at 18:30 (JST), November 21

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/20231121183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : coast guard notice other activities
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231121_06/

Japan's Coast Guard says it has received notice from North Korea of a plan to launch what it claims is a satellite sometime between November 22 and November 30.

The notice specified areas where a projectile is likely to fall -- southwest of North Korea and the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines. All of them are outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The Coast Guard is urging vessels to be on the alert for any falling objects.

Under International Maritime Organization guidelines, member states are obliged to disclose in advance any plans for military drills or other activities that could pose a threat to vessels.

North Korea made unsuccessful attempts to launch a military spy satellite in May and August. It said it would try again in October, but it didn't follow through with that plan.

Similar notices were sent ahead of the two earlier launches. The Japan Coast Guard says possible time frames were given, and the launches came early in those windows.

Key words : learned singapore
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231121_14/

NHK has learned that Japan, the United States and Singapore have joined forces to promote sustainable aviation fuel to cut CO2 emissions.
The three nations are participating in an international event in the United Arab Emirates.

The International Civil Aviation Organization is hosting a meeting in Dubai to discuss ways for international flights to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The three countries are expected to unveil their "green lane" initiative to push the use of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF. The new eco-fuel is made from waste oil and plants.

The initiative would officially certify eco-friendly flights and airports could prioritize aircraft using the fuel for parking spots.

The three-nation team also aims to spark investment into companies that produce SAF.

Key words : landmine detector
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231121_10/

Japan delivered landmine detectors and vehicles to Ukraine during a handover ceremony held in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Monday.

The Russian military placed landmines across Ukraine after it invaded the country.

The handover ceremony was held at a square in front of the Saint-Sophia Cathedral, which is a World Heritage site located in central Kyiv.

Ukrainian officials were joined at the event by Japan's Ambassador to Ukraine, Matsuda Kuninori, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tsuji Kiyoto, and State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Iwata Kazuchika.

Tsuji said landmines and unexploded shells must be removed, so residents can be safe, and so industries and people's livelihoods can be reconstructed.

Fifty mine detectors and 40 vehicles that will be used by the mine removal unit were displayed on the square.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency, or JICA, was involved in supplying them to Ukraine's State Emergency Service.

Japan also plans to give Ukraine an eco-friendly extinguishing agent that was developed by a company in the southwestern Japanese city of Kitakyushu. The agent is produced with ingredients that are used to make soap. It is expected to help put out flames caused by Russian attacks.

A Ukrainian official said the Japanese aid is very important for Ukrainian personnel in charge of landmine removal, as it will enable them to do their work effectively and precisely.

Key words : kyrgyz
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231121_01/

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov says his country will seek better relations with Japan through a regional cooperation framework proposed by Tokyo.

Japarov spoke to NHK in Tokyo on Monday during his first official visit to Japan.

Japarov thanked Japan for its long-running contributions to the development of Kyrgyzstan. He says his country is seeking a new form of cooperation with Japanese partners, expressing hope for deeper cooperation on modernizing its hydropower generation system and tackling climate change.

Japarov said preparations are underway for a summit in Kazakhstan next year involving Japan and five Central Asian nations. He said Kyrgyzstan is seeking to strengthen ties with Japan through the Japanese-proposed cooperation framework.

The former Soviet Union country has maintained close economic and security ties with Russia, despite its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Kyrgyzstan has also expanded economic ties with China, which last year became the largest trading partner for the country.

Japarov stressed that his country remains neutral on conflicts taking place in the world. He said any conflicts should be peacefully resolved by diplomatic means under the Charter of the United Nations.

Japarov said Kyrgyzstan's trade and economic relations with its partners are affected by the current "complex" geopolitical situation and sanctions imposed by some countries. He added that his country is looking for a new logistics route, in light of Western sanctions on Russia.

Japarov also highlighted the importance of China's Belt and Road Initiative for his country. He said the initiative will allow Kyrgyzstan to make a foray into global markets as a transit country.

Key words : chinese defense
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231121_03/

A Chinese defense ministry spokesperson has called Australia's claims of an unsafe encounter between Chinese and Australian warships "completely untrue."

In a statement released on Monday, the spokesperson says that Beijing has lodged formal representations with Australia over the issue.

The Australian defense ministry earlier issued a statement expressing its serious concerns to China's government following an "unsafe and unprofessional" interaction with a Chinese destroyer.

According to the statement, an Australian frigate was in international waters inside Japan's exclusive economic zone last Tuesday. When it stopped to conduct diving operations to clear fishing nets that had become entangled around its propellers, the Chinese vessel approached and used its sonar in a "manner that posed a risk to the safety of the Australian divers."

Australia's statement says the divers suffered minor injuries "likely due to being subjected to the sonar pulses from the Chinese destroyer."

The Chinese spokesperson urged Australia to "respect the facts, stop making reckless and irresponsible accusations against China." The spokesperson called on Australia to make efforts to "create a positive atmosphere for the sound development of relations between the two countries and two militaries."

China and Australia remain at odds over security issues, despite a recent improvement in economic relations.

Key words : takemi ban
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231120_17/

Japan's health minister Takemi Keizo says he intends to soon ban an unregulated cannabis-like substance after it was detected in candy sold in Tokyo.

People in Tokyo and Osaka prefectures have complained of health problems after eating gummies produced by a firm in Osaka.

Last week, the health ministry's Narcotics Control Department inspected stores in the two prefectures.

Takemi told reporters on Monday that an unregulated substance, HHCH, which resembles a substance from cannabis, was detected in gummies sold at a Tokyo store.

He said he is mulling putting the substance on the list of designated drugs as soon as this week and banning its possession, use and distribution within 10 days after that.

The minister said he will also study listing substances with similar chemical compositions comprehensively as designated drugs, as substances other than HHCH also might emerge.

Takemi urged people not to consume the candies, which have become known as "cannabis gummies" because they are dangerous.

Key words : project manga
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231120_33/

A project to create a new episode of Japanese manga legend Tezuka Osamu's Black Jack series with the help of generative AI has been completed and previewed to the media.

Tezka Macoto, the son of the late manga artist who headed the project, and Keio University professor Kurihara Satoshi, an expert on artificial intelligence, jointly met reporters at the university in Tokyo on Monday.

The "TEZUKA 2023" project kicked off in June to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the start of the Black Jack manga series, which centers on a genius surgeon who practices medicine without a license.

Tezka Macoto said the project's leaders are relieved the episode was completed as planned. He added he is happy for its creation, which was made possible through a collaboration between human art creators and AI.

He said he believes a very interesting episode has been made.

The team used generative AI models to come up with a basic storyline and to design a new character that appears in the work. The team members adjusted the basic ideas to come up with the final story while interacting with the generative AI models.

One of the members, film director Hayashi Kaizo, said artificial intelligence came up with ideas, including the title of the episode. He added the team conversed with the AI model, and had fun with its responses, which were weird when the questions were strange.

Reporters were shown the first five pages of the episode, in which the surgeon and his assistant are asked by a CEO of a company they are visiting to examine a patient, who is lying on a bed with multiple tubes attached to her.