at 18:30 (JST), August 31

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/20220831183000_english_2.mp3


Key words : Kishida explain security cost
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220831_30/

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says he will explain in the Diet why Japan is holding a state funeral for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. It comes as opposition members are demanding his government disclose the security costs for the event.

Kishida held his first in-person news conference since recovering from COVID-19. Speaking to reporters, he promised to inform the public of the importance of September's funeral.

Kishida said, "As the prime minister who decided to hold the state funeral ceremony, I have a responsibility to take the criticisms seriously and respond to them directly. We will do our best to provide detailed explanations, something my administration has promised to do since taking office."

Kishida says Abe was influential, not only in Japan but also around the world. He said the funeral will give international leaders a chance to express their condolences. Kishida also says the funeral will show that Japan does not tolerate such acts of violence.

The former leader was shot dead during an election rally in July. The man suspected of killing him told police he believed Abe had links to the former Unification Church. He claims the group bankrupted his family.

Since then, a number of LDP members have been revealed to have ties to the religious group. Kishida says he will address so-called "spiritual business practices" and restore public trust in his party.

He's called on LDP lawmakers to reveal whether they have links to what he called "socially problematic" groups, and to avoid such ties in the future.

Kishida also discussed his government's plans to ease pandemic measures on September 7. He is raising the number of people allowed to enter the country each day, from 20,000 to 50,000.

Kishida also says foreign tourists will no longer need guides in order to take part in sightseeing trips to Japan.

Key words : trading house allow
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220831_08/

The Russian government has approved the decision of Japanese trading house Mitsui & Co. to keep its stake in the Sakhalin-2 oil and natural gas project in the Far East.

Moscow announced in a decree on Tuesday that it allows the handover of a 12.5-percent stake in a newly established company that took over the project.

The percentage is the same as the stake Mitsui had in the former operator.

In early August, Russia told Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corporation that they needed to decide within a month whether they wanted to acquire shares in the new firm. Both companies have decided to take a stake.

Key words : inamori stock
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220830_32/

Inamori Kazuo, one of Japan's most influential business leaders and the founder of electronics company Kyocera, has died. He was 90 years old.

Inamori started the firm, then called Kyoto Ceramic, in 1959. He grew the company into a globally recognized brand with self-developed technology for industrial products.

In 1984, Inamori established a communications firm at a time when the industry was being deregulated. The company became KDDI in 2000. It is now one of Japan's biggest mobile phone carriers.

Inamori also helped rebuild Japan Airlines as chairman after it went bankrupt in 2010. He decided to withdraw from loss-making routes and cut the carrier's workforce by 16,000 employees.

He successfully led the company to be relisted on the Tokyo Stock Exchange 2 years and 8 months after going bankrupt. It was an unusually quick comeback.

Inamori died last Wednesday at his home in Kyoto.

Key words : ishinomaki fish jewelry
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