ASUKA ALUMINIUM NEWS NO. 632 FEBRUARY 2014
Special contribution
Specialty of Japan
I wish you a Very Happy New Year. Today, it is said that the Japanese economy isin a recovering step under the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic growth policy,
which brings monetary easing, lower yen and bullish stock market.
It surely has an effect for major exporters, big automobile producers and others.
However, we, smaller businesses, don’t improve yet without benefit of Abe’s economic
policy. The lower yen has brought us various swelling costs, higher aluminum alloy,electric power, gas, oil and the like.
Furthermore our customers continuously request more severe qualities which bringus some increase of wage or some new investments, and it is hard to price up of ourpro-ducts within a severe international competition. We have to wait some time until
Abe’seconomic policy reaches to all of us.
Fortunately, we, diecasters, keep a great technology integrated during past longyears, and hold various excellent know-how in our job. I believe that it is important toproduce the high quality products which have value added and specialty made inJapan.
We don’t aim to be “number one business” but have to be “only one business”. I
think this is the only one way to stop “hollowed Japan”. I hope everyone at diecast
business will be in good health and enjoy excellent business results in New Year.
Seisuke Matso
Chairman, Middle Japan Diecasters
Cooperative Association
President, Toa Diecast Industry, Ltd.
The 30th New Year Praying Meeting Opens
In the afternoon of January 17, the 80 delegates from scrap suppliers and transporters were invited at the Kira Kanko Hotel in Mikawa Bay National Park. Keepingcustom, Chairman, Hisashi Amano addressed “New Year random talk” for one hour as
the above photo on page two shows
Then, the attendants visited Kannon Temple on the top of Mt. Sangane by bus, andthe praying meeting was held solemnly for business prosperity and traffic safety New
Year. The priest lighted a big sacred fire invocation and chanted a sutra in a loud voice.
He read up each attendant’s name and address with praying to get rid of sevenmisortunes and to invite seven fortunes this year. Everyone had a great belief that
New Year will be undoubtedly prosperous.
The bird’s eye view from the top of Mt. Sangane was really wonderful and impressive reflected by the golden sunset at Mikawa Bay.
At the hotel in the evening, a grand New Year party was held in traditional
Japanese fashion and everyone enjoyed thoroughly themselves till midnight. The
photo on page two is President, Takashi Amano’s opening address at the grand NewYear party.
Chairman, Hisashi Amano’s address is summarized on the reverse page.

Japanese and English

Hisashi Amano, Chairman

Reform plan of English study
In December, the Ministry of Education and Science revealed a reform plan on
English study from elementary to high school to bolster English study from the 2018
academic year. According to the execution plan of English education, English will betaught from third grade in activity-oriented classes once or twice a week mainly
instructed by home room teacher to lay the foundation for communication skills
By the time students reach fifth and sixth grades, English will be an official subject
conducted three times a week by qualified home room teachers or specialized language
instructors with a focus on fostering elementary command of English. Since 2002 academic year the English study at elementary schools has been discretionary.
Experts express mixed views on this scheduled official plan. Most insist the shortage of both skillful teachers and learning hours to gain enough English skills.
Aim of English study
Mr. Shimomura, the Minister of Education and Science, says “ The goal of English
education must be to foster talents who can respond to globalization”. Though we cansee the words “internationalization” or “globalization” easily every day, I can’t findout these words in Kenkyusha’s New English-Japanese Dictionary 1979, one of thebiggest and the most popular dictionaries in Japan, and also I can’t understand what
they mean at all. I presume both words were made in Japan and don’t have exact
meaning themselves.
I think our goal of English study in schools has been only for the success of entrance
examinations. The goal in junior high schools aims to the success of high schools’ entrance exams, and that in high schools aims to the success of universities’ entrance
exams.
Furthermore, it is very famous that the entrance exams of English are dry and impractical for marking by computer. If I should be an examiner, the problems would befree compositions “My teacher” for high school applicants, and “Abe’s Yasukuni visit”
fo r u n i ve r s i ty a p p l i c a n ts . I a m a fr a i d s o me p a p e r s wo u l d b e b l a n k .
Need Japanese English?
When Japanese live in a normal life in Japan, we don’t need English at all, and I
think it is better that Japanese forget a delusion that all Japanese have to commandof English.
In junior high school and high school, it is the best way that English is a discretionary subject, and furthermore, I think it better that if students can select various
foreign languages, English, Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, Thai and the like for theirclub activities. Beyond expectation, the skill may go up effectively rather than today’s
mandatory lesson.
It is a great waste of time and energy that all Japanese study English in schools
as an official subject, and on the other hand, the students who want to major English
have to study with far more hours and far higher quality in schools, I believe.
Company news Mr. Fumio Hoshino, Kosan Metals, was awarded a memorial gift for
perfect 30 attendances of Praying Meeting as the photo on page four shows.