at 18:30 (JST), January 10

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/20240110183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : epicenter 200 203
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240110_14/

Search and rescue teams in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa are still combing through areas near the epicenter of the deadly earthquake that struck the region on New Year's Day, and the death toll is continuing to rise.

At least 203 people are now confirmed dead in Ishikawa Prefecture, and 68 remain unaccounted for.
Police are currently conducting an intensive search in the city of Wajima, where a massive fire was sparked by the quake.

The blaze is estimated to have burned 48,000 square meters and destroyed more than 200 buildings.

A woman says the people who were living in homes on both sides of her residence are all missing. She says she hopes they will be found.

Ongoing relief efforts are being hampered by damaged roads and the harsh winter weather.

More than 3,000 people in the northern part of the peninsula remained cut off, as of Tuesday evening.

Over 26,000 are staying at temporary shelters, and some facilities are running out of volunteers.

A shelter in the city of Nanao had 30 people helping out at one time, but many of them had to leave.
One student said the labor shortages are getting worse day by day.

At one particular shelter, people impacted by the disaster are helping out. This comes amid growing concerns about hygiene and garbage disposal.

Many households do not have basic utilities. About 15,000 were dealing with power outages as of Wednesday morning. Nearly 59,000 are without water.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio plans to visit the disaster-hit areas as early as Saturday.
He is expected to survey the situation and determine what needs to be done to support those impacted.

Key words : nuclear tsunami hokuriku
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240110_03/

The operator of a nuclear power plant in quake-hit Ishikawa Prefecture says tsunami waves measuring up to about 3-meters high reached the site following a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in central Japan on New Year's Day.

Hokuriku Electric Power Company on Tuesday released the results of its analysis of data from the water-level gauge near the Shika plant's seawater intake as well as the wave gauge near its wharf.

The utility said a tsunami measuring about one-meter high reached areas near the intake and wharf at about 4:35 p.m., 25 minutes after the quake struck. It said a wave about 3-meters high were observed there at about 5:45 p.m.

Other tsunami waves are thought to have reached the site multiple times.

Hokuriku Electric said the waves did not cause safety problems at the plant, which is built 11 meters above sea level and has a 4-meter-tall seawall.

The operator said on January 2 that it had not detected any significant change in the water levels on measuring equipment. But it later said a rise in the levels had been observed.

At the Shika plant, some of its systems that receive electricity from outside are not functioning after pipes of transformers sustained damage in the quake.

The plant is using other means to supply power to critical equipment.

The operator said on Tuesday that it discovered damage to some elements of equipment in a substation and power transmission lines. But it said the damage has no impact on the plant's operations.

Both the No.1 and No.2 reactors at the plant were taken offline long before the earthquake.

Key words : pakistan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240109_37/

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has lifted a lifetime election ban on convicted lawmakers. This paves the way for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to run for a fourth term in upcoming elections.

In the ruling on Monday the court said the lifetime ban "abridges the fundamental rights of citizens to contest elections."

Last year, the government enacted the Election Amendment Act, which limits the disqualification of a lawmaker to a maximum of five years.

Sharif was ousted from the premiership in 2017 over corruption charges. He later went to London for medical treatment, but did not return until last October.

Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party is seen as a leading contender to win the national elections set for February 8.

His main rival, Imran Khan, is currently in custody. But he has also announced plans to run in the election. He is popular with young people and low-income workers.

Key words : earthquake sake master
https://emb3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20231219102530061/

Sake brewery flowers again in Fukushima

People in the areas devastated by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami are making strenuous efforts to restore their local industries. Now, one sake brewery in Fukushima Prefecture is trying to encourage residents by creating a product featuring a local symbol.