Latest from Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
3 hours ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Park staff see off 4 giant pandas after teary fan farewells
SHIRAHAMA, Wakayama Prefecture--Thousands of fans bid a teary farewell to a family of four giant pandas heading back to China. On June 28, it was the turn of 300 staff at Adventure World here to bid sayonara to the animals that had captured their hearts. A 24-year-old female named Rauhin and her daughters, Yuihin, 8, Saihin, 6, and Fuhin, 4, were all born at Adventure World, but are returning to China because the animals are owned by China. The four pandas were placed in cages and loaded onto two trucks. Zoo staff said the animals behaved as normal. At a departure ceremony, Koji Imazu, the park's director, said, 'Let us all do our best so that we can show our guests the new faces of Adventure World. Let us see off the pandas with smiles.' On June 27, the last day the pandas were made available to the public, about 3,000 people who had made advance applications gathered at Adventure World to get one final look.
Asahi Shimbun
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Asahi Shimbun
Ohtani hits 29th homer, adds RBI triple to lead Dodgers over Royals 5-4
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani runs to third after hitting a triple during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals on June 27 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) KANSAS CITY, Mo.--Shohei Ohtani led off the game with his 29th home run and also hit an RBI triple, and Freddie Freeman stretched as he fell over to complete a game-ending double play as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Kansas City Royals 5-4 Friday night for their fifth straight win. Ohtani hit his major league-leading eighth leadoff homer this season, a drive off off Noah Cameron (2-4), and Max Muncy hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer for a 3-1 lead in the second. Bobby Witt Jr.'s two-run homer against Dustin May put Kansas City ahead 4-3 in the bottom half and gave the Royals their first lead since Sunday. Ohtani tied the score in the fifth against Cameron (2-4) with his seventh triple of the season and scored on Mookie Betts' single off Steven Cruz. Kansas City loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Tanner Scott on singles by Mikael Garcia and Salvador Perez around Vinnie Pacquantino's walk. Rookie Jac Caglianone grounded to second Tommy Edman, who made a backhand flip to Betts at second, and Betts bounced his throw to Freeman. The All-Star first baseman snagged the ball as he fell to the field, giving Scott his 18th save in 23 chances. Kansas City has lost six straight overall and 11 home games in a row. Lou Trivino (3-0) got five outs as five Dodgers relievers combined for shutout relief of Dustin May, who gave up four runs, six hits and three walks in four innings. Cameron (2-4) allowed five runs, three hits and three walks in four-plus innings Perez had a run-scoring single in the first. Kyle Isbel lined an RBI double just over the outstretched glove of right fielder Teoscar Hernandez in the three-run second for the Royals, who had scored on run during a three-game series against Tampa Bay. Freeman, who won a Gold Glove in 2018, made the outstanding defensive play that ended the game. Kansas City tied its record for consecutive home losses, set from Sept. 21, 2011, to April 23, 2012, and matched from May 6 to June 4, 2013. Ohtani (0-0, 4.50 ERA) makes his third mound appearance since elbow surgery, facing RHP Seth Lugo (4-5, 2.93 ERA) on Saturday. ___ AP MLB:
Asahi Shimbun
4 hours ago
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Key MSDF patrol aircraft not up to task as corrosion ‘eating' engines
Engine malfunctions are plaguing the fleet of patrol aircraft essential to Maritime Self-Defense Force tracking of Chinese submarines and suspect ships in Japanese waters, according to the Board of Audit. The aircraft fly over the ocean at low altitudes for hours on end, making them prone to engine corrosion. The aircraft are a mainstay in Japanese efforts to monitor China's growing maritime assertiveness. The board did not divulge how many aircraft were affected in keeping with Defense Ministry protocols on security issues. The P1, the nation's first domestically made aircraft, was initially viewed as holding huge potential. It was considered to have no peer in submarine detection and tracking technology and there was talk of exporting the aircraft. But that never got off the ground. The Board of Audit study covered the 35 P1 aircraft deployed at MSDF bases across Japan as of September 2024. Primarily manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., the first P1 was deployed in 2013. It was the successor aircraft to the P3C, made by U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp. The Board of Audit study said development, purchase and repair costs for the P1 through fiscal 2023 came to 1.776 trillion yen ($12.3 billion). The Defense Ministry's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency plans to eventually deploy a total of 61 P1 aircraft at a cost of 4.090 trillion yen. The agency knew early on about the engine corrosion issue, but IHI Corp., which oversaw development, said the malfunctions were coincidental. So, nothing was done to rectify the problem. Within the MSDF, flying the P1 is considered the 'mission of missions' in that it comes with a huge array of detection equipment, making the plane a joy to operate. Increased sightings of Chinese submarines and other vessels in waters around Japan resulted in many more P1 missions. The burden of operating the aircraft around the clock on a rotational basis was never envisaged in the development stage, according to a highly placed MSDF officer. All sorts of issues emerged early on. The technology used in the U.S.-made P3C was off-limits, so Japanese engineers had to basically develop the aircraft technology from scratch. And this was at a time when the defense budget was not nearly as massive as it is today, meaning not all aspects of development could be adequately dealt with. The 'stovepipe' structure that separated ministry bureaucrats from SDF uniformed officers led to a failure in sharing information during the development stage, according to a high-ranking Defense Ministry official. The Board of Audit also pointed out that issues with the onboard electronic equipment and weapons were another reason some of the aircraft were grounded. Hopes of exporting the P1 aircraft were dashed after one of a pair dispatched to the Paris Air Show in 2017 developed problems and could not take part. (This article was written by Wataru Netsu and Daisuke Yajima.)
Asahi Shimbun
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Protesters gather in Bangkok to demand Thai prime minister's resignation over leaked Cambodia call
BANGKOK--Hundreds of protesters gathered in Thailand's capital on Saturday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, part of the brewing political turmoil set off by a leaked phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Paetongtarn faces growing dissatisfaction over her handling of a recent border dispute with Cambodia involving an armed confrontation May 28. One Cambodian soldier was killed in a relatively small, contested area. The recorded phone call with Hun Sent was at the heart of the demonstration Saturday and has set off a string of investigations in Thailand that could lead to Paetongtarn's removal. Outrage over the call mostly revolved around Paetongtarn telling Hun Sen, the current Cambodian Senate president, not to listen to 'an opponent' in Thailand. It's believed to be a reference to the regional Thai army commander in charge of the area where the clash happened, who publicly criticized Cambodia over the border dispute. Protesters held national flags and signs as they occupied parts of the streets around the Victory Monument in central Bangkok. At a huge stage set up at the monument, speakers expressed their love for Thailand following the intensified border dispute. Many of the leading figures in the protest were familiar faces from a group popularly known as Yellow Shirts, whose clothing color indicates loyalty to the Thai monarchy. They are longtime foes of Paetongtarn's father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who reportedly has a close relationship with Hun Sen. Yellow Shirts rallies turned violent and led to military coups in 2006 and 2014, which respectively ousted the elected governments of Thaksin and Paetongtarn's aunt, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Hun Sen on Saturday vowed to protect his country's territory from foreign invaders and condemned what he called an attack by Thai forces last month. At a 74th anniversary celebration of the foundation of his long-ruling Cambodian People's Party, Hun Sen claimed the action by the Thai army was illegal when it engaged Cambodian forces. He said the skirmish inside Cambodian territory was a serious violation of country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, despite Cambodia's good will in attempting to resolve the border issue. 'This poor Cambodia has suffered from foreign invasion, war, and genocide, been surrounded and isolated and insulted in the past but now Cambodia has risen on an equal face with other countries. We need peace, friendship, cooperation, and development the most, and we have no politics and no unfriendly stance with any nation,' Hun Sen said in front of cheerful thousands of party members at the event in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. There is a long history of territorial disputes between the countries. Thailand is still rattled by a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded Cambodia the disputed territory where the historic Preah Vihear temple stands. There were sporadic though serious clashes there in 2011. The ruling from the U.N. court was reaffirmed in 2013, when Yingluck was prime minister. The scandal has broken Paetongtarn's fragile coalition government, costing her Pheu Thai Party the loss of its biggest partner, Bhumjaithai Party. There already was a rift between Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai Party over reports Bhumjaithai would be shuffled out of the powerful Interior Ministry. Several Bhumjaithai leaders also are under investigation over an alleged rigging of last year's Senate election in which many figures who are reportedly close to the party claimed a majority of seats. The departure of Bhumjaithai left the 10-party coalition with 255 seats, just above the majority of the 500-seat house. Paetongtarn also faces investigations by the Constitutional Court and the national anti-corruption agency. Their decisions could lead to her removal from office. Sarote Phuengrampan, secretary-general of the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, said Wednesday that his agency is investigating Paetongtarn for a serious breach of ethics over the Hun Sen phone call. He did not give a possible timeline for a decision. Reports said the Constitutional Court can suspend Paetongtarn from duty pending the investigation and could decide as early as next week whether it will take the case. The prime minister said Tuesday she is not worried and is ready to give evidence to support her case. 'It was clear from the phone call that I had nothing to gain from it, and I also didn't cause any damage to the country,' she said. The court last year removed her predecessor from Pheu Thai over a breach of ethics. Thailand's courts, especially the Constitutional Court, are considered a bulwark of the country's royalist establishment, which has used them and nominally independent state agencies such as the Election Commission to cripple or sink political opponents. Tasana Soma, 60, a retiree from Saraburi province who attended Saturday's rally, said the current conflict with Cambodia is a result of Thailand's weak government. 'The prime minister must resign to take responsibility for her cluelessness. She's utterly immature and has no leadership skills,' she said. Tatchakorn Srisuwan, 47, a guide from Surat Thani, said he arrived in Bangkok on a morning train to demand Paetongtarn's resignation over the leaked call. 'From a heart of a Thai person, we've never had a prime minister who's so weak. We've never had a prime minister that's so soft toward a country that's smaller than us," he said. "We don't want to invade anyone, but we want to say that we are Thai and we want to protect Thailand's sovereignty.'
Asahi Shimbun
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
U.S. Forces Japan chief calls new command ‘historic' shift
The commander of U.S. Forces Japan said the recent decision by the Self-Defense Forces to establish a joint operations command was a 'historic development' that would be matched by greater coordination on the part of the U.S. military. Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost submitted an opinion piece to The Asahi Shimbun in which he explained the aim of the recently initiated Japan Self-Defense Force Joint Operations Command Cooperation Team, or JCT. During his late March visit to Japan, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the first steps had been taken to give U.S. Forces Japan operational command authority to eventually better coordinate with the SDF Joint Operations Command. Jost explained that the role of the JCT would be 'to further strengthen our bilateral ability to respond to crises or contingencies.' The team would serve as the 'primary interlocutor and liaison' between the SDF and U.S. Forces Japan, he said. He added that the team, 'marks the first tangible step we're taking to enhance our operational synergy with Japan.' Based in Tokyo, the JCT is 'a small team today, but it will continue to grow as USFJ expands its capabilities and authorities,' Jost said. He added that the primary mission of U.S. Forces Japan would result in a switch from 'alliance management' to integrating and synchronizing 'operations that span the spectrum ... from humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and armed conflict.' U.S. Forces Japan currently comes under the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, based in Hawaii, but will gradually increase its command authority over the next few years, Jost said. Touching on recent moves by Tokyo to possess the capability to strike at enemy bases preparing to launch missiles against Japan as well as sharply increase defense spending, Jost said they illustrate 'Japan's determination to serve in a leading role' in regional security. In the context of China's continuing military buildup, Jost said the decision to integrate the command-and-control structures would lead to 'deeper security cooperation while signaling a clear-eyed resolve to uphold stability, deter aggression and ensure a prosperous future' in the region. *** The following op-ed piece by Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost appeared in The Asahi Shimbun on June 28 under the headline, Advancing the Alliance: USFJ, JSDF transform future of Indo-Pacific Security The U.S.-Japan security alliance has entered a transformative era, most recently marked by Japan's establishment of the Japan Self-Defense Forces Joint Operations Command and the ongoing evolution of our U.S. Forces, Japan headquarters. The security, freedom and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific face increasing challenges from adversarial nations, primarily the People's Republic of China, and I can tell you firsthand that these threats are only intensifying. The security developments now in motion underscore a growing urgency to prioritize combat credible forces and reinforce our readiness to protect peace in the Indo-Pacific, and I welcome this new phase of our enduring alliance. During the recent Defense Ministerial meeting in Tokyo, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani reaffirmed the necessity of our collective transformation efforts, highlighting the increasingly severe security environment. 'We have a robust alliance agenda that will strengthen our deterrence posture, keep the enemy guessing, creating dilemmas for them, and ensure that we achieve peace through strength,' said Hegseth. I join both defense officials in celebrating the establishment of the Japan Self-Defense Force Joint Operations Command; a historic development reflecting Japan's commitment to a more integrated and agile security posture. But what is the Japan Self-Defense Force Joint Operations Command and why does it matter to USFJ and the broader alliance? The answer is an organization with increased functionality and requisite authorities. In other words, the new joint operations command will operate much like a Joint Force Headquarters to unify operational commands across the Japan Self-Defense Force. Japan's ability to provide a more comprehensive and timely response to emerging threats and natural disasters will significantly increase. This crucial step forward represents a key structural evolution and is being done in tandem with a growing defense budget marked by fundamental reinforcements in Japan's defense capabilities, including the acquisition of counterstrike capabilities. The combination of these measures signifies Japan's determination to serve in a leading role in providing regional security. Parallel to these changes, USFJ is transforming to better protect peace and security in the region. As we transition to a Joint Force Headquarters in the years ahead, we will integrate new capabilities across the joint warfighting functions, signaling an important shift to a more distributed and resilient force posture. Moving from a headquarters primarily charged with an alliance management mission to one that, in time, will integrate and synchronize operations that span the spectrum of operations from humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and armed conflict is a monumental task. Our aim is to field a capability that significantly enhances the depth of connectivity and warfighting effectiveness with our Japanese partners to strengthen the Alliance's deterrence. Growing USFJ in parallel with the Japan Self-Defense Force Joint Operations Command requires a collective vision and shared commitment, and I could not be more encouraged by the opportunities ahead. The most recent and visible commitment to the transformation is USFJ's launch of the Japan Self-Defense Force Joint Operations Command Cooperation Team, or JCT. This team is now serving as the primary interlocutor and liaison between our two independent command structures. It's a small team today, but it will continue to grow as USFJ expands its capabilities and authorities as part of our deliberate headquarters transformation efforts. The cooperation team's primary purpose is to further strengthen our bi-lateral ability to respond to crises or contingencies. This team marks the first tangible step we're taking to enhance our operational synergy with Japan. The team is operating from Tokyo and focused on daily, in-person collaboration opportunities across both parallel command structures. Additional organizational and structural changes to USFJ are also being developed in close consultation with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. These shifts in command and control are occurring against the backdrop of intensifying regional concerns, including a rise in coercive and unprofessional military maneuvers in all domains of operations. These activities emphasize the necessity for a more robust U.S.-Japan security alliance. By modernizing our collective command and control structures, we are achieving deeper security cooperation while signaling a clear-eyed resolve to uphold stability, deter aggression, and ensure a prosperous future for the peace-loving people of Japan and the Indo-Pacific region. It is an honor to be a part of this alliance at such a pivotal moment, and I am confident that together we will rise to meet the challenges ahead.
