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HOT ISSUES

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  • (5/21) Mini Horses in Greece Bring Joy to Sick, Disabled
    AUDIO       Mini Horses in Greece Bring Joy to Sick, Disabled           A non-profit group in Greece uses small horses to provide pet therapy to sick and disabled people. But the organization is now considering its future after facing financial difficulties.   The Associated Press (AP) recently met members of the group, called Gentle Carousel Greece. The animals are brought to hospitals and care centers to give joy to the sick or those suffering physical limitations.   The horses are bred as miniature animals and stand about 72 centimeters tall. They are specially trained to provide comfort to disabled children, sick people, or older adults.   One of the horses was recently brought to a school outside Athens for children with special needs. At the school, nine-year-old Josifina Topa Mazuch seemed drawn to a small, gray horse. She ended up leading the animal down a school hallway.         The horse, named Ivy, stood no taller than the girl’s pink wheelchair. “I really want them to come again,” Josifina told the AP about Ivy and another visiting horse, Calypso. “They made me feel really happy,” she added.   Ivy and Calypso are two of nine miniature horses provided by the non-profit group. The organization is linked to an American group called Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses. The U.S. group is based in Ocala, Florida.   The organization said the horses complete at least two years of training. They are taught how to work in confined environments with children and adults with special health needs. Caregivers say the horses provide a form of pet therapy that offers valuable social interactions and new learning experiences.         But the leader of the Greek organization says her group has been financially struggling in recent years. Gentle Carousel Greece is run by 68-year-old Mina Karagianni. She said she now performs most of the group’s duties herself. Karagianni also finances the group and cares for the nine miniature horses, mostly by herself.   Karagianni also told the AP she learned about the Florida-based organization over the internet while she was searching for information on a pony she had rescued. After learning about the group’s activities, she got the idea to start her own operation.   “I was touched and I was moved, and I said: ‘OK, we have to bring this to Greece,’” Karagianni said. So, she decided to make changes to her land to be able to care for the horses. She said she turned her property into what she calls a “Magic Garden.” She has everything she needs to care for the horses. She also runs a small restaurant and party area.         Karagianni launched her Greek group in 2014. She said the organization has served about 12,000 children since it began until the pandemic led to restrictions in 2020.   The pandemic caused financial pressures and Karagianni herself faced a medical problem that hurt her ability to run the group. “I’m just starting to get myself back together again now,” she told the AP. “With a lot of financial difficulties. But what can I do? I’m trying.”   Karagianni said she had contacted businesses and non-profit groups about financial help but has not been successful. She plans to continue to seek help. “I’m making super-human efforts,” Karagianni said. “I’m doing what I can. But I can’t do it alone,” she added.   Karagianni said she keeps going because she sees the great benefits the children and adults receive from the animals.         At the special needs school, teacher Eleni Volikaki said she sees “incredible” reactions from the children. “It’s like something awakens their senses.” Volikaki noted the horses can often get students to make more progress than with other therapy methods.   “We saw things we didn’t expect,” she said. “We saw children with autism, or children who are generally afraid of animals, coming very close, letting the (horses) get close to them.” Volikaki added.                                 ___________________________________________ Words in This Story   therapy – n. the work of treating mental or physical illness without using drugs or a medical operation miniature – n. extremely small confine – v. to prevent something from leaving a place or to prevent from spreading benefit – n. something good that helps you or gives a person an advantage                                             https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/mini-horses-in-greece-bring-joy-to-sick-disabled/7904925.html

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  • (5/20) Looking Back on Mispronounced Names and Words
    AUDIO       Looking Back on Mispronounced Names and Words           Vice President Kamala Harris and pop singer Chappell Roan were among the year's most talked-about people. Their names were also among those people said incorrectly, or mispronounced.   In early December, the language-learning company Babbel and The Captioning Group released a list of words that people in the U.S. struggled with the most in 2024. The list also provides a look back at the year's most discussed subjects and people, from pop culture to politics.   Esteban Touma is a linguistic and cultural expert at Babbel. He said, "It's a nice way to kind of look back into the year and see everything that has happened."   Chappell Roan became famous this year and is nominated for six Grammy awards. But people still do not know how to say her name correctly. The list says her name is pronounced CHAP-uhl ROHN, not SHA-pel ROW-an.         Help with pronouncing names   During Harris' campaign for president this year, two of her young relatives spoke at the Democratic National Convention to teach the crowd how to say her first name, pronounced COM-a-la.   Also making the list was U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose last name still causes some problems. During his 2020 presidential run, his campaign made shirts with the pronunciation "Boot-Edge-Edge" to help.   Other words on the list include:   — Dutch Kooikerhondje, pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che, is a breed of dog that became known this year. That is because Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player Shohei Ohtani has a Kooikerhondje called Decoy that appeared with him at an opening game.   — The name of the actress Zendaya is often mispronounced as zen-DIE-uh, but it should be zen-DAY-a.   — Online fast-fashion business Shein is SHE-in, not SHEEN.   — Newly discovered exoplanet Speculoos-3b is pronounced SPEK-yuh-lohss three bee.   — Phryge, the mascot of the Paris Olympics, is pronounced FREE-je.   — Semaglutide, the drug in weight-loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy, is pronounced sem-ah-GLOO-tide, not SEE-mah-gloo-tide.   — The last name of Irish actor Barry Keoghan, who starred in "Saltburn," is pronounced key-OH-gin.         Nancy Niedzielski is chair of the linguistics department at Rice University in Houston. She points out that most of the words on the list are not English, so it is not surprising that they would be mispronounced in the U.S. The key to pronouncing them correctly, she said, would probably just be hearing them spoken.   Touma, a native Spanish speaker, said if you cannot pronounce a word, it is important to just keep trying. "One of the problems we have is our mouths are not trained to do those sounds that come from different languages," he said.   Touma admitted even he struggles with some words, including Harris' first name. Even though he knows the correct pronunciation, he said, it is hard to get it right in a conversation.   As Roan's music gained popularity, it was an interesting cultural moment to watch as people learned to pronounce her first and last name, he said.   "The way we create understanding with each other is just trying to do these things," Touma said.                                   ____________________________________________ Words in This Story nominate – v. to formally choose (someone) as a candidate for a job, position, office, or award fashion – n. a popular way of dressing during a particular time or among a particular group of people mascot - n. a person, animal, or object used as a symbol to represent a group (such as a sports team) and to bring good luck                                             https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/looking-back-on-mispronounced-names-and-words/7888540.html

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  • (5/19) Game Born in Mexican Prisons Brings People Together
    AUDIO       Game Born in Mexican Prisons Brings People Together               On a Sunday afternoon in Mexico City’s Roma neighborhood, Rosa María Espinosa joins about 80 men in a park to play poleana. The almost 100-year-old game was created in a Mexican prison and requires luck and thinking skill.   Poleana still carries a stigma connected to its birth as a prison game. However, it is growing popular as people from different backgrounds discover its appeal.   Espinosa says she like the excitement of the game. “But sometimes,” she adds, “the dice aren’t lucky.”         Playing for freedom   Poleana is played with four people and a square wooden box with a sunken center for dice rolling. Each player has four pieces that they race around the box. They use dice combinations and math to govern how to move their pieces strategically. At the same time, they must also try to block moves by their competitors.   The board represents the limits of a prison and getting out of it before others. Winning freedom is the game’s goal.   “People used to say, ‘these folks know how to play because they’ve been to prison,’” said the 62-year-old Espinosa. “Thank God I’ve never been, but I like to play.”   That was the first time she had competed against anyone besides her family or friends. She usually plays on Tuesdays and Sundays in the small church in her apartment building.   Ancient roots   Alejandro Olmos studies ancient cultures at the National Anthropology and History School. He has studied and played poleana for years.   He has followed the game’s roots to the Indian game chaupar (or pachisi). He found evidence of the connection dating back 1400 years. After British colonization of India, the game spread to Western countries under different names, including Ludo, Aggravation and Parcheesi.   In 1915, the American company Parker Brothers marketed a similar game. Parker Brothers named it “Pollyanna” after a popular 1913 children’s book by Eleanor H. Porter.   Sometime around 1940, the game spread to prisons in Mexico City, including Lecumberri. That prison’s physical structure is very similar to the design of the game board. So experts say Lecumberri may have been the birthplace of modern poleana and its new set of rules.   Olmos said that in Mexico, “the game reflects the roughness of prison life: mistakes are not pardoned.”   Poleana breaks out   Six years ago, Jonathan Rulleri started a family business marketing poleana. His goal was to bring together people from different backgrounds.   One of the early difficulties was establishing common rules for the game, which in Rulleri’s words, “has been spreading from below, from prison to the street and from the street into neighborhoods.”           The 37-year-old man learned to play while serving a sentence in a prison outside Mexico City, the capital. After his release, he struggled to find work.   He and his wife launched a food delivery service. However, the business proved unsuccessful. This led him to accept an offer to make a poleana board for a friend. Then came another offer. Soon he began to post his creations on social media. He said they gave up the food business and started making poleanas instead.   The business, Poleana Cana’da Frogs, has organized 55 poleana tournaments. They are family-friendly, including people of all ages.   “We want to remove the game’s stigma …” Rulleri said.   In the 1980s, the game began to spread beyond the prisons and into Mexico City’s neighborhoods. Tepito is one of the neighborhoods where people are almost always playing poleana.   Fernando Rojas is 57 years-old and learned poleana when he was 18. But it was in prison where he really got good at the game.   “It really helps you escape the reality of being a prisoner and that’s how it started,” Rojas said. “No one can understand what it’s like to be a prisoner … you don’t see the end of your sentence. There are people who have to do drugs as their way to escape. Poleana is very important in prison.”   Now the game helps Rojas cope with life’s difficulties. “We all have problems, in prison and in the street,” he said. “So a lot of people come here for a distraction.”   While luck plays a part in the game, math understanding is also important.         That is why Diego González and Dana López are very happy that their 7-year-old son Kevin is learning to play poleana. He has fun and his math skills are improving.   González also runs a family business making poleana boards. He started the business after serving a three-year sentence 10 years ago. His boards are popular birthday and Christmas gifts. Some are personalized and might include images of loved ones who have died, or playful pictures for players who are children.   Sales of the board game sharply increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. People were stuck at home and found that the game was a good way to pass the time.         “They realized it’s not a bad game," González said, “it’s a game of strategy and getting the family together.”                               ____________________________________________ Words in This Story stigma – n. a set of negative and unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something dice – n. small cubes marked on each face with from one to six spots strategically – adv. to use a careful plan or method to achieve a goal : strategy – n. the art of making or employing plans or tricks to achieve a goal reflect – v. to make (something) manifest or apparent: to show delivery – n. the transport and handing over of something to someone tournament – n. a series of games or contests that make up a single unit of competition distraction – n. something that directs one's attention away from something else                                           https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/game-born-in-mexican-prisons-brings-people-together/7912736.html

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  • [5/16]新手露营第一课：如何与自然“礼貌相处”？
                ※ mp3 파일 참고 :   "LINK"  링크 클릭해주시면  mp3 포함되어 있습니다 :)             央广网北京5月6日消息（记者鹤佳）据中央广播电视总台中国之声《新闻超链接》报道，“五一”假期，河畔、山林、沙漠间点缀的五彩帐篷，勾勒出露营热潮的生动图景。数据显示，2024年我国露营经济核心市场规模已达1334亿元，预计2025年将突破2483.2亿元，带动整体市场规模迈向1.44万亿元。有电商平台数据显示，“五一”假期前夕，帐篷、天幕、折叠椅商品交易总额分别同比增长428.04%、182.99%、409.03%。露营正从“网红属性”的小众爱好蜕变为“长红”的大众生活方式。   露营为啥“突然”火了？如何在保护环境的前提下安全露营？面对“步步升级”的露营装备，人们该如何摆正心态？   中央广播电视总台中国之声《新闻超链接》对话北京体育大学体育休闲与旅游学院院长、中国旅游协会专家委员会委员蒋依依。   露营背后的情感密码   人们对自然的渴望、社交需求的转变以及门槛的降低，共同将露营助推成了大众潮流的生活方式。蒋依依说，“露营不仅是跟风，更是旅行方式的变革”。如今，露营基地设施完善、智能化装备日益普及，越来越多的人能够轻松开启“帐篷生活”。同时，政府政策的规范引导也为行业的可持续发展提供了有力保障。   短视频平台上“露营100种玩法”的火爆，将露营与“松弛感”“治愈”等关键词深度绑定，但过度美化的内容也引发了争议。有部分博主精心剪辑的“精致露营”视频，掩盖了扎帐篷的劳累、突遇暴雨的狼狈。对此，蒋依依强调：不鼓励这样的展示！比拼装备或制造流量噱头反而会忽略露营的本质——亲近自然，享受简单生活。远离喧嚣，放松身心，回归自然才是露营的核心价值所在。   露营≠野营：休闲与生存的硬核分界线   有些新手会把露营和野营的概念混淆，蒋依依提醒，二者有着本质差异。   露营是城市生活的自然延伸，多选址于城市公园、景区或规范营地，风险主要集中在蚊虫叮咬或天气变化。露营营地的配套设施完善（如热水、厕所），装备以轻便型为主，参与者只需要掌握搭帐篷、使用炉具等基础技能即可。   野营则需要深入山林、荒漠等未开发区域，通常与徒步、攀岩等极限运动结合。野营装备的专业性更强：防风防雨帐篷、净水设备、急救包等都是标配。野营参与者还要掌握辨别方向、寻找水源等生存技能。野营的风险指数也会更高：迷路、野生动物威胁、极端天气等问题频发。因此，进行野营活动通常需要专业训练和团队协作。   露营与野营的“安全边际”截然不同，对于缺乏户外经验的普通人而言，野营绝非说走就走的旅行，切不可盲目尝试！   露营“装备焦虑症”？三招破解！   面对电商平台上标价从99元到9999元的露营装备，新手容易陷入“不买顶级装备就不专业”的消费陷阱，资深玩家也可能被“装备鄙视链”绑架。人们该如何摆正心态？   蒋依依给出三条建议：   场景决定装备，拒绝“全能型消费”：要根据露营方式和环境决定买什么装备。如果仅是短途的野餐、烧烤，轻便的帐篷和小型炊具就足够了。但如果是野营，则需升级专业工具，比如防风、防雨和保暖装备等。   拒绝“一步到位”，把“装备库”变成“成长日记”：新手没必要一上来就把所有装备购置齐全，可以边玩边升级，经验积累后再根据实际需求逐步调整，避免“装备吃灰”。   警惕品牌溢价，国产装备也“很香”：不要一味地追求网红产品或高端品牌，有许多兼具耐用性与轻量化的国产装备都是很好的选择。适合自己的才是最好的。   无痕露营：爱它就别伤害它   人类活动必然会对环境造成影响，露营也不例外。人们要怎样做才能在融入自然时最大程度减少对环境的损耗？蒋依依表示，“无痕露营”最有效，除了脚印和照片，不给露营地带来其他负担。   垃圾管理：用可重复使用的餐具替代一次性餐具，打包带走所有废弃物。   节约资源：减少用水，避免污染水体；收集雨水循环利用。   明火规范：远离植被，选择安全地生火；离开后彻底熄灭火源。   保护野生动植物：不采摘野生植物、避免惊扰野生动物。用镜头代替触碰。   除了环保，安全也是露营者的必修课。当露营进阶玩家开始追求“人迹罕至”，蒋依依警示：务必提前研判目的地的地理、气象条件，规避悬崖、河道等危险区域；行程需告知亲友并保持联络，优先选择正规营地；携带指南针、急救包等必需品，不盲目跟风挑战“网红野生路线”，时刻对自然保持敬畏。                                                                 https://china.cnr.cn/gdgg/20250506/t20250506_527160718.shtml    

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  • [5/15]美债信用滑坡，中国如何破局
              　　美国总统特朗普第二任期执政满百日，从美股到美元再到美债，美国金融市场遭遇多次“过山车”式的振荡。30年期美债收益率一度录得数十年来最大单周涨幅，“避风港”地位受到质疑。   　　“债务时钟令人恐惧。”美国“政府效率部”负责人马斯克曾直言。他所说的，是美国“债务时钟”网站显示的统计数据。目前，美国国债总额已超过36.8万亿美元。   　　中国人民大学重阳金融研究院近期发布一份报告，警告美债的“庞氏骗局”正在进入濒临破产的前夜。 　     　为何说美债如同“庞氏骗局”？   　　长期以来，美国通过不断发行国债来筹集资金，政府预算赤字年年增加，截至2024年末，美国联邦政府的债务率超过123%，赤字率高达6.36%，远超过60%和3%的国际警戒线。   　　为了支付现有债务的利息，美国必须不断“借新还旧”，这种做法，与庞氏骗局的“滚动资金”模式颇为类似。   　　高额债务叠加高利率，美国的偿债压力日益加剧。美国财政部数据显示，联邦政府2024财年债务利息支出首次超过1万亿美元。这一数字首次超过了国防支出，成为政府的第三大支出项目。   　　越还越多的美债，正从“传统避风港”成为“风险放大器”。   　　随着关税战全面打响，美国经济衰退风险不断提升，美债风险也越来越大。高关税推高通胀，高通胀需要高利率来控制，高利率带来美债的高收益率，高债务则带来经济高风险。中国人民大学重阳金融研究院研究员刘英指出，高关税恐将成为压倒美债的“最后一根稻草”。   　　国际货币基金组织(IMF)预计，美国2025年经济增速将放缓至1.8%，在发达经济体中下调幅度最大。对于美国在未来一年内陷入经济衰退的概率，彭博社最新调查显示，经济学家的中值预测为45%，高于3月份的30%。   　　经济发展放缓将影响美国政府偿债能力，甚至陷入债务市场的“死亡螺旋”。   　　报告指出，随着美债风险攀升，市场对美元资产信心下滑，美元地位遭冲击，可能对美元流动性和国际贸易投资体系造成影响。   　　面对美国债市动荡与信用风险，中国如何破局？   　　首先，加强底线思维，防范美债违约冲击。   　　长期以来，中国外汇储备实现了投资组合较为有效的分散化。中国央行副行长邹澜日前回应“美债市场波动”时指出，单一市场、单一资产变动对中国外汇储备的影响总体有限。未来，央行也将坚持以市场供求为基础、参考一篮子货币进行调节、有管理的浮动汇率制度，坚持市场在汇率形成中的决定性作用，增强外汇市场韧性。   　　其次，把握窗口期，稳步推进人民币国际化。   　　中国人民大学国际货币研究所等近期公布的调查结果显示，在美国资产的安全性和可信度受到质疑之际，中外企业越来越热衷于使用人民币进行国际支付结算。在美元主导地位弱化的当下，人民币国际化出现有利契机。   　　中国银行研究院副院长鄂志寰认为，美国股债汇“三杀”是一个转折点，为人民币国际化提供了难得的时间窗口。中国应谨慎把握，进行总体规划，在有效把控风险的前提下，稳慎扎实推进人民币国际化进程。   　　第三，以高质量发展的确定性应对外部环境急剧变化的不确定性。   　　目前，中国一方面充分挖掘内需市场潜力，提升内需对经济增长的高效拉动作用。另一方面，进一步增强中国科技力与核心产业力，尤其是聚焦“卡脖子”环节的核心技术攻关。同时，主动开拓非美市场，与其他国家共同构建安全稳定、畅通、开放、互利共赢的全球产业链供应链体系。         https://www.chinanews.com.cn/cj/2025/05-05/10410615.shtml  

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  • [5/14]假期吃喝玩乐不停歇 这些“节日病”你中招了吗？
                　　“五一”假期结束，想必不少朋友已经安全返程。节日期间密集的出行、聚餐让多地再现“人从众”场景，却也带来了系列健康问题。5月5日，江苏省中医院急诊科副主任中医师黄洋接受记者采访时指出，近期急诊接诊的“节日病”呈现多样化趋势，感染性疾病、代谢急症及慢性病急性发作三类病症尤为突出。 扬子晚报/紫牛新闻记者 万惠娟     　　年轻人酒精中毒激增 老年人慢病失控   　　“‘五一’期间，急诊就诊总人数与平时大致相仿，有时甚至略有下降，这可能与居民外出旅游有关。接诊高峰主要集中在中午和夜间时段。”黄洋指出，节日期间高发的疾病主要是感染性疾病，包括上呼吸道感染、胃肠道感染和肺部感染。“这些疾病主要与人群聚集导致的交叉感染有关，同时也与节日期间外出聚餐增多、进食油腻食物、暴饮暴食、饮食不规律等生活习惯有关。此外，外出旅行劳累后免疫力下降，也容易感染细菌或病毒。”   　　节日期间，65岁的“老糖友”张先生(化姓)趁着亲友放假，一起吃饭喝酒。当晚，他出现恶心、呕吐等症状，随后病情急速加重，被紧急送往省中医院急诊科。黄洋接诊后，经过一系列检查，发现张先生的PH值多次无法测出，乳酸也异常升高，并伴有严重休克，确诊为严重的糖尿病酮症酸中毒。所幸经过抢救，张先生最终转危为安。   　　黄洋透露，类似代谢急症并非个案，不少患者在假期可能因为作息、运动和饮食改变及漏服药物等原因，导致血压、血糖等波动。缺乏监测会延误治疗，就诊时病情已经较为严重。   　　此外，酒精中毒患者也明显增多。“不少年轻人因为饮酒过量前来就诊，出现剧烈呕吐甚至意识丧失等严重酒精中毒症状。”他特别指出，许多酒精中毒患者会自行采用催吐的方式来缓解症状，但这种做法存在极大风险。“催吐可能导致大量胃内容物反流至气道，造成气道梗阻，严重时甚至会引发窒息，危及生命。而且频繁催吐还会损伤胃和食管黏膜。正确做法是保持侧卧位确保气道通畅。”   　　专家提醒节日期间应避免“放纵式”过节   　　“假期里一些来南京旅游的老年患者出现身体不适，但由于无法调取他们在当地的病历资料，不能结合以往的检查结果进行对比，加上部分老年人沟通存在障碍，这些都给病情诊断增加了难度。”黄洋提醒，老年人在出行时应尽量避免长时间、远途旅行，最好有家人陪同。   　　他还提到，一些慢性病患者在症状复发甚至加重时，往往抱有侥幸心理，认为忍一忍或过段时间就能好转，从而延误了就诊时机。“我昨天接诊了一位心绞痛患者，此前其一直有阵发性胸痛，每次休息或者服用救心丸后都能缓解。但这次胸痛持续了四五天都不见好转，昨晚疼痛甚至加重，来院就诊时检查发现已经发展成心肌梗死。”他强调，此类患者症状加重时，切勿自行判断，务必及时就医。   　　最后，他提醒公众，假期期间应尽量保持规律的作息，均衡饮食，并进行适量的运动，避免“放纵式”过节； 在人员密集的场所应佩戴口罩，勤洗手，并注意开窗通风；无论是外出旅行还是节假日加班，都应注意劳逸结合，避免过度劳累导致抵抗力下降，进而引发各种急性感染性疾病； 慢性病患者务必按时服药，并定期监测血压、血糖等指标，一旦出现身体不适，应及时前往医院就诊，避免延误病情。 https://www.chinanews.com.cn/sh/2025/05-06/10410939.shtml

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  • 「5/20」“カプセルトイ” 大人の需要取り込み専門店増やす動き活発に
    小さなおもちゃなどが入ったカプセルトイ。少子化が進む中でも大人の需要を取り込むなどして市場が拡大していて、専門店を増やす動きが活発になっています。 おもちゃメーカーの「バンダイ」とグループ会社では、カプセルトイの販売機を取りそろえた専門店を全国で展開しています。 店舗の数はこの2年半ほどで3倍あまりに増え、先月末の時点でおよそ400店舗に上っているということです。 バンダイ ベンダー事業部の滝口雄介ゼネラルマネージャーは「専門店を作りマシンをたくさん置くことで老若男女に向けた商品を用意できている。ついで買いではなく、エンタメの場として受け入れられていると感じている」と話していました。 このほかDVDのレンタルなどを手がける「ゲオホールディングス」は、3年前から専門店の出店をはじめ、現在は都内を中心に43店舗を展開しているほか、流通大手「イオン」の子会社は専門店をこの3年ほどで3倍近くに増やし、現在は240店舗あまりを展開しています。 各社によりますと店舗が増加している背景にはいわゆる「推し活」をする大人や外国人観光客によるカプセルトイへの需要の高まりがあるということです。 またこうした店舗は比較的運営に人手がかからないため、コロナ禍をきっかけに空き店舗となった場所への出店が進んだことも、要因の1つだとしています。 日本カプセルトイ協会によりますと昨年度・2024年度のカプセルトイの市場規模は、出荷ベースで1400億円あまりと、2022年度に比べ2倍近くに増えています。

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  • 「5/19」漫画「鬼滅の刃」が能狂言に 若い世代の観客集め異例の人気に
    人気漫画「鬼滅の刃」を狂言師・野村萬斎さんが演出を手がけ能狂言にした舞台が若い世代の観客を集めて異例の人気となっています。 漫画「鬼滅の刃」を能狂言にした舞台は、全国の主要都市を巡回中で11日、大阪の大槻能楽堂には原作ファンを中心に若い世代が集まりました。 物語は漫画でも人気の「無限列車編」と「遊郭編」で、主人公の竈門炭治郎や柱の煉獄杏寿郎などに扮した能楽師と狂言師がキャラクターにあわせた装束で登場し、名場面を演じました。 鬼と全力で戦うおなじみの場面では、能楽師の大槻裕一さん演じる炭治郎たちがお囃子にあわせて厳かに舞いながら、能面をつけた鬼と対じしました。 舞台の演出を手がけた野村萬斎さんは女装した敵役の「無惨」を演じ、客席から現れた手下の鬼を懲らしめるなど従来の能楽にはない光景に会場が沸きました。 能狂言「鬼滅の刃」はもともと2022年に初演され、今回はその続編です。 主催者によりますと、全国の主要都市で20回にわたる公演が予定されていますが、チケットは希望者が多いため、抽選で販売されるなど能楽公演としては異例の人気となっています。 野村萬斎さんは「もともと能狂言はその時代に流行しているものを取り上げてきたので、今回の作品もいずれ古典になるといいなと思います。能楽は物語の内容を知っていれば、見る人の思い入れが反映される芸術でこれを機会に古典も見てほしい」と話していました。

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  • 「5/16」プロ野球 巨人選手2人 オンラインカジノ賭博の疑いで書類送検
    プロ野球、巨人に所属する選手2人がオンラインカジノで金を賭けていたとして、警視庁は8日、賭博の疑いで書類送検しました。 書類送検されたのは、プロ野球、巨人のオコエ瑠偉選手（27）と増田大輝選手（31）です。 捜査関係者などによりますと、オコエ選手は、2022年7月とおととし5月に、増田選手は、去年10月から11月にかけて、スマートフォンなどからカジノサイトにアクセスし、金を賭けたとして賭博の疑いが持たれています。 調べに対し、いずれも容疑を認めているということです。 警視庁は球団から相談を受けて、任意で事情聴取を行うなどして捜査していましたが、自主的に申告してきたことなどから、起訴を求める意見は付けなかったとしています。 2人はカジノサイトで「ブラックジャック」や「バカラ」などを利用し、オコエ選手は、およそ700万円を賭けて収支は450万円のマイナス、増田選手は、およそ300万円を賭けて230万円のマイナスだったということです。 一方、野球協約で失格処分の対象となっている野球賭博など、スポーツ賭博の利用は確認されていないということです。 巨人 “検察庁の判断等を踏まえ適切に対処” 巨人は、選手2人がオンラインカジノで金を賭けていたとして書類送検されたことを受けて、コメントを発表しました。 それによりますと、2人は、ことし2月20日、球団がオンラインカジノの利用者は自主的に申告するよう呼びかけた直後に名乗り出て、スマートフォンの履歴や、銀行口座の利用記録の提供にも進んで応じたとしています。 そのうえで、「2人は『開幕前に自らの過ちを正しておきたかった』と述べ、オンラインカジノの違法性を認識しないまま興味本位で利用していたことを深く後悔し、12球団で申し合わせた上限いっぱいの制裁金の支払いも異議なく受け入れています」としています。 そして、球団としては「今後の検察庁の判断等を踏まえつつ、適切に対処してまいる所存です」とコメントしています。 これまでに利用判明の16人 各球団が制裁金 プロ野球でのオンラインカジノの利用をめぐってはこれまでに利用が判明した8球団の16人に対して各球団が1人当たり10万円から最大で300万円、総額で1020万円の制裁金を科しています。 一方で申告した人の氏名については「警察の捜査に影響がある」として公表しない方針を示しています。

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