"Basically, men's salaries were much higher in general, and they took a much bigger hit when the economy worsened," said Hideo Kumano, chief economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

日本第一生命经济研究所的首席经济学家熊野秀夫说：“一般说来，男性的收入总体上会比女性高得多，在经济恶化时受到的打击也大得多。”

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Dai-ichi and Korea Life have both already expanded into South-East Asia to unlock new sources of growth.

第一保险公司和韩国人寿公司都已经进军东南亚市场，来寻找新的经济增长点。

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The offending slogan was, in Japanese, seikatsu dai-ichi, or (less catchily) "your daily life comes first".

这条令鸠山不快的标语在日文中被称做“生活第一(seikatsu dai - ichi)”，或“你的每日生活应放在首位”(后一种说法就没那么琅琅上口了)。

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Throw in idle employees at layoff-averse companies and the rate is more like 10%, figures Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.

FORBES: Greasing the wheels

However, Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute's Mr Shimamine warned that growth may be hampered by "yen strength and financial turmoil in the US and Europe".

BBC: Japan economy slows less than expected in last quarter

"The scenario that Japan's economy will get on a recovery track later this year has not changed, " said Yoshikiyo Shimamine of Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute, adding that growth was given a lift by car manufacturers restoring production.

BBC: Japan economy slows less than expected in last quarter