at 18:30 (JST), September 09

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/20210909183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : until the end of september bars ease
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210909_24/

The Japanese government has officially decided to extend the coronavirus state of emergency in many parts of the country.

It will remain in place for 19 prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka until the end of September. On Thursday, Japan's Prime Minister explained his decision.

Suga Yoshihide said, "In order to overcome the current crisis and go back to our normal lives with a sense of security and more activity, we will reinforce the medical system and prevent serious cases by using medications and vaccines."

He stressed that the government will finish giving shots to everyone who wants them in October or November.
He added the government plans to ease restrictions, using a system that checks vaccination certificates or negative test results.

The state of emergency is currently in place for 21 prefectures and was set to run through Sunday.

Under the new plan, Miyagi and Okayama prefectures will shift to less strict quasi-emergency measures.

The minister in charge of the coronavirus response says the medical system remains strained in most areas under the state of emergency.

The health ministry says there are nearly 2,200 COVID-19 patients across Japan who are in serious condition.
Officials say they're focused on bolstering the medical system and making sure new cases will keep declining.

Japan's state of emergency is less rigid than lockdowns in other countries.

The government calls on people to avoid crowds and work from home as much as possible.

It urges bars and restaurants not to serve alcohol and to close early. Department stores and shopping malls are asked to limit the number of customers. And the capacity of venues for major events is capped.

Key words : hong kong
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210908_17/

Police in Hong Kong have arrested four members of a pro-democracy group that had been organizing annual vigils for victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Hong Kong police on Wednesday announced the arrests of four senior members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. Vice-chair Chow Hang-tung was among the four.

Police officials say the group failed to provide information that they had requested by a deadline. The officials say that action may be a violation of China's national security law for Hong Kong.

The alliance was banned from holding its Tiananmen vigils last year and this year.

The group's leaders, including Lee Cheuk-yan, have been jailed for organizing rallies without permission.

The police had asked the alliance to provide information on its members and activities. Officials cited as a reason the need to prevent the group from conspiring with foreign forces and threatening national security.

Chow and others visited police headquarters on Tuesday and refused to provide the information.

The alliance appears to be set to join the list of pro-democracy unions and protest organizers in Hong Kong that have been forced to disband.

Key words : toyota invest
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210908_16/

Toyota Motor says it will invest about 13.6 billion dollars in batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles by 2030.

Toyota says the investment will be used for both development and production of batteries. It has plans to establish about 70 production lines in Japan and abroad.

It is part of Toyota's goal of increasing annual sales of fully or partially electric vehicles to 8 million by 2030.

The automaker also says it wants to cut the cost of batteries in half, while improving power consumption by 30 percent.

Chief Technology Officer Maeda Masahiko said Toyota will hold talks with new partners, and expressed hope that the firm will contribute to carbon neutrality by promoting hybrid and electric vehicles.

Volkswagen and General Motors are among the other automakers investing in developing batteries that are cheaper and last longer.

Key words : government reducing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210909_05/

Japan's government is considering reducing the self-quarantine period for vaccinated entrants arriving from overseas.

The government currently asks everyone who arrives from overseas to remain isolated at home or in accommodation facilities for 14 days.

But the government is thinking of reducing the period to 10 days, saying that it needs to bring social and economic activities back to normal in phases as the global vaccination rollout is making progress.

The government plans to reduce the period for only those inoculated with the Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca vaccines. They will also have to carry vaccine certificates issued by Japan, the United States, or the European Union for the time being.
The government plans to start the measure from the end of this month at the earliest.

Key words : afghan democratic value
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210908_30/

A female film director from Afghanistan is calling on the international community to put pressure on the Taliban to accept democratic values. Sahraa Karimi made the appeal in an interview with NHK in Venice where she was invited to attend the annual film festival.

Sahraa was born to a refugee couple in neighboring Iran, and has been making films in Afghanistan since 2012.
Since her films focus on the human rights situation in the country, especially for women, she says she had been informed that her name was on a Taliban hit-list.

When the Taliban took power last month, Sahraa fled from Kabul.

Sahraa says over the years, Afghan women have started participating in various sectors of society. She is worried the takeover will see a reversal of the process.

She says," The Taliban don't believe in participation of women in society, in government activities or any sectors."

She points out that young people in the country will never accept the Taliban's traditional mindset, and urges the international community to assert pressure against them.

She says," The international community shouldn't recognize the most criminal drug leaders and terrorists just easily. They should push the Taliban to accept some conditions of democratic society."

Sahraa says she doesn't have time to wallow in sorrow, and vows that she will continue making films about Afghanistan to tell the truth to the world.

Key words : myanmar state-run rush
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210908_31/

Myanmar's military has denounced a call by the pro-democracy National Unity Government for a nationwide uprising against the junta, saying any such attempt would fail.

State-run media said Tuesday, that the NUG merely wants to show that it has done something ahead of the UN General Assembly later this month.

In the city of Yangon, people have been rushing to buy essentials including food and medicine at supermarkets.

This comes after the NUG acting president Duwa Lashi La called on people in the video on Tuesday to stock up on necessities and to avoid going outside for non-essential purposes.

He urged the People's Defence Force, made up of armed civilians, and ethnic militias, to attack the military blamng the military for the ongoing detention, torture and killing of dissidents.

Attacks by dissidents against the military have continued around the country for months.
Local media report that there were several attacks by People's Defence Force in the country on Tuesday.

Key words : government economic growth
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210908_14/

The Japanese government has announced that economic growth in the second quarter of the year exceeded initial estimates.

The Cabinet Office says the GDP in the April to June period expanded in real terms from the previous quarter at an annualized percentage rate of 1.9. It was the first expansion in two quarters and outpaced the estimate of 1.3 percent made last month.

Corporate capital investment also surpassed the preliminary figure, increasing by 2.3 percent.

Personal spending accounts for more than half of the GDP. It rose 0.9 percent, despite a coronavirus state of emergency for Tokyo and other prefectures during most of the quarter.
Government consumption also grew 1.3 percent, due in part to an increase in medical spending.

Exports grew from the previous quarter by a robust 2.8 percent, but that was slightly down from the preliminary figure.

There are signs that economic recovery is still not strong enough.