WEEKLY KAGOSHIMA on the Web

Heating up streets
The main event of Kagoshima City’s annual summer feature, "Ogionsaa" festival, took place at the city's Yasaka Shrine in Shimizu-cho and Tenmonkan area on July 22. Some 3,000 people participated in the event, where they paraded nearly 2.5 kilometres through the street carrying portable shrines and delighting the audience with the chants of "Soiya, soiya."
The Shinto festival, which has 400 years of history, has been held to ward off plague as well as to pray for flourishing business. It was designated as the city's intangible folk cultural asset on July 11.
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＜タイトル＞
通りを熱くする
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Annual ~ feature：毎年夏の風物詩　　　took place：行われた（was held）　　　participated in...：・・・に参加した（took part in）　　　carrying ~ shrines：神輿を担ぎながら　　　delighting ~ "soiya"：「ソイヤ、ソイヤ」という掛け声で観客を楽しませながら
＜第２パラグラフ＞
The ~ festival：その神道行事（おぎおんさあのこと）　　　has ~ held：行われてきた（has taken place）　　　to ~ plague：悪疫を撃退するために　　　as well as...：・・・と同様に　　　to ~ business：書倍繁盛を祈願するために　　　(was) designated as...：・・・に指定された（appointed as）　　　intangible ~ asset：無形民俗文化財

Bosse's soul rests in Kirishima
A monument in memory of Mr. Gerhard Bosse, one of the founders and the honorary musical director of the Kirishima International Music Festival, who passed away in February, will be erected on the premises of the Miyama Conceru in Kirishima City. His belongings including autographed musical scores and family photographs will be kept under the memorial, and it will be unveiled during the music festival before the special memorial concert for the German-born maestro which is to be held at the hall on July 29th.
The construction of the monument had been realised by donations solicited by three associations --The Friends of Musical Festival in Kagoshima, Makizono and Kirishima-- in line with Bosse's wish that his ashes be laid on the soil of Kirishima.
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＜タイトル＞
ボッセの魂は霧島に眠る
＜第１パラグラフ＞
A monument：記念碑（commemoration, memorial）　　　 memory of...：・・・を偲んだ　　　one ~ founders：創設者の一人　　　the ~ director：名誉音楽監督　　　passed away：亡くなった（diedの婉曲的表現；departed, went to one's rest; crossed the line）　　　will ~ erected：建立される（will be set up）　　　on the premises of...：・・・の敷地内に　　　belongings：所持品　　　including...：・・・を含めて　　　autographed ~ scores：自筆の楽譜　　　will ~ memorial：記念碑の下に保管される　　　it ~ unveiled：除幕される　　　the German-born maestro：ドイツ生まれの巨匠（ボッセ氏のこと）　　　to ~ held：行われる（to take place）
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Had ~ donations：募金によって実現した　　　solicited by...：・・・によって集められた　　　in line with...：・・・に沿って　　　his ~ Kirishima：遺灰は霧島の地に撒いてほしい

AKB's "Yuki-rin" named Satsuma ambassador
The member of popular idol group AKB48, Ms. Kashiwagi Yuki (21) from Kagoshima City, was named Satsuma ambassador to promote Kagoshima Prefecture at the prefectural hall on July 17. She was the youngest ambassador among the 382 people appointed to the same office; and the term is for three years. An official said she may be the first AKB member to become part of the PR envoy for a prefecture.
During the ceremony in the governor's office, Kagoshima Governor Ito Yuichiro revealed his idea saying, "AKB would stand for: Arigato / Kagoshima's / Bussan (Thank you for Kagoshima's product)." Kashiwagi expressed her resolution: "I will try my best so we can hold a concert in Kagoshima" while using the local term "Kibatte" for "try."
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ＡＫＢの「ゆきりん」が薩摩大使に任命される
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Was named...：・・・に任命された　　　Satsuma ambassador：薩摩大使　　　promote...：・・・を推進する　　　the ~ hall：県庁　　　appointed ~ office：同職に任命された　　　the term：任期　　　A official：職員、関係者　　　the ~ envoy：ＰＲ大使
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Revealed ~ idea：彼の考えを披露した　　　(would) stand for...：・・・を表す　　expressed ~ resolution：決意表明した　　　I ~ best：全力を尽くす　　　while ~ "try"：「挑戦して（頑張って）」を意味する「気張って」という地元の言葉を使って

Ito defends Kagoshima governor seat
Kagoshima Prefectural Governortorial election for the next term was held on July 8, and as of the result of the ballot counting on the same day the non-party incumbent Ito Yuichiro (64) defeated the independent newcomer Mukohara Yoshitaka (55)—president of a publishing company and Chairman of the anti-nuclear citizens group—and was elected for his third straight term. Mukohara, who emphasised his opposition to the resumption of the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors of the Kyushu Electric Co. Sendai nuclear power station, among other issues, failed to break down Ito who was backed by solid and organised support. After all the nuclear power plants in the country had at one time been completely shut down after the Great East Japan Earthquake, energy policy, including the use of atomic power, had surfaced as the predominant issue in the local governor's race, which was the first such election of its kind among the prefectures with nuclear stations.
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伊藤氏が鹿児島県知事の席を守る
＜第１パラグラフ＞
Kagoshima ~ election：鹿児島県知事選　　　for ~ term：次期に向けた　　　was held：実施された（took place）　　　as of...：・・・時点で　　　ballot counting：開票　　　non-party：無所属の　　　incumbent：現職の　　　defeated...：・・・を破った　　　independent：無所属の　　　Chairman：議長　　　was ~ term：３期連続で当選した　　　emphasised...：・・・を強調した　　　opposition to...：・・・への反対　　　resumption：再開　　　nuclear ~ station：原子力発電所　　　.mong ~ issues：などの問題で　　　failed to...：・・・し損なった　　　(was) backed by...：・・・に支持された　　　solid ~ support：強固で組織的な支持　　　at one time：一時期　　　(had) shut down：停止された　　　the ~ Earthquake：東日本大震災　　　including...：・・・を含めた　　　atomic power：原子力　　　had surfaced as...：・・・として浮上した　　　the ~ issue：最も重要な問題　　　the first ~ kind：初めてのその種の選挙（知事選のこと）

Lanterns turn on summer heat in Kagoshima
The annual lantern festivals that herald the arrival of the full summer to Kagoshima, "Rokugatsu-do," began with Yasaka Shrine in Shimizu-cho, Kagoshima City on July 1. In spite of unfavorable weather with a sprinkling of rain, the precinct was crowded with visitors who were clad in yukatas.
People, including families who offered prayers to the shrine, hopped around the stalls and enjoyed the paid attractions such as goldfish scooping. The wet stone paths reflecting the bare light bulbs at stalls helped to create a calm, quiet atmosphere for the traditional festival.
The lantern festivals will be held in every part of the prefecture until August.
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灯篭が鹿児島の夏日に火を点す
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The ~ festivals：毎年恒例の灯篭祭り　　　herald ~ Kagoshima：鹿児島への本格的な夏の到来を告げる　　　bean with...：・・・を皮切りに始まった　　　IN spite of...：・・・にもかかわらず（Despite）　　　unfavourable weather：思わしくない天気　　　sprinkle ~ rain：ぱらつく雨　　　the precinct：境内　　　was ~ visitors：参拝客でにぎわった　　　were ~ yukata：浴衣を身にまとった
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including...：・・・を含めた　　　offered ~ shrine：神社で参拝を済ませた　　　hopped ~ stalls：屋台を見て回った　　　paid attractions：有料の出し物　　　such as...：・・・のような　　　goldfish scooping：金魚すくい　　　reflecting ~ stalls：屋台の裸電球を反射して　　　helped ~ atmosphere：静かで落ち着いた雰囲気を添えた
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Will be held：行われる（will take place）　　　in ~ prefecture：県内各地で

To the sea!
Iso beach in Yoshino-cho, Kagoshima City opened to public on July 10. Although the sky was cloudy, children ran out to the sea and enjoyed splashing water at each other or diving in the sea.
The beach will be open until September 2 between 10 am and 6 pm. During the season, the city-run sightseeing buses, "Kagoshima City-view," stop at a temporary bus stop in front of the beach. The tourist coaches are operated 25 times a day along two routes—“Shiroyama-Iso course," and "Waterfront course". The fares are 180 yen for adults and 90 yen for children.
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海へ！
＜第１パラグラフ＞
Opened ~ public：一般公開された　　　Although...：・・・だけれども　　　ran ~ sea：海に向かって駆け出した
＜第２パラグラフ＞
During ~ season：期間中　　　the ~ buses：市営の観光バス　　　a ~ stop：臨時バス停　　　in front of...：・・・の前の　　　The ~ routes：その観光バス（シティビューのこと）は２路線で一日２５便運行される　　　fare：運賃

Tanegashima-based game launched nationwide
A video game, "Robotics Notes," whose stage is set on Tanegashima Island and had been developed in cooperation with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), was released on June 28 nationwide. The local Tanegashima Tourism Agency will install posters and flags mainly in shopping districts and begin producing related goods with the aim of attracting gamers who will make a "pilgrimage"--in which they visit places that appear in the game.
"Robotics Notes" features students in the "Robot study club" at a high school in Tanegashima who are involved in the production of a robot. Various tourisms spots and towns are reproduced in the game.
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種子島が舞台のゲームが全国で発売される
launch：「（事業など）を始める」「（人・物）を[世の中に]送り出す」「ロケットなどを発射する」
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A ~ game：テレビゲーム　　　whose ~ Island：（ゲーム）の舞台は種子島である（島の場合は、場所を表す前置詞は通常inではなくonを使用する）　　　had ~ developed：開発された　　　in ~ with...：・・・の協力で（in partnership with, in collaboration with, in tandem with）　　　was released：発売された　　　nationwide：全国で　　　will ~ flags：ポスターやフラッグを設置する　　　begin ~ goods：関連グッズの製作を始める　　　with ~ gamers：ゲーマーを引きつけるために　　　will ~ "pilgrimage"：「聖地巡礼」をする　　　appear：登場する
＜第２パラグラフ＞
features...：・・・を取り入れている　　　are ~ robot：ロボット製作に関わっている　　　various：様々な　　　are reproduced：再現されている

Making big splash!
A traditional event that evokes bountiful hauls of fish and navigation safety, "Kominato Port Festival Boat Race" took place in Naze-Kominato, Amami City on June 24. Skies were clear from the morning in the Amami Islands with the rainy season nearing an end, and the day's temperature reached a high of 32.9 degrees Celsius. A total of some 400 players in 55 teams became drenched with sweat while showing off their paddling skills.
The event was organised by the local neighborhood association. The teams, each consisting of six paddlers and a steersman, got onto boats and with their “iron arms” competed against each other along one lap of a 300-metre course in the fishing port while calling out "Soo-re, soo-re." A large number of residents and families of the racers came to the venue to cheer them on by playing finger flutes and the local Chijin drums.
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大きな水しぶきを上げる
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A ~ event：伝統行事　　　evokes ~ safety：豊漁と安全な航行を喚起する　　　took place：行われた（was held）　　　with ~ end：梅雨が終盤を迎えて　　　temperature ~ Celsius：最高気温が３２．９度に達した　　　A total of...：計・・・の　　　became sweat：汗びっしょりになった　　　showing ~ skills：カイさばきの技術を誇示した
＜第２パラグラフ＞
(was) organised by...：・・・が主催した（hosted by, promoted by, sponsored by）　　　the ~ association：地元町内会　　　consisting of...：・・・で構成されている（composed of, comprised of, made up of）　　　paddlers：こぎ手　　　a steersman：かじ取り　　　competed ~ other：互いに競い合った　　　along...：・・・沿いを　　　one ~ course：往復３００メートルのコース　　　calling out：大声で叫んで　　　A large number of...：大勢の・・・　　　the racers：競走者たち（舟漕ぎの参加者のこと）　　　the venue：会場　　　cheer ~ on：～を応援する　　　finger flutes：指笛

Kagoshima Day held at baseball game
As part of a promotional campaign, Kagoshima City hosted a professional baseball game between Fukuoka Softbank Hawks and the Orix on June 26 under the name of "Kagoshima Day" where they celebrated its tourism and local events.
Just before the game there was a ceremony in which Kagoshima Ambassadors, Ms.Nakashima Mina (21) and Ms. Ichiki Eri (21), presented bouquets of flowers to Softbank coach Mr. Akiyama and others. Kagoshima City mayor Mori Hiroyuki, who threw the ceremonial first pitch, said he was able to advertise Kagoshima before a big crowd.
Some souvenirs such as "Sakurajima Komikan Cookie" were handed out free at the entrances of the dome, while commercials from and about Kagoshima were shown on the large screen during the game.
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Hearts stollen at stall village?
With the aim of helping men and women meet, the food stall village near Kagoshima Chuo Station in Kagoshima City, "Kagomma Furusato Yataimura," will host a matchmaking party (goukon) named "Mura-kon". Between 2 and 5 pm, each group of eight people will visit 3 of a total of 25 restaurants and Izakaya pubs. The organisers are inviting 100 single men and women in Kagoshima Prefecture. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis and there is no age limit.
The operator of the stall complex, NPO "Kagoshima Gourmet Urban Planning," said they hoped the participants would enjoy new encounters and cross-industrial exchanges by taking advantage of the merit of yatai stalls where strangers can get along with each other quickly.
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屋台村でハートを盗まれる？
＜第１パラグラフ＞
With the aim of...：・・・を目的として　　　helping ~ meet：男女の出会いを手助けすること　　　food ~ village：食べ物の屋台村　　　will host...：・・・を主催する（organise, promote）　　　a ~ party：お見合いパーティ：合コン　　　named...：・・・と名づけられた　　　a total of...：計・・・の　　　Izakaya pubs：居酒屋（pubはイギリスなどで一般的に見られるバー（bar）のようなもの）　　The organisers：主催者　　　Applicants：応募者　　　will ~ accepted：受け入れられる　　　on ~ basis：先着順で　　　age limit：年齢制限
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operator：運営者　　　the ~ complex：屋台の集合体（屋台村のこと）　　　participant：参加者　　　new encounters：新たな出会い　　　cross-industrial exchanges：異業種交流　　　by ~ stalls：屋台のメリットを生かして　　　strangers ~ quickly：他人同士がすぐに仲良くなれる

More companies eager to hire in 2013
The local newspaper company Minami Nippon Shimbun compiled by June 17 the result of a survey on major businesses in Kagoshima Prefecture about their recruitment plan for the spring of 2013. According to the questionnaire, among the 162 corporations that responded, 27.8% or 45 companies answered that they would "increase" hiring in the spring of 2012, which was an improvement of 14.9 points since the same survey conducted a year before. It was the third consecutive year-on-year increase, and the recovery reflects the situation as it was before Lehman's fall in 2010.
With regard to the reasons of the increase, the most common answer across 33 firms was "stablisation of employees composition,” which was followed by "filling of vacancies for retirees" for 15 companies, and "diversification or expansion of business" for 6 corporations.
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２０１３年に雇用したい企業が増加
＜第１パラグラフ＞
The company：地元新聞社　　　　compiled：まとめた　　　a survey ~ businesses：主要企業を対象にした調査　　　recruitment plan：採用計画　　　According to...：・・・によると　　　the questionnaire：そのアンケート（採用計画アンケートのこと）　　　among ~ responded：回答した１６２社の内　　　an improvement of...：・・・の改善　　　a year before：１年前　　　It ~ increase：３年連続の増加　　　reflects...：・・・を反映する　　　the situation ~ 2010：２０１０年のリーマンショック以前の状況
＜第２パラグラフ＞
With regard to...：・・・に関しては（Regarding）　　　the most ~ firms：３３社で最も多い回答　　　stabilisation ~ composition：社員構成の安定化　　　(was) followed by...：・・・が続いた　　　filling ~ retirees：退職者の穴埋め　　　diversification：多角化　　　expansion：拡大

Many welfare recipients well-off
It has been reported that the number of cases of householders who receive welfare benefits while also able to work has been rapidly increasing in Kagoshima Prefecture. The number has more than tripled in the last five years, with investigations of illegal cases conducted in 2011 reaching 391.
According to the prefecture's Social Welfare Department, households on welfare are categorised as
elderly, or fatherless families, and also "others”—which refers to householders that are capable of going to work, and whose number since the Lehman fall ballooned from 2,349 households, or 13% of the overall recipients in 2007, to 4,092 households, or 18% in 2011.
The department attributed the increasing number of householders categorised as "others" to economic downturn and decreasing offers of regular employment.
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多くの生活保護受給者が裕福だった
＜第１パラグラフ＞
It ~ that...：＜that以下のこと＞が報告された　　　the ~ cases：件数　　　householders ~ work：働くの能力がありながら生活保護を受け取っている世帯主　　　has ~ increasing：急増している　　　(has) ~ tripled：３倍になった　　　in ~ years：過去５年間で　　　with ~ 391：２０１１年に実施された違法事例の調査が３９１件に上って
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According to...：・・・によると　　　(are) categorised as...：・・・に分類される　　　elderly：高齢者　　　fatherless families：母子家庭　　　refers to...：・・・に言及する　　　are ~ work：仕事に行く能力がある　　　the Lehman's fall：リーマンショック　　　ballooned：膨れ上がった　　　overall：全体の
＜第３パラグラフ＞
The department：同課（県社会福祉課のこと）　　　attributed ~ to...：～の原因を・・・に結びつけた　　　economic downturn：景気悪化