英字新聞
読売、毎日、朝日各社英字新聞の主として社説を学習研究します

毎日新聞の力作。
経済技術大国の栄光におごった秀才たち（官僚と政治家）が悲劇をひきおこした。
政府と東電のちぐはぐな記者会見はノモンハン事件を彷彿とさせる。
ノモンハン事件のときには軍部により言論統制がなされていました。
今も政府や東電により報道管制（秘匿・隠匿）が一部ですが見受けられます。
国民に悪影響を与えるというのが理由ですが、よけいなお世話です。
国民が知りたいのは真実です。たとえそれがどんなに恐ろしいものでも。
幸いなことに、今の日本に言論統制はありません。
霞ヶ関、検察、政治家たちに向かってせめてブログを通して国民の思い（願い）を発信しましょう。
（スラチャイ記）

(Mainichi Japan) April 9, 2011
A society that depends on nuclear energy is just like a house of cards
風知草：特別編　津波が剥ぎ取ったもの＝山田孝男

A tsunami triggered by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake not only destroyed towns and ports in northeastern Honshu, but also demonstrated various problems involving Japan's post-war energy policy.
　津波が剥ぎ取ったものは三陸の街や港だけではない。

The nuclear power policy that the government had disguised as rock-solid has actually proved so vulnerable. Prosperity built around such a policy is fragile. This has illustrated a wide perception gap between people on the seriousness of the crisis.
無力なのに盤石を装ってきた原子力行政の虚妄。その砂上に築かれた繁栄の危うさ、事態の深刻さに対する国民の認識ギャップもあらわになった。

Even though people are calling for solidarity and collective efforts to overcome the disaster, nobody apparently has the impression that the groundwork has been laid for the restoration of Japan.
一致団結、総力結集と言葉は躍るが、日本復活の基盤が整ったという実感はない。

Late last week, I visited quake- and tsunami-ravaged areas in the Sanriku district along the Pacific coast of the Tohoku region -- Rikuzen-Takata in Iwate Prefecture, Kesennuma, Minami-Sanriku and Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture, as well as the Fukushima Prefecture city of Soma. Many of these areas have been left in ruins. A large part of Kesennuma has been reduced to ashes by quake-triggered fires.
　先週末、遅ればせながら三陸を見てきた。陸前高田、気仙沼、南三陸、石巻。福島では相馬に入った。津々浦々が廃虚であり、火災を伴った気仙沼は焦土だった。

In sharp contrast, inland areas of quake-hit cities and towns remain intact. Residents of the Tokyo metropolitan area are losing their sense of crisis. No wonder that there is a wide perception gap on the seriousness of the disaster.
　だが、被災県も海岸から少し内陸に入れば無傷。まして首都圏の緊張はゆるみつつある。国民の意識に差が出るのも無理はない。

In an interview, former Fukushima Gov. Eisaku Sato emphasized that the nuclear accident is a man-made disaster. Sato, 71, is known as a staunch opponent of nuclear power generation.
　福島へ南下したついでに郡山まで足を延ばし、いまや原子力行政批判の代表的論客となった佐藤栄佐久・前同県知事（７１）に会った。

The former governor pointed out that the biggest problem involving the national government's nuclear power policy is that bureaucrats and power suppliers are under the wrong impression that nuclear power generation is absolutely safe and should be promoted by all means and that they keep problems involving such plants a secret. He thus asserted that efforts to invite electric power companies to build nuclear power plants in sparsely populated areas in a bid to create jobs for local residents are nothing but addictive drugs for regional communities.
　事故は人災です、と前知事は明快だ。「原発は安全。推進あるのみ」という官僚と電力会社の思い込みと秘密主義こそが問題であり、地域にとって原発誘致は麻薬でしかないと言い切った。

Sato served five terms as governor from 1988. Initially, he promoted the introduction of nuclear power plants, but a wide gap emerged between him and the national government as well as Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the operator of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant. After he resigned during his fifth tenure, he was arrested for accepting bribes and later indicted. He was convicted by the district and high courts, and has appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court.
　この人は８８年から知事を５期務めた。はじめは原発推進派だったが、しだいに国・東京電力との溝を深めた。５期目の半ばで辞任した直後、収賄容疑で逮捕・起訴。１、２審とも有罪で上告中の身だ。

It is inappropriate to jump to the conclusion that he was arrested as a result of a politically motivated investigation aimed at suppressing anti-nuclear power movements, but what he pointed out has been proven by various news reports.
　それが「反原発」つぶしの「国策捜査」だったかどうか、速断はできないが、前知事の指摘はすでに多くの報道で裏づけられている。

The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) learned that a U.S. research institute had pointed to the possibility that the loss of an electric power source could lead to a reactor core meltdown, but disregarded it. The Fukushima Prefecture town of Futaba, which hosts the plant's No. 5 and 6 reactors, still suffers from huge budget deficits even though 30 years have passed since the power station was built.
　原子力安全・保安院は、電源喪失による炉心溶融の可能性を指摘した米国の研究機関の調査を把握していながら軽視した。原発のある双葉町は誘致３０年を経て巨額の財政赤字に苦しんでいる。

A historian who heard inconsistent announcements that the government and TEPCO made in their separate news conferences said the crisis is just like the "Nomonhan Incident," an armed conflict that broke out between Japanese and Soviet forces along the border between Mongolia and Manchuria, currently part of northeastern China, in 1939.
　話を聞きながら、先週、高名な現代史家からいただいた電話を思い出した。政府と東電のちぐはぐな記者会見を観察した歴史家の口から、「これはノモンハン事件じゃないですかね」という感想が飛び出した。
　ノモンハン事件とは１９３９（昭和１４）年、当時の満州国（現中国東北部）国境で起きた日ソ両軍の衝突だ。

Japan, which was overconfident of its military might after its victory in the Japanese-Russo War, underestimated Russia and went into another armed conflict with it. Even though Japanese soldiers on the battlefront were outstanding, Japan suffered a humiliating defeat because of inadequate instructions given by elite officers who did not know actual warfare.
日露戦争勝利で慢心した日本は不当にソ連を侮り、前線の奮闘にもかかわらず、実戦を知らないエリート将校たちの拙劣な指揮・指導で惨敗した。

The Japanese military covered up their defeat in the battle, and fought in the Pacific War without analyzing the cause of its failure in the incident, leading to its catastrophic defeat in World War II.
　日本軍は敗北を隠し、敗因を追究せず、続く太平洋戦争を同じ体制で戦い、亡国の結末を迎えた。

The Nomonhan incident raised questions as to whether Japan should seek to restore disaster-ravaged areas under the leadership of elite bureaucrats -- who were overly proud of Japan's prosperity as an economic and technological superpower -- without clarifying the cause of their mistake that led to the crisis.
経済技術大国の栄光におごった秀才たちの失敗を問わず、同じ陣容で漠然と復興を目指していいのかという疑問がわく。

At the time of the Nomonhan Incident, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Kiichiro Hiranuma was unable to control the Imperial Japanese Army and he was forced to step down after being tossed about in a complex international situation.
　ノモンハン事件当時の首相は平沼騏一郎だった。内閣は陸軍を制御できず、平沼は国際情勢にほんろうされて去った。

There are now calls urging the two major political parties -- the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party -- to form a grand coalition in order to facilitate their cooperation in overcoming the disaster. However, there is no point in forming a large ruling bloc that cannot control bureaucrats.
ひるがえって今日、大連立もけっこうだが、官僚の手綱をさばけない、形ばかりの総力体制を敷いたところで無意味ではないかという疑問をぬぐえない。

At Rikuzen-Takata, which has been left in ruin, work is under way to install new utility polls along National Route 45. The public has agreed that it is an urgent task to quickly restore utilities, but there is no consensus about a vision on what kind of society should be created after rebuilding destroyed infrastructure.
　見渡す限り廃虚の陸前高田市で、国道４５号沿いに新しい電柱を植え込む作業が進んでいた。ライフラインの復旧を急げという合意はあるが、それから先、どんな社会を築くのかという確かな合意はどこにもない。

The crisis has clarified that a society that depends heavily on electricity generated largely by nuclear power plants -- which Japan as a post-war economic and technological superpower has achieved -- is just like a house of cards. Japanese leaders as well as members of the general public should be aware of this. (By Takao Yamada, Expert Senior Writer)
　戦後の経済技術大国がたどりついた原発依存の「オール電化社会」は砂上の楼閣にすぎなかった。その現状認識が重要ではないか。

毎日新聞　2011年4月7日　東京朝刊

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前回、前々回も！アフィリエイトは契約に基づく労働です。労働対価が支払われないと、アフィリエイターは大困惑します（怒）。下記の二社はアフィリエイターとしてとうてい許し難い存在です。
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スマイルキャッシュご紹介記事



ミリオンキャッシュご紹介記事

(Mainichi Japan) April 8, 2011
Clear outlook for nuclear crisis necessary for residents to move on with their lives
社説：原発震災　中長期の見通しも示せ

There appears to be no immediate end in sight for the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Never before in history has a nuclear accident dragged on for so long, leading the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) of Japan to say that the crisis has "surpassed the range and magnitude anticipated under pre-existing disaster-prevention schemes."
　原発災害は収束の時期がみえてこない。これほど長く続く原発事故は世界にも例がない。原子力安全委員会は「既存の防災対策の枠を超えている」との見方を示している。

Both Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) and the government are now at a point where they must devise and implement measures that take mid- to long-term prospects into consideration. In doing so, they must consider carefully the lives of the many people who have evacuated from communities located close to the power plant.
　東京電力も政府も、中長期的な見通しを踏まえ、さまざまな対応策を立てていく時期にきている。その際には、原発周辺から避難している多数の人々の今後の暮らしに、きちんと思いをはせてほしい。

Workers on site have their hands full trying to deal with radiation-tainted water and injecting nitrogen into the No. 1 reactor to stave off an explosion in the reactor containment vessel. Such measures, however, aim to subdue what can be characterized as "side effects" that get in the way of attempts to deal with the primary problem.
　今、現場は、汚染水対策や格納容器の爆発を防ぐための窒素封入作業に追われている。こうした作業は、事故対策を妨げる「副作用」を抑えているようなものだ。

Meanwhile, the real first step in bringing the crisis under control requires cooling the reactors down to stabilize temperatures, and stopping the leakage of radioactive materials.
　本来の事故収束の第１段階は、すべての原子炉を安定した冷却に持ち込み、放射性物質の外部への漏えいを止めることだ。

To achieve this, a closed system that removes the heat in the reactors without relying on the injection of water from an external source must be established. Ordinarily, the residual-heat-removal system installed in the reactors would carry out this task, but radiation leaks have frustrated efforts to restore the system. As such, the situation calls for discussions on possibly instituting a new heat-removal system.
　そのためには、外部から注水せずに核燃料の熱を取り除く閉じた循環系を確立しなくてはならない。通常は「残留熱除去系」がその役目を果たすが、放射性物質の汚染に阻まれ復旧作業が進まない。状況を見極め、新たな熱除去系を外から導入することも検討した方がいい。

Regardless of the cooling method, it will not be an easy job, and may take longer than the "several months" the government has predicted for a resolution.
　ただ、いずれにしても、簡単な作業ではない。数カ月という政府の見通しを上回ることもあるだろう。

Even after progress is made in this first step, we are still faced with the task of cooling spent nuclear fuel for years to come. Beyond that, moreover, lies the problem of how the reactors will be decommissioned.
　収束の第１段階が達成されても、核燃料はさらに何年も冷やし続けなくてはならない。その先には、どのように廃炉を進めるかという課題が待ち受ける。

As we find ourselves only at the beginning of a long road ahead, the government's emergency measures are no longer relevant to the current state of affairs.
　こうした長い対策の入り口にあって、政府の緊急時対応はすでに実態にあわなくなっている。

For example, because the government's advisory for residents living between a 20-kilometer and a 30-kilometer radius from the Fukushima power station was not issued with the intention of lasting for months, it is only natural that the government is now deliberating a new plan of action. The government must make a prompt decision -- that should then be thoroughly explained to residents -- and provide ongoing support for those who are affected.
　そもそも、２０～３０キロ圏内の住民に出されている屋内退避の指示は、何カ月も続くことを前提にしていない。政府が新たな指針を検討しているのは当然だ。すみやかに決定し、住民に丁寧に説明した上で、その暮らしを支えていってもらいたい。

Some residents who evacuated from homes within a 20-kilometer radius are seeking permission to return temporarily, an understandable request from people who escaped with just the clothes on their back after being hit with the triple punch of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. We hope that all safety precautions are taken to grant their wish.
　避難指示が出ている２０キロ圏内では一時帰宅の要望がある。二重三重の災害に見舞われ着の身着のままで避難した人々の願いはよくわかる。安全に十分注意しつつ、かなえたい。

In addition, local residents need to be given a mid- to long-term outlook: Will they be able to return permanently to their homes in several months' time, or will it take years? Will some residents have to prepare themselves for the possibility that they will never be able to return?
　さらに、住民にとって必要なのは、その先の中長期的な見通しだ。本当に自宅に戻れるのは数カ月後なのか、それとも数年後なのか。場合によっては再び戻れないという覚悟がいるのか。

We understand that such forecasts are difficult to make, as they are contingent upon whether or not the situation worsens, and how restoration efforts progress.
　これらの見通しは、今後、事態が悪化することがあるかどうかにも、作業の進み具合にもかかっている。予測が難しいことはわかる。

Still, unless both TEPCO and the government release forecasts that account for a margin of error, people cannot move on with their lives or plan for the future. It must not be forgotten that ambiguity -- and not bad news -- can at times deliver a stronger blow on morale.
　しかし、幅をもたせた上で、東電も政府も、見通しを語るべきだ。そうしなければ、人々は将来の生活設計が立てられない。悪い情報より、あいまいな状況が、人々の気持ちをくじくことがあるのを忘れてはならない。

毎日新聞　2011年4月8日　2時41分

(Mainichi Japan) April 7, 2011
Gov't, TEPCO should release more information on radiation contamination
社説：震災と国際社会　世界への発信足りない

The government and Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) appear to be too insensitive to global criticism over their response to the crisis at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant that the power supplier operates.
　政府も東京電力も、原発事故に向けられる世界からの視線に鈍感すぎはしないか。

It should be regarded as a diplomatic blunder that the government has come under fire for failing to provide a detailed explanation to not only local governments concerned and fishermen's cooperatives but also neighboring countries before discharging water contaminated with low levels of radiation from the plant into the sea.
福島第１原発から低濃度放射性物質を含む汚染水を海に放出する際、自治体や漁業関係者だけでなく、近隣諸国にていねいな事前説明をせず反発を招いたことは、外交上の失態である。

The administration of Prime Minister Naoto Kan should keep in mind that the crisis at the tsunami-hit nuclear power plant could have a huge impact on a global scale and that many countries share the same concerns and interests with Japan regarding nuclear power generation.
今回の原発事故が、日本一国を超えて地球規模で影響を与えかねないこと、そして世界の多くの国が日本と同じ懸念と利害を共有していることを、菅直人政権は改めて認識すべきだ。

The South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry expressed deep displeasure at Japan's failure to notify Seoul before discharging radioactive water into the sea, while the Russian government has voiced concern that radiation could adversely affect fishing resources.
　汚染水の放出に、韓国外交通商省は「事前通報」がなかったと強い不満を表明した。ロシア政府からも魚類に危険が及ぶことを心配する声が出ている。

It is a matter of course that Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano expressed regret over Tokyo's failure to provide an explanation before releasing contaminated water into the ocean, saying, "We must take seriously the opinions that we should've provided a detailed explanation in advance."
枝野幸男官房長官が６日の記者会見で「あらかじめ詳細な説明が必要だったとの指摘は、真摯（しんし）に受け止めていかなければならない」と語ったのは当然である。

The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which Japan is a signatory, obligates parties to prevent the contamination of sea water and minimize the release of toxic or harmful substances into the sea from ground-based sources.
　日本も署名している国連海洋法条約は、海洋汚染を防止する一般的義務を締約国に負わせるとともに、毒性または有害な物質の陸にある発生源からの放出を最小にするよう求めている。

Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto denied that TEPCO's discharge of radioactive water into the sea from the Fukushima nuclear plant constitutes a breach of duties specified by the convention, suggesting that whether to release information on the discharge of radioactive water is left to the discretion of the government.
松本剛明外相は「国際法上の義務との関係でただちに問題になるものではない」と語り、情報提供はあくまで自発的な判断によるものとの見解を示した。

His judgment may be in line with the widely accepted interpretation of the treaty. However, this is more than a matter of obligations written on paper. It is rather a matter of responsibility and common sense that Japan should have shown to the world as a country that has caused grave anxiety to the international community as a result of the nuclear power plant accident.
国際法の解釈はそうかもしれない。だがこれは、紙に書かれた義務うんぬんではなく、原発事故で世界に大きな不安を与えてしまった国の最低限の責務、良識の問題ではなかろうか。

Once released into the sea or atmosphere, radioactive substances spread regardless of territorial water and airspace.
　いったん海洋や大気中に出た放射性物質は、領海や領空とはかかわりなく拡散していく。

Even though the amount of radiation is said to be minimal and will have no impact on people's health, continuing to release radioactive materials means continuing to pollute the planet.
薄められて健康に害はないとされてはいるものの、それを放出し続けることは、この地球を日々汚染しているということである。

If the government and TEPCO are aware of that, they should consider the weight of their accountability to the world.
その自覚があるのなら、国際社会に対する説明責任の重みをもう一度かみしめてほしい。

Since the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake struck, 134 countries and territories have offered to extend relief to Japan, and 32 countries, territories and international organizations have provided relief supplies to disaster-hit areas.
　東日本大震災発生以来、１３４の国・地域から支援の申し出があり、３２カ国・地域・国際機関から物資の提供を受けている。

The U.S. and other rescue teams played an important role in searching for missing people and recovering the bodies of victims.
行方不明者や遺体の捜索には米軍や各国救助チームの協力が大きな助けになった。

The calm behavior of survivors and the maintenance of law and order in society have greatly impressed the world. 被災者たちの落ち着いた言動や秩序立った社会の様子は、世界に強い感銘をもたらした。

These incidents have reminded us that Japan is closely linked to the rest of the world.
震災後、日本と世界は一つとの思いを深くする。

At the same time, however, the governments of many other countries as well as overseas media outlets have become increasingly critical of the Japanese government and TEPCO for releasing too little information on the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant and in a late manner.
　その一方、各国政府やメディアは原発事故をめぐる日本政府や東電の情報公開に「遅い」「少ない」との不信を強めている。

Japan should cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency and other international bodies in creating a system to promptly dispatch detailed information to the world on radiation contamination and how to respond to the crisis.
放射能汚染の情報や対処方針を早く、詳細に世界に向け発信する態勢を、国際原子力機関（ＩＡＥＡ）などとも連携して作り直すべきだ。

The government and TEPCO's inward-looking responses to the crisis could cause friction with other countries and damage cooperative relations Japan has nurtured with the international community.
内向きな対応は海外諸国との無用なあつれきを生み、せっかく築かれた国際社会との連帯にもヒビを生じさせかねない。

毎日新聞　2011年4月7日　東京朝刊

(Mainichi Japan) April 6, 2011
TEPCO has responsibility for creating jobs in areas hit by crisis at nuclear plant
記者の目：福島第１原発事故と地方経済＝森禎行

Workers who are trying to repair reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, which was hit by a massive tsunami triggered by the March 11 killer quake, are drawing worldwide attention. I have covered their work and their sense of mission in which they are working hard to cool down the reactors and prevent radiation leaks while risking their own lives is indeed respectable.
　東京電力福島第１原発（福島県大熊町、双葉町）の事故で、作業にあたる「フクシマの労働者」が世界的に注目されている。私はその作業員たちの取材を続けてきた。命を張った「使命感」はあまりにも尊い。

At the same time, the crisis at the plant demonstrates that the workers have to engage in such dangerous work because the local community relies heavily on the nuclear plant for job opportunities. The regional economy is in such a serious situation.
同時に、その背景に、原発に雇用を頼るがゆえに危険な作業に向かわざるをえない地方経済の深刻さも感じ、胸が痛む。

People living far away from areas affected by the nuclear crisis should also consider ways to create regional communities in which residents can lead their lives without relying on nuclear power plants.
原発に頼らず普通の市民が息づく町づくりを、原発被災地から離れた私たちも考えなければならない。

　◇地元雇用が東電と国の責務

I went to the Fukushima Prefecture city of Iwaki -- a core city in the Hamadori district along the Pacific coast -- in late March. Many residents in areas around the plant had traveled to the city in order to take shelter there, and workers who were stuck inside the plant were taking brief breaks there.
　私は３月下旬、同県いわき市に入った。太平洋に面した浜通り地方の中核都市だ。原発の周辺住民が避難先として目指し、発電所内に缶詰めだった労働者が休息する場所の一つにもなっていた。

Workers who were allowed to leave the plant after long, harsh work were all tight-lipped. Their long beards and deep wrinkles between their eyebrows illustrated the tough work they were engaged in. The purple-red jerseys they were wearing in place of their contaminated work clothes looked like proof that they were taking a break in a safe place.
　発電所からようやく出てきた労働者は、一様に口が重かった。伸び放題のひげと、険しい眉間（みけん）のしわが作業の過酷さを物語っていた。汚染された作業服に代わって着る赤紫色のジャージーが“安息の地”に移った証しに見えた。

Workers at the plant are based in its special quake-resistant building. They cannot enjoy decent meals or sleep properly in such a building. They also confront invisible radiation at the plant.
　発電所内の彼らは、免震重要棟という閉ざされた建物を拠点とする。満足な食事や睡眠は望むべくもない。そして、目に見えない放射能と向き合う作業。現実を少しずつだが聞いた。

They say they were unable to promptly grasp the situation at the plant because it was changing so often following the disaster. When a hydrogen explosion occurred in the building housing one of the reactors the day after the quake, a 47-year-old employee of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), who was in the special quake-resistant building, only felt that the vibrations caused by the blast were different from those of a quake. He said he was unable to see through buildings housing reactors that were hundreds of meters away, and learned of the explosion from NHK TV news.
現場でも、刻々と変化する事態はのみ込めなかったという。震災翌日の水素爆発では、免震重要棟にいた東電社員（４７）は「地震とは揺れが違うな」と感じる程度だった。数百メートル離れた原子炉建屋が見通せず、つけっ放しのＮＨＫテレビで「これだったのか」と知ったという。

　◇ここで働く使命感と不安

What struck me was that workers range in age from those in their 20s to 60s. It was about 15 years ago that I, a native of Tokyo, met with a worker at a nuclear power plant for the first time. When I talked with a homeless man, he told me proudly, "I previously worked at a nuclear power plant. I was exposed to radiation, but I'm all right." That encounter gave me the impression that single, middle-aged or elderly people work at nuclear plants.
　印象深かったのは、年齢が２０代から６０代まで幅広いことだった。東京出身の私が原発労働者に初めて接したのは約１５年前。首都圏の野宿者と話す機会があり、「原発で働いた。被ばくしたけど体は大丈夫」と誇らしげに話した。その話から、単身の中高年が作業するイメージが強かった。

This time, I met with many workers who belong to the same generation as mine and are raising children. A 35-year-old TEPCO employee, who was urged to flee the city of Minami-Soma, said he moved shelters three times. "Still, I was relocated on fewer occasions than many others."
　今回、私と同じ子育て世代に多く出会った。南相馬市からの避難を求められた東電社員（３５）は「避難所は３カ所移り、私は少ない方」と申し訳なさそうに話した。

When asked why he chose to return to the crippled plant, he said, "I've been engaged in this work," expressing a sense of mission he harbors.
避難先から職場に戻った理由を尋ねると「この仕事に携わってきた」とはっきりした口調で使命感を語った。

At an evacuation shelter in Iwaki, I interviewed many workers who were at the plant when the disaster struck. There are many offices of subcontractors on the premises of the plant, and a total of some 10,000 people were working at TEPCO's Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 nuclear power plants. I felt that nuclear plants are at the center of many huge towns. The plants are not just dry machines, but need the support of many people to function.
　いわき市内の避難所では、震災当日に発電所にいた多くの労働者を取材した。所内は下請け業者の事務所棟が建ち並ぶ。福島第１、第２を合わせて原発関連で約１万人が働く。巨大な“町”だと改めて感じた。原発は無味乾燥な機械でなく、多くの人の支えで動いていた。

There have been discussions about the risks of radiation leaks from nuclear plants for nearly half a century. Those in favor of nuclear power plants have pointed out that such plants are indispensable in Japan, which is short of natural resources. Opponents have cited their concern about radiation leaks and called for the introduction of substitute energy sources.
　「放射能の危険性」の議論は半世紀近く続いてきた。「原発必要派」は、資源の乏しい日本で不可欠だと強調。「不要派」は「放射能の不安が絶えない」と、代替エネルギーの導入を訴えてきた。

A 37-year-old former employee of a subcontractor, who had worked at Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant for nearly 20 years, said he is relieved because he will likely find a new job at another nuclear plant.
"Without nuclear power plants, I would lose my job. I now feel relieved because I've learned I'll probably get a new job at another plant," he said at an evacuation shelter.
　避難所での取材では、福島第１で２０年近く勤務した元請け会社社員（３７）は「原発が無ければ、仕事は無い。何とか別の原発で働けそうでほっとしている」と話した。

Another employee of a subcontractor in his 30s expressed concern about being forced to work to repair the damaged reactors. "If I'm asked to assist in the work, I'll have no choice but to comply."
別の３０代の下請け会社社員は「応援要請を受けたら行かざるをえない」と不安げに話した。

Their statements demonstrate the serious reality of the regional community -- many local residents have no choice but to work at nuclear plants despite fears of radiation exposure. TEPCO has three nuclear power stations -- Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 and Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in Niigata Prefecture. All three plants are situated in Tohoku Electric Power Co.'s service area. Nevertheless, all power generated at these plants is sent to TEPCO's service area around Tokyo. TEPCO built its nuclear power plants far away from its headquarters in the capital while claiming that the facilities are safe, and won support from the communities that host the plants by creating many jobs for local residents. However, its claim has collapsed.
　そんな労働者の話を聞き、原発問題の本質は、「放射能の危険を承知で原発で働く」という地方の重い現実だと感じた。東電は福島第１、第２、新潟県の柏崎刈羽の３原発を持つ。いずれも東電の電力供給エリアではなく、東北電力のエリアだ。この３原発で作った電気はすべて首都圏に送られる。東電は「原発は安全」と胸を張りながら東京の本社から遠い地方に立地し、多大な雇用で地元の支持をつなぎとめてきた。今回、その構図は破綻した。

Ironically, TEPCO is required to play an important role in efforts to restore disaster-hit areas. It is one of a few companies that can create numerous job opportunities in rural areas. Since it is clear that the employment situation will worsen in quake- and tsunami-hit areas, TEPCO has a responsibility to create more jobs for local residents. It remains to be seen how the management of the power supplier will be restructured but in any case, it cannot be recognized that the company has fulfilled its responsibility for the crisis at the nuclear plant even if it uses its own money and public funds to pay compensation to those affected. In addition to paying compensation, TEPCO must create work opportunities.
　皮肉にも、今後の復興においても東電の役割は極めて大きい。地方で大きな雇用を生み出せる企業は少ないのだ。現地の雇用情勢が深刻化するのは必至で、東電には雇用に関する責務がある。東電の経営形態がどうなるか不透明だが、公的資金と同社の資金で賠償を行えば済むという話ではない。被災地の未来像を描くためには、補償だけではなく「雇用」が不可欠だ。

　◇次世代送電網のモデル地区に

TEPCO should cooperate with the national government and other businesses in creating jobs in a bid to help restore quake-hit communities in Fukushima Prefecture. The power supplier has no choice but to dismantle the disaster-hit nuclear power plant that has caused anxiety to local residents. It should create jobs through its work to dismantle the plant, and become a global model of a next-generation power supplier as a symbol of the restoration of disaster-hit areas.
　東電は国や他の産業とも協力し、フクシマの復興に新たな雇用創出で応えてほしい。不安のある原発は、もはや廃炉にするしかない。その作業で雇用をつなぎ、同時に新たな電気産業を、この地から世界に発信することが大きな復興メッセージになる。

Specifically, TEPCO should consider making the region a model area for the introduction of a smart grid -- a next-generation network for efficiently transmitting electric power generated by recyclable energy. The possibility should be pursued that the area will be made a base for the research and development of electric vehicles in a bid to help the regional community that relies heavily on automobiles despite a shortage of gasoline.
具体的には、例えば再生可能エネルギーの効率的な送電が期待されるスマートグリッド（次世代送電網）のモデル地区にしたらどうだろう。ガソリン不足に直面した地方のクルマ社会を克服すべく電気自動車に関する研究開発拠点にすることも考えられる。

I would like to emphasize to TEPCO, "You are needed for the restoration of Fukushima. ("As I see it" by Sadayuki Mori, City News Department)
　東電に求めたい。「フクシマの再生には、東電の力が必要だ」

（東京社会部）

毎日新聞　2011年4月6日　0時06分

(Mainichi Japan) April 5, 2011
Protection of communities must take priority in quake restoration efforts
社説：住民の集団避難　共同体を全力で守ろう

An evacuation order affecting residents near the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant looks likely to be prolonged. Residents of the Miyagi Prefecture town of Minami-Sanriku, which was devastated by the March 11 tsunami, have also begun to move to other administrative districts to take shelter until temporary housing is completed in the town.
　福島第１原発の周辺で放射性物質漏れ被害から逃れるため居住地を集団で離れた住民の避難生活が長期化の様相をみせている。津波で大きな被害を受けた宮城県南三陸町も仮設住宅ができるまでの間、他自治体への集団避難を開始した。

The government should take all possible measures to ensure evacuated residents maintain their communities while they are taking shelter. Even in cases where residents in the same neighborhoods have been forced to flee to separate shelters, the central government needs to uphold residents' relations with their local governments and prevent them from being isolated.
　住民が避難前とできるだけ同じようなコミュニティーを維持しつつ生活できるよう、政府は手を尽くさねばならない。住民が離ればなれに避難せざるを得なかった場合も、故郷の自治体と関係を絶たず、孤立を防ぐ仕組みを検討すべきである。

Eight towns and villages situated around the quake- and tsunami-hit nuclear power plant are particularly threatened by radiation leaking from the power station. These municipalities have not only evacuated their residents or urged them to voluntarily flee their neighborhoods, but also temporarily relocated their municipal government headquarters to other administrative districts.
　原発の放射性物質漏れ事故の影響でとりわけ深刻な事態に直面しているのは周辺８町村だ。避難指示や自主避難で住民だけでなく、役場の機能までほかの自治体に移さざるを得ない状況となっている。

The Fukushima Prefecture town of Futaba, which is home to the nuclear plant, has shifted its municipal government headquarters, as well as many of its residents, three times: to the prefecture's town of Kawamata, to Saitama Super Arena and to the building of a now defunct high school in Kazo, Saitama Prefecture. The municipal government of Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, has decided to collectively relocate its residents to Aizu-Wakamatsu in the same prefecture.
　第１原発がある双葉町の場合、多くの住民が役場の機能ごと同県川俣町、さいたまスーパーアリーナ、埼玉県加須市の旧県立高校と３度にわたり移転した。福島県大熊町は会津若松市への集団移転を進めている。

Residents of these areas were forced to flee their homes and take shelter in the wake of devastation caused by the massive March 11 killer quake and tsunami and the ongoing threat of radiation leaks from the nuclear plant. Their plight is immeasurable.
津波被害に追い打ちをかけるような原発事故で着の身着のまま避難し、移転生活を強いられている苦難は察してあまりある。

More than 1,300 residents of Futaba, who are taking shelter in Kazo, are aiming to maintain their communities. The national government has a responsibility to provide housing to these evacuees and take other steps to support their livelihoods and help them maintain their communities, as their time away from home is likely to be prolonged. In fact, it may be better to say that the responsibility lies on the entire nation.
　１３００人以上が移り住んだ加須市で双葉町民は従来のコミュニティーを維持しながらの生活を目指すという。集団移転した住民に対し、政府は避難が相当長期化する場合も念頭に置き、住宅確保をはじめとする生活の維持と共同体の存続に取り組む責任がある。それは、私たち国民の責務と言い換えてもいいはずだ。

The national government must eliminate vertically divided administrative functions and be prepared to support education, nursing care, medical services and employment for evacuees as a whole. The local governments of disaster-hit areas from which residents have been evacuated and those in areas where the evacuees are taking shelter need to fully cooperate with each other in ensuring that both groups of residents can get along with each other. The national government should also help lessen the burdens on the local governments, by assisting in the management of data on residents, for example.
　教育、医療、介護、雇用の確保などさまざまな分野でタテ割りにならぬよう、一体支援を展開する体制が必要だ。移転先の住民と融和しつつ生活をともにするには被災地、移転先両自治体の連携も欠かせない。住民データの管理など、役場機能の負担軽減策も導入すべきだ。

At the same time, questions remain as to how to maintain the connections between those who have fled their quake- and tsunami-ravaged neighborhoods on an individual basis and the local governments of their hometowns. The central government has not grasped how many residents from disaster-hit areas have fled to other areas. It is an urgent task for the national government to gather such information with the help of the local governments concerned.
　一方で、震災で個人や家族単位で他市町村に受け入れられた人をどう故郷の自治体とつなぐかも課題となる。それぞれの被災地から住民が他自治体にどう避難したか、現状では把握しきれていない。政府は移転先の自治体の協力を得て、情報収集を急がねばならない。

It is feared that some residents have lost contact with the local governments of their hometowns after shifting their resident registrations to areas where they are taking shelter, and cannot receive information on relief measures in their hometowns. The central government should implement measures to allow evacuees to receive administrative services from the authorities of the areas where they are taking shelter while maintaining their resident status in their hometown even if their time in shelter is prolonged.
　やむを得ず移転先に住民票を移した結果、旧住所の自治体と連絡が途絶え、救援情報が届かなくなる事態が懸念される。本人が希望すれば長期間であっても住民票を移さず、しかも移転先の行政サービスを受けられるような制度を工夫すべきだ。

Evacuees' resident registries will serve as important bonds with the local governments of their hometowns until they return and begin to restore their communities. The central government should regard the protection of the communities in quake- and tsunami-hit areas as the core of its disaster recovery efforts.
　住民がやがて舞い戻り、故郷の再建に取り組むまで、住民票は大事な「きずな」となる。政府は共同体の保護を震災の復興政策の一環と位置づけ、特に留意してほしい。

毎日新聞　2011年4月4日　2時31分