at 18:30 (JST), May 15

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/20230515183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : thailand 151 seats
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230515_07/

Thailand's two major opposition parties are expected to win a combined majority in the lower house of parliament general election.

The focus of the election was whether the military-backed government would be able to hold onto power after taking control in a coup nine years ago.

Local media outlets say with 97 percent of the vote counted the Move Forward Party is projected to come out on top with 151 seats. The party is calling for the elimination of military influence and has gained support from young voters.

The largest opposition Pheu Thai Party, or PTP, looks set to secure 141 seats, fewer than expected. The PTP is affiliated with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha joined the United Thai Nation Party, which is projected to win 36 seats. The result appears to indicate voter criticism against the military-backed government.

However, whether there will be a change of government remains to be seen as the next prime minister will be selected by a joint vote of the 500-member lower house of parliament and the military-appointed Senate.

The vote will take place after the election results are finalized. Many Senate members are expected to cast their ballots in favor of pro-military parties.

The question is whether coalition talks will lead to the formation of the next government as there are wide policy differences between the two opposition parties.

Key words : talent agency apology
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230515_01/

The president of Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates has offered an apology over allegations of sexual misconduct by its late founder and former president.

Johnny Kitagawa died in 2019, but was recently accused of misconduct in his career. One accusation was lodged by a former J-pop idol in April. Musician Kauan Okamoto told reporters that he was abused by Kitagawa about 15 to 20 times from the age of 15.

In a video issued on Sunday, his successor Julie K. Fujishima said she would like to express a deep apology to those who say they are victims.

She also released a document explaining the agency's views on the matter and its responses.

Fujishima noted that it is not easy to confirm whether individual allegations are true or not as Kitagawa is dead. But she added the agency is taking it very seriously that there are those who say they were abused.

She also said the agency will fundamentally overhaul its management system by inviting outside directors, and will set up a consultation contact point by the end of the month under the guidance of experts including counselors and doctors.

Fujishima acknowledged her responsibility, saying she did not actively try to look into the matter although she was a director.

She added what she should do now is to squarely face the issue and carry out management reforms as well as ensuring compliance thoroughly within the company.

Key words : plans to invite ukrainian
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230515_05/

Japan's government plans to invite Ukrainian government officials to share technologies that help reconstruction and recovery from devastation.

The plan comes ahead of the Group of Seven summit, which is due to begin in Hiroshima on Friday. Issues expected to be discussed include the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine's social and economic infrastructure damaged by Russia's invasion.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has indicated that he wants to use the meeting as an opportunity to reaffirm the G7's unwavering solidarity with Ukraine.

Japan hopes to support its rebuilding efforts by inviting officials to inspect various methods, such as effective ways to remove debris and know-how to strengthen the electric power system.

The Japanese government appears to be seeking to lay the groundwork for leading discussions at the summit as the chair by showing its willingness to support Ukraine.

Key words : survivor abolition sakuma
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230515_04/

Atomic bomb survivors who attended a rally in Hiroshima have called for the abolition of nuclear weapons, ahead of the G7 summit in the city later this week.

More than 150 people, including survivors known as hibakusha, took part in the gathering.

Sakuma Kunihiko heads a group of survivors in Hiroshima. He was nine months old in 1945 when an atomic bomb exploded over the city.

Sakuma told participants that he suffered kidney and liver diseases when he was in elementary school, and experienced discrimination.

He said he cannot understand the idea of relying on nuclear weapons for security, regardless of whether they are actually used or not.

Sakuma stressed the need to aim for a peaceful world without nuclear arms, which he called "absolute evil."

Young people interested in nuclear policies also participated in the rally.

"Kakuwaka Hiroshima" group member Tanaka Miho said many people were exposed to radiation from nuclear testing and uranium mining over the past 78 years, since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

She pledged to continue working to change the situation toward the 80th anniversary of the bombings.

Participants called for the abolition of nuclear weapons by holding placards saying "No Nuclear Weapons" in the languages of G7 nations, as well as Russian and Chinese.

A 96-year-old man said he was just 18 at a naval academy on the island of Etajima when the atomic bomb was dropped. He said he witnessed the devastation in Hiroshima, and as a doctor saw many survivors who endured suffering for a long time.

He urged world leaders to think seriously about eliminating all nuclear weapons.

Key words : nagasaki health minister two-day meeting
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230514_11/

The Group of Seven health ministers have wrapped up their two-day meeting in Japan, with a pledge to increase access to vaccines, treatment drugs and test kits for future public health emergencies.

The ministers issued a joint statement on Sunday as they closed the meeting in the southwestern city of Nagasaki.

The statement calls for fair and swift distribution of medical supplies in the event of a future pandemic, as many developing countries had difficulty getting access to COVID-19 vaccines.

It also stresses the importance of sustainable fund procurement to strengthen responses to infectious diseases. It calls on all nations to enhance their financial and political support for a pandemic fund established at the World Bank last year.

The statement also says that the G7 countries will draw up and implement a new action plan to realize universal health coverage around the world by 2030. It is defined as a state in which all people have access to appropriate preventive, therapeutic and other health care services at a cost they can afford.

Japanese health minister Kato Katsunobu chaired the meeting. He told reporters he wants to use the discussion as the basis for the upcoming G7 summit in Hiroshima and other international forums, as well as the basis for international cooperation.

The health ministers visited Nagasaki Peace Park to pay their respects to the victims of the US atomic bombing in 1945.

This was the first time for G7 ministers to jointly offer flowers at the park.

Key words : japanese and south four-day inspection
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230513_07/

The Japanese and South Korean governments say Seoul will send experts to the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for a four-day inspection.

Japan plans to release treated and diluted water from the plant into the ocean.

The two governments' announcement on Saturday offered no details of the schedule. It said officials will continue to discuss them.

The treated water will be diluted to reduce tritium levels before it is released into the ocean. Its tritium concentration will be lowered to one-seventh of the World Health Organization's standards for drinking water.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio revealed that he and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol had agreed on the dispatch of the expert team at a news conference after their summit last Sunday.

Kishida said Japan intends to sincerely explain the plan using scientific evidence with a high degree of transparency. He added that he is well aware that some people in South Korea are expressing concerns about the plan.

Key words : footage camera nagai
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230512_33/

A Japanese news agency says a tape found in a video camera belonging to a staff member, who was shot dead in Myanmar, is highly likely to have been edited before being returned to his family.

Nagai Kenji was fatally shot by security forces in Yangon while he was covering a large demonstration against the military regime in 2007. His camera went missing, but it was finally returned to his family last month through a Myanmar news outlet.

Yamaji Toru, the head of the APF News that Nagai worked for, held a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.

Yamaji said the video camera was confirmed to be Nagai's as the camera's serial number matched the agency's records.

But Yamaji said he believes that footage including some from after the shooting of Nagai is missing. He made the discovery after comparing video taken by others who were at the scene.

He also said it was unlikely that Nagai filmed only five minutes of tape, pointing out that he knows Nagai's work habits.

Yamaji added that some camera parts were missing.

The agency will share the video images with the public and plans to submit the tape and the camera to Japanese police. Yamaji stressed that some questions still remained and the case is not closed.