While the
Japanese government has been trying to cut wasteful budget spending on the
fiscal budget framework, it seems the result is far beyond real success. The
reached scale for fiscal budget cut to now is about 600billion Japanese yen,
less than one-tenth the government’s initial target. Although such cost-down level is almost
similar to that of ex-administration led by the Liberal Democratic Party, there
is no reasonable explanation and distinctive manifestation on the substantially
“no change” result from the government side and they seem to reiterate empty
word like amyna bird. The
other problem is that a great number of local electorates for the House of
Councilors election last July voted for candidates who are responsible for the screening
fiesta because innocent electorates did not have any measure to verify the
process. As a result, inherent purpose
of budget screening is forgotten and the political entertainment leads to keeping
innocent electorates blind. When we
think about real goal of budget cut, it should omit useless expenditures and
slim or size down unnecessary or duplicative organizational work. But such review and reduction of expenditures
and entities will not boost economy because economic growth is based on firm scientific
and technological infrastructure in essence. Any scientific advance derives from a certain tradition of intellectual
circle. At the time of the Industrial Revolution, invention of steam engine and
creation of various chemical processes on iron and coal came from penetrated
intellectual base such as universities and regional salons in Manchester,
Birmingham and Glasgow in U.K. During WWI and WWII, academic scholars tied
strongly with private industries and government authorities which constituted a
triangle. In that respect, it might be
still true that the more the co-relations among the triangle is strong, the
more possible industrial and economic framework for growth to appear. Nowadays, not only Japan but also many developed countries are trying to
realize fiscal budget screening by partly sacrificing scientific and technological
bases. For suffers from such
stupid act, it is really a tragedy. But
from outsider’s point of view, it means nothing other than Threepenny
Opera. We had better not lose
consciousness about what essentially sustains our society’s doctrine: freedom,
equality and philanthropy. (Takashi Higashi, President, TCS)
Key articles on Japanese industry scenes selected by TCS
Headlines of the articles:
| ELECTRONICS |
Easy-Handling Palm-Size Projector to Release |
| World’s Ever Miniature Optical Triple Zoom Device Developed for Smart Phones | |
|
Bone-Conduction Helmet to be Utilized at Construction Sites and Factories |
|
| MATERIAL |
Increasing Export of Painless Injection Needle for Relieving Diabetes Patients’ Pain |
| Synthesized Polyester with Enhanced Heat Resistance for Automobile Use | |
| Polyester Fiber for Clothes to Prevent Smell and Bear Many Times Laundry | |
| ENERGY |
Thinner Tent with Solar Cells to Apply for Power Sources at Shops |
| ENVIRONMENT |
New Biodegradable Plastic to Realize Higher Decomposition Speed into Soil |
| MEDICINE |
Gelatin Mixed with Medical Agent is Efficient for Curing Human Deafness |
| Compact Active Mass Scale to Simplify Human Health Data Calculation |
ELECTRONICS
Easy-Handling Palm-Size Projector to Release
December
24--Sanwa Supply started selling a very light portable projector. The palm size projector is weighted 77gram
for easy handling. Users can connect the
projector to personal computers via USB cables and make photos to display at
large screen. Sales price will be about
160US dollars.
World’s Ever Miniature Optical
Triple Zoom Device Developed for Smart Phones
December
3--Shicoh developed world’s smallest optical threefold zoom device that can vividly
extend and shrink photo images. The
device named “Zoom Actuator” is sized W9.85mmxL9.85mmxT6.8mm
to be used for smart phones. The company
will sell the product for cellular phone makers globally.
Bone-Conduction Helmet to be
Utilized at Construction Sites and Factories
November
25--Goldendance devised a bone-conduction helmet with which users can listen to
sound via vibration to the helmet. The
new helmet enables users to be readily audible one another at noisy places such
as construction sites and factories. The
maker will release the product in the spring of 2011.
MATERIAL
Increasing Export of Painless
Injection Needle for Relieving Diabetes Patients’ Pain
December
30--Terumo will strengthen export of a painless injection needle in 2011, which
was co-developed with Okano Kogyo. The
product is to alleviate pain of diabetes patients who suffer from insulin
injection. The company plans to expand
its sales in newly developed countries and Western countries.
Synthesized Polyester with Enhanced Heat Resistance for Automobile Use
December
20--Toray developed a synthesis technology to enhance heat durability of
general-use resins. The feature of the
technology is to mix raw materials of general-use resins and high-heat bearable
resins at nanometer size without heating. The company
will mass produce polyester based on the technology for automobile use.
Polyester Fiber for Clothes
to Prevent Smell and Bear Many Times Laundry
December
14--Teijin devised a polyester fiber to prevent smell and bacteria. Users
wearing the fiber do not sense smell of their sweat and can use it as a
brand-new product even after 50-times laundering. The company will commercialize the fiber with
sports wear from next spring.
ENERGY
Thinner Tent with Solar Cells
to Apply for Power Sources at Shops
November
10--Chukoh Chemical Industries invented a light-weighted tent which installs
thin-film solar cells. The developed
product made of glass fiber and fluorine resin is 0.6mm thickness attached to
thin-film solar cells of 1mm thick ness. The electrical tent is incorporated into aluminum framework to realize an
independent panel and applied for power sources of air blowers and lighting
equipment at various shops.
ENVIRONMENT
New Biodegradable Plastic to
Realize Higher Decomposition Speed into Soil
November 26--Toyo Seikan developed a
biodegradable plastic whose decomposition speed into soil is 10 times higher
than the existing environmentally-friendly plastics. The new plastic includes an agent which
facilitates decomposition speed in reaction to water. The product is expected
to be used for compost treatment and methane fermentation.
MEDICINE
Gelatin Mixed with Medical
Agent is Efficient for Curing Human Deafness
December 2--Kyoto University succeeded to improve symptom of human sudden
deafness. Gelatin including a medical agent which stimulates human cell’s
growth is put into human ears for recovering feeble cell function. The
staff team confirmed the efficiency at clinical tests for 25 patients.
Compact Active Mass Scale to Simplify
Human Health Data Calculation
November 5--Omron released a compact active
mass scale whose thickness is 1cm to be put into clothes pockets easily. With the portable scale, health-conscious users
can measure their calorie consumption level as well as transmit the calorie
data to the company’s health management site on the Internet for health
check.
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(Source: Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun)
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