英語学習

【Asia Business English】Japan, US confirm joint yen-buying intervention, signal more action（B1–B2）

 

Contents

🎧 Audio

📖 Script

Japan and the United States have recently confirmed a joint effort to buy the Japanese yen in the foreign exchange market. This kind of action is called an “intervention,” and it’s not something that happens very often. In fact, the last time Japan and the US did this together was back in 2011. The main goal of this joint intervention is to stop the value of the yen from dropping too much. If the yen becomes too weak, it can cause problems not only for Japan but also for other countries around the world.

A weak yen can make Japanese products cheaper overseas, which might sound good for Japanese companies. However, it can also lead to higher prices for imported goods in Japan, making life more expensive for Japanese consumers. Moreover, if investors start selling Japanese government bonds, it could lead to a rise in interest rates. This would make borrowing more expensive for everyone, from the government to regular people looking to buy a house.

The intervention is meant to stabilize the yen and prevent these negative effects from spreading to other parts of the world. It shows that both Japan and the US are serious about keeping the global economy stable. They have also signaled they are ready to take more action if needed. This could mean more interventions or other measures to support the yen and the Japanese economy.

Such interventions are usually coordinated by central banks. In this case, the Bank of Japan and the US Federal Reserve are likely involved. They buy yen and sell US dollars to push up the yen’s value. While this might help in the short term, it’s also important for Japan to address any underlying economic issues that are causing the yen to weaken in the first place.

📝 Vocabulary

  • intervention: the act of becoming involved in a difficult situation to change it（介入）
    例文: “The government’s intervention helped stabilize the economy.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • joint intervention
    • military intervention
    • direct intervention
  • bond: a financial instrument representing a loan made by an investor to a borrower（債券）
    例文: “Investors often buy government bonds for safety.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • government bonds
    • corporate bonds
    • bond market
  • stabilize: to make something more steady or secure（安定させる）
    例文: “Efforts were made to stabilize the currency.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • stabilize the economy
    • stabilize prices
    • stabilize the market
  • spillover: an effect on something not directly involved in an activity or event（波及効果）
    例文: “The economic issues caused a spillover to other regions.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • spillover effects
    • spillover benefits
    • spillover costs
  • currency: the money that a country uses（通貨）
    例文: “The yen is the currency of Japan.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • foreign currency
    • currency exchange
    • currency market

✏️ Grammar Point

Present Perfect Tense – “Japan and the United States have recently confirmed a joint effort…”

文法の日本語補足を見る
最近の出来事や経験を表すために現在完了形が使われています

💡 使用場面

（現在完了形は、過去の出来事が現在に影響を及ぼしていることを示すために使われます。ビジネスの会議で、最近の業績や成果について話す際に使われます。）

📝 使用例文

“例: In a business meeting, you might say: ‘We have increased our sales by 20% this year compared to last year.’”

❓ Listening Questions

  1. True/False: The joint intervention between Japan and the US is a common occurrence.
  2. What is one potential negative effect of a weaker yen for Japanese consumers?
    a) Cheaper imported goods
    b) Higher export prices
    c) More expensive imported goods
    d) Lower interest rates
  3. Who are likely involved in the joint intervention to support the yen?
    a) Japanese Prime Minister and US President
    b) Bank of Japan and US Federal Reserve
    c) Japanese investors and US corporations
    d) International Monetary Fund and World Bank
🔑 Listening Answersを見る
  1. False
  2. c) More expensive imported goods
  3. b) Bank of Japan and US Federal Reserve

📚 Reading Questions

  1. What was the main goal of the joint intervention between Japan and the US?
  2. Why do you think Japan and the US are ready to take more action if needed?
  3. What does the word “stabilize” mean in the context of the script?
🔑 Reading Answersを見る
  1. To stop the value of the yen from dropping too much.
  2. Because they want to keep the global economy stable.
  3. To make something more steady or secure

🇯🇵 日本語での経済ニュース解説

日本とアメリカが共同で円買い介入を行うことを確認しました。この介入は、円安が行き過ぎて日本や世界経済に悪影響を及ぼすのを防ぐためのものです。円が過度に弱くなると、日本の製品が海外で安くなる一方で、輸入品の価格が日本国内で上昇し、消費者にとって負担が増す可能性があります。また、国債の売却が進むと金利が上昇し、政府から一般の人々まで借入コストが上がる恐れがあります。今回の介入は、これらのネガティブな波及効果を防ぐためのものであり、日米が世界経済の安定を重視していることを示しています。今後も必要に応じてさらなる措置を取る可能性があります。

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/japan-yen-intervention-us-more-action-6295441

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