at 18:30 (JST), January 04

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/20230104183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : envoy ishikane dialogue
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230104_80/

Japan's ambassador to the United Nations has vowed to make efforts to maintain the peace and security of the international community as the country serves as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.

A flag installation ceremony for five newly-elected non-permanent members of the council was held at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday. The five members are Japan, Switzerland, Malta, Ecuador and Mozambique, which will hold the seats for two years beginning in 2023.

Japan's UN envoy Ishikane Kimihiro said responsibilities borne by Security Council members are bigger than ever.

He said they need to reconfirm the principles and philosophy of the UN Charter to uphold the rule of law and to consider what they can do for the many people whose security and livelihoods are under threat today.

This is the 12th time Japan has been elected to hold a non-permanent seat on the Security Council, more than any other UN member. The country will also hold the monthly rotating presidency of the council in January.

Five permanent members, including the United States and Russia, and ten non-permanent members sit on the council. Non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms, with five replaced each year.

Critics point out that the Security Council has been unable to fulfill its functions as major powers are at odds over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and issues involving North Korea.

Ishikane spoke at a news conference at the UN on Wednesday about his expectations in the Security Council regarding relations with China and Russia.

Ishikane said the council must pursue dialogue with the two countries to come up with a unified decision that can make a difference on regional security.

Regarding North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches, Ishikane said he would "like to convey the voice Japan, of Japanese people who are facing this -- threatening danger coming from our neighborhood."

He said he will work for unity in the Security Council so that its "voice could have an impact upon North Korea."

Key words : three years restriction on Tuesday
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230103_11/

Japan's airports, railway stations and expressways are crowded on Tuesday as people return from their year-end and New Year holidays.

This holiday season saw more travelers as it was the first time in three years that there were no coronavirus restrictions in place.

Airline companies say the number of people returning from holidays will peak on Tuesday, with flights to Osaka or Tokyo almost fully booked throughout the day.

Japan Railway officials says some Tokyo-bound Joetsu Shinkansen trains saw more passengers than capacity for non-reserved seats in the morning. They expect reserved seats of east-bound Tokaido Shinkansen trains will be crowded in the afternoon.

Traffic on some expressways has slowed to a crawl.

The Japan Road Traffic Information Center says traffic on some sections of the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, the Tomei Expressway and the Meishin Expressway was backed up for 10 to 15 kilometers in the morning.

The center says the Tomei Expressway could see traffic jams extending 55 kilometers in the afternoon, with 30 kilometers expected on the Tohoku and Kan-Etsu expressways.

Key words : three-day
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230103_15/

The Chinese government says the number of people who traveled within the country during the year-end and New Year holiday was about 40 percent of the pre-pandemic level, amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

The domestic tourism market saw 52.71 million trips during the three-day holiday from Saturday to Monday.

That marked an increase of 0.4 percent from the same period a year earlier when strict COVID-19 restrictions were in place.

But this is only 43 percent of the level compared to four years ago, before the start of the pandemic.

The government is calling for the resumption of economic activity as it eased the restrictions last month.

Tiananmen Square and commercial facilities in the capital Beijing were bustling during the holiday period.

But tourism does not seem to have made a full recovery yet, as many people likely chose to visit nearby tourist spots rather than make cross-provincial trips.

A large number of people are expected to return to their hometowns around the seven-day Lunar New Year holidays from January 21.

In regional cities and rural areas where the medical system is under severe strain due to the spread of infections, staff at medical institutions are scrambling to secure drug supplies for patients.

Key words : ninja
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