Is not wearing a tie part of the Kyoto Protocol?

　僕は英辞郎を使って英語を読みまくり、インターネットラジオのNHKのラジオジャパン英語ニュースで時事英語を聞きまくってます。（＾＾；また、VOAでヴォイスレコーダーにDLしたMP3音声とテキストも楽しんでます。
参考「こんな感じで英辞郎を使ってます」

Is not wearing a tie part of the Kyoto Protocol?

06/06/2005

In the early summer of 1871, Tomomi Iwakura and other top officials of the Meiji government-then in its fourth year-engaged in heated debate over the nation's official dress code. Purists insisted on maintaining traditional kimono, arguing it was silly to ape the West even on how to dress. But those in favor of adopting Western attire countered that the change in attire was indispensable if Japan was to join the international community.

Their argument prevailed.

2005年05月29日（日曜日）付
【天声人語】

　明治４年の初夏、岩倉具視ら高官が集まり、開国日本の服装はどうあるべきか激しく論じた。和服派は「衣服まで外国をまねるのは愚か」と訴えたが、洋服派が「外国との交際に欠かせない」と説き伏せた。世にいう「洋服大評定」である。

I sometimes fantasize what would have happened if the pro-kimono camp had won. Even if it did, I don't imagine we would have remained so stuck in tradition as to be still wearing full court kimono or half-length Japanese coats in our daily business.

However, I feel pretty certain there would be far fewer men wearing neckties at the height of the sweltering summer.

　あの時もし洋服派が敗れていたら、と夢想してみる。よもや衣冠束帯や羽織はかまが現代まで続くようなことはあるまい。だが亜熱帯に近いこの国で、真夏にネクタイを締める人口は今よりはるかに少なかったはずだ。

In the more than 130 years since that early summer of 1871, Diet members and bureaucrats have made it a rule to wear a tie to work-with the exception of the years during World War II. But on June 1, Cabinet ministers and civil servants ended this tradition to ``help ease global warming.''

　大評定から１３０余年、戦時下を除くと国会や省庁ではずっとネクタイ着用が基本とされた。だが、来月からは閣僚や官僚たちがネクタイなしの勤務を始める。地球温暖化対策の一つという。

According to Environment Minister Yuriko Koike, who came up with the idea, ``Japanese men are overpackaged. They have been testing their limits of endurance to heat by wearing a tie in summer.'' There should be different opinions from men who do not have any choice to wear ties.

　音頭を取る小池百合子環境相は「日本の男性は過剰包装。ネクタイで暑さに耐える我慢大会をやってきた」と言う。必要に迫られてネクタイを着けてきた身には、あれこれ異論もあるだろう。

Throughout this, the necktie industry has been surprisingly quiet.

Takeshi Kobori, the 70-year-old head of a Tokyo association of necktie makers, said: ``Of course we are not happy. But our industry hasn't got the luxury to complain to politicians because we are too busy just struggling for survival.''

That was in stark contrast to the oil embargo days of the early 1970s, when the former Ministry of International Trade and Industry told the nation's men to stop wearing ties. Kobori said his association then complained to the ministry at once.

But times have since changed.

Not only are Japanese men wearing ties less frequently, but cheap imports from China have driven established tie makers, some of which have been around since before the war, into bankruptcy.

　それにしてもネクタイ業界は音なしの構えだ。「不満はあるが、業界にはいま政治にもの申す余力がない。どう生き残るかで精いっぱいですから」と東京ネクタイ協同組合理事長の小堀剛さん（７０）は話す。石油危機ではノーネクタイを勧めた通産省にすかさず抗議したが、それも今はむかし。ネクタイ離れが進み、格安の中国産が流れ込んで、戦前から続いた老舗（しにせ）が次々倒れた。

The Environment Ministry even was to hold a summer fashion show June 5 using the nation's business leaders as models.

I have nothing against Koike's zeal to let the public sector lead the private sector in men's fashion. However, when it is so obvious that it is really the government telling men in Japan to shed their neckties, I am sure there are some who want to do just the opposite of what the government tells them-and wear one.

　環境省は来月５日、財界人らをモデルに夏服ショーを開く。政官界から民間へ。意気込みはわかるが、あまり政府に宣伝されると逆にネクタイを着けたくなる天（あま）の邪鬼（じゃく）もいる。

--The Asahi Shimbun, May 29(IHT/Asahi: June 6,2005)