Thank you for joining us. From our studio here in Tokyo, this is NHK Newsline.
JAPAN'S LOWER HOUSE DISSOLVED FOR FEB. 8 ELECTION
Japan's lower house has been dissolved for a general election.
That means voters across the country will head to the polls on February 8.
(Japanese)
00:00:46 話者 1
The speaker of the chamber announced the dissolution Friday afternoon.
The Cabinet then confirmed the election schedule. Official campaigning begins next Tuesday, January 27. Voting takes place February 8.
This will be the first general election for Takaichi Sanae as prime minister. She was elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Party last fall and took office shortly after.
Her ruling coalition currently holds a slim majority, bolstered by three independent lawmakers. In the upcoming race, 465 seats in the lower house are up for grabs.
ANALYSIS: WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION
Earlier, I spoke with NHK World political correspondent Igarashi Jun.
He broke down what's happening in the legislature now.
Takaichi has just triggered a snap election.
How are the ruling and opposition camps reacting to this news right now?
00:01:45 話者 2/Igarashi Jun
We're seeing mixed reactions among the members of the lower house.
Takaichi says she wants to put her position as prime minister on the line.
If the public votes for her, it gives her a stronger mandate and more leverage to bring her government's policies to fruition.
One LDP executive said the point of this election is to choose Takaichi as prime minister or not.
Takaichi said that the ruling coalition is looking to secure a majority, but they already have a slim majority.
So, If they don't see big improvements in the number of seats, they might be hearing some complaints.
Meanwhile, opposition parties are critical of the choice to call an election, and they're questioning the need for the public to head to the polls.
Some leaders say that what we need to do now is not to dissolve the lower house.
Instead, they say they should be discussing policies in the chamber, not spending their time campaigning.
00:02:48 話者 1
Right, so that's what's happening inside the legislature.
Now, turning to the candidates and voters, what are the key issues that are likely to emerge during the election?
00:02:59 話者 2
Tackling rising prices will definitely be one of the agenda.
The cost of living is rising, but people's wages haven't kept up.
Both ruling and opposition camps are putting out word that they want to make changes to the consumption tax.
LDP leader Takaichi has said she will speed up efforts to remove the consumption tax from food products for exactly two years.
Meanwhile, you've got the newest opposition party, the Centrist Reform Alliance.
It's mainly made-up of members from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito. And they've said they want to scrap the tax on food items for good.
Other opposition parties are also pledging to reduce tax rates or abolish taxes entirely.
So, we're expecting heated debates on how parties will secure financial resources for the country.
Foreign and security policies, as well as policies on foreign nationals, are also on the table.
Meanwhile, Japanese interest rates continue to rise at a rapid pace due to market concerns. Takaichi has set forth a fiscal policy that she calls responsible and proactive.
Last year, her administration approved a record-breaking draft budget.
00:04:24 話者 1
Okay, now, as a bit of an election climber, can you briefly walk us through how the lower house election works?
00:04:32 話者 2
There are two types of seats. All 465 seats in the lower house are up for grabs.
289 will be from single-seat districts where the voters simply write a candidate's name.
The remaining 176 seats will be chosen through a system of proportional representation.
For those seats, voters are given another ballot, and they write the party's name on that one. 233 seats are needed for a majority.
Candidates are already gearing up to win these lower house seats.
Official campaigning starts next Tuesday and will run for 12 days, until voters mark their ballots on February 8.
JAPANESE GOVT. DRAWS UP NEW POLICIES ON FOREIGN NATIONALS
00:05:21 話者 1
The Japanese government has compiled a set of general policies on foreign nationals.
These include stricter requirements for obtaining Japanese nationality and measures to counter overtourism.
The package was drawn up at a meeting of relevant cabinet ministers on Friday.
It calls for creating a society where Japanese and foreign nationals can live safely and prosper together based on Japanese laws and rules.
Besides changing citizenship requirements, the government plans to launch a new program for foreign residents to learn the Japanese language and rules.
Officials will consider using how program takers do when screening their residency status.
Foreign visitors with unpaid medical bills in Japan will face tougher scrutiny, as the government plans to share additional information with immigration authorities.
The government also plans to keep track of the nationalities of new residents of public housing.
Measures against over-tourism will include encouraging visits to more diverse locations outside major tourist spots.
Regarding real estate, the government will track the purchases of new condominiums in major cities by overseas buyers and any short-term sales.
The government will also consider nationalizing remote islands of unknown ownership.
As for regulations on real estate purchases by foreign nationals, officials plan to compile a framework of rules by this summer by studying what other countries do.
The government also says it will accept up to around 1.23 million foreign workers by March 2029 under two programs -- one for skilled workers and the other for trainees.
HEAVY SNOW SET TO CONTINUE ALONG SEA OF JAPAN
Japanese weather officials say heavy snow will continue on Friday in areas along the Sea of Japan due to a strong atmospheric pressure pattern.
And the snowfall could get even stronger over the weekend.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that, as of 11 a.m., around 4.3 meters had accumulated in Tsukayu, Aomori Prefecture, 2.3 meters in Uonuma City, Niigata Prefecture, and 1.3 meters in Aomori City.
In Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, the agency said the accumulation had more than tripled to over 60 centimeters from Thursday morning.
In Aomori City, the snow had piled up to over 120 centimeters.
In the 24 hours to noon on Saturday, weather officials are forecasting up to 80 centimeters in both Niigata Prefecture and the Hokuriko region.
They expect up to 70 centimeters in the Tohoku region and 60 centimeters in Gifu Prefecture.
The agency is calling on people to stay on alert for traffic disruptions, power outages, avalanches and snow falling from roofs.
BUSINESS
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business.
Here's Ramin Mellegard from our biz desk.
00:08:39 話者 3/Ramin Mellegard
Thank you very much indeed.
BOJ KEEPS POLICY RATE UNCHANGED AT 0.75%
Now the Bank of Japan says it will keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged.
The decision comes after the central bank raised its policy rate by 1/4 percentage point in December to the highest level in 30 years.
The BOJ said at the end of its two-day policy meeting on Friday that it will continue to target a short-term rate of around 0.75 percent.
Governor Uedo Kazuo indicated the possibility of further rate hikes ahead.
00:09:12 話者 2/Uedo Kazuo
Considering that the real interest rate is at an extremely low level, if the BOJ's economic and price scenario will be realized, the Bank will continue to raise its policy rate and adjust the degree of monetary accommodation, in line with improving economic and price trends.
BOJ RAISES GROWTH OUTLOOK
00:09:31 話者 3
The Bank raised its forecast for growth for the current and next fiscal year and its outlook for economic activity and prices.
Its median forecast for fiscal 2025 is an annualized 0.9% in real terms from the previous year. That is up from October's forecast of 0.7%.
The bank's projection for growth in fiscal 2026 is now 1%, up from 0.7% in October.
The BOJ says Japan's economy is likely to continue growing moderately. It cited overseas economies returning to a growth path and the government's economic measures.
The bank is sticking to its October median forecast that consumer prices, excluding fresh food, will rise 2.7% this fiscal year.
It slightly raised its inflation outlook for fiscal 2026 to 1.9% from 1.8%.
Policymakers expect inflation will reach the bank's 2% target in the second-half of their fiscal 2025 to 2027 projection period. That's in line with earlier predictions.
The BOJ says it will closely watch the situation in the markets and the economy.
It cited developments in financial and currency markets in an apparent reference to the weaker yen and a surge in Japan's benchmark government bond yield.
JAPAN'S INFLATION TOPS 3% IN 2025, DRIVEN BY RICE PRICES
Japan's inflation rate for consumer prices in 2025 topped 3%, driven by a record surge in the cost of rice.
The Internal Affairs Ministry says the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, rose 3.1 percent from a year ago.
The indicator, which excludes fresh food, was up 0.6 percentage points from the previous year.
Now, the reading means the CPI has exceeded 2 percent for four consecutive years.
It last topped 3 percent in 2023.
The price of rice rose more than 67 percent, which is the largest jump since comparable records began in 1971.
Other standouts were coffee bean prices that spiked almost 40%, followed by chocolate at about 36%.
Rice ball prices rose nearly 16%, restaurant sushi 6.4%, and domestic pork 5.3%.
Now, the ministry also released the CPI for December, which climbed 2.4% from a year earlier. This slowed from the 3% pace seen in November.
Rice prices were up more than 34% in December, showing the cost surge slowed somewhat, but the staple food remains expensive.
BIZ PICKS
Next up, NHK World's Yanaka Marie is here with Biz Picks.
00:12:19 話者 4/Yanaka Marie
Let's look at the business and economic stories we'll be tracking in the week ahead.
On Wednesday, the US Federal Reserve will decide its key interest rate.
WHAT'S IN STORE FOR JAPAN'S RECORD HIGH RICE PRICES?
And on Friday, the consumer price index in Tokyo's 23 wards for January will be announced.
In December, the index excluding fresh food rose 2.3 percent from a year earlier.
Food prices continue to push up overall commodity costs.
The price of rice, in particular, surged nearly 35 percent.
This week's feature looks at what's ahead for Japan's staple grain.
Here's a chart showing average rice prices at supermarkets across Japan.
Due to supply shortages, prices soared.
Stockpiled rice releases led to a temporary drop, but prices have stayed high, hitting a record level in early January.
Something that sheds light on supply is inventory. This company sells rice to retailers.
Its officials say sales of newly harvested rice have been slower than expected, resulting in a 20% increase in inventory compared to an average year.
Experts say there's actually an oversupply when it comes to rice produced in 2025.
00:13:43 話者 5
Given the supply shortages in 2024, farmers increased production.
A poor crop had been expected due to heat stress and other factors in the previous summer, but output did rise, overcoming such challenges.
Some released stockpile rice is still circulating, adding to the oversupply.
00:14:03 話者 4
The agriculture ministry announced in December that the rice yield in 2025 was projected to rise by around 10% from a year earlier. But prices remain high.
00:14:19 話者 5
In an oversupply situation, prices should fall according to economic principles.
But the rice market does not exactly reflect supply and demand.
That's why market players, including collecting companies, wholesalers, and retailers, look at one another and decide the price for each year.
They are now watching to see who is willing to take a loss and lower the price first.
For them, high prices are a beneficial bubble, so they have a wait-and-see attitude.
00:14:52 話者 4
But Oizumi says there's a chance that rice prices will fall.
00:15:00 話者 5
In March, when businesses close their books, dealers tend to prefer cash in hand rather than stockpiles.
Or they might want to repay their debts and sell off their inventory even at a loss.
Rice prices should then drop toward March.
They may fall further towards June ahead of the 2026 crop.
The drop could be sharp rather than gradual.
00:15:28 話者 4
Oizumi says the price may come down to 3,500 yen per 5 kilograms, but it's unlikely to fall to the 2,000 yen range, the level before the surge.
The price of Japan's staple food is likely to continue drawing attention this year as well.
I'm Yanaka Marie, and that wraps up BizPicks.
MARKETS
00:15:51 話者 3
OK, let's get a check on the markets.
♪
And that is it for business news.
00:16:25 話者 1
Thank you, Ramin.
TRUMP SAYS 'MASSIVE FLEET' HEADING TO IRAN
US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that a massive fleet is moving toward the country. Trump was speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday.
00:16:37 話者 6/Donald Trump
We have a big force going toward Iran.
I'd rather not see anything happen, but we're watching them very closely.
00:16:47 話者 1
Trump also vowed to go through with his plan to impose a 25 percent tariff on any country doing business with Iran. He said the measure would be taken very soon.
Trump has repeatedly indicated that the US could attack Iran militarily if the country's authorities crack down on protesters.
But last week, he thanked Iran, saying it canceled the hangings of over 800 people.
EU LEADERS HOLD SUMMIT ON GREENLAND
European Union leaders have met in Brussels.
They discussed the tensions with the US after Trump's backdown on threats to use trade action to acquire Greenland.
He claims he's reached the framework of a deal for the territory with NATO, but it's not clear where that leads.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the bloc's solidarity with Denmark and other members facing Trump's tariffs.
00:17:43 話者 11/Ursula von der Leyen
We were successful in withstanding by being firm, but non-escalatory, and most importantly, very united.
00:17:54 話者 1
She also says European nations should use a surge in defense spending to boost security in the Arctic.
Trump says he needs to take over Greenland, claiming Denmark and other European nations cannot defend the territory from Russia or China.
After a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte, the US leader abandoned his threats.
He also told reporters on Air Force One that the agreement they make on Greenland will last forever.
00:18:24 話者 6
We can do anything we want, we can do military, we can do anything we want and it's being negotiated and let's see what happens. I think it'll be good.
WSJ: TRUMP'S GREENLAND U-TURN
00:18:35 話者 1
The Wall Street Journal reported on what was behind Trump's sudden U-turn on Greenland.
It says Trump and his close aides held days of back-channel talks with European leaders and the NATO chief.
The report says the Europeans employed a mix of enticements, like boosting Arctic security.
And they warned a deeper rupture in NATO would pose dangers for the US.
TRUMP LAUNCHES HIS 'BOARD OF PEACE'
Separately, Trump has established a body to oversee a transitional governance in the Gaza Strip. He calls it the Board of Peace.
He attended a signing ceremony to launch the initiative and says he wants it to take a wider role. Trump delivered a speech at the ceremony on Thursday in Switzerland.
00:19:24 話者 6
We're committed to ensuring Gaza is demilitarized, properly governed and beautifully rebuilt. It's going to be a great plan and that's where the Border Peace really started.
And I think we can spread out to other things as we succeed with Gaza.
00:19:41 話者 1
Trump also said the United Nations has tremendous potential, but has not used it.
He said the Board of Peace and the United Nations together could be a unique framework for the world.
Leaders and other senior officials from about 20 countries took part in the ceremony.
They included the United States, which leads a peace plan for Gaza.
Also joining was Qatar, a mediator in ceasefire negotiations for the enclave.
ANALYSIS: TRUMP'S 'BOARD OF PEACE'
An expert on the United Nations says many leaders are skeptical of Trump's intentions.
00:20:17 話者 4
It technically does have Security Council authorization to deal with issues related to Gaza, but not to expand past that.
And this clearly is creating a new order, which is institutionalizing Trump in the United States at the top.
00:20:31 話者 1
Angar says Trump is trying to create an entity that makes decisions on international security. And the board would give him veto power over those decisions.
She warns that if enough countries join, the UN Security Council would be powerless to control it. And she says some leaders are taking a cautious approach.
They want to see how Trump reacts to countries that don't take part.
She says many of them feel that joining the board wouldn't be in their national interest.
ZELENSKYY: TRILATERAL TALKS TO INCLUDE U.S.
Now, while in Switzerland, Trump also met with his Ukrainian counterpart.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he sees a positive development in the peace process with Russia. He says negotiators from the two sides will meet directly.
00:21:20 話者 16/Volodymyr Zelenskyy
I hope that we will find some, I don't know, Russians have to be ready for compromises because, you know, everybody has to be ready, not only Ukraine.
And this is important for us.
00:21:36 話者 1
Zelenskyy says he and Trump discuss Ukraine's air defenses in addition to the talks with Russia. He says their meeting will include a delegation from the US.
Zelenskyy says it will take place on Friday and Saturday in the United Arab Emirates.
And he says they'll negotiate settling territorial boundaries with Russia.
♪
US COMPLETES EXIT FROM WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
The United States says it has completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization.
President Donald Trump expressed the desire to exit the global body immediately after taking office last January.
He claimed the organization had mishandled the COVID pandemic and was under the political influence of some member states.
The Thursday's announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services marks the end of the one-year withdrawal period.
A health department official told reporters, We relied on them and they failed, and they took no ownership of their failure.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric acknowledged that, for all intents and purposes, the US is no longer participating in the WHO's work.
00:22:58 話者 13/Stephane Dujarric
Health issues, right? Viruses, non-communicable diseases, all of these issues need and should be worked out with international cooperation.
The World Health Organization is the place to do it.
00:23:14 話者 1
Djaric said the WHO would much rather have the US as a full participant.
Meanwhile, the WHO has argued, rather, the US has not paid its dues.
it must do so upon its exit. But the US official said there is nothing in the agreement with the WHO that says the country must pay before leaving.
JAPAN EVENT MARKS ANTI-NUCLEAR TREATY ANNIVERSARY
Five years have passed since the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons took effect.
A group based in Japan has held an event in Tokyo to mark the occasion.
Thursday's gathering was hosted by Peace Boat. A non-governmental group participating in the international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons.
The treaty bans the development, possession and use of such weapons.
Seventy-four countries and regions have ratified it so far, but no nuclear-armed nation has joined, and neither has Japan.
Survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, known as Hibakusha, were invited to the event.
Tanaka Terumi addressed the meeting as co-chair of Nihong Hidankyo, a group representing nuclear bomb survivors, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024.
00:24:35 話者 12/Tanaka Terumi
This year, we must have a mindset of building a movement from the beginning again and lifting the momentum for the treaty until nuclear weapons are completely abolished.
00:24:51 話者 1
Tanaka said he intends to renew his efforts this year to finally get the Japanese government to take part in the treaty.
Setsuko Thurlow is an atomic bomb survivor who now lives in Canada.
She sent a video message to the meeting.
00:25:11 話者 11/Setsuko Thurlow
Because the world feels dark right now, I believe we need to keep seeking light by continuing our efforts toward nuclear abolition.
00:25:21 話者 1
Thurlow said people should work together and never give up.
♫
WEATHER
And now a check on the world weather. As we reported, Japan has already been hit by heavy snowfall this week, with concerns growing over additional impacts on the weekend.
For more details, here's our meteorologist Yumi Hirano.
00:26:06 話者 7/Yumi Hirano
The combination of cold air and moisture over the Sea of Japan has damped record-breaking snowfall on Kazuno-Akita Prefecture, but another round of heavy snow is expected to hit the country over the weekend.
Snow is likely to spread to the Pacific side, including Kinki and Tokai, from Saturday to Sunday.
The heaviest amount is expected on the Sea of Japan side, especially around Hokuriku.
Up to 70 centimeters is possible by Saturday evening and another 70 centimeters by Sunday evening.
Snow may accumulate even in parts of Shikoku and Kyushu.
Tokyo is likely to stay on the dry side, but northern Kanto and Koshin will see heavy snowfall.
So traffic and transportation services may continue to be affected over the weekend.
Power outages could also be a big concern.
That's it for now. Stay safe.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:41 話者 1
That's all for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Tashiro Kyoko.
Thank you very much for staying with us.
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