About Japan and music
この動画はTwitterにて日々更新中の1分間英語塾の総集編⑤です。
聞き流し英語学習にご活用ください！
Lesson 55 「うろ覚え」を英語で言うと？ 0:55
Lesson 56 「季節限定」を英語で言うと？ 1:10
Lesson 57 「どっちでもない」を英語で言うと？ 2:09
Lesson 58 「曜日感覚がなくなる」を英語で言うと？ 3:06
Lesson 59 「私に任せて」を英語で言うと？4:07
Lesson 60 「〜のお礼に」を英語で言うと？ 4:59
Lesson 61 「頭が冴える」を英語で言うと？ 6:00
Lesson 62 「それなら話は早い」を英語で言うと？ 7:00
【多文化共生支援団体 Family Planet Japan】
Twitter : https://twitter.com/hidanotaka
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/familyplanetjapan
この動画はTwitterにて日々更新中の1分間英語塾の総集編④です。
聞き流し英語学習にご活用ください！
Lesson 47 「男女平等」を英語で言うと？
Lesson 48 何かを勧める時に使える英語表現 1:12
Lesson 49 「本当に助かりました」を英語で言うと？ 2:13
Lesson 50 「要点を言ってください」を英語で言うと？ 3:04
Lesson 51 「まさにその通り」を英語で言うと？ 4:00
Lesson 52 「私はそうは思いませんが」を英語で言うと？ 4:54
Lesson 53 「根気よく続けるといいよ」を英語で言うと？ 5:56
Lesson 54 「そんなに自分を責めないで」を英語で言うと？ 6:54
【多文化共生支援団体 Family Planet Japan】
Twitter : https://twitter.com/hidanotaka
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/familyplanetjapan
この動画はTwitterにて日々更新中の1分間英語塾の総集編③です。
聞き流し英語学習にご活用ください！
Lesson 37「〜に熱中している」を英語で言うと？ 0:10
Lesson 38 昔に関して話すときに使える 英語フレーズ4選 1:07
Lesson 39「would/used to」の使い分け 2:03
Lesson 40「ちなみに」を英語で言うと？ 3:04
Lesson 41「迷うなぁ」を英語で言うと？ 4:01
Lesson 42「ゆっくりしていって」を英語で言うと？ 5:02
Lesson 43「今のところ」を英語で言うと？ 5:57
Lesson 44「今向かっています」を英語で言うと？ 6:59
Lesson 45「そろそろ〜する時間だ」を英語で言うと？ 8:01
Lesson 46「それ、覚えておいてね」を英語で言うと？ 9:02
【多文化共生支援団体 Family Planet Japan】
Twitter : https://twitter.com/hidanotaka
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/familyplanetjapan
Hi there. The number of people infected with the coronavirus is decreasing in Japan now, and we are gradually getting back to normal lives. However, there still is a fear that the virus may recur again, so it seems that we have to stay/work home for a little longer…
This time, I have compiled a list of eleven Japanese expressions that are often used when making requests. When using Japanese, it is important to learn how to phrase things in a way that is considerate of the others.
So, when making a request, don’t directly say, “Do it for me”. When making a request, it is normal to add preface words before making the request with something like, “I’m sorry to bother, but could you -?”
Let’s learn how to request in Japanese, and practice so that you can communicate naturally!
When making a request to someone who is close to you, or to someone who does not require much consideration,
「～て」（～te）is used at the end.
Example:
パソコンの使い方を教えて。
（Pasokon no tsukaikata wo oshie te)
Teach me how to use the computer.
When giving instructions or making a request to a colleague or subordinate at work,
「～てください」（~te kudasai) is used at the end.
Example sentence:
パソコンの使い方を教えてください。
（Pasokon no tsukaikata wo oshie te kudasai)
Please teach me how to use the computer.
If you want to be polite to your boss or other people「～てくださいませんか」”~te kudasai masenka” is used at the end.
Example:
パソコンの使い方を教えてくださいませんか？
（Pasokon no tsukaikata wo oshie te kudasai masenka)
Would you please teach me how to use the computer?
*Gomen is also used to apologize and Anone is also used when explaining something.
Example sentence:
悪いんだけど、パソコンの使い方を教えて。
(Waruindakedo, Pasokon no tsukaikata wo oshiete)
Sorry, but can you teach me how to use the computer?
Example:
すみませんが、パソコンの使い方を教えてください。
(Sumimasenga, Pasokon no tsukaikata wo oshie te kudasai)
I’m sorry to bother, but please teach me how to use the computer.
There are many other expressions that can be used, but if you know the phrases listed here, you will have no problem carrying on/understanding conversations. If you like watching anime/comics, I recommend that you check how the characters change the way they request according to the situation/based on whom they are requesting to. On a side note, in many Asian countries including Japan, people often put hands together to express gratitude, but in Japan this is also done when making a request.
Enjoy learning Japanese!
Taka
こんにちは！今年ももう3月ですね。
今回は2021年度2月配信分の「1分間英語塾 総集編②」をお届けします。
隙間時間の英語学習にご活用ください！
Lesson 29「何がきっかけだったの」を英語で言うと？ 0:08
Lesson 30「（私の）視野を広げる」を英語で言うと？ 1:00
Lesson 31「人手不足」を英語で言うと？ 1:48
Lesson 32「それは期待した 以上だった」を英語で言うと？ 2:50
Lesson 33「〜を習慣にする」を英語で言うと？ 3:44
Lesson 34「備えあれば憂なし」を英語で言うと？ 4:49
Lesson 35「きっと上手くいく」を英語で言うと？ 5:50
Lesson 36「WillとBe going to」の使い分け方 6:41
【多文化共生支援団体 Family Planet Japan】
Twitter : https://twitter.com/hidanotaka
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/familyplanetjapan
Here is the recent and up-to-date Japanese slang phrases that you can’t find in textbooks. They are very interesting and if you know them, you will be able to understand what Japanese young people these days are saying in casual conversation!
This is an abbreviated phrase for Online and Nomi (drinking). It became common to stay home and drink talking with friends over Zoom after the spread of COVID-19, and people started to use this phrase to do the online-drinking meeting.
Example sentence:
今夜、オン飲みしよう！（Konya, On-nomi shiyou!)
Let’s do the online-drinking tonight.
It is a popular internet slang that expresses the crying emoji “🥺”. Mainly young girls use this phrase when there is something depressing or sad.
Example sentence:
彼氏と別れた。ぴえん。(Kareshi to wakareta. Pien)
I broke up with my boyfriend. Pien(Crying).
※Stronger version (more crying/depressing) of pien is ぴえん超えてぱおん (Pien koete paon) and the strongest version as of today is ぴえんヶ丘どすこい之助 (Pien ga oka dosukoinosuke).
This is another phrase that young girls use. 盛る (Moru) means to make things look better. 盛れる (Moreru) means “It can make it look better/more beautiful” and often used when photo filter apps work well.
Example sentence:
このアプリのフィルター、盛れる！(Kono apuri no firuta, moreru!)
This filter on this app can make the picture look better/more beautiful.
This phrase means “Nothing can beat – “. It can only mean “- won’t let you down”.
Example sentence:
やっぱり、ラーメンしか勝たん (Yappari, Ramen shika katan).
After all, nothing can beat Ramen.
This is used when you support someone or you are a big fan of a person. It is often used when people talk about favorite idols, anime characters, and classmates. To ask “Who do you like the most?” , you can say 誰推し? (Dare oshi?)
Example sentence:
あの人は、橋本環奈推しだって。(Anohito wa, Hashimoto-Kanna oshi datte).
I heard that the person likes Kanna Hashimoto the most.
飛ぶ means to fly. 飛ぶぞ is used when you talk about food that is extremely delicious and mind blowing. This phrase can be used to talk about something that is super.
Example sentence:
これ食ってみな、飛ぶぞ (Kore kutte mina, Tobuzo)
Try eating this. It’s amazing.
量産型 means “Mass production type”. The phrase is often used to talk about common girl fashion style with make-up that many boys like (the make-up style is often called 地雷メイク/Zirai make-up with thick-soled shoes, and black&pink clothes). 量産型ヲタク can also be used to refer to Otaku who is crazy about idol groups.
Example sentence:
私、量産型ヲタクになりたい。(Watashi, Ryousangata otaku ni naritai)
I want to have the common girly style.
Another slang that is often used is きゅんです (Kyun desu). It means “My heart skipped a beat”. Every year, many new expressions are made and used mainly by young girls and they are often very funny and interesting.
I will introduce new slangs on this blog sometimes.
Have fun learning Japanese words and phrases!
Taka
Hi there. It has been a year since the spread of the coronavirus, but there is still no prospect of us being able to travel abroad again… I hope the situation will improve soon!
In this article, I have summarized what you need to know before coming to Japan. If you are interested in visiting or living in Japan, the info here might help.
Japanese food is mainly fish, seaweed, vegetables, beans, and rice, but nowadays, with the advent of internationalization, a wide variety of foods are available. If you like a healthy diet, I’m sure you will enjoy eating in Japan. However, there are still very few Halal restaurants and dishes, and many Japanese dishes contain fish-based seasonings called dashi, so vegans who do not eat fish or any other meat will have a hard time finding something they can eat. Even in Japan, the understanding of Halal, vegetarian and vegan food is still young, and there are some restaurants that claim to be vegan or vegetarian but offer dishes containing shrimp, squid, etc. or food with broth, so you need to be careful.
There are also many fermented foods such as natto (fermented soybeans) and tsukemono (pickled vegetables). If you are not fond of them, it is best to refrain from eating them.
When you go to a teishoku-ya (set meal restaurant), raw eggs are sometimes served, and many people generally eat them directly over rice. You may be very surprised when you see them for the first time, as they are not eaten raw in other countries. The quality control of eggs in Japan is excellent, so we can eat like this with no problem.
There are a variety of raw dishes, including sashimi, sushi, and “dancing food,” where live fish/prawns are eaten (or boiled a little. I don’t really like it and don’t want to eat it in this way to be honest… but some people love it) In a country like Australia, this kind of eating is punishable as “cruelty to animals”, but if you want to try it, you can do it in Japan.
Related posts
Japan has four seasons, and the average annual temperature varies from place to place. In Tokyo, the temperature ranges from 2°C to 31°C throughout the year, and it rarely gets below -0°C or above 34°C. Snow falls only a few times a year there. However, in the Tohoku area and Hokkaido, the lowest temperature in winter is around -7°C and it snows a lot. Okinawa, located in the south, has a mild climate with temperatures never dropping below 10°C throughout the year.
The best time to visit is in the Spring or Autumn. There are cherry blossom viewing and shopping sales in Spring, and in the Autumn, there are many cultural events and beautiful autumn leaves to see. The weather is also relatively stable in both seasons, making them the most popular seasons for tourists. By the way, many people choose to visit Kyoto during the summer vacation period, but be careful if you go sightseeing in Kyoto in the summer because it gets blazing hot there!
Related posts
English is now part of compulsory education from elementary school onwards in Japan, so if you speak to the average person in English, they will probably understand what you are saying to some extent. However, Japan is one of the least developed countries in the world in terms of English speaking skills, and many people are uncomfortable with English conversation. Also, many people are shy and try to avoid conversations with people they have never met before.
If you speak slowly to young people in their 40s or younger, you should have no problem having a simple conversation, even in English. If you talk to someone who is older than that, he/she may be surprised to find out that the person he/she is talking to is a foreigner, or may get nervous and avoid the conversation. However, basically everyone is kind and listens well to others, so if you speak slowly enough, they will make an effort to understand what you are trying to say.
If you can speak to them in simple Japanese, they will become less cautious and more likely to talk to you, so even if you don’t speak well, it is a good idea to be able to carry on a daily conversation in Japanese.
Japan is heavily influenced by Confucianism and Buddhism, and respecting and caring for others is considered a virtue. Unlike in the U.S. and many Western countries, most Japanese people are more concerned with how others think and feel about them than they are about themselves, and how they behave in public will affect how others perceive them. For example, even in the densely populated urban areas of Japan, almost everyone is very quiet on buses and trains, keeping silence so as not to disturb others around them. They don’t impose their opinions on others too much, and in the workplace, they show respect to others by giving detailed consideration to hierarchical relationships, seniority, and juniority, and by using polite language.
If you are unsure of how to behave, I recommend that you ask people around you and try to act like them until you will understand what to do/how to say. When someone does something nice for you, you can show your respect by simply bowing and saying “thank you”.
Since our daily life is based on such delicate human relationships, you might get disliked if you act in a way that is not considerate of others, such as being loud, too assertive, too friendly, using bad language or manners, or having a bad attitude. On the other hand, not doing these things (until you get to know the person well) will also show respect.
Related posts
The fastest way to learn about Japan’s unique culture is to actually come and live in Japan. Familiarity is better than learning from books. Perhaps Japan is the easiest place in the world for you to live (or maybe not, but it’s worth experiencing the different world!). When Corona is over, please come visit us!
日本に訪れる前に知っておくべき4つのこと
こんにちは。コロナウィルスの蔓延から1年が過ぎましたが、いまだに海外旅行が再び出来る目処が立っていません。早く状況が改善すると良いですね。
今回の記事では日本に来る前に知っておくことに関してまとめました。日本での生活に興味のある方は是非読んでみてください。
• 日本の食べ物について
日本料理は魚、海藻類、野菜、豆類、米類が中心ですが、現在では国際化が進み、様々な種類食べ物が手に入るようになりました。健康的な食生活が好きな方は日本での食生活をとても楽しめると思います。ただし、ハラール対応のレストランや料理がまだ少ないことと、多くの日本食にはダシと呼ばれる魚を使った調味料が使われているので、魚などの肉類も一切食べないヴィーガンの方は食べられるものを探すことに苦労すると思います。日本国内でもハラール、ベジタリアンやヴィーガンに対する理解がまだ浅く、ヴィーガンやベジタリアン料理と言いながらエビやイカなどを含んだ料理やダシを使った食べ物を提供しているお店もあるので注意が必要です。
また、納豆や漬物などの発酵食品も多いので苦手な方は食べることを控えると良いでしょう。定食屋さんに行くと、たまに生卵がそのまま提供されて一般的にそのままご飯にかけて食べる人が多いですが、日本の生卵は衛生上、管理が徹底されているのでこのように食べることができます。他の国では生では食べられないので初めて見ると非常に驚くかもしれません。
生の料理は様々な物があり、刺身や寿司はもちろん、「踊り食い」と呼ばれる、生きた魚/海老などをそのまま（もしくは少し茹でて）食べる料理もあります。私は苦手で、この様にして食べたいとは思いませんが、、、。オーストラリアなどではこのような食べ方が「動物に対する残虐な行為」として罰せられる対象となっていますが、挑戦してみたい方は日本で試してみるのも良いかもしれません。
• 訪れるのに良い季節は？
日本には四季があり、年間の平均気温は場所により差があります。東京都の1 年を通して気温は 2°Cから 31°Cほどで、-0°C 未満または 34°C を超えることは滅多になく、雪も年に数回降る程度です。しかし東北や北海道では冬の時期の最低気温は-7°Cほどで雪も多く降り、逆に南に位置する沖縄では年間を通して10°Cを下回ることがなく温暖な気候です。
訪れるのに最も良い時期は春か秋で、春には桜の花見やショッピングなどのセール、秋には紅葉を見たり文化系のイベントが多く開催されたりします。気候も比較的安定している時期なので観光客に最も人気の季節です。夏休みの時期に京都へ出かける人も多いですが、夏の京都は日照りがひどく、非常に暑いので観光の際は注意が必要です。
• 誰にでも話しかけて大丈夫？
英語は現在は小学生から義務教育で学んでいるので、一般人に英語で話しかけても、話の内容をある程度理解してくれるでしょう。しかし、日本は先進国の中でも英語による会話力が低く、英会話に関して苦手意識を持っている人が少なくありません。また、シャイな人が多く、初対面の人との会話は避けようとする人もいます。
全体的に見て、40代くらいまでの若い人に対してはゆっくりと話しかければ、英語であっても簡単な会話することは問題ないでしょう。それ以上の年齢の人では、相手が普段話をしない外国人だと驚くか、緊張して会話を避けてしまう傾向にあります。ただ、基本的にみんな親切でよく話を聞いてくれるので、ゆっくりと話せばあなたが何を伝えようとしているか努力して聞いてくれるでしょう。簡単な日本語で話しかけられれば警戒感は薄まり、話しやすくなるので多少でも、上手くなくても、日常会話を日本語で出来るようにしておくと良いです。
• 敬意を示すには？
日本は儒教や仏教の影響を大きく受けていて、相手を敬い、気遣う事が徳とされています。アメリカや多くの西洋諸国と違って、多くの日本人は自分のことよりも相手がどのように思うか、どの様に感じるかに関心を持っていて、公共の場での振る舞い方によって周りの人からの評価が変わってきます。例えば、日本の都市部には多くの人が密集している場所でも、バスや電車内ではほとんどみんなが周りの人の迷惑にならないように沈黙を守り、非常に静かです。
また、あまり相手に自分の意見を押し付けることはせず、職場などでは上下関係や先輩、後輩などの人間関係に関して細かな配慮を行い、丁寧な言葉遣いをすることで相手に敬意を示します。
細かな言葉使いや作法などがあり、それらを身につけるには時間がかかりますが、どの様に振る舞うべきなのか迷ったら、近くの人に色々と聞いてみたり、周りの人と同じように行動してみることをお勧めします。
この様に繊細な人間関係の上に日常生活があるので、「声が大きくうるさい」「自己主張が多すぎる」「フレンドリーすぎる」「言葉使いやマナーが悪い」「態度が悪い」など、他人のことを考えていない様な行動をすると嫌われます。逆にこれらを（相手と親しくなるまでは）行わない様にすることが敬意を示すことにもなります。相手があなたに何か良いことをしてくれた時に軽い会釈や「ありがとう」の一言を言うだけでも敬意を示すことが出来るので、常に周りの人のことを考えていれば円滑な人間関係を築くことができます。
日本の独特な文化を学ぶには「習うより慣れろ」で、実際に日本に来て生活してみることが一番早いです。もしかしたら、日本の生活はあなたにとって世界で一番過しやすいかもしれません。コロナが終息したらぜひ遊びに来てください！
Thank you for reading today’s post!
Until next time,
Taka
通信や交通手段が発達し、働き方も多様化してきた現在では、日本のみならず世界的に「他国への移住」がかつてないほど頻繁に行われています。現在、世界では70 億人の世界の人口のうち10 億人、つまり人口の7分の１は海外からの移住者と言われており、流動性が非常に高い現代社会に私たちは生活しています。移住者の受け入れに関しては文化や価値観の違いなど様々な問題もありますが、人の移動を上手く管理することができれば、よく移住に関して話される「頭脳/労働力の流出入」ということではなく、頭脳/労働力のシェアや循環としてより持続可能な社会を築きあげる事ができるでしょう。もちろん国により移住受け入れの状況は違いますが、ここ日本でもコロナショックが起きた2020年までは毎年外国人移住者が急速に増えてきています。
2020年1月1日時点で、日本に住む外国人人口は287万人で過去最高を記録しました。これは市町村別人口ランキング2位の大阪市（273万人）を超える数です。前年比増加数は20万人、増加率は7.48％、日本の総人口に占める割合は2.3％で過去最高を記録しました。
外国人人口が集中しているのは主に大都市圏で、都道府県別に見ると東京都が58万人と日本全体の外国人の20％を占めています。しかし、2019年頃から東京の外国人人口増加数は減ってきており、今まで外国人人口が少なかった地方地域の増加率が増えてきています。地方で外国人人口が多い県は、製造業が盛んな静岡県と、群馬県で、増加率ランキングでは宮崎県（＋19.4％）、沖縄県（＋17.4％）、鹿児島県（＋16.3％）等です。
2019年時点で日本に住んでいる外国人労働者（国別）の上位5国は下記の通りです。
| 在留の資格 | 人数 | 構成比 | 上位3カ国・地域 |
| 一般永住者 （結婚/家族として日本に移住など） | 793,164 | 27.0 | 中国 33%－フィリピン 16%－ブラジル 14% |
| 留学 | 345,791 | 11.8 | 中国 39%－ベトナム 24%－ネパール 8% |
| 特別永住者 （戦前日本に住み、その後留まることになった外国人など） | 312,501 | 10.7 | 韓国 89%－朝鮮 9%－台湾 0.3% |
| 技能実習 | 410,972 | 14.0 | ベトナム 50%－中国 23%－フィリピン 9% |
岐阜県の統計データによると、2020年6月末時点で県全体には約59,000人の外国人が住んでおり、高山市では892人と、どちらも増加傾向にあります。高山市の移住者の国別上位3国は①ベトナム266人②中国185人③韓国110人で、特にベトナムからの移住者の増加が顕著です。
また、厚生労働省が発表したデータによると、2019年10月時点の岐阜県の外国人労働者数は35,396 人で6年連続で過去最高人数を更新しており、外国人を雇用している事業所の数も増加傾向にあります。ハローワーク高山によると、外国人を雇用している事業所は181、外国人労働者は662人となっています。高山市に住む外国人労働者のうち30％は「専門的・技術的分野の 在留資格」を持っており、県内ではトップの割合です。職業に関しては、県全体で見ると製造/建設業に従事している外国人労働者が多いですが、観光業が盛んな高山市では30％が「宿泊業、飲食サービス業」関係の職についています。
日本では特にバブル期の80年代から90年代初頭までの間に、外国人の出稼ぎ労働者を多くの企業が受け入れて、外国人移住者が急増した時期がありましたが、その頃は外国人移住者の受け入れに対する法律や労働基準などが定まっておらず、違法な労働を強いる企業や違法滞在をする外国人が多くいました。しかし、近年は外国人の労働基準や人権保護、在留カードなどの移住者情報が整備されて、外国人移住者を単純な「人材」としてでなく、より「生活者」として地域と共生していく大切さが重要視されるようになってきています。そのような世の中の変化があり、外国人市民による犯罪件数も2005年から2019年までの間で7割も減ってきています。外国人市民の増加＝犯罪率の増加と考えている日本人も多いですが、実際は日本は外国人を受け入れる体制を整え始めた事で、犯罪率は大きく改善されてきています。（警察庁調査）
また、最近の日本政府の対応で、コロナにより技能実習生に対して特別措置として「転職」を認め、「特定活動」の在留資格を最大1年間与えることが決まりました。これまで技能実習制度で働いている外国人市民は転職が出来なかった為に職を制限されて批判されていましたが、外国人労働者に頼っている企業も増えており、待遇が見直されてきています。
現在の日本の平均寿命46才で世界的にも超高齢化社会に入ってきています。日本は2020年時点で65歳以上の高齢者率は約29%。世界で最も高齢化が進んでいる国です。加えて少子化が続いており、2008年の1億2,808万人をピークに人口は減少し続けています。2020年時点で1年間で50万人減少しており、高齢者を支える労働力がなくなってきています。
高山市の人口は2000年の97,023人をピークに減少を続けて来ており、2015年時点の89,182人と比較すると8.1%の大幅な減少となっています。その内高齢者は増加傾向にあり、2015年時点ですでに３割以上の高齢化率で、全国平均より約4%高い水準です。人口減少と高齢化による労働力の低下で事業の持続が困難になる事が懸念されており、少子高齢化対策の一つとして外国人労働者の受け入れを進めていくことがより求められてくる事と思われます。高山市の人口は2040年には1万8千人減少し、67,419人になる予測です。現在の人口増減の動向は、①若者が進学、就職などにより市外へ転出し、その後戻ってくる者が少ないことによる「社会減」、②出生数が死亡数を下回る「自然減」の2つがあります。今後の目標として、生産年齢人口における社会増減（転入数と転出数の差）を段階的に改善し、市は2045年までに、将来推計に対して年間300人の増となることを目指しています。
少子高齢化や大都市部への人口集中のため、現在全国１７００の日本の自治体のうち約９００に消滅の可能性があります。地方で外国人労働者の受け入れを進める事で、地方都市での人材不足を解消し、地域に活気を取り戻すことや、事業や文化の継承者を増やし日本のビジネスや文化芸術を世界に広める事につながります。
さまざまな国から違った視点やビジネスのあり方、生活方法などを取り入れて地域住民間で共有する事により新しい文化が生まれると共に、より国際的な繋がりを強めて発展することができるでしょう。
コロナウィルスの影響が長引き、外国人人口の減少が続けば、留学生や技能実習生など外国人労働者への依存度が高い企業は大きな影響を受け、外国人労働者の増加によって何とか維持されてきた分野の人材不足が深刻さを増すことが考えられます。
2012年初頭の現在、コロナで海外との関係が薄れてしまってはいますが、少子高齢化問題の解決の大きな一手として外国人労働者の受け入れ政策を進める体制は変わりません。逆に流入が停止している今の時期をチャンスと捉え、受け入れ体制をさらに整えておく必要があります（特に近年外国人労働者が増加するであろう地方都市において）。
例えば外国人が来やすい環境作りとして、外国人向けの日本語教育（やさしい日本語など）に力を入れたり、市役所案内の多言語化や外国人移住者による市内情報発信や生活支援（相談、支援、防災）などを整える事による共生の為の環境作りや、受け入れる日本人地域住民や企業関係の方々に向けた異文化理解や多文化共生の重要性を学ぶ機会を作り、相互理解を深められる政策を進めていくことが大切です。移住後に大きなカルチャーショックや地域住民とのトラブルにならないように、移住者に対して出発前と到着後の文化オリエンテーションと語学研修ができる環境作りもより必要になってきます。外国人市民とコミュニケーションを取る機会を作ることで、外国人市民を「見える化」し、同じ市民として認めていくことが大切です。
日本にとっては中長期的に滞在してくれる高度な人材を確保しておきたいところなので、日本の文化に「同化」することを強いるのではなく、相互理解による「統合」へ移行することで協力体制を整えていくことが必要となってきています。日本にとって多文化共生は持続可能な社会の構成に必要な要素となってきているので、今後ともさらに外国人の受け入れのあり方を検討していく必要があります。また、外国人と地域住民との交流や相互理解を通し、日本に移住してきた外国人の方が架け橋となって、日本の文化を学び、自国の文化を共有し、さらにその友達や家族へ繋がって広がっていくと大きな発展へと繋がっていく事と思われます。
参考資料：
総務省「住民基本台帳に基づく人口、人口動態及び世帯数」2020年8月5日発表
https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_news/s-news/01gyosei02_02000220.html
Nippon.com 日本人人口、初の50万人超の減少 : 外国人比率2.25%に上昇
https://www.nippon.com/ja/japan-data/h00791/
財務省 参考資料・日本の少子高齢化はどのように進んでいるのか
https://www.mof.go.jp/zaisei/reference/index.html
e-Stat 在留外国人統計（旧登録外国人統計）
https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&layout=datalist&toukei=00250012&tstat=000001018034&cycle=1&year=20190&month=24101212&tclass1=000001060399&tclass2val=0
高山市 高山市人口ビジョン
https://www.city.takayama.lg.jp/shisei/1005745/1012576.html
厚生労働省 「外国人雇用状況」の届出状況について（令和元年 10 月末現在）
https://jsite.mhlw.go.jp/gifu-roudoukyoku/content/contents/000598317.pdf
Family Planet Japan 令和3年度2月19日
※私たちの活動に関してより詳しい情報は：
https://hidanotaka.com/family-planet-japan/
Hi, this time I interviewed Fuchi-san, who moved from Japan to Uganda and talked about the life there and the importance of understanding different cultures.
【Questions/Topics】
ウガンダに移住して何年？ 1:20
How long is it since you moved to Uganda?
移住したきっかけは？ 1:57
What made you decide to move there?
出身地は？ 3:25
Where are you originally from?
日本で感じた違和感 4:05
Was it comfortable living there?
海外移住後の苦労 6:52
Was it hard at first?
現地での生活はどう？ 9:54
How is it to live there?
異文化に対する理解はある？13:55
About living with people from different cultures
日々の生活での苦労 15:32
Any difficulties living there?
ウガンダの良いところ 16:21
Good things about living in Uganda
様々な文化を学ぶ大切さ 20:51
The importance of knowing different cultures
日本から海外移住したい方へ 23:38
To Japanese who want to live abroad
自分らしい人生を送るために 26:43
To live the life you want
After the interview 28:25
Family Planet Japan は多文化共生/多様性ある社会の実現に向けて、
岐阜県高山市を中心に活動している団体です。
Family Planet Japan is an organization based in Takayama city in Gifu prefecture. We are working towards constructing harmonization of multicultural/diverse society in Japan.
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/familyplanetjapan
【Interview with Fuchi-san】
Hi, everyone! This time, I interviewed Fuchi-san, who moved from Japan to Uganda in Africa.
We talked about moving abroad and the importance of learning about different cultures.
Uganda is a country with a variety of ethnic groups and is full of beautiful nature.
With 97% of the population under the age of 65, there are a lot of young workers.
In recent years, various companies from abroad have moved into the country, and the GDP growth rate is over 6%, and the country is developing rapidly
Today, I would like to interview Fuchi-san, who moved from Japan to Africa.
Hi!
You and I actually went to high school together.
I never thought we would meet again in this way.
Yeah!
So, you are in Africa now! I would like to ask you some questions about how you got to Africa and how you are living there.You are in Uganda, and how long have you been there?
It’s been eight years.
That’s quite a long time!
Did you go to any other countries before you went to Uganda?
I only went to Vietnam and Taiwan for a short trip abroad.
I’ve been to the U.S., and I think many people from Japan often go to Europe, the U.S, Australia or Canada, but what made you decide to go to Uganda?
To tell you the truth, I wasn’t planning to come here at all. My priority was to leave Japan and live abroad, so it didn’t matter where I went. It didn’t matter where, as long as it wasn’t Japan. If I had the chance, it could have been England, the United States, or even Vietnam, but I had the opportunity to go to Uganda.
What was that opportunity?
When I was in my fourth year of university, I was looking for a job, and there was an opening at an NGO. And I found out that they had an overseas branch and there was a possibility that I would be stationed overseas. So I decided to go to Uganda, even though I didn’t know where it was.
That was a big change.
Yeah I guess it was!
Did you always have this idea of wanting to live abroad? Did you just want to leave Japan?
I don’t really remember now, but I was interested in English, so I wanted to work overseas using English in my work.
Where in Japan are you originally from, by the way?
I’m from Higashi Kurume, Tokyo, which is closer to Saitama. No one really knows the area lol
Oh well, I think there are some people who know the area!
It’s not like Shibuya or Setagaya, it’s a more rural part of Tokyo.
It’s a place that is not like the big city, Tokyo.
That’s right! haha
While living there, did you feel that you didn’t like Tokyo or Japan? Did you feel like you wanted to go abroad?
It was not a bad environment to live in. I think I got along well with my family, and it wasn’t like I had any problems with them. I didn’t have a difficult childhood, but I think my discomfort with life in Japan started to grow when I was a university student.
What did you feel uncomfortable about?
For example, when I was looking for a job during my university years. The university I went to was a very large university with a lot of students, but in my third year of university, everyone wore the same black suit to attend job interviews as if they were robots, and all the girls wore their hair in the same knot, like it had to be tied this way. If you had long bangs, you had to part them like this. The people who had been involved in various activities to emphasize the importance of individuality until they reached that age were reading the same books wearing the same clothes for employment. It made me feel uncomfortable, and I knew I couldn’t do that like others. And I thought, I can’t live like that. And be with others who just follow the suit.
Ahh I see. I think that most people who go abroad from Japan have a strong sense of discomfort about such things. I was the same way. I went to Florida for college. In Japan, everyone has a set life-course, like what university to graduate from by what age, where to get a job, how old to get married, when to rent an apartment, and how many years to pay the mortgage and so on. I went abroad because I had doubts about whether I could really live that way, so I can completely understand what you mean.
How did you feel after you moved to Uganda? I think it must have been quite difficult to get used to the culture, the different language, and the different food.
It was tough at times. The first year or two were really tough.
What was the hardest part?
When I felt like I was going through a tough time, I didn’t have any family nearby or friends I could talk to about anything. It would have been better if I could have talked on the videophone, but with the time difference and the fact that I didn’t have any friends nearby to talk to whenever I wanted to, I was alone and lonely. It was quite difficult.
It’s hard to find someone to talk to when you have a problem, isn’t it? How did you get over that?
I don’t know if I overcame it. lol It’s still hard sometimes. There are times when I feel like I’m having a hard time and there’s no one around me, I’m alone. There are many people who feel lonely even in Japan, and I think the difficulty is not so different.
In my case, I wanted to get out of Japan first, and I didn’t have a strong yearning for Uganda or a strong desire to do something for this place at first. So I didn’t get a huge shock by wanting to do what I want and not being able to do it because of the culture differences. Like saying “This is not the life I wanted living abroad!” I think it is hard for people when their expectations are betrayed. I did not have excessive expectations, so it was not a big setback.
I think that might be one of the most important things in order to live well in a foreign country. We often interview foreign migrants who are living in Japan, and they all have culture shock when they first start living in Japan, and they say that if you expect too much from life in Japan, the gap between the reality and your expectations will widen, and the shock will get bigger and harder to bear, so the key to living well in Japan or in a different country is not to expect too much. I think this is really important.
We tend to imagine the ideal life in a different place and expect too much, so.
How do you like the food and lifestyle in Uganda?
I do miss Japanese food, but I get used to it here. I’m not a person who has always been very picky. There is no such thing as a food that I don’t like or won’t eat, so I am able to enjoy my time here.
If you are a person who is very picky, it may be difficult to change your environment. You have to be flexible to fit in. That may be another important thing to enjoy living abroad.
I’ve never been to Uganda, but can you tell me briefly what it’s like? What are the people like in the city?
There are many different kinds of people here. Some live in high-class apartments with 10 or more floors and drive BMWs or Mercedes-Benzes, and shop at expensive supermarkets and eat fancy food. If you move around a little bit, you will find other people who live barefoot in a small room on the ground floor made of clay bricks, have five children and cousins living there, and have several children who cannot go to school due to lack of school fees.
Is there a big gap between the rich and the poor compared to Japan?
I think so.
After living in Uganda for 8 years, do you feel that the gap between the rich and the poor is getting better? Or has it not changed much?
I don’t think it has changed much. If anything, it may be widening.
What kind of foods do you eat there?
People eat rice, a lot of potatoes ,and sweet potatoes. Also a kind of banana called Matoke. It’s a white banana that you can’t peel without a knife. It turns yellow when you boil it.
That’s interesting and sounds healthy.
Food here is high in fiber.
What kind of annual events and cultural activities do you have?
Do you have events like festivals?
Compared to Japan, we don’t have a lot of national events. The reason for this is that there are many religions and people with different backgrounds. But about 80% of the people are Christian, so Christmas and Easter are the major events I guess. For Muslims, the Muslim holidays is a big event.
How is the relationship with foreign immigrants in Uganda?
I think it is very open and welcoming. Many of our neighboring countries are economically/politically unstable, so we accept a lot of refugees from there. Even in daily life, I meet African people who I feel are not Ugandans, and there are many foreigners like me. There are also a lot of second and third generation foreigners who have immigrated to Uganda.
There is a lot of diversity!
Yes. That’s why I feel comfortable here and have been here for eight years.
Is there any discrimination or prejudice?
Yeah we do have. There is discrimination against us, foreigners, and even between tribes. Well, I guess it happens everywhere to some extent.
But it sounds comfortable to have such a diverse group of people living in a place together. I like that kind of environment
Yeah, I think it’s a very diverse place compared to other places.
What are some of the challenges you face in Uganda?
Medical care and such is very difficult. If you get sick or something, you might not be able to get proper medical care. The standard of medical care is low to begin with, so no matter how good a hospital is, there are limits in what they can do. In case of serious illness, people who have money get medical visas and go to overseas hospitals for treatment. They go to India, Thailand, or the United States.
On the other hand, what are good things about Uganda?
It is a good environment for raising children.
You mean, neighbors help each other and they are supportive?
People help each other very naturally. For example, when I take a cab, people around me help my child get into the cab, and when I take my child to a restaurant, the worker there takes care of him/her.
That’s nice.
What I also like is that people do not judged by my age, gender, nationality, or education. I am married to a Ugandan man and we have a half Ugandan child. He looks different, but there are many such children and they are living with no problems. Also, there are lots of female principals, and no one cares about your college education. In the first place, people here don’t know about all the prominent universities. The students who attend the college also vary in age and have different backgrounds. Like, my husband is married with children, but he is attending college, and there are many such people, and many older people taking courses as well. There are children who have stayed in elementary school and are of different ages in the same school. This kind of diverse environment is easy for me to live in.
That’s nice. In Japan, there are stereotypes about what a job should be like, how women should not be able to enter the workforce, who should do what job, how we should value our relationships with people because they are from famous universities, and so on.
It seems that in Uganda, people look at humanity rather than just checking status.
Yes. There are also families with adopted children, and many people who are albinos, who look completely different from other Africans. I think it is wonderful to have the opportunity to live with such a variety of people. It makes me feel better that I can live my life without worrying about the people around me just because I am a foreigner.
It’s a place where you can live your own life without being judged by others around you or by your social position.
I think so.
I’d like to visit there someday!
You should! Being in contact with people of different races and with different opinions is something that Japan needs now, and I want everyone to have that kind of experience.
Japan is an island nation, and when you are in it, you tend to think that what you see is all in the world.
Particularly for a country like Africa, which is so far away from Japan, I think people tend to have a fixed image. For example, there are many poor children in Africa, and if you were to go to Africa from Japan, you would do something to help them. But here in Africa, people are living their own lives. So you don’t have to think, “It’s a poor place, so I must go there and do something for them”and bother.
If you want to go abroad, you should go there because you want to!
Yes, I think that’s important. From the Japanese point of view, we don’t want such people coming to our country, do we? We can’t welcome people who come to Japan saying things like, “I feel sorry for Japanese people, so I have to go there to help them!”. I think it’s great if they come to Japan to enjoy the country and culture, but if they come to Japan just to do something that they think is right, that’s arrogant in a way and it will be a nuisance.
Of course there are some people who are really dedicating themselves to make some great improvement, but you can take it easy like I did.
You can move to a place you like and live there first, interact with the local people, and then you may find something to improve the place. It would be a misunderstanding if you start out by saying, “I’m here to make improvements!!” without knowing people living there, wouldn’t it?
That’s right. If you are too ambitious before you move to a new place, you may end up destroying your ideals after you actually move there, thinking, “I can do more, I wasn’t supposed to be like this,” and you won’t be able to enjoy your life there. It is important to see more of the daily life of the people there by living together.
Do you have any advice for people who want to move from Japan to overseas or want to get married with people abroad?
I think they should study hard. Even if you are not looking for a job, but just want to get married and live abroad, you will not be able to fully enjoy your stay unless you can speak the language of the country. If you can speak the language, the people around you will accept you. You may not know where you will live in the future, but I think it is important to read books and study hard. But that doesn’t mean that you should go to college, attend classes diligently, or go to cram schools. It’s about having an attitude of questioning and pursuing what’s going on around you, and that’s studying in a broad sense. If you like music, it’s fine to study music, if you like cooking, it’s fine to study cooking, but don’t quit trying to learn more about something you have questions about or are really interested in.
I often have the opportunity to meet young university students who come to Uganda to volunteer, and there are many who say, “Studying is useless,” or “We don’t need to study for actual communication,” or “In the end, as long as you have feelings and enthusiasm, you will be fine”. But having more knowledge is important. Not only learning language but also history. Africa is a country with the painful history where many people were enslaved and many were killed in the past.
You may just enjoy your stay without knowing the history.
But you should learn the history of the area if you are staying/living
abroad for a while.
So it is important to learn the history of the country, learn the language, and gain in-depth knowledge of what you are interested in.
Yes. Even in Japan, I would be happy if people who come to Japan know a lot about Japan.
There are times when I feel embarrassed when foreigners know things about Japan that even most Japanese people don’t know.
So I think it is important to try to gain knowledge no matter where you are/will be.
And even if you find it hard to live in the place where you are now, or you don’t like your current life, if you go abroad, it might be normal, and the pain you have been suffering might disappear. If you take a step out into the world, life may become easier, so don’t be too depressed if you are struggling in the place where you are now. The cause of your problems may be your family environment, your appearance, or your life, but if you find it hard to live, I think studying hard and going abroad is one way to lead your life as you want.
I think it’s important to remember that the world you see now is not all there is and to make efforts for a better life.
Thank you very much for letting me interview you for so long!
・After the interview
This time, I interviewed Fuchi-san, who moved to Uganda from Japan. I was very happy to know that my classmate from high school is doing well in a different country. We usually interview foreign migrants who have moved to Japan, but this time I interviewed someone who has moved from Japan to overseas. I realized that the key to successfully living in another country is to blend in with the culture of the place without preconceived notions and not to expect too much. If you live in Japan(or in your country) and feel like what you see is the whole world and it’s hard to live here, I think it’s important to know that there are other worlds and broaden your horizons. It’s hard to move around because of Coronavirus now, but I think the number of foreign migrants coming to Japan will increase, and I guess there will be more opportunities for people to move from Japan to other countries to find the life they want.
We will continue to interview various people and work towards understanding and sharing the importance of living people with different backgrounds. Please subscribe to our Youtube channel and Like us, and check out our Facebook page as well. Thank you for watching. See you next time!
See you next time,
Taka
Happy Lunar new year to my Asian friends ㊗️ 🎉
A new instrumental album called “Multiculturalism” is available now.
It’s available everywhere online. Let’s make this year a great one!
Made for your inspiration ☘️
___________________________________
Music by Takahiro Hara
Artwork by Gaku Yamazaki
【Multiculturalism】
一.Multicolors 0:00
二.Rise 3:25
三.Dance of Spirits 6:40
四.Lotus 9:21
五.Stargazer 13:52
六.The Ancient Bond 18:25
七.All here together 22:06
Link to this album https://linkco.re/46UYRh81?lang=en
(available on iTunes/Spotify/Apple music and more)
My Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/taka.composer/
Thank you for listening!
More works to come…🎧
Brunei is a Muslim country located in the northern part of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. The capital is Bandar Sri Bhagavan, and the Istana Nurul Iman Palace in the capital is the residence of the current king (The palace is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as one of the largest palaces in the world, with 1,788 rooms and 257 bathrooms). The name of the country, Brunei Darussalam, means “Eternally peaceful Brunei”.
The population is about 430,000, and the land area is 5,765 square meters, which is about the same size as Mie Prefecture in Japan, but thanks to the abundant oil and natural gas, the per capita income level is high, and social welfare is excellent. Although the constitution stipulates that the official language is Malay, English is also spoken, and Chinese is also used to some extent.
As for the governance and politics of the country, the Sultan, a Muslim monarch, has been in power since the country achieved independence from Britain in 1984. The Sultan is also the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Finance, and the head of Islam in Brunei, and can exert executive power unconstrained by politicians, parliament, or the judiciary. In this article, let’s learn about the relationship between Brunei and Japan.
During World War II, the British forces that controlled Brunei were eliminated by the Japanese, and the country was ruled by Japan from 1942 until the end of the war in 1945. After the war, Brunei returned to British rule, but regained its sovereignty as a fully independent country in 1984. At that time, formal diplomatic relations were established with Japan.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Japan and Brunei have developed a good relationship based on energy resources. Japan has long been Brunei’s largest trading partner, with 90% of Brunei’s natural gas exports going to Japan.
In recent years, youth exchange has been very active, with the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) program for the 21st Century coming into effect in 2007, and JENESYS 2.0 coming into effect in 2013. The Cabinet Office’s “Ship for Southeast Asian Youth” program has also helped promote mutual understanding.
Sports exchanges are also flourishing. Badminton is popular in both countries and Judo is gaining popularity in Brunei thanks to the Brunei Judo Federation Brunei, which started operating in April 2018. In addition, with the cooperation of the Brunei Ministry of Education and Brunei University, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and the Japanese Language Speech Contest are held every year, and exchanges through the Japanese language are also taking place.
When the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in 2011, Japan received donations of approximately 100 million yen from the Bruneian government and approximately 23.84 million yen from the private sector, as well as messages of support.
Brunei, which is supported by natural resources and boasts the second highest GDP among the ASEAN countries after Singapore, is a popular destination for those seeking a rich and peaceful environment.
There are no tuition fees for public schools and nine years of education, and scholarships of approximately 29,000 yen per month are distributed to Bruneian university students, and there are also scholarships available for students to attend universities abroad. In addition to the cost of education, medical care at public hospitals is free, and there are no personal income taxes or consumption taxes, and utility bills are low. Also, because it belongs to a tropical rainforest climate, it rains all year round, is hot and humid, and the average temperature is 28 degrees Celsius. It is a good environment for those who like a warm climate.
However, entertainment is scarce and freedom is limited to some extent. In Brunei, the state religion is Islam, and for religious reasons, alcohol is not sold and there are no nighttime entertainment stores. Pork is also banned. The government can shut down the media, and there are severe restrictions on expression and reporting, which is why Brunei is ranked 152nd according to the 2020 World Press Freedom Index. Also, the country is overly dependent on natural resources, and when resource prices are low, the growth rate drops significantly, and resource depletion is also a problem. Therefore, in recent years, the country has been making efforts to break away from its dependence on natural resources through tourism and the production of local products.
As partners in Asia, I hope that Japan and Brunei will continue to deepen their relationship and develop together.
日本とブルネイ：エネルギー資源を中心とした良好な国交
ブルネイとはどんな国？
ブルネイは東南アジアのボルネオ島北部に位置するイスラム教国です。首都はバンダル・スリ・ブガワンで、その首都にあるイスタナ・ヌルル・イマン宮殿は現国王の居城となっています（宮殿は世界最大級の宮殿としてギネスブックにも掲載されています。中には1788もの部屋に、257の浴室があります）。国名の｢ブルネイ・ダルサラーム｣は｢永遠に平和なブルネイ｣を意味します。
人口は約43万人で、国土は5,765㎡と三重県とほぼ同じ大きさですが、豊富な石油・天然ガスの恩恵で一人当たりの国民の所得水準が高く、社会福祉も充実しています。民族はマレー系が6割を占め、憲法で公用語はマレー語と定められていますが英語も使用され、広華人の間では中国語もある程度用いられています。
国の統治と政治に関しては、1984年にイギリスからの独立を達成して以降、スルタンというイスラム教国の君主が国家において権力を持ち続けています。スルタンは、首相、外務大臣、国防大臣、財務大臣、そしてブルネイのイスラム教の長を兼ねており、政治家や議会、司法にも制約されずに執行権を及ぼすことができます。今回はブルネイと日本の関係について学んでいきましょう。
日本との国交関係
第二次世界大戦中、ブルネイを支配していた英国軍を日本軍が排除し、 1942年から1945年の終戦までは日本が戦時統治していました。戦後は再び英国による統治に戻りましたが、1984年に完全な独立国として主権を回復しました。その際に日本との正式な国交関係も樹立しています。
日本とブルネイは国交樹立以来、エネルギーを基盤とした良好な関係を築いてきました。日本は長年にわたりブルネイ最大の貿易相手国であり、ブルネイの天然ガスの90％は日本への輸出になっています。
近年では青少年交流が活発に行われており、2007年からは「21世紀東アジア青少年大交流計画（JENESYS）」や、2013年からは「JENESYS2.0」が施行されています。また、内閣府「東南アジア青年の船」事業等も相互理解の促進に繋がっています。
スポーツ交流も盛んで、バドミントンや2018年4月に発足したブルネイ柔道連盟ブルネイの影響でブルネイでは柔道が普及しつつあります。また、ブルネイ教育省及びブルネイ大学の協力の元、「日本語能力試験」「日本語弁論大会」が毎年開催されており、日本語を通じた交流も行われています。
2011年に東日本大震災が起きた際には、日本はブルネイ政府から約1億円と民間から約2384万円の義援金と寄せ書き等のメッセージも受け取りました。
ブルネイは平和を求める人々の移住先としても人気
天然資源に支えられ、ASEAN諸国の中でシンガポールに次いで2位というGDPの高さを誇るブルネイは、豊かで平和な環境を求める人にとって移住先として人気です。
公立学校の学費や9年間の教育費も無料で、ブルネイ人大学生には毎月約29,000円の奨学金が配られ、海外の大学に進学しても奨学金があります。教育費だけでなく、公立病院の医療費も無料で個人の所得税や消費税などの税金もかからず光熱費も安いです。また、熱帯雨林気候に属しているため1年中雨が多く高温多湿で平均気温は28℃。暖かい気候が好きな人には良い環境で治安も良いです。
ただし娯楽は少なく、自由はある程度制限されています。ブルネイでは国教がイスラム教で、宗教上の理由で、お酒は販売されておらず、夜の娯楽店がありません。また豚肉も禁止されています。ブルネイでは、政府によるメディアの閉鎖が可能で、表現や報道に厳しい制限が設けられているため、2020年の世界の報道自由度指数によると、そのランキングは152位とされています。
そして、天然資源に依存しすぎている為に、資源価格が低迷すると成長率も著しく低下してしまい、資源の枯渇も問題視されています。その為、近年は観光や特産品の製作などに資源依存からの脱却に力を入れています。
同じアジアのパートナーとして日本とブルネイは今後もより関係を深め、共に発展して行けるように願っています。
参考：外務省, 日本アセアンセンター
Thank you for reading today’s post.
Until next time,
Taka
この動画はTwitterにて日々更新中の1分間英語塾の総集編です。
聞き流し英語学習にご活用ください
Lesson 1 「新年の目標を立てる」を英語でいうと？0:08
Lesson 2 「コロナウィルスの変異種」を英語でいうと？ 0:37
Lesson 3 「イベントの開催を控える」を英語でいうと？ 1:18
Lesson 4 「緊急事態宣言」を英語でいうと？ 2:17
Lesson 5 「アニメが映画化する」を英語でいうと？ 3:09
Lesson 6 「賛否両論 」を英語でいうと？ 4:04
Lesson 7 「成人式」を英語でいうと？ 4:56
Lesson 8 「医療崩壊 」を英語でいうと？5:50
Lesson 9 「気持ちを入れ替える」を英語でいうと？ 6:26
Lesson 10 「異常気象」を英語でいうと？ 7:11
Lesson 11 「ストレス発散」を英語でいうと？ 7:57
Lesson 12 「新しい挑戦をする」を英語でいうと？ 8:49
Lesson 13 「日本はロックダウンが法律上できない」を英語でいうと？ 9:48
Lesson 14 「私の覚えている/知る限りでは」を英語でいうと？ 10:41
Lesson 15 「私は飽きっぽい」を英語でいうと？ 11:44
Lesson 16 「最近どう（元気）？」の言い方5選 12:37
Lesson 17 「あっという間」を英語でいうと？ 13:38
Lesson 18 「家でだらだらする」を英語でいうと？ 14:40
Lesson 19 「寒暖差が激しい」を英語でいうと？ 15:18
Lesson 20 「情報発信する」を英語でいうと？ 16:12
Lesson 21 「衝動買いをした」を英語でいうと？ 17:12
Lesson 22 「塵も積もれば山となる」を英語でいうと？ 18:00
Lesson 23 「最先端の〜 」を英語でいうと？18:57
Lesson 24 「予算オーバー」を英語でいうと？ 19:47
Lesson 25 「常識の範囲で 」を英語でいうと？20:32
Lesson 26 「同感です」を英語でいうと？ 21:15
Lesson 27 「（仕事の）引き継ぎ 」を英語でいうと？22:06
Lesson 28 「働き方改革をする」を英語でいうと？ 23:04
【多文化共生支援団体 Family Planet Japan】
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Hi there. It has been a while since my last post, but I would like to continue with a brief introduction to the history of ASEAN countries and their diplomatic relations with Japan. The country I will focus on this time is Laos.
The official name of Laos is the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and it is the only country in ASEAN that does not face the sea. The country is about the same size as Japan’s Honshu Island (about 240,000 square kilometers), and its capital is Vientiane. The population is about 7.06 million. Laos, like Thailand and Cambodia, is a Buddhist country, but there are also people who follow animism and other religions.
Laos used to be called the “Lanexang Kingdom,” which means “a million elephants. The former royal capital of the Lanexang Kingdom, Luang Prabang, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is visited by many travelers. The red of the national flag represents the blood shed in the War of Independence, the blue represents the wealth of the country, and the white circle represents the moon rising over the Mekong River, signifying unification through communism. Laos has rich nature and resources, and although its GDP is one of the lowest among ASEAN countries, the country has seen remarkable economic growth in recent years due to hydroelectric power generation using the Mekong River and exploration of mineral resources such as gold, copper, and bauxite. Let’s learn about the history of Laos and its relationship with Japan.
In 1353, the Lan Xang Kingdom became the first unified state in Laos, and it prospered for about 350 years until 1710. In the 19th century, Laos became a part of French Indochina and was ruled by France. During World War II, Japanese troops advanced into Southeast Asia, and the Laotian government, in partnership with the Japanese, declared independence on April 8, 1945. Soon after, however, Japan was defeated and the country was at war with France, which wanted to rule the area again. In 1953, a formal independence treaty was finally signed with France, but this time, Laos was involved in a series of civil wars over political leadership, as well as the Vietnam War, and suffered from bombings by the United States. In 1974, with the end of the Vietnam War, the monarchy was ended and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was born the following year. Politically, Laos is a socialist country like Vietnam and China, but since 1986, the country has adopted a new policy to open up the economy and introduce market economic principles, privatizing state-owned enterprises, reforming the banking system and tax system, improving laws, and attracting foreign companies.
Japan and Laos are said to have traded ivory, furs, and perfumes during the Edo period (1603-1868). The two countries have a lot in common in terms of culture and customs, such as Buddhism and rice cultivation. In Laos, liquor production is also very active, and a distilled liquor called “Lao-Lao” is made from rice cakes, and a Lao black beer called “Beer Lao Dark” won the gold medal at the International Beer Competition held by the Japan Beer Association in 2007.
The official diplomatic relations between Japan and Laos were established on March 5, 1955, and the year 2020 marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Laos. In terms of trade, Laos exports coffee, silicon and other inorganic compounds, clothing, and other products to Japan, while importing mainly automobiles and mining equipment from Japan. Since the 2010s, foreign companies, including Japanese companies, have been increasing their presence in Laos due to the low labor costs in Laos (the number of Japanese companies more than doubled from 60 to 126 between 2012 and 2014).
Japan has provided many grant aid projects to Laos as part of its ODA, and has conducted exchanges in various fields such as cultural heritage preservation, sports exchange, and human resource development. There are also projects to promote cultural understanding among young people through school exchange programs and homestays, and it is hoped that the relationship will be further strengthened in the future. In Japan, there are more and more opportunities to experience and learn about Lao culture, such as cross-cultural exchanges at the Cultural Exchange Center and the Lao Festival.
It is difficult to go abroad to contact people overseas because of the coronavirus, but I believe that now is the time to learn the importance of cooperation with other countries and to understand the diversity of the world.I hope that Japan and Laos can continue to deepen their ties and build an even better relationship in the future.
ラオスと日本の国交：65年以上の良い関係
こんにちは。久しぶりの投稿となりましたが、引き続きASEAN諸国の歴史と日本との国交関係に関して簡単に紹介したいと思います。今回取り上げる国はラオスです。
ラオスの正式名称はラオス人民民主共和国で、ASEANでは唯一海に面していない国です。国土は日本の本州と同じくらいの大きさで（約24万平方キロメートル）、首都はビエンチャン、人口は約706万人です。ラオスはタイやカンボジアと同じく仏教国ですが、アニミズムやその他の宗教を信仰している人もいます。
ラオスは昔「100万頭の象」という意味を持つ「ランサーン王国」と呼ばれていました。ランサーン王国のかつての王都ルアンパバーンはユネスコの世界遺産であり、多くの旅行者が訪れています。国旗の赤は独立戦争で流された血、青は国の豊かさ、白丸はメコン川に昇る月を表しており、共産主義による統一を意味しています。ラオスには豊かな自然と資源があり、ASEAN諸国ではGDPが低い方ですが、メコン川を利用した水力発電や金や銅、ボーキサイトなどの鉱物資源の探鉱などで近年の経済成長率が著しい国です。そんなラオスの歴史と日本との関係を学んでいきましょう。
ラオスの歴史
1353年、ラオスではランサン王国が初めての統一国家となり、その後1710年までおよそ350年間繁栄しました。しかし内部分裂により王国が分断されるとタイやカンボジアの支配下に置かれ、19世紀には「仏領インドシナ」の一部としてフランスの支配下となりました。第二次世界大戦中は日本軍が東南アジアに進出し、日本軍と手を組んだラオス政府は1945年4月8日に独立を宣言しました。しかし間もなく日本が敗戦すると、再び統治を狙うフランスとの戦争となりました。戦争の結果、独立を勝ち取りますが、外交や軍事に関してはフランスが実権を握ったままでした。1953年になってようやく正式な独立条約がフランスとの間に結ばれましたが、今度は国内で政治的主導権をめぐって内戦が続き、さらにベトナム戦争にも巻き込まれてアメリカからの爆撃にも苦しみます。
1974年、ベトナム戦争終結を受けて王政を終了し、翌年にラオス人民民主共和国が誕生しました。政治的にはベトナムや中国と同じ社会主義国ですが、1986年以降は「新思考政策」として経済開放化と市場経済原理を導入し、国営企業の民営化や銀行制度や税制改革、法整備や、外国企業の誘致などに積極的に取り組んだ結果、近年の大きな経済成長につながったと考えられています。
日本との国交関係
日本とラオスは江戸時代の頃には象牙、毛皮、香料などの交易を行っていたと言われています。また、両国では仏教や稲作などの文化・習慣面でも多くの共通点があります。ラオスでは酒作りも盛んで、餅米から「ラオ・ラーオ」という蒸留酒を造ったり「ビアラオ・ダーク」と言うラオスの黒ビールが日本地ビール協会主催「インターナショナル・ビアコンペティション」において2007年に金賞を受賞しています。
日本とラオスとの正式な国交関係は1955年3月5日で、2020年に日本とラオスは外交関係樹立65周年となる節目を迎えました。1955年以降、双方の要人が互いの国への訪問を幾度となく行い関係を深めてきました。日本は橋やダムなどの大型インフラの建設や教育環境、保険医療サービスの改善など多くの経済的・人的支援を行ってきており、貿易では、ラオスは日本へコーヒー、ケイ素などの無機化合物や衣類などを輸出し、日本からは主に自動車や鉱山用機械の輸入などをしています。また、2010年代からはラオスの人件費の安さから、日本を含む海外企業のラオスへの進出も増えてきています（日本企業数は2012年から2014年で60社から126社と倍以上増加しています）。
文化交流
日本はODAのプロジェクトとしてラオスに多くの無償協力を実施しており、文化遺産保存、スポーツ交流、人材育成等様々な分野で交流を行ってきています。大学の交流やホームステイなどを通して、若者を中心にお互いの文化理解を促進する事業も行われており、今後の更なる関係の強化が望まれています。日本国内でも文化交流センターでの異文化交流やラオスフェスティバルが開かれたりと、ラオスの文化に触れ、学ぶ機会が増えてきています。
コロナウィルスの影響で海外との繋がりが絶たれてしまっていますが、今こそ改めて各国との関係協力の大切さを学び、多様性ある世界の理解が必要な時だと思います。日本とラオスは今後とも繋がりを深め、より良い関係を築き上げて行けたら良いですね。
Thank you for reading today’s post!
Until next time,
Taka
Hi there! It is getting colder and colder in Japan, and there are more days with snow.
This time, I wrote about the history of Myanmar (Burma) and its relationship with Japan. If you are in Japan, you may not be aware of the connection with Myanmar, but in recent years, the economic ties between the two countries are getting stronger.
The population of Myanmar is about 54.45 million, and the average age is 28. The yellow color on the national flag symbolizes national unity, the green color represents peace and a rich natural environment, and the red color represents courage and determination. The white star in the middle of the flag represents the meaning of Myanmar’s “geographical and ethnic unity”. Myanmar has a land area of 680,000 square kilometers, which is about 1.8 times the size of Japan.
Until 2006, the capital of Myanmar was Yangon, which is by the sea, but now it is Nay Pyi Taw, located in the middle of the country. Burmese people make up 60% of the population, and Burmese is the official language. But Myanmar is a multi-ethnic country with 138 ethnic minorities living there, including the Karen, Kachin, Kayah, Rakhine, Chin, Mon, Shan, and the Chinese-born Kokang in the northeast. There are many ethnic groups with their own languages. 90% of people follow Buddhism, and there are also people who believe in Christianity and Islam.
Myanmar became a colony of Great Britain in 1886 as a result of three wars with Britain, which had expanded into Asia. After that, a movement for independence against the British arose and Myanmar requested support from Japan. The Japanese army and Myanmar’s General Aung San and others fought together and established the state of Burma in 1943. This time, however, the Japanese continued to rule, and in response, Myanmar asked for help from the British and their allies, and by April 1945, the Japanese were driven out. From then on, the country negotiated with the British for independence, which was officially granted in 1948.
After independence, several military coups occurred, and in 1989, Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy and daughter of General Aung San, was placed under house arrest. At that time, the military regime abandoned the name of the Union of Burma and changed the country’s name to the Union of Myanmar. However, in 2010, the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, became a legitimate political party. And in 2011, Thein Sein took office as president, ending the military rule.
The year 2021 marks the 67th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Myanmar. Japan has benefited from many aspects of diplomatic relations with Myanmar. After World War II, Myanmar was the only country in Asia that provided food aid to Japan. Despite the fact that Japan turned the former Burma into a tragic battlefield, many Japanese were saved by the large amount of rice that Myanmar sent to Japan when Japan was facing food shortages after its defeat in the war.
In terms of human resources, the number of Myanmarese who work/study in Japan has been increasing in recent years, and according to the statistics on foreign residents, there are approximately 25,000 Myanmarese residing in Japan (as of June 2018). Of these, about 3,000 are in advanced human resources and full-time employee status, and about 6,000 each are in “technical intern training” and “study abroad,” which is about the same size as Thailand. This number has increased by about 2.5 times between 2014 and 2018.
Myanmar also has strong trade ties with Japan, with Myanmar exporting clothing, shoes, beans, electrical appliances, and shrimp to Japan, and Japan exporting transportation equipment, machinery and appliances, electrical appliances, and chemical equipment to Myanmar.
Myanmar has been a target for foreign investment since 2011, as consumption has expanded in line with recent democratization and economic growth. Myanmar is also known as “Asia’s last frontier” with many undeveloped business fields, and is now considered a promising destination for factories. For example, in 2013, the Internet penetration rate was in the 1% range and cell phone penetration was very limited, but it has since developed rapidly and most people now have smartphones now.
Japanese brands such as Panasonic, Hitachi, Sony, and Canon, as well as cosmetics brands such as Kanebo and Shiseido, are well known and highly valued. In terms of industry, the industrial park that opened in September 2015 has been designated as a special economic zone, and 25 of the 49 companies that have advanced into the park are Japanese companies.
As a multi-ethnic country, Myanmar has many problems such as conflicts of opinion among ethnic groups, but it is also a country with very promising growth prospects in terms of business. As more and more Japanese companies move into the country, it is expected that Japan will strengthen its system for accepting young and talented Myanmarese.
We should pay attention to the further building of relations in the future!
日本とミャンマー（ビルマ）の関係
こんにちは。日本では冬も本格的に寒くなってきて雪が降る日が多くなりました。
さて、今回は日本とミャンマーの歴史と日本との関係に関しての記事です。普段日本に住んでいるとミャンマー（ビルマ）との繋がりを意識することは少ないかもしれませんが、近年は経済的にも繋がりが強くなってきています。
ミャンマーの人口は約5,445万人で平均年齢は28歳です。国旗に描かれている黄色は国民の団結、緑は平和と豊かな自然環境、赤は勇気と決断力を象徴しており、真ん中に描かれた白い星はミャンマーが「地理的・民族的に一体化する」と言う意味が表されています。国土面積は68万平方キロメートルで日本の約1.8倍です。
ミャンマーの首都は2006年までは海に面したヤンゴンでしたが、現在はより国の真ん中に位置するネピドーです。ミャンマーは人口の6割をビルマ族が占め、ビルマ語が公用語ですが、多民族国家でカレン族、カチン族、カヤー族、ラカイン族、チン族、モン族、シャン族、北東部に中国系のコーカン族など、実に138種類に分かれる少数民族が生活していて、独自の言語を持つ民族も多い国です。宗教は仏教が9割を占めるほか、キリスト教、イスラム教等を信仰する人々もいます。
ミャンマー（ビルマ）の歴史
ミャンマーでは王政だった19世紀の1886年に、アジアに進出してきたイギリスと3度の戦争を行った結果、イギリスの植民地となりました。その後は対英独立運動が起こり、日本に支援を要請します。日本軍とミャンマーのアウン・サン将軍らが共に戦い、1943年にビルマ国を建国します。しかし今度は日本軍の支配が続き、逆にイギリスおよびその同盟組織に協力を要請し、1945年4月までに日本軍を追いやりました。以降、イギリスとの間で独立に関する交渉を行い、1948年に正式に独立が認められました。
独立してからは何度もクーデターが起き、89年には民主化を求める国民民主連盟のリーダーでありアウン・サン将軍の娘であるアウン・サン・スー・チーさんが自宅軟禁されます。この時に軍政はビルマ連邦の名を捨て、ミャンマー連邦に国名が変わりました。その後、軍政下のミャンマーでは外国との交流も滞り、国民の自由が制限され、経済も停滞して行きましたが徐々に民主化が進み、2010年にアウンサンスーチー率いる国民民主連盟（NLD）が合法政党化され、2011年にはテイン・セイン氏が大統領に就任し軍政が終わりました。
近年の日本との国交の歴史
2021年は日本とミャンマーの外交関係樹立67周年にあたる年で、日本はミャンマーとの国交関係において多くの恩恵を受けています。戦後、ミャンマーは日本に食料支援を行ったアジアで唯一の国で、旧ビルマを悲劇の戦場にし敗戦し戦後食糧難に直面していた日本に、食料支援としてミャンマーが大量のお米を日本に送り、多くの日本人の命が救われています。
人材面においては、近年日本で活躍するミャンマー人が増えており、在留外国人統計によれば日本に在留しているミャンマー人は約2万5,000人となっています（2018年6月時点）。 その内、高度人材および正社員ステータスが約3,000人で「技能実習」と「留学」がそれぞれ約6,000人であり、タイと同じくらいの規模です。この数は2014年から2018年にかけて約2.5倍に増えています。
また、日本とは貿易面での繋がりも深くなっており、ミャンマーから日本へは衣類、靴、豆類、電化製品、エビなどが輸出され、日本からは輸送機器、機械器具、電化製品、化学機器などがミャンマーに輸出されています。
アジアのラストフロンティア
ミャンマーは近年の民主化と経済成長に伴って消費が拡大しており、2011年から外国企業の投資対象になっています。未開発のビジネス分野が多く「アジア最後のフロンティア」とも言われており、工場の進出先として有望と見なされるようになっています。例えば、2013年時点ではインターネット普及率が１％台で携帯電話の普及率も非常に限られていましたが、その後急速に発展し、現在ではほとんどの国民がスマートフォンを持っている状況となっています。
日本ブランドに対する認知度や評価も高く、パナソニックや日立、ソニー、キヤノンといったブランドやカネボウや資生堂といった化粧品ブランドが知られています。また、工業では2015年9月にオープンした工業団地が経済特区に指定され、進出した49社のうち、25社が日本企業だそうです。
多民族国家であるため民族間での意見の対立など、ミャンマー国内で抱える問題も多いですが、ビジネス面などでも成長が非常に有望な国です。今後、より多くの日本企業が進出していく中、若く優秀なミャンマー人を日本が受け入れていく体制が強まっていくと予想されます。これからの更なる関係構築に注目していきたいですね。
Thank you for reading today’s post!
Until next time,
Taka
Happy New Year! It’s 2021 already. This year I could not go back to Tokyo during the New years holidays due to the spread of the virus in city areas… it seems that we have to live with the virus a little longer. Wherever you are, please stay safe and well.
The topic this time is about the relations between Cambodia and Japan. Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy located in the southern part of the Indochinese peninsula in Southeast Asia. The Cambodian currency, the 500 riel bill, has a Japanese flag on it along with the Cambodian flag. Cambodia’s land size is about half of Japan, and its population is 16.25 million (as of 2018). It is estimated that 90% of the population is Cambodian (Khmer). The capital is Phnom Penh, which means “Hill of Pen (Mrs.). As for religion, more than 90% of the Cambodian people follow Buddhism, but some minority groups follow Islam and Christianity. In this article, I will introduce the history and diplomatic relations between Cambodia and Japan.
In the area where Cambodia is now located, the Angkor dynasty flourished from the 9th to 13th centuries and ruled most of the Indochinese peninsula. During the time of the Khmer dynasty, the country built large-scale stone architectures as represented by the Angkor monuments, and the Khmer kingdom at its peak ruled most of Southeast Asia. Incidentally, in the 1540s, the Portuguese brought pumpkins from there to Japan, and Cambodia became the origin of the word “Pumpkin” in Japan (we call it “Cabocha”). In the early Edo period in Japan, a Japanese town was formed in Cambodia, and ink writings by Japanese have been left at Angkor Wat. However, after the 14th century, the kingdom’s power declined due to invasions by Thailand and Yuan (China), and by the end of the 19th century, it became the Kingdom of Cambodia, a French protectorate.
Later, when the Pacific War broke out, the Japanese invaded Cambodia and overpowered the French army, and Cambodia declared its independence. It is said that Japan wanted to support the independence of Asian countries and build a foundation to compete with the Western powers. However, when Japan was defeated on August 15, 1945, Cambodia was once again placed under French rule. Even so, Cambodia continued its independence movement, and as a result, France, which had lost the national power to maintain its colonies after World War II, finally recognized Cambodia’s complete independence, and Cambodia became fully independent as the Kingdom of Cambodia (King Sihanouk) in 1953. Cambodia was thus at the mercy of outside forces for a long time and then maintained peace until the 1960s after independence. After that, however, the country was in turmoil due to civil war.
In the 1970s, when the Vietnam War started, the U.S. invaded Cambodia, Vietnam’s neighboring country, and expelled Sihanouk in order to advance the war. In 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed, ending the Vietnam War, and the U.S. military withdrew from Cambodia. When the pro-American Lon Nol regime that had ruled Cambodia lost power, the pro-Chinese, communist Pol Pot came to power. At that time, the communist forces led by Pol Pot were known as the “Khmer Rouge” (Red, or communist Cambodia). Between 1975 and 1979, Pol Pot killed between one and two million (or more) people, a third of the population, including opposition forces and intellectuals who could pose a threat in the future, by starvation and execution. The opposition to Pol Pot’s dictatorship, which promoted such extreme communism, grew stronger. The opposition asked for the support of the Vietnamese army, which invaded Cambodia and brought down Pol Pot’s regime. Heng Samrin, a former soldier, became the leader of Cambodia. But China (People’s Republic of China) opposed this and started the Sino-Vietnamese War with Vietnam in 1979. Vietnam won the war, and Cambodia was once again ruled by Heng Samrin.
However, the civil war between the Heng Samrin regime and two factions (Sihanouk and Song San/anti-Vietnamese and anti-Heng Samrin), and the Chinese-backed Pol Pot continued for about a decade from 1979.
In the 1990s, with the end of the Cold War, the momentum for peace increased, and a peace agreement was signed in 1991, followed by general elections in 1993 and the re-installation of King Sihanouk as the new Kingdom of Cambodia. General elections were held in 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013, and the ruling People’s Party has been in power for a long time.
In the 2013 general election, however, the opposition party made a breakthrough due to public dissatisfaction caused by the disparity between the rich and the poor, corruption, and other negative effects of long-term government.
In terms of diplomatic relations with Japan, formal diplomatic relations were established between Japan and Cambodia in January 1953, but both embassies were closed after the Pol Pot era in 1975. After the fall of the Pol Pot regime, the Japanese Embassy in Cambodia and the Cambodian Embassy in Japan resumed their operations in 1992 and December 1994, respectively.
Since 1992, Japan has provided $1.96 billion in Official Development Assistance (ODA) as of 2010 (18% of total ODA to Cambodia), making it Cambodia’s largest development donor. Japan has been supporting the restoration of the Angkor monuments since the international conference in 1993 (The International Coordinating Committee for the Conservation and Restoration of Angkor Monuments (ICC) was established at the conference). In addition, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces regularly provide capacity-building assistance to Cambodia, mainly in the area of mine clearance. As a result, bridges named Kizuna Bridge on the Mekong River in 2001 and Tsubasa Bridge in 2015 were built in Cambodia. These two bridges are depicted together with the Japanese flag on the 500 riel bill issued in 2014. It is said that the current good relationship between Japan and Cambodia is largely due to the attitude of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces at this time.
As of 2015, Japan accounted for 7% of Cambodia’s exports and 2% of its imports, making it the fourth largest export partner and the tenth largest import partner. Major exports from Japan include small ships, vehicle parts, and sewing machinery, while shoes and clothing are the main items exported to Japan. Since 2008, Cambodia has seen the emergence of a diverse range of companies from Japan, including vehicle manufacturers such as Yamaha Motor, Suzuki, and Minebea, financial and insurance companies such as Phnom Penh Commercial Bank and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, and the food industry such as Ajinomoto. A wide variety of companies from Japan have established operations in Cambodia. With the strengthening of economic ties, interest in the cultures of both countries is also deepening. Every year in late February, the Japan-Cambodia Kizuna Festival is held in Cambodia to introduce Japan to the world, and in February 2016, a total of 18,000 people attended the festival, where Japanese traditional and modern culture, music, dance, food culture, and sports were introduced.
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of Cambodian migrants to Japan, and according to statistics from Japan’s Ministry of Justice, there were 11,210 Cambodians living in Japan as of the end of June 2018, many of whom work and live mainly in Kanagawa and Ibaraki prefectures. Also, the number of Japanese living in Cambodia was 3,500 in 2017, and is on the rise due to the expansion of Japanese companies. The number of people visiting both countries for tourism is also increasing every year.
I hope that Cambodia and Japan will continue to have a good relationship and further deepen their cooperation. It is a difficult time in the world right now because of Coronavirus, but we should not forget the importance of understanding diplomatic relations with other countries respecting different cultures.
日本とカンボジアの国交関係
明けましておめでとうございます！もう2021年。今年はコロナウィルスの影響で東京に帰ることができませんでした。もうしばらくコロナと付き合うことになりそうですが、皆さんも体調に気をつけてお過ごしください！
さて、今回のトピックは日本とカンボジアの国交関係に関してです。カンボジアは東南アジアのインドシナ半島南部に位置する立憲君主制国家です。カンボジアの紙幣、500リエル札にはカンボジア国旗とならんで日本の国旗が描かれているほど、日本との国交関係も深い国です。カンボジアの国土面積は日本の約半分ほどで、人口は1,625万人（2018年時点）です。人口の90％がカンボジア人（クメール人）とされています。首都はプノンペンで、プノンペンとは「ペン（夫人）の丘」という意味です。宗教に関しては9割以上が仏教を信仰していますが、一部の少数派はイスラム教やキリスト教を信仰しています。今回はそんなカンボジアと日本の国交関係と歴史を紹介します。
カンボジアの歴史
現在カンボジアがある地域では9から13世紀にはアンコール王朝が栄え、インドシナ半島の大半を統治していました。クメール王朝の時代にはアンコール遺跡に代表される大規模な石造建築を誇り大変大きな勢力を有しており、最盛期のクメール王国は東南アジアのほとんどを支配していました。ちなみに1540年代にはポルトガル人がこの国から日本にカボチャをもたらしたので、カンボジアが「カボチャ」の語源となったそうです。日本の江戸時代初期にはカンボジアに日本人町が形成され、アンコールワットには日本人による墨書が残されています。しかし、強力な勢力を持った王国も14世紀以降にはタイ・元（中国）などの侵入により力が衰え、19世紀末にはフランスの保護領の「カンボジア王国」になりました。
その後、太平洋戦争に突入すると日本軍がカンボジアに攻め入り、フランス軍を制圧したことでカンボジアは独立を宣言します。日本はアジア各国の独立を支援し欧米列強諸国に対抗する土台を作りたいと言う思惑があった様です。しかし、1945年8月15日に日本が敗戦となるとカンボジアは再びフランスの支配下に置かれました。それでもカンボジアは独立運動を続けた結果、第二次世界大戦で植民地を維持し続ける国力も失ったフランスは遂にカンボジアの完全独立を認め、1953年にカンボジア王国（シハヌーク国王）として完全独立しました。カンボジアではこのように外部からの勢力に長く翻弄され、独立後の1960年代までは平和を保っていました。しかしその後、今度は内戦による混乱が続きます。
1970年代に入り、ベトナム戦争が始まるとアメリカが戦争を有利に進めるためにベトナムの隣国であるカンボジアに侵攻しシハヌークを追放しました。その後1973年にパリ和平協定が結ばれてベトナム戦争が終結すると、米軍はカンボジアから撤退しました。そしてカンボジアを支配していた親米派のロン・ノル政権が力を失うと、今度は親中派、共産主義のポル・ポトが政権を握りました。この頃のポル・ポト率いる共産主義勢力は「クメール・ルージュ」（赤、すなわち共産主義のカンボジア）と呼ばれました。ポル・ポトは中国を見習い、農村を基盤とした共産主義社会の建設を目指しました。1975年から1979年までの間に反対勢力や将来脅威となり得る知識人など、当時の人口の3分の1にあたる100万人〜200万人（もしくはそれ以上）もの国民を飢餓と処刑により殺害しました。このような極端な共産主義を進めるポル・ポトの独裁政権に反対する声は強まっていきます。反対勢力はベトナム軍の支援を要請し、ベトナム軍がカンボジアに侵攻することによりポル・ポト政権は崩壊しました。そして元軍人のヘン・サムリンがカンボジアのリーダーとなります。
このことに反対した中国（中華人民共和国）は1979年にベトナムとの間で中越戦争を始めます。この戦いではベトナムが勝利しカンボジアは改めてヘン・サムリンが統治することになりました。しかしその後も1979年からの約10年間はヘン・サムリン政権と、中国支援のポル・ポト派と西側支援の二派（シハヌーク派、ソン・サン派/反ベトナム、反ヘン・サムリン）による内戦が継続しました。1990年代に入ると冷戦構造の崩壊もあって和平への機運が高まり、1991年に和平協定が署名されました。1993年には総選挙を経てシハヌーク国王が再即位する形で新生カンボジア王国が誕生しました。1997年には内部対立で武力衝突も発生しましたが、その後1998年、2003年、2008年、2013年と総選挙が実施され、与党人民党の長期政権が継続しています。2013年の総選挙では貧富の格差や汚職など長期政権の弊害による国民の不満が顕在化し野党が躍進しました。
日本との国交関係
日本との国交関係では1953年の1月、日本とカンボジアとの間で正式な外交関係を結んでいましたが、ポル・ポト時代の1975年以降は両大使館は閉鎖されていました。ポル・ポト政権崩壊後、1992年より在カンボジア日本国大使館、1994年12月には在日カンボジア大使館がそれぞれ運営を再開しています。
日本は1992年以降、政府開発援助（ODA）により2010年時点で19.6億ドル（対カンボジアODA額全体の18％）を援助し、カンボジアにとって最大の開発援助国になりました。日本はアンコール遺跡の修復支援を1993年の国際会議より進めており、この会議で設置されたアンコール遺跡保存修復国際調整委員会（ICC）でフランスとともに共同議長を務めています。また、日本の自衛隊はカンボジアに対して定期的に地雷除去を主とする能力構築支援事業を実施しています。これにより2001年には2001年にはメコン川にきずな橋、2015年にはつばさ橋と名付けられた橋がカンボジアに作られました。これらの2つの橋が2014年に発行された500リエル札に日本の国旗と共に描かれています。現在の日本とカンボジアの良好関係はこのときの自衛隊の態度が大きく影響していると言われています。
経済、文化関係
2015年時点で日本はカンボジアの輸出の7％、輸入の2％を占めており、輸出相手国としては第4位、輸入相手国としては第10位でした。日本からの主な輸出品は小型船舶、車両部品、縫製用機械などで、日本への主な輸出品目は靴や衣類となっています。2008年以降はヤマハ発動機やスズキ、ミネベアなどの車両製造業、プノンペン商業銀行や三井住友海上火災保険が投資する金融・保険業や味の素などの食品産業など、多彩な分野の企業が日本からカンボジアに進出しています。経済的な関係が強まる中で両国の文化に対する興味関心も深まっています。毎年2月下旬にはカンボジアで日本紹介イベント「日カンボジア絆フェスティバル」が開催されています。2016年2月のフェスティバルでは、延べ約1万8千人の観客が集まり、日本の伝統・現代文化、音楽、ダンス、食文化、スポーツ等が紹介されました。
近年カンボジアから日本に出稼ぎに来ている方も増えており、日本の法務省の統計によると2018年6月末時点で在日カンボジア人は11,210人で、主に神奈川県や茨城県などで仕事をし生活している方が多いそうです。反対にカンボジアに住む日本人は2017年で3,500人で企業の進出などにより増加傾向にあります。観光で両国を訪れる人も年々増えてきています。
カンボジアと日本がこれからも良い関係を継続し、協力関係をさらに深めていくことを願っています。今はコロナで世界的に大変な時期ですが、各国との国交関係の理解とそれぞれの文化への尊重を忘れないようにしていきたいですね。
Thank you for reading today’s post.
See you next time!
Taka
Hello! This time, I wrote about Malaysia and the diplomatic relations between Japan and Malaysia.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy located in Southeast Asia. In 2020, Japan and Malaysia celebrated the 63rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The area of the country is about 330,000 square meters, which is almost the same as the area of Japan excluding Kyushu and Okinawa, and the population is about 32 million. As I will explain later, Malaysia is very popular with Japanese people as an emigration destination, and many Japanese companies have expanded since the establishment of diplomatic relations. By the way, “Tower 1” of “Petronas Twin Towers” in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, is a building constructed by a Japanese company.
Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country, with Malays at about 69%, Chinese at about 23%, and Indians at about 7%. About 60% of people believe in Islam, but other people believe in various religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism coexist while respecting each other.
The oldest relationship between Malaysia and Japan is in the 15th century, and it is said that there was a relationship between the Kingdom of Malacca and the Kingdom of Ryukyu during this period. Malaysia exported Suou, Sai ivory, tin, sugar, iron, etc. to Japan, and imported silver, swords, fans, lacquer ware, folding screens, etc. from Japan.
During World War II, while the Malayan Campaign, which began on December 8, 1941, Japanese troops began invading the British territory of Malaya and occupied the site. At that time, some villages disappeared due to discrimination and repression of Japanese troops against Chinese residents, and anti-Japanese activities such as the rebellion of the Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army took place on the Malay Peninsula. After that, Malaysia became a British colony again with the end of the Pacific War, but on August 31, 1957, Malaysia became independent of Britain and established diplomatic relations with Japan.
At the “Japan-Malaysia Economic Council (MAJECA / JAMECA)” held at the Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on February 8, 1982, the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad proposed “Look East Policy”. With this policy, Malaysia decided to learn the morals, policies, industries, etc. of Japan, rather than following the developed countries of the West, and utilize it for domestic development, and since then, the number of foreign students and trainees from Malaysia has been increasing in Japan. There were only 39 students studied abroad from Malaysia to Japan for the first time in 1984, but since then, as many as 16,000 excellent Malaysian students have been sent to Japan. Currently, some students are coming to learn about technologies such as environmental technology and biotechnology.
In addition, the number of Malaysians who are interested in Japanese culture and decide to move is increasing. According to the statistics of foreign residents of the Ministry of Justice of Japan, as of the end of June 2018, there were 10,003 Malaysians living in Japan.
In recent years, Japanese products account a quarter of all electrical and electronic products exported to Malaysia, and Japan imports a large amount of mineral fuels such as liquefied natural gas from Malaysia. As the economic / human resources connection increases, Malaysians’ liking for Japan also increase. In a 2014 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 75% of Malaysian respondents “like” or “like very much” about Japan.
Malaysia is a popular tourist destination, with more than 25 million visitors from all over the world annually and about 480,000 from Japan in 2015. One of the reasons for its popularity is the abundance of biodiversity, which is home to about 10% of the world’s species. 70% of the country is covered with tropical rainforest, and outdoor activities and ecotourism are popular. There are also many UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Lenggong Valley, Georgetown, Malacca, Kinabalu National Park and Gunon Mulu National Park. There are no four seasons, it is warm all year round, and there are many healthy foods centered on rice. In addition, there’s a visa program called “Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) Program”, which is a long-term stay visa for up to 10 year. This is attracting many in overseas.
Malaysia, which has such a lot of charm, has been ranked at the top of the “countries where Japanese people want to migrate” for 13 consecutive years since 2006. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there were 26,555 Japanese residents in 2018, and as of February 2020, there were 1,544 Nikkei companies (765 manufacturing companies, 765 non-manufacturing companies, and 14 others).
Since more than half of the population in Malaysia believes in Islam, restaurants and processed foods that offer halal foods are rigorously examined by the Islamic Development Agency (JAKIM), a government agency, to make products that meet the standards. JAKIM’s “Halal mark” is displayed on products that are above the criterions. This Malaysian halal certification standard is internationally recognized as one of the most reliable in Islamic countries, including the Middle East. As the number of tourists increases in Japan, there is a demand for halal treatment at stores. There are a number of companies and organizations that aim to obtain Malaysian halal certification.
With the declining birthrate and aging population in Japan, the need to accept excellent human resources from overseas is increasing year by year, but it seems that there are many that can be learned from Malaysia in terms of establishing a system that facilitates immigration. As a partner who will continue to grow together in Asia, I hope we can deepen our relationship with each other!
マレーシア：日本人が一番移住したい国
マレーシアと日本の関係史
マレーシアと日本の関係の歴史で最も古いのは15世紀で、この時期にマラッカ王国と琉球王国間の関係があったと言われています。マレーシアは日本にスオウ、サイの象牙、スズ、砂糖、鉄などを輸出し、日本からは銀、刀、扇、漆器、屏風などを輸入していたそうです。世界大戦中は、1941年12月8日に開始されたマレー作戦で日本軍がイギリス領だったマラヤに対して侵攻を開始し、現地を占領しました。当時、日本軍の中国系住民に対する差別・弾圧により住民ごとなくなってしまった村もあり、マレー半島ではマラヤ人民抗日軍の反抗など反日活動も起こりました。その後、太平洋戦争の終結に伴いマレーシアは再びイギリスの植民地となりましたが、1957年8月31日、マレーシアはイギリスから独立し日本とも国交を樹立しました。
1982年2月8日にはクアラルンプールのヒルトン・ホテルで開かれた「日本マレーシア経済協議会（MAJECA/JAMECA）」にて、第4代マレーシア首相のマハティール・モハマドによって「ルック・イースト政策（東方政策）」が提唱されました。この政策により、マレーシアは西洋の先進国よりも近い国である日本の道徳、政策、産業などを学び国内の発展に活かすこととなり、以後日本にマレーシアからの留学生や研修生が増えることになりました。1984年に初めてマレーシアから日本に留学した学生はわずか39名でしたが、その後は今日までに16,000人もの優秀なマレーシアの学生が日本に派遣されています。現在は環境技術や生物工学などの技術に関しても、国の政策として学生たちが派遣されています。また、日本の文化に興味を持って移住を決めるマレーシア人も増えてきており、日本の法務省の在留外国人統計によると、2018年6月末時点で在日マレーシア人は10,003人となっています。
近年の貿易関係では、日本はマレーシアに電気・電子関連製品を全体の約4分の1輸出しており、マレーシアからは液化天然ガス等の鉱物性燃料を多く輸入しています。このように経済/人材的な繋がりが増えるにつれてマレーシア人の日本に対する好感度も高くなり、2014年のピュー研究所が実施した調査ではマレーシア人回答者の75%が日本を「好き」もしくは「とても好き」と回答しています。
マレーシアは日本人に人気
マレーシアは観光地としての人気が高く、世界中から年間2,500万人以上、日本からは2015年で約48万人が訪問しています。人気の理由の一つは世界の生物種の約10％が生息している、生物多様性の豊かさにあります。国土の7割が熱帯雨林に覆われており、アウトドアやエコツーリズムなどが盛んです。また、レンゴン渓谷、ジョージタウン、マラッカ、キナバル国立公園，グノン・ムル国立公園などのユネスコ世界遺産も多数あります。四季がなく年中温暖で食も米を中心とした健康的な物が多く、過ごしやすいだけでなく、最長10年の長期滞在ビザである「マレーシア・マイ・セカンドホーム（MM2H）プログラム」によって海外からの移住を促進しています。このように魅力がたくさんあるマレーシアは、2006年より13年連続で「日本人が移住したい国」のトップに輝いています。外務省によると、2018年で在留邦人は2万6,555人で、2020年の2月時点の日経企業数は1,544社（製造業765社、非製造業765社、その他14）でした。
信頼度の高いハラール制度
マレーシアでは人口の半数以上がイスラム教を信仰しているため、ハラール食品を提供するレストランや加工食品には政府機関であるイスラム開発局（JAKIM）が厳正な審査を行い、基準を満たした商品にのみJAKIMの「ハラルマーク」が表示されています。こマレーシアのハラル認証の基準は、中東を含めたイスラム諸国の中でも信頼性が高いものとして国際的に認知されています。日本も観光客の増加に伴い、お店のハラール対応が求められている中、マレーシアのハラル認証をとることを目標としている企業や団体が幾つもあります。
日本も少子高齢化が進むに伴い、海外から優秀な人材を受け入れる必要性が年々増していますが、移住のしやすい制度を整えるという点ではマレーシアから学ことが多いように思われます。今後とも共に発展していくパートナーとして、お互いの関係を深めていけると良いですね。
参考：
外務省
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/press/pr/wakaru/topics/vol163/index.html
Jetro
https://www.jetro.go.jp/world/asia/my/basic_01.html
Thank you for reading today’s post.
See you next time!
Taka
Taka/原貴浩:Composer/Teacher
アメリカ大卒（音楽専攻） 講師歴11年、担当生徒数3,100人以上の元大手英語学校の教務主任であり作曲家。2017年六本木から高山市へ地方創生で移住。多文化共生支援団体 Family Planet Japan 代表 英検1級 TOEIC980 通訳案内士 留学アドバイザー
More about me (English): Introduction
