

Thank you for reading this series until the last.

これらは何を意味するのでしょうか？

彼らは既に数字を扱っていたのです。

それにより狩猟動物の頭数を数え、暦を記録し、出産のような時期を計っていたのかもしれません。

自然を抽象的に認識し、思考し、表現していたのです。

美術や記号を表現する能力はヨーロッパの氷河期に突如として出現したのではないのです。

当時の人々が、各大陸の隅々まで記号を伝えるのは不可能です。

地球上に展開していた当時の人々は、すべて同じ知能と感情を持っていたのです。

高々ここ１万年間の気候に順応したことにより、肌の色が変わり、人種が生まれたのです。

氷河期のヨーロッパが集団定住を可能にし、美術の爆発を生み、そして温暖化共に消え去った。

それだけのことなのです。

連載を最後までお読みいただきありがとうございました。

A wonderful place, Okinawa ６ : people's daily life

 

Ryukyu of smuggling country in medieval times became Okinawa of military base in the present.

Its image is charming and strange.

Since I traveled Okinawa for the first time in 20 years and am reading the history of Okinawa, I became to understand little it.

This time, I would like to tell you the surprise obtained in contact with people of Okinawa.

中世において密貿易の琉球は現在の軍事基地沖縄になったが、魅惑的ではあるが、えたいの知れない島とも映る。

しかし、沖縄を２０年ぶりに旅行し、沖縄史を読み返す内に見えて来たものがあります。

今回は、沖縄の人々に接して得た驚きを皆さんに伝えたいと思います。

＜　Fishing port　＞

At seven o’clock in morning, although I walked a fishing port, there were only big warehouses in the wharf, and few people.

On several boats that had been tied on the pier, men were preparing a diving.

There was not ambience of a fishing port.

朝7時頃、漁港を散策しましたが、埠頭には大きな倉庫群があるだけで人影はほとんどありません。

接岸の何隻かではダイビングの準備をしており、漁港のイメージはなかった。

＜　a situation in the warehouse　＞

Because I wondered, gained agreement with entering the warehouses.

When I went into one of the warehouses, in it had been filled with cisterns of farmed sea grapes (seaweed).

The delicacies have been cultivated in the rich seawater that was pumped.

不思議に思い,了解を得て倉庫の一つに入ると、一面、海ぶどうの養殖槽が並んでいた。

豊かな海水を汲み上げ、珍味の栽培を行っていたのです。

I had a conversation with fishermen in the fishing port.

I: “I heard that Okinawa has dropped out of the most long-lived prefecture. Since the meat diet increased, are you also metabolic syndrome? ”

Fisherman: “In order to maintain skin in the severe sunlight of Okinawa, pork is required.”

I: ”I came here about 20 years ago. In those days, here was grassland as far as I could see. However, many shops and hotels are currently crammed here. This area developed, didn't it?”

Fisherman: ” Although it developed, most of business or enterprises has been practiced by people of mainland, and people of Okinawa are few.”

They told real intention with smiling.

漁港で漁師との会話。

私：「沖縄県は長寿の座を明け渡したそうですね。肉食が増えた為、メタボ気味ですよね。」

漁師：「沖縄のきびしい日差しの中、肌を維持するには、豚肉が必要なのだよ。」

私：「２０年前、ここに来たことがあるのですが。一面、草はらだったのがショップやホテルが立ち並ぶようになり、発展しましたね。」

漁師：「発展したけれど、商売や事業のほとんどは本土からの人で沖縄の人は少ない。」

彼らは笑顔で本音を語ってくれた。

＜　houses near the fishing port　＞

Most houses in Okinawa were made of concrete as this photo.

Last time, I had felt an uncomfortable feeling in the scenery that disregarded tradition.

After the war, in consideration of the typhoon, people imitated the lodgings of the U.S. Forces and have built the houses while paying big expenses.

沖縄の家は、この写真のようにほとんどコンクリート製でした。

前回,私はこの伝統を無視した家並みに違和感を持っていた。

戦後、人々は台風を考慮し、米軍の宿舎を真似て、高額の出費ながら建てるようになったのです。

＜　grave　＞

People's most conservative senses appear in the style of grave.

This grave is the style of China.

墓には、人々の最も保守的な側面が現れます。

この墓は中国風です。

I had a conversation with a young woman.

I: “A long time ago, how was your name pronounced?”

Woman: “It has not changed from of old.”

The next day, she revealed to me.

Woman: “since I asked parents, for the first time I knew that it has changed into a reading of Japan's mainland from the dialect of Okinawa at Meiji Period.

For her, knowing it may be unhappy.

On many occasions, Okinawa has been thrown into disorder concerning whether people select independence or protection from China or Japan.

Okinawa has had an antipathy to the rule of Japan so much.

若い女性との会話。  

私：「あなたの名前を昔はどのように発音したのですか？」

女性：「昔から変わりませんよ。」

次の日、その女性が私に打ち明けました。

女性：「親に聞いたら、明治の頃に沖縄の方言から本土の読みに変えたことを知りました。」

彼女がそれを知ることは不幸かもしれません。

沖縄は幾たびも、日本に従属か独立か、はたまた中国の保護下かで、激しく内部で紛糾しました。

沖縄は、それほど日本の扱いに反感を持っていたのです。

＜　A U.S. base, the greatest air force base in the Far East, red shows U.S. bases.　＞

Please refer to it.

What has made Okinawa?

In ancient times, Okinawa was close to Japan along many islands following on Kyushu.

Before long, when the ocean-going ship developed, Okinawa became close to huge China

Since China and Japan in eastern Asia has restricted the trade, Ryukyu has played an active part in marine trade.

The West has come to invade Asia on southern routes.

Okinawa that has been a small national land and the deficient in industry escaped large-scale invasion but wasn't able to attain independence.

Always, Okinawa was forced to accept a role of the port of call and a stopping point by China, Japan, and the West.

Okinawa also has found a way into it.

And Okinawa is an important point of military base in the Far East now.

This time, this series of Okinawa is finished.

Thank you for reading this for long.

何が沖縄を作ったのか？　

古くは、沖縄は九州から島伝いで日本に近かった。

やがて外洋船が発達すると、巨大中国が近くになった。

アジア東端の中国と日本は貿易を制限したので、琉球が海上交易を担った。

そのうち欧米が南周りでアジア各地に侵攻して来た。

国土が小さく産業に乏しい沖縄は大規模な侵略を逃れたが独立も出来なかった。

いつも中国や日本、欧米の寄港地・中継地としての役割を押し付けられ、また活路を見出して来た。

そして現在は、極東軍事の要となっている。

今回で、沖縄紀行を終わります。

連載を長らく読んでいただきありがとうございました。

A wonderful place, Okinawa 5 : history and culture

＜　A lion dance of Okinawa ＞

This time, I introduce the history of Okinawa and the culture.

We can know Okinawa that played an active part in marine trade once.

Although the lion mask of the photo resembles the thing of Japan's mainland, the body is not a cloth like curtain and is the style (lion dance of the Nanjing town) of China.

今回は、沖縄の歴史と文化を見ます。

そこから、かつて海上交易で活躍した栄光が浮かびあがります。

写真の獅子頭は日本本土のものと似ていますが、胴体は幕でなく中国風（南京街の獅子舞）です。

＜　woman dance of Ryukyu dance, Eisa, and Sanshin　＞

This woman dance is the bravest dance, and the brilliant kimono was made by a traditional dyeing technique (Bingata) of Okinawa.

The forceful Eisa that is danced with striking a drum was danced at Bon time of summer.

This started with the spread of Nenbutsu folk dances of Buddhism that came from Japan's mainland.

Speaking of musical instrument of Okinawa, it will be Sanshin, but the origin is stringed instrument of Fujian, China.

Because, Ryukyu（old dynasty in Okinawa）traded through Fujian with China.

この女踊りは最も華やかな舞で、鮮やかな着物は沖縄の染め技法（紅型）によります。

太鼓を叩きながら力強く舞うエイサーは、夏の盆に踊られます。

これは本土から来た念仏宗の広がりと共に始まった。

沖縄の楽器と言えば三線（さんしん）ですが、その起源は中国福建省の弦楽器です。

なぜなら琉球は福建省を通じて交易（朝貢）していたからです。

＜　Shuri castle, main hall　＞

This became the Ryukyu king's castle from the 15th century.

The castle and many of things in Okinawa disappeared by the Pacific War.

It is the maximum and only was rebuilt in Okinawa.

This king's palace is colored in bright vermilion, and many China styles are adopted.

これは１５世紀より琉球王の居城となった。

この城と沖縄の多くが太平洋戦争で消失した。

それは沖縄で最大、唯一の再建された城です。

この王宮殿は鮮やかな朱で彩られ、中国様式が多く取り入れられている。

＜　Shuri castle：　a gate、castellated wall、a throne　＞

Shuri Castle has neither towers nor clay walls on the stone wall like the castle in Japan’s mainland.

It is resembled Hwaseong Fortress of Suwon in South Korea, then is the style of China.

首里城は、本土の城のように城壁の石垣の上に櫓や塀がない。

韓国の水原華城に似ており、中国風と言えます。

＜　 the remains of Nakijin Castle　＞

This castle (gusuku) in northern part of main Okinawa island is typical of mountain castle, and built about the 13th century.

That time was about 200 years before the age of provincial wars of Japan's mainland.

本島北部にあるこの城（グスク）は代表的な山城で、それは戦国時代よりも２百年古い１３世紀頃に築城された。

＜　an old folk house, a warehouse, a small shrine(Utaki)　＞ 

These are saved in a park and might been not seen actually in main Okinawa island.

The roof of red tile and white mortar have been a little in the country.

Small shrines that I saw at Daisekirin mountain was very simple.

The old culture (language, clay pot, religious faith) of Okinawa was integral with Japan.

However, from 600 years ago, Okinawa became to have relation deeply with China as an independent country.

At that time, it became a maritime state that had traded with Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.

From Edo Period, the rule of Japan in Okinawa progressed, and U.S. ruled it after World War II.

Finally, Okinawa has returned to Japan and had continued to be influenced by mighty nation.

Next time, it becomes the last. We look at people and life of Okinawa.

これらは公園に保存されているもので、沖縄本島では現実に見ることはなかった。

赤い瓦と白い漆喰の屋根は田舎に少し残ってはいた。

大石林山で見た物は、非常に簡単なものでした。

沖縄の古い文化（言語、土器、信仰）は、日本と一体でした。

しかし６００年前頃より、独立国として中国と深く関わりを持つようになります。

この時期、日本と中国、東南アジアを股に掛ける海洋国家になっていった。

江戸時代以降、日本の支配が進み、戦後は米国が支配し、また日本への復帰と、大国に翻弄された。

次回は、最後になります。沖縄の生活や人々に触れます。