at 18:30 (JST), January 25

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/20230125183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : passenger kyoto
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230125_10/

Heavy snow disrupted trains in western Japan, leaving passengers trapped inside for hours during the night.

West Japan Railway says that as of 2 a.m. on Wednesday, 15 trains along the Kyoto Line and the Biwako Line were stuck between stations.

Railway officials say they asked passengers to walk along the tracks to nearby stations. They added that passengers on at least three of the trains complained of feeling ill.

Kyoto City officials say they received a request to accommodate about 1,300 people who were stuck at Yamashina Station.

The city made available its community facility near the station and a passageway that leads to a subway station.

A passenger said he got on a train at Kyoto Station on Tuesday night and was trapped in it for about seven hours until around 2:30 a.m.

He said the first two to three hours were bearable, but the carriage that had a toilet gradually became crowded, resulting in stuffiness that caused many people to feel ill. He added that some were carried out by stretchers.

He said he got out around 2:30 a.m. and spent an hour walking along the tracks to the station. He spent the rest of the night with other people in an underground passage provided by the city.

He said he should have acted sooner, but also wondered why the railway company was not able to take better measures.

Key words : heavy snow zero
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230125_06/

The coldest air mass of the season continues to bring snow, mainly to areas along the Sea of Japan coast from western to eastern Japan. The mercury has dropped below zero Celsius across the country.

Weather officials are advising people to refrain from non-essential outings and watch out for icy road conditions. They also warn that water pipes could freeze.

The Meteorological Agency says a strong winter pressure pattern is bringing an influx of cold air.

Okuizumo Town in Shimane Prefecture saw 18 centimeters of snow during the three hours through 4 a.m. on Wednesday.

As of 4 a.m., snowfall had reached 1.54 meters in Daisen, Tottori Prefecture, and 1.05 meters in Nozawaonsen Village, Nagano Prefecture.

Snow has also accumulated at lower elevations where there is usually little snow. Snowfall reached 13 centimeters in Kyoto City and 6 centimeters in Hiroshima City. The weather conditions have been affecting transportation in the Kansai region and elsewhere.

Winds have also intensified from northern to western Japan mainly along the Sea of Japan coast. A peak gust topped 100 kilometers per hour in Sakata City's Tobishima in Yamagata Prefecture shortly before 4 a.m.

The lows dropped to minus 12.1 degrees Celsius in Sapporo City, minus 7.3 degrees in Sendai City and minus 5.6 degrees in Niigata City.

The winter pressure pattern is expected to stay until Thursday, bringing heavy snow and blizzards mainly to areas along the Sea of Japan coast. Heavy snow is also possible in lower elevations along the Pacific.

Temperatures are forecast to plunge across the country to the lowest level in a decade.

Weather officials are urging people to be careful of heavy snow, blizzards, frozen roads and other effects on transportation, violent winds and high waves. They are also calling on people to keep an eye out for frozen water pipes and power outages due to the snow.

Authorities say traffic jams could happen in areas where heavy snow is forecast. Some expressways have already been closed.

Transport ministry officials are urging people to refrain from going out unless it is urgent. Drivers are advised to use winter tires or snow chains.

Key words : shinkansen bullet delay
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230125_09/

Heavy snow and strong winds are disrupting domestic flights and other transportation systems in many parts of Japan.

As of 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Japan Airlines had canceled 151 flights and All Nippon Airways had called off 85. These flights were mainly to and from airports in areas along the Sea of Japan coast, including Akita, Aomori and Niigata.

Other carriers have also canceled flights. Airlines say more cancellations are possible. They are calling on passengers to check for updates on their websites.

The snowy conditions have also been affecting bullet train services.

East Japan Railway Company says it will suspend operations between Fukushima and Shinjo stations on the Yamagata Shinkansen line throughout Wednesday.

The operator also says part of Tohoku Shinkansen services will be suspended.

The Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen is experiencing delays as trains are running slower in some sections.

Expressways have been closed in many areas from the Tohoku to the Kyushu regions. Road operators say more sections may be shut.

The transport ministry says national roads may be closed for snow removal depending on weather conditions.

Drivers are being urged to avoid non-essential journeys when heavy snow is expected and to keep an eye on weather and traffic conditions. They are also advised to use winter tires or carry snow chains.

Key words : northeast cold spell
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230124_23/

Temperatures have dropped sharply in parts of China and South Korea after the season's coldest air mass hit the East Asian countries.

Chinese state media say the temperature hit minus 53 degrees Celsius, the lowest ever in the country, on Sunday in the northeast province of Heilongjiang.

Beijing had clear skies on Tuesday, but the city's temperature in the morning was forecast to drop to minus 13 degrees. Many people were wearing hats in the bitter cold.

Officials are calling on people to take thorough measures against severe cold in the country, whose Lunar New Year holidays began last weekend.

Much of South Korea is also in a cold spell, with temperatures dropping to minus 16.4 degrees on Tuesday morning in Seoul.

Snow and strong winds grounded all flights on the southern island of Jeju on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Monday night called on relevant ministries and agencies to take thorough safety measures.

In North Korea, state-run television forecast on Monday night that temperatures would drop to minus 20 degrees in the capital Pyongyang on Tuesday morning.

Weather officials in the country expect the most severe cold since 2001.

Key words : philippines marcos hotline
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230124_37/

The president of the Philippines says he has used a new territorial dispute hotline with China for the first time. The two countries established the channel to avoid escalations in the South China Sea.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he used it after a Chinese Coast Guard vessel reportedly drove off a Filipino fishing boat in a disputed waterway earlier this month.

The incident took place in the Second Thomas Shoal. It is located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, but China also claims it. Beijing has yet to comment on the encounter.

Marcos and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing several days before the incident. That's when they agreed to create the direct line.

Marcos said the mechanism will take time to fully implement, but stressed it would help protect Filipino fishers.

He also suggested that China must change its behavior, saying the fishermen involved in the incident were unarmed and posed no threat.

Key words : honda
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230124_34/

Honda Motor says it will team up with GS Yuasa International to develop batteries for electric vehicles.

The auto manufacturer plans to set up a joint venture with the major Japanese battery maker by the end of this year.

Honda says the firms have reached a basic agreement on collaboration for the joint research and development of a lineup of high-capacity, high-output lithium-ion batteries.

Officials say the companies aim to develop a highly efficient production system. That includes setting up a supply chain for key materials.

Honda has already tied up with battery makers overseas to secure stable supplies for its car production in the US and China.

The latest plan is to ensure stable procurement of batteries for its EV manufacturing in Japan.

Key words : earthquake 28th aniversary
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20230116112044422/

It was 28 years ago that more than 6,000 people lost their lives in Japan's Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. In this report, the father of a 20-year-old woman who died in the disaster describes how he is distributing a children's picture book she created, in order to celebrate her life.