at 18:30 (JST), March 23

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/20230323183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Kishida returned
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230323_12/

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio returned to Tokyo on Thursday morning after visiting Ukraine and other countries. Kishida said his visit made him painfully aware that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is an outrage threatening the international order.

Kishida told reporters at the prime minister's office that he had been arranging the trip to Ukraine since he received an invitation in January.

He said seeing the places where people have suffered aggression with his own eyes, and listening to the personal accounts of their horrific experiences, made him keenly aware of the recklessness of Russia's actions.

Kishida added that through his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he reaffirmed the importance of supporting Ukraine and renewed his determination to uphold the international order based on the rule of law.

He vowed to keep this in mind as he prepares to host a summit of Group of Seven leaders in Hiroshima in May.

Key words : south exercise missile test
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230322_46/

The US and South Korean militaries have held a live-fire exercise as North Korea continues to carry out missile tests.

The exercise is part of an 11-day joint military drill on the Korean Peninsula called Freedom Shield. It marks the first major field training exercise in the spring in five years. The drill will continue through Thursday.

US Army Colonel Brandon Anderson said, "We have focused training. Anything, anything provocation that happens from the North really helps us focus trained and motivates us to train harder."

South Korean Army Lieutenant Colonel Kim Sun-gyu said, "Through this exercise, South Korean and US forces have enhanced our cooperation and joint operations capabilities."

The militaries are also holding a landing exercise. A US amphibious assault ship arrived at the southern city of Busan on Wednesday.

The drills come as North Korea pursues its missile development program. The South Korean military says Pyongyang launched multiple cruise missiles eastward towards the sea on Wednesday morning.

Key words : south in charge of
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230322_44/

South Korea's minister in charge of Seoul's relations with North Korea, Kwon Young-se, has started his four-day visit to Japan, making it the first trip in 18 years to the country by a South Korean Unification Minister.

The visit by a senior minister of the South Korean government comes as expectations are on the rise for more political exchanges, following last week's first summit talks for 12 years between the two countries.

Before leaving his country on Wednesday, Kwon said his trip will have significance amid the trend toward better bilateral relations. He expressed his willingness to discuss a wide range of issues including national security, as North Korea presses on with nuclear and missile programs.

The unification minister also touched on the issue of nationals of both countries abducted to the North.

Kwon said he is arranging a meeting with Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu, who is in charge of the abduction issue on the Japanese side.

Kwon cited that the matter involves human rights violations, and said that he wants to work with Japan to explore ways to solve the issue.

South Korea's Unification Ministry said Kwon is slated to meet Japanese Cabinet ministers who are collaborating on North Korean issues. He will also sit down with members from the supra-partisan Japan-South Korea parliamentarians' union and other senior officials in different parties.

Key words : fund sri lanka
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230322_14/

The International Monetary Fund is to lend nearly 3 billion dollars to Sri Lanka to support the recovery of the South Asian nation's devastated economy.

Sri Lanka is struggling with a weak national currency and high inflation. It plunged into an economic crisis partly due to its foreign-exchange reserves drying up.

The IMF said on Monday that its Board approved a four-year loan program through its Extended Fund Facility.

The approval followed commitments from major creditors like China, Japan and India to assist with Sri Lanka's debt restructuring, including modifying repayment terms.

That was the condition set by the IMF when the international lender reached a "staff-level agreement" on a bailout with Sri Lanka last September.
Sri Lanka's President, Ranil Wickremesinghe issued a statement welcoming the IMF's financial support.

He said the country would work to get the economy back on track for the long term through careful fiscal management and large-scale reform.

Key words : new school year request
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230322_43/

Afghanistan's new school year has begun, but women and girls will not be in the classroom. They have been deprived of educational opportunities since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, leaving many female students with a strong desire to get back to class.

School resumed in many parts of the country on Tuesday. The Taliban had initially allowed women to enroll in universities, but later reversed course. They have also banned girls from secondary schools. Sources say there are calls from within the Taliban to reopen schools to women and girls. But there is no sign of a policy change so far.

One 13-year-old girl in Kabul who worries about her future said: "I want to request the Taliban to reopen schools and courses for girls, and let us study like boys. I also want to ask the international community to help us get the schools opened to us."

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan estimates that over a million girls will be barred from classes in the new school year. It calls for an end to all discriminatory policies against women and girls.

Key words : fisheries conference conference
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230322_22/

An international fisheries conference on restoring stocks of the Pacific saury opened in northern Japan on Wednesday.

A major focus is whether a Japanese proposal for further cuts in quotas for an autumn favorite in the country will win the support of other participants.

Fisheries officials from nine countries and regions, including Japan, Russia, China and Taiwan, are meeting in the city of Sapporo for three days.

Saury catches in the North Pacific have plunged in recent years. Two years ago, a total quota of about 330,000 tons was set for 2021 and 2022, down 40 percent from 2020.

But the combined catches by members of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission reportedly only reached about 92,000 tons in 2021, far less than the agreed ceiling.

That prompted the Japanese delegation headed by the Fisheries Agency to suggest further quota reductions to promote the recovery of stocks.

It remains unclear whether the other members will agree, given the cautious stance of China and others over additional regulation of fisheries activity.

Key words : celebration mode
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230323_02/

After Japan snatched the World Baseball Classic title for the third time, people across the country are in celebration mode. The victory is expected to boost Japan's economy.

Samurai Japan clinched the 2023 WBC crown in Miami on Tuesday, local time, beating Team USA 3-2.

One store in Tokyo that sells WBC-related goods says visitors to the shop, including tourists from overseas, doubled from last year.

The store says the replica jerseys of each Japan team member have already sold out. The store has also run out of baseball bats modeled on the one used by Japan's youngest Triple Crown holder, Murakami Munetaka.

The store says it is considering selling new goods to celebrate Japan's victory.

Floor manager Okada Takuya says it is the first time he has seen replica shirts bearing the name of every single Japan player selling out.

Meanwhile, Miyamoto Katsuhiro, an economist and professor emeritus at Kansai University, estimates Japan's victory will boost the Japanese economy by almost 450 million dollars.

The sum includes spending by spectators during the games played in Tokyo and earnings at sports bars. It also factors in money spent by fans assuming a victory parade is held.

The estimated figure when Japan won the tournament in 2009 was over 380 million dollars.

Miyamoto said Japan's two-way star Ohtani Shohei made a big contribution, capturing the attention of people who don't normally watch baseball.

Key words : new york auction
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230322_18/

A woodblock print by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai has fetched 2.76 million dollars at an auction in the United States, setting a record high for a Hokusai print.

"Kanagawa oki nami ura," or "Under the well of the Great Wave off Kanagawa," was auctioned at Christie's in New York on Tuesday.

The work is part of one of Hokusai's masterpiece series "36 views of Mount Fuji," created during Japan's Edo period.

Christie's says the print fetched a much higher price than expected.

The auction house says it is an early print and popular among collectors. It says good preservation gave it added value.

Another print of the same image sold for 1.59 million dollars in 2021.