Japan gives Ukraine devices to identify human remains, detect explosives
Japan has donated advanced scientific equipment to Ukraine to help identify human remains and collect evidence for war crimes.
Ukrainian officials need to identify many people killed after the Russian invasion. They also need to gather evidence in their investigation of suspected war crimes by Russians.
The Japanese government has provided Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs with seven sets of scientific equipment, including one capable of analyzing a number of DNA samples.
They also include a gas chromatograph which is used for conducting forensic examination of substances such as explosive and gunshot residues.
The provision was carried out through the United Nations Development Programme.
At a ceremony near the capital Kyiv on Monday, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Leonid Tymchenko said that in Ukraine, thousands of bodies are unidentified and a large number of people are missing. He stressed that Japan's support is very important and necessary.
The ministry plans to send the donated equipment to areas near the frontline to strengthen its investigative capability.
Japan's Ambassador to Ukraine Nakagome Masashi said that he wants Ukrainian officials to utilize Japan's sophisticated expertise and advanced skills in this field. The ambassador said he hopes the equipment will help collect information on missing people.
A Ukrainian official in charge of forensic investigation said no DNA research can be carried out without a genetic analyzer, either on an unidentified body or on the relatives of missing persons.
The official also said that such equipment will double the country's capabilities and allow it to conduct forensic molecular genetic examinations at least twice as fast and efficiently.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
2 hours ago
3 Opposition Leaders to Meet with Ishiba on Thursday
News from Japan Politics Jun 10, 2025 22:36 (JST) Tokyo, June 10 (Jiji Press)--Leaders of three Japanese opposition parties plan to meet with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday for talks on Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations, people familiar with the matter said Tuesday. The three opposition parties are the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People. Ishiba, who leads the governing Liberal Democratic Party, had proposed that leaders of ruling and opposition parties meet on Thursday to discuss the tariff talks. While Ishiba hopes to build momentum for cooperation between the ruling and opposition sides, some opposition lawmakers are calling for submitting a no-confidence motion against his cabinet ahead of a House of Councillors election this summer. Ishiba and opposition leaders are also scheduled to meet for a parliamentary debate on Wednesday. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Tokyo Weekender
3 hours ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Evangelion Voice Actress Megumi Hayashibara Compares Rude Foreigners to ‘Invasive Species'
Prominent Japanese voice actress Megumi Hayashibara has sparked debate online foll owing her latest blog post . The 58-year-old Tokyo native, who's most well known for her role as Rei Ayanami in Neon Genesis Evangelion , shared her concerns about Japan's cultural identity and political apathy on Sunday. The blog , titled 'Indifference, Ignorance, and Not Knowing,' quickly went viral. The comments that drew the most attention regarded international students receiving subsidies and foreign tourists behaving badly. She compared the latter to an 'invasive species.' List of Contents: Megumi Hayashibara's Blog The Online Reaction Related Posts Megumi Hayashibara Urges Japanese People To Vote 'Some international students receive subsidies for free, whereas Japanese students need to take out a student loan (which must be paid back, leading to debt),' wrote Hayashibara. 'The truth is being twisted. Don't leave it up to others. You must vote. We're at a point where just saying 'whatever' or 'it won't change' doesn't cut it anymore. If things continue as they are, Japanese unique qualities, such as our manners, our attitude, our technology and possibly even anime as a form of freedom of expression, will be lost. 'In the midst of all this, there are some people staying at vacation rentals with no manners, foreign tourists who don't know what it means to yield, and even those who go so far as to remove bamboo from trees in Kyoto,' continued Hayashibara. 'If we don't have regulations that are properly enforced, it could become dangerous. It will be like how Japanese crayfish were instantly devoured by invasive species. For instance , the Japanese rule of lining up to buy things could end up disappearing.' Hayashibara went on to say that she wasn't trying to criticize any specific country. She just feels that tax money should first go to people who pay taxes here, including foreign residents, as well as to disaster-hit areas and to students who are supporting the country. The original blog post also included a section discussing South Korean politics. That was later edited out after a Korean friend contacted her to say that her comments could inadvertently fuel political divisions. The Online Reaction While there have been several comments online criticizing Hayashibara's blog, including one X user who described it as 'hate speech,' many agree with her views. 'The behavior of many international tourists is really bad, she's not wrong to call out the problem,' posted one person on X. Another pointed out that Japanese crayfish was 'a metaphor for how traditional Japanese culture is being overwhelmed by outside influences. This is supported by the following line about the decline of the unspoken rule of lining up.' Related Posts Suzie Yeung on Voice Acting in Anime and Video Games Voice Actors From Japan Insist on Tighter AI Regulation Voice Actor Hideyuki Umezu Dies Aged 68
Kyodo News
3 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: June 10, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 2 hours ago - 20:00 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- G7 leaders may skip joint declaration, 1st since 2014: Japan source TOKYO - The Group of Seven nations are likely to skip a joint statement at the end of an upcoming three-day summit in Canada, a Japanese government source said Tuesday, marking the first time since 2014 the meeting would conclude without a consensus document. The move is apparently aimed at preventing the G7, known for its unity in tacking global challenges, from exposing internal divisions as leaders gather for their first in-person meeting since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. ---------- Japan ruling bloc OKs campaigning on cash handouts in summer election TOKYO - Japan's ruling parties agreed Tuesday to include cash handouts for households hit by rising prices in their platforms for this summer's House of Councillors election, senior lawmakers said. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition force, unveiled its election pledges Tuesday, highlighting a proposal to suspend the 8 percent consumption tax on food for at least one year, in sharp contrast with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which opposes tax cuts. ---------- Japan urges Iran not to "miss opportunity" for nuke deal with U.S. TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Tuesday urged his Iranian counterpart not to "miss the opportunity" to reach a nuclear deal with the United States, as Japan seeks to help advance what appears to be delicate bilateral negotiations. During their phone talks, Iwaya was also quoted by his ministry as telling Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi that Japan will continue to make "utmost diplomatic efforts" toward a peaceful resolution, while they agreed to keep close communication. ---------- China's Xi urges new S. Korean leader Lee to improve bilateral ties BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to promote a bilateral strategic cooperative partnership in their first telephone conversation on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. In a veiled reference to high U.S. tariffs imposed under President Donald Trump, Xi called for China and South Korea to "jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade" and "ensure the stable and smooth functioning of global and regional industrial and supply chains," the ministry said. ---------- Toyota, Daimler ink Japanese truck units merger deal for April 2026 TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp. and Daimler Truck Holding AG said Tuesday they concluded an agreement to merge their Japanese truck subsidiaries under a new holding company, aiming to boost competitiveness and better respond to challenges posed by energy transition and technological innovation. Hino Motors Ltd., a subsidiary of Toyota Motor, and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp., a unit of Daimler, will operate under the holding company to be set up in April 2026 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime Market, with the parent companies each holding a 25 percent stake in the new firm. ---------- 4-meter-long sinkhole appears in southwestern Japan, no one injured FUKUOKA - A 4-meter-long sinkhole opened near a busy shopping district in central Fukuoka on Tuesday morning, forcing a closure of the area, though no injuries were reported. Police received an emergency call at 9:50 a.m. reporting a collapsed sidewalk along a major road in the city. The hole, which spanned both the road and the sidewalk, measured about 2 meters wide and 2 meters deep, they said. ---------- Ex-Taiwan ruling party members indicted over spying for China TAIPEI - Four former members of Taiwan's ruling party were indicted Tuesday over spying for mainland China in violation of the self-ruled island's security laws. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office said the four male suspects, including a former aide to former Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, had collaborated to gather and provide confidential government information to Chinese intelligence agents. ---------- Over half obtain political news via mass media in Japan: survey TOKYO - Over half of respondents said they obtain news about elections and politics from the mass media, while about 10 percent rely on social media, according to a survey released Tuesday by a think tank affiliated with an internet news app company. Although the mass media has recently been criticized for lacking neutrality and objectivity, 68.7 percent said the information they provide is "reliable," with 9.0 percent rating it "very reliable" and 59.7 percent "relatively reliable." Video: Rainy season begins in western, central Japan regions
