Latest from AlSabah Al Arabi
a few seconds ago
Foreign Visitors to Japan Total Record 3.43 M. in July
Tokyo, Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)--The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in July rose 4.4 pct from a year before to 3,437,000, a record high for the month, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. The latest figure surpassed the previous July record of 3,292,602, set last year, driven by an increase in visitors, primarily from mainland China, Taiwan, the United States and France, during school holidays. Meanwhile, visitors from Hong Kong and South Korea logged decreases of over 10 pct as rumors of a possible earthquake in Japan spread on social media. By country or region, mainland China had the largest number of visitors to Japan, at 974,5000, up 25.5 pct, followed by South Korea at 678,600, down 10.4 pct, Taiwan at 604,200, up 5.7 pct, and the United States at 277,100, up 10.3 pct. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
Yomiuri Shimbun
a few seconds ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
TICAD 9 Side Event in Yokohama Focuses on Food Security
YOKOHAMA — The Sasakawa Peace Foundation held a panel discussion on food security in Yokohama on Wednesday on the sidelines of the TICAD 9. Peter Turkson, a Catholic cardinal from Ghana, sent a video message to the event in which he stressed the need to make the fishing industry part of the blue economy, which combines sustainable use of the seas and economic development.
Yomiuri Shimbun
a few seconds ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Support for Ukraine: European Unity Restrained United States
A recurrence of the situation was narrowly avoided in which U.S. President Donald Trump, who is rushing to achieve success in his mediation diplomacy and strengthening his pro-Russian stance, might press Ukraine to make concessions. It is significant that Europe united to support Ukraine and halt the U.S.' reckless behavior. Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. After the meeting, Trump revealed on social media that he had begun making arrangements for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy to end Russia's aggression against Ukraine. In addition to a separate meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization also visited the United States to meet with Trump. It is extremely unusual for seven European leaders to visit Washington by adjusting their schedules in such a short period of time. The European leaders likely had a sense of urgency to prevent Zelenskyy from being isolated. When Trump welcomed Zelenskyy to the White House in February, the two ended up engaging in a heated argument in front of the press, and the talks broke down. Prior to his meeting with Zelenskyy this time, Trump met with Putin in the U.S. state of Alaska and expressed his understanding for Russia's claim of pressing Ukraine to cede some of its territory. However, if Russia's barbaric acts of violating Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in disregard of international law are allowed to become an established fact, stability and order will not be maintained not only in Europe but also in Asia and the rest of the world. Ahead of the meeting in the United States, an online summit took place of the 'coalition of the willing,' a group that supports Ukraine, led by Britain and France. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also participated in the summit and stated that 'issues related to sovereignty and territorial integrity are extremely important.' In order to prevent the interests of other countries from being infringed upon by the logic of major powers, Europe and Japan must unite and uphold international norms. The issue with the highest priority is how to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump had previously expressed the view that an immediate ceasefire was necessary. However, after his meeting with Putin, he shifted his position to argue that a permanent peace agreement should be sought, rather than a ceasefire. A peace agreement would first require resolving difficult issues, including the question of who has sovereignty over the regions occupied by Russia. It is not acceptable that Russia is trying to buy time by dragging out negotiations while continuing its aggression in an attempt to create a favorable situation for Moscow. In fact, even during talks between Trump and the European leaders, Russia continued its attacks on Ukraine with missiles and drones. It is essential to step up pressure on Russia through economic sanctions and other means. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 20, 2025)
Yomiuri Shimbun
a few seconds ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Eel Regulation Proposal: How should Japan Respond to Demands for Resource Protection?
How should the resource of eels, which are part of Japan's traditional food culture, be protected? As one of the world's top consumers of eels, Japan needs to take the lead in efforts for resource protection and gain the understanding of the international community. In June this year, the European Union and some countries proposed adding Japanese eel to the list of species regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention. The pact's purpose is to regulate international trade in endangered wildlife. The proposal seeks to classify Japanese eel as a species subject to the second-strictest regulation in a three-tier system. About 180 countries and regions are signatories of the convention. If two-thirds or more vote in favor at the convention's meeting that will start in late November, the regulations on Japanese eel will be strengthened. Japanese eel is found widely across East Asia, including Japan and China. If the regulations are strengthened, exporters in China and elsewhere will be required to obtain written permission from their governments, which could cause delays in exports. Japan, which relies on imports, will likely be significantly affected by issues, including rising transaction prices. European eel has been subject to regulations since 2009. However, there have reportedly been cases of trade involving European eel passed off as Japanese eel, and illegal activities such as smuggling have continued even after the regulations began. For this reason, the EU argues that there is a need to add the 18 remaining species, including Japanese eel, to the convention's regulations. In contrast, the Japanese government strongly opposes this proposal. It argues that the species' stocks are currently recovering, and there is no risk of extinction due to international trade. However, in 2014 the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources designated Japanese eel as an endangered species. Strengthening resource management is a serious issue for Japan. Japan relies on imports from China and elsewhere for about 70% of its domestic supply. In order to gain international understanding for Japan's position, the nation will have to set an example by making its own efforts to manage resources. Japan has experience in taking the initiative to establish an international regulatory framework. Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan agreed in 2022 on specific upper limits for the number of glass eels, or young eels, to be farmed in aquaculture ponds to prevent overfishing. This is an achievement of Japan's initiative. Japan should promote its adherence to this agreement to the international community in close cooperation with China, South Korea and Taiwan. Although this framework does not include penalties, Japan revised its Fishery Law in 2023 through its independent efforts to impose stricter penalties for illegal fishing. However, illegal fishing of young eels continues, meaning that Japan's arguments against proposed regulations under the Washington Convention lack persuasiveness. Strengthening measures against illegal fishing is an urgent task. As a key measure for resource protection, it is hoped that 'complete aquaculture,' which involves artificially hatching eggs, will be commercialized. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 20, 2025)
Yomiuri Shimbun
a few seconds ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL / TICAD 9 to Focus on Cooperative Industrial, Economic Development of Africa
The inaugural summit of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) was arranged by Japan and took place in Tokyo in 1993. Gatherings since then have been co-organized by the United Nations, the World Bank and the African Union Commission. The first five conferences were held at five-year intervals, but that was shortened to three years after 2013. Since then, TICAD has also alternated between being held at Japanese and African venues. Based on the key idea of cocreation with African nations, issues facing Africa such as industrial development, health care and disaster prevention were expected to be discussed at the TICAD 9 through Friday. The Japanese government is considering announcing an initiative to support economic growth by leveraging Japan's advanced AI and digital technologies. It also plans to announce the Indian Ocean and Africa economic zone initiative that will help develop a logistics network covering Africa and the Indian Ocean as a single economic zone. Participants also were expected to exchange views on measures for dealing with potential 'debt traps,' in which African nations' debt levels could balloon due to massive loans extended by China, and on the impact on the African economy of the tariff measures of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Africa is rich in natural resources such as crude oil, copper and rare metals, and the economy is projected to grow due to its increasing population. Japan recognizes 54 African countries as sovereign states, making them important partners in forming major blocs at international forums, including the United Nations. During the Cold War era, the United States and Russia sought to draw African countries into their respective camps. Since the end of that period, the TICAD has played a leading role in the development of Africa. In its early stages, TICAD provided nations with assistance in the form of grant aid in areas such as education and health. However, it later began to put more emphasis on investment, including with private funds, as a way to supplement the limited public money available for assistance from the Japanese government and to link African economic growth to the revitalization of Japanese companies.
