at 18:30 (JST), December 16

Asian View

"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to "Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20211216183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : russian military detected
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211216_02/

A Russian military reconnaissance plane was detected flying back and forth between the Sea of Japan north of the Japanese archipelago and the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday.

Japan's Defense Ministry is stepping up its alert after eight more planes believed to be Russian military aircraft were spotted flying near Japanese airspace the same day.

Ministry officials say the reconnaissance plane made a round trip over the Sea of Japan north of the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and the Pacific off the coast of Tohoku through the Sea of Okhotsk.

Eight more apparent Russian military aircraft flew near Japanese waters in the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific.

The reconnaissance plane and three other aircraft flew over Japan's Northern Territories.

Russia controls the islands. Japan claims them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. It says the islands were illegally occupied after World War Two.

Ministry officials say the Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighter jets in response to each aircraft.

Ministry sources say it is unusual for so many Russian military planes or apparent military planes to fly near Japanese airspace on the same day.

Officials are analyzing the purpose of the flights as the same reconnaissance plane was observed taking a similar route on Tuesday.

Key words : lithuania left taiwan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211216_03/

Lithuania has taken steps to repatriate its embassy personnel and dependents from Beijing.

The country's foreign ministry on Wednesday announced on its homepage that Lithuania's charge d'affaires ad interim in China would return to Vilnius for consultations.

It added that in the absence of a substitute diplomat in Beijing, the Lithuanian Embassy in China will continue its operations remotely.

Meanwhile, the ministry told NHK that the diplomats had to return because of uncertainties over their legal status.

China last month downgraded its ties with the Baltic state after it allowed Taiwan to open a representative office under its own name.

A European Commission spokesperson told reporters in Brussels that all Lithuanian diplomatic staff and their families left Beijing on Wednesday morning.

Nabila Massrali said, "The repatriation of Lithuanian diplomatic staff and their relatives is a sovereign decision by the Lithuanian authorities on what is best for its mission and its staff."

Taiwan's foreign ministry released a statement expressing the "highest respect to the Lithuanian government and its diplomatic decision-making despite unceasing diplomatic and economic threats from the Chinese government."

The statement adds that Taiwan reiterates its pledge to continue to stand with Lithuania.

Lithuania earlier this month appealed to the European Commission for support after China imposed blocks on Lithuanian exports to the country.

Key words : myanmar photographer
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211215_37/

Media in Myanmar reported on Tuesday that a freelance photographer documenting anti-military demonstrations in the country died while in custody.

Soe Naing was detained last Friday, while taking photographs of a "silent strike." Protesters closed businesses and shops in the largest city, Yangon, in a mute protest against the military rule.

The cause of his death is unknown. But media say he likely died after being assaulted during interrogation.

Soe Naing had reportedly provided media with photographs he took of citizens protesting the military coup.

An international group of journalists, Reporters Without Borders, issued a statement. It says Soe Naing is the first journalist to die since the coup.

The group says the Myanmar military still detains more than 50 reporters and photographers, intensifying its crackdown on media.

The group called on the international community to condemn the escalation in terror against reporters covering the news in Myanmar and implement targeted sanctions against the generals.

Key words : government widow
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211215_24/

A trial involving the widow of a former Finance Ministry official who killed himself after being forced to falsify documents has closed after the government suddenly changed course and agreed to pay damages.

Akagi Toshio, who worked for the ministry's regional bureau in Osaka, killed himself in 2018. He had been pressured to falsify official documents pertaining to the sale of state-owned land to school operator Moritomo Gakuen at well below market value.

The transaction drew criticism because then-Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's wife was named an honorary principal of an elementary school to be built at the site.

Akagi's widow Masako filed a lawsuit demanding over 100 million yen, or about 940,000 dollars, from the government.

The government challenged her claims. But her lawyer says it reversed its position and took procedures for full payment at a closed-door meeting at the Osaka District Court on Wednesday.

The government admitted responsibility for Akagi's death, saying he was subjected to prolonged, excessive mental stress for having to follow orders he strongly opposed and deal with requests for public disclosure of information related to the land deal.

The government says the trial should not be made to drag on, so it will fully accept the widow's demand in light of the gravity of the act of falsifying official documents.

Akagi Masako said she hoped the trial would shed light on the facts that led to her husband's death, but that the case has closed before her goal was achieved.

She described the government's about-face as a dirty surprise attack and said her mind went blank.

She said she's frustrated that the trial had to end this way, adding that she does not know how to tell her late husband.

A trial is still ongoing in a separate lawsuit the widow filed against a former head of the Finance Ministry department that signed the controversial deal. She has accused Sagawa Nobuhisa of ordering the document tampering.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Isozaki Yoshihiko said the ministry responded to the lawsuit with sincerity.
He described the case as tragedy and said he prays that Akagi will rest in peace.

Key words : health ministry 15 more omicron
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211215_39/

Japan's health ministry officials say 15 more infections from the Omicron coronavirus variant were confirmed on Wednesday.

They were all cases detected at airport quarantine stations, or in people who had been in close contact with infected people. They had been in Germany, the UK or the US. Officials say no community transmission has been confirmed. 32 Omicron cases have now been reported in Japan.

Nationwide, authorities confirmed 175 coronavirus infections on Wednesday. There was 1 death. Tokyo reported 29 new cases. The daily tally in the capital has been below 30 for almost 5 weeks.

Key words : gasoline price
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211215_29/

Gasoline prices in Japan have fallen for the fifth straight week. Concerns that the Omicron variant may delay economic recovery briefly drove down crude futures prices.

The Oil Information Center said on Wednesday that the average retail price of regular gasoline was 165.9 yen or about a dollar and 46 cents, per liter as of Monday. That is down 2.1 yen from the previous week.

But officials at the Center say crude prices could rise again, as people are starting to lower their guard against the Omicron variant, and due to increased seasonal demand for oil.

Key words : shinkai new movie
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211215_31/

Acclaimed Japanese animation film director Shinkai Makoto, who made the 2016 global hit "your name.," says he is working on a new movie to be released in fall next year at movie theaters across Japan.

Shinkai said in Tokyo on Wednesday that the upcoming film will be titled "Suzume no Tojimari" in Japanese. Suzume is the name of the 17-year-old protagonist girl in the movie and tojimari literally means closing doors. The official English title will be announced later.

Shinkai said the film will depict the liberation and growth of Suzume. He said the girl sets out on a journey to ruins across Japan to close mysterious doors through which curses come out.

Shinkai's past works include "your name." and the 2019 film "Weathering With You." Both grossed more than 10 billion yen, or over 88 million dollars, each in box-office revenue in Japan alone.

Shinkai explained he has been engaged in the new production while exploring what to do in an age when fewer and fewer people can be seen due to the shrinking population and the coronavirus pandemic.

The director said he believes audiences want to see a story that ponders each scattered possibility and "closes" them properly to eventually find a genuinely new place.

Shinkai said he thinks movie theaters are where people can perform their special abilities, such as sympathizing with movie characters and immersing themselves in stories. He added he will turn the new film into one that will inspire people to watch it in theaters.