theTokyoBill Japan news brief

theTokyoBill Japan news brief, September 25 2024

In this episode: Nagasaki court accepts some, not all, atomic bomb victims as hibakusha; Japanese university finds new Nazca line geoglyphs; Nintendo announces Princess Zelda to take lead character for first time; Japan Inc. falls below target for female managers; Joint China-Russia military drills ruffling Japan’s feathers

Broadcast on:: 25 Sep 2024
Audio Format:: other

A short (3-5 min.) English language news brief; stories from in and around Japan.

Music is Motivate by Wavecont, care of Pixabay.com.

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[Music] Welcome to the Tokyo Build, a short news brief on recent events in and around Japan. In Nagasaki, a district court recognized some individuals as atomic bomb survivors, known as Hibakusha, and the plaintiffs are expected to appeal the ruling. The court ordered the city and prefectural governments to recognize 15 out of 44 plaintiffs as Hibakusha, based on exposure to black rain containing radioactive substances. However, the government plans to appeal due to inconsistencies with precedent decisions, but announced expanded support for all those exposed to fallout. The city and prefecture intend to follow the central government's policy, although the plaintiffs plan to file their own appeal in order to gain Hibakusha status for all 44 individuals. [Music] Researchers at Yamagata University have discovered 303 new geoglyphs in Peru's Nazca lines using artificial intelligence, shedding light on their significance as depicting human sacrifices and ritual sites. This was made possible through a joint project with IBM Research employing AI technology. The geoglyphs fall into two categories, surface types depicting figures made by removing stones, and line types like the famous Nazca Hummingbird geoglyphs, believed to have served as ritual spaces. These findings come after a six-month field survey, adding to the 430 geoglyphs found so far with 318 discovered by Yamagata University. [Music] Princess Zelda will be the heroine in the new Nintendo game, The Legend of Zelda, Echoes of Wisdom, marking the first time in this series history. Directed by Tomomi Sano, this change represents a shift towards gender diversity in gaming. Fans have shown excitement and appreciation for Zelda's new role, welcoming the inclusion of female protagonists. The game's release is highly anticipated, offering potential for new narratives and game mechanics within the Zelda universe. Nintendo's decision to feature Princess Zelda as the main character signifies a significant evolution in the portrayal of female characters in the gaming industry. [Music] The Japanese government has aimed to have at least 30% of leadership positions in companies held by women in this decade. However, a recent survey found that only 11% of managers in companies are women. Japan ranks 118th out of 146 countries in gender equality. Small companies have higher percentages of female managers compared to large companies, with the retail sector having the highest number of female managers at 19.4%. Measures such as gender neutral evaluations and job assignments are being implemented to promote female advancement in the workforce. Japan has accused Russia of violating its airspace during joint military exercises with China, leading Japanese fighter jets to fire flares as a warning this past Monday. Russia recently conducted a naval drill in the Sea of Okotsk as part of these exercises, a source of concern for the West and its allies. Russia and China have a history of joint military drills dating back to 2003, with over 100 recorded by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. The purpose of these drills is to improve interoperability and demonstrate power projection, although both countries insist they are within international laws and not aimed at third parties. This has been the Tokyo Bill. These stories and more you can read at thetokilbill.com 5v and remain Tokyo Bill. Thank you for listening and take care. [MUSIC PLAYING]