at 18:30 (JST), February 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/20230220183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : north fell outside
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230220_14/

The Japanese Defense Ministry has confirmed North Korea launched at least two ballistic missiles. They were fired from the country's west coast and fell outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says the two short-range ballistic missiles were launched after 7am Monday morning. They were fired over a span of about 11 minutes. Early reports suggested three ballistic missiles were launched but they were later corrected. Japan's Coast Guard says there are no reports of any damage to ships in the region.

Also on Monday, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued a warning to the US.

She said Pyongyang could use the Pacific Ocean as its "firing range," depending on Washington's actions.

Key words : north state media large
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230220_31/

Members of the UN Security Council are preparing to have an urgent discussion about a recurring issue that some fear could escalate.
The emergency meeting comes as North Korea launched missiles -- two times in only three days.

On Saturday an intercontinental ballistic missile fell within Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone. Monday's pair of missiles landed just outside of it. The firings came soon after Pyongyang warned the US and South Korea against holding military drills.

Japan's Coast Guard says it seems no ships were damaged in the Monday morning volley. The two came 11 minutes apart.

North Korea has been unusually quick to comment.
State media say the military was testing a large-caliber rocket launcher designed to deliver tactical nuclear weapons.

Leader Kim Jong Un has called that technology essential for any future conflicts where the North would need to paralyze US and South Korean military bases.

The tests also came with a warning for Washington, from the leader's sister. Kim Yo Jong told the US to stop its drills -- or risk the Pacific Ocean becoming North Korea's "firing range".

Key words : hayashi wang met
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230219_04/

Japan has urged China to prevent "balloon-shaped flying objects" from making unauthorized entries into Japan's territory.

Japan's Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and China's top foreign policy official Wang Yi met for talks in the German city of Munich on Saturday.

Hayashi said a flying object's entry into another country's airspace, without permission, amounts to an intrusion.

Flying objects have been spotted in Japan's airspace in recent years, and defense ministry officials strongly suspect that they were Chinese spy balloons.

Hayashi also conveyed his concerns about the situation in the East China Sea. He mentioned the Senkaku Islands.

Japan controls the islands. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. China and Taiwan claim them.

Hayashi expressed concerns about the military activities that Beijing has been ramping up near Japan, in coordination with Russia.

He stressed that it is important to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Referring to the situation in Ukraine, Hayashi urged China to be a responsible major power and play a positive role.

The two diplomats agreed to work together to build a constructive and stable bilateral relationship. They exchanged views on economic cooperation.

Both sides confirmed that they will maintain communication at all levels, and they said that the Japan-China Security Dialogue will be held next week for the first time in four years.

They also agreed to continue to make arrangements for Hayashi to visit China.

Key words : victim manila
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230218_22/

About 40 people gathered in front of a monument in central Manila on Saturday to mourn the approximately 100,000 civilians who were killed in fierce street battles between the former Japanese Imperial Army and US forces in the closing days of World War Two.

The fighting began in February 1945 and continued for about one month.

The mourners laid wreaths and prayed, and stressed the need to pass down memories of the war to the next generation.

A woman who was six years old at the time and who lost her grandparents and a cousin said the fighting was terrible, and that she hopes such a tragedy will never happen again.

Some of the victims' family members then viewed a documentary film featuring testimonies of civilians who lived through the war.

Key words : electricity bill
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230220_02/

Electricity bills have soared across Japan since energy costs rocketed temporarily following the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago.

The energy situation is driven partly by European nations seeking to pivot their energy sources from Russia to other parts of the world.

Japan relies on imports to meet most of its demand for liquefied natural gas, or LNG, a major energy source for thermal power plants.

The Japan Korea Marker, or JKM, is a benchmark index for spot prices of LNG cargo to East Asia including Japan.

The index stood at some 20 dollars per one million British thermal units before the invasion began on February 24 last year.

But it soared to a record 84.7 dollars per million Btu in March. It also topped 70 dollars last August in response to a rise in energy demand.

The index has since dropped and is currently below levels seen before the start of the Russian invasion. But last year's surges are pushing up electricity bills across Japan.

Many households across the country subscribe to major utility firms under plans that cap how much the companies can pass on energy cost rises to consumers.

All of Japan's 10 major electricity providers have raised their power bills as much as they can under government regulations. Seven of them have applied for regulatory approval to increase their rates above the ceilings from April or later.

Roughly 9 percent of LNG imports to Japan comes from Russia in terms of volume.

Two Japanese trading houses retain stakes in the oil and gas project Sakhalin-2 in the Russian Far East despite international sanctions against Moscow for the invasion.

But there are strong concerns about whether Japan will be able to continue securing sufficient amounts of LNG as it remains uncertain how Russia will act.

Key words : foreign minister and south agreed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230219_13/

The foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea have agreed to continue close communication for an early settlement of the wartime labor issue, which has strained ties between their countries.

Japan's Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa met his South Korean counterpart Park Jin for about 30 minutes on Saturday, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

They discussed a plan proposed by Seoul regarding the issue of wartime labor.

The plan involves having a public foundation offer payments to the plaintiffs in wartime labor lawsuits. The public foundation would be used instead of the Japanese companies that have been ordered by South Korea's Supreme Court to compensate the plaintiffs.

The Japanese government maintains that any right to claims was settled completely and finally in 1965, when Japan and South Korea normalized ties.

The ministers affirmed that the two foreign ministries will maintain close communication so that the issue will be resolved at an early date, returning bilateral ties to a healthy state.

They also discussed North Korea's firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile on Saturday. They both condemned the launch.

The ministers confirmed that their countries, along with the United States, will cooperate closely to strengthen regional deterrence and take steps in the UN Security Council to push for the denuclearization of North Korea, in line with UNSC resolutions.

Key words : classical musician hiroshima
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230220_03/

Classical musicians from Russia and Ukraine have performed at a charity concert in the western Japanese city of Hiroshima to pray for peace and support Ukrainians.

Russian pianist Andrey Gugnin and Ukrainian violinist Aleksey Semenenko played in the event on Sunday before the first anniversary of the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Gugnin took to social media right after the start of the invasion to express his opposition to the Russian move. He now lives in Croatia.

Semenenko teaches music at a German university. He is also engaged in efforts to help Ukraine.

The concert was realized based on the wishes of the two artists to hold the concert in Hiroshima and send a message from the atomic-bombed city. They are concerned that Russia may use nuclear weapons.

Organizers say proceeds from the event will be used to supply heaters and other goods to people in Ukraine.

Gugnin said the concert sought to show unity against Russian attacks on Ukraine and its people. He said he hopes Russia will face a major turning point after Ukraine regains occupied territories.

Semenenko said he has special feelings about the concert in Hiroshima as he visited the city's Peace Memorial Museum in November. He said he hopes that his family in Ukraine will stay safe and that the war will end as soon as possible.

Key words : visitors farewell western japan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230219_15/

Visitors to a theme park in western Japan are bidding farewell to three giant pandas ahead of their scheduled return to China.

The three are among the seven pandas kept at Adventure World in the town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture.

Eimei, fondly nicknamed "Super Papa" for fathering 16 cubs at the facility, is 30 years old, the human equivalent of 90. Female twins Ouhin and Touhin are eight years old. They will leave for China on Wednesday.

Many fans visited the park on Sunday to take photos of Eimei and Touhin munching on bamboo.

A woman in her 70s who visited from Mie Prefecture said that she came to say good-bye to the pandas. She also said they are all adorable, and she will really miss them after they return to China.

A man in his 30s who came with his family from Nara Prefecture said that he is a big fan of Eimei, and wanted to thank him.

The park plans to hold a farewell ceremony for the pandas on Tuesday.