Page 2 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
ASIA / PACIFIC
December 5, 2016
5,000 fish in ice at Japan skating rink sparks uproar
TOKYO (AP) — An amusement park in western Japan sparked an uproar
after it displayed about 5,000 dead fish in the ice at a skating rink, forcing the
park to close the attraction. Space World received a flood of criticism on social
media after opening the rink on November 12. It closed the next day. About 25
different kinds of fish could be seen under the 820-foot-long ice circuit. The park
in the city of Kitakyushu opened the “Ice Aquarium” as an “attraction never
heard about.” Japanese broadcaster NHK showed the fish frozen in ice on a blue
floor, so it looked like they were swimming below the ice. Some formed a school to
spell out “HELLO” or make an arrow-shaped sign in the ice. The general
manager of Space World, Toshimi Takeda, said many critical messages were
posted on social media, some condemning the concept as abusing living things.
Takeda said the fish in the ice had been intended “to give the feel of the ocean to
the ice skating rink,” and that the amusement park is “extremely remorseful to
have invoked such unpleasant feelings.” Space World said the fish were
purchased from a fish market, and were dead before the water was frozen. The
operator planned to hold a memorial service for the fish once they’re taken out of
the ice.
Asia odd news: Azalea the smoking chimp
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Pyongyang’s recently opened zoo has a
new star: Azalea, the smoking chimpanzee. According to officials at the newly
renovated zoo, which has become a favorite leisure spot in the North Korean
capital since it re-opened in July, the 19-year-old female chimpanzee, whose
name in Korean is “Dallae,” smokes about a pack a day. Dallae is short for
azalea. They insist, however, she doesn’t inhale. Thrown a lighter by a zoo
trainer, the chimpanzee lights her own cigarettes. If a lighter isn’t available, she
can light up from a lit cigarette if one is tossed her way. Though such a sight
would draw outrage in many other locales, it seemed to delight visitors who
roared with laughter as the chimpanzee, one of two at the zoo, sat puffing away
as her trainer egged her on. The trainer also prompted her to touch her nose, bow
thank you, and do a simple dance.
Blue pills in Blue House: S. Korean leader explains Viagra
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Little blue pills in the Blue House? South
Korean President Park Geun-hye’s office confirmed revelations by an opposition
lawmaker that it purchased about 360 erectile dysfunction Viagra pills and the
generic version of the drug last December. While the report created a frenzy on
the internet, Park’s office said the pills were bought to potentially treat altitude
sickness for presidential aides and employees on Park’s May trips to Ethiopia,
Uganda, and Kenya, whose capitals are 0.6 to 1.2 miles above sea level. The pills
weren’t used, said Jung Youn-kuk, spokesman of the presidential Blue House.
South Korean doctors sometimes prescribe Viagra-style drugs to climbers
because they are believed to be effective in preventing altitude sickness. The
Viagra revelation was just the latest twist in the massive political scandal
building around Park. Prosecutors indicted Park and two former presidential
aides. Prosecutors believe Park was collusively involved in the criminal
activities of her longtime friend, Choi Soon-sil, and the two aides, who allegedly
bullied companies into giving tens of millions of dollars to foundations and
businesses Choi controlled, and also enabled Choi to interfere with state
affairs.
Vietnam formally scraps plans for first nuclear power plants
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam’s legislature has endorsed the govern-
ment’s decision to scrap plans to build the country’s first two nuclear power
plants. The government announcement of the endorsement said cheaper
renewable energy and power imports were available and that investment should
be made in more urgent infrastructure needs. The National Assembly in 2009
approved plans to build two nuclear power plants with combined capacity of
4,000 megawatts. Construction was initially scheduled to start in 2014 but was
delayed several times. The contracts to build the plants were awarded to
companies from Russia and Japan. The construction partners regretted that
Vietnam was scrapping the plans but respected the decision, the government
said. The cancellation dealt a blow to Japan’s plans to export nuclear power
plants to counter shrinking sales at home since the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
The two plants would have contributed about 5.7 percent of Vietnam’s power
output when completed in 2030 and that could be offset by other sources of
energy, the government said. State media reports said the nuclear power plants
were not economically viable because of cheaper sources of power such as coal
and gas and that the costs of the plants had doubled to $18 billion.
Toyota says new technology means longer battery life
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. says it has developed a new way of
observing the movements of tiny particles in a battery used to power electric
vehicles — an advance it says will help boost their cruise range by 10 percent to
15 percent. Toyota engineer Hisao Yamashige explained to reporters at the
Japanese automaker’s Tokyo office that the complex method for tracking the
lithium ions, which are tiny particles in lithium-ion batteries, is also used in
laptops and smartphones. Increasing cruise range is the biggest obstacle for
electric vehicles, especially because powering stations aren’t as common as gas
stations. Toyota is more bullish about fuel-cell vehicles, which are expensive but
can deliver the same cruise range as gas engines. Yamashige said there is no
change to that overall company policy.
EARLY HATSUYUKI. A staff worker walks in the snow at Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo in late November. Tokyo
residents woke up to the first November snowfall in more than 50 years last month. Above-freezing temperatures kept the
snow from sticking in most places, though it did accumulate on sidewalks and cars in Tokyo’s far western suburbs. The
last time it snowed in central Tokyo in November was in 1962. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Snow falls in November in
Tokyo for first time in 54 years
season was on December 6, 1987, according to
the agency.
The agency monitors various esoteric
weather indicators, Japanese-style, such as
announcing when cherry blossoms have
started to bloom by observing a certain tree.
The benchmark sakura tree for Tokyo grows in
Yasukuni Shrine, which has drawn
controversy because it honors all Japanese
soldiers who died in war, including war
criminals.
The first snowfall is hatsuyuki, which
literally translates to “first snow.” Snow on the
ground is called sekisetsu, and declared when
more than half a designated area in Tokyo,
called Kitanomaru, turns white, the agency
said.
Japanese culture is especially sensitive to
the changing seasons. Haiku, for instance,
must include words that denote spring,
summer, fall, or winter.
TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo residents woke up
November 24 to the first November snowfall in
more than 50 years. And the Japan
Meteorological Agency said it was the first
time fallen snow on the ground was observed
in November since such records started to be
taken in 1875.
An unusually cold air mass brought wet
snow to Japan’s capital. Above-freezing tem-
peratures kept the snow from sticking in most
places, though it did accumulate on sidewalks
and cars in Tokyo’s far western suburbs.
Meteorologists had forecasted that up to one
inch would fall with more in the mountains
northwest of Tokyo.
The snow caused minor train delays during
the morning commute.
The last time it snowed in central Tokyo in
November was 1962.
Prior to November 24, the earliest time snow
had accumulated on the ground in the winter
Rowing, canoe sprint, swimming to remain at Tokyo venues
Tokyo government panel said the cost of the
Olympics could exceed 3 trillion yen ($27
billion) unless drastic cuts were made.
The Tokyo panel initially proposed moving
the rowing and canoe sprint venue, currently
planned at the Sea Forest in Tokyo, to Miyagi
prefecture, 250 miles north of Tokyo, after its
cost estimate soared to nearly 50 billion yen
($450 million). A new feasibility study shows
the cost could come down to around 30 billion
yen ($270 million).
“Considering the cost, location, and various
other factors, we have decided to hold (the
rowing and canoeing) at the planned Sea
Continued on page 16
By Mari Yamaguchi
The Associated Press
OKYO — Olympic organizers have
agreed to keep the rowing, canoe
sprint, and swimming venues at their
planned sites in Tokyo for the 2020 Games,
while postponing a decision until Christmas
on a possible switch for volleyball.
Representatives of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC), Tokyo organizers,
and Japan’s central and city governments
have been discussing ways to reduce costs,
including possibly moving three sports from
planned new venues to existing ones.
The group was established in October after a
T
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79.47
4032.0
6.8866
2.0739
7.7553
68.225
13512
32130
113.51
8193.0
4.4532
109.18
104.82
3.1745
49.604
63.794
3.7507
1.4196
1168.5
148.52
31.891
35.659
22539