Hello, a very warm welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.
JAPANESE DIPLOMAT VISITING CHINA AMID RIFT
A senior Japanese foreign ministry official has arrived in Beijing amid a widening rift with Tokyo.
He's set to hold talks as China continues to respond to Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's comments on Taiwan.
Kanai Masaaki arrived in China on Monday.
He's the director general of the foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau.
Kanai is expected to meet with Liu Jin Song, Beijing's director general of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, among other officials.
The visit comes after Takaichi's remarks to the Diet earlier this month.
She said that a military emergency concerning Taiwan could be regarded as a situation that might threaten Japan's survival.
It triggered a sharp reaction from Beijing. Kanai is expected to explain that Takaichi's words did not deviate from Japan's position regarding Taiwan.
Kanai will also likely lodge a strong protest over a social media post made by the Chinese consul general in Osaka in response to Takaichi's comments.
The post said, The intruding dirty neck must be cut off.
Some Japanese lawmakers have called for measures against the consul general, including deporting him as a persona non grata.
Kanai is expected to urge Beijing to respond appropriately.
And earlier, I spoke with NHK World's Yoshida Mayu in Beijing.
She walked us through China's reaction thus far.
00:01:50 話者 2
Beijing has taken several steps. Last week, it summoned Japan's ambassador and demanded the prime minister retract her statement.
Now, China's backlash is focused on people exchanges. Multiple ministries, including the Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Education, have issued strong warnings.
They claim Chinese nationals are facing increasing violence in Japan without showing any specific evidence.
This is significant because China is responsible for the largest portion of overseas students right now.
Tourists from mainland China, as well as Hong Kong, are also being told to rethink travel plans to Japan.
Reactions to these messages appear to be mixed. We spoke to some people here who say they still plan to visit Japan, but will take precautions.
Travel agencies say they have not seen many cancellations so far.
But they added that they are still concerned about long-term impacts.
China's foreign ministry spokesperson also issued this message on X in both Japanese and English. It says Japan should honor its commitments in reference to Taiwan's status.
X is blocked on China's domestic internet, so this is clearly meant for a worldwide audience.
00:03:09 話者 1
And how has Japan responded?
00:03:15 話者 2
Tokyo seems to be trying to lower the temperature. Takaichi clarified that her comments were based around a worst-case scenario involving Taiwan.
Japan's government wants to avoid escalation with Beijing, although that's exactly what has happened.
Going back to Beijing's travel advisories, Takaichi's chief cabinet secretary made some comments on Monday.
00:03:41 話者 3
The announcements seem to threaten people exchanges between Japan and China, including study abroad programs and tourism.
They are incompatible with the broad direction confirmed by both leaders, such as promoting strategic and mutually beneficial relations and building a constructive and stable relationship.
00:04:05 話者 1
So clearly, Tokyo does not want the flow of people between Japan and China, be they travelers or students, be impacted by this situation.
So what happens next?
00:04:20 話者 2
China's government and media appear to be ramping up their criticism of Japan, so I don't think a quick solution seems possible.
This comes weeks after Takaichi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met during the APEC summit in South Korea.
Both sides said they would work toward staple ties. Relations went downhill shortly after.
We will have to see whether Kanai's diplomatic visit can put things back on a positive track.
FOUR CHINESE SHIPS ENTER JAPAN'S WATERS OFF SENKAKU ISLANDS
00:04:51 話者 1
Four Chinese government ships entered Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Sunday.
The Japan Coast Guard reports that the vessels started crossing into the area near the island of Minami-Koshima at around 10:15 a.m.
Officials say all the ships left Japan's territorial waters by around noon.
They note the vessels were equipped with cannons.
Coast Guard personnel are continuing to monitor the area to prevent further intrusions.
This is the first time Chinese government ships have been confirmed entering Japanese waters off the Senkaku Islands since October 15.
Japan controls the islands. China and Taiwan claim them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory in terms of history and international law. It says there is no issue of sovereignty to be resolved over them.
TRUMP OPENS DOOR TO DIALOGUE WITH VENEZUELA'S MADURO
US President Donald Trump is signaling he may hold direct talks with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, even as questions swirl about whether Washington is preparing for a military operation.
The US has been ratcheting up pressure on Caracas through an anti-narcotics campaign.
00:06:12 話者 10
We may be having some discussions with Maduro and we'll see how that turns out.
They would like, they would like to talk.
00:06:23 話者 1
Trump's remarks Sunday suggest a decision on military action may hinge on the results of any talks. That's despite the US president saying Friday he had sort of made-up his mind on how to proceed.
Since September, the Trump administration has repeatedly targeted what it calls drug-smuggling vessels in waters off Venezuela and elsewhere.
It has also deployed an advanced US aircraft carrier to the region.
The US State Department said Sunday it plans to designate a Venezuela-based drug cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
It says the group is led by Maduro and other high-ranking government officials.
IRANIAN FM DEFENDS 'UNDENIABLE' RIGHT TO ENRICH URANIUM
Iran's foreign minister says Tehran is no longer enriching uranium in the country.
This follows Israel's and the United States' attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in June.
Abbas Araghji said in Tehran on Sunday that Iran's right to enrichment or peaceful use of nuclear technology is undeniable.
00:07:31 話者 9
We have destroyed and we continue to exercise that. And we hope that the international community, including the United States, recognize our rights.
00:07:43 話者 1
But he expressed a negative view on the possible resumption of nuclear talks with the US.
He said the Trump administration's approach does not indicate any readiness for equal and fair negotiations to achieve mutual interests.
BUSINESS
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business.
Here's Gene Otani from The Biz Desk.
Gene.
00:08:17 話者 3
Miki, thanks.
In our top business story this hour,
JAPAN JUL .- SEP. GDP CONTRACTS FIRST TIME IN 6 QUARTERS
Japan's economy contracted in the July to September period for the first negative GDP result in six quarters.
Preliminary data show gross domestic product shrank 0.4 percent in price-adjusted real terms from the previous quarter.
That's an annualized contraction of 1.8 percent based on figures released by the Cabinet Office on Monday.
One major factor was the slump in overseas trade. Exports dropped 1.2 percent in the quarter as US tariffs damped shipments of automobiles and other items.
Private residential investment also plunged 9.4 percent.
That's mainly in reaction to a rush in housing starts before April, when tougher energy-saving standards took effect.
Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of Japan's GDP, inched up 0.1 percent.
Beverages sold well amid a record heatwave, while demand for sweets and other inflation-hit items weakened.
UKRAINE FIGHTS FRIGID WINTER WITH US LNG VIA GREECE
Ukrainians are facing a potentially frigid winter as Russia attacks lower energy production.
Kyiv now says it has secured supplies of US liquefied natural gas that will be shipped through Greece.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the agreement at a joint news conference with Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on Sunday.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian and Greek firms signed the deal for US LNG.
00:10:08 話者 7
Our agreement with Greece is an important part of a large energy package that we have prepared for this winter. It provide Ukraine with gas and compensate for the destruction of our production by the Russians.
00:10:27 話者 3
Zelenskyy says Ukraine already has agreements to finance gas imports for nearly 2 billion euros or $2.3 billion.
He says the funding will come from the Ukrainian government, with assistance from European nations and others.
PHOTO STICKER BOOTHS STILL IN THE PICTURE AT TOKYO EXPO
Photo sticker booths are still popular among young people in Japan, even in the age of social media.
Makers showed off their latest models at an amusement industry trade show in Tokyo.
About 50 companies from Japan and abroad took part in the two-day event that ended Saturday.
Major Japanese game maker Sega displayed its latest photo booth.
Users can have their pictures taken as if their favorite stars are right next to them.
Another participant, Fuyu, is a leading photo sticker machine maker.
Its new device lets users choose functions and filters from machines dating back
decades.
The photo booths have been around in Japan since 1995. Their market share has waned as the country's population aged and smartphones took off.
Expo officials say the market size in fiscal 1997 was 100 billion yen, or nearly $650 million.
It was down to less than 20% of that in fiscal 2023. The main users are teenagers in Japan.
Manufacturers are hoping to expand by targeting users abroad.
MARKETS
All right, let's have a look at the markets.
♪
And that's it for Business News.
IN FOCUS
00:12:48 話者 1
Next, we join Shibuya Aki for Newsline in Focus.
She has a story on a concerning environmental development in Southeast Asia.
THAIS ANXIOUS OVER MYANMAR RARE EARTH MINING
00:12:58 話者 6
We examine the world's third-largest producer of rare earths, Myanmar, which has been expanding its mining operations. Much of its output is exported to China.
But experts warn its waste is also being exported to neighboring Thailand.
That's via rivers, and it's threatening people's lives.
00:13:21 話者 4
People here in Taton, in the far north Chiang Rai province, which shares a border with Myanmar, have long relied on the Khok River for fishing and agriculture.
During the dry season from November to February, the river normally flows crystal clear, but this year, It remained an alarming brown.
And locals who have entered the river are reporting skin ailments and other health issues.
00:13:53 話者 3
When I came out of the water, I had red rashes, normally something Like that would heal quickly, but these lasted for three months. Someone I know got a fever.
00:14:09 話者 4
Local authorities tested the water and detected toxins such as arsenic and lead.
The levels exceeded reference values at multiple points.
Arsenic nearly five times the standard.
The Thai government believes mining in Myanmar is most likely the culprit of the pollution.
A human rights group reported in May that its analysis of satellite images indicated rare earth extraction along the river in Myanmar's Shan state, about 25 kilometers north of the border.
Rare earth mining requires vast amounts of chemicals and water, which produce toxic waste.
The group says this waste is being discharged directly into the river without treatment.
00:15:09 話者 2
This kind of mineral mining has impacted a lot of both natural resources and also the community along the south. And we also call for the complete stuff of all mining from the upper side.
00:15:30 話者 4
The group believes the United Wa State Army, an armed ethnic group dominating the region, is working with Chinese-linked companies to carry out the mining.
00:15:43 話者 2
According to the local people, they said that the manager or the high official at the mining side, speaking Chinese, the link between the UWSA and also the China is very close, so we think that they are cooperate.
00:16:02 話者 4
The armed group did not immediately respond to questions from NHK.
Water pollution has been reported in a major river system too, the mighty Mekong, which cuts through several countries, including Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand.
Tests by Thai authorities showed excessive levels of arsenic and other toxins.
Experts and NGOs point their fingers to unregulated rare earth mining along tributaries on the Myanmar side.
While no definitive links to the toxic runoff have been established, local fishers have found abnormalities in their catches.
00:16:52 話者 3
There were lumps near the catfish's whiskers, as well as on the tail and fins.
I'd never seen anything like it.
00:17:08 話者 4
Consumers were also taken aback.
00:17:17 話者 3
People stopped buying our fish. They're afraid of illness and toxins.
We've lost many of our customers.
00:17:25 話者 4
An expert investigating the situation warns the entire Mekong Basin could face serious health consequences if urgent action is not taken.
00:17:37 話者 3
In the future, we will have a group of the people who are sick.
We need to call for the government to take very strong action to solve this problem.
00:17:52 話者 6
For more, I'm joined by NHK World's Napat Khongsawat, who covered the story.
So Napat, how is the Thai government responding to locals' growing concerns over the health implications?
00:18:06 話者 5
Well, Aki, it's a very complex situation, hampered by the civil war in Myanmar.
The Thai government did send the then deputy prime minister to Myanmar in August and agreed with the ruling military on joint countermeasures.
But the junta is still fighting pro-democracy forces and armed ethnic minority groups.
As I reported, many mining sites are under the control of ethnic armed groups and rare earths are believed to be a critical financial source for them.
00:18:35 話者 6
Now, the involvement of Chinese-linked enterprises further complicates the issue.
Can you tell us more?
00:18:43 話者 5
Sure. Most of Myanmar's output is directed by Chinese operations.
An independent think tank's report shows that Myanmar's rare earth exports to China have increased over five times since the 2021 coup.
This protracted war situation seems to be allowing China to secure supplies while at the same time avoid facing responsibility vis-a-vis its environmental responsibility.
So it's hard to hold a one party accountable.
00:19:15 話者 6
So, Napat, global competition for rare earths just keeps heating up with demand.
How can we make sure its sourcing is done sustainably with proper measures in place?
00:19:28 話者 5
Well, there are no easy fixes. Experts and NGOs are calling for halting the trade of rare earths and other minerals from Myanmar, for instance.
But it's not very realistic with the Chinese involvement I mentioned.
And this kind of thing happens elsewhere in the world, too.
That's why it's so critical to establish better supply chain transparency and accountability through legally enforceable international frameworks.
00:19:53 話者 6
Thank you for your insight, Napat.
NHK World's Napat Kongsawad in Bangkok.
And that's all from me.
TWO BEARS SPOTTED IN RESIDENTIAL AREA OF IWATE PREF.
00:20:05 話者 1
Two bears are on the loose in a residential area of northern Japan. Local police have so far been unable to drive them off due to the risk of endangering people nearby.
The bears were seen in a persimmon tree in Iwaizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture at 6 a.m.
Monday.
They were still there several hours later. No one has been injured.
Local police say two bears were spotted in the same tree last week.
Town officials say they cannot be shot with hunting rifles due to the risks to the community.
The tree is surrounded by homes and is close to an elementary school.
The school has reportedly asked parents and guardians to take their children home.
Police have closed down roads in case the bears get excited and run away.
LAST VOYAGE OF COMMEMORATION
Eighty years after World War II ended, voyages commemorating the conflict's victims are also ending. That's because participants are advancing in age.
As this chapter closes, we joined an 82-year-old man who made his last trip to honor his father's memory.
00:21:31 話者 6
Niizeki Yoshihiro, who lives in Yamagata Prefecture, treasures a small receptacle.
00:21:41 話者 5
This is all I have of my father's belongings.
00:21:45 話者 6
The sand is said to have been sent by the Imperial Japanese Army.
Niizeki's father, Kisaburo, was in the Navy.
He died in February 1945, but how his life came to an end has remained unclear.
In 2009, Niizeki came across a surprising piece of information.
A report from an Association for War-Bereaved Families said that Kisaburo died not at sea, but in battle east of the Philippines capital of Manila.
00:22:22 話者 5
I had my doubts. I never thought he died ashore.
00:22:29 話者 6
In May, Niizeki went to Tokyo to find out more. Documents at the National Institute for Defense Studies revealed that Kisaburo belonged to the 31st Special Base Force.
00:22:51 話者 3
31 was a unit near Manila. The Battle of Leyte Gulf began in October 1944 and a significant number of Japanese ships sank.
There was no choice but to take the rifles that were left on board and go ashore to join the ground forces.
00:23:10 話者 6
Other material compiled by survivors after the war revealed further details.
00:23:18 話者 5
I thought my father's life ended when his ship was hit by a shell and sank, but now I know that he persevered amid very difficult circumstances.
00:23:29 話者 6
The information he garnered helped Niizeki gain a better understanding of what his father went through.
In June, Niizeki and 217 other relatives took part in the last commemorative voyage.
They visited locations in the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and off the coast of the Philippines over the course of 11 days.
When the ship was in waters east of the Philippine island of Luzon, Niizeki was on deck, holding the precious sand.
00:24:11 話者 5
For the first time, I felt like I was able to embrace my father.
00:24:26 話者 6
A voyage commemorating long-dead family members. Though the ships will no longer sail, those left behind will continue to honor the memories of the fallen.
WEATHER
00:24:42 話者 1
Time for weather with our meteorologist Jonathan Oh. So Jonathan, it was nice and warm in Tokyo Monday, but folks in the northeast are dealing with a blast of winter.
What's the latest?
00:24:54 話者 7
Hello, we saw temperatures moving into the 20s in Tokyo as it went through Monday with plenty of sunshine to talk about that, but it's a little different story up toward the north.
We're talking about snow, 10 centimeters of it falling in Tsukayu, and also seeing gusts up to 122 kilometers per hour. So that's a bit of a bitter blast, isn't it?
Here's a look at some video coming out of Akita, where we also saw some messy weather as people across the Toku region that slapped with some strong winds and rain Monday.
A rapidly developing low pressure system brought gusts of 70 kilometers per hour in Akita City. And yeah, there's a lot of water with that too.
Unstable conditions also led weather officials to issue a tornado advisory across Akita Prefecture. That bitter blast behind the passing cold front that caused the first snow to come to Akita City overnight in Tuesday.
So yeah, we had this low pressure system up toward the north, really gathering energy and so pushing all that warm air down to the south, which means...
Check your jackets back out. It's going to be on the cooler side.
16 for the high in Tokyo coming up on Tuesday, 14 by Wednesday, which means overnight low, single digits. So it will feel quite chilly outdoors.
Naha getting a break from the rain here by Wednesday with highs in the low 20s.
Broadening out the view. It's not just Japan getting on the colder air.
High pressure back over China, bringing the northerly flow.
High of only 9 in Beijing, Seoul at 6, Ulaanbaatar down to 4 below freezing as we go through the day on Tuesday.
Looking at what's happening across North America, eastern areas of the United States under the influence of high pressure, keeping these relatively dry, though up toward the north and east, we're still seeing some snow in the forecast.
Now, back toward the west, atmospheric rivers set up, bringing lots of wet weather across the Pacific coast, which means
On Monday from Vancouver down toward Los Angeles, looking at some wet weather here down toward the southern plains, the highest in the upper 20s, so quite warm as we go through the day on Monday.
That's Look at your forecast.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:36 話者 1
And that's NHK Newsline for this hour. I'm Yamamato Miki in Tokyo.
Thanks for watching.
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