2024年3月20日水曜日

at 18:00 (JST), March 20

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20240320180000_english_1.mp3


Key words : coast guard seven crew
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240320_18/

S.Korean tanker capsizes off Japan, 7 dead

The Japan Coast Guard says seven crew members of a capsized South Korean-flagged tanker have died.

The ship with 11 crew members on board overturned on Wednesday morning in waters off western Japan. A search is underway for two others still missing.

The local coast guard says it received a distress signal at around 7:00 a.m. from the chemical tanker Keoyoungsun near Mutsurejima, an island in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Coast guard officials say the tanker had been at anchor due to rough weather.

They say eight Indonesians, two South Koreans, and one Chinese were on board.

Strong winds were blowing in the area, with waves reaching as high as 3.5 meters.


Key words : sarin kasumigaseki
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240320_11/

Victims of deadly gas attack on Tokyo subway system remembered 29 years on

Victims of the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system were remembered on the 29th anniversary of the deadly incident on Wednesday.

On March 20, 1995, members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released the toxic nerve gas inside packed rush hour subway cars on three lines in central Tokyo. Fourteen people died and about 6,300 others were injured.

At Kasumigaseki subway station, staff observed a moment of silence at around 8 a.m., almost the exact time when the attack occurred.

Bereaved families, people affected by the incident and subway passengers placed flowers on a stand inside the station and offered their prayers.

Takahashi Shizue, whose husband was an assistant stationmaster at Kasumigaseki and killed in the attack, said the incident is not yet over for relatives and those affected, despite the passage of nearly 30 years. She noted that successor groups of Aum Shinrikyo are continuing their activities.

Takahashi said younger generations now have little knowledge of the incident. She said she believes it is the responsibility of her and other survivors to keep the memories alive. She said she conveyed the pledge to the deceased.

Aum Shinrikyo's former leader, Asahara Shoko, whose real name was Matsumoto Chizuo, and 12 others were executed in 2018 for a series of crimes perpetrated by the cult.

The Public Security Intelligence Agency says several successor groups remain active. It says a group known as Aleph is recruiting young people while concealing its name.


Key words : north korea successfully solid-fuel
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240320_09/

N.Korea says it successfully tested engine for new hypersonic missile

North Korea says it successfully conducted a ground jet test of a solid-fuel engine for a new-type of intermediate-range hypersonic missile.

The country's ruling Workers' Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on Wednesday that the test was carried out at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the northwest on Tuesday with leader Kim Jong Un attending.

Photos show flames coming from an engine's nozzle together with a large volume of white smoke. Those are typical characteristics of a solid-fuel engine, which enables a swifter missile launch than a liquid-fuel one.

The paper quoted Kim as saying the military strategic value of the weapon system is appreciated as important as ICBM, and that enemies know better about it.

The North carried out a ground jet test of a solid-fuel engine for a new-type intermediate-range ballistic missile in November last year. Two months later, it test-fired the missile.

Pyongyang has listed in its five-year plan through 2025 the completion of the development of warheads that can travel at a hypersonic speed of Mach 5 or more. It is accelerating efforts to develop a ballistic missile system that will supposedly make detection of signs for launch and interception more difficult.

Other countries are increasingly alarmed by the recent developments.


Key words : national holiday
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240320_13/

Residents of quake-hit Japanese city visit graves on spring equinox

People in quake-devastated Wajima City, central Japan, offered their prayers at their family graves on Wednesday to mark the spring equinox.

The day is a national holiday that falls in the middle of the Buddhist "higan" period, when people remember their deceased relatives.

The graveyard of Jomyoji Temple in Wajima suffered extensive damage from the New Year's Day quake. More than two months on, many of the gravestones remain toppled or dislodged.

Local residents were visiting the graveyard from early in the morning. Some offered flowers at collapsed gravestones.

A Wajima resident in his 70s visiting with his wife said their house sustained heavy damage, but no one was hurt. He said he offered prayers to convey his appreciation.

A man in his 80s said he asked for his ancestors' help for restoration efforts. He said he hopes the town will rebuild so that young people can return someday.

The temple's chief priest, Kishi Keigo, said it is normally visited by many people at this time of the year. He said it's sad to see the number drop this year, adding that he hopes more people will visit soon.


Key words : hokusai
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240320_10/

Hokusai's Mt. Fuji ukiyo-e series fetches over $3.5 mil. at auction

A full set of "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" serial woodblock prints by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai has fetched 3.559 million dollars at an auction in the United States.

The series, which comprises 46 pieces from Japan's Edo period, was auctioned at Christie's in New York on Tuesday.

The buyer has not been identified.

The auction house says an American individual collected the full set, which includes the masterpiece "Kanagawa oki nami ura," or "Under the well of the Great Wave off Kanagawa."

The company says it was for the first time since 2002 that a full set was put up for auction. It says winning bids have trended higher as the popularity of Hokusai's works spreads outside Japan.

Last year, "Kanagawa oki nami ura," fetched 2.76 million dollars at an auction in the US. That was a record for a Hokusai print.

Murakami Takaaki at Christie's said he received many inquiries about the auction from across the globe, and has developed a stronger awareness of Hokusai's popularity.


Key words : subway operator
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240320_08/

New train for Washington DC's subway unveiled

A subway operator in the Washington metropolitan area has unveiled the design of a train that Japan's Hitachi will manufacture in the United States.

The operator of the railway connecting Washington DC with neighboring states, including Maryland and Virginia, awarded Hitachi a contract to provide 256 train cars.

Hitachi says it is scheduled to deliver the first train in 2025.

On Tuesday, a full-scale model was on display for those invited to an unveiling event in Washington DC.

The train is said to feature a lighter body weight with enhanced energy efficiency. It also allows passengers to easily move from one car to another.

Japan's Ambassador to the US, Yamada Shigeo, told guests that infrastructure is an area with great potential for Japan to make further contributions "as the largest foreign investor" in the US.

He expressed hope that Japan's "high quality infrastructure," such as the rail cars, will be cherished by people for many years to come, in the same way that the region's cherry blossoms are appreciated.

Hitachi says full operations at a new factory will create about 1,300 local jobs. It says there is a possibility for the contract to be expanded for the provision of up to 800 cars, increasing the scale of the deal to a total of 2.2 billion dollars.


Key words : weather agency
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240320_02/

WMO: World's average temperature in 2023 highest in record

The United Nations weather agency says the global average temperature in 2023 was the highest in recorded history.

The World Meteorological Organization, or WMO, on Tuesday released a report on the state of the global climate in 2023.

The report says the global average near-surface temperature in 2023 was at about 1.45 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial baseline. It says it was the warmest year in 174 years of the observational record.

The WMO also warns that over 90 percent of the ocean experienced "marine heatwave" conditions in 2023. It says the high temperatures have a profound negative impact on marine ecosystems and coral reefs.

The report says both Arctic and Antarctic sea ice shrank last year. In February, Antarctic sea-ice extent reached a record low since satellite observation began.

Countries have set a goal under the Paris Agreement to limit the rise in the global average temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The report says extreme weather such as floods and extreme heat had a major impact on many parts of the world, and points out shortages in financing for attaining the goal.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said, "Never have we been so close -- albeit on a temporary basis at the moment" to the 1.5-degree limit. She added, "The climate crisis is the defining challenge that humanity faces."


Key words : landmark tokyo skytree
#N/A


0 件のコメント:

コメントを投稿