月: 2023年8月

1. The labor union of the Sogo & Seibu department store chain has staged a one-day strike. The flagship store in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district was shuttered on Thursday. The strike is in response to the planned sale of the struggling chain. Sogo & Seibu’s parent company, Seven & i Holdings, decided in November to sell it to a US investment firm. 2. East and West Japan Railway company officials say an extended Shinkansen line along the Sea of Japan coast will be up and running on March 16, a year later than planned. The new section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen runs between Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture and Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture. 3. Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has visited a wholesale market in Tokyo and vowed to draw up support measures for those affected by China’s suspension of Japanese seafood imports. China has been the largest importer of Japanese seafood. Last year, Japan exported marine products worth 87.1 billion yen, or about 595 million dollars.

1. The United Nations has emphasized the need to quickly implement the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. However, during a UN General Assembly meeting, the United States and Russia, the world’s two largest nuclear weapons possessors, exchanged accusations against each other. UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Nakamitsu Izumi shared the General Assembly president’s warning that the world is closer to a global catastrophe than ever before due to Russia’s ongoing “war against Ukraine.” She stressed that the CTBT needs to be enforced without delay. 2. Members of Japan’s main ruling Liberal Democratic Party have asked the government to act internationally against China’s reaction to the release of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. China suspended all imports of Japanese seafood after the discharge began last week. Some public and other facilities in Japan have received many harassing phone calls.
3. Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says Japan intends to lead international efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament. Kishida said Japan’s leadership will be based on the results of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima and that the country will work to maintain and strengthen the framework of the NPT, Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

1. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio will visit Indonesia and India next month for a series of international summits. In Indonesia, he will attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, and other meetings.
2. European Council President Charles Michel says both member countries and potential additions to the European Union should work to be ready for the bloc’s enlargement by 2030. Balkan states including Serbia, as well as Ukraine and Moldova, have applied for EU membership. But some in the bloc, are cautious about accepting new members, in particular countries that lack the economic power of current members, and also for other reasons.
3. Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has stressed that his government will do its utmost to prevent damage to the country’s fisheries industry, in connection with the release of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.

1. The Japanese government has outlined a plan to build underground shelters where people can evacuate in the event of emergencies. The draft was compiled while keeping in mind a possible contingency in Taiwan. The plan says each shelter would be a robust underground facility with a door that can withstand blasts, a ventilation system and an emergency power source. 2. The organizers of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics are taking steps to ensure that next year’s events will be the most eco-friendly Games ever. Monday marks one year until the opening of the Paris Paralympics. One project involves using water from the Seine River to air condition some competition venues, including badminton and wheelchair basketball courts. 3. A group of Japanese companies is working on developing plastic drink bottles that are not made from any petroleum-based materials. They say the commercialization of these bottles produced only from bio-based substances would be a world-first. A substance called “para-xylene” accounts for about 70 percent of the bottles.

1. US media reports say the plane crash that is believed to have killed Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin may have been caused by an intentional explosion. The private jet carrying 10 people crashed on Wednesday in northwestern Russia while flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences to Prigozhin’s family on Thursday. 2. Members of the United Nations Security Council have called on Russia to pull out its troops out of Ukraine immediately at a meeting that marked 18 months since the start of the invasion. Japan’s Ambassador Ishikane Kimihiro said Japan will continue to support Ukraine. 3. US President Joe Biden has reiterated that Washington is committed to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes to end Russia’s invasion.

1. Tokyo Electric Power Company said it has started discharging treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The first round of the release will happen over 17 days. The full process could take at least 30 years to complete. 2. A US think tank says the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was likely assassinated at the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Institute for the Study of War noted that the Kremlin and the Russian defense ministry had been destroying the Wagner group and weakening Prigozhin’s authority since the armed rebellion in June. 3. Thailand’s new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin took office on Wednesday, leading a coalition that includes pro-military parties with which his party had long been at odds. The Pheu Thai Party’s Srettha was endorsed by the king on Wednesday, one day after being chosen as prime minister in a parliamentary vote.

1. The release of treated and diluted water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is scheduled to happen on Thursday. Ahead of the discharge, Japan’s industry minister called on people to enjoy marine products from the country’s northeastern region. He reassured the public that the items are safe. Nishimura Yasutoshi attended an event in Tokyo featuring seafood from across the country. 2. Scorching heat is continuing across Japan on Wednesday, with temperatures reaching extremely high levels from the morning in the eastern and northern parts of the country. Temperatures are projected to rise even further later in the day. Highs are expected to reach 39 degrees in Kitaakita City, Akita Prefecture, and 38 degrees in cities of Niigata, Toyama and Yamagata Prefecture’s Sakata. 3. Sake brewers in the western Japanese city of Kami have begun preparations for their first brew of the sake season using newly harvested rice. Sake brewing normally takes place during the winter months, but some brewers in Kochi Prefecture start preparing every August using rice harvested in the prefecture in summer.

1. Japan’s government has finalized when it will begin releasing treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. The plan sets into motion as soon as Thursday.　Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said, “The release is expected on Thursday, as long as weather and sea conditions don’t cause any issues. We will take responsibility until the discharge of the treated water is completed, no matter how long it takes, for the next several decades.” 2. Thailand’s ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has set foot in the country for the first time in 15 years amid rumors of a pardon. Thaksin arrived in Bangkok by private jet on Tuesday morning and was welcomed by family members and supporters. He knelt before a portrait of the Thai king and waved with a smile.
3. President Joe Biden is visiting the US state of Hawaii to inspect the massive damage caused by wildfires in Maui two weeks ago. He interrupted his summer vacation to go there. Biden walked through the scorched remains of Lahaina, a popular tourist destination that was devastated by the fires.

1. Scorching heat continues to grip Japan on Monday, pushing temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius in many places. Heatstroke alerts have been issued for many prefectures across Japan. Weather officials are asking people to check the Heat Stress Index, which is based on temperature, humidity and solar radiation, and take necessary precautions.
2. China’s central bank has lowered its key interest rate in what is seen as a bid to support the economy amid clear signs of a faltering recovery. Prolonged weakness in China’s real-estate market is prompting concern about the financial health of related businesses. Exports are also down sharply. 3. Former US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will not take part in the first Republican presidential primary debate this week. Trump, who is seeking re-election in the 2024 presidential race, made the remark in a social media post on Sunday. The debate is scheduled to take place on Wednesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1. A senior US official has stressed that the upcoming three-way summit involving the United States, Japan and South Korea will serve as an important opportunity to enhance their trilateral relationship. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said President Joe Biden “has focused very, very keenly on the Indo-Pacific since Day One” of his administration.
2. Struggling Chinese property conglomerate Evergrande Group filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection with a New York federal court on Thursday. The major real estate developer was declared to be in default in 2021 after the Chinese government tightened restrictions on the property sector. In July, Evergrande reported an annual net loss of 14.8 billion dollars for 2022. It had posted a deficit of 65.3 billion dollars the previous year.
3. The mayor of Kaminoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, says his town will allow Chugoku Electric Power Company to conduct a feasibility survey for building a facility to temporarily store spent nuclear fuel. Earlier this month, the utility announced its plan to conduct a joint survey of its site in the town with Kansai Electric Power Company.