Latest news with #Sankei
Japan Forward
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Japan Forward
First Pilot Test of Automated Freight Lane Planned for November
A pilot experiment for an automated freight lane will take place for the first time this November at the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture. The project is led by Japan's transport ministry. Conducted in partnership with private-sector transportation and telecommunications companies, the experiment will evaluate how effectively unmanned carts can transport cargo without human assistance. With Japan facing a chronic shortage of truck drivers, the ministry aims to put the technology into practical use as soon as possible. Trucks form a line near Oi Terminal in Shinagawa Ward on January 15, 2024. (©Sankei by Shiro Harada) The concept involves building dedicated lanes, either in highway medians or underground tunnels, with the long-term goal of linking Tokyo and Osaka. The experiment will be conducted in a 700-meter-long (2,297 ft), 7-meter-wide tunnel at the research facility. It will simulate various scenarios, such as multiple carts operating simultaneously and avoiding obstacles like fallen objects. Researchers will measure how cargo weight affects acceleration and braking time, as well as the impact of road vibrations on the cargo. The experiment will also test technology that can automatically transfer cargo from trucks to unmanned carts. According to the transport ministry's estimates, construction costs with current technology could reach ¥25.4 billion JPY (about $178 million USD) per 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) for above-ground routes, and between ¥7 billion ($49 million) and ¥80 billion ($560 million) for underground tunnels. The project is expected to be funded by the private sector. In May, the ministry launched a council of companies interested in operating or using the system. Another round of testing is scheduled for fiscal 2027 or later, on a section of the under-construction Shin-Tomei Expressway between Shin-Hadano in Kanagawa Prefecture and Shin-Gotemba in Shizuoka Prefecture. ( Read the article in Japanese . ) Author: The Sankei Shimbun
Japan Forward
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Defense Strategy in Focus as China Escalates in East and South China Seas
On May 31, the defense ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia, and the Philippines met in Singapore. In a joint statement, they expressed "continued serious concern about China's destabilizing actions in the East China Sea (ECS) and the South China Sea (SCS) and any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion." The four nations also "committed to continue working together and with other like-minded partners to support peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific." Participants included Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. During the meeting, Nakatani noted China has become more active than ever in the East and South China Seas. This was the third meeting of the four defense ministers since May 2024. In the joint statement, they also agreed to develop their partnership in the four key areas of defense investments, information-sharing, cybersecurity and resilience, operational coordination and interoperability. Separately, Japan, the US, and Australia held a trilateral defense meeting. During the talks, the three nations agreed to conduct live-fire exercises and deepen cooperation related to Tomahawk cruise missiles, which Japan and Australia are procuring from the United States. In the bilateral Japan-US defense talks, the two sides agreed to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation. This move follows the passage of legislation in Japan enabling proactive cyber defense. They also confirmed plans to coordinate closely on the newly formulated American National Defense Strategy (NDS). When asked by reporters whether the US had requested Japan increase its defense spending, Nakatani declined to comment. Defense ministers from Japan, the US, Australia, and the Philippines attend the meeting. May 31, Singapore (©Sankei by Shusuke Takenouchi) That same day, Nakatani followed up these meetings with a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an Asia security summit. "We will work to restore a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific," he promised. He also stressed that through cooperation on defense equipment and other measures, "Japan will remain ASEAN's and the region's best partner." The four-nation Japan-US-Australia-Philippines defense ministers' meeting additionally signaled the desire to continue multilateral cooperation. With China's defense budget now more than four times Japan's, maintaining deterrence will require more than just the US-Japan alliance. Stronger ties with Australia and the Philippines, which face similar threats, are also essential. In February 2025, the four countries conducted cooperative maritime exercises in the South China Sea. China continues to face off with the Philippines by building artificial islands and expanding CCP military bases in waters under Manila's administrative jurisdiction. Meanwhile, in the seas off Australia, the Chinese navy has conducted live-fire drills. Both Australia and the Philippines face territorial intrusions, as Japan does around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. All three are contending with increasing Chinese military pressure. The framework of Japan-US-Australia-Philippines cooperation was launched under the previous Joe Biden administration. President Donald Trump has shown reluctance toward multilateral frameworks that limit US autonomy. Nevertheless, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines now appear to be aligning closely in hopes of drawing Trump's attention and securing continued US engagement. Japan is also advancing bilateral defense cooperation with both Australia and the Philippines. It has designated Australia as a "quasi-ally," second only to the US, and has plans to collaborate in developing counterstrike capabilities. Through direct assistance, Japan has provided the Philippines with air defense radar systems. Should the radar data eventually be shared with Japan's Self-Defense Forces, "movements of the Chinese military would be fully visible," according to a former defense minister. Notably absent from the latest talks was South Korea. In the event of a Taiwan contingency, Seoul's cooperation would be critical to deter provocations or escalation from North Korea. However, with South Korea in a transition period ahead of its presidential election, no minister-level official was dispatched to the security summit. Soldiers conducting live-fire drills in the Kinmen Island area, a Taiwanese outlying island (©Taiwan Ministry of National Defense/Kyodo). All five countries ー Japan, the US, Australia, the Philippines, and South Korea ー met for the first time in November 2024. A senior official at Japan's Ministry of Defense admitted, "We had hoped for all five nations to gather again." Defense cooperation between Japan and South Korea has effectively stalled since former President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a martial law emergency in December 2024. Nakatani is exploring an early visit to South Korea following the June 3 presidential election with a view to restarting engagement. (Read the related articles in Japanese.) Author: Shusuke Takenouchi, The Sankei Shimbun
Japan Forward
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Forward
NANBYO Day at Expo 2025: Taking On Rare Diseases Together, Joyfully and Inclusively!
このページを 日本語 で読む Let's all have fun thinking about it! Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai, brought people together on May 23 in celebration of Japan's NANBYO Day and International Rare Disease Day (RDD Day). The event brought attention to the world's rare and intractable diseases. Supporters joined in the collaboration as patients performed songs and dances, sending out the message that "it's okay for each person to be different." Attending the event, her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Kiko joined in the singing. She also shared the words in her signature sign language, at which she excels. Afterward, she interacted with the patients and their families. Crown Princess Kiko exchanges comments with participants at NANBYO Rare Diseases Day on May 23 at Expo 2025, Osaka-Kansai. (©Sankei by Yasushi Kawamura) "For all of us, there are things we cannot do. But it's okay that we are all different," crooned singer-songwriter Ayako Ozawa from her wheelchair. She battles muscular dystrophy, an intractable disease that causes muscle weakness. Ayako Ozawa performing a song for NANBYO Day. (©Sankei by Yasushi Kawamura) Ozawa was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of 20. At one time, she had given up on finding a job, getting married, and having children. However, with the encouragement of those around her, she was able to accomplish all three. She found a job, got married, and became a mother. "I can't raise my arms, and there are many things I can't do," Ozawa told the crowd. "But it means a lot to let people know that we are all the same human beings at this Expo." Soprano Mamiko Sakaida, who has been diagnosed with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD), an autoimmune disease, also let her voice soar from her wheelchair. Mamiko Sakaida sings onstage from her wheelchair. (©JAPAN Forward by Mika Sugiura) Singer-songwriter Ayako Ozawa, smiling. (©JAPAN Forward by Mika Sugiura) "As the disease developed, I became paralyzed from the waist down," she said. "Through rehabilitation, I have recovered to the point where I can sing, but it still hurts as if I am being stabbed. There are friends in this venue who are suffering from the same disease. I want people to learn about this while they're at the Expo." Rare and intractable diseases are defined by their low prevalence and complex pathophysiology. These features often result in delayed treatment and hinder drug development. Meanwhile, there are approximately 7,000 rare diseases in the world, with an estimated 350 million patients. Many patients participated with their families. (©JAPAN Forward by Mika Sugiura) In 2016, an NGO focused on rare diseases was established within the United Nations. Its task: create a patient community and raise social awareness. Later, in 2024, Rare Diseases International, a rare disease patient association, was approved as an official partner of the World Health Organization. Wanting a "rare day" to bring attention to the disease annually, February 29 in leap years immediately came to mind. Taking it as a cue, February 28, the day before, was designated World Rare Disease Day. During the last week of February, special events featuring rare diseases and their victims were held around the world. EURODIS, a nonprofit alliance of rare disease patient organizations, hosted the global Rare Disease Day Event on February 28, 2022, at the Dubai Expo (October 2021-March 2022). This time, however, Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai does not include the month of February. Japan, therefore, marked its international contribution by hosting NANBYO Day on May 23 to highlight rare diseases domestically. Patients and families participated together. (©JAPAN Forward by Mika Sugiura) Yukiko Nishimura, president of the NPO ASrid, played a key role in organizing the event. "This is the first time that an intractable diseases day event has been held at an expo in Japan," she said. "'Everyone' is the key word. It is an opportunity for patients, families, and supporters to come together and appeal to visitors. We hope people will begin thinking about intractable diseases in a more positive light." Patients, families, and high school students also participated in the NANBYO Day activities. They performed a play of their own composition and expressed their frank opinions. Takashi Hudson Naito gives his presentation at NANBYO Day. (©JAPAN Forward by Mika Sugiura) A high school senior from Osaka Jogakuin High School confided, "Grave's disease changed my appearance. I was trapped because people around me did not understand. "But I transferred to my current school and underwent surgery, and am now able to communicate with others," she added. "I want a society where people can have confidence in themselves and not be ostracized." Takashi Hudson Naito, a junior at Osaka's Nada High School, described his research on brainwaves using AI to determine emotional ups and downs. Naito has a chronic illness himself. "I wear a scarf on my head because I have no hair or eyelashes due to alopecia, the cause of which is unknown," he explained. His dream is to deepen his research and put it to practical use for patients suffering from incurable diseases. Participating high school students. (©JAPAN Forward by Mika Sugiura) The Expo is an international event that reflects the future of society. For high school students and those with rare diseases, it has also provided an opportunity to interact with other patients and their families while introducing the problem to the broader public. They want to keep the focus on "tomorrow." Meanwhile, they are spreading their optimism for discovering new treatments and solutions for rare and intractable diseases. High school students participate in a panel discussion on rare and intractable diseases on May 23 at Expo in Osaka-Kansai. (©JAPAN Forward by Mika Sugiura) This report was first published on May 30, on J apan 2 Earth , a JAPAN Forward website featuring Japan's initiatives on the SDGs. Author: Mika Sugiura このページを 日本語 で読む
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Pro-government newspaper in Japan shocks with ‘radical' support for female emperor
(From left) Japan's Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and other royal family members attending the spring garden party at the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on April 22. PHOTO: AFP – The two main conservative media outlets in Japan are waging a battle for public opinion, after the Yomiuri newspaper broached an idea long held to be taboo and one that breaks from right-wing values. 'We should not rule out the possibility of a female emperor, or an emperor through a female line,' the Yomiuri newspaper declared in its Page One story on May 15, as it unveiled policy proposals on the question of imperial succession. 'If we continue to insist on male descendants in the male line, the survival of the symbolic emperor system will be in jeopardy.' That the influential Yomiuri Shimbun – Japan's largest broadsheet with a daily circulation of 6.2 million copies – was giving policy recommendations is not surprising. Since 1994, it has leveraged its position as the nation's most-read newspaper to drive policy agenda through its proposals. However, what has rippled through Japan's political hallways was how the Yomiuri, often considered to be pro-government for its alignment with the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has embraced a stance that is more in line with the political left. The hawkish Sankei newspaper, with a circulation of under one million, launched a broadside, enlisting commentators who accused the Yomiuri of 'misleading the public' with 'sloppy content'. Its chief editorial writer Satoshi Sakakibara said the Yomiuri was bordering on blasphemy and would lead to 'Japan ceasing to be Japanese'. A Sankei editorial noted that legacy newspapers should not jump on the popular bandwagon and engage in 'knee-jerk politics, by rushing to conclusions based on superficial information without considering the weight of history or responsibility to the future'. The culture war comes as the future of Japan's monarchy – the world's oldest hereditary royal lineage dating to 660BC – is now a hot-button issue in Japan's Parliament, due to the dwindling number of political heirs. Public opinion, however, is firmly in support of a female monarch or an emperor of matrilineal descent. This clashes with conservative hardliners within the LDP, who want to preserve the Chrysanthemum Throne exclusively for male descendants of the male line. This is nothing to do with a gender divide: among the staunchest flag-bearers for hardline policy is former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, a prime ministerial hopeful who has of late sharpened her criticism of incumbent leader Shigeru Ishiba. Mr Kiyotaka Akasaka, president of the non-profit Nippon Communications Foundation, told The Straits Times that the Yomiuri's proposals are 'radical' given the newspaper's usual position, and come as a 'bombshell to the political right'. The policy ideas might not have been possible if veteran journalist Tsuneo Watanabe, who was Yomiuri's managing editor from 1985 until his death at 98 in 2024, was still alive, Mr Akasaka said. The clash in views, he added, stems from the hardliners' unwavering commitment to traditional values regardless of circumstance and despite the alarming decline of imperial family members. But he noted: 'It is very difficult to foresee how greatly these proposals will impact the current policy considerations, but they have very much encouraged the political opposition.' Emperor Naruhito, 65, is the 126th reigning monarch after his father Akihito, 91, broke with tradition to abdicate in 2019 and become Emperor Emeritus. There are just three heirs to the Chrysanthemum Throne: Crown Prince Akishino, 59, the Emperor's younger brother ; Prince Hisahito, the 18-year-old son of the crown prince; and finally, Prince Hitachi, 89, the siblings' uncle. This is the stark reality: if Prince Hisahito chooses not to get married, or does not produce a male child, there would be nobody to succeed the throne. Already, there has been pushback. In contrast to his grandfather, the late wartime Emperor Hirohito, who was revered as a deity until Japan lost the war, Crown Prince Akishino said at a news conference in 2024 that politicians should not lose sight of how the royals who are affected by policy are 'real live human beings'. There are now five unmarried women in the 16-member imperial household, including Princess Aiko, who is 23 years old and the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. While commoner women marry into the imperial family, like Empress Masako, princesses who are born in the family lose their royal identity and become commoners themselves when they wed commoners. The latest to leave the family is Crown Prince Akishino's daughter Mako, 33, who married her college sweetheart in 2021. The couple promptly relocated to the United States and have not returned to Japan since. On May 30, the Imperial Household Agency said the couple had given birth to their first child, without revealing the gender. As a solution to the dwindling numbers, the Yomiuri Shimbun suggests allowing princesses to keep their royal status after marriage, with their husbands and children entering the imperial household. Traditionalists agree that princesses should remain as royals and continue official duties after marriage. But they draw the line at admitting their spouses and children into the family, arguing that this could result in a matrilineal emperor and taint the royal bloodline. They note that while there have been eight female emperors, they were all unmarried and patrilineal heirs. There has never been a matrilineal emperor . The Yomiuri, however, believes that the idea of 'one family, two statuses' is unrealistic. As commoners, the spouses and children would be free to express their opinions that could impugn the imperial family's 'political neutrality and dignity'. It further points to how the unbroken bloodline, across millennia, had been sustained by concubines, with 55 illegitimate children having become Emperors. Meanwhile, traditionalists also favour bringing back members of 11 former branches of the imperial family that were disbande d after World War II, through 'adoption'. It is said that there are at least 10 unmarried male descendants in their 20s or younger among these branches. But the idea has very little traction among the public. Eighty years have passed since the war, and members of these branch families would have grown accustomed to life as commoners, outside the public eye and rigid rules of the imperial household. Kanda University of International Studies lecturer Jeffrey Hall told ST that this plan would 'raise questions about the human rights of the individuals involved', noting that the Yomiuri sees this as 'a more unreliable and unpredictable solution that could dilute public support for the monarchy'. Dr Hall noted that the monarchy is not a major issue for moderate or centre-right voters, although there is a 'very vocal minority' of extreme conservatives who prefer the Sankei to the Yomiuri for 'more consistently taking their side on culture war issues'. While they are not the majority of LDP voters, the party would have difficulty winning elections without their support, he said. 'To many Japanese, the insistence on male-only succession seems to clash with the concepts of gender equality and women's rights,' Dr Hall said. 'But die-hard conservatives will do almost anything to protect what they see as one of their nation's most sacred traditions.' Walter Sim is Japan correspondent at The Straits Times. Based in Tokyo, he writes about political, economic and socio-cultural issues. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Japan Forward
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Forward
Former Princess Mako Gives Birth to First Baby
On May 30, the Imperial Household Agency announced that Mako Komuro, 33, has given birth to her first child. The news was shared by Naomasa Yoshida, Grand Steward of the Crown Prince's Household, during a regular press conference. Mako is the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, and the niece of Emperor Naruhito. She has two younger siblings, Princess Kako and Prince Hisahito. According to Yoshida, they are delighted by the news and wish her family continued happiness. Mako hugs her sister, Princess Kako, as their parents look on, before leaving the family home at the Akasaka Estate on October 26, 2021. (©Sankei by Noriaki Sato) In 2021, Mako married Kei Komuro, a former college classmate and a commoner, thereby relinquishing her royal status as required by Japan's Imperial House Law. The couple later moved to New York, where Kei Komuro now works as a lawyer. The agency has not disclosed the baby's gender or the exact date of birth. Mako and Kei Komuro on September 3, 2017, at the Akasaka East Residence. (©Sankei by Kengo Matsumoto) ( Read the related article in Japanese . ) Author: The Sankei Shimbun
