at 18:30 (JST), November 29

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/20211129183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : entry ban new foreign arrival
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211129_24/

Japan is putting back in place an entry ban on new foreign arrivals, citing the potential danger of the Omicron variant. This suspends the recent easing of measures for foreign students, business people and technical trainees.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio unveiled the measure on Monday. He said, "I decided to put entry restrictions in place for foreigners from all over the world starting on Tuesday, as an emergency measure. We are aiming to avoid the worst situation from occurring in this country."

Kishida stressed the measures will be temporary until experts better understand how serious the variant is.

He also said that officials are investigating a case involving a traveler from Namibia who tested for the virus. They are conducting a genome analysis to find out if that person has the new variant.

The government is also tightening restrictions on Japanese nationals arriving home from well over a dozen places where the Omicron variant has been confirmed. The measures mean travelers need to stay at designated facilities for a number of days upon their arrival.

Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases has followed the WHO's lead to classify Omicron as a "variant of concern." It cited worries that the variant could be more infectious and called on residents to remain vigilant.

Key words : taiwan defense ministry
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211129_03/

Taiwan's defense ministry says 27 Chinese military aircraft, including a new type of aerial refueling tanker, have entered its air defense identification zone.

The ministry says the 27 aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers, flew into the zone over waters southwest of Taiwan on Sunday.

It says more than half of the planes passed over the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines, before moving to areas southeast of Taiwan and returning on almost the same routes toward China.

The ministry says a Y-20 aerial refueling tanker was included among the fleet. This is believed to be the first time that the ministry has confirmed the plane entered the zone.

A researcher at the ministry's think tank announced in April that a Y-20 has triple the refueling capacity of the Chinese military's conventional tankers.

The researcher said the Y-20 would significantly expand the tactical range of the Chinese military fleet.

Taiwan's leading media outlet quoted an expert on China's military as saying the Chinese air force would be able to operate over a long range if it commissions many Y-20s.

He added that China might hold military drills more often in areas south and southeast of Taiwan, sharply increasing pressure on Taiwan's air defense capability.

Key words : Kishida strategy
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211127_14/

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has told members of a Self Defense Forces review that measures to protect the country may include the ability to strike enemy bases.

Kishida addressed about 800 personnel at a Self-Defense Forces base on Saturday. He said the attack capacity was one option the government was studying for Japan to increase its necessary defense capability.

The review at Camp Asaka, which lies in four municipalities in and around Tokyo, was scaled down for the second straight year due to the coronavirus pandemic. There was no parade of tanks or other vehicles.

Kishida said North Korea continues to fire ballistic missiles in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

He warned that development of new technologies by the North, including hypersonic glide vehicles and missiles flying on irregular trajectories, should not be overlooked.

The prime minister also noted that China has bolstered its military without sufficient transparency, and continues its unilateral attempts to change the status quo.

Kishida added the security environment surrounding Japan is changing more significantly than ever. He has instructed the government to revise its national security strategy, defense program guidelines and mid-term defense program.

He also revealed that the government has dispatched a fact-finding team to Djibouti to collect information about escalating violence between the government and Tigray forces in Ethiopia. Japan's Self Defense Forces have a base in Djibouti.

Key words : pumice affect fishery
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211128_15/

Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Motegi Toshimitsu has inspected a fishing port in Okinawa Prefecture, southwestern Japan, where a large amount of pumice stones from an underwater volcanic eruption have been washed ashore.

Motegi says he will work to pass a supplementary budget plan that includes financial support for the fishing industry and pumice removal.

Motegi visited the port in Okinawa's Uruma City on Sunday. He was briefed on the situation by the mayor and inspected a temporary storage site for the collected stones. He was told that the farming of mozuku seaweed and fish has also been severely affected.

Motegi later met representatives of the local fishery and tourism industries. He explained that around 18 billion yen, or about 160 million dollars, has been allocated in the supplementary budget to help remove the pumice and support fishers, and he will take measures to speedily dispel their concerns.

He also said he wants to resume the "Go To Travel" subsidy program by the end of January in light of the prolonged impact the pandemic is having on the tourism industry.

Key words : okinawa volunteer
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211128_14/

About 100 volunteers gathered at a beach near the Busena Cape in Okinawa's Nago City on Sunday to collect pumice stones that were ejected by an undersea volcano and washed ashore late last month.

The white sand beach is close to resort hotels and an underwater observatory tower for viewing fish in the sea.

Staff of hotels, an organization that manages the tower and a tourism bureau spent about two-and-a-half-hours putting stones into bags.

A hotel employee in her 30s says the overwhelming amount of pumice makes the work seem endless, but she wants to do what she can.

Tamaki Sen, who heads the local office of the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau, says he is grateful for the volunteers' help, and he wants to restore the white beach to warmly welcome visitors.

Key words : nakamura
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211128_02/

People have gathered in Japan to remember doctor Nakamura Tetsu, who was killed nearly two years ago while working on humanitarian projects in Afghanistan.

Nakamura, representing a Japanese non-governmental organization, had spent years in helping Afghans in healthcare, farmland regeneration, and other projects. He was shot and killed on December 4, 2019, at the age of 73.

About 250 people, including Nakamura's family members and people with links to the NGO, Peshawar-kai, gathered on Saturday in Fukuoka City, southwestern Japan, where the NGO is based. They offered silent prayers to Nakamura.

Nakamura's oldest daughter Akiko expressed her sense of loss, saying she feels as if her father were doing his favorite yard work right there with his straw hat on.

The NGO says the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, including food shortages, has been growing since the Taliban retook power. The NGO blames the delay in international assistance and the impact of drought.

The group's leader, Murakami Masaru, said the lives of Afghan people are increasingly at risk. He expressed the group's determination to continue to assist those people.

Key words : sumo
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211128_19/

Yokozuna Grand Champion Terunofuji has achieved a perfect record for the first time after winning the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

He defeated Ozeki Champion Takakeisho on Sunday, winning all his bouts in the 15-day tournament in Fukuoka Prefecture, western Japan.

Terunofuji secured his 6th title on Saturday.