at 18:30 (JST), December 19

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/20221219183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : death medical student
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221218_19/

Internet users in China are voicing criticism over the death of a medical trainee in Sichuan Province. They say the student was suspected of having contracted COVID-19 but had to keep working due to a staff shortage.

The 23-year-old medical trainee suddenly collapsed on Tuesday at a hospital in the city of Chengdu and died the following day.

The hospital said he died of heart disease. But local media reported that the student had continued working even though he had a fever and may have been infected with the coronavirus.

COVID-19 infections are spreading again in China after the Chinese government relaxed its virus control measures on December 7. The surge in cases has strained the country's healthcare system.

Users of Chinese social networking platform Weibo say he was a student, not a doctor and hospitals and schools have a responsibility to protect students' working environments.

Hong Kong media report that medical students have staged protests in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, and elsewhere. The reports say about 100 students in Nanjing demanded they should receive the same pay as doctors.

The Chinese government maintains that there have been no deaths from the coronavirus since it eased the restrictions. But critics point to the possibility that a number of people have died after catching the virus.

Key words : north satellite next april
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221219_13/

North Korea says it conducted an important final-stage test for the development of reconnaissance satellites on Sunday. South Korea says the North fired two medium-range ballistic missiles on that day.

Monday's edition of the ruling party's newspaper says the National Aerospace Development Administration, or the NADA, conducted the test at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the country's northwest.

The test apparently refers to North Korea's reported launches of two ballistic missiles on Sunday.

The country had test-fired what are believed to be long-range ballistic missiles from the launching ground. Pyongyang says they were satellites.

The paper also says the NADA has announced that it will finish the preparations for the first military reconnaissance satellite by next April.

The five-year national defense plan unveiled by North Korea last year included the development of such satellites.

Key words : tokyo protest
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221216_23/

A civic group held a rally in front of the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Friday morning to protest three key defense documents the government later approved. Their approval would signal a major shift in the security and defense policies that Japan has had since the end of World War Two.

The group, which opposes constitutional amendment, says about 300 people took part in the rally.

The participants held banners and placards as they chanted that peace cannot be created by force and expressed opposition to a Cabinet decision to approve the documents.

A woman in her 60s said that although she belongs to the post-war generation, hearing about people's experiences during the war has always made her feel that the same mistakes must not be repeated.

She added that she is angry the government is not seeking the public's opinion in making a decision that could trigger a war.

A man in his 60s said it is not right for the Cabinet to approve the documents without sufficient discussions. He also said that the decision is unacceptable as it could lead to a loss of lives.

Key words : sony
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221219_19/

Japanese electronics giant Sony Group is looking at boosting chip production in anticipation of growing demand. Executives are reportedly considering building a new semiconductor plant in western Japan.

The firm already has its production base in Kikuyo Town in Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu.

Sources say it is now considering constructing a new facility in neighboring Koshi City in the same prefecture.

Sony commands 40 percent of the global market share for semiconductor components in smartphone cameras.

Executives want to grow this and will reportedly start negotiations to acquire land for the plant. Operations there would begin in fiscal 2025 at the earliest.

Sony is also building a new semiconductor facility jointly with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, and Japan's Denso in Kikuyo Town.

The moves come as the global chip shortage has led manufacturers to boost production capacity.

Key words : researcher omicron
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221217_07/

Japanese researchers say vaccines targeting Omicron coronavirus variants are 71 percent effective in preventing infections.

Scientists at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and other researchers compared vaccination records of about 4,000 people aged 16 or older who took virus tests at 10 medical facilities in the Kanto region.

The samples were taken between September and November, when the Omicron's BA.5 subvariant was the dominant strain.

The results show Omicron-targeting vaccines were 71 percent effective among those who had been at least twice inoculated with a conventional vaccine before taking an Omicron-specific booster.

More specifically, vaccines targeting the BA.1 subvariant proved 73 percent effective, while shots for BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants were found to be 69 percent effective.

The researchers say there was no significant difference between the two kinds of Omicron-targeting vaccines in their capabilities to prevent infections.

They are now planning to look into how long these vaccines remain effective.

Key words : trainee labor union
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221218_18/

Foreign technical trainees and part-time workers in Japan have formed a labor union to gain greater bargaining power with their employers.

The inauguration ceremony was held in Tokyo on Sunday.

The union, which is exclusively for foreign workers, has about 20 members. Many of them are Vietnamese technical trainees and students who are working part-time.

Various problems, such as nonpayment and unjust dismissal, are being reported as the number of foreign workers increases in Japan.

The new labor union is being assisted by a non-profit organization that supports Vietnamese people living in Japan.

The union says it is joining Rengo Tokyo, which is part of Japan's largest labor organization, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation. It aims to make use of Rengo's network and knowhow to swiftly solve problems.

Rengo, on the other hand, intends to deal more deeply with issues involving foreign workers.

It says a labor union that is exclusively for foreign workers is rare, and this is probably the first union in Japan whose members are predominantly Vietnamese.

One of the members, a Vietnamese student who works part-time, says there are many Vietnamese people in Japan who do not speak Japanese or have no one to consult with.

He says he wants to help them and let people in Vietnam know about the situation.

Saito Chiaki of Rengo Tokyo says her organization's network can help foreign workers solve their labor problems.

She says it's important to protect foreigners who want to work or study in Japan while the country's population continues to decline.

Key words : unesco
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221219_03/

The imposing offshore gate of a UNESCO World Heritage shrine in Japan's western prefecture of Hiroshima has been restored to its former glory.

The Otorii gate, measuring 16 meters tall and 24 meters wide, stands in the sea a short distance from the main hall of Itsukushima Shrine in the city of Hatsukaichi. The Shinto shrine was rebuilt in the 12th century.

Work to repair and preserve the gate took three and a half years. It was the first such large-scale project in about seven decades.

Workers reinforced the gate's earthquake resistance while artisans rethatched its roof and repainted its vermilion pillars.

The gate is now visible in its entirety after scaffolding and protective nets used for the restoration program were removed.

About 30 people celebrated the completion of the project during a Sunday ceremony, which featured a ritual to purify the gate.

A civil engineer involved in the project said he is pleased to have helped to repair the gate together with other technicians despite greater-than-expected damage to the structure.

A member of the shrine's clergy said he hopes people will visit and see the gate to ring in the New Year with blessed feelings.