at 18:30 (JST), June 10

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/20220610183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : ishikane
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220610_N02/

Japan is one of five countries that have been voted to a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council.

The UN General Assembly conducted the vote on Thursday.

General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid made the announcement. The other countries are Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland. Their term begins on January 1, 2023.

Ten non-permanent and five permanent members sit on the council. It is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions such as imposing sanctions and authorizing the use of force.

However, delegates from Russia and China have faced criticism for preventing others from taking action. They have used their veto power over the war in Ukraine and North Korea's missile program.

Japan's UN Ambassador, Ishikane Kimihiro, said Japanese diplomats hope to use their influence to bring about some reforms. He said the Security Council hasn't been able to fulfill its functions, but many members have been doing all they can to find a solution. He added that Japan is devoted to those efforts.

Ishikane said Japan can lead other countries in preventing conflicts... and stopping them from recurring.

Key words : travel inbound
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220610_03/

Japan has eased its anti-coronavirus border controls to start accepting overseas tourists for the first time in about two years.

The government on Friday reopened the borders to foreign sightseers from 98 countries and regions deemed to be at the lowest risk of spreading COVID-19. They include the United States, South Korea and China.

Visitors from this group are exempt from virus testing on arrival, and from self-quarantine, even if they are unvaccinated.

Still, there will be a limited number of foreign tourists allowed in, as the number of arrivals is capped at 20,000 per day.

Tourists are also restricted to escorted package tours for the time being as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.

The Japan Tourism Agency has released guidelines requiring travel agencies ensure foreign tourists follow anti-infection measures, such as wearing masks.

The agencies also have to obtain the consent of tourists to take out private health insurance in case they need medical treatment in Japan.

People may not be allowed to take part in tours if they do not abide by these rules.

Major travel agencies say it will be at least a month or so for foreign tourists to start arriving due to the need for advertising and visa issuance.

Resuming inbound tourism is expected to help Japan's local economies. But the volume of such tourism will be far lower than levels seen before the pandemic, when more than 30 million foreign tourists visited annually.

Attention is now focused on whether the government can relax border restrictions further while ensuring tourists observe anti-infection measures.

Key words : accepting 98 countries low risk
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