Latest news with #ItsunoriOnodera
Japan Times
3 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
LDP policy chief visits Kawaguchi over reported problems with Kurdish residents
Itsunori Onodera, policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Wednesday visited the city of Kawaguchi in Saitama Prefecture, where problems have been reported between Kurdish residents and locals. Onodera inspected places such as a garbage collection spot where illegal waste dumping has become a problem. He told reporters that the LDP would compile proposals on issues linked to foreigners and ask the government for appropriate responses. Onodera met with city officials including Mayor Nobuo Okunoki. The officials suggested there had also been cases of foreigners working illegally. "Order is the premise of societies in which people coexist," the LDP policy chief said. "We will not live with foreigners who do not maintain order or abide by rules."
3 days ago
- Politics
LDP Policy Chief Visits Kawaguchi over Kurdish Residents
News from Japan Politics May 28, 2025 22:03 (JST) Kawaguchi, Saitama Pref., May 28 (Jiji Press)--Itsunori Onodera, policy chief of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Wednesday visited the city of Kawaguchi in Saitama Prefecture, adjacent to Tokyo, where problems have been reported between Kurdish residents and locals. Onodera inspected places such as a garbage collection spot where illegal dumping of waste has become a problem. He told reporters that the LDP would compile proposals on issues linked to foreigners and ask the Japanese government for appropriate responses. Onodera met with city officials including Mayor Nobuo Okunoki. The officials suggested that there had been cases of foreigners working illegally. "Order is the premise of societies in which people coexist," the LDP policy chief said. "We will not live with foreigners who do not maintain order or abide by rules." END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Straits Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Purely business or sinister security risk? Chinese ‘land grabs' spook US allies Japan, South Korea
A building in Seoul that is part of a land site purchased by the Chinese Embassy in 2018. ST PHOTO: WENDY TEO – Chinese buyers are snapping up land from American farms to Japanese islands to prime Seoul real estate, raising questions over whether the trend portends a security risk. These 'land grabs', by individuals and entities from a socialist country that bans private land ownership, are being eyed with suspicion as geopolitical rivalry escalates between the United States and China. Experts said foreign ownership of land deemed 'strategically important' or 'sensitive' is a potential risk, given that the sites could be used for spying and surveillance, or to seize control of critical resources like food and water. In this context, Chinese activity is being viewed with distrust, as the country is a perceived threat to the US and its allies. But to what extent are these fears justified? Where does legitimate caution blur into paranoia? And how should business interests be balanced against security considerations? Earlier in May, a furore erupted in South Korea when it was reported that over 4,000 sq m of strategically-sensitive land in Seoul's Itaewon district, within a 1.5km radius of key government and diplomatic sites including the presidential office and a planned relocation of the US Embassy , had been sold to the Chinese government in December 2018. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the land purchase, with an official saying: 'There is no legal requirement for foreign diplomatic missions to seek prior approval or file notifications with the South Korean government when purchasing land.' But this has failed to quell public disquiet, with media pointing out South Korea's relatively lax rules on land purchases by foreign entities and governments. In Japan, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has set up a task force to look into a potential tightening of r ule s. Its policy chief Itsunori Onodera, a former defence minister, said on May 15: 'The acquisition of real estate by foreign capital in strategic areas requires careful consideration from a security standpoint.' This followed a first-of-its-kind Cabinet Office study, which found that 16,862 transactions of sensitive real estate were made in the year ending March 2024. Foreign individuals and entities were involved in 371 of them. There were 203 Chinese buyers of such 'sensitive' real estate, which is defined by Tokyo as within 1km of sites of national security significance, including defence bases, nuclear plants and water sources, as well as remote islands. This was despite Japan having acted to tighten laws in September 2022 over the use of strategic land, although it went for the softly-softly approach by requiring the review and regulation of land use without imposing strict prohibitions. It was even written into law that the measures 'are limited to the bare minimum necessary' to prevent misuse of real estate, with Keio University security expert Ken Jimbo noting that the legislation's main weakness was its lack of strong enforcement mechanisms. 'This is why transactions can still occur, even in sensitive zones, as there are few hard barriers in place,' he told The Straits Times. He feels that security concerns are legitimate, while stressing the need to differentiate between individual investments and state-directed activiti es. 'The vast majority of foreign real estate purchases in Japan are likely motivated by investment rather than espionage,' he said. 'But the possibility of misuse underlines the need for careful assessment, not paranoia.' But Professor Heng Yee Kuang of The University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Public Policy told ST that there is 'no smoke without fire', as he cited recent actions by Chinese nationals that have caused much alarm. These include the alleged surveillance of the Philippines' strategic Subic Bay naval base and a brazen drone flight over a Japanese destroyer. 'Land estate near strategic locations allows not just the visual tracking of military movements, which could be transmitted real-time to handlers, but also eavesdropping on electronic signals and communication if unencrypted, or tapping data cables buried underground,' Prof Heng said. 'The ownership of nearby land provides a base, enabling easier and more sustained espionage operations (with) lower risk of blowing their cover.' The security implications of 'land grabs' have come under the spotlight in recent years. In 2021, Chinese agricultural firm Fufeng Group sought to buy 150ha of farmland in Grand Forks, North Dakota, for a wet corn milling factory. The transaction was eventually blocked over food and national security fears, given the site's location of 20km from a US Air Force base. But officials are reportedly now open to selling the land to a company based in 'friendly' Belgium. That landmark case sparked a rush of legislation in the US, with 35 states having already passed or mooting laws against such acquisitions. Chinese ownership of US farmland peaked in 2021 at 155,372ha and fell to 112,233ha by 2023. Over in Australia, Port Darwin was leased for 99 years to Chinese-owned Landbridge Group in 2015. But strategic calculations have dramatically changed since then, resulting in bipartisan agreement on the need to reclaim the lease given the port's proximity to Australian naval facilities. This emerged as a key election issue during recent polls . Dr Satoru Nagao, a non-resident fellow at US think-tank Hudson Institute, said America needs to impress on its allies the need to coordinate their measures against foreign purchases of strategic land. This is especially given complexities in US allies Japan and South Korea, which want to avoid overreach given their proximity to China. Both countries are also wary of exacerbating Cold War tendencies by overacting on vague threats. But Dr Tosh Minohara, who chairs the Research Institute for Indo-Pacific Affairs think-tank, said alarm bells should naturally be ringing over questionable purchases of land. 'It's not paranoia at all, it's common sense, and the fact that the government is slow to act is worrisome. There must be more research into the buyer's background, if they have any contacts with the Chinese Communist Party,' he added. A Chinese citizen, in February 2021, bought half the land on Yanahajima, a 0.74km uninhabited island within Japan's south-west island chain nearest to Taiwan, ostensibly to build a tourism resort. Tokyo was not even aware of the purchase, until it came to light in January 2023. Nothing has been built on the island. Short of an outright ban on foreign ownership of sensitive land, the question remains over the extent and feasibility of background checks. Sasakawa Peace Foundation senior fellow Ippeita Nishida said there would naturally be concerns of 'backdoor acquisitions through naturalised citizens or front companies'. This was already evident from the sale of a plot of forested land in Hokkaido in 2021, some 35km from a Japanese Air Self-Defence Force radar site, to a company registered in the British Virgin Islands that was eventually found to have close ties to Chinese money. Over in South Korea, Chinese nationals buying land has long been a thorny topic, with data showing they owned a combined 20.66 sq km of land as of 2022. This is roughly seven times the size of Seoul's central financial district of Yeouido, which houses the National Assembly. Chinese individuals also accounted for 64.9 per cent of all foreign property transactions in South Korea in 2024, consistent with their status as the largest group of foreign real estate owners in the country. The site, which was bought via the Chinese Embassy in Seoul for 29.92 billion won (S$28.1 million), is now worth nearly 100 billion won. The land has been left vacant , save for the installation of surveillance cameras. The Chinese Embassy in Seoul told local media that the site was for 'official use', although its development was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic . A sign said surveillance was being conducted by the Chinese Embassy's general affairs department, and was meant for facility management and to deter unauthorised garbage dumping. When ST visited on May 23, there were no security guards on-site. But a guard from a neighbouring residential block told ST to leave and 'seek permission from the Chinese Embassy before taking photographs'. The site purchased by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul in 2018 includes a now-defunct golf driving range located at the foot of the city's iconic Namsan hill. ST PHOTO: WENDY TEO Former vice-minister for defence Shin Beom-chul told SBS News that it would be prudent for Seoul to impose restrictions over the sale of strategic land, especially to foreign governments, but 'based on reciprocity so as not to cause diplomatic friction'. Seoul National University law professor Lee Jae-min told ST that South Korea has been actively liberalising and opening up to foreign investment. But the 'changing reality' today means inevitable calls for the country to 'be more active in adopting restrictive regulations where national security matters'. He felt that the uproar over the land purchase was not specifically targeted at the Chinese, given land constraints. He said: 'Real estate transactions will always be sensitive, particularly in downtown Seoul. This is inevitably so if a foreign entity is involved, regardless of the nationality.' Keio University's Dr Jimbo observed a 'nuanced challenge' in balancing economic openness and national security. 'While foreign investment brings benefits, greater transparency and due diligence should be exercised regarding the identity of buyers and the source of funds, especially in sensitive areas,' he said. Walter Sim is Japan correspondent at The Straits Times. Based in Tokyo, he writes about political, economic and socio-cultural issues. Wendy Teo is The Straits Times' South Korea correspondent, based in Seoul. She covers issues concerning the two Koreas. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Mainichi
22-05-2025
- The Mainichi
Japan to tighten license conversion rules for foreign drivers
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's National Police Agency said Thursday it will review rules to switch driver's licenses from other countries to Japanese ones following a recent series of accidents by foreign drivers. The agency plans to require those seeking to switch to a Japanese driver's license to submit a copy of their residence certificate in Japan as a standard requirement while also considering increasing the number of questions on the knowledge test. Under current rules, short-term visitors in Japan can obtain Japanese licenses by listing hotels or other accommodations as their address. While both knowledge and driving skill checks are currently required, examinees can pass the knowledge test by answering seven out of ten questions correctly, with about 90 percent passing, a rate some lawmakers have criticized as "too easy." Japanese citizens who live abroad will not be required to show residence certificates to convert their foreign licenses but must provide other proof of residence while in the country. "Accidents have been increasing among foreigners who obtained licenses under the (current conversion) system," Yoshinobu Kusunoki, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, said at a press conference. "We will draw up a revised plan and take the necessary steps." According to the agency, the number of conversions from foreign licenses to Japanese ones has been growing recently, rising by about 12,000 to 60,010 cases in 2023 from a year earlier. On Sunday, two Chinese men were arrested over an alleged hit-and-run that injured four elementary school boys near Tokyo last week. The driver was suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time. A Peruvian man was also arrested Monday after he allegedly drove his car the wrong way on an expressway in central Japan, collided with multiple vehicles and injured four women. Both drivers had Japanese licenses converted from foreign licenses, according to investigative sources, and held certificates of residence, according to the National Police Agency. "There have been cases where a license was issued during a two-night, three-day stay," Itsunori Onodera, policy chief of the Liberal Democratic Party, said at a party meeting Wednesday, adding that "serious incidents threatening the safety and security of people living in Japan are happening." "We will consider (measures) by working closely with relevant ministries and agencies," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference.
Kyodo News
22-05-2025
- Kyodo News
Japan to tighten license conversion rules for foreign drivers
KYODO NEWS - 27 minutes ago - 21:49 | All, Japan Japan's National Police Agency said Thursday it will review rules to switch driver's licenses from other countries to Japanese ones following a recent series of accidents by foreign drivers. The agency plans to require those seeking to switch to a Japanese driver's license to submit a copy of their residence certificate in Japan as a standard requirement while also considering increasing the number of questions on the knowledge test. Under current rules, short-term visitors in Japan can obtain Japanese licenses by listing hotels or other accommodations as their address. While both knowledge and driving skill checks are currently required, examinees can pass the knowledge test by answering seven out of ten questions correctly, with about 90 percent passing, a rate some lawmakers have criticized as "too easy." Japanese citizens who live abroad will not be required to show residence certificates to convert their foreign licenses but must provide other proof of residence while in the country. "Accidents have been increasing among foreigners who obtained licenses under the (current conversion) system," Yoshinobu Kusunoki, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, said at a press conference. "We will draw up a revised plan and take the necessary steps." According to the agency, the number of conversions from foreign licenses to Japanese ones has been growing recently, rising by about 12,000 to 60,010 cases in 2023 from a year earlier. On Sunday, two Chinese men were arrested over an alleged hit-and-run that injured four elementary school boys near Tokyo last week. The driver was suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time. A Peruvian man was also arrested Monday after he allegedly drove his car the wrong way on an expressway in central Japan, collided with multiple vehicles and injured four women. Both drivers had Japanese licenses converted from foreign licenses, according to investigative sources, and held certificates of residence, according to the National Police Agency. "There have been cases where a license was issued during a two-night, three-day stay," Itsunori Onodera, policy chief of the Liberal Democratic Party, said at a party meeting Wednesday, adding that "serious incidents threatening the safety and security of people living in Japan are happening." "We will consider (measures) by working closely with relevant ministries and agencies," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference. Related coverage: Japan mulls expanding industries eligible for foreign skilled workers FEATURE: Visa overstayers in Japan face stigma of criminality 24% of Japan traffic lights aging, further raising safety fears
