at 18:30 (JST), March 22

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/20230322183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Kishida surprise visit chair
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230322_04/

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has said Tokyo will make 30 million dollars available through NATO trust funds to help Ukraine acquire non-lethal equipment.

Kishida made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Tuesday and announced this at a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Kishida said he definitely wanted to visit Ukraine, meet Zelenskyy in person and deliver his country's unwavering solidarity before Japan hosts the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima in May.

The prime minister denounced Russia's invasion of its neighbor as an outrageous act that undermines the foundation of international order.

He said his denunciation became stronger after he saw tragedy in Kyiv and the town of Bucha, where many civilians were found dead after Russian troops withdrew.

Kishida indicated that Japan will show its resolve to safeguard rules-based international order, and tackle global food issues at the G7 summit.

He promised that Japan will deliver assistance worth 7.1 billion dollars it has pledged, and announced new grant aid of 470 million dollars in energy and other fields.

Kishida said Japan will continue providing seamless support, adding that his country will stay with Ukraine until peace returns to its beautiful land.

Zelenskyy said he is deeply happy that Kishida visited Kyiv at a time when Japan serves as the G7 chair and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The president announced a plan to attend the G7 summit via video link.

Key words : south fully restore
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230321_19/

South Korea's foreign ministry says it has decided to fully restore a military information-sharing accord with Japan, following a summit between the leaders of the two countries last week.

The ministry said it informed the Japanese government on Tuesday of the decision to normalize the General Security of Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA.

GSOMIA was signed in 2016. It is designed to protect bilateral exchanges of highly confidential military information, such as signs of ballistic missile launches.

The administration of previous South Korean president Moon Jae-in notified Japan in 2019 of its intention to terminate the accord. But that plan was later put on hold, leaving the agreement in an uncertain state.

The ministry said that normalizing the accord will help strengthen security cooperation between South Korea and Japan, as well as between the 2 countries and the United States, amid North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

Also on Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said at a Cabinet meeting that he will order the relevant ministers to move to put Japan back on the list of countries entitled to preferential export procedures.

The Moon administration took Japan off the list in 2019 after Tokyo tightened controls on exports of high-tech materials to South Korea.

Key words : world baseball third time in the final
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230322_20/

Japan has won the World Baseball Classic for the third time, beating the defending champion United States 3 to 2 in the final. It's their first title since 2009.

Japan trailed by one run in the second inning when Murakami Munetaka tied the score with a towering homerun. It was his first of the tournament. Japan tacked on another run in the inning to take the lead.

Okamoto Kazuma added some insurance in the fourth with a solo home run of his own. Japan's bullpen protected the lead, limiting the US to just one run through the 8th.

Japan's two-way star, Ohtani Shohei, took the mound in the 9th. He struck out his Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out.

Japan finished the tournament undefeated and Ohtani was named the Most Valuable Player.

Key words : a man in iwate key role community bonds
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20230306113204980/

Following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, many people were forced to leave their homes and rebuild their lives in new neighborhoods. We meet a man in Iwate Prefecture who has played a key role in creating new community bonds through movie screenings.