Easy Japanese news in translation: 3 baby American beavers born at Kobe zoo
Easy Japanese news is taken from the Mainichi Shogakusei Shimbun, a newspaper for children. This is perfect material for anyone studying Japanese who has learned hiragana and katakana. We encourage beginners to read the article in English followed by Japanese, or vice versa, to test their comprehension.
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an hour ago
- Japan Today
Dutch child survivor of Japan's WWII camps breaks silence
By Vincent-Xavier MORVAN It has taken Tineke Einthoven 80 years to be able to speak about what she lived through as a child in brutal Japanese internment camps during World War II without breaking down. "Now I can talk about it without crying," said the Dutch woman who was four when she and her family were captured and held in "horrible" conditions in a camp on the Indonesian island of Java. Her three-year nightmare began early in 1942, a few months after the Japanese attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. "There was a lot of bombing and the Japanese arrived. We had dug a big hole in the garden to shelter my parents, my brother and my two sisters, as well as the family of our servants," the 87-year-old psychologist recalled, speaking publicly for the first time about the ordeal. Indonesia was a Dutch colony at the time, and Imperial Japan was keen to get its hands on its oil fields and rubber plantations. The Japanese separated her father, Willem Frederik Einthoven, from the rest of the family, and they did not hear from him for a year. The son of Nobel Prize winner Willem Einthoven, the inventor of the electrocardiogram, he was an engineer who headed Radio Malabar, the communications link with the Netherlands, but he refused to collaborate with his captors. His wife and children were sent to a camp in Tjibunut, near Bandung, where they were held with thousands of other Dutch, British and Australian civilians. The vast majority of the 130,000 Allied civilians held by the Japanese during the war were Dutch, with more than one in 10 dying in the camps. The fact that there were more than twice as many Dutch civilians as military prisoners of war has meant that their ordeal is more "vivid in Dutch collective memory", said historian Daniel Milne of the University of Kyoto. "We often had nothing more than a bit of rice to eat," said Einthoven. "Since I was the smallest, I would slip under the fence to find food outside the camp, but I could only get weeds," Einthoven added. Parents were punished if a child was caught. "We risked the death penalty." "We suffered from hunger, lack of water, the heat, a total lack of hygiene and hours spent under the sun being counted and recounted." One of Einthoven's friends named Marianne, to whom she had given a doll, died of diphtheria. "I wondered if that doll would also cross to the other side; it was my first questioning of death," she said. Convoys bombed Then, in January 1944, the family was reunited and deported to Japan, where the Japanese military wanted her father and his team to invent a radar system. During the journey, their convoy was bombed by the Americans, but their ship was spared. Many were not so lucky, with thousands of Dutch POWs perishing on the voyage, their ships sunk or torpedoed. The 60 or so camps that held "some 1,200 civilians in Japan" are little known, said Mayumi Komiya of the POW Research Network Japan. Some of the prisoners did not survive, including Tineke's father, who died of pneumonia at 51, weakened by the lack of food and the long march to the laboratory that had been set up for him. The family was then sent to a temple 300 kilometers west of Tokyo, where they survived in isolation. They heard about Emperor Hirohito announcing Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945 from "some Italians, who were also prisoners not far away. One of them threw himself into my mother's arms, and she was very embarrassed," Einthoven recalled. She still remembers licking soup off rocks with other children from cans that had shattered during a failed American parachute drop to them. Repatriated via Australia to the Netherlands, Tineke worked after the war as a psychologist in Geneva, Nice in France, and neighboring Monaco, and had two children. But she never shared her experiences of those years with anyone beyond her family. "I am speaking out today to show that even if one has lived through something horrible, one doesn't have to suffer your entire life. You can move on if you choose to free yourself from the victim status," she said with a smile. © 2025 AFP
7 hours ago
Rising Prices Mean More Japanese Children Face Food Insecurity
In June 2025, the International NGO Save the Children Japan conducted a survey of 7,856 low-income households with children that had a history of receiving support from the organization. The survey asked whether children in these households were getting enough to eat at breakfast, lunch (both when school lunch is available and when it is not, such as during vacation), and dinner, and found that the percentage of families reporting that the meal quantity was 'not quite sufficient' or 'not sufficient' had risen from the previous year in each category. Due to their nutritional balance, school lunches are considered a vital source of nourishment for children. The percentage of households that said lunch portions were 'not quite sufficient' or 'not sufficient' when school lunch is not available rose by 8.8 percentage points from the previous year to reach 54.5% (seven times higher than the 7.7% for when school lunch is provided). The percentage of households that said the lunches were 'sufficient' or 'fairly sufficient' fell to 38.8%, a drop of 12.3 points from the year before. For breakfast, those who reported 'sufficient' or 'fairly sufficient' meal quantities dropped by 11.6 points, and for dinner, by 11.8 points. Low-income households are especially vulnerable to decline in dietary quality as food prices rise. A total of 88.9% of respondents said that their children's meals and overall food situation were 'significantly impacted' or 'somewhat impacted' by rising prices compared to a year ago. Consuming Less Rice, Fish, and Meat In addition to meal quantity, the types of food consumed are being affected by price increases. When asked about the consumption of rice, whose price has sharply increased since last year, 76.2% of respondents said that they eat rice less frequently or somewhat less frequently. The decline in protein intake, which is essential for children's growth, is also notable. A total of 65.4% of respondents reported less frequent or somewhat less frequent consumption of fish or meat outside school meals. Just 27.3% reported their children consume fish or meat 'almost every day.' When respondents were asked how they were impacted (multiple answers possible), the most common answer was a reduction or elimination of eating out at 68.5%. This was followed by reduced purchases of snacks, fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, and staple foods such as rice, in that order. Asked what types of support they would like to receive, over 70% of respondents selected 'regular food provision, food banks, and community meal programs for children.' Nearly 70% also chose 'subsidies for lunch and distribution of food items during school vacation' and 'reduction of consumption tax on foods and daily necessities.' Data Sources (Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)
7 hours ago
Repatriation Causing Panda Panic in Japan: Adjusting to a New Era in Panda Diplomacy
On June 28, 2025, Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, bid a tearful farewell to all four of its giant pandas as they headed 'home' to China. Now the only giant pandas remaining in Japan, a land of passionate panda lovers, are the beloved twins in Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, and their lease ends in February 2026. Will Japan find itself panda-less for the first time in more than 50 years? What lies behind China's apparent policy shift, and how should Japan respond? From the early postwar years, Beijing engaged in the practice of presenting pandas as 'ambassadors of friendship' to key diplomatic partners on special occasions, hoping to foster feelings of goodwill toward China. Chinese 'panda diplomacy' with Japan began in 1972, when Tokyo's Ueno Zoo welcomed a pair of giant pandas as a gift commemorating the normalization of bilateral relations. In 1984, giant pandas were designated endangered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Around that time, China began renting out pandas instead of giving them away. Since the 1990s, most panda loans have been provided under long-term leases, ostensibly geared to research on panda breeding and conservation. Any cubs born under the lease term are the property of the People's Republic of China. Under this system, the iconic animals have attracted throngs of visitors to Kobe Ōji Zoo and Adventure World in Wakayama, as well as Ueno Zoo. In 1994, the world's first long-term joint international giant panda breeding program was launched at Adventure World in collaboration with Chinese research centers. Over the next three decades, 17 panda cubs were born under the highly successful program. Uncertain Future With the 30-year lease drawing to a close, the four pandas that remained at Adventure World—a mother and her three offspring—returned to China this past June. In the past, China has allowed a locally born cub or a single adult to overstay the lease so as to avert a panda vacuum. In this context, the exit of all four Wakayama pandas came as a shock to many in the region and around Japan. Viewed globally, however, such removals are not that uncommon these days. Major zoos in Australia, Austria, Spain, and the United States (Washington DC) have received new pairs within a year of repatriating the pandas under their care and have continued to collaborate with the Chinese on breeding and conservation. Thus far, however, there has been no indication that Japan will receive replacements. With the Ueno twins—the female Lei Lei and male Xiao Xiao—scheduled to depart next year, must Japanese zoos and animal lovers resign themselves to a future without pandas? 'Pandamonium' reigned at Ueno Zoo on November 5, 1972, when Japan's first giant pandas, Kang Kang and Lan Lan, were introduced to the public. (© Jiji) The question came up late last April in talks between Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Moriyama Hiroshi and National People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji during a visit to Beijing by the Japan-China parliamentary league, which Moriyama chairs. Early last June, retired LDP politician Kōno Yōhei, visiting Beijing as president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade, lodged a request for pandas at a meeting with Premier Li Qiang. Moriyama raised the subject again on July 11 in a conversation with Vice-Premier He Lifeng at Expo 2025 in Osaka. On that occasion, the vice-premier is said to have agreed that the pandas were 'important for people-to-people exchange' between the two countries. However, at a press conference on May 26, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to a question about the Wakayama pandas and the possibility of their replacement, saying, 'We welcome Japanese friends to come visit them in China.' This might mean just what it says and nothing more, or it could be a way of saying that China has no plans to send more pandas to Japan. In fact, it has become more and more common for Japanese panda fans to travel as far as China to indulge their passion. The Chinese may see no point in sending giant pandas to Japan when it can instead lure Japanese enthusiasts to China. Such visitors are sure to find other things to love about the country, while providing a boost to the local tourism and hospitality industry. Rising Risks of Panda Diplomacy One possible factor motivating China's repatriation of its giant pandas is the rising concern about panda welfare among social media users in China and around the world. Animal lovers use the Internet to keep a watchful eye on the conditions and treatment of pandas in captivity, and the Chinese government must strive continuously to prove its commitment to the animals' protection. In the early 2020s, photos of an emaciated-looking pair of pandas at the Memphis Zoo went viral on Chinese social media. When the facility's male panda, Le Le, died in 2023, rumors of abuse circulated, fanning anti-US sentiment, and the Chinese government had to intervene to quell the furor. Meanwhile, after Fu Bao, an immensely popular Korean-born panda, was repatriated to China, South Korean fans grew concerned about her treatment there and launched a protest campaign, including a full-page ad in the New York Times . This incendiary climate could be one factor behind China's decision to repatriate pandas from overseas zoos without delay, as soon as the leases expire. Departments inside China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Chengdu municipal government in Sichuan province bear responsibility for the loan of pandas to overseas facilities, and the officials running those entities could be held to account if concerns about a panda's health surfaced during a loan's extension. These days, a certain degree of risk attends the use of giant pandas for political, economic, or any other purposes not directly related to animal welfare and conservation. Panda Politics? With friction between the United States and China intensifying, some Japanese commentary has promoted the notion that Beijing is using the pandas as leverage to influence Japanese decision making on economic and security issues. But the facts do not support the idea of a link between China's panda loans and tensions with the United States. After all, in 2024, China sent pandas to two major US facilities, the National Zoo in Washington, DC, and the San Diego Zoo in California. Beijing regards pandas as a tool of public diplomacy, a means of enhancing its image and nurturing friendly ties with the local populace. This is why it considered sending pandas to private American zoos back in the 1950s, at the height of the Cold War. If, indeed, Beijing hoped to use the Wakayama pandas to influence Japanese policy or politics, it must have been disappointed by the results. In April 2025, the Japanese government designated Nanki-Shirahama Airport—just a stone's throw from Adventure World—a 'specified use airport.' This means that it will be available to Japan's Self-Defense Forces for training purposes, while maintaining its primary civilian function. The potential use of that facility by US military forces in Japan has also come up for discussion. Had the threat of angering China and losing the Wakayama pandas fueled local opposition, that might have worked to China's advantage, but the Nanki-Shirahama Airport plan barely came up in the Wakayama gubernatorial election held on June 1 this year. The fact is that Japanese politics is not panda-driven, and the Chinese are fully aware of this. There has been no indication from Beijing that the decision to repatriate the pandas en masse was politically driven. But it is entirely possible that political caution was a factor in the decision-making process farther downstream. Over the past decade, the Communist Party has tightened its control over every aspect of Chinese society in the name of national security. Under the circumstances, if the local authorities in charge of overseas panda loans—in this case, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and the Chengdu municipal government—gave special consideration to Wakayama Prefecture at such a time, they might be suspected of condoning military cooperation between Japan and the United States. It is reasonable to speculate that these authorities deemed it expedient to remove all four pandas as soon as the lease was up so as to minimize the potential for controversy. As noted above, it has become increasingly common to repatriate all the pandas on loan to a given facility at the end of the lease, often replacing them at a later date. This may be an indication that those involved with panda exchange at the working level have less discretion than they did previously. Grounds for Hope As mentioned earlier, the Ueno pandas are scheduled to leave for China next year, potentially leaving Japan panda-less. Still, there are grounds for optimism that China will come through with replacements in the not-too-distant future. To begin with, pandas mean so much to the Japanese people that denying the nation even one panda would doubtless be viewed as a malicious act on China's part. Japanese zoos have been keeping giant pandas for more than 50 years now, and several generations of Japanese share fond memories of visiting and observing the creatures. Surely China would not wish to damage the panda's image as an ambassador of friendship. Second, Japan's pro-China lawmakers have been lobbying Beijing persistently for further panda loans, and it would hurt their reputation if those efforts came to nothing. It would not be in Beijing's interests if these China-friendly politicians lost their credibility or their incentive to work for rapprochement. My guess is that the Chinese are just searching for the right opportunity to send the next batch of pandas to Japan. Adapting to a New Era Meanwhile, as a host country, Japan needs to be careful about how it approaches the topic. Media coverage of the Wakayama pandas' repatriation has tended to highlight the impact on the local economy. Such discourse could easily create the impression that Japan's desire for more pandas is driven primarily by economic self-interest. The exploitation of pandas for profit runs counter to China's official position on the purpose of the loans—namely, panda conservation—and it would not sit well with the world's panda lovers. Over the past few decades, China has made a point of showcasing its scientific research on giant pandas and its efforts to return the animals to the wild, while doing its best to keep politics and economics out of the discussion. By contrast, politics and economics have come to dominate the conversation in Japan's discourse spaces. This anachronistic focus could undermine Japan's ability to engage in productive dialogue with China and the rest of the international community. Local governments in Japan that are hoping to host pandas have already made note of this problem and are doing what they can to re-frame the issue. The Chinese use of pandas as 'ambassadors' has always been based on unsolicited Chinese offers of leases of the animals, which have been gratefully accepted by the recipient countries. In light of this history, it seems silly to start accusing the Chinese government of using pandas for political or economic ends. If other countries are unhappy with the situation, then they can always refuse the loans. For many years, giant pandas were moved about at the whim of human beings for reasons having little to do with the welfare of the animals or the species. Nowadays, China is under pressure to demonstrate that its top priority is protecting pandas and releasing them into the wild. This is a development to be welcomed. Similarly, Japan's foremost concern should be passing on the knowledge it has gained through decades of care and study and considering how best to apply it to panda conservation. (Originally written in Japanese. Banner photo: The giant panda Liangbin, soon to be returned to China, on June 27, 2025, her last day of public display at Wakayama Prefecture's Adventure World. © Jiji.)
