at 18:30 (JST), November 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/20231122183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : north into orbit new-type
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231122_09/

North Korea's space agency says the country has launched a rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite and put it successfully into orbit.

The National Aerospace Technology Administration made the announcement on Wednesday through the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

It disclosed that a new-type carrier rocket "Chollima-1" loaded with the satellite "Malligyong-1" blasted off from the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the country's northwest at 10:42 p.m. on Tuesday.

The report said the country's leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch on the spot.

Japan's top government spokesperson has issued a statement strongly condemning North Korea's latest launch.

In the statement, Matsuno Hirokazu said Pyongyang has repeated its launches in defiance of repeated calls from the international community to abandon its nuclear and missile development programs. He points out that the North carried out the latest launch outside the announced time frame.

Matsuno said that the series of provocations poses a serious and imminent threat to Japan's security, and that is extremely regrettable and absolutely unacceptable.

He said the launch violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and poses a serious challenge to the entire international society. He added that Japan had lodged a stern protest with North Korea, condemned the country in the strongest terms, and conveyed the anger of Japanese people.

Matsuno demanded again that the North follow the UN resolutions immediately and completely. He urged Pyongyang to take concrete measures toward the comprehensive solution to concerns and pending issues, including abduction, nuclear and missiles.

Matsuno also said that Japan will boost its efforts to gather and analyze information about North Korea's up-to-date moves, including its military cooperation with Russia.

He added that Japan will continue its measures against North Korea, including sanctions, and step up cooperation and collaboration with the United States, South Korea and other parties in the international community. He said Japan is mulling a quick and decisive response, including further discussions at the UN Security Council.

He said Japan, on the axis of its alliance with the US, will further promote the triparty cooperation with South Korea based on the agreement at the trilateral summit in August.

Matsuno said Japan will enhance its deterrence and response capabilities through fundamental improvement of its defense, including counterstrike capabilities based on its national security strategy.

Key words : north okinawa lifted
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231122_03/

The Japanese government announced on Tuesday at 10:46 p.m., local time, that North Korea launched at least one missile.

It likely flew over Japan's southwestern prefecture of Okinawa toward the Pacific Ocean.

The government issued an evacuation alert, which was later lifted. The Self-Defense Forces took no steps to destroy the projectile.

The government advises the public to stay away from anything that could be debris. Any sightings of possible debris should be reported to authorities.

North Korea had warned of plans to launch what it calls an artificial satellite into orbit sometime between November 22 and 30.

In an extremely rare occurrence, the latest launch came more than one hour ahead of that timeframe.

South Korea's military says the projectile is what Pyongyang calls a military reconnaissance satellite.

The latest launch is North Korea's third attempt at putting a so-called satellite into orbit, after failures in May and August.

Key words : bbc self-defense
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231121_25/

The BBC has included a former member of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force who spoke out about sexual violence within her unit in its annual list of 100 women for 2023.

The British public broadcaster on Tuesday released its annual list of 100 inspiring and influential women around the world.

This year's list includes Gonoi Rina, who went public about the sexual abuse she suffered from multiple male colleagues in her unit.

The BBC says Gonoi "launched a public campaign calling for accountability, a tough task in a male-dominated society where sexual abuse survivors face a fierce backlash if they speak out."

The BBC says her case pushed the SDF to conduct an internal investigation, which led to more than 100 other complaints of harassment.

Included on the list is former US First Lady Michelle Obama, who has worked to ensure girls are given an education.

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney is also on the list. She has worked on human rights issues, including crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

Key words : unesco
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231121_30/

The Japan branch of a UNESCO advisory panel has again asked the Tokyo Metropolitan government and developers to respond to its heritage alert to stop a redevelopment project for the Meiji Jingu Gaien, a historic and lush park in the center of the capital.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites, or ICOMOS, issued the alert in September this year to Tokyo and businesses linked to the project. The project led by Mitsui Fudosan calls for the felling of 743 trees, all more than three meters tall.

It said "Jingu Gaien... represents an outstanding cultural heritage, unparalleled in the history of urban parks worldwide."

ICOMOS Japan held a news conference at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings on Tuesday.

It asked for a response, saying the original deadline of October 10 had been missed.

ICOMOS says it is unusual for it to make a second request after issuing a heritage alert. The panel is asking Tokyo to redo its environmental assessment that led to the endorsement of the project.

ICOMOS Japan Director Ishikawa Mikiko described the lack of a formal response as extremely regrettable and a serious situation.

She suggested it is better for everyone to think about how to pass the huge green space to future generations.

The heritage alert is not legally binding. One operator of the project has complained it was issued unilaterally at ICOMOS's own discretion. Tokyo has countered that redevelopment procedures are being conducted properly in accordance with relevant laws.

Key words : African-Canadian
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/radio/asianview/interviews/202311201652/

TEACHING KIDS THAT IT'S OK TO BE DIFFERENT

Kinota Braithwaite is an African-Canadian man who lives in Japan. One day, his biracial daughter Mio told him she was being bullied because of the color of her skin. This led Braithwaite to write a picture book about Mio’s experience and become a speaker on anti-racism and bullying issues in Japan, where diversity is an issue. We spoke with Braithwaite about his experience.