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Korea Herald
15-05-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Japan's 'washi' paper used to mend historical documents at US National Archives, overseas museums
WASHINGTON (Japan News/ANN) — The US National Archives in Washington is making good use of traditional Japanese "washi" paper to repair historical documents. Washi is light, strong, water-resistant and endowed with a beautiful texture. Since washi can last more than 1,000 years if kept correctly, it is highly appreciated among those in charge of preserving international documents. The National Archives, which was established in 1934, houses as many as 13.5 billion pages of documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the original document of the Constitution of the United States. There are records that Japanese paper has been used to protect documents since the early 20th century. In the 1980s, washi was already an indispensable material in the field of preserving and mending documents. The craft of washi is inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list and utilized to repair cultural properties at institutions throughout the world, such as the Louvre Museum and the British Museum. Washi is used to repair ancient documents at the Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine as well. The value of washi is also attracting attention from the viewpoint of art. "Washi excels in durability, which is proven by history on a timescale in millenniums," said New York-based artist Hiroshi Senju. "[Washi] is more than just a culture. It is also recognized for its value as a civilization." Increased value of paper originals The US National Archives in Washington is proceeding with a large-scale project to digitize about 500 million pages of documents and make them public online by 2026. Yet the institution also regards the preservation of the originals as important as well. Japanese washi is highly valued for this purpose. According to the National Archives, documents were not scanned in color in the early days of the digitization project. Therefore, the documents were digitized in black and white, without color information even if some text or seals were in color. There are concerns about the risk of blackouts and damage to digital files as well, so washi seems to give conservators peace of mind because it makes them feel assured that they can go back to paper anytime. Yoonjoo Strumfels, a conservator at the National Archives, said that washi is essential to their preservation work because properly made washi can be used for a long time. Washi is characteristically less prone to degradation than other paper and also relatively resistant to environmental changes. Such traits make washi highly trusted for the conservation of documents. Strumfels repaired a document that George Washington, the first US president, wrote to the Congress by removing a silk cloth adhered for reinforcement and attaching a very thin piece of washi on the damaged area. The washi that was attached did not do any damage to the letters on the document and looked naturally blended to the point it was almost invisible, she said. Of the different types of washi the National Archives utilizes for conservation, washi made from the kozo paper mulberry is the most commonly used because it has long fibers and excels in flexibility and strength. Washi made from the mitsumata shrub in the daphne family is suited to repair delicate items, such as photos, and washi made from the ganpi shrub of the daphne family has a pearly sheen that makes the paper preferred for occasions when the appearance of materials on display takes on importance. Apparently, the glue used at the National Archives to apply washi is made inside the facility using starch powder imported from Japan. "While digitization is proceeding further, the degradation of data storage media and the demise of reproduction equipment are creating the problem that people cannot extract the contents from them," Senju said. "When that happens, people go back to paper because they can read it without any equipment." Senju then stressed the significance of washi as a material that brings human memories to the future. "Since this is the digital age, the multifaceted charm of washi is being rediscovered," he said.
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First Post
10-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
What happens if Pakistan launches a nuclear missile? Understanding South Asia's most dangerous question
As India and Pakistan engage in their most intense military conflict in decades, the nuclear question looms large. With both nations possessing powerful arsenals and second-strike capabilities, a single miscalculation could spiral into catastrophe. This report breaks down the strategic doctrines, missile systems and the principle of Mutually Assured Destruction that continue to hold back the unthinkable read more Aerial photo of the mushroom cloud rising over Nagasaki, Japan after the United States detonated an atomic bomb on August 9, 1945. Representational Image/US National Archives Cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan have climbed to new heights. Amid escalating military operations, the world is once again confronted with a harrowing question: what happens if Pakistan launches a nuclear missile? The issue transcends conventional warfare. It enters a domain where the margin for error is non-existent, where every strategic calculation hinges on the doctrine of deterrence and where the consequence of miscalculation is unthinkable devastation. Pakistan's nuclear programme, born from its perception of existential threat following India's 1974 nuclear test , has matured into a formidable deterrent. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam and retaliatory measures by India that followed, politicians in Pakistan have made explosive threats mentioning nuclear weapons. Pakistani minister Hanif Abbasi remarked last month , 'We have kept Ghori, Shaheen, Ghaznavi, and 130 nuclear weapons only for India.' Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in an interview with Reuters has also said that Pakistan would only use its arsenal of nuclear weapons if 'there is a direct threat to our existence'. On Saturday (May 10, 2025), Pakistan PM Shebaz Sharif reportedly called a meeting of the National Command Authority, the apex body overseeing the nation's nuclear arsenal, a meeting which Asif has now claimed never happened . 'No meeting has happened of the National Command Authority, nor is any such meeting scheduled,' Asif told Karachi-based ARY TV. How Pakistan is nuclear-capable Over the past two decades, Islamabad has developed a diverse array of nuclear-capable delivery systems spanning land, air and sea. The Shaheen-II missile, with a range of approximately 2,000 kilometres, is central to Pakistan's land-based nuclear posture. More recently, the Ababeel missile, equipped with Multiple Independently targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs) signals a significant leap in Pakistan's ability to overwhelm enemy defences. Pakistani military trucks carry the long range nuclear-capable surface-to-surface 'Ghauri' ballistic missile during the National Day parade in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 23, 2005. File Image/Reuters On the air front, Pakistan's fleet of F-16s and Mirage aircraft are believed to be capable of deploying nuclear gravity bombs and air-launched cruise missiles such as the Ra'ad, with a range exceeding 350 kilometres. Meanwhile, the Babur-3 submarine-launched cruise missile represents a developing but ambitious bid for a second-strike capability — vital for maintaining credible deterrence in the event of a first strike disabling land-based assets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Pakistan has upwards of 170 nuclear warheads compared to India's 180, as of 2025. How India may be able to defend itself India, on the other hand, has adopted a declared 'No First Use' policy since the early 2000s and has developed a strategic nuclear triad to enforce this doctrine. Its arsenal includes land-based Agni series missiles, capable of reaching targets from neighbouring states to as far as China, nuclear-capable aircraft like the Mirage 2000 and Jaguar, and most crucially, submarine-based ballistic missile platforms like the INS Arihant and INS Arighaat. These nuclear-powered submarines give New Delhi a stealthy, survivable second-strike option, reinforcing its deterrence posture. A surface-to-surface Agni V missile is displayed during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, India, January 26, 2013. File Image/Reuters Missile defence remains one of the most intensely debated aspects of modern military planning in the subcontinent. While India has made major strides in developing a layered Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) shield, comprising systems like the Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) and the Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptors, the task of successfully detecting and destroying an incoming nuclear missile is far from assured. At speeds that can exceed 24,000 kilometres per hour and with decoy or MIRV capabilities, even a single missile can render defence systems ineffective. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Swordfish radar system, designed to track enemy projectiles up to 1,500 kilometres away, is part of India's response to this challenge. Yet, military experts consistently highlight the point that no missile shield guarantees complete protection against a nuclear salvo, particularly one involving multiple warheads. What MAD entails This brings the discourse back to the enduring concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) — a principle that has, paradoxically, helped preserve peace among nuclear powers. MAD rests on the assumption that no rational actor would initiate a nuclear strike knowing that it would inevitably trigger a retaliatory response resulting in total annihilation. The doctrine works as a deterrent because the destruction would be so catastrophic for both the attacker and the defender that neither would benefit. In the India–Pakistan context, this logic still holds. A surface-to-surface Agni V missile is launched from the Wheeler Island off the eastern Indian state of Odisha, April 19, 2012. File Image/Reuters Both nations possess second-strike capabilities and understand that a nuclear war, regardless of who launches first, would result in national collapse, mass civilian casualties and a geopolitical fallout that would reverberate globally. Why MAD is not foolproof Nevertheless, MAD is not a foolproof safety net. The threat lies not in official doctrines, which are usually shaped with extreme caution, but in the possibility of misinterpretation, rogue actors or unintended escalation during conventional conflicts. Unlike the Cold War standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union, where strategic communication channels were institutionalised and borders were not shared, India and Pakistan are separated by a tense and highly volatile Line of Control. When fighter jets are engaged in combat, missiles are being fired at military installations and nationalist rhetoric escalates, the room for error narrows. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moreover, Pakistan's development of tactical nuclear weapons — smaller-yield warheads designed for battlefield use — further complicates the deterrence equation. These weapons lower the nuclear threshold and risk normalising their use in conventional scenarios. India's military doctrine, in contrast, states that any nuclear strike — tactical or strategic — will invite massive retaliation. The real cost All of this unfolds in a region where the civilian population is most vulnerable. Both countries host massive populations in densely populated urban centres. A single nuclear detonation in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Karachi or Lahore could result in hundreds of thousands of immediate casualties, with many more dying from radiation exposure and long-term fallout. Hospitals, infrastructure, food supply chains and governance systems would collapse in the wake of such a catastrophe. International aid would struggle to respond, and the region would face ecological and economic consequences lasting decades. Both India and Pakistan possess the means to destroy each other — and themselves. As tensions flare and military manoeuvres dominate headlines, it is this restraint — this enduring understanding of the true cost of nuclear war — that remains South Asia's most important line of defence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As Pakistani politicians continue to invoke nuclear threats and Pakistan continues to escalate this conflict, the underlying message from Islamabad is clear: the nuclear option, while not a first choice, is not off the table. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies
NHK
01-05-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Use of US records considered in search for Battle of Okinawa victims' remains
NHK has learned that a Japanese organization is considering using US military records in its search for the remains of people who died during fierce ground fighting in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture in the final days of World War Two. Japan's now-defunct Imperial military fought US forces in the southwestern prefecture 80 years ago in what is known as the Battle of Okinawa. More than 200,000 people, including civilians, lost their lives during the battle. One in four Okinawa residents died. The remains of many victims have yet to be found. Sources say the organization commissioned by Okinawa Prefecture is considering using records created by a US military unit during the battle, in its effort to locate remains. The unit had been tasked with burying enemy bodies near where they were found. A researcher of the battle, Hosaka Hiroshi, obtained the records from the US National Archives. The documents contain information such as burial dates and locations, as well as the numbers of residents and soldiers buried. The records say mass burials took place on May 5, 1945, one day after a major Japanese offensive failed. They state that the remains of more than 70 people, including residents, were buried that day in or around the Makiminato area of what was then Urasoe Village. The records also say that as of May 12 that year, or more than a month after US forces landed on Okinawa's main island, the unit had buried the remains of 644 soldiers and 41 residents. Gushiken Takamatsu, who has spent many years looking for remains from the Battle of Okinawa, says records prepared by personnel who buried bodies are highly credible and crucial. He says it is well worth dedicating time and staff to searches that will utilize the documents. He adds that this is an effort that must be carried out.
Al Etihad
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Etihad
Trump administration publishes cache of previously classified RFK assassination records
18 Apr 2025 19:16 NEW YORK (REUTERS)The US National Archives has released thousands of pages of records related to the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, according to the agency's website, following President Donald Trump's order to publish previously classified National Archives released over 10,000 pages of records in connection with the Kennedy's killing, according to details on its website on Friday. The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to declassify information about the assassinations of a number of high-profile agency previously published records related to the 1963 assassination of then-President John F. Kennedy, who was killed several years before the senator, his brother.'Lifting the veil on the RFK papers is a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government,' US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the senator's son, said in a statement. The health chief has previously said he believes his father was killed by multiple gunmen, an assertion that contradicts official Trump administration has also promised to declassify records related to the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. The National Archives did not respond to a request for comment on when to expect the King files or whether more files would be released in connection with the killings of the Kennedy brothers.
Al Arabiya
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Trump administration publishes cache of Robert F. Kennedy assassination records
The US National Archives has released thousands of pages of records related to the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, according to the agency's website, following President Donald Trump's order to publish previously classified information. The National Archives released over 10,000 pages of records in connection with the Kennedy's killing, according to details on its website on Friday. The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to declassify information about the assassinations of a number of high-profile Americans. The agency previously published records related to 1963 assassination of then-President John F. Kennedy, who was killed several years before the senator, his brother. 'Lifting the veil on the RFK papers is a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government,' US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the senator's son, said in a statement. The health chief has previously said he believes his father was killed by multiple gunmen, an assertion that contradicts official accounts. The Trump administration has also promised to declassify records related to the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. The National Archives did not respond to a request for comment on when to expect the King files or whether more files would be released in connection with the killings of the Kennedy brothers.
