The Japanese Diet has opened its new session. Ruling and opposition parties are expected to hold heated debates on several issues including botched labor surveys that underpaid insurance benefits to millions of people.
A senior official in charge of the labor ministry's personnel affairs was reportedly present when a third-party panel questioned senior staff about faulty surveys.
The South Korean Defense Ministry has announced that a senior Navy official has cancelled a visit to Japan planned for next month.
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Key words : diet opened
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190128_27/
The Japanese Diet has opened its new session. Ruling and opposition parties are expected to hold heated debates on several issues including botched labor surveys that underpaid insurance benefits to millions of people.
The opening ceremony was held with Emperor Akihito in attendance.
The Emperor said, "I am glad the Diet has been working for many years to improve people's lives and maintain stability, as well as for peace and prosperity around the world. I sincerely hope the Diet will fulfill its mission and public mandate as the highest organ of state power when it deals with various problems at home and abroad."
This is the 82nd time that the Emperor has delivered an address at the Diet's opening ceremony since his ascension to the throne. Monday marks the last time he will attend such a ceremony before his scheduled abdication in April.
During a policy speech Prime Minister Shinzo Abe apologized for the recent revelations that the labor ministry's monthly survey of wages and working hours have been flawed for years.
Abe said, "I'm aware that the faulty surveys conducted over many years have violated people's trust in social security. I apologize to the Japanese people for this. We will reimburse underpaid unemployment benefits and workers compensation as swiftly as possible using simple procedures."
Opposition parties are calling for intensive deliberation on the issue. They say the scandal has undermined public trust in government offices, and are calling for the Labor Minister to be dismissed.
During this session, the government and the ruling bloc are seeking early enactments of a supplementary budget for this fiscal year, and a budget for fiscal 2019.
Key words : senior official in charge
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190128_20/
A senior official in charge of the labor ministry's personnel affairs was reportedly present when a third-party panel questioned senior staff about faulty surveys.
A government source says the head of the Minister's Secretariat, Yumiko Jozuka, attended the hearings and asked questions.
The labor ministry was recently found to have used a flawed method to conduct its monthly survey of wages and working hours in Tokyo. The panel looked into the issue and released the results of its investigation last week.
The ministry has said that the panel members questioned bureau chiefs and other senior staff, and its own officials handled the interviews of junior employees.
A high-ranking ministry official says it was thought to be quite natural for the head of the secretariat to be present at interviews that could result in the punishment of staff.
Labor minister Takumi Nemoto told reporters that he believes Jozuka was providing clerical support.
Opposition parties have criticized the investigation as inadequate, calling it a mere in-house probe.
Nemoto said last week that the panel would conduct a fresh investigation covering not only labor ministry officials but also local municipalities, including the Tokyo metropolitan government.
Key words : south navy official
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190128_24/
The South Korean Defense Ministry has announced that a senior Navy official has cancelled a visit to Japan planned for next month.
Spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo told reporters on Monday that the commander of the Korean Navy's First Fleet, Rear Admiral Kim Myung-soo, cited a scheduling conflict as the reason.
She denied that the decision was related to a row between the two countries that has been going on for the past month.
Tokyo is accusing a South Korean naval vessel of directing its fire-control radar at a Japanese patrol plane. Seoul denies this.
Choi was asked to comment on media reports that the Japanese Defense Ministry is considering cancelling a port call by a destroyer to the South Korean city of Busan during an international exercise in April.
She merely said the participating nations are expected to be decided at a meeting to be held at the end of February.
The South Korean media continue to report on a daily basis on rows that have chilled relations between Seoul and Tokyo.
Some reports have called on Seoul to respond in a resolute manner, while others are suggesting that South Korean President Moon Jae-in should take action to prevent bilateral ties from deteriorating further.
Key words : US and south
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190128_30/
The US and South Korean militaries have agreed to reduce the scale of this year's regular joint exercises scheduled for spring, as the countries work toward North Korean denuclearization.
Officials at South Korea's defense ministry say the militaries agreed to carry out the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle drills for about two months as usual, and to begin them in early March.
They noted that the forces will not conduct part of training that involves maneuvering units. The officials said the reduction in scale is intended to avoid harming diplomacy surrounding North Korea's denuclearization. A second US-North Korea summit is planned for late February.
The US and South Korean militaries conduct the exercises in spring each year based on the scenario of an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula. The Key Resolve map exercise is designed to confirm coordination of the chain of command between the forces. The main focus of Foal Eagle is Marine landing practice.
Last year, the militaries shortened the period of the exercises amid a thaw between the two Koreas.
They also canceled part of military drills and training from summer to winter last year.
Some observers are showing concerns that the US and South Korean forces' quick reaction capability could be compromised.
Key words : Fukushima
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190128_32/
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has unveiled a device that could become the first to directly handle fuel debris inside one of the facility's crippled reactors.
Tokyo Electric Power Company showed the device to the media on Monday ahead of a survey scheduled for next month at the plant's Number 2 reactor. It's one of the reactors that experienced meltdowns in 2011.
TEPCO has found what appears to be a mixture of molten nuclear fuel and structural parts at the bottom of the reactor's containment vessel.
The device, which is equipped with a camera and a dosimeter, is attached to a pole that extends up to 15 meters long. Its tip works like tongs, allowing it to pick up the possible debris.
TEPCO plans to send the device into the containment vessel to see how hard the possible debris is, and whether it can be moved.
Removing debris is a key step toward decommissioning the plant.
Toshihiro Yasuda of Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions, which developed the device, says the survey is an important step toward coming up with ways to remove the debris.
In the second half of fiscal 2019, which starts in April, TEPCO plans to conduct a more detailed survey that would involve extracting a small sample of the debris.
The company aims to decide by March 2020 at which reactor to start removing debris. It hopes to start the work in 2021.
Key words : Arashi
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190127_19/
A Japanese pop group, Arashi, will suspend its activities at the end of 2020. The news has shocked fans in Japan and elsewhere in Asia.
The group posted a video message on its official fan club website on Sunday. Arashi's leader, Satoshi Ohno, says they had discussed his proposal to go their separate ways at the end of next year. He says he told the other members that he would like to have the freedom to continue his own career.
The group held a news conference on Sunday evening to explain the decision.
The members have also been individually active in a wide range of media, including variety shows, news programs, movies, and TV dramas.
Chinese fans of Arashi took to the microblogging platform Weibo. One person expressed confusion, saying that a two-year countdown has abruptly started. Another post urged the group to reunite someday.
In Taiwan, where Arashi has held concerts, local media outlets reported the announcement as breaking news. The online edition of United Daily News ran the story with the headline, "Fans are crying." It says people were taken by surprise and cannot believe the announcement.
Key words : today's news keywords segment Arashi announcement
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Key words : Naomi Nemuro
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190128_19/
Naomi Osaka's victory in the Australian Open has been drawing crowds to a display related to her in the northern Japanese city of Nemuro, where her grandfather lives.
The people of Nemuro in Hokkaido prefecture are excited about Osaka's recent spectacular performances. Local resident Tetsuo Osaka is her grandfather.
The municipal government dedicated space in the city hall for the display, which comprises about 30 items related to the tennis star.
Among these are the autographed racket she used to win the US Open last year, and various items of apparel, such as shoes and bags.
Local residents and tourists flocked to the display on Monday. Her win in Australia two days ago has elevated her to number one in the global rankings.
Visitors were taking photos of the items and talking excitedly, sharing their joy at her achievements.
A 74-year-old resident said he feels proud that a person with ties to Nemuro has become the number one player in the world, and called the display precious and wonderful.
A 74-year-old tourist from Nagano Prefecture said he came after learning about the display in the news. He also said he hopes Osaka's achievements will give a boost to the region.
Key words : snowball
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190128_25/
A snowball fight tournament titled the "Asia Cup" has been held in the ski and hot springs resort town of Minakami, north of Tokyo.
The town's tourism association and the major Japanese travel agency JTB organized the first event of its kind to attract tourists from Asia.
About 80 people participated from seven Asian countries and territories, including the Philippines, Thailand and China.
Eight squads competed, trying to hit all members of the opposing team with snowballs, or to capture the team flags. The victors advanced to the next round.
Most of the participants rarely have the chance to touch snow in their hometowns. They were throwing snowballs and charging enemy positions while struggling with the unfamiliar snow.
A Chinese man from Shanghai said this was his first ever snowball fight and that it was great fun.
JTB director Yasuhiro Tsuboi says he wants people from all over the world to come to Japan to enjoy the snow.
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