日本の与党、選挙で大敗

Governing Party in Japan Suffers Election Defeat
( New York Times )

Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party suffered a crushing defeatSunday in the election for the upper house of Parliament, but Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed that he would not step down.

The main opposition Democratic Party seized control of the upper houseby a landslide, capturing seats not only in cities but also in rural districts that had long been strongholds of the Liberal Democratic Party. The rout was widespread, with household names in the governing party falling one after another before opposition newcomers. It could also stall Tokyo’s moves toward a more assertive foreign policy and
active military.


【 まずは準備運動 】

・suffer　（苦痛・被害を）こうむる
・defeat　敗北
・Parliament　議会、国会
・opposition　反対、野党
・seize　つかむ、捕える
・rural　田舎の、地方の
・rout　敗走
・widespread　広まった、広がった
・stall　引き止めておく、立ち往生させる
・assertive　断定的な、我を張る


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日本の新防衛相 就任

Japan's New Defense Chief Takes Office
（ New York Times ）

Japan's first female defense minister was sworn in Wednesday, pledgingto restore trust in the government after her predecessor resigned for suggesting the U.S. atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima were inevitable.

Yuriko Koike took office a day after former Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma apologized for remarks that offended many in a nation that holdsthe 1945 bombings as a senseless slaughter of civilians. His departurewas ill-timed, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe facing parliamentary elections on July 29.


【 まずは準備運動 】

・swear　誓う
・pledge　誓約する［させる］
・restore　元通りにする
・predecessor　前任者
・resign　（職を）辞する、放棄［断念］する
・suggest　暗示する、ほのめかす
・atomic　原子（力）の
・bomb　爆弾、爆撃する
・inevitable　避けられない
・remark　意見
・offend　感情を害する
・slaughter　屠殺（する）、（大量）虐殺（する）
・departure　出発


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９０年代の日本の首相、宮沢喜一氏死去

Kiichi Miyazawa, Japan Premier in the ’90s, Dies at 87
（ New York Times ）

Kiichi Miyazawa, who, as prime minister and holder of many other top government posts, helped guide Japan from postwar ruin to economic superpower, died yesterday at his home in Tokyo. He was 87.

Mr. Miyazawa emerged from a wealthy and politically powerful family to attain influence as an aide to policy makers who fashioned Japan’s immediate postwar recovery and went on to hold important cabinet posts,including that of foreign minister, before becoming prime minister in November 1991.


【 まずは準備運動 】

・holder　所持［保持］者
・ruin　破滅（の状態）
・emerge　現われ（出）る
・attain　（目的を）遂げる、獲得する
・influence　影響（力）
・aide　側近
・recovery　取り戻すこと、復旧
・cabinet　飾り（戸）だな、内閣


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慰安婦問題で日本は時間稼ぎ

Asked for Apology, Japan Plays for Time in Sex Slavery Standoff
( New York Times ）

Even before a United States Congressional panel overwhelmingly passed a resolution on Tuesday urging Japan to apologize for its wartime sex slavery, the Japanese government said it would have no comment.

But the vote of 39 to 2 by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs has set the stage for an adoption by the full House of Representatives next month, at which point Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will face pressure to respond in some way or another.


【 まずは準備運動 】

・Apology　言いわけ、わび
・play for time　引き延ばして時間を稼ぐ
・slavery　奴隷の身分、奴隷制度
・standoff　行き詰り
・Congressional　会議の
・panel　鏡板、（公開討論会の）出席者［委員団］
・resolution　決心、決議（案）
・committee　委員会、委員
・affair　事（がら）、事件、事務、仕事
・adoption　採用、（決議などの）採択


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有権者の関心は社会保障

Social security a high priority issue for voters: poll
(Japan Times)

An overwhelming majority of Japanese voters polled picked social
security issues as a key factor in deciding on the candidates and
political parties they will vote for in July's House of Councillors
election, according to a public opinion poll published Sunday.

With two replies allowed, social securityーpension, healthcare,
nursing care and welfareーwas picked by 74.9 percent of the
respondents, an increase of 23 percentage points from a similar poll
conducted last December.


【 まずは準備運動 】

・priority　先であること、（より）重要なこと
・overwhelming　圧倒的な
・poll　世論調査、投票、投票する〔させる〕
・pick　選ぶ
・candidate　候補者、志願者
・vote　投票する
・publish　発表する
・reply返事（をする）、応答（する）
・allow　許す
・respondent　答える（者）
・increase　増加（する）
・conduct　行う, ふるまう

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