2024年2月13日(火)
外国人労働者 ２００万人超える
NUMBER OF FOREIGN WORKERS IN JAPAN TOPS 2 MIL
2024年1月26日のニュース
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MIL => million
top(s => exceed
for the first time ever
descent or spouses
According to the list, how many Vietnamese workers were registered?
- Vietnamese workers topped the list at more than half a million, followed by workers from China and the Philippines. 50万
According to officials, what are two sectors that are said to be facing labor shortages?
- construction and healthcare
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The number of foreign workers here in Japan exceeded 2 million last year for the first time ever.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare says, as of the end of October, there were nearly 2.05 million registered foreign workers. That's an increase of more than 12.4 percent from the previous year. The figure marked a record high for the 11th straight year.
Breaking it down, Vietnamese workers topped the list at more than half a million, followed by workers from China and the Philippines.
In terms of residency status, about 30 percent were people of Japanese descent or spouses of Japanese nationals. Another 30 percent were skilled professionals, such as engineers and researchers. Technical trainees accounted for about 20 percent.
Officials say the growth in the number of foreign workers is high in sectors said to be facing labor shortages, including construction and healthcare. They say the overall rate of growth is now recovering to pre-pandemic levels.
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★冠詞の違いで意味が変わる
the growth in the number of foreign workers is high
the number of ...は「～の数」
a number of ...「たくさんの、複数の、いくらかの」
A number of students are preparing for the upcoming exams.
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in case of ...
in the case of ...
in case of ...
in case of emergency「万が一の場合は」
非常時や緊急時など起きる可能性が非常に低いとき、つまり「不確実性の高い未来」
in the case of ...
in the case of your son「の場合は」
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「３本目を右に曲がってください」
Turn right at the third intersection.
「偶然ですね！」
What a coincidence!
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2024年2月14日(水)
今年のバレンタイン商戦は“イートイン”
TOKYO STORES SWEETEN POST-COVID VALENTINE'S DAY
2024年1月29日のニュース
Boutique chocolates are lining department store showcases around Japan as Valentine's Day nears. This year, some retailers are offering pop-up serving areas so buyers can enjoy treats on the premises.
The Seibu Ikebukuro department store in Tokyo is using its area to offer drinks that use cocoa husk. The so-called “eat-in” service is being introduced for the first Valentine's Day season since COVID restrictions were fully removed.
The Shinjuku Takashimaya department store has a section where Japanese and French specialists prepare chocolate desserts on the spot. Customers can enjoy the deluxe sweets with a drink and take home a souvenir. Bookings are required for the service. It's priced from around 30 dollars. A representative said many customers indulge in the service.
2024年2月15日(木
無人探査機ＳＬＩＭの月面活動“復活”
JAXA: COMMUNICATION WITH LUNAR PROBE RESTORED
2024年1月29日のニュース
Japan's space agency says it has successfully re-established communication with its lunar surface probe. Officials had earlier shut down power on the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, as its solar panel wasn't working.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, posted on social media on Monday that communication with the probe had been established and operations resumed. JAXA successfully landed the probe on the moon on January 20, making Japan the fifth country to accomplish the feat.
Officials later said they had landed the probe with “pinpoint” accuracy. They said it touched down about 55 meters from its target. Landing within 100 meters of the target is a world first. But SLIM was not generating electricity initially because the solar panel array was not in the right position to receive sunlight.
2024年2月16日(金)
“こんにゃくでマグロの刺身”を再現
FOOD MAKER DEVELOPS PLANT-BASED 'TUNA' TO PRESERVE OCEAN RESOURCES
2024年1月25日のニュース
A Japanese food maker has developed what it calls “alternative tuna” from plant-based ingredients. The company says the product could help in sustaining tuna stocks in the ocean. The fish is extremely popular in Japan.
NH Foods says the product is made with a yam-based powder and other ingredients. The company says it spent six months testing and developing the product's flavor and texture to resemble the fish. It plans to market the alternative tuna to businesses from April.
It has also developed plant-based ramen noodle soup that recreates the flavor of pork-bone broth and Korean-style beef sandwiches with soybean meat.
Research firm Fuji Keizai estimates the global market for alternative food products will expand to 44 billion dollars by 2030, about four times bigger than in 2022.
2024年2月12日(月)
“人類最後の日まで１分３０秒”
DOOMSDAY CLOCK MARKS 'UNSTABLE' WORLD
2024年1月24日のニュース
doomsday
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The news story mentions the names of two famous scientists. Who are they?
- Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer,
According to the scientists, what has the potential to escalate into a broader conflict?
-
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self-annihilation「自己破壊」
self-annihilationは本来は、瞑想で神を探求するうちに無念無想の境地に至ること
annihilation [əˌnaɪəˈleɪʃən]
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Scientists say the spread of conflicts has left the world “profoundly unstable. So they've kept what's known as the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight.
Atomic scientists, including Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, wanted to warn people of the threats of nuclear weapons. They created this metaphor for how close humanity is to self-annihilation.
Last year, the group cited “unprecedented danger” from the war in Ukraine, with Russian leaders threatening to use nuclear arms. They signaled the world was the closest it's ever been to catastrophe – just 90 seconds away.
They say the level of risk hasn't changed. But they point to other “potential nuclear crises,” including one stemming from authorities in North Korea. They also say the fighting between Israel and Hamas has the potential to escalate into a “broader conflict.”
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★ギリシャ語が語源の複数形
but they point to other “potential nuclear crises” 「核による危機」
crises「危機」はギリシャ語源の単語で、crisisの複数形
crises
[ˈkraɪsiz]
crisis
[ˈkraɪsəs]
論文
theses
[ˈθisiz]
thesis
[ˈθisəs]
教義, 教理
dogma
[ˈdɑɡmə]
dogmata
dogmata
概要
scheme
schemata
[skɪˈmætə]
logos「ロゴス」は、複数形だとつづりがlogoiとなる
★ギリシャ語が語源の言葉
「精神、気質、気風、信頼」という意味の
ethos「エートス」
The company's ethos values honesty.
称賛を意味するkudos
Kudos to the chef for preparing such a delicious meal!
aegis「庇護（ひご）、保護」=> protection
The aegis of the law ensures citizens' rights.