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ASIA / PACIFIC Page 4 n THE ASIAN REPORTER September 7, 2020 Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee back after leukemia treatment By Koji Ueda and Stephen Wade The Associated Press T PEEKABOO PORCELAIN. A person uses a transparent toilet that has turned opaque, right, after the door was locked, at Haru-no-Owaga Community Park in Tokyo. The walls of two newly installed public toilets in To- kyo’s Shibuya neighborhood are see-through before people enter, but turn opaque when the doors are closed and locked from the inside. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) Tokyo transparent toilet’s walls go opaque when door closed colors — green, yellow, orange. “Maybe I feel a little anxious the first time, like will this work? Is somebody (outside) the glass trying to look inside or something?” Cecilia Lopez, a travel blogger from Argentina, said. “But I think it’s more for the fun of it.” The outer walls of the toilets have a layer of glass that remains clear when hooked up to an electric current. When the door is locked, the current is cut and a special film makes the glass opaque and conceals the users, according to Kana Saji of The Nippon Foundation. The foundation says it aims to achieve a society in which all people help one another. “It’s really clean, and it sort of looks like art,” said Tomoko Mizutani, a Tokyo resi- dent who was taking a photo of the toilet. By Haruka Nuga The Associated Press T OKYO — Now you see them, now you don’t. The walls of two newly installed public toilets in Tokyo’s Shibuya neighbor- hood are see-through before people enter, but turn opaque when the doors are closed and locked from the inside. The so-called transparent toilets, which opened in August, were designed by award-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban for a project organized by The Nippon Foundation that redesigned a total of 17 public toilets in the neighborhood. The goal was to make them accessible to anyone, regardless of gender, age, or disability. The see-through walls glow in vibrant Department of Consumer & Business Services Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB): What we do www.wcb.oregon.gov We’re open! Serving food to go! v Pho v Pad v Fried Preorder at: (503) 283-0398 8 7 9 1 3 The staff at The Asian Reporter wish you and your family a safe and socially distanct Labor Day! 3 4 8 6 9 7 8 6 1 9 Pho Jasmine Vietnamese Restaurant 714 N. Killingsworth Street Portland, OR 97217 5 2 4 5 1 3 8 Difficulty EASY 7 6 9 2 3 6 level: Easy #85237 # 49 Instructions: Fill in the grid so that the digits 1 through 9 appear one time each in every row, col- umn, and 3x3 box. Solution to last issue’s puzzle Puzzle #68755 (Hard) All solutions available at <www.sudoku.com>. 3 5 7 8 6 2 9 1 4 4 1 8 3 7 9 6 2 5 6 2 9 4 5 1 8 3 7 8 3 2 5 1 7 4 9 6 9 4 5 2 8 6 3 7 1 7 6 1 9 4 3 2 5 8 1 7 3 6 9 8 5 4 2 5 9 6 1 2 4 7 8 3 The Associated Press S For questions about the hearing process, or the Oregon’s workers’ compensation system, call the Ombudsman for Injured Workers at 1-800-927-1271. 2 8 4 7 3 5 1 6 9 RIKAKO’S RETURN. Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee competes in a women’s 50-meter freestyle race at a local meet at Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center in Tokyo. Olympic hopeful Ikee returned to competitive swimming after undergoing treatment for leukemia for more than a year. (Kyodo News via AP) gradually, to rebuild my physical strength. That is my motivation right now.” Ikee talked about being “extremely nervous” despite swimming at a familiar pool in east Tokyo. “But I was able to swim faster than my target time of 26.80. I think I was able to make a good restart,” she said. More than a month ago she appeared in Tokyo’s new National Stadium where the opening ceremony would have been held. She was part of a brief video message to encourage other athletes to be hopeful the Olympics will take place next year despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Local organizers and the International Olympic Committee say the delayed Games will open on July 23, but have given few details how the massive event might he held during a pandemic. Pandemic casts pall over Muharram in Kashmir By Dar Yasin RINAGAR, India — For Nasir Hussain, observing the Muslim month of Muharram, which marks the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson in the battle of Karbala, is an article of faith. But as the coronavirus spreads in India-controlled Kashmir, he and his extended family prefer to commemorate the holy days inside their home in the disputed region’s main city. “We have to survive this epidemic to keep the mission of Imam Hossein alive,” said Hussain, a business executive, explaining that the virus has not stopped them from mourning but only from going to community congregational halls. On a recent humid August night, Hus- A worker who disputes the outcome of his or her workers’ compensation claim for a work-related injury or illness may request a hearing before the Hearings Division of the Workers’ Compensation Board. WCB offers mediation to workers and employers/insurers as an alternative to hearings. If both parties agree to mediation, they may schedule by calling (503) 934-0104. Workers who don’t speak English may use interpreter services provided by WCB, for hearings and mediations. These services can be arranged by calling (503) 378-3308. Thai Rice v Potstickers v Salad Rolls v Yellow Curry v Vietnamese Sandwiches v Pepper Salted Shrimp v Thai Iced Tea v Vietnamese Iced Coffee v Mango Shakes v And more! OKYO — Olympic hopeful Rikako Ikee returned to competitive swimming last month after undergoing treatment for leukemia for more than a year. The 20-year-old from Japan would have been among the favorites in several races if she had not fallen ill and the Tokyo Olympics had taken place on schedule this summer. Ikee’s best event is probably the 100-meter butterfly, in which she was nearing the world record when she last swam in early 2019. She marked her return in a 50-meter freestyle heat at a local meet in Tokyo, clocking 26.32 seconds. Her national record time is 24.21 in the event. “I feel like I have started the second chapter of my swimming career,” she said, speaking in Japanese. Ikee — pronounced E-kay — won six gold medals two years ago at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, which included the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, and the 50- and 100-meter butterfly. She also won gold in two relays, and added two silvers. She said she intends to swim in an intercollegiate meet in October, and has not talked about trying to qualify for the delayed Tokyo Games next year. “My main goal is to qualify for the Paris Olympics,” she said. “At the moment, it’s not like I am trying to record my best time. But I would like to try to get better sain’s family sat in the brightly lit drawing room at their residence at Srinagar’s sprawling Dal Lake, attentively listening to a religious broadcast on cable TV. The preacher narrated the events at Karbala, the seventh century battle in present-day Iraq as Hussain’s family occasionally cried. They beat their chests and chanted religious slogans, part of the ritual to remember Imam Hossein and his 72 fallen companions. “For us, Imam Hossein represents the pinnacle of love, sacrifice, and fighting for justice and freedom,” Hussain said. “Our hearts melt when Muharram arrives.” In some localities, people wearing masks gathered in small groups late in the evening for Muharram rituals while maintaining physical distance. Last month, seven women sat in a circle Continued on page 10