at 18:30 (JST), November 01

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/20211101183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : voters in japan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211101_250/

Voters in Japan gave the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party control of the Lower House in Sunday's election. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio's party secured what's called an absolute stable majority, even without the help of its coalition partner. This ensures it can easily shepherd bills through the House.

The LDP secured 261 of the 465 seats in the powerful chamber.

Its junior coalition partner Komeito won 32 seats, a net gain.

On the opposition side, the Constitutional Democratic Party will remain the largest opposition party. It secured 96, down 13 seats from what it had going into the election.

Nippon Ishin Japan Innovation Party won 41, more than tripling its share in the chamber.

The LDP will once again have the power to chair and hold a majority of the seats on all standing committees.

The prime minister has been in the role for less than a month. He says voters have now given him a mandate, and he will work to follow through on his campaign promises.

But the party's top executive suffered a personal setback. Amari Akira has become the first sitting LDP secretary-general to lose a single-seat district vote.

Although he secured a seat through proportional representation, he conveyed to Kishida his intention to resign from his post. Amari oversaw the LDP's election campaign.

Adding in the seats secured by Komeito, the ruling coalition is continuing its political dominance.

The coalition also controls the Upper House.

Key words : police on fire 17 people
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211101_02/

Tokyo police have arrested a man who brandished a knife and lit a fire on a train, injuring at least 17 people on Sunday night.

Police said one of the injured, a man apparently in his 60s, was stabbed and is unconscious.

The Metropolitan Police Department said the suspect, believed to be in his 20s, began attacking passengers on a Keio Line train near Kokuryo Station in the western Tokyo city of Chofu at around 8:00 p.m.

Investigators said the suspect also scattered what appeared to be oil and set it on fire. They said the blaze burned some of the seats.

The railway operator, Keio Corporation, said the conductor of the special express train bound for Shinjuku informed the company that a man on the train was wielding a knife.

The train made an emergency stop at Kokuryo Station, which the special express usually passes, to evacuate the passengers.

Twitter users posted videos and images of what appeared to be the train car where the incident occurred.

A video posted shortly after 8:00 p.m. shows passengers running inside the train. Flames suddenly rise in the car they are fleeing.

Footage taken from the train platform shows passengers exiting from the car's windows.

The railway operator said on its website that it has suspended service on both its inbound and outbound lines.

Key words : cigarette
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211101_04/

A young man carried out a knife attack inside a Tokyo train on Sunday night and then started a fire in it. Seventeen people were injured, including a man in his 70s who was stabbed and is reportedly unconscious. The attacker was arrested.

Police say that while riding on a train bound for Shinjuku Station, the attacker started assaulting passengers near Kokuryo Station in the western Tokyo city of Chofu.

They say he also used cigarette lighter fluid to set a fire inside the train. Large flames rose briefly, burning some seats.

The train made an emergency stop at Kokuryo Station, allowing passengers to evacuate to the platform.

Police arrested Hattori Kyota on suspicion of attempted murder. They say the 24-year-old dropped his knife when they told him to do so.

Investigators quote the man as saying he thought he would be able to fulfill his wish of receiving capital punishment if he killed at least two people.

The suspect added that he was inspired by a knife attack in August inside an Odakyu Line train in Tokyo. The assault left 10 passengers injured.

Key words : china origin investigation
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211031_04/

Chinese President Xi Jinping has voiced opposition to an appeal by the United States for an investigation into the origin of the coronavirus when he delivered an online speech to the G20 summit.

China's foreign ministry says Xi told the summit that China has provided over 1.6 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines to more than 100 countries and international organizations. He added China will provide over 2 billion doses to the world in the course of this year.

Xi proposed providing financial support for global vaccine cooperation, especially to allow developing countries to access vaccines. He also stressed the need to support the World Trade Organization in making an early decision on waiving intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines.

In an apparent warning to the United States, he said, "Stigmatization of the virus and politicization of origins tracing run counter to the spirit of solidarity against the pandemic."

Xi also proposed holding an international forum on supply chains and called for the participation of G20 members. He said, "We should keep the industrial and supply chains safe and stable, and ensure the smooth functioning of the world economy".

On the other hand, he noted that forming exclusive blocs or even drawing ideological lines will only cause division and create more obstacles. He apparently had in mind the United States, which hopes to counter China through multifaceted partnerships with friends and allies.

Key words : researcher meteorological
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211031_02/

Researchers at the World Meteorological Organization say Asia experienced its warmest year on record in 2020.

The WMO has compiled its first report on the state of the climate in Asia.

It says last year's average temperature in Asia was about 0.5 degrees higher than the global average and was the highest in more than 100 years.

The mean temperature was 1.39 degrees Celsius above the average for the 30-year period from 1981 to 2010.

Differences from the 30-year average were greater in northern areas of Asia.

The mean temperature in a Siberian region near the Arctic Circle was more than 5 degrees above the figure for the past 30 years, with one town seeing its highest-ever temperature of 38 degrees in June.

Glacier retreat has been confirmed in the high mountains, such as the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas.

The report also says floods, droughts, typhoons, and tropical cyclones affected around 50 million people and resulted in more than 5,000 fatalities in Asia in 2020.

The WMO says countries need to work together to strengthen an international framework to share weather data and support areas that are vulnerable to climate change and lack the ability to respond to disasters.

Officials at Japan's Meteorological Agency are expected to present the report at the UN's COP26 conference on climate change, which starts in Britain on Sunday.

Key words : tokyo film festival
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211031_09/

The Tokyo International Film Festival has opened with strict measures against the pandemic for a second year in a row. A competition among films, which was canceled in 2020, returns this year.

The 34th festival kicked off on Saturday with a red carpet event that was closed to the public.

During the opening ceremony, actor Hashimoto Ai, who serves as the festival ambassador, discussed the theme of this year's festival, "transcending borders."

She said that various borders exist in the world in areas such as gender and culture. But she said that cinema can nurture awareness and sensitivity to accept the differences and transcend them.

A total of 15 films from around the world were selected to compete for the festival's Grand Prix.

Two Japanese films are among them -- "Just Remembering" by director Matsui Daigo and "Third Time Lucky" by director Nohara Tadashi.

The festival runs till November 8 and features126 films.

Key words : honda level 4
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211101_03/

Honda Motor has been testing its highly automated driving technology for practical use as a new mode of transportation.

The firm is trying to develop Level 4 automation technology that allows vehicles to perform autonomous driving functions under specific conditions such as at limited locations.

Honda put its verification project into high gear in October, on a test course north of Tokyo in Tochigi Prefecture.

The experiment is meant to perfect a technology to create highly accurate maps based on digitalized road information, such as traffic signals and intersections. Such a system is necessary to allow vehicles with the Level 4 technology to run safely.

Honda plans to test the technology early next year on public roads. It is also seeking to launch a ride-sharing service in the mid-2020s using vehicles without driver seats. Honda is jointly developing such vehicles with General Motors.

A senior Honda official said the firm wants to solve social challenges and rejuvenate local communities through its safe, eco-friendly and exciting mobility service.

Nissan Motor and other companies are also testing their autonomous driving technologies. Toyota Motor is developing a system to control multiple driverless vehicles simultaneously.