EIN051_Population panel draws line in sand 【Tambaboon IELTS Lab Sydney Australia】 英語 ニュース オーストラリア

I found noteworthy news on The Japan Times.
REIJI YOSHIDA reported this story on MAY 13, 2014.

To save Japan from a looming demographic crisis linked to its shrinking population,
a goal of maintaining the nation’s population at around 100 million for the next 50 years should be set by allocating more of the social security budget to help child-rearing households instead of the elderly, an advisory panel to the prime minster said in an interim report Tuesday.
But the panel, which is tasked with projecting Japan’s future and proposing policy options to the prime minister,
did not recommend that more foreigners be brought in to offset the expected drop in the population.
Panel head Akio Mimura, head of Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told reporters that no national consensus has been formed on immigration, which is the reason why it decided not to recommend that immigrants be allowed to come to Japan to live and work.
It has been estimated that Japan’s population will shrink by 31.9 percent to 86.7 million in 2060 from 127.3 million in 2013.
The ratio of elderly, defined as those 65 or older, is expected to surge to 39.9 percent of the population from 25.1 percent during that time.
Such a drastic demographic change will reduce the size of Japan’s working population and gross national product, while at the same time placing an increasingly heavy financial burden on the younger generations, whose taxes support seniors dependent on pension benefits and medical and nursing insurance.
“If we don’t do anything, an extremely difficult future will be waiting for us,” Mimura told a news conference after Tuesday’s panel session.
“It would be difficult for Japan to maintain economic growth, and people’s quality of life would deteriorate, too,” he said.
The chairman also stressed that if the government and the people start taking action immediately, such as by allocating more of the social security budget to child-rearing households and changing men’s attitudes toward working women, Japan will be able to narrowly maintain a population of 100 million over the next five decades.
This road, however, appears to be a rocky one. According to a simulation by the Cabinet Office, for Japan to maintain the 100 million level, the total fertility rate — a key indicator of birth trends in a given year — must recover to 2.07 by 2030, from the current 1.41.

Statement analysis
-------------------------------

1. To save Japan from a looming demographic crisis 
2. linked to its shrinking population, 
3. a goal of maintaining the nation’s population 
4. at around 100 million for the next 50 years should be set 
5. by allocating more of the social security budget 
6. to help child-rearing households instead of the elderly, 
7. an advisory panel to the prime minster said in an interim report Tuesday.

1. But the panel, 
2. which is tasked 
3. with projecting Japan’s future and proposing policy options to the prime minister, 
4. did not recommend 
5. that more foreigners be brought in to offset the expected drop in the population.

1. Panel head Akio Mimura, 
2. head of Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 
3. told reporters 
4. that no national consensus has been formed on immigration, 
5. which is the reason 
6. why it decided not to recommend that immigrants be allowed 
7. to come to Japan to live and work.

1. It has been estimated that Japan’s population will shrink by 31.9 percent 
2. to 86.7 million in 2060 from 127.3 million in 2013. 
3. The ratio of elderly, 
4. defined as those 65 or older, 
5. is expected to surge 
6. to 39.9 percent of the population from 25.1 percent during that time.

1. Such a drastic demographic change 
2. will reduce the size of Japan’s working population and gross national product, 
3. while at the same time 
4. placing an increasingly heavy financial burden on the younger generations, 
5. whose taxes support 
6. seniors dependent on pension benefits and medical and nursing insurance.

1. “If we don’t do anything, an extremely difficult future will be waiting for us,” 
2. Mimura told a news conference after Tuesday’s panel session. 
3. “It would be difficult for Japan to maintain economic growth, and 
4. people’s quality of life would deteriorate, too,” he said.

1. The chairman also stressed 
2. that if the government and the people start 
3. taking action immediately, 
4. such as by 
5. allocating more of the social security budget to child-rearing households and 
6. changing men’s attitudes toward working women, 
7. Japan will be able to narrowly maintain a population of 100 million 
8. over the next five decades.

1. This road, however, 
2. appears to be a rocky one. 
3. According to a simulation by the Cabinet Office, 
4. for Japan to maintain the 100 million level, 
5. the total fertility rate
6. - a key indicator of birth trends in a given year -
7. must recover to 2.07 by 2030, from the current 1.41.

Word vocabulary - English
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looming
appear as a shadowy form, especially one that is large or threatening.

demographic
relating to the structure of populations.

child-rearing

the process of bringing up a child or children.

household
a house and its occupants regarded as a unit.

advisory

having or consisting in the power to make recommendations but not to take action enforcing them.

recommended but not compulsory.

an official announcement, typically a warning about bad weather conditions.

interim
the intervening time.

in or for the intervening period; provisional or temporary.

relating to less than a full year's business activity.

offset
the amount or distance by which something is out of line.

chamber of commerce and industry
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community.

surge

(of a crowd or a natural force) move suddenly and powerfully forward or upward.

increase suddenly and powerfully, typically during an otherwise stable or quiescent period.

gross national product
the total value of goods produced and services provided by a country during one year, equal to the gross domestic product plus the net income from foreign investments.

deteriorate
become progressively worse

narrowly
closely or carefully.


Word vocabulary - Japanese
----------------------------------------------
looming
【名-1】大きく浮き上がって見えること
【名-2】《気象》ルーミング◆蜃気楼によって、地平線より先の島などが浮いて見える現象
【形-1】ぼんやり見えてくる、ボーッと姿を見せる、おぼろげな、漠然［漫然］とした、明りょうでない、不鮮明な
【形-2】迫ってくる、迫り来る、のしかかって来る

demographic
【形】人口統計の、人口学の、人口統計（学）の

child-rearing

【名・形】子育て（の）、育児（の）

household
háushòuld
【名-1】家族、家庭、一家、世帯、所帯◆召使いなどを含む家庭の単位、その構成員および家庭の居住場所。
【＠】ハウスオウルド、ハウスホールド、ハウスホウルド、ハウソウルド、【変化】《複》households、【分節】house・hold

advisory
ədváiz[ə]ri
【名】勧告、忠告、注意書、報告
【形】顧問の、忠告の、助言的な、諮問の、助言の、助言を与える
【＠】アドバイザリー、【変化】《複》advisories、【分節】ad・vi・so・ry

interim
ínt[ə]rim
【名-1】合間、しばらくの間
【名-2】仮協定、暫定措置
【形】仮の、一時的な、暫定の、暫定的な、臨時の、当座の、中間の
【分節】in・ter・im

offset
[v]ɔ̀[ː]fsét,,[n]ɔ́[ː]fsèt
【名-2】相殺するもの、埋め合わせ、補正、補正値
【＠】オフセット、【変化】《動》offsets | offsetting | offset、【分節】off・set

chamber of commerce and industry
商工会議所◆【略】CCI

surge
sə́ː[r]dʒ
【自動-2】急上昇する、急騰する、急増する、急伸する、大きく勢力を伸ばす
◆【類】swell ; grow rapidly、殺到する
【＠】サージ、【変化】《動》surges | surging | surged

gross national product
国民総生産◆【略】GNP
◆1年間に居住者が産み出す資本・サービス（付加価値）。海外での生産付加価値も GNP に含める。
例えば、米国での日本人による資本・サービスも日本の GNP に含める（GDP では含めない）。
日本においては、GNP と GDP の差が大きくなったので、
経済企画庁の GNP 発表は2000年で中止（大体、GNP＝500兆円、GNP-GDP＝5兆円）。

deteriorate
dití[ə]riərèit
【自動】悪くなる、悪化［劣化・低下・堕落・退廃］する
【他動】悪化［劣化・低下・堕落・退廃］させる
【＠】デテアリアレイト、デテリオレイト、【変化】《動》deteriorates | deteriorating | deteriorated、
【分節】de・te・ri・o・rate

narrowly
【副-1】辛うじて、間一髪で、ぎりぎりのところで
【＠】ナローリー、ナロウリー、【分節】nar・row・ly

Reference
-----------------------------
REIJI YOSHIDA. (2014). Population panel draws line in sand.  Available: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/05/13/national/population-panel-draws-line-sand/#.U3MBwfl_sp8
Last accessed 15th May 2014.