at 18:30 (JST), June 20

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/20220620183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : first meeting survivor
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220620_06/

Japanese atomic bomb survivors, known as hibakusha, have attended an international forum discussing issues related to nuclear weapons, to have their voices heard.

Hibakusha and young Japanese citizens from the atomic bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, took part in the forum on Sunday in Vienna. It was sponsored by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, or ICAN.

The event was held ahead of the first meeting of state parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that will open in the Austrian capital on Tuesday.

Ieshima Masashi, who survived the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima at the age of 3, told the forum what he had heard from his parents.

Ieshima said the bomb blast shattered windows and tore the roof off, then they could see the moon from inside their house.

He said that his mother had pieces of glass stuck all over her body.

Kido Sueichi was exposed to the bomb explosion in Nagasaki when he was five years old.

He said those who died with their families by their bedside accounted for only 4 percent of all atomic bomb victims, and the rest died alone without a chance to say goodbye to their loved ones.

The hibakusha stressed the misery caused by nuclear weapons and the need to abolish them.

Their testimonies were translated into English by young Japanese like Seto Mayu, whose grandmother was exposed to the atomic bombing in Hiroshima.

After hearing the testimonies, a woman from India said it was the first time that she had the opportunity to listen to the voices of hibakusha in person.

She noted that their experiences made her realize the urgent need to take action, so that others could avoid the same fate.

Key words : miyata
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220619_08/

A Japanese atomic bomb survivor, or hibakusha, and a descendant of hibakusha are exchanging views with participants in the first meeting of the states that are party to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

They are in Vienna, Austria, ahead of the meeting, which will start on Tuesday.

Miyata Takashi, a survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, and Seto Mayu, whose grandmother was exposed to the bomb explosion in Hiroshima, were there to talk with participants from around the world.

On Saturday, they stationed themselves at the entrance of a venue where an event related to formal meetings was taking place.

Miyata was wearing a jacket with a message written in English saying "I am a hibakusha from Nagasaki. Ask me anything."

He talked about his experiences and the importance of prohibiting of nuclear weapons, while Seto translated for him.

Miyata talked with more than 10 participants in less than an hour.

One of them, who is from the United Kingdom, asked what his country can do to help hibakusha.

Miyata replied that he wants the UK to lead a peace movement together with Japan.

Miyata is invited to share his experiences as a hibakusha at some events during the conference. He also plans to spend time talking to other participants to promote the movement to ban nuclear weapons.

Key words : hiroshima 80 people
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220618_13/

About 80 people rallied in Hiroshima on Saturday to call on the Japanese government to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The first meeting of the states that are party to the treaty kicks off in Vienna on Tuesday.

The rally participants had responded to calls by atomic bomb survivors group and anti-nuclear group in Hiroshima. They gathered in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome, near the epicenter of the 1945 blast.

Some survivors, known as hibakusha, and others will attend the meeting in Vienna, although there will be no representatives of the Japanese government, even as observers.

The head of the survivors group, Sakuma Kunihiko, says the hibakusha have repeatedly urged that nuclear weapons never be used again. He said a message needs to be sent from Hiroshima to make the meeting a success.

Participants collected signatures from passersby to call on the Japanese government to join the treaty.

The head of the anti-nuclear group, Takahashi Nobuo, said their task is to raise their voices and work toward a government that joins in the treaty.

Key words : principal hong kong
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220620_02/

The Chinese government has appointed principal officials for the incoming government of Hong Kong, with the territory's second highest position to be assumed by a senior security figure.

State-run Xinhua news agency says the appointments came on Sunday, with Hong Kong's "Chief Secretary for Administration" position going to Eric Chan.

Chan is currently the secretary-general of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong, which was set up after the introduction of a national security law for the territory in 2020.

The appointment of Chan who is a former immigration official, together with Hong Kong's Chief Executive-elect John Lee Ka-chiu who is a former police official, apparently reflects Beijing's stance that national security is a top-priority issue.

Chan is on the list of individuals who were placed under US sanctions in 2020, along with Lee and current Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Washington accused them of undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and restricting citizens' freedom of expression and assembly.

Meanwhile, Paul Chan will remain as Financial Secretary.

Hong Kong will hold a swearing-in ceremony for Lee on July 1, when another event will mark the 25th anniversary of the territory's handover from Britain to China.

Attention is also focused on whether President Xi Jinping will attend those ceremonies in person.

Key words : philippines
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220619_23/

The daughter of outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has indicated she will tackle drug issues as vice president, raising concern she may continue her father's hardline crackdowns on illegal drugs.

Sara Duterte took her oath on Sunday at a ceremony in the southern city of Davao, where she serves as mayor.

The ceremony was attended by Duterte's father and the president-elect, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The father of the incoming president ruled the country with an iron fist until he was ousted in 1986.

Duterte was elected vice president by winning a record number of votes in the May 9 election. She and Marcos will take office on June 30.

She said children are facing a very complex future, the destruction brought about by drugs.

Her father's heavy-handed approach is said to have helped improve security in the country.

But the International Criminal Court is investigating the older Duterte over possible crimes against humanity, as he allowed police to kill drug suspects.

Human rights groups in the Philippines are expressing concern about whether the new vice president will continue her father's anti-drug campaign, and whether her position could affect the ICC investigation.

Key words : supreme court ruled kanno
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220617_24/

Japan's Supreme Court has ruled that the government was not responsible for the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The ruling handed down on Friday covers four separate damages lawsuits filed by people including those who had to evacuate their homes in Fukushima and three other prefectures. The defendants were the state and the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company.

The lawsuits centered on the reliability of a long-term assessment of possible seismic activities issued by a government organization nine years prior to the accident.

The point of contention was whether the state could have foreseen the risk of a massive tsunami based on this report, and whether the accident could have been avoided if the government had ordered TEPCO to take precautionary measures.

Presiding Justice Kanno Hiroyuki said the earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 was far more powerful than the government could have expected.

Kanno said the ensuing tsunami was also larger than predicted and came from a different direction.

He noted that the flow of a massive volume of seawater into the plant compound could not have been prevented even if the government had ordered TEPCO to take necessary measures.

One of the four justices who deliberated the lawsuits opposed the decision.

As for the liability of TEPCO, the Supreme Court had earlier finalized rulings that ordered the operator to pay compensation to the plaintiffs.

The ruling is the first by the top court on the government's responsibility for the nuclear accident.
It could affect the outcomes of similar lawsuits filed across the country.

A lawyer for the plaintiffs from Fukushima said the ruling was totally unacceptable.

Managi Izutaro criticized the decision as well as the process that led to it for failing to face the damage caused by the nuclear accident.

He argued that the ruling must not affect other lawsuits, and encouraged the plaintiffs to keep fighting to the end.

The plaintiffs and their supporters, who were waiting for the ruling outside the courthouse, appeared shocked and angry at the result.

Key words : prosecutor immigration
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220617_25/

Prosecutors in Nagoya, central Japan, have decided not to bring charges against immigration officials over the death of a Sri Lankan woman at a detention facility last year.

Wishma Sandamali died in March 2021 after complaining of ill health at the facility, run by the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau. She had been detained for overstaying her visa. She was 33 years old.

Japan's Immigration Services Agency published a report on her death that pointed out that the facility had an insufficient system for providing medical care.

Members of the woman's family filed a criminal complaint against the officials last year, accusing them of homicide. The relatives said Wishma died in detention without appropriate medical care because at least seven officials, including the bureau chief at the time, did not care if she died.

The Nagoya District Public Prosecutors Office decided on Friday not to indict the officials, saying there were no grounds for the charges. Prosecutors also decided to drop a separate complaint against immigration officials alleging them of abandonment resulting in death.

The prosecutors said they were unable to identify the cause of Wishma's death, and that they could not identify a causal link between the facility's handling of Wishma and her death.

The prosecutors said they had conducted all necessary inquiries, including a close examination of the autopsy report and other records as well as hearing from experts from various fields to try to determine the cause of death.

Wishma's two younger sisters and a lawyer representing them spoke to reporters after they heard the prosecutors' conclusion.

One of the sisters, Poornima, said the decision was truly regrettable as the relatives have been working hard for more than a year. She asked how people would feel if something similar were to happen to a member of their own family.

Lawyer Ibusuki Shoichi said it is not good for Japanese society if no one is held criminally responsible for Wishma's death.

He indicated that the family would request an inquest panel review of the prosecutors' decision.

Key words : yamazaki
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220618_11/

A bottle of Japanese whisky has fetched 600,000 dollars in a New York auction.

The Yamazaki 55 single malt whisky by Suntory Spirits was sold by Sotheby's on Friday. The price was 100,000-200,000 dollars higher than expected.

Yamazaki 55 is a blend of malt whiskies from the same distillery, which have been aged in different casks for more than 55 years. A limited number of bottles went on sale in 2020 for about 22,000 dollars each.

Sotheby's website says Yamazaki 55 sits at the "pinnacle" of collectible Japanese whisky, "as not only the oldest but also the most valuable bottle in the country's history."

The price of Japanese whisky has been driven up by growing global demand and a shortage of materials. In 2019, a set of 54 bottles of Ichiro's Malt Card Series whisky produced in Saitama Prefecture sold in a Hong Kong auction for about 910,000 dollars.