What Is True Democracy?

Close Up Japan | 真の民主主義とは?

What Is True Democracy?

The cabinet was pushing for an extension of the retirement age for civil servants, and submitted a plan that would also apply to executives in the prosecutor’s office. As this would violate the separation of the three powers, one ordinary woman raised her doubts on Twitter. Following this, a lot of other people, including celebrities have also voiced their opposition to this move. In the past, the majority of people were hesitant to raise their objections to the government, but this time, in just a short period of time, millions of people joined the protest through social networking sites. Many people guessed that the cabinet might have plotted to pass the law at a time when people's attention was focused on Covid-19. Many retired executives from the prosecutor’s office also expressed their concerns. The opposition parties suspected that it was to hide something inconvenient for the cabinet. On the other hand, there are those who argue that democracy begins with people following the decisions of their elected representatives. The prosecutor’s office once arrested a former prime minister. Some people say, if their authority is too strong, there will be a risk that some will be arrested without sufficient evidence. However, it could be said that many world leaders, who enjoy the backing of the majority of the electorate, don’t respect those who didn’t vote for them and only make policies that favor their supporters in order to win another election. As a result, under the guise of democracy, there is a global trend towards ignoring the opinions of opposition voters. The passing of the law was postponed and ironically, the deputy prosecutor, who was to have his retirement age extended by the cabinet, was prosecuted for gambling in a mahjong game. In the end, the cabinet had to accept his resignation.

内閣ないかく
naikaku ha
(the) cabinet
公務員こうむいん
koumuinn
civil servants
no
for
定年ていねん延長えんちょう
teinenn ennchou wo
(the) retirement age (an) extension (of)
すすめていました
susumete imashita
was pushing (for)
が、
ga,
and
これを
korewo
[this]
検察庁けんさつちょう
kennsatsuchou
(the) prosecutor’s office
no
in
幹部かんぶ
kannbu
executives
にも
nimo
to also
適用てきようする
tekiyou suru
(that) would apply
法案ほうあん
houann wo
(a) plan
提出ていしゅつしました。
teishutsu shimashita.
submitted
これは
koreha
this
三権さんけん分立ぶんりつ
sannkenn bunnritsu wo
the separation of the three powers
るがしかねない
yurugashi kanenai
would violate
として、
toshite,
as
一人ひとり
hitori no
one
一般いっぱん女性じょせい
ippann jyosei ga
ordinary woman
ツイッターついったー
tuitta-
Twitter
de
on
抗議こうぎこえ
kougi no koe wo
(her) protest
げました。
age mashita.
raised
それにつづいて
soreni tsuzuite
following on from this
著名人ちょめいじんを 
chomeijinn wo
celebrities
ふく
fukumu
including
おおくのひと
ookuno hitomo
a lot of other people
反対はんたい
hanntai wo
(their) opposition (to this move)
表明ひょうめいしました。
hyoumei shimashita.
have (also) voiced
これまで
koremade
in the past
大半たいはん
taihann no
in the past
国民こくみんは、
kokuminn ha,
people
政府せいふ
seifu
(the) government
たいして
nitaishi te
to
異議いぎ
igi wo
(their) objections
となえることを
tonaeru kotowo
to raise
してきませんでした
shite kimasenndeshita
were hesitant
が、
ga,
but
今回こんかい
konnkai ha
this time
SNSえすえぬえす
esuenuesu wo
social networking sites
つうじて
tsuujite
through
短期間たんきかん
tannkikan ni
(just a) short period of time in
数百万人すうひゃくまんにん
suuhyakumannninn ga
millions of people
抗議こうぎ
kougi ni
(the) protest
参加さんかしました。
sannka shimashita.
joined
おおくの国民こくみんが、
ookuno kokuminn ga,
many people
内閣ないかく
naikaku ha
the cabinet
国民こくみん
kokuminn no me ga
people’s attention
コロナころな
korona ni
Covid-19
いている
muiteiru
was focused on
あいだ
aida ni
at a time when
法案ほうあん
houann wo
(the) law
とおそうとした
toosouto shita
might have plotted to pass
to
that
おもっています。
omotte imasu.
guessed
おおくの
ookuno
many
検察けんさつ
kennsatsu
(the) prosecutor’s office (from)
OBおーびー
o-bi-
retired
有志ゆうし
yuushi
executives
mo
also
懸念けねん
kenenn wo
(their) concerns
しめしました。
shimeshi mashita.
expressed
野党やとうは、
yatou ha,
the opposition parties
内閣ないかく
naikaku
(the) cabinet
ni
for
不都合ふつごう
futsugou na
inconvenient
ことを
kotowo
inconvenient
かくすため
kakusu tame
to hide
ではないかと
dehanaikato
that was
これを
korewo
it
うたがいました。
utagai mashita.
suspected
一方いっぽうで、
ippoude
on the other hand
えらばれた
erabareta
(their) elected
議員ぎいん
giinn
representatives
no
of
決定けってい
kettei ni
(the) decisions
したがうことこそ
shitagau koto koso
(people) following
民主みんしゅ主義しゅぎ原点げんてん
minnshu'shugi no genntenn da
democracy begins with
to
that
主張しゅちょうする
shuchou suru
(who) argue
ひと
hitomo
those
います。
imasu.
there are
検察けんさつ
kennsatsu ha
the prosecutor’s office
かつて、
katsute,
once
元首相もとしゅしょう
moto shushou mo
(a) former prime minister
逮捕たいほしました。
taiho shimashita.
arrested
検察けんさつ権力けんりょく
kennsatsu no kennryoku ga
their < prosecutor’s office > authority
つよすぎる
tsuyosugiru
is too strong
と、
to,
if
十分じゅうぶん証拠しょうこ
jyuubunnn na shouko ga
sufficient evidence
ないまま
nai mama
without
逮捕たいほおこなわれる
taiho ga okonawareru
some will be arrested
危険きけん
kikenn ga
(a) risk
ある
aru
there will be
という
toiu
that
意見いけんもあります。
ikenn mo arimasu
some people say
しかし、
shikashi,
however
過半数かはんすう
kahannsuu no
the majority of (the electorate)
支持しじ
shiji wo eta
(who) enjoy (the) backing of
世界せかいのリーダーの
sekai no ri-da- no
world leaders
おおくは、
ooku ha,
many
自分じぶん
jibunn
them
ni
for
投票とうひょうしなかった
touhyou shinakatta
(who) didn’t vote
もの
monowo
those
尊重そんちょうせず、
sonnchou sezu,
don’t respect and
つぎ
tsugi no
another
選挙せんきょ対策たいさく
sennkyo taisaku
win election
として、
toshite,
in order to
支持者しじしゃ
shijisha
(their) supporters
のための
notame no
(only that) favor
政策せいさくおこなっている
seisaku wo okonatte iru
make policies
to
that
えるでしょう。
ieru deshou.
it could be said
その結果けっか
sono kekka,
as a result
民主みんしゅ主義しゅぎ
minnshu'shugi
democracy
no
of
のもとに
na nomoto ni
under the guise
反対はんたい意見いけん
hanntai ikenn wo
opposition (voters) of (the) opinions
無視むしする
mushi suru
ignoring
風潮ふうちょう
fuuchou ga
trend
世界的せかいてき
sekaiteki ni
a global
ひろがって
hirogatte
towards
います。
imasu.
there is
法案ほうあん審議しんぎ
houann shinngi ha
the passing of the law
延期えんきされ、
ennki sare,
was postponed and
皮肉ひにくにも
hiniku nimo
ironically
内閣ないかく
naikaku ga
(the) cabinet
定年ていねん延長えんちょうさせる
teinenn ennchou saseru
(his) retirement age to extend
意向いこうだった
ikou datta
(who) had intended
検事長けんじちょう
kennjichou ha
(the) deputy prosecutor
麻雀まーじゃんをしていたこと
kake ma-jyann wo shiteitakoto
gambling in a mahjong game
wo
for
追及ついきゅうされました。
tsuikyuu saremashita.
was prosecuted
結局けっきょく
kekkyoku,
in the end
内閣ないかく
naikaku ha
(the) cabinet
検事長けんじちょう
kennjichou no
his <deputy prosecutor>
辞職じしょく
jishoku wo
resignation
れました。
ukeire mashita
had to accept

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