at 18:30 (JST), December 08

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/20211208183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : olympic delegation second
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211208_08/

Australia says it will not send a government delegation to the Beijing Olympics. It's the second country after the United States to announce a "diplomatic boycott" of the Games, which open in February.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison cited China's human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and other issues.

Morrison said "it is not surprising, therefore," that Australian government officials would not be going to China.

The prime minister said Australian athletes will attend the Games. The United States announced similar measures on Monday. The two countries are close allies.

Relations between Australia and China have chilled after Canberra called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus. Beijing hit back by restricting imports of food and other products from Australia.

Key words : olympic kishida
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211208_19/

Japan's top government spokesperson says the Kishida administration is trying to decide whether to send officials to next year's Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics by considering various points of view.

The United States and Australia have announced that government officials from their countries will boycott the Games. They have cited human rights abuses in China as a reason.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu told reporters on Wednesday that the government will make its own decision at an appropriate time in the future. He added that nothing has been decided yet.

Matsuno said Japan hopes the Games will be a peaceful event based on Olympic and Paralympic principles.

The government will likely continue to mull over various options up until the start of the Olympics. The Games are set to begin in February.

Key words : tuna
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211207_32/

Delegates to an international conference on managing bluefin tuna stocks in the Pacific Ocean have officially agreed to raise the catch quota in the western and central Pacific by 15 percent.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission held a 5-day-online conference through Tuesday. Delegations of 26 countries and territories including Japan, the United States, and island nations such as Papua New Guinea took part.

They said Pacific bluefin tuna stocks are showing signs of recovery, and officially agreed to raise the catch quota of large bluefin in the western and central Pacific. The area includes waters near Japan.

This means that Japanese fishers will be allowed to catch 732 tons more in 2022. The tuna is known as a luxury item and a popular choice for sushi and sashimi.

The delegates also agreed to maintain the current stock management for bigeye and yellowfin tuna for two years.

Japan's Fisheries Agency plans to discuss allocations of the catch quota to prefectures.

Key words : 80th 2,400 americans
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211208_N02/

The United States has marked the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Relatives of the those who died joined with veterans for a memorial ceremony at the scene in Hawaii.

A moment of silence was observed at 7:55 a.m., the time the attack began on December 7, 1941. The Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the naval base and the army's multiple airfields. More than 2,400 Americans died. The attack prompted the US to immediately enter World War Two.

US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said the US will never waver in defense of the peace and security forged with the sacrifice of that greatest generation. He said Americans will carry their legacy forever.

Not many of those who survived the attack are still alive. The Associated Press reported that about 30 of them were expected to attend the ceremony, along with about 100 other veterans of World War Two. They were not able to gather last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

US President Joe Biden marked the anniversary by visiting the World War II Memorial in Washington. He released a statement commemorating the valor of all who defended the country and recommitting the US to peace and reconciliation.

Key words : naganuma
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211208_07/

A former Japanese serviceman has reflected on his experience of the Japanese attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor 80 years ago. He now emphasizes the need for dialogue to prevent war.

Naganuma Hajime, now aged 101, took part in the operation at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941. He was a mechanic on the aircraft carrier Kaga of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

NHK interviewed Naganuma, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the attack, which triggered nearly four years of the Pacific War between Japan and the US.

Naganuma says the Kaga's captain notified his crew members of the plan to attack Pearl Harbor on December 8, Japan time, while sailing in the Pacific Ocean bound for Hawaii.

He says the captain abruptly told his crew in a speech that Japan will declare war on the United States and Britain.

Naganuma says he was surprised at first because he wasn't expecting a war to really begin. But he recalls that since a mood of militarism was prominent at the time, he was prepared to fight for the security of his country.

Naganuma sustained severe burns to his leg in the Battle of Midway six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor and was exempted from military service.

The war veteran says he realized after World War Two that Japan had waged a reckless war, and that he wants to convey the horrors and foolishness of war by recounting his own experiences.
Naganuma wrote memoirs of the attack on Pearl Harbor and donated them to local libraries in Fukuoka City, southwestern Japan, where he lives.

Naganuma says that to prevent war, it is important above all else to consider the position of others and hold dialogue.

Key words : landslide atami inoguchi naoki
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