Latest news with #TheAsahiShimbun
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Map Shows US Ally's Bases Where New Counterstrike Missiles Could Hit China
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Newsweek map shows the locations of bases where Japan—a United States ally—could deploy new missiles capable of reaching China's coastline to target and sink naval vessels. The upgraded version of the Type 12 missile—which has a maximum range of 621 miles—provides Japan with "counterstrike capabilities" to strike enemy territory directly and "standoff defense capabilities" to eliminate invading forces from beyond the enemy's reach. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese and Japanese defense ministries for comment via email. Why It Matters Under a U.S. defensive island chain strategy, Japan forms part of the first island chain—alongside Taiwan and the Philippines to its south—which seeks to limit China's military activities within its immediate waters, including the contested East and South China Seas. China—which possesses the world's largest navy by hull count and the largest aviation force in the Indo-Pacific—operates within and beyond the first island chain, particularly around Japan's southwestern islands near Taiwan, which it has threatened to take by force. The enhancement of the Type 12 missile is part of Japan's ongoing efforts to bolster the defense of its outlying islands. Two Japanese warships are being converted into aircraft carriers as air bases on those islands have limited capacity to support fighter jet operations. What To Know Citing Japanese government sources, The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported on Tuesday that Japan's Defense Ministry was finalizing the deployment plan for the upgraded Type 12 missile at a Ground Self-Defense Force's base—Camp Kengun—in Kumamoto Prefecture. The prefecture is on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, facing the East China Sea to the west. Missiles deployed at the base are capable of reaching China's eastern coast and almost all of the Korean Peninsula to the north, a Newsweek map shows. According to the report, the missiles are scheduled to be deployed during the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2026, serving as what it described as a deterrent against China, which has increased naval deployments around Japan's southwestern islands. Two additional locations are under consideration by Tokyo for hosting the missiles: Camp Yufuin in Oita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu and Vice-Camp Katsuren in Okinawa Prefecture on Okinawa Island—the largest of Japan's southwestern islands. While missiles deployed at Camp Yufuin would cover almost the same area as those at Camp Kengun, stationing them on Okinawa Island would enable the Japanese military to strike targets along China's southeastern coastline, the Taiwan Strait and all of Taiwan. The upgraded Type 12 missile—which underwent five launch tests between October and November—can be launched from land, ships and aircraft, with each platform's development scheduled for completion in fiscal years 2025, 2026 and 2027, respectively. In this image provided by the Japanese Defense Ministry on December 6, 2024, an upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile is fired from the ground during a launch test in Japan. In this image provided by the Japanese Defense Ministry on December 6, 2024, an upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile is fired from the ground during a launch test in Japan. Japanese Defense Ministry What People Are Saying Japan's 2025 defense white paper said: "China has been swiftly increasing its national defense expenditures, thereby extensively and rapidly enhancing its military capability in a qualitative and quantitative manner and intensifying its activities in the East China Sea, including around the Senkaku Islands, and the Pacific." Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, said on July 16: "Japan, in an attempt to justify its move to loosen the restraints on its military, has been fabricating false narratives, grossly hyping up the 'China threat' rhetoric, and blatantly interfering in China's internal affairs. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to such actions, and has lodged solemn representations with the Japanese side." What Happens Next It remains to be seen how Japan will strengthen its defense posture amid China's growing military threat. In addition to the upgraded Type 12 missile, Tokyo has ordered 400 U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles, which can strike targets from up to 1,000 miles away.
Asahi Shimbun
2 days ago
- Health
- Asahi Shimbun
9,600 hospitals, care centers in Nankai Trough flooding zone
Some 2,300 medical institutions and 7,300 welfare facilities are at risk of flooding in a tsunami triggered by the long-expected Nankai Trough megaquake, according to a new analysis. In this zone are 12 disaster base hospitals that must now factor in the possibility their operations could be disrupted, according to The Asahi Shimbun's analysis of the government's predicted tsunami flood area announced in March. Each of the hospitals is designated by their respective prefectural government and responsible for providing medical care during major calamities. 30-PERCENT INCREASE The central government revised its Nankai Trough earthquake damage projections for the first time in a decade in March. This revision recalculated tsunami height, arrival time and flood zones across 11 scenarios based on epicenter location and other factors. It predicts a maximum area of 1,151.5 square kilometers, spanning from Fukushima to Okinawa prefectures, is likely to be flooded by a tsunami at least 30 centimeters tall. This represents a 30 percent increase compared to previous estimates after integrating updated topographical data. The Asahi Shimbun analyzed the flood zone map for the 11 scenarios by overlaying it with geolocations from the land ministry's 'Digital National Land Information' data that includes the locations of medical facilities, nursing homes and facilities for people with disabilities. The overlay indicates 2,347 medical facilities in Tokyo and 20 prefectures are located in areas at risk of flooding in at least one of the government's 11 scenarios. This accounts for 3.2 percent of all medical facilities in Tokyo and the 20 prefectures. By prefecture, Tokushima has the highest number of affected medical facilities, with 260 representing 31.6 percent of the prefectural total. Kochi follows with 252 facilities, or 38.2 percent of its total, trailed by Wakayama with 242 facilities comprising 21.8 percent of its total. An even greater number of welfare facilities dedicated to elderly care and individuals with disabilities fall within the predicted flood zone. The combined total for Tokyo and 22 prefectures is 7,270. Among these, Kochi Prefecture has the highest number with 1,286 facilities at 33.4 percent of its welfare facilities. This was followed by Tokushima with 1,199 facilities comprising 28.1 percent of its total and Ehime with 925 facilities making up 13.2 percent of its total. Being caught in tsunami waters of 30 cm or higher is life-threatening, according to the Cabinet Office. Additionally, not only could an earthquake-tsunami combination result in large numbers of injuries, but resulting power outages may endanger the lives of hospital patients. To counter this, the health ministry requires all medical institutions to be prepared to continue operations even after a disaster. However, as of fiscal 2022, only 60 percent of disaster base hospitals and emergency medical centers had established a Business Continuity Plan (BCP). The government's basic countermeasure plan for the Nankai Trough earthquake mandates that hospitals and welfare facilities in areas expected to see flooding of 30 cm or more must create evacuation plans, particularly those with high visitor numbers. Eighty-one percent had done so by 2023. EVACUATE UP, NOT OUT Nanko Hospital in Osaka's Suminoe Ward is one of the medical institutions that found itself at risk of flooding in the government's latest Nankai Trough earthquake damage projections. 'This is a region that has lived in tandem with water,' Tadashi Ito, senior hospital official said. 'So, the risk of tsunami flooding is something we've always anticipated. We will continue to strengthen our countermeasures.' Osaka's hazard map indicates the five-story hospital lies in an area that could experience flooding between 50 cm and 3 meters deep triggered by the Nankai Trough megaquake. The hospital was built in 1971 and does not meet current earthquake standards, but a new six-story facility is under construction nearby. Until then, Ito said the hospital's emergency plan for the current building entails moving patients to higher floors. Staff members are to divide the labor and implement an 'all-hands-on-deck approach' to reduce the evacuation time. Workers would need to evacuate the hospital's 36 inpatients from the second floor and all outpatients from the first floor up to the third floor or higher depending on how severe flooding is. Based on past drills, it takes four staff members about 10 minutes to carry one patient up the stairs to the next floor. This plan will not be as crucial at the new building—the first-floor ceiling is higher and all hospital beds will be located on the third floor and up. (This article was compiled from reports by Shoko Rikimaru, Kanato Ishii, Shun Niekawa and Yasukazu Akada.)
Asahi Shimbun
4 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
7 held in scam that ‘employed' 1,400 foreigners without visas
Tokyo police have arrested seven people in connection with an elaborate scam that allowed 1,400 foreigners without work visas to pose as food delivery drivers. The Metropolitan Police Department announced the arrests July 25 of Kotaro Yamazaki, 51, a company executive and six others, including a 28-year-old Vietnamese man. The suspects are believed to have netted about 54 million yen ($366,000) from the scam that targeted the Demae-can food delivery service company from as far back as 2022. The operation centered on the illegal transfer of delivery accounts. Foreigners from six nations, including Uzbekistan and Vietnam, were hoodwinked by Yamazaki and the others, according to the police. The seven suspects conspired between Sept. 23 and Oct. 1 last year to have a 30-year-old Japanese man apply for and receive a Demae-can account knowing full well it would be used by a Vietnamese. Yamazaki and his conspirators also used social media to publicize moonlighting opportunities and asked Japanese applicants to 'lend' their Demae-can accounts. The Japanese individual received 20,000 yen as a 'matching fee' if a foreigner was found to use the account and make deliveries. Yamazaki's group also cooperated with a broker who gathered foreigners. The broker received 5,000 yen every month from the delivery fees paid by Demae-can to the Japanese owner of the account. The Japanese owner also received 20,000 yen a month for lending the account. Any money left over in the account for that month was paid to the foreigner who actually made the deliveries. An official with Demae-can told The Asahi Shimbun the company was considering legal action against the group.
Asahi Shimbun
4 days ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: ‘Most difficult homework' in the words of author Kunio Yanagita
A black-and-white photo shows a group of 10 or so schoolchildren staring at an announcement in vertical script on a bulletin board in 1928. That year, men aged 25 and older were given the right to vote, and the notice proclaimed the first general election under the new law. The children may have gathered at the bulletin board out of curiosity. The photo was captioned rather cynically: 'The most difficult homework.' The photo graces the pages of 'Meiji-Taisho-shi: Seso Hen' (History of the Meiji and Taisho eras: Chapter on social climate), a book written by Kunio Yanagita (1875-1962) that stands as a masterful portrayal of social trends during the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) eras. Focusing on a broad array of subjects, ranging from housing to diet, clothing, work and romantic relations, Yanagita analyzed how the lifestyle of 'ordinary' Japanese citizens had changed through the years. In conclusion, he wrote: 'In other words, we were sick and poor as citizens.' I was intrigued by the strangeness of that statement. 'Yanagita is lamenting,' said Masami Ishii, an emeritus professor at Tokyo Gakugei University and the author of a detailed annotation to Yanagita's autobiography. That means, Ishii explained, that Yanagita was aware of society's inability, despite the acute need, to educate its citizens to become voters capable of exercising good judgment, irrespective of their socio-economic standing. Yanagita graduated from Tokyo Imperial University, now the University of Tokyo, and worked at the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. He later joined The Asahi Shimbun where he served on the Editorial Board until 1930. When his book was published in 1931, Yanagita was 'beginning to focus on folklore, having seen the limits of journalism,' according to Ishii. True, Yanagita wrote in his book that 'the reality of social affairs' is more complex than anything newspapers could report. Probably sensing his own limitations, he decided to trace the history of the common people rather than that of the powers that be. Travelling around the nation, he listened to the voices of the people and collected old tradition and lore. July 31 marks the 150th anniversary of his birth. With self-admonition, I am now asking myself: Am I fully attuned to people's small voices? Am I tackling, and not shirking, 'the difficult homework'? --The Asahi Shimbun, July 26 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Asahi Shimbun
6 days ago
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
Hibakusha hope young people will carry on their campaign
Completed questionnaires for the nationwide survey of atomic bomb survivors conducted by The Asahi Shimbun, The Chugoku Shimbun and The Nagasaki Shimbun (Takuya Tanabe) Eighty years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many of the 3,564 survivors who responded to a survey expressed determination to pass down their experiences, despite the passage of time and the turbulent international situation. A 93-year-old woman who lives in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, said she shared her experiences for the first time just two months ago. 'I saw no light and heard no sound. I was trapped under the station building at Koi Station (in Hiroshima) and crawled out. I saw something like cotton or clouds. Today, I spoke about the keloid scars on both my legs for the first time.' She was one of the respondents to the nationwide survey of hibakusha jointly conducted by The Asahi Shimbun, The Chugoku Shimbun, which is based in Hiroshima, and The Nagasaki Shimbun. Largely due to aging, illness or disability, 16.2 percent of the respondents had their children, grandchildren or others close to them write on their behalf. The Hatsukaichi woman's response was filled out by her former care manager. Those who could do so summoned the strength to write. Shaky handwriting was noted in many responses. 'I have never spoken about the atomic bomb with my family or classmates. I just can't,' a 95-year-old woman in the western Tokyo city of Machida wrote. 'Writing about it for the first time (for this survey) was painful. I am old, and I cannot write well.' NOBEL PRIZE BUOYS CONFIDENCE The three newspapers previously conducted their own hibakusha surveys and planned the joint survey to collect more testimonies on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings. Questionnaires were distributed to about 11,000 people starting at the end of January, with support from the Japan Federation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) and regional hibakusha groups. Valid responses were received from 3,564 people in 43 prefectures. The average age of the respondents was 85.46. The youngest was 78, who was exposed in utero, and the oldest 106. Of all respondents, 59.6 percent were exposed in Hiroshima and 39.7 percent in Nagasaki. Responses from those without the Atomic Bomb Survivor's Certificate, which grants formal hibakusha status and government benefits, were still deemed valid. The government considers this group of survivors ineligible because they were outside the government-designated exposure zone in and around Nagasaki. Nihon Hidankyo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the organization received the prize for 'its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.' 'I was overjoyed,' an 81-year-old woman in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, wrote. 'But I do not want to stop at joy. Without giving up hope, I want to keep walking toward a world without nuclear weapons or war.' Nihon Hidankyo winning the prize encouraged a hibakusha to start sharing her experiences. 'I had never told anyone that I am a hibakusha. But people around me changed after the award,' an 81-year-old woman in Gifu wrote. 'I spoke in front of 14 or 15 people, saying I am a hibakusha. They listened attentively.' 'I AM NOT HELPLESS' As the number of hibakusha able to recount their experiences declines, passing on their memories has become an urgent task. According to the health ministry, the average age of those holding the Atomic Bomb Survivor's Certificate was 86.13 as of March. The number of certificate holders stood at 99,130, down from a peak of 372,264 in 1981. It fell below 100,000 for the first time since the issuance of the handbook began in 1957. Only a combined 48.9 percent of respondents think that the experiences and thoughts of hibakusha were being passed on to the next generation 'fully' or 'to some extent.' 'No matter how many times I speak, the horrors of the atomic bomb do not get through,' an 88-year-old woman in Hiroshima said in a response written by a welfare facility employee. A 79-year-old woman in Isa, Kagoshima Prefecture, wrote: 'I sometimes want to give up (speaking), but I must not. I may be powerless, but I am not helpless. I want to live while thinking about what I can do where I am.' Asked if they have ever shared their experiences with someone, 28.3 percent of respondents said they have never done so. The most common reason was vague or lost memories, picked by 24.8 percent. Others cited a lack of opportunities (13.2 percent), fears of discrimination or prejudice (9.2 percent), emotional pain of recalling experiences (7.7 percent) and despair of ever being understood (7 percent). 'I wish people would listen seriously, but I am worried that they may brush off (my account),' a 94-year-old woman in Nagasaki said in a response written by a welfare facility employee. While some elderly hibakusha try to avoid recalling painful memories, those who were exposed as children struggle to speak because they have faint recollections. 'I have no recollection myself, so it is difficult to pass anything on,' an 80-year-old woman in Hiroshima wrote. 'I do not know what to do.' IMPLORING THE YOUNG As they grow older, some hibakusha can no longer express themselves as they once did. 'There is so much I want to share, but I cannot even write anymore,' an 86-year-old woman in Tokyo's Kita Ward said in a response written by her daughter. 'I am sorry (that I cannot be of help) at this important opportunity.' A woman wrote on behalf of her 95-year-old mother who lives in Saka, Hiroshima Prefecture, and is suffering from dementia. 'If only my mother were younger, she could have answered more,' the daughter wrote. Asked if they think nuclear weapons can be abolished, 36.9 percent of respondents said no, exceeding the 27.9 percent who said yes. War and nuclear threats persist, from Russia's invasion of Ukraine to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. 'It feels like lawlessness is going unchallenged globally,' an 81-year-old woman in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, said in a response written by her daughter. 'Nuclear armament has been increasingly justified, and I worry that we are backing away from nuclear abolition.' A 79-year-old woman in Tokyo's Meguro Ward wrote: 'I am disheartened by the foolishness of politicians around the world. Not only politicians but also we citizens are irresponsible and self-centered.' Still, many respondents place their hopes on future generations. A 96-year-old man in Miki, Kagawa Prefecture, said he has a plea for young people. 'Please pass on the horrors of the atomic bomb, the tragedy of war and the preciousness of peace to as many people as possible,' he wrote. An 83-year-old man in Tottori said it is important to repeat and continue together even if each person's power is small. 'If we remain silent, the powers that be mistakenly believe that their views have been accepted,' he wrote. 'Let's keep speaking out, even in a small voice.' An 80-year-old woman in Mikasa, Hokkaido, said, 'Don't think you are not qualified to speak just because you were not exposed. I believe that learning and inheriting (hibakusha's experiences) together leads to world peace.' * * * Media resolved to document and pass on A-bomb survivors' stories By TAKAAKI TAMURA/ Staff Writer 'I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' So said J. Robert Oppenheimer, a U.S. theoretical physicist who led the development of the atomic bomb, upon witnessing its power in an experiment. The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 claimed more than 200,000 lives by the end of that year. It was the worst act of indiscriminate slaughter in human history. Eighty years later, the average age of survivors exceeds 86, and their numbers have fallen below 100,000. The fading of memories over time is inevitable. Yet the threat of nuclear weapons remains a pressing issue globally. What can the media do? This year, The Asahi Shimbun partnered with The Chugoku Shimbun and The Nagasaki Shimbun, the newspapers based in the cities destroyed by the atomic bombings, which have continued to confront the reality of the catastrophe. We believe it is our duty to go beyond corporate boundaries and gather as many testimonies as possible. We received 3,564 responses, which contain shaky or blurred handwriting as well as densely written letters. Each and every one deserves to be preserved for future generations. We will publish articles based on these responses. We hope they inspire readers to reflect on what we can do to ensure no one ever suffers from atomic bombing again. * * * Takaaki Tamura heads The Asahi Shimbun's News and Analysis Center on Nuclear Issues.
