Kyodo News Digest: May 26, 2022

Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visit the Tokyo National Museum in the capital on May 25, 2022, to see an exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of Okinawa’s reversion to Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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China foreign minister arrives in Solomon Islands amid security deal

SYDNEY – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in the Solomon Islands on Thursday, at a time when concerns are mounting over China’s increasing military clout in the region following a controversial security pact signed by the two countries last month.

Hours after Wang touched down in Honiara, leaked documents reported by Australian Broadcasting Corp. revealed that China is seeking a region-wide agreement with almost a dozen Pacific island countries, covering areas including security, trade and data communication.

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Japan confirms drill with U.S. fighters after N. Korea missile tests

TOKYO – Japan and the United States conducted a joint exercise involving fighter jets over the Sea of Japan, the Defense Ministry said Thursday, a day after North Korea test-fired three ballistic missiles.

The flight of four F-15s from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s Chitose base in Hokkaido and four F-16s from the U.S. Air Force base in Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, on Wednesday was meant to confirm the two forces’ “readiness posture,” the ministry said.

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Ex-minister convicted for receiving bribes from egg producer

TOKYO – Former Japanese farm minister Takamori Yoshikawa was sentenced Thursday to two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years, for receiving bribes from an egg production company while in office.

The Tokyo District Court ruled that Yoshikawa received a total of 5 million yen ($39,000) from the then head of Akita Foods Co. between November 2018 and August 2019 when he was farm minister while being aware of the company head’s intention to seek favors.

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Pair of Hokkaido melons fetch 3 mil. yen at year’s 1st auction

SAPPORO – A pair of premium melons in Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido fetched 3 million yen ($23,550) at the year’s first auction on Thursday, exceeding last year’s winning bid by 10 percent.

The auction record for a pair of Yubari melons, a signature product of the city of Yubari, was 5 million yen in 2019. The winning bid at the first auction last year was 2.7 million yen.

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2nd attempt to salvage sunken Hokkaido tourist boat advances

SAPPORO – The second attempt to salvage a tourist boat that last month sank off Hokkaido, leaving 14 people dead and 12 missing, advanced Thursday, after the vessel fell back to the seabed earlier this week, delaying the investigation into the cause of the tragedy.

Nippon Salvage Co., hired by the Japan Coast Guard, restarted the operation to raise the 19-ton Kazu I from the seabed at a depth of 182 meters, aiming to bring the tour boat to the surface later in the day.

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FEATURE: Japanese society begins to grapple with microaggressions

TOKYO – A couple is out shopping for an expensive item, but the store clerk addresses only the man. A person of ethnic Korean descent but born and raised in Japan is complimented on their impeccable Japanese. Someone from the LGBTQ community is told by a friend, “You’re going through a phase. You’ll be cured one day.”

These are just some of the examples of microaggressions and unconscious bias that Kayo Fujiwara, a researcher on the issue, recently listed up to spread awareness of how the problem manifests in Japan, a country she feels may now be ready to start grappling with the problem in earnest.

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North Korea media silent on Wed. firing of ballistic missiles

BEIJING – North Korean state-run media made no mention on Thursday morning of the previous day’s ballistic missile launches, with speculation growing that the country may carry out a nuclear test in the near future.

The South Korean government said North Korea fired three missiles, including one capable of intercontinental range, off its east coast on Wednesday, a day after U.S. President Joe Biden ended his first trip to Asia since taking office.