at 18:30 (JST), March 01

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/20230301183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : military drill thailand
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230228_40/

One of Asia's largest annual joint military drills has gotten underway in Thailand, which is co-sponsoring the Cobra Gold with the US. The exercise involves 30 nations and a total of 7,400 personnel.

Dignitaries attended an opening ceremony at a Thai military base in eastern Rayong Province on Tuesday. This year marks the first full-scale program after smaller exercises were held in recent years due to the pandemic.

Robert Godec, the US Ambassador to Thailand, said, "Cobra Gold helps advance our common interests, build interoperability and serves as a demonstration of our dedication to our allies and partners, and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region."

The ambassador stressed the importance of strengthening US military cooperation with Asian countries. China has been increasing its influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Officials said new exercises will address responding to attacks in space. Participating teams will confirm procedures working with multiple countries to protect satellites.

They will also engage in regular training, such as large-scale landing drills. The exercises will run through March 10.

Key words : japan sanction
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230228_19/

The Japanese government has decided to add more individuals and institutions, including the Russian private military company Wagner Group, to its list of sanctions in relation to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The decision was approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Under the sanctions, exports to the Wagner Group and 20 other institutions, including research facilities in Russia, will be banned. The Wagner Group dispatched fighters to Ukraine during the invasion.

The measure will also prohibit exports to Russia of goods related to drones.

Another 122 individuals and institutions will be added to the list of targets subject to the freezing of assets.

The list now includes a deputy minister of the Russian Defence Ministry, pro-Russian individuals in Ukraine and aircraft manufacturing plants and banks in Russia.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu said the decision reflects the government's determination as the holder of this year's G7 presidency to stop Russia's invasion and maintain the rules-based international order.

A reporter asked Matsuno whether the government will impose sanctions on any countries that provide military support to Russia.

Matsuno said the government will take appropriate measures by gathering relevant information and coordinating with G7 partners and others.

Key words : number of babies record
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230228_33/

The number of babies born in Japan fell below 800,000 last year for the first time since record-keeping began more than 120 years ago.

The health and welfare ministry says a preliminary figure shows that 799,728 babies, including foreign nationals, were born in Japan in 2022. The number is down 43,169, or 5.1 percent, from 2021, for a seventh straight year of decline.

The government began compiling such figures in 1899.

The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research forecast in 2017 that births would not fall below 800,000 until 2030. The latest figure indicates that Japan's birthrate has been falling faster than expected.

Health ministry officials said the situation can be described as a crisis that could change the basis of society and the economy.

They said the fall in births appears to have resulted from a combination of factors preventing young people from getting married, having babies and raising children.

The officials said they will work with relevant ministries and agencies to take measures.

Key words : 14,000 islands
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230228_39/

Japan's mapping agency says it has confirmed that the country has over 14,000 islands -- more than double the previously known number -- in the first such recount in 36 years.

Officials of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan said the recount using the latest mapping data found 14,125 islands.

The number widely accepted until now was 6,852, announced in 1987 by the Japan Coast Guard.

The latest survey found that Nagasaki Prefecture in southwestern Japan has the most islands at 1,479, followed by the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido at 1,473. Kagoshima Prefecture is third, with 1,256.
Iwate Prefecture has 861, and Okinawa Prefecture 691.

The officials included only islands with circumferences of over 100 meters, and not man-made islands.

They attributed the more-than-double increase to improvements in surveying technology in recent years that allowed more accurate observation of coastal areas.

They added that the total area of Japan's territorial land and sea, as well as the number of remote islands near national borders, remain unchanged after the latest survey.

Key words : myanmar education
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20230202205501202/

February 1 marked the second anniversary of the coup in Myanmar. The country has been wracked by turmoil since the military seized power. Continuing armed conflict has displaced over a million civilians in and outside the country. Many of them are children, who have had to separate from their parents, seeking safety and educational opportunities. NHK World's Sahatthaya Kraikhunthot reports from the Thai side of the border.