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South China Morning Post
11-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Why Japan's coastguard has a recruitment problem
The Japanese coastguard continues to experience a manpower shortage as its ability to safeguard the country's sovereignty over disputed islands could be affected by the exit of hundreds of its staff. Advertisement A total of 389 people voluntarily resigned from the coastguard in 2024, according to a report in the Yomiuri newspaper, bringing its staff strength down to 14,123 as of the end of the financial year on March 31. The personnel who left were six fewer compared with the same period a year earlier, partly due to an aggressive recruitment campaign. But there are concerns that more may leave the service this year. Since 2013, the coastguard has been seeking to recruit more people to counter a rise in intrusions by Chinese vessels into waters around the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. The islands are presently controlled by Japan , which refers to them as the Senkaku archipelago. 'The coastguard is facing a similar challenge to the Self-Defence Forces, although there are some differences,' said Garren Mulloy, a professor of international relations at Daito Bunka University and a specialist in military issues. Advertisement 'One of the most fundamental problems for the coastguard is that by its nature, personnel are away from friends and family for extended periods, which makes it less appealing as a career choice,' he told This Week in Asia.
Yomiuri Shimbun
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Exhibitions, Shows Mark 100th Birthday of Legendary Storyteller Katsura Beicho; Late Performer Was Known as ‘God of Kamigata Rakugo' and ‘Living National Treasure'
The Yomiuri Shimbun Photos of Katsura Beicho's stage performances are seen during a special exhibition in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture. Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Katsura Beicho gives a rakugo performance in Osaka in July 2001. OSAKA — This year marks 100 years since the birth and 10 years since the death of legendary rakugo storyteller Katsura Beicho III (1925-2015). A number of plans have been made to pay tribute to the man and explore his achievements and character, including for rakugo performance events to be held by his disciples and for special exhibitions and publications to introduce people to the valuable materials he left behind. Beicho is widely praised as 'the father of the Kamigata rakugo revival' which occurred in the Kamigata area around Kyoto and Osaka. He was named a holder of important intangible cultural property — a living national treasure — in 1996. Beicho was born in modern-day Dalian, China, and grew up in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. While attending Daito Bunka Gakuin, now Daito Bunka University, Beicho began studying rakugo under novelist Iruru Masaoka, who was also a researcher of the culture of yose entertainment theaters. In 1947, Beicho became a disciple of Katsura Yonedanji IV, aiming to become a rakugo performer and revive Kamigata rakugo, which was in danger of going into decline. Beicho later gained popularity as a rakugo performer for his deft use of language and graceful way of speaking. He subsequently became known as one of the 'Big Four' along with Shofukutei Shokaku VI, Katsura Bunshi V and Katsura Harudanji III. Even among this group, Beicho was particularly scholarly. He revived long-unperformed stories such as 'Jigoku Bakkei Moja no Tawamure' (A dead man enjoys eight views of hell), a story about the experiences of a man who dies and roams the afterlife. He also published a number of books, including collections of his stories and essays, full of insights into Kamigata rakugo. Beicho also created many audio recordings of his performances. In recognition of his contribution to the world of Kamigata entertainment, Beicho was awarded the Order of Culture in 2009, making him the first rakugo storyteller to receive this honor. Precious draft In Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, where Beicho lived, a special exhibition, entitled 'Katsura Beicho: Hanashika no Sugata' (Katsura Beicho: The image of a rakugo storyteller) was held earlier this year at the Amagasaki Cultural Center. About 190 items connected to the performer were put on display, including photos of his performances taken by the exclusive photographer for Beicho and his disciples. Messages from his master Yonedanji gave a window into Beicho's youth. One postcard expresses Yonedanji's frustration about a performance by Beicho, saying, 'Even given the condition you were in, your performance was extremely dissatisfying.' But another letter from Yonedanji offers encouragement: 'When you are young you have to be conceited.' The Yomiuri Shimbun A draft of a rakugo story called 'Inu no Kuyami' (Condolences for your dog) is displayed at a special exhibition in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture. Beicho also created new stories while exploring and performing classical stories. A draft of a story called 'Inu no Kuyami' (Condolences for your dog) written on a piece of straw paper was displayed at the exhibition. The sheet of paper was filled with plot points and phrases from the story — whose existence had not been known when Beicho was alive — in tiny writing. 'His study of Kamigata entertainment and exchanges with people of culture from both eastern and western Japan contributed to his big achievements in reviving Kamigata rakugo,' the center's official in charge of the exhibition said. 'He displayed great skill, putting the extensive knowledge he gained from these activities back together and expressing it all in the form of rakugo stories.' Memories of Beicho The Yomiuri Shimbun The front cover of 'Katsura Beicho ga Nokoshita Takaramono' (Treasures left by Katsura Beicho) In February, a book titled 'Katsura Beicho ga Nokoshita Takaramono' (Treasures left by Katsura Beicho) was published by Tankosha Publishing. The book is split into two parts. In the first, 'Mono-Hen' (Things), rakugo researcher Koji Ozawa, who had a close relationship with Beicho and has been sorting out papers left behind by Beicho at his residence, writes about these documents, which number roughly 40,000. In the second chapter, 'Hito-Hen' (People), 13 of Beicho's disciples relate memories of their master. During his life, Beicho fostered 22 direct disciples, including such famous entertainers as Tsukitei Kacho, Katsura Shijaku and Katsura Zakoba. Including second-generation and later performers and those who are now deceased, his family of followers comprises a total of 90 rakugo storytellers. The chapter also includes a discussion between second-generation disciple Katsura Nanko and two other performers, Katsura Bunchin and Shofukutei Tsurube, who were acquainted with Beicho despite being members of a different family. This section of the book gives the reader a glimpse of how Beicho was loved beyond the boundaries of rakugo families. Memorial rakugo tour Beicho's disciples are going on a nationwide tour of performances to pay tribute to their master. The tour began on March 19, the anniversary of Beicho's passing, and will include performances in 19 locations, including ones in Okayama, Fukuoka and Ibaraki prefectures, with the last shows scheduled for Nov. 8 and 9 at the Yurakucho Asahi Hall in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. In addition to his disciples' performances, video of Beicho performing will be shown and roundtable discussions between the disciples will be held. These performances are filled with the disciples' fervent hopes that, in a time when there are more and more people who have never heard a rakugo performance by Beicho, audiences will learn a little about the 'God of Kamigata rakugo.' *** Eldest son speaks about Beicho The Yomiuri Shimbun Katsura Yonedanji V, Beicho's eldest son, talks about his father. The Yomiuri Shimbun spoke with 66-year-old Katsura Yonedanji V, the eldest son of Beicho, about memories of his father and the future of Kamigata rakugo. The following is excerpted from the interview. From the time I was small, my father gave me opportunities to get in touch with art forms such kabuki and kyogen, but he never once taught me about rakugo. When I told him I wanted to join his family of rakugo performers, having been encouraged by people such as my elder disciple [Katsura] Shijaku, he accepted my wish, bitterly saying 'I will teach you just one story, because it would be unbecoming for the son of a rakugo performer to be unable to tell at least one story.' I found out later that he admitted to his disciples that if I became a rakugo performer he would favor me. The actual training was as strict for me as it was for the other disciples. Beicho often told his disciples, 'You need to do it just as I tell you.' When I was just starting out, I would try performing in ways I thought would be more interesting, only to find that they didn't work well. I realized that Beicho's way of performing had come about through repeated trial and error from the time he was young. I thought, 'Those things he said to us really meant a lot.' Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of young people pursuing careers in Kamigata rakugo has declined to one or two per year. It is frightening to think about what the situation will be a decade from now. I think all rakugo storytellers, including myself, have to make ourselves ever more charming and aim to be star storytellers. That's how we'll create the rakugo world of tomorrow.
South China Morning Post
13-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
UK to deploy largest carrier strike group for 8-month collaborative Indo-Pacific mission
Britain is sending its largest naval strike group in years on an eight-month mission across the Indo-Pacific, with the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales at the helm of a 12-nation force that will pass through key waters near India, Southeast Asia, South Korea and Japan. Advertisement While the deployment aims to project power and deter rivals such as China, Russia and North Korea, observers say it also reflects growing anxiety among US allies in Asia over the direction of American foreign policy under President Donald Trump – and the desire of European partners to help fill potential gaps. 'This is clearly global messaging to all sides,' said Garren Mulloy, a professor of international relations at Daito Bunka University in Japan. 'If you had asked me three months ago, I would have said this deployment was primarily aimed at China, Russia and North Korea – and to show that Nato forces can be deployed globally.' Now, he added, 'the elephant in the room' was the Trump administration. The mission – code-named Operation Highmast – is described by the British Ministry of Defence as the 'most ambitious deployment' of its kind since 2021. Nearly 5,000 personnel from Nato members and partner nations including France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Denmark will take part. The British contingent of Operation Highmast will include the HMS Prince of Wales, a Type-45 destroyer and Type-23 frigate, among others. Photo: UK Ministry of Defence HMS Prince of Wales is due to set sail from Portsmouth on April 22. After initial drills in the Mediterranean, the strike group will transit the Suez Canal for joint exercises with Indian forces. Operations with Malaysian and Indonesian militaries are planned in June, followed by a port call in Darwin, northern Australia.
