at 18:30 (JST), October 24

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/20231024183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : foreign minister historic
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231024_02/

A ceremony was held in Beijing on Monday to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the peace and friendship treaty between Japan and China.

The event at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in the Chinese capital was attended by about 200 officials from both countries, including former Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang told the audience that Chinese President Xi Jinping thinks bilateral relations are and will continue to be important. He said the stable and mutually-beneficial relationship has a significant impact on Asia and beyond.

Wang, meanwhile, warned that the situation in Taiwan and historical problems have the potential to affect political foundations in both countries, as well as the countries' basic faith in each other.

Fukuda recounted his experience of witnessing firsthand his father, then-Prime Minister Fukuda Takeo, signing the treaty 45 years ago. He said Japan and China are obliged to improve the quality of the pact.

Japanese Ambassador to China Tarumi Hideo referred to the suspension of Japanese seafood imports that Beijing put in place following the release of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.

Tarumi stressed Japan's stance that any restrictions should be based on science and rationality. He also emphasized that all that is required to rebuild bilateral relations is strategic thinking.

Key words : speaker lithuania
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231023_29/

Lithuania's legislative head is in Taiwan to promote solidarity for democracy. Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen's visit to Taiwan is the first for a parliamentary speaker of the Baltic nation.

Cmilyte-Nielsen arrived on Sunday in Taiwan. She was invited to a luncheon on Monday hosted by Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen.

Tsai thanked the speaker for placing importance on and supporting Taiwan.

Cmilyte-Nielsen responded, saying it is important for democracies, even those geographically far apart, to unite when the rule-based international order is threatened by authoritarianism.

She said she trusts that her country's cooperative relationship with Taiwan will be a success story.

She added their relationship is a touchstone that many European countries are watching with interest.

In 2021, Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a representative office using its own name in the Baltic nation's capital, Vilnius. It was a rare move by a country that does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

The move angered China and prompted the communist nation to downgrade diplomatic relations with Lithuania.

Observers say the speaker was calling for unity of the global democratic camp against China's political pressure on Lithuania and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Key words : record bear attack
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231024_11/

Officials in the Japanese prefecture of Toyama say bears are being spotted more often in urban areas there than in the mountains, their natural habitat.

The officials say they had 165 reports of bear sightings between October 1 and 23. That's more than seven times the figure reported during the same month last year.

As of Monday, five people had been attacked by bears in Toyama Prefecture this year, including a 79-year-old woman who was fatally mauled by a bear on the grounds of a house.

The officials classify the reports of bear sightings into three categories: those in the animal's normal habitat deep in mountains, those in areas near where there is human activity but bears can live, and those in urban areas.

The officials say that as of Monday, 74 percent of the 360 bear sighting reports they have received this year were about spotting bears in urban areas.

Experts say bears are increasingly coming down to lowland areas because of a shortage of food such as beechnuts.

Toyama Prefecture officials say bears have expanded their range to urban areas mainly along rivers. The officials are urging people to be careful and be aware that bears may appear anywhere.

In Akita Prefecture, a woman and a man in their 70s were attacked by bears and sustained injuries on Tuesday.

The number of people injured in bear attacks in the prefecture has reached a record 55.

The Ministry of the Environment says 109 people nationwide were hurt by bears between April and September this year. It says the number of victims in September was a record high.

Key words : Kishida tax cut next three years
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231023_15/

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has announced his intention to study income tax cuts, stressing that increased tax revenue will be returned to the people as a temporary measure to help them deal with rising prices.

Kishida delivered his policy speech at the plenary session of the Lower House of the Diet on Monday.

Kishida said his administration has tackled issues to respond to the changing times and achieved results. These issues include boosting defense capabilities and addressing Japan's declining birthrate.

The prime minister said the economy should be given the highest priority as Japan shifts away from the cost-cutting that has continued for three decades.

Kishida went on to say that strengthening supply chains and returning some of the increased tax revenue to the people will be the two wheels of the economic package that is being compiled.

He said the next three years will be designated as a period of transformation. The government will reduce taxes for companies that take steps to increase employees' wages and capital investment.

Kishida says the ruling and opposition parties will work together to devise specific measures for cutting income taxes.

On diplomacy and security, Kishida said Japan's security environment is the most severe since World War Two, given the situation in Ukraine and the fighting between Israel and the Islamic group Hamas.
He emphasized efforts will be made toward global cooperation rather than division and conflict.

Kishida also said Japan will urge China to immediately lift the suspension of imports of Japan's marine products. The measure followed the release of treated and diluted water into the ocean from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Kishida also said Japan is widely deepening cooperation with South Korea based on the personal relationship of trust he has built with President Yoon Suk-yeol. He said in addition to the trilateral economic and security framework with the United States and South Korea, he also plans to advance talks on a framework between Japan, China and South Korea.

Key words : second round treated
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231023_16/

The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says the second round of the treated and diluted water discharge into the sea has been completed as planned.

Tokyo Electric Power Company announced that the second round ended shortly after noon on Monday.

The utility says in the latest round, it released 7,810 tons of treated water from 10 tanks after diluting it with large quantities of seawater. The second round of the water release started on October 5.

TEPCO says pressure in the pumping system dropped at one point after what appeared to be rust from the tanks stuck to its filters. But it says this did not affect the discharge because the pressure returned to the previous level after the filters were cleaned.
Daily analyses of water samples taken from 10 locations in the sea within 3 kilometers of the plant showed a maximum tritium concentration of 22 becquerels per liter. That sample was collected from a spot closest to the water discharge outlet on Saturday.

The figure is far below 700 becquerels per liter, the level set by the utility for suspending the release.

TEPCO plans to carry out four rounds of the water discharge during the current fiscal year that ends in March. The first round began in August.

A total of about 31,200 tons of the treated water will be released -- the equivalent of 40 full tanks.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant suffered a triple meltdown in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Water used to cool molten fuel has been mixing with rain and groundwater.

The accumulated water is being treated to remove most radioactive substances, but still contains tritium. The treated water is stored in more than 1,000 tanks.

Before releasing the treated water into the sea, the plant's operator dilutes it to reduce tritium levels to about one-seventh of the World Health Organization's guidance level for drinking water.

Key words : antitrust watchdog
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231023_23/

Japan's antitrust watchdog has begun a probe into Google on suspicion that the company is unfairly pressuring smartphone makers over permission for the use of its app store.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission said at a news conference on Monday that the US tech giant is suspected of violating the antimonopoly law.

The commission suspects Google has pressured smartphone manufacturers to load its search engine Google Chrome on their devices when permitting the use of its mobile app store called Google Play.

It said the tech firm allegedly requested the makers to set its search services as the default on their screens.

Google also reportedly distributed profits from advertisements linked to its search engine on condition that smartphone makers block rival search services.

The move by the Japanese watchdog comes after US and European authorities tightened regulations on big tech firms such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon, known collectively as GAFA. The authorities say the firms are hindering free competition by monopolizing the market.

Japan's Fair Trade Commission says it will conduct its investigations to try to ensure fair and open competition. The move comes as competition in the tech market is entering a new phase with the rise of generative artificial intelligence, such as the emergence of dialogue search services.

Key words : visitor lake nikko
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231023_22/

Visitors are flocking to Lake Chuzenji to enjoy the colorful autumn leaves covering the surrounding mountainside.

The lake in the city of Nikko, north of Tokyo, is located 1,200 meters above sea level. It is one of Japan's most renowned spots for autumn foliage.

Prolonged warm weather apparently delayed the start of the foliage season. But leaves of the area's maple, azalea, and oak trees have turned bright red and yellow over the last few days as mornings and evenings become chillier.

Leaves display vibrant colors when there is a large difference in day and night temperatures.

The lake's surface reflects the mountains covered by colorful leaves, adding to the area's seasonal appeal.

Sightseeing boats have been filled with tourists in recent days taking photos of the scenery.

A sixth-grade student from Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, says she was awed by the beauty of nature.

Officials of the Nikko Natural Science Museum say the peak season at the lake will continue until the weekend.

Foliage will then move to Irohazaka Slope, a mountain road made up of numerous sharp curves that is another popular spot to appreciate autumn foliage.