TOEIC(R) Test 満点続出の謎を解く！:ＳＩＭ音読用英文

No.317 SIM音読用英文

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Temperatures Rise at Flu-Shot Clinics
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The title of this essay, Flu Shot Etiquette,

is a poor one.


There hasn't been much etiquette displayed

in health clinics and doctors' offices

where H1N1, or swine flu, vaccinations are usually offered.


Patients are frustrated

by delays in delivery

of the vaccine.


Some are angry

that they're not among the two groups ?

children and pregnant women ?

given priority

because they seem most susceptible to swine flu.


Some women

who are not the least bit pregnant

are lying and saying they are,

just so they can get in line.


So desperate is the search for the vaccine

among men and women, both,

that some are yelling and cursing?

even threatening ? health workers. 　


Medical offices report employees ?

who themselves are highly susceptible to catching

this dangerous strain of flu from patients ?

have been breaking into tears,

even walking off the job.


They say they can't take the abuse any more.


The H1N1 vaccine has been slow to arrive

due to testing and manufacturing delays.


That has led to cancellations of flu-shot clinics,

raising anxieties

as the winter flu season nears.


Worried parents, especially, are clogging clinic telephone lines,

preventing sick patients

seeking appointments

from getting through.


Vaccine shipments that do arrive go quickly,

increasing the frustration

among those turned away.


And frustration can turn to anger

when the staff tells them they have no idea

when the next shipment will arrive.


Add long lines to the aggravation

at places where the shots are available,

and temperatures are up across the land,

not from the flu, from behavior

that some are calling flu rage.


Oh, there is one sort of behavior

that might fall under the heading of flu etiquette.


People aren't shaking hands as much these days.


For instance, hockey coach Bruce Boudreau,

whose Washington Capitals team had already lost

a flu-ridden player for several games,

was heading off to sign copies of his new autobiography.


"Everybody you meet is nice and wants to shake your hand,"

Boudreau said.


"You don't want to be rude and say no,

but…"


I’m Ted Landphair.

No.316 SIM音読用英文

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New York Yankees Win Major League Baseball's Coveted Championship Title
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New York's Japanese-born designated hitter, Hideki Matsui,

was the catalyst

in the Yankees' dominating victory.


Matsui drove in six of the team's seven runs

in the pivotal sixth game of the Series,

including a massive home run

off Phillies pitcher Pedro Martinez

in the second inning

that gave the Yankees their first two scores of the game.


Matsui also drove in two runs

during his at-bats in the third and fifth innings.


His exploits earned him the Most Valuable Player award

for the 2009 Series,

becoming the first Asian-born player,

and first full-time designated hitter,

to win the award.


Matsui said he was happy to take one

for the team.


"I was happy

to be able to hit and contribute to the team's win

but more than that,

just, us as a team,

winning the championship - by far -

that is such a great feeling.


I guess you can say

that this is the best moment of my life right now.


If I were to look back,

yes, this would be the best.''


The Yankees have won 27 World Series titles

over their storied history,

dating back to the 1920's,

making them one of the most successful sports franchises

in North America.


New York won this year's prize

in the first year of their new $1.3-billion stadium.


Yankees manager Joe Girardi says

the team was honored to win another World Series title

for the franchise's 79-year-old owner, George Steinbrenner.


"This is what the Steinbrenner family has strived for

year after year after year

and has tried to deliver

to this city of New York.


And George Steinbrenner and his family are champions.


Um, and to be able to deliver this

to the Boss, the stadium that he created

and the atmosphere that he has created around here,

um, is…, is very gratifying for all of us."


The Philadelphia Phillies were seeking

to become the first National League team

to win consecutive World Series

since the Cincinnati Reds did it in 1975 and 1976.


New York City's mayor has scheduled a parade

through Manhattan Friday,

to honor the Yankees.


Richard Green, VOA News, Washington

No.315 SIM音読用英文

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'Big-Box' Stores' Prices, Convenience Thrill Shoppers
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The American landscape is full of gigantic stores

as large as 30,000 square meters,

or 323,000 square feet, in size.


Many are discount operations


like Wal-Mart, Target, and Price Club,
which offer consumers convenient one-stop shopping.


Customers love their low prices and vast selection,

especially during the current recession.


So shopping-center developers keep building them.


But not everyone adores megastores.


The National Trust for Historic Preservation calls them big boxes

and has published guidebooks

on how to keep them out of town.


And cities like Fort Collins, Colorado, and Charlottesville,
Virginia, have banned

big-box stores.


Other places have called a temporary halt to megastores

while they decide how to deal with them.


As Rockville, Maryland's, former mayor, Rose Krasnik, once put it,

"They are not aesthetically pleasing.


When you walk in,

you're looking at a windowless, cinder block warehouse."


And outside at peak shopping times,

you can also be looking at a traffic quagmire,

especially when two or three megastores locate

in the same shopping complex.


Shoppers converging from throughout a metropolitan area are,

of course, exactly why smaller retailers want to cluster

around these big-box stores.


The cities that have banned giant discount stores are not impressed

by their low prices.


They call it predatory pricing

because so-called mom-and-pop shops and downtown department stores

cannot hope to offer the same vast selection and cheap prices.


When smaller stores are driven out of business,

the life is sucked out of downtown and neighborhood shopping centers.


And what happens

when a big-box store goes out of business?


It leaves behind an ugly, empty hulk

that can be hard to fill,

and a sea of empty asphalt around it.


This abandoned eyesore, in turn, drives people away

from the same shopping malls

that the big-box store once made so popular.


I'm Ted Landphair.

No.314 SIM音読用英文

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Do You Have Some James Bond in You?
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A few years ago, David Borgenicht

of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

was a book producer.


He found people

who had book ideas

that he liked

and helped them find publishers.


Then one day, he read an article

that gave him an idea

for his own book.


From it, he and Philadelphia magazine writer Joshua Piven

produced an instant best-seller

that developed almost a cult following.


It's about life-and-death situations

and how to survive them.


The article that David Borgenicht was reading

told people

how they might safely land a small plane

if the pilot passes out.


It got Borgenicht thinking

about other hair-raising situations

in movies and TV shows.


Of course it's one thing for an action hero to break down a door,

leap from a moving motorcycle into a car,

or fend off a killer shark.


But how would the ordinary, out-of-shape reader do it?


How would he or she wrestle free from an alligator,

survive if his parachute does not open,

or escape from a mountain lion?


David Borgenicht and Joshua Piven

got together to produce a pocket-sized book

called The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook.


In its first eight months,

it sold more than 1 million copies

and was reprinted 11 times.


Killer bees chasing you?


Not a problem.


Lost in the desert?


Turn to Page 129.


Need to build a fire but don't have any matches?
　　　　　　　　

No sweat, wrote Borgenicht and Piven,

who are just ordinary physical specimens.


We should note that,

despite its helpful tips,

the book is sold

in the HUMOR section in bookstores.


For instance, if you find yourself on top of a moving train,

here's how to survive:

Don't stand up!


Common sense, perhaps,

but it could come in handy.


The authors have since produced a whole series of guides,

including how to survive while traveling

and how to survive in college.


I'm Ted Landphair.

No.313 SIM音読用英文

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Obama Peace Prize Award Elicits Praise, Criticism
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White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said

he was called

to wake President Obama early Thursday

with the unexpected news.


"I think it's safe to say

he was very surprised."


Less than a year after taking office,

Mr. Obama is joining an elite group of recognized peacemakers

that includes Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and Martin Luther
King, Jr.


Speaking at the White House,

Mr. Obama's tone was one of humility.


"To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve

to be in the company

of so many of the transformative figures

who've been honored by this prize --

men and women who've inspired me,

and inspired the entire world

through their courageous pursuit of peace."


Global reaction was swift and varied.


U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the peace prize

as "great news".


Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter described the Obama selection

as "a bold statement of international support

for his vision

and commitment to peace and harmony

in international relations."


At American University in Cairo,

political scientist Saiid Sadek found Mr. Obama's selection odd
and undeserved.


President Obama's domestic political rivals echoed the criticism.


Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said,

in his words,

"It is unfortunate

that the president's star power has outshined tireless advocates

who have made real achievements

working towards peace and human rights."


For his part, the president attempted

to share the honor

with the nation as a whole.


"Let me be clear.


I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments,

but rather as an affirmation of American leadership

on behalf of aspirations

held by people in all nations."


The chairman of the Nobel committee denied

the honor is premature,

saying the committee has on many occasions tried

to enhance what many personalities are trying to do.


If the peace prize was awarded

to cheer ongoing efforts,

some are suggesting

it will increase pressure on President Obama

to deliver concrete results

on the world stage.


Two other sitting U.S. presidents have become Nobel laureates:

Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt.


Michael Bowman, VOA News, Washington

No.312 SIM音読用英文

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When Jury Service Looms, Many Plead Hardship
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One of the duties or privileges

of civic life in the American democracy,

depending on one's viewpoint,

is jury duty.


Only one in ten U.S. criminal cases ever proceeds to a trial

where the verdict is decided

by what we call 'a jury of our peers.'


Charges are dismissed

in the other cases.


Or the defendant pleads guilty.


Or he or she opts

to have a judge hear the case.


But thousands of civil lawsuits do reach a jury,

and a pool of qualified adult citizens must be assembled

to hear them.


So every day, people get notices

ordering them to report for jury duty.


Some will be quizzed by attorneys on both sides

and chosen as jurors,

others rejected and sent home.


Still others in the jury pool

never reach the interview stage.


They spend the day in a waiting room,

reading the paper

and drinking coffee

until they're excused.


In other words, the odds are slim

that anyone will be sitting

in a jury box for long,

say on a complex or high-profile case.


But civic duty or not,

that doesn't keep many Americans from striving mightily

to avoid jury service.


'I have a medical condition,' they say.


'I bought plane tickets for a trip that week.'


'I have to care for an elderly and infirm parent.'


And more and more frequently

in the current economic recession,

courts are hearing this:

'I'm hanging on the edge financially.'


'My husband lost his job.'


Or, 'My employer won't pay for days

I'm not at work.'


Or, 'I'm behind

on the mortgage.'


As one Florida judge told the New York Times,

a pervasive cloud of financial insecurity hangs over the process,

and he's inclined to believe people's stories

and let them skip jury service.


The result is that judges must cast their nets ever wider

in order to find 12 jurors

and a couple of alternates

able and willing to serve.


I'm Ted Landphair.

No.311 SIM音読用英文

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Obama Announces $5 Billion in Medical Research Grants
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President Obama visited

the sprawling National Institutes of Health,

near Washington,

and said the expenditure is vital

to improving public health.


"To unlock treatments to diseases

that have long plagued humanity,

to save and enrich the lives of people

all over the world.


This represents the single largest boost

to biomedical research

in history."


The grants include $175 million

for the Cancer Genome Atlas,

to map the way genetic changes affect cancer.


The White House says

the cancer study involves more than 150 scientists

at dozens of institutions around the country.


"And this has extraordinary potential

to help us better understand and treat this disease."


Mr. Obama says much of the research

being conducted at the National Institutes of Health

would not have taken place

in the corporate world.


"Some research does not lend itself to quick profit.


That's why places like the NIH were founded.


And that's why my administration is making a historic commitment

to research and the pursuit of discovery."


The president also promoted the grants

as a way to stimulate the economy

by putting researchers, educators and medical equipment makers to work.


"They'll create new jobs,

tens of thousands of jobs;

conducting research

and manufacturing, and supplying medical equipment,

and building and modernizing laboratories　　　　　　　　　　　　

and research facilities all across America."


Before he spoke about the grants,

Mr. Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

toured a cancer-research laboratory.


The president looked through a microscope at brain cells

as researchers explained the difference

between healthy and cancerous cells.


Kent Klein, VOA News, the White House. (30 September 2009)

No.310 SIM音読用英文

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Obama Chairs UN Security Council Disarmament Summit
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Mr. Obama's presence in the Security Council underscored

his administration's renewed commitment

to the U.N. system,

and support for international nuclear treaties

that the previous Bush administration had been skeptical about.


The first-ever council meeting

chaired by a U.S. president

began with unanimous approval of a resolution

renewing the U.N. commitment

to a world without nuclear weapons,

and urging nations

that have not already done so

to embrace the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.


In his opening remarks, Mr. Obama warned

that the detonation of a single nuclear weapon

in a major world city

would cause global economic damage and insecurity,

in addition to killing hundreds of thousands of people.


He said the next 12 months will be critical

in determining

if global efforts enshrined in the new resolution will succeed,

and he said the world community must not succumb

to cynicism about disarmament efforts.


"Now, we harbor no illusions

about the difficulty of bringing about a world

without nuclear weapons.


We know there are plenty of cynics

and that there will be setbacks

to prove their point.


But there will also be days like today

that push us forward,

days that tell a different story.


It is the story of a world that understands

that no difference or division is worth destroying

all that we have built, and all that we love."


Mr. Obama said the global effort would seek to "lock down"

all vulnerable nuclear materials within four years.


Neither Mr. Obama, nor the resolution, specifically mentioned

individual countries

believed to be seeking nuclear weapons.


But in their council statements,

both French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister
Gordon Brown

criticized Iran and North Korea

for defying international efforts

to curb their nuclear ambitions.


Momentum for tougher international sanctions against Iran,

if it refuses to resolve concerns

about its nuclear intentions,

appears to be growing

in advance of a critical meeting

between Iran's nuclear negotiator and big power diplomats

October 1st in Geneva.


David Gollust, VOA News, United Nations

No.309 SIM音読用英文

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Australia Leads World in New Greenhouse Gas Pollution Index
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The global pollution report has been compiled

by a British company, Maplecroft.


Using U.S. Energy Department data,

it calculated that Australia's per capita output of carbon dioxide

at 18.66 metric tons a year,

four percent higher than the United States.


In a list of 185 countries,

Canada, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia rounded out the top five.


China remains the world's biggest overall greenhouse gas polluter,

followed by the United States.


Australia's position as the worst per capita emitter of carbon dioxide,

which many scientists blame for global warming,

is a result of its heavy reliance

on cheap supplies of coal.


About 80 percent of the country's electricity is generated

by coal-fired power stations.


Canberra has committed

to cutting its greenhouse gas pollution

by up to 25 percent by 2020

compared to 2000 levels.


Professor Barry Brook from Adelaide University

says a global plan of action to cut emissions is more important

than the performance of individual countries.


The British pollution report has been released

ahead of a major United Nations summit in Copenhagen in December

aiming to agree to a new climate change treaty

to replace the Kyoto Protocol.


The Australian government hopes

to have a sweeping carbon emissions trading system in place

before the summit in Denmark.


Its plans, however, suffered a parliamentary defeat last month,

leaving the program in doubt.


Scientists have warned

that Australia - a vast, dry island that's home to 21 million people -

is particularly susceptible

to the effects of global warming

and could suffer more severe bushfires, droughts and storms,

if temperatures continue to rise.



Parts of Australia have experienced

their warmest winters on record,

which climatologists have blamed

on both the effects of climate change and natural variability.


Phil Mercer for VOA News, Sydney, Australia

No.308 SIM音読用英文

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Lawmakers Give Mixed Reaction on Obama Health Care Speech
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President Obama said

the current system has led the country to a breaking point,

imposing hardships on middle-class Americans

who struggle to pay for health care,

or who are unable to obtain it.


Saying the United States is the only advanced democracy

and only wealthy nation

that allows such hardships for millions of its people,

the president said the time has come

to put politics aside and solve the problem.


The president said reform proposals

which he estimates would cost $900 billion over 10 years,

would provide security and stability to the insured,

and make it possible

for tens of millions of Americans who are not

to get affordable insurance

through a proposed exchange system

in which private companies would compete.


Democrats trying to steer reform through Congress

against a nearly solid wall of Republican opposition

said the president delivered a clear vision and specifics,

and a strong message of leadership.


While praising the president's eloquence,

Republicans asserted

that he failed to deliver specifics,

and they re-stated criticisms

that Democratic proposals would impose new tax burdens

on Americans and small businesses

and add to deficit spending.


Republican Charles Boustany,

who is also a physician,

delivered the formal Republican response.


"It's clear

the American people want health care reform,

but they want their elected leaders

to get it right.


Most Americans wanted to hear the president tell

Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid, and the rest of the Congress

that it's time to start over on a common sense,

bipartisan plan focused on lowering the cost of health care

while improving quality."


President said he will continue to seek common ground

and listen to serious proposals,

but made clear

he will have little patience

for continuing distortions.


"Know this:

I will not waste time

with those who have made the calculation

that it's better politics to kill this plan

than to approve it.


I won't stand by

while the special interests use the same old tactics

to keep things exactly the way they are. "


At the same time, the president said

that rather than a radical shift

that would disrupt health care Americans now have,

he favors building on what works

and fixing what does not.


Dan Robinson, VOA News, Capitol Hill.

No.307 SIM音読用英文

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Firefighters Report Progress on Massive LA Fire
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Firefighters using bulldozers

have been extending a firebreak

around the blaze

in the mountainous national forest

north of Los Angeles.


They have built a fire line

around about a quarter of the massive blaze.


Although the fire is spreading,

firefighters say they are making progress.


The blaze began one week ago

above the hillside suburbs

north of the city.


Investigators have ruled out lightning as the cause,

which, they say, means　

that the fire was sparked by humans,

either accidentally or through arson.


Officials say the cause is still under investigation.


Scores of homes have been lost,

mostly in wilderness canyons.


But Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says

the damage could have been worse,

had the fire struck a month or two later,

when strong, gusting winds called Santa Anas blow in

from the desert.


"We're very, very fortunate.


Had this been the fall

with the Santa Ana winds,
　　　　
this fire could have been much larger 　

and much more serious

in terms of loss of life and property.


So first and foremost,

we have to thank God and nature,

but also our firefighters."


Two firefighters lost their lives

near Los Angeles on Sunday

as their vehicle plunged off a treacherous mountain road.


On Wednesday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

thanked firefighters

at a Los Angeles base camp

for their efforts.


Schwarzenegger says three of the eight fires

that are burning in the state

have been contained.


Five still pose a danger.


Officials warn that the L.A. fire is still largely out of control

and that a drop in humidity

could further dry the parched mountain brush

and hinder their efforts.


They also caution that winds could pick up at any time

to fan the flames.


Several communities remain threatened,

but Carlton Joseph of the U.S. Forest Service says

firefighters are making progress

on the southwest leg of the blaze,

as well as other places.


"We don't want to see this fire spread further

and take out more forest watershed and impact communities."


Local officials say

the loss of underbrush might cause problems later,

creating mudslides

when winter rains set in.


Mike O'Sullivan, VOA News, Los Angeles

No.306 SIM音読用英文

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Japan's Opposition Wins Election in Landslide
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Cheers of delight went up

at the headquarters of candidates

for the Democratic Party of Japan,

as broadcasters predicted a landslide victory

over the Liberal Democratic Party.


The DPJ appeared to set to gain more than 300

out of 480 lower house seats in play.


That result is consistent

with months of expectations

that LDP Prime Minister Taro Aso and his party would be defeated

by the DPJ and its leader -

Japan's presumed next prime minister - Yukio Hatoyama.


Hatoyama expresses his gratitude,

saying it was the people's strong desire for change

that brought about this result.


He says the vote clearly reflects

the deep public desire

to shift the country's balance of power.


The LDP has controlled Japan's legislature

almost without interruption

for the past 55 years.


But many voters blame the party

for Japan's worst period of recession

since World War II.


The DPJ has campaigned

almost exclusively on bread-and-butter economic issues,

appealing to voters

who feel the LDP has lost touch

with average families.


Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso struck a note of deep humility

in accepting his party's defeat.


He says the election result is regrettable,

but that he will take the people's voice seriously.


In a signal that he will likely resign soon,

he says he blames the defeat on his own failure,

and will accept personal responsibility.


Hatoyama now inherits the conundrum of Japan's struggling economy -

ballooning debt, sputtering growth,

and a rapidly aging population.


On foreign policy, the DPJ has signaled closer regional integration

with East Asian nations,

particularly neighboring China.


Hatoyama has vowed

to "re-examine" Tokyo's relationship with the United States,

but says the U.S.-Japan alliance will still be a cornerstone

of the country's security.


Kurt Achin, VOA News, Tokyo

No.305 SIM音読用英文

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Swiss Bank to Turn Over Account Data to US Authorities
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From Nazis to modern-day criminals,

Switzerland's legendary bank secrecy has long been exploited

by those with assets to hide.


For decades, Swiss banks have had a no-questions-asked policy

when it comes to deposits,

and a no-questions-answered policy

when it comes to investigations of their customers.


Those policies are changing.



The latest evidence:
Swiss banking giant UBS has agreed

to hand over details

on more than 4,000 accounts

to the U.S. government.


America's top tax official, Internal Revenue Service Commissioner
Doug Shulman

hailed the accord

on Bloomberg television.


"It's a huge victory

for the U.S. government.


This is an unprecedented agreement."


The accounts are believed to hold

as much as $18 billion in undeclared assets

that until now were hidden from U.S. taxes.


Shulman praised reforms

in Swiss banking.


"Until this year, we had no access

into any country

that had banking secrecy laws.


We're very pleased,

and it's part of our ongoing effort

to crack down on off-shore tax evasion.


You can expect to see a lot more from us

in terms of investigations

of individuals and institutions

over the next several years."


Switzerland's bankers association issued a statement

in support of UBS' agreement

with the United States.


The accord effectively suspends

a federal court case against UBS

that could have dealt a severe blow

to the bank's international operations and the Swiss economy,

which relies heavily on the country's robust banking sector.


Under the agreement,

targeted UBS bank customers will be notified

before information on their accounts is released.


Michael Bowman, VOA News, Washington

No.304 SIM音読用英文

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Obama Hails New Education Benefits for US Veterans
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President Obama says

those who have fought for the United States

in Iraq and Afghanistan

deserve opportunities

to continue to contribute to the nation

as productive, educated civilians,

just as past generations of American warriors have done.


"The freedom and prosperity that we enjoy would not exist

without the service of generations of Americans

who were willing to bear

the heaviest and most dangerous burden.


We also know this:

the contributions that our servicemen and women can make

to this nation

do not end

when they take off their uniform.


We owe a debt to all who serve,

and when we repay that debt

to those bravest Americans among us,

then we are investing in our future."


The new GI bill went into effect

at the start of the month.


It pays tuition, living expenses and other costs

at U.S. public universities and colleges

for those with a minimum of 90 days of active duty service.


The percentage of costs paid

depends on the length of active duty.


Funds can also be applied to tuition

at private universities,

which typically charge more than state-run institutions.


Benefits can be accessed for 15 years,

and may be transferred

to veterans' family members.


Total cost of the bill

has been estimated at $75 billion.


Noting that former presidents, Supreme Court justices, and Nobel
Prize winners

made use of previous GI benefits,

President Obama says the new funds will be well-spent.


"The veterans who are here today,

like the young post-9/11 veterans around the country,

can lead the way

to a lasting economic recovery

and become the glue that holds our communities together.


They, too, can become the backbone

of a growing American middle class."


The post-9/11 GI Bill passed Congress last year

despite opposition from the former Bush administration.


Those opposed to the measure argued

it would make going to college more attractive,

and would adversely affect retention rates

for U.S. service members in a time of war.


Michael Bowman, VOA News, the White House

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Japanese Politicians Cut Off From Internet During Campaign
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When Japanese lawmaker Kan Suzuki was elected

to the Upper House eight years ago,

he knew he wanted to take his political discussion

to the Web.


The member of the Democratic Party of Japan

started writing a personal blog


and began broadcasting a weekly Webcast called "Suzukan-TV."

Suzuki says his goal was to connect politicians

with average voters.


This allowed for direct interaction.


The Webcast quickly became a forum

where thousands tuned in

to discuss policies

and exchange ideas.


But when Suzuki ran for re-election two years ago,

he ran into a problem -

a complicated election law

that bans Internet use

during the campaign season.


He was forced to halt his blog and Webcast

at the most critical time.


Suzuki says when voters are doing their own research,

when the need for information is the greatest,

the law asks politicians to take a break

from this kind of communication.


Politicians such as Suzuki

who maintain Web sites

during the legislative session

must freeze content

during the campaign period.


So they pin up posters

on election commission-sponsored bulletin boards

and spread their message by megaphones.


One of the most digitally connected countries in the world

remains locked in the 20th century

at a time when global leaders are using 21st century tools

like Twitter and Facebook

to win votes.


This voter says

Japan has all the technological tools in the world,

but the laws have not kept up with the times.


There is something wrong with that picture.


At least one party agrees.


Suzuki says his Democratic Party has proposed four different bills

to change the law

and allow Internet campaigning.


None of the bills have come up

for discussion in the parliament.


He says that if the law is preserved,

people will continue to show apathy

toward politics.


That works to the benefit of the ruling party.


But recent polls show

that ruling party is in trouble.


The Liberal Democratic Party suffered an embarrassing defeat

in the Tokyo Metropolitan Election a few weeks ago,

and it is expected to lose its half-century hold on Japanese politics

in the August 30th general election.


For VOA News, Akiko Fujita in Tokyo