WEEKLY KAGOSHIMA on the Web

Here comes hero Hayato!
“Satsuma Kenshi Hayato (Satsuma swordman Hayato),” the TV hero of Kagoshima citizens, who commands the local Jigenryū swordplay, appeared in Kagoshima City’s Tenmonkan area on January 11 to call for shoppers to take measures against bike theft. The campaign was carried out after Hayato had been assigned to “Ambassador for Safety and Security of Community” by Kagoshima Chūo Police Station.
On the same day, Hayato handed out fliers about the anti-bicycle-theft measures with some 30 volunteer members. Joined by his companions, “Dai-Saigo” and “Tsun-tsun,” he urged people to put double locks (on bikes) and to register them for theft prevention.
Satsuma Kenshi Hayato will appear in promotion campaigns against billing frauds and traffic accidents until June.
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＜タイトル＞
ヒーロー隼人参上！
＜第１パラグラフ＞
Swordsman：剣士　　　citizens：市民　　　commands：・・・を操る　　　appeared：・・・に現れた　　　call for…：・・・を呼びかける（urge）　　　take against…：・・・への対策を講じる　　　bike theft：自転車の盗難　　　was carried out：実施された（was held）　　　had ~ to…：・・・に任命された
＜第２パラグラフ＞
On ~ day：同日　　　handed ~ fliers：チラシを配った　　　anti ~ measures：自転車盗難対策　　　Joined by…：・・・と協力して　　　companions：仲間（fellows, partners, companies, friends; associates）　　　register ~ prevention：盗難防止に自転車を登録する
＜第３パラグラフ＞
Promotion ~ against…：・・・防止のためのＰＲ活動　　　billing frauds：振り込め詐欺

Household education costs fall amid recession
A survey conducted by Japan Finance Corporation’s Kagoshima branch office has revealed that the average portion of educational costs to the annual income of households with children older than elementary school age in 2011 was 32.9%, while the annual amount of allowance sent to students living separately from their parents had increased by 190,000 yen to 920,000 yen. The authorities attributed the results to the difficult household economic situation because of the depression, which had forced cut back on spending that had been deemed “sanctuary”
According to the Kagoshima branch, families with a yearly income of between 2 and 4 million yen paid the largest portion to education expenditure at 44.1%, which was down 7.5% from the previous year. The average household income was 5,430,000 yen.
The survey was conducted in July 2011 with 140 households that had used the government’s education loan. Among them, 110 families gave valid responses.
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＜タイトル＞
不景気で家庭の教育費が減少
＜第１パラグラフ＞
A survey：調査　　　conducted by…：・・・が実施した　　　has revealed ：＜that以下のこと＞が明らかになった　　　the ~ portion：平均割合　　　annual income：年収　　　households ~ age：小学生の年齢の子どもがいる家庭　　　allowance：手当て；こづかい　　　students ~ parents：両親から離れて暮らしている学生　　　The authorities：当局（日本政策金融公庫鹿児島支店のこと）　　　attributed ~ to…：～の原因を・・・によるものとした　　　because of…：・・・による（due to, on account of, owing to）　　　the depression：不景気（recession）　　　which ~ spending：（不景気が）支出の削減を余儀なくした　　　had ~ deemed…：・・・とみなされてきた　　　sanctuary：聖域
＜第２パラグラフ＞
According to…：・・・によると　　　education expenditure：教育費　　　the ~ year：前年
＜第３パラグラフ＞
The ~ loan：国の教育ローン　　　gave ~ responses：有効回答をした

Public schools start final session
Ceremonies were held at most public elementary, junior high and high schools in Kagoshima Prefecture to mark the beginning of the third semester on January 10.
At Murasakibaru Elementary School in Kagoshima City, principal Mr. Arimura Koichi (58) said in his address: “It’s the Year of Dragon. I hope (the pupils) will work hard like (dragons) flying up to the heaven.”
Ms. Asa Haruka (11), a fifth grade student who had transferred from Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture last April after suffering from the Great East Japan Earthquake, said, with a smile on her face: “I’ve made friends and I have gotten used to Kagoshima dialect, which I had been concerned about.”
According to the prefecture’s board of education, there are a total of 76 students (as of January 10) who evacuated to the prefecture’s elementary, junior high, and high schools on account of the disaster. Among them, those from Fukushima Prefecture are the most with 34 people.
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＜タイトル＞
公立学校が最終学期を開始
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Were held：行なわれた（took place）　　　to ~ semester：３学期の開始を記念して
＜第２パラグラフ＞
Principal：校長（headteacher, headmaster, schoolmaster）　　　address：（口頭・書面での公式的な）あいさつ（speech）　　　pupils：児童
＜第３パラグラフ＞
Had ~ from…：・・・から転入してきた　　　suffering from…：・・・で苦しんで　　　the ~ Earthquake：東日本大震災　　　I’ve ~ friends：友達ができた　　　have ~ to…：・・・に慣れた　　　Kagoshima dialect：鹿児島弁　　　had ~ about：気がかりだった
＜第４パラグラフ＞
According to…：・・・によると　　　board of education：教育委員会　　　a total of…：計・・・の　　　as of…：・・・時点で　　　evacuated to…：・・・に避難した　　　on account of…：・・・が原因で（due to, because of, owing to）　　　Among them：そのうち