from today's Nikkei

上場企業　減配・無配３社に１社　今期総額は９％の小幅減　減益・赤字でも増配予定１６８社

It is learned by a The Nihon Keizai Shimbun's survey that one of three companies among listed compnies likely will reduce their dividends to shareholders compared with the previous term,or cut them to zero for the bisiness term through the end of March, 2009. Given the situation that many firms are facing their business performances' declining, most of them put priority on securing funds available. In these circumstances,the aggregate amount of dividends is ceratin to decline for the first time in seven business terms. But the range of decline is small with abou 9 percent.Meanwhile,some companies are thinking of increasing their dividends even if their business results made their profits decline or made their account settlement turn to the red.

参考：７期ぶりに減少は、decline after a seven-business-term intervalでも表現可能。

Chichu Art Museum

Yesterday I visited Chichu Art Museum in Naoshima in Takamatsu City,Kagawa Orefecture.This is my first visit there.Going on board a ferry boat,it took me about one hour to arrive at a port in Naoshima. From there I rode a town-operated midsized bus. In twenty minutes,I was at Chichu Art Museum's ticket center.
Naoshima is more famous overseas than at home for its excelent exhibition of fine arts combined by architecture designed by Ando Tadao. Most of the museum is under the grond like suggested by its name.The works of Claude Mounet,Walter De Maria and James Turrell are exhibited in the facility designed by Ando Tadao. Not only three artists' works but also the combination of architecture and the works itself is, in a real sense, art work.It is the philosophy of the museum.
Referring to the works of Mounet, they are exhibited in a white-wall room,and made visible entirely by natural lighting.The top of the room is open to the sky with transparent glass. The direct light from the sky is blocked by a kind of cover.I was able to see his four works from only a few of centimeters distance.I was able to see cloth of the canvases and oil paints very clearly. When I was in the room, the brightness in the room sudenly changed. What happend? I thought at the time. Afterward, I got that it took place because brightness in the sky changed.Mounet is a representative artist born in France in the mid-19th century ,belonging to the Impressionist. He was an artist who was very interested in light or brightness and darkness. Such kind of artist's works are being exhibited at the Naoshima's museum. That is a very splendi thing.That is why the world is paying a keen attention to this small island. Go to Naoshima.