Experts who had appealed for the threat of the new coronavirus in China now changed their views were criticized

Recently NHK On-line reported the following:

中国 新型コロナ脅威訴えてきた専門家 見解一転し批判も

2022年12月16日 4時21分

中国で新型コロナウイルスの脅威を訴えてきた専門家が、感染の主流となっているオミクロン株について、一転して「怖いものではなく『新型コロナかぜ』と呼ぶべきものだ」と強調しました。政府が感染対策の緩和に踏み切ったことにあわせて、専門家が見解まで変えたとして批判の声も上がっています。

中国で新型コロナウイルスの感染が拡大するなか、中国政府は今月7日、多くの場所で義務づけてきたPCR検査の陰性証明の提示を求めないなど、感染対策の緩和に踏み切りました。

これを受けて、中国の感染症研究の第一人者で、「ゼロコロナ」政策の正当性を主張してきた鍾南山氏は15日、大学で講演し「オミクロン株は怖いものではない。死亡率が低く、『新型コロナかぜ』と呼ぶべきものだ」と強調しました。

鍾氏は今月9日にも「オミクロン株の感染者の99％は1週間で回復する」と述べています。

中国政府はこれまで「ゼロコロナ」政策のもとで感染を抑え込んだとアピールしてきたなかで急きょ、対策の緩和に踏み切ったことから人々の間では新型コロナウイルスに対する不安感が根強く残っています。

政府の政策転換にあわせて専門家が見解まで変えたとしてSNS上では「この人の話はもう聞きたくない」などと批判の声も上がっています。

Translation

An expert who had complained about the threat of the new coronavirus in China now emphasized that the Omicron strain, which was the mainstream of infection, should be called 'new corona cold' rather than scary. Criticism were raised that experts changed their views in line with the government's relaxation of infection control measures.

With the spread of the new coronavirus in China, on the 7th of this month, the Chinese government took steps to relax infection control measures, such as not requiring the presentation of a negative PCR test, which had been mandatory in many places.

In response to this, Zhong Nanshan, a leading researcher of infectious diseases in China who had advocated the legitimacy of the "zero corona" policy, gave a lecture at the university on the 15th, saying, "Omicron stocks are not scary. Mortality rate is low and should be called the 'new corona cold'."

Mr. Zhong also said on the 9th of this month that ``99% of those infected with the Omicron strain will recover in a week.''

The Chinese government had been up to now appealing that it had suppressed the infection under the original "zero corona" policy, but since it hastily eased the measures, there was a deep-rooted sense of anxiety among people about the new coronavirus.

As the government's policy changed, even experts might change their views to toe the line, criticism also appeared on social media, saying, "I don't want to hear this person's story anymore."

              So, in a totalitarian government, only one voice will be tolerated. I think  people living under such a government already know that.

逃離中國的 Covid 封鎖走到美國 - 穿越中美洲森林 (2/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Fleeing China's Covid lockdowns for the US - through a Central American jungle (2/2)

BBC - Mengyu Dong - Palo Alto, California

Fri, December 23, 2022 at 12:19 a.m. GMT+8

(continue)

On the road

As they set out on their trip around the world, Mr Sun, like the compatriots he had found on social media, began by documenting the journey with a photo of his family's passports and boarding passes on Twitter.

 "Finally, our family made it out," he wrote in Chinese, "Wish me luck."

Over the course of weeks on the road, he posted updates. His children bound down a marble staircase at Macau's international airport. The family then made a brief stop in Taipei before flying to Thailand and from there to Turkey, where Mr. Sun captured a seaport draped in the rosy glow of sunset.

They eventually landed in Quito, Ecuador - one of the only countries on the American continents that does not require a visa for Chinese visitors - where they took in the sights before embarking on the most dangerous part of the trip.

The clips take a more serious turn as the family head into the Darién Gap on a boat ride with other migrants from all over the world before sitting in a wagon drawn by a mule. From there, they headed into the roadless rainforest.

At one point a fellow migrant is seen holding the hand of Mr. Sun's six-year-old son as their group treks through muddy trails in the forest. In another, Mr. Sun comforts his children after they are detained by Mexican authorities.

But the most treacherous parts were often not captured by the camera. While wading through a deep river in the jungle, Mr. Sun's wife was swept off her feet by the rapid currents.

She would almost certainly have lost her life if not for three South American migrants who rushed to her rescue, Mr. Sun said.

Because of the language barrier, the Chinese and the South Americans didn't talk much, he said. "But we were all in this together."

His family eventually made it to California, where Mr Sun found a job working in a warehouse through networks of Chinese diaspora. The whole trip from China to the US took three months, he said.

'In China, I don't see hope'

It took Wentao, 30, three weeks to pack up his life in eastern China, where he had worked odd jobs like teaching martial arts and fixing computers.

As with Mr. Sun, China's zero-Covid policy and tightening political control meant he saw no future there for himself. For fear of retribution for his family back home, he only gave his first name for this story.

Wentao said he made up his mind to leave when China abolished the presidential term limit, clearing the way for Xi Jinping to rule the country indefinitely. In October, Mr Xi secured a third term.

Under Mr. Xi, Beijing has tightened control over the economy, rolling out strict regulations over the private sector. He has also instituted a hard-line Covid policy that meant some could not leave their neighborhood or sometimes even their apartment building.

In November, protests broke out in many Chinese cities, with some calling for Mr Xi's removal from office. Beijing responded by relaxing some of the most unpopular measures.

But many like Wentao are worried that if the authoritarian trend continues, the economic growth that has driven the country forward would no longer hold.

He wanted to start a new life in the US, but being able to do so legally would be a long shot as the pandemic and worsening political relations have caused a dramatic drop in visa issuances to Chinese nationals.

In 2021, the US rejected 79% of tourist visa applications from China.

So instead, Wentao flew from Shanghai to Europe, before catching another flight to Quito, Ecuador.

He then travelled 1,000 miles by bus and boat to reach Acandi, a Colombian town bordering Panama. From there, he trekked for seven days through the Darien jungle with three other Chinese men whom he met on the road, until they reached a jungle refugee camp with hundreds of migrants from around the world.

Wentao eventually made it to California and the whole trip cost some $8,000 (£6,575) - most of his savings. Online estimates put the average cost at anywhere between $5,000-$10,000 to pay for transport, smugglers, food and bribes to gangsters and corrupt police. Chinese migrants have claimed that they are extorted for higher fees than others because they are seen as easier targets.

A long way to a new life

Of the dozen migrants who spoke to the BBC for this story, many said that, ironically, getting out of China during the pandemic was no less difficult than the arduous trek around the world itself.

China has implemented strict border control to combat Covid, slashing international passenger flights by 97% in 2021 compared to 2019 according to government figures. Beijing has also stopped issuing passports for "non-essential reasons" under what it calls feibiyao buchuguo - a policy that prohibits people from leaving China unless "strictly necessary".

Some migrants use dubious agencies to forge job offers or school admission letters from overseas to apply for passports, which are necessary to fly out of the country.

Although China has taken steps to loosen Covid restrictions in recent weeks, Wentao said it would not have changed his decision to leave.

"Whether zero-Covid stays in place or not, the root problems haven't changed," said Wentao. "In China, I don't see hope."

The Chinese government did not reply to the BBC's request for comment, but has previously defended the country's policies when questioned over the popularity of zouxian.

Wentao's concerns were also shared by the other migrants the BBC spoke to.

Most of them would file for asylum upon arriving on US soil, often on political or religious grounds. The application process can take many years to complete due to mounting backlogs in the immigration system.

In the meantime, they wait, finding what jobs they can to make a living.

Most settled in California or New York, joining a large Chinese-speaking community for better access to jobs and legal representation.

Wentao chose Fremont, California, to be closer to his church. For $1,900, he bought a 2003 Camry that has over 170,000 miles on it and is living in a home with other migrants. From Monday to Saturday, he gets up around seven, and drives down to San Jose to work with a Chinese construction team, earning $160 a day. On Sunday mornings, he goes to church.

A fan of the hit Western TV series Yellowstone, Wentao dreams of visiting the national park one day.

"But before that, I'm going to save up and buy a new car that is capable of taking me there," he said.

Translation

（繼續）

在路上

當他們踏上環遊世界的旅程時，Sun先生和他在社交媒體上找到的同胞一樣，首先在推特上登出家人的護照和登機証照片去記錄這次旅程。

他用中文寫道: “我們一家終於做出來了” ， “祝我好運。”

在路上的幾週時間裡，他發布了更新。 他的孩子們在澳門國際機場的大理石樓梯上蹦蹦跳跳。 隨後，全家人在台北短暫停留，然後飛往泰國，然後從那裡飛往土耳其，Sun先生在那裡拍下了一個海港，夕陽籠罩在玫瑰色的餘暉中。

他們最終降落在厄瓜多爾的 Quito, 在美洲大陸上唯一不需要中國遊客有簽證的國家之一 - 在開始旅程中最危險的部分之前，他們在那裡參觀了景點。

當一家人與來自世界各地的其他移民乘船前往Darién峽谷，坐在由騾子拉的馬車上之前時，短片的情節變得更加嚴肅。 從那裡，他們進入了沒有道路的熱帶雨林。

有一次，看到一位農民工牽著Sun先生 6 歲兒子的手，他們一行人在森林裡的泥濘小路上跋涉。 在另一張照片中，Sun先生安慰被墨西哥當局拘留的孩子們。

但最危險的部分往往沒有被相機捕捉到。 在叢林中趟過一條深河時，Sun先生的妻子被急流捲走。

Sun 先生說，如果不是三名南美移民趕來救她，她幾乎肯定會喪命。

他說，由於語言不通，中國人和南美人並沒有多說話。 “但我們都在一起。”

他的家人最終到達加利福尼亞州，Sun先生通過華人僑民網絡找到了一份在倉庫工作的工作。 他說，從中國到美國的整個旅程用了三個月。

“在中國，我看不到希望”

30 歲的Wentao用了三個星期的時間來收拾他在中國東部的生活，他在那裡做過一些零工，比如教武術和修理電腦。

與Sun先生一樣，中國的零新冠政策和收緊的政治控制意味著他看不到自己的未來。 為了怕家里人遭到報復，他只說了自己的名字。

Wentao說，當中國取消國家主席任期限制，為習近平無限期統治國家掃清道路時，他就下定決心要離開。 10 月，習近平獲得第三個任期。

在習近平的領導下，北京加強了對經濟的控制，對私營部門實施了嚴格的監管。 他還制定了一項強硬的 Covid 政策，這意味著有些人不能離開他們的社區，有時甚至不能離開他們的樓宇。

11 月，中國許多城市爆發了抗議活動，一些人要求習近平下台。 作為回應，北京放寬了一些最不受歡迎的措施。

但像Wentao這樣的許多人擔心，如果威權主義趨勢繼續下去，推動國家前進的經濟增長將不再保持。

他想在美國開始新的生活，能夠合法地這樣做將是一個遙遙無期的事情, 理由是於病毒大流行病和不斷惡化的政治關係導致美國向中國公民發放的簽證數量急劇下降。

2021 年，美國拒絕了 79% 來自中國的旅遊簽證申請。

因此，Wentao改為從上海飛往歐洲，然後再搭乘一班飛往厄瓜多爾的 Quito。

然後，他乘坐公共汽車和船隻旅行了 1,000 英里，到達了與巴拿馬接壤的哥倫比亞小鎮Acandi。 從那裡開始，他與路上遇到的另外三名中國男子一起徒步7 天穿越 Darien 叢林，直到他們到達一個叢林難民營，那裡有數百名來自世界各地的移民。

Wentao 最終到達了加利福尼亞，整個旅程花費了大約 8,000 美元（6,575 英鎊）- 這是他的大部分積蓄。 在線估計平均成本在 5,000 美元到 10,000 美元之間，用於支付交通費、走私者、食物以及賄賂歹徒和腐敗警察的費用。 中國移民聲稱，他們被勒索的費用比其他人高，因為他們被視為更容易成為目標。

通往新生活的路還很長

在為這個故事接受 BBC 採訪的十幾名移民中，許多人表示，具有諷刺意味的是，在病毒大流行期間離開中國並不比環遊世界本身的艱苦跋涉更難。

根據政府數據，中國實施了嚴格的邊境管制以對抗新冠病毒，與 2019 年相比，2021 年國際客運航班減少了 97%。 北京還根據所謂 “非必要不出國 (feibiyao buchuguo)” 的政策, 停止簽發護照，該政策禁止人們在非 “絕對必要” 的情況下離開中國。

一些移民利用可疑機構偽造來自海外的工作機會或學校錄取通知書，以申請出境所需的護照。

儘管最近幾周中國已採取措施放鬆對 Covid 的限制，但文濤Wentao表示，這不會改變他離開的決定。

Wentao說: “無論零冠狀病毒是否存在，根本問題都沒有改變”; “在中國我看不到希望。”

中國政府沒有回覆 BBC 的置評請求，但此前曾在被問及走線 (zouxian) 受歡迎程度時, 曾為國家政策作出辯護。

BBC採訪的其他移民也表達了Wentao的擔憂。

他們中的大多數人會在抵達美國領土後申請庇護，通常是出於政治或宗教原因。 由於移民系統積壓，申請過程可能需要很多年才能完成。

與此同時，他們等待著，尋找可以謀生的工作。

大多數人定居在加利福尼亞或紐約，加入一個龐大的講中文的社區，以便更好地獲得工作和法律代理。

Wentao選擇了加利福尼亞州的Fremont，因為這裡離他的教堂更近。 他花了 1,900 美元買了一輛 2003 款Camry，它已行駛里程超過 170,000 英里，並且和其他移民住在同一屋簷下。 從星期一到星期六，他大約七點起床，然後開車去San 和與一個中國建築隊一起工作，每天掙 160 美元。 星期天早上，他去教堂。

作為熱門西方電視劇黃石公園的粉絲，Wentao夢想有一天能參觀這國家公園。

他說: “但在那之前，我會儲錢買一輛能帶我去那裡的新車” 。

       So, as the Chinese economy loses momentum amid tough Covid-19 restrictions and a growing tide of authoritarianism this is gripping the country, some people begin to search for ways to leave the country. According to the Panamanian government, at least 1,300 people from China crossed the Darién in 2022. I do not expect in 2022 Chinese people are still risking their lives to seek a better life abroad, despite CCP is boasting that the country has achieved extensive success in its economy and in space exploration. The Chinese are leaving for economic and political reasons.  Obviously people in Taiwan also prefer to stay away from mainland China for the same reason.

逃離中國的 Covid 封鎖走到美國 - 越過中美洲森林 (1/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Fleeing China's Covid lockdowns for the US - through a Central American jungle (1/2)

BBC - Mengyu Dong - Palo Alto, California

Fri, December 23, 2022 at 12:19 a.m. GMT+8

China may be easing some of its severe anti-Covid restrictions but its draconian pandemic policies have driven many citizens to seek a better future elsewhere - whatever the risks in getting there.

Three days into their trek through a Central American rainforest, some 9,300 miles (15,000 kilometers) away from home, the Sun family threw away their camping gear to lighten the load, thinking they would be out by nightfall.

Instead, they were stranded in the jungle by heavy rain.

That night, Sun Jincai, his wife and three children - aged six, nine and 11- squeezed into a small tent they found on the trail, likely discarded by other migrants, like themselves, while trying their best to ignore the cold water seeping through the thin fabric.

"Luckily none of us got sick," said Mr. Sun.

It was just one of many perilous steps on their journey from China to the US.

Mr. Sun, 34, his wife and youngest child used to spend the better part of a year living on the coast of China, where jobs were abundant.

The other two children lived with their grandparents about 400 miles away in Jiangxi, a landlocked province in China's east, as it was hard to enroll in school outside their hometown.

But as the Chinese economy lost momentum amid tough Covid-19 restrictions and a growing tide of authoritarianism gripped the country, Mr. Sun began searching for ways for the family to leave the country together.

"China is going backwards," said Mr. Sun. "My wife and I want a better future for the kids."

The US seemed out of reach until earlier this year, when Mr Sun came across a young woman who shared details of her journey on WeChat, a Chinese messaging platform. She said she hiked through rainforests in Central America, then up north across the 2,000-mile US-Mexico border. "If she can do it, why can't we?" Mr. Sun thought.

So in August, he boarded a plane to Ecuador with his family and set out on one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world - one that more and more Chinese are taking.

Mr. Sun's journey would require a multi-day trek through the Darien Gap, a 60-mile stretch of dense, road-less rainforests connecting the north-western tip of Colombia to Central America, with waist-deep rivers to ford and steep slopes to climb.

Along the way, many migrants face attacks by armed bandits and drug cartels.

Yet, propelled by economic hardship and regional conflicts, over 200,000 people from around the world have crossed the Darien since January.

Most are from South America, with others hailing from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.

The 'walking route' north

Migrants from China remain a smaller group but their presence is growing. According to the Panamanian government, at least 1,300 people from China crossed the Darién in 2022, nearly three times more than in the previous decade. This has contributed to the record number of people eventually arriving at the US southern border.

Though a well-known route to many, the path had been virtually unknown to Chinese people until last year, when a handful of posts describing the trek began popping up on social media.

Then, when the lockdown of Shanghai began in April this year, online searches for "run"- a euphemism for emigration - skyrocketed in China. Many saw the country's draconian pandemic policy as the driving force.

Most online discussions centered on obtaining foreign residency through education and investment. But those like the Sun family, who did not have the means to emigrate legally, are forced to take riskier journeys.

The Darien Gap route that they took is known as zouxian which roughly translates to "walking route".

A search for zouxian returns thousands of posts on Twitter, YouTube, and Chinese apps such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu.

Some Chinese migrants formed chat groups on Telegram to bypass censorship on WeChat.

Those who had completed this journey to the US shared meticulous tips, including places to exchange money, how to avoid immigration enforcement, and how to pack light for the rainforest.

"Always be meticulous with planning your hotel bookings and return flights," advises one traveller.

"You don't need to pack your whole house," says another post, with a photo of a rucksack. "If they can survive with this, so can you."

The recent popularity of zouxian attests to the mounting desperation for some migrants to leave China, said Alexis Zhou, a freelance researcher who writes about Chinese migration in North America. Since the pandemic, it's been very difficult for an average Chinese person to obtain a visa from Mexico or Central American countries, she said.

"Zouxian may well be the only way for them to reach the United States."

(to be continued)

Translation

中國可能正在放鬆一些嚴厲的反新冠病毒限制措施，但其嚴厲的病毒大流行政策已促使許多公民到其他地方尋求更美好的未來 - 無論到達那裡的風險是如何。

在距離家約 9,300 英里（15,000 公里）的中美洲熱帶雨林中跋涉三天后，Sun 一家扔掉了露營裝備以減輕負擔，以為他們會在夜幕降臨時離開。

相反，他們被大雨困在了叢林中。

那天晚上，Sun Jincai、他的妻子和三個孩子 - 分別是 6 歲、9 歲和 11 歲 - 擠進了他們在路上發現的一個小帳篷，它可能是和他們一樣的其他移民丟棄的，同時盡量不去理會這單薄織物帳篷是正有冷水滲入。

Sun 先生說: “幸運的是我們都沒有生病” 。

這只是他們從中國到美國的旅程中的許多危險步驟之一。

34 歲的Sun先生、他的妻子和最小的孩子過去一年中的大部分時間都住在中國沿海地區，那裡的工作機會很多。

另外兩個孩子和他們的祖父母住在大約 400 英里外的中國東部內陸省份江西，他們很難在家鄉以外的地方上學。

但隨著中國經濟在 Covid-19 的嚴格限制和日益盛行的威權主義浪潮中失去動力，Sun先生開始尋找讓家人一起離開這個國家的方法。

孫先生說: “中國正在倒退”; “我和我的妻子希望孩子們有一個更美好的未來。”

美國似乎遙不可及，直到今年早些時候，Sun先生在中國的信息平台微信看留意到了一位年輕女子，她在網上上分享了她的旅行細節。 她說她徒步穿過中美洲的熱帶雨林，然後向北穿越 2,000 英里的美墨邊境。Sun先生想: “如果她能做到，我們為什麼不能？” 。

於是在八月份，他和家人一起登上了飛往厄瓜多爾的飛機，踏上了世界上最危險的移民路線之一 - 越來越多的中國人選擇的一條路線。

Sun先生的旅程需要多日跋涉穿過 Darien 峽谷，這是一片 60 英里長的茂密、沒有道路的熱帶雨林，連接哥倫比亞的西北端到中美洲，要涉過齊腰深的河流渡口和爬過陡峭的斜坡。

一路上，許多移民面臨著武裝土匪和販毒集團的襲擊。

然而，在經濟困難和地區衝突的推動下，自 1 月以來，來自世界各地的超過 200,000 人已經越過Darien。

大多數人來自南美洲，其他人則來自非洲、加勒比地區和亞洲。

北方 “步行路線”

來自中國的移民仍然是一個較小的群體，但他們的存在正在增加。 據巴拿馬政府稱，2022 年至少有 1300 名中國人渡過 Darién，幾乎是過去十年的三倍。 這導致最終抵達美國南部邊境的人數創下歷史新高。

雖然對許多人來說是一條眾所周知的路線，但中國人幾乎都不知道這條路, 直到去年社交媒體上開始出現一些描述這條跋涉通路的帖子之時。

然後，當今年 4 月上海開始封城時， “潤 (run)” （出走的委婉說法）在中國的在線搜索量猛增。 許多人將該國嚴厲的流行病政策視為 “出走 (run)” 的推動力。

大多數在線討論都集中在通過讀書留學和投資獲得外國居留權上。 但像Sun家這樣沒有合法移民途徑的人，不得不走上更危險的旅程。

他們走的Darien峽路線被稱為走線，大致翻譯為 “步行路線” 。

在 Twitter、YouTube 以及中國抖音與小紅書等應用程序上搜索 zouxian (走線)會引出數千條帖子。

一些中國移民在 Telegram 上組建了聊天群，以繞過微信上的審查。

那些已完成這次美國之旅的人分享了詳盡的小貼士，包括換錢的地方、如何躲避移民執法、如何為熱帶雨林輕裝上陣。

一位旅行者建議道: “計劃酒店預訂和回程要一絲不苟” 。

另一篇帖子說: “你不需要帶齊所有家當” ，並附有一張帆布背包的照片。 “如果他們能靠這個活下來，你也能。”

撰寫有關北美華人移民問題的自由研究員 Alexis Zhou 表示，最近走線的流行證明了一些移民越來越迫切地想要離開中國。 她說，自病毒大流行以來，普通中國人很難獲得墨西哥或中美洲國家的簽證。

“走線很可能是他們到達美國的唯一方法。”

(to be continued)

日本將加入美國對中國芯片出口收緊的努力

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Japan to Join US Effort to Tighten Chip Exports to China

Takashi Mochizuki, Cagan Koc and Peter Elstrom

Tue, December 13, 2022 at 6:05 a.m.

(Bloomberg) -- Japan and the Netherlands have agreed in principle to join the US in tightening controls over the export of advanced chipmaking machinery to China, according to people familiar with the matter, a potentially debilitating blow to Beijing’s technology ambitions.

The two countries are likely to announce in the coming weeks that they’ll adopt at least some of the sweeping measures the US rolled out in October to restrict the sale of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment, according to the people, who asked not to be named because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. The Biden administration has said the measures are aimed at preventing Beijing’s military from obtaining advanced semiconductors.

The three-country alliance would represent a near-total blockade of China’s ability to buy the equipment necessary to make leading-edge chips. The US rules restricted the supply from American gear suppliers Applied Materials Inc., Lam Research Corp. and KLA Corp. Japan’s Tokyo Electron Ltd. and Dutch lithography specialist ASML Holding NV are the two other critical suppliers that the US needed to make the sanctions effective, making their governments’ adoption of the export curbs a significant milestone.

“There’s no way China can build a leading-edge industry on their own. No chance,” said Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon.

On Monday, China filed a dispute over the US export controls with the World Trade Organization, the country’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. Beijing said the restrictions threaten the stability of the global supply chain and that America’s national-security justification is dubious.

But the global opposition to China’s chipmaking ambitions is mounting. Bloomberg News reported last week that Dutch officials were planning new export controls on China. The Japanese government agreed to similar restrictions in recent weeks since the two countries wanted to act in concert, the people said. Japan had to overcome opposition from domestic companies that would prefer not to lose sales into China, one of the people said. Besides Tokyo Electron, Nikon Corp. and Canon Inc. are minor players in the market.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The three countries are the world’s top sources of machinery and expertise needed to make advanced semiconductors. ASML shares closed down 1.4%, paring an earlier decline of as much as 2.8%.

Senior US National Security Council official Tarun Chhabra and Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez were in the Netherlands late November to discuss export controls, Bloomberg reported, while Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo talked about the same issues with METI chief Yasutoshi Nishimura via teleconference last week.

With the move, Dutch and Japanese officials will essentially codify and expand their existing export control measures to further restrict China’s access to cutting-edge chip technologies.

The two governments are planning to impose a ban on the sale of machinery capable of fabricating 14-nanometer or more advanced chips to China, the people said. The measures align with some rules Washington set out in October.

The 14nm technology is at least three generations behind the latest advances available on the market, but it is already the second-best technology that China’s chipmaking champion Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. owns.

Asked at a briefing Monday in Washington about a potential agreement with Japan and the Netherlands, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said “I’m not going to get ahead of any announcements.”

“We are very pleased with the candor, the substance and the intensity of the discussions that are taking place across a broad range of countries who share our concerns and would like to see broad alignment as we go forward,” he said. “Alignment is a priority for us. We’re working towards that.”

--With assistance from Debby Wu, Jenny Leonard, Jordan Fabian and Ian King.

Translation

（彭博社）- 據知情人士透露，日本和荷蘭原則上同意加入美國，加強對向中國出口先進芯片製造機器的控制，這可能會削弱北京的技術雄心。

據因為無權就此事公開發言而不願透露姓名的人士稱，兩國可能會在未來幾週內宣布，他們將至少採取美國 10 月份推出的部分全面措施，以限制先進半導體製造設備的銷售。 拜登政府曾表示，這些措施旨在阻止北京軍方獲得先進的半導體。

三國聯盟將代表對中國購買製造尖端芯片所需設備的能力的近乎全面封鎖。 美國的規定限制了美國設備器材供應商 Applied Materials Inc.、Lam Research Corp. 和 KLA Corp. 的供應。日本的 Tokyo Electron Ltd. 和荷蘭光刻專家 ASML Holding NV 是美國使製裁生效所需的另外兩家關鍵供應商 ，使他們的政府採用出口限製成為一個重要的里程碑。

Sanford C. Bernstein 分析師 Stacy Rasgon 說: “中國不可能靠自己建立一個領先的產業。 沒有機會” 。

中國商務部在週一在一份聲明中表示，中國就美國出口管制向世界貿易組織提出争議。 北京表示，這些限制威脅到全球供應鏈的穩定，美國的國家安全理由值得懷疑。

但全球對中國芯片製造雄心的反對聲越來越大。 彭博社上週報導稱，荷蘭官員正計劃對中國實施新的出口管制。 知情人士說，由於兩國希望採取一致行動，日本政府最近幾周同意採取類似的限制措施。 其中一位知情人士說，日本必須克服國內公司的反對，這些公司不願失去對中國的銷售。 除 Tokyo Electron 外，Nikon Corp.和 Canon Inc.也是市場上較細小的參與者。

日本經濟產業省未回應置評請求。

這三個國家是世界上製造先進半導體所需的機械和專業知識的主要來源。 ASML 股價收盤下跌 1.4%，收復了早些時候高達 2.8% 的跌幅。

據彭博社報導，美國國家安全委員會高級官員 Tarun Chhabra 和負責工業與安全的商務部副部長 Alan Estevez 於 11 月下旬在荷蘭討論出口管制問題，而上個星期商務部長 Gina Raimondo 通過電話會議與 METI 負責人Yasutoshi Nishimura 討論了同樣的問題。

通過此舉，荷蘭和日本官員實質上將法規化和擴大其現有的出口管制措施，以進一步限制中國獲得尖端芯片技術。

知情人士說，兩國政府計劃禁止向中國出售能夠製造 14 納米或更先進芯片的機器。 這些措施與華盛頓在 10 月份制定的一些規則吻合。

14nm 技術至少比市場上最新的技術落後三代，但它已經是中國芯片製造之冠中芯國際擁有的頂級以外最好的技術。

週一在華盛頓舉行的簡報會上，當被問及與日本和荷蘭可能達成的協議時，美國國家安全顧問沙利文說： “我不會提前宣布任何消息。”

他說： “我們對廣泛的國家之間正在進行的坦誠、實質和激烈的討論感到非常高興，這些國家與我們有共同的擔憂，並希望在我們前進的過程中看到廣泛的一致”; “步伐一致是我們的首要任務。 我們正在為此努力。”

              So, the Netherlands and Japan are planning to impose a ban on the sale of machinery capable of fabricating 14-nanometer or more advanced chips to China. Obviously, from now no China will need to develop its chipmaking machinery technology on its own and this will take time and money to do. Let’s see how CCP will handle this new challenge.

日本不斷增加的國防預算,現在幾乎與俄羅斯相等

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Japan’s Rising Defense Budget Is Now Nearly on Par With Russia

Isabel Reynolds

Tue, December 6, 2022 at 3:55 p.m.

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has ordered a sharp defense spending hike that could see his long-pacifist country’s defense budget balloon to near the levels spent by Russia.

Kishida instructed ministers to put together a budget of about 43 trillion yen ($315 billion) for the five-year period starting in April, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Monday. That’s up 57% on the 27 trillion yen initially budgeted for the current five-year period.

The change of direction for Japan, which has retained a US-drafted pacifist constitution since its defeat in World War II, comes after the country was shocked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. China’s threats toward Taiwan and North Korea’s atomic ambitions have also lent support for Tokyo to embark on one of its largest military buildups in decades.

A poll conducted by the Yomiuri newspaper over the weekend found 51% of respondents approved of a hike to more than 40 trillion yen, while 42% disapproved.

The money is set to be used for items such as stockpiling missiles that are capable of striking military assets in neighbors Russia, China and North Korea. Another goal over the next 10 years would be to triple the number of military units equipped with ballistic missile interceptors in a southwestern island chain that stretches toward Taiwan, Kyodo News reported Monday, citing a draft of a government document.

The news met with criticism from China. “Japan has been sensationalizing regional tensions in an attempt to seek a military breakthrough,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

“This is highly dangerous. It cannot but put Asian neighbors and the international community on high alert about Japan’s commitment to an exclusively defensive policy and to peaceful development,” she said.

Kishida’s increase could mean Japan leapfrogs countries like Saudi Arabia and France to become the world’s fifth-largest defense spender and reaches annual spending about level with Russia, based on 2021 figures provided by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The slump in the yen against the dollar in recent months will mean the cash may not go as far as in the past.

Ministries and ruling Liberal Democratic Party politicians have wrangled over the extent of the increase, which will place another strain on the finances of the deeply indebted and aging nation.

The premier called for a concrete plan by the end of the year to fund the increase, including spending reforms and use of non-tax revenues as well as taxes, Hamada said. Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki told reporters Tuesday that adjustments would be needed to secure the necessary funds for the five-year period.

The government is set to reveal how it plans to use the funds in revised national security documents and an annual budget to be unveiled later this month.

Kishida has also ordered ministers to aim to raise total defense-related spending to 2% of gross domestic product over the same five-year period. While Japan isn’t a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, that would meet the target set for members.

The figure is likely to be made up of defense ministry spending and other items such as research and coastguard funding, which have previously been counted separately.

Translation

（彭博社）- 日本首相岸田文雄已下令大幅增加國防開支，這可能會使這個長期和平主義國家的國防預算激增至接近俄羅斯的水平。

日本防衛大臣Yasukazu Hamada周一表示，岸田指示大臣們為從 4 月開始的五年期編制出約 43 萬億日元（3,150 億美元）的預算。 這比當前五年期最初預算的 27 萬億日元增加了 57%。

自二戰戰敗以來，日本一直保留美國起草的和平憲法，但受俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭一事所震驚，日本改變了方向。 中國對台灣的威脅和北韓的核子野心, 也支持東京開始其幾十年來其中一次最大規模的軍事力量增加。

讀賣新聞周末進行的一項民意調查發現，51% 的受訪者贊成加至 40 萬億日元以上，而 42% 的人不贊成。

這筆錢將用於購儲導彈能夠打擊鄰國俄羅斯、中國和朝鮮軍事資產的導彈等物品。 共同社週一援引一份政府文件草案報導稱，未來 10 年的另一個目標是將在西南向台灣延伸的島鏈上, 把配備有彈道導彈攔截器的軍事單位數量增加兩倍。

這一消息遭到了中國的批評。外交部發言人毛寧週二在北京舉行的例行新聞發布會上說: “日本一直在煽動地區緊張局勢，企圖尋求軍事突破” 。

她說: “這是非常危險的。 這不能不讓亞洲鄰國和國際社會對日本奉行專守防禦政策和和平發展的承諾保持高度警惕” 。

根據斯德哥爾摩國際和平研究所提供的 2021 年數據，岸田的增加可能意味著日本超越沙特阿拉伯和法國等國家成為世界第五大國防支出國，並達到與俄羅斯大致相當的年度支出水平。 近幾個月日元兌美元的暴跌意味著現金可能不會像過去那樣走得那麼遠。

各部門和執政的自民黨政客就加息幅度爭論不休，這將給這個負債累累且老齡化的國家的財政帶來另一壓力。

Hamada 說，首相呼籲在年底前製定一項具體計劃來為增加的資金提供資金，包括支出改革和使用稅收及非稅收。 財務大臣Shunichi Suzuki周二告訴記者，需要進行調整以確保五年期間的必要資金。

政府將在修訂後的國家安全文件透露它計劃如何使用這些資金, 和將於本月晚些時候公佈年度預算。

岸田還命令部長們在同一個五年期間, 將與國防相關的總支出提高到國內生產總值的 2%。 雖然日本不是北大西洋公約組織的成員，但這將達到為成員設定的目標。

這個數字很可能由國防部支出和其他項目組成，例如研究和海岸警衛隊的資金，這些項目以前是單獨計算的。

       So, Japan will beef up the number of its missiles that are capable of striking military assets in Russia, China and North Korea. Its another defense goal over the next 10 years is to triple the number of military units equipped with ballistic missile interceptors in a southwestern island chain that stretches toward Taiwan. I am wondering whether Russia, China and North Korea are the first movers in forcing Japan to make a change in its defense policy.

開始建造世界上最大的望遠鏡 - 並開始尋找外星生命等

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Construction of the world’s biggest telescope to begin – and start hunting for alien life and more

The Independent - Andrew Griffin

Tue, December 6, 2022 at 2:05 a.m.

Construction has begun on the world’s biggest observatory, the start of an effort to uncover some of the universe’s deepest secrets.

The SKA observatory is made up of two telescope sites, in South Africa and Australia, with a headquarters in the UK. Across those sites will sit almost 200 dishes as well as 130,000 dipole antennas, like little Christmas trees scattered across the desert.

Together, that equipment will work to make a giant telescope, effectively able to measure across hundreds of thousands of square metres. It will be the biggest science facility in the Earth.

The vast size of the telescope will mean that it will produce eight terabits of data each second – illuminating the cosmos but also providing a challenge for the researchers tasked with making the most of it.

Scientists hope to use that unprecedented technology to look back to the beginnings of the universe and of life, as well as helping to answer the question of whether there might be alien beings elsewhere in the universe.

The idea to make one observatory out of two telescopes was settled on 10 years ago. The two telescopes are known as SKA-Mid and SKA-Low, and the distance between them allows the observatory to pick up signals more sensitively than ever before, since they can act as one telescope and pick up a variety of different frequencies.

Construction began with ceremonies on Monday at the remote sites in South Africa and Australia. The first part is expected to finish in 2028, though data should start coming from the telescope before then.

Some of the building will happen on the site of the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa. That telescope has already been used by astronomers to find new information on a variety of objects in the universe – including publishing the most detailed image of our own galaxy, and has found that there are huge structures towering up and underneath our Milky Way.

Other telescopes in South Africa and Australia will be integrated into the final version of the SKA, or Square Kilometre Array.

Work on the SKA began in the early 1990s, when scientists suggested that it would be useful to look right back into the beginnings of the universe, or the Cosmic Dawn. Work on it has brought together a range of different countries from across the world.

Translation

世界上最大的天文台已經開始建設，這是揭開宇宙最深處秘密的努力的開始。

SKA 天文台由位於南非和澳大利亞的兩個望遠鏡站點組成，總部位於英國。 在這些站點上將放置近 200 個碟形天線和 130,000 個偶極子天線，就像散落在沙漠中的小聖誕樹。

這些設備將共同構成一個巨大的望遠鏡，能夠有效地測量數十萬平方米的面積。 它將成為地球上最大的科學設施。

望遠鏡的巨大尺寸意味著它每秒將產生 8 太比特的數據 - 提供宇宙的新信息，但也為負責充分利用它的研究人員帶來了挑戰。

科學家們希望利用這項前所未有的技術來回顧宇宙和生命的起源，並幫助回答宇宙其他地方是否可能存在外星生命的問題。

用兩台望遠鏡建造一個天文台的想法是在 10 年前敲定的。 這兩個望遠鏡被稱為 SKA-Mid 和 SKA-Low，它們之間的距離使天文台能夠比以往任何時候都更靈敏地接收信號，因為它們可以用作為单一個望遠鏡並接收各種不同的頻率。

週一在南非和澳大利亞的偏遠地點舉行了施工儀式。 第一部分預計將於 2028 年完成，不過應該在此之前望遠鏡已開始接取數據。

部分建築將建在南非的 MeerKAT 望遠鏡所在地。 天文學家已經使用該望遠鏡尋找有關宇宙中各種物體的新信息 - 包括發布我們銀河系最詳細的圖像，並發現在我們銀河系的上方和下方有巨大的結構。

南非和澳大利亞的其他望遠鏡將歸納到 SKA 或被稱為 ‘平方千米陣’的最終體制中。

SKA 的工作始於 1990 年代初期，當時科學家們建議直接回顧宇宙的起源或 “宇宙黎明” 會很有用。 它的工作匯集了來自世界各地的一系列不同國家。

       So, the world’s biggest observatory, the SKA observatory has started construction. The whole system will have almost 200 dishes as well as 130,000 dipole antennas. Probably we will know more about our own galaxy and the Milky Way eventually.

Notes:

1. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) (平方千米陣) is an intergovernmental international radio telescope project built in Australia (low-frequency) and South Africa (mid-frequency). The combining infrastructure, the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), and headquarters, are located at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in the United Kingdom. The SKA cores are being built in the southern hemisphere, where the view of the Milky Way galaxy is the best and radio interference is the least. (Wikipedia)

2. In radio and telecommunications a dipole antenna or doublet (偶極子天線) is the simplest and most widely used class of antenna. A dipole antenna commonly consists of two identical conductive elements such as metal wires or rods. The driving current from the transmitter is applied, or for receiving antennas the output signal to the receiver is taken, between the two halves of the antenna. A common example of a dipole is the "rabbit ears" television antenna found on broadcast television sets. (Wikipedia)

Progress in research on the "Super-agers" elderly whose brains do not become senescent - American university

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

脳が衰えない高齢者「スーパーエイジャー」研究進む　米大学

2022.12.05 Mon posted at 16:15 JST

 （ＣＮＮ） ８０歳を越えても２０～３０歳下の年代と同じ脳の働きを維持している「スーパーエイジャー」たちの研究に、米シカゴのノースウェスタン大学医学部が取り組んでいる。

チームは１４年前から、記憶力の優れた高齢者を募って研究を進めてきた。スーパーエイジャーという専門用語も同大学で誕生した。

８０歳以上の高齢者が詳しい認知機能の検査を受け、５０～６０代の正常な人々と同じかそれ以上の記憶力がある場合に限って、研究対象に入ることができる。特に、日常の出来事や過去の経験をよく記憶していることが条件だという。

応募者の中で条件に合うのはわずか１０％ほど。知能指数（ＩＱ）検査の結果は平均的な高齢者とあまり差がなく、知的レベルだけの問題ではないと考えられる。

対象に選ばれた人々の脳を三次元（３Ｄ）スキャンで調べた後、認知機能の検査と脳スキャンをほぼ毎年繰り返してきた。

ほとんどの人は年を取ると脳が委縮していくが、チームによると、スーパーエイジャーでは思考や判断、記憶をつかさどる大脳皮質の厚みが変わらず、５０～６０代に比べて脳萎縮のペースも遅いという。

スーパーエイジャーの脳は本人の意思で死後に寄付されることが多い。それを調べると、アルツハイマー病で最初にむしばまれる領域のひとつである「嗅内野」に、より大きく健康な細胞が多いことが分かる。

嗅内野は記憶と学習に欠かせない領域で、記憶保持を担うもうひとつの主要な領域「海馬」と直接つながっている。

亡くなったスーパーエイジャーの脳を年上や年下の正常なグループ、初期のアルツハイマー病と診断されたグループと比べ、研究結果を今年発表した同大学の准教授によると、スーパーエイジャーでは神経細胞に蓄積してアルツハイマー病などの認知症を引き起こす「タウたんぱく質」の量が、健康なグループの３分の１しかなかった。

スーパーエイジャーの脳では、脳内の素早い情報伝達に役立つとされる紡錘（ぼうすい）形の細胞「ＶＥＮ」の数が多いことも分かった。ＶＥＮがある「前帯状皮質」は、情緒のコントロールや注意力に重要な役割を果たすと考えられている。

これらの研究結果からうかがえるのは、スーパーエイジャーになるかどうかに遺伝的因子が絡んでいるということだ。ただ確認するには、対象者が生まれてから死ぬまで神経細胞の大きさなどを測り続ける必要があり、それは明らかに不可能だ。

チームによると、スーパーエイジャーに共通するのは活動的かつ前向きで、毎日脳を刺激し、読書をしたり新たなことを学んだりしているという特性だ。社交的で家族や友人に囲まれ、地域のボランティア活動にも積極的に参加することが多いという。

Translation

(CNN) Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago had been working on the study of "Super-agers," who were over 80 years old still maintaining the same brain function as those 20 or 30 years younger.

For the past 14 years, the research team had recruited elderly people with excellent memory. The term “Super-ager” was also born at the same university.

Included in the study were those aged 80 and over who had undergone detailed cognitive function tests, and limited to those who had the same or better memory than normal people in their 50s and 60s. In particular, as a condition, had a good memory of everyday events and past experiences.

Only 10% of applicants met the criteria. Their intelligence quotient (IQ) test results were not much different from those of the average elderly person, suggesting that it was not just a matter of intellectual level.

After performing three-dimensional (3D) scans of the brains of selected subjects, cognitive tests and brain scans were repeated almost every year.

Most people's brains shrank as they get older, but according to the team, the thickness of the cerebral cortex, which controls thinking, judgment, and memory, remained the same in Super-agers, and the rate of brain shrinking among them was slower than in people in their 50s and 60s.

A Super-ager's brain was often donated posthumously, voluntarily. Examination revealed that in the entorhinal cortex, one of the first areas to be eroded in Alzheimer's disease, we could see many larger and healthier cells.

The entorhinal cortex was essential for memory and learning, and was directly connected to another major area of memory retention, the hippocampus.

After comparing the brains of deceased Super-agers with older and younger normal groups, and also those who had been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease, an associate professor at the university who published the results earlier this year had found that the amount of “tau protein” found accumulated in neurons of Super-agers was only one-third that of the healthy groups, tau protein could cause dementia such as Alzheimer's disease.

It was also found that the brains of Super-agers had a large number of spindle-shaped cells known as VEN, which were said to help speed up the transmission of information within the brain. The "anterior cingulate cortex," where VEN located, was thought to play an important role in controlling emotion and focus.

These findings suggested that genetic factors played a role in whether a person becomes a Super-ager. However, in order to confirm this, it was necessary to continuously measure the size of nerve cells and other factors from the time the subject was born until they died, and this was clearly impossible.

According to the team, Super-agers in common were active and forward-looking, stimulated their brains every day, shared the traits of doing reading and learning new things. They were sociable, surrounded by family and friends, and often actively participated in community volunteer activities.

              So, clinically, Super-agers' brain have larger and healthier cells in the entorhinal cortex. Also, the amount of “tau protein” found accumulated in their neurons is less than normal people, and their brains have a large number of spindle-shaped cells known as VEN. Outwardly, Super-agers are active and forward-looking, share the traits of doing reading and learning new things. They are sociable, surrounded by family and friends, and often actively participate in community volunteer activities.

Is anisakiasis common in Japan? What is the reason? (2/2)

 Recently NHK News on-line carries the following investigative report:

アニサキス症 日本で多い？その理由とは？ (2/2)

2022年12月5日 18時07分

(continue)

一方で、韓国でも生で魚介類を食べる習慣があるためアニサキス症が起きてはいるものの、日本海側でとれた魚介類であることが多いため、日本と比べて発生件数は少ないとしている。

ということは日本海側の魚は安心して食べられるということなのだろうか。

国立感染症研究所 杉山客員研究員

「実はそうでもありません。最近になって日本海側の魚からもS型が発見されるようになりました。海洋環境の変化で回遊する魚が変わったことが原因と考えられています。今後の海洋環境の変化によってはアニサキスの生息地域が変わってくる可能性はあると思います。といってもP型やシュードテラノバでもアニサキス食中毒にはなりますので、やはり注意が必要です」

アニサキスの寄生が少ない魚は？

では、アニサキスの寄生が少ない魚はいるのか、杉山客員研究員にきいたところ、内海にいる魚種はアニサキスの寄生が少ないと言われているということだった。

取材を進めると、実際にブランド魚の「関さば」にアニサキスの寄生率が少ないという研究が発表されていたことが分かった。

大分県沖の豊後水道で1本釣りされる「関さば」は、元々、地元の漁業関係者や料理人の間では、アニサキスの寄生が少ないと言われてきたという。

しかし、科学的なデータがないため、その実態は不明だった。

そこで立ち上がったのが、大分大学の小林隆志教授の研究チームだ。

2014年から2016年にかけて、地元の漁協などの協力を得て、「関さば」74匹、九州西部でとれたさば40匹、そして九州南部の40匹を解剖して寄生するアニサキスをすべて取り出し、それぞれの寄生率について調査をした。

その結果、

▼関さばのアニサキスの寄生率が6.8％だったのに対し、

▼九州西部は75％、

▼九州南部は38％だったというのだ。

大分大学 小林隆志教授

「今回の調査で、関さばのアニサキス寄生率が少ないことが実証されました。ただ、その理由はまだわかりません。ほかの海域の群れとほとんど交わらず、独立している群れのことを『系群』といいますが、関さばも『系群』を形成していると言われています。これは推測の域を出ていませんが、関さばは瀬戸内海を周遊してアニサキスの寄生が少ない独特の『系群』を作っているのではないかと言えます」

では、関さばは生で食べても安全ということなのか。

大分大学 小林隆志教授

「残念ながら『安全』とは言い切れません。実際に寄生率6.8％という低い数値ながらアニサキスは寄生しています。生で食べるときには通常通り注意が必要です」

また、大分県漁業協同組合佐賀関支店は、「もともと寄生率が少ないとはきいていましたが、全国的にアニサキス症が増加する中で、今回実証してもらったことでより安心を得られた」と話している。

生の魚に瞬間的に電気を流してアニサキスを殺虫する技術も開発されたが、本格的な導入はまだ先で、残念ながら生の魚を食べるときには注意しなければならないのが現状のようだ。

アニサキスは、健康診断の際などに無症状のまま胃に刺さっていることが偶然見つかることもある。

こうしたことからアニサキス症は、刺さったことの痛みだけで生ずるのではなく、アレルギー反応もあるのではないかと言われているが、その発症のメカニズムもまだ解明されていない。

アニサキスで苦しむ人が1人でも少なくなるよう、私は、引き続き取材を続けていきたい。

アニサキスに注意するために

魚に脂がのってよりおいしくなる時期だが、生で食べる際には、

▼購入前や調理前には必ずアニサキスがいないかを確認し、見つけたら必ず取り除くこと

▼新鮮な魚を購入し、釣った魚の内臓はすぐ取り除くことを忘れずに

▼塩やわさび、醤油や食酢をかけても通常の量では死なないので注意が必要

Translation

(continue)

On the other hand, even though anisakiasis also occurred in South Korea where there was a custom of eating raw seafood, the incidence of anisakiasis was lower than in Japan because most of the seafood was caught on the Sea of Japan coast.

Does that mean that fish from the Sea of Japan side could be safely eaten?

National Institute of Infectious Diseases Visiting Researcher Sugiyama

"Actually, that's not the case. Recently, S-types have also been found in fish on the Sea of Japan coast. It is believed that this is due to changes in migratory fish because of changes in the marine environment. I think that the habitat of Anisakis may change depending on changes in the marine environment. However, even P-type and Pseudoterranova can cause Anisakis food poisoning, so we still need to be careful.”

Which fish had less Anisakis parasite?

Then, when I asked visiting researcher Sugiyama, whether there were any fish had less Anisakis parasite, I was told that fish species in the inland sea were said to be with less Anisakis parasite.

As I proceeded with the interview, I learned that a study had been published showing that the rate of Anisakis parasitism was actually low in the brand name fish "Seki mackerel".

“Seki mackerel” which was caught by single line fishing in Bungo Channel off the coast of Oita Prefecture originally had been said among local fishermen and chefs that they were less parasitized by Anisakis.

However, due to lack of scientific data, the actual situation was not known.

That was why the research team led by Professor Takashi Kobayashi of Oita University was set up.

From 2014 to 2016, with the cooperation of local fishermen's cooperatives etc., 74 "Seki mackerel", 40 mackerel caught in western Kyushu, and 40 mackerel caught in southern Kyushu were dissected and all Anisakis parasites were taken out. Respectively their parasitic rate was investigated.

The results were,

▼While the overall Anisakis parasitic rate of in Seki mackerel was 6.8%,

▼ In Western Kyushu it was 75%,

▼ In Southern Kyushu it was 38%.

 Professor Takashi Kobayashi, Oita University

"This study demonstrates that the rate of Anisakis parasitism in the Seki mackerel is low, but we still don't know why. Schools that rarely intersect with other sea areas and are independent are called "system groups", but it is said that Seki mackerel also form "system groups". This is only speculation, but it can be said that Seki mackerel may have circumnavigated the Seto Inland Sea to create a unique 'system group' that has less Anisakis parasites."

So, is Seki mackerel safe to eat raw?

Professor Takashi Kobayashi, Oita University

"Unfortunately, it cannot be said that it is 'safe'. In fact, Anisakis is parasitic even though the parasitic rate is as low as 6.8%. As usual, caution is required when eating raw."

In addition, the Saganoseki branch of the Oita Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative was saying that, ``While had heard that the parasitic rate was originally low, yet anisakiasis is on the rise nationwide now, we have gained more peace of mind with this actual proof.”

While a technology had been developed to kill Anisakis instantaneously by passing electricity through raw fish, its full-scale introduction was still a long way off; it was unfortunately as it seemed that the current situation was that people had to be careful when eating raw fish.

Anisakis was sometimes found by chance to be stuck in the stomach without any symptoms, such as during a health checkup.

For these reasons, anisakiasis was thought to cause not only a pain by a sting, but also by an allergic reaction, but the mechanism of its onset had not yet been elucidated.

I would like to continue reporting so that the number of people suffering from Anisakis could decrease even by one.

To be beware of Anisakis

While it was the time to eat as the fish became more oily and tastier, yet when eating it raw,

▼ Before purchasing or cooking, be sure to check for Anisakis, and if you found it, be sure to remove it.

▼ To buy fresh fish; and didn't forget removing the internal organs immediately after you caught it.

▼Be aware that even if you put in salt, wasabi, soy sauce, or vinegar, with the normal amount the Anisakis would not die.

              So, one of the main reasons why Anisakis is so common in Japan is its food culture of eating raw fish, such as sashimi and sushi. There are several ways to avoid Anisakis: 1. Before purchasing or cooking, be sure to check for anisakis, and if you find it, be sure to remove it. 2. To buy fresh fish, and don't forget removing the internal organs immediately after you catch it. 3.Be aware that even if you put in salt, wasabi, soy sauce, or vinegar, the normal amount used will not be enough to kill Anisakis.