Students from Japan and South Korea build bridges
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NHK
3 hours ago
- NHK
Japanese ex-abductee collects signatures calling for return of other victims
A man who returned to Japan after being abducted to North Korea has collected signatures calling for the government to take concrete action to bring back all abductees as soon as possible. Hasuike Kaoru was abducted on July 31, 1978, along the Niigata Prefecture coast and returned home in 2002 after a Japan-North Korea summit. He took part in Saturday's signature collection campaign near the site where he was abducted, ahead of the 47th anniversary of his abduction. People passing by responded to his call for signatures, some of whom said they are supporting him. The Japanese government says at least 17 of its citizens were abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. Five returned home in 2002, but the other 12 remain unaccounted for. After abductee Arimoto Keiko's father, Akihiro, died at the age of 96 in February, abductee Yokota Megumi's 89-year-old mother, Sakie, is the only surviving parent of the recognized victims. Hasuike said it is important to send a message to North Korea that the Japanese people have not forgotten the abduction issue. He said he wants the Japanese government to seriously consider how to make progress in the issue and take action, regardless of the political situation following the Upper House election.
Japan Times
3 hours ago
- Japan Times
Privacy safeguards needed to help fuel AI growth in Japan, panel chair says
The head of Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission has emphasized the need to introduce a monetary penalty system to help develop the country's artificial intelligence industry. In a recent interview, Satoru Tezuka, who assumed the role of commission chair in May, said that the country "should introduce" a system that includes fines for profits gained through the misuse of personal information, as part of a triennial revision of the personal information protection law. The law revision was postponed during this year's ordinary parliamentary session amid strong opposition from business circles toward a system involving fines. "The word 'fine' makes businesses cautious, but our planned system is intended to crack down on malicious law violators and would not affect diligent business operators," Tezuka said. "We are proposing making personal information available without consent in principal if it is used for AI development, and for this, we need to ensure proper governance among business operators," he said. Noting that the world is changing with the emergence of AI, the commission chair said, "AI is like a living thing, so we need to feed it data and let it grow." "If personal information is included in such data, the current law requires people's consent in advance in some cases," he pointed out, adding that this requirement has hindered technological development. The personal information protection law is "essential in ensuring the healthy development of data use," Tezuka said. At the same time, he stressed that Japan cannot compete with other countries in AI development under the current law. Among the Group of Seven major democracies, only Japan and Canada have not introduced a system involving monetary fines, he said. Another focal point of the law revision is child protection. "Children's judgment is not on the same level as adults," Tezuka said. "It's important to develop systems and technologies on the assumption that they are used by children." "We aim to submit (a bill to revise the law) soon, but we don't have a specific schedule in mind," Tezuka said. "The commission had previously been headed mainly by legal experts, but I was appointed this time as someone who specializes in technology, because what is needed now is a data strategy," he emphasized. "I think the government's policy on personal information protection has entered a new stage," Tezuka said. "It is my duty to ensure coherence between data use and protection, and to work out the details (of the law revision)."
Kyodo News
4 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Japan, U.S. ministers reached trade agreement in mid-June: sources
TOKYO - Japan's chief negotiator reached an agreement with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in mid-June on a deal offering massive Japanese investment in the United States in exchange for a reduction in tariffs, sources close to the matter said Saturday. Over the following month, Japan focused on convincing U.S. President Donald Trump through Lutnick of the advantages of the agreement, with the proposal of expanding imports of U.S.-grown rice used as the final bargaining chip. The trade deal, announced by Trump on July 23, includes tariffs on Japanese cars set at 15 percent -- lower than the 27.5 percent that was to have been levied -- in exchange for $550 billion of Japanese investment in the United States. During the course of the negotiations, which spanned around three months from mid-April, Japan identified Lutnick as the only person who could communicate "directly and on a deep level" with Trump due to their close friendship of over 30 years, and directed its efforts on him, according to one of the sources. Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, built trust with Lutnick not only through in-person talks but also through dozens of phone calls, the source said. Believing that Lutnick placed a high priority on economic security amid China concerns, Japan emphasized its willingness to contribute to strengthening U.S. domestic supply chains and eventually reached an understanding with him. Trump, however, maintained a hardline stance even in late June, venting frustration that Japan does not import significant amounts of American cars and rice. "I'm not sure we're going to make a deal. I doubt it," he had said, while demanding additional concessions in exchange for lowering tariffs. The tide turned on July 22 immediately following Japan's upper house election. A sudden meeting was arranged for the following day between Trump and Akazawa, who was in Washington for an eighth round of talks. Akazawa and Lutnick began to "rehearse" in preparation for the talks, with Lutnick suggesting that a total investment of $400 billion be proposed in the expectation that Trump would ask for $500 billion. A board was prepared by U.S. officials to clearly show Trump how much Japan would investment. But Trump demanded even more, leaving Akazawa no choice but to agree to $550 billion. A senior official of the prime minister's office acknowledged that the deal does not align with World Trade Organization rules or the Japan-U.S. trade agreement that took effect in January 2020, but also conceded that Trump "is a president who genuinely believes in protecting his country through tariffs."
