at 18:30 (JST), April 11

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/20220411183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Kishida announced
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220408_40/

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced new sanctions on Russia on Friday. It comes amid growing calls for Moscow to be held responsible for the mass killing of civilians in Ukraine.

Kishida said, "Russian troops have killed civilians and attacked nuclear facilities, gravely violating international humanitarian law. It is an act of war crime that can never be tolerated. Such inhumane acts need to be held accountable."

He said Japan will support independent investigations by the International Criminal Court and the UN.

Japan will ban the import of Russian coal and some other products, including machinery and timber.

It will also ban new investments in Russia and freeze the assets of the country's largest financial institution, Sberbank, and it's fourth largest bank.

Japan will also freeze the assets of an additional nearly 400 individuals and about 20 organizations.

Kishida noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to Japan's Diet last month and called for continued pressure on Russia to end the violence.

He said, "Japan with other G7 countries, will not tolerate Russia's outrage, and Japan stands with Ukraine. We need to make sure we show our attitude through support from Japan."

Key words : Monday marks
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220411_01/

Monday marks 10 years since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un assumed the top post of the ruling Workers' Party. This comes amid concerns that the country may hold more ballistic missile and nuclear tests in the coming days.

Kim Jong Un has assumed various top party positions to cement his power base.

Following the death of his father Kim Jong Il in December 2011, Kim Jong Un was named as the party's first secretary at its conference in April 2012. It was a new title to let him lead the nation and its military.

Kim Jong Un went on to purge and dismiss senior officials, along with the execution of his uncle and purported mentor Jang Song Thaek in 2013.

Kim Jong Un took the newly created post of the party's chairman in 2016, and in January last year he became the party's general secretary, a title previously held by his father.

Kim Jong Un has also been seeking to counter the United States by putting a greater focus on nuclear and missile development programs than his father, who used them more as diplomatic bargaining chips.

Right after Kim Jong Un became the party's first secretary, he amended the constitution to have its text explicitly describe North Korea as a nuclear power.

His administration has over the past decade fired more than 100 ballistic missiles, including some with intercontinental range, and conducted four nuclear tests.

This is a dramatic increase compared to the 16 ballistic missile launches and two nuclear tests carried out during the 17 years of Kim Jong Il's rule.

Kim Jong Un announced a five-year defense plan in January last year, which aims to develop new types of weapons.

Next Friday, North Korea is due to mark the 110th anniversary of the birth of its founder Kim Il Sung, who was the grandfather of the current leader.

Analysts say Pyongyang may stage more ballistic missile launches and hold its seventh nuclear test, to boost national morale in the run-up to the anniversary.

North Korea's state-run TV aired recorded footage of an assembly held in the capital Pyongyang on Sunday, to celebrate 10 years of Kim Jong Un at the party's helm.

Senior party officials, including his younger sister Kim Yo Jong, attended the meeting. But the leader himself was not in attendance.

Key words : sri lanka resignation
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220410_05/

People in Sri Lanka have staged a massive protest amid mounting frustration caused by the serious impact of inflation and shortages of essential items.

Due to the country's declining foreign reserves, Sri Lankans are suffering drastic inflation and shortages of fuel and medicines. Frequent power outages are forcing people to be without electricity for up to 13 hours a day.

The Associated Press news agency reports that thousands of protesters gathered in the center of the country's largest city, Colombo, on Saturday.

The crowd, including young and elderly people, protested for more than six hours, holding the national flag and placards demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. They said the government is responsible for the economic crisis.

A woman accompanied by her adult daughter said they have no gas and electricity now and want the president to step down.

A 39-year-old man who participated in the demonstration for the first time said he joined the protest because there was no other way to voice people's anger. He added that the government should find someone to take charge of the situation if it cannot handle it.

A temporary nationwide state of emergency had been in place following a clash between demonstrators and police near the president's residence on March 31.

Key words : government raise daily cap
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220410_02/

The Japanese government has raised the daily cap on the number of arrivals from abroad to 10,000. The figure includes Japanese and foreign nationals.

The goal is to revive social and economic activities despite the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

The cap was raised on Sunday for the third time since March 1. On that day, new entries of foreign visitors other than tourists resumed and the number of entries was raised from 3,500 to 5,000 a day including Japanese nationals. The cap was raised further to 7,000 on March 14.

Officials say it is now possible to accept 10,000 a day because of stepped-up measures against the coronavirus, such as quarantine controls.

The government plans to further raise the limit step by step to accept more foreign students, technical trainees, and business people. It hopes to reopen the country also for foreign tourists at some point.

The timing and scale of the increase remain uncertain as new daily cases of the coronavirus are currently rising again in Japan.

Key words : shanghai nearly
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220411_28/

Authorities in the Chinese city of Shanghai have started to announce areas in which coronavirus lockdowns will be eased despite a surge in infections.

Severe restrictions have been in place in most of the city, as daily case counts continue to rise.

Shanghai officials confirmed 26,087 new infections on Sunday, most without symptoms. The daily tally marked a record high for the 10th day in a row.

The officials on Saturday announced a plan to allow residents of areas where no infections have been confirmed in 14 days to go out under certain conditions. On Monday, they started to publish a list of areas where lockdown measures will be eased.

The officials said more than 7,500 areas are subject to the easing as of Monday. NHK has learned that restrictions were eased in some areas on that day.

But the officials said a 14-day restriction will be imposed again on the areas if even one person is found to be infected.

Some areas in the city have been under strict outing restrictions for nearly a month, making it difficult for residents to get food and daily necessities.

Key words : review zero-covid
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220410_23/

Some Chinese users of social media are calling for a review of the country's zero-COVID policy as the daily case count continues to rise in Shanghai.

One message said people's health will be sacrificed if the zero-tolerance approach is maintained. Another said zero-COVID is only a political goal and coexistence with the virus is inevitable.

Shanghai officials confirmed 24,943 new infections on Saturday, a record high for the ninth day in a row. Most cases were asymptomatic.

Lockdown measures remain in place throughout most of Shanghai.

Officials said on Saturday they will apply different restrictions to different zones of the city based on infection risks.

They said residents of areas where no infections have been confirmed in 14 days will be allowed to go out under certain conditions.

But restrictions on outings are expected to continue in many districts.

Officials said on Sunday that they still aim to reduce infections to zero.

Key words : south president-elect
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220411_13/

South Korea's president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has announced the names of eight nominees for his new Cabinet that will be inaugurated next month.

Yoon told a news conference on Sunday that he had named former economic bureaucrat Choo Kyung-ho as deputy prime minister and finance minister.

He also said he had nominated a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Lee Jong-sup, to be defense minister, and former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong to be land minister.

Most of Yoon's nominees are key members of the presidential transition committee.

Yoon said his choices were based on whether they were the best people to take charge of their respective areas in the interests of the country and the people.

He also said a foreign minister and other Cabinet member nominees will be announced as soon as the process is completed.

The nominees are expected to be grilled at parliamentary confirmation hearings. The majority of seats in the National Assembly are held by the present ruling party, which lost the presidential election in March.

Key words : japan and russia arranging
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220411_03/

Government officials from Japan and Russia are arranging to hold fishery talks as early as Monday. These are necessary for Japanese boats to conduct salmon and trout fishing in the northern Pacific Ocean.

Observers are concerned that the bilateral talks may fail or stall as Moscow has reacted sharply to sanctions imposed by Tokyo over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Drift-net fishing for salmon and trout traditionally begins on April 10 in Japan's exclusive economic zone off its northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido. However, this year the negotiations have been delayed.

Each year, Japanese and Russian government officials meet to discuss operational details before the fishing season begins.

Under bilateral agreements, Japan pays an annual cooperation fee to Russia. This is because most of the salmon and trout caught in the ocean originate in Russian rivers.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea says a country that is home to a river where fish spawn has the primary interest in and responsibility for their stocks.

Boats planning to depart for the fishing season remain ashore in Hokkaido.

One fisherman said that everyone involved seems to have given up on this year's operations. He said the port would normally be busy at this time of year, but now it remains deserted.

Key words : hiroshima
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220410_20/

People gathered in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima on Sunday to send their anti-war message to the world.

About 750 people who had responded to posts on social media prayed for peace. They held up signs saying "No war" and other messages in Japanese, English and Russian.

Videos were uploaded on social media, and versions with English and Russian subtitles will be posted later.

High school student Hiraishi Koichi has a Ukrainian mother and a Russian grandmother. He said he was shocked to see the dire situation of the beautiful Ukrainian town he visited last summer, and thought he needed to do something.

The event was organized by Kakuwaka Hiroshima, which aims to achieve a world without nuclear weapons. The co-head of the group, Tanaka Miho, said they thought they could send the most powerful message from the Atomic Bomb Dome, and she hopes more people will join them.

Key words : tokyo war victim
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220409_01/

About 100 people gathered in Tokyo on Friday to remember the victims of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The event took place outside the United Nations University in Shibuya Ward.

A Ukrainian man who helped organize the event pointed out that many people have died in the town of Bucha, and that the death tolls in other areas are not known.

The participants observed a moment of silence. They also placed blue and yellow flowers on a Ukrainian national flag and lit candles arranged to spell "peace."

The United Nations says at least 1,611 Ukrainian civilians have died due to the invasion as of last Wednesday.

A 26-year-old company employee from Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, said she doesn't want to ignore what's happening in Ukraine. She also expressed hope that no more lives will be lost.

A woman from Donetsk in eastern Ukraine came with her 3-year-old daughter. The mother said it is painful to see what is happening in her country.

She also said she hopes peace will prevail, and that she will never forget nor tolerate the invasion.