Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yamaguchi Hiroaki in Tokyo.
MORE HEAVY SNOW FORECAST FOR SEA OF JAPAN COAST
Weather officials say areas along the Sea of Japan coast should prepare for more heavy snow this week. They're calling on people in northern and western Japan to remain alert.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says a strong winter atmospheric pressure pattern could bring more snowfall on Thursday and Friday.
Nearly five meters accumulated in the mountainous areas of the northern prefecture of Aomori as of 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Low-lying areas may also be affected.
Accumulation in many areas has already exceeded yearly averages.
Weather officials warn snow may intensify in a short period of time in some parts of the Hokuriku and Sanin regions.
They say clouds flowing over to the Pacific coastal areas could also bring snow to the plains of the Tokai and Kinki regions. The southern Kanto region may see snow or rain.
Officials advise those in affected areas to take precautions against possible avalanches, power outages and snow falling from roofs.
They also warn people to be mindful of possible traffic disruptions as well as accidents while removing snow.
JAPAN CRITICIZES N.KOREA AFTER 'LARGE-CALIBER ROCKET' TEST
Japan's government has condemned North Korea after its latest weapons test.
Leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of multiple large-caliber rockets as his ruling Workers' Party gets ready for a major policy meeting later this year.
00:01:48 話者 11
North Korea's nuclear and missile development threatens peace and security for Japan and the world and is totally unacceptable.
00:01:57 話者 1
On Tuesday, Japanese defense officials said they had detected multiple launches from North Korea.
On Wednesday, state-run Korean Central Television confirmed its forces had tested new rocket technology.
It reported that four projectiles successfully hit a target in borders about 360 kilometers away. Kim and his daughter were photographed near the launch site.
State media reports Kim expressed his satisfaction with the weapons system's mobility and accuracy.
Pyongyang appears to be flexing its military might ahead of the next Workers' Party congress. It's set to be held for the first time since 2021.
Kim has indicated he will use the gathering to present plans to strengthen his nuclear deterrence capabilities even further.
EX-S.KOREAN FIRST LADY GETS 1 YEAR, 8 MONTHS IN PRISON
South Korea's former first lady Kim Kon-hee has been sentenced to one year and eight months in prison.
The Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday found her guilty of accepting bribes in the form of a handbag and a necklace.
It comes less than two weeks after her husband, former president Yoon So-yeol, received five years in prison for obstructing investigators trying to detain him.
NHK World's Kim Chan-ju joins us now from outside the court to explain the case and how it fits in with another high-profile matter. Chan-ju.
00:03:29 話者 2/Kim Chan-ju
Things are definitely quieter than what we saw when Yoon's verdict came out.
Like in that case, Kim's verdict was broadcast live nationwide.
Local media say it's the first time the court has approved the live streaming of the verdict of a person who did not hold a post in government.
Kim stood trial on three main charges, including involvement in stock manipulation at a car importer.
She was suspected of being a funding source for officials there, who allegedly manipulated stock prices between 2010 and 2012.
But she was only found guilty of the bribery charge.
It relates to receiving luxury gifts in connection with lobbying by the religious group widely known as the Unification Church.
That happened in 2022, the year she became first lady.
Kim first denied receiving gifts, but during the court proceedings, she admitted she got two handbags worth more than $14,000.
The court says first ladies need to behave appropriately as they are the closest to presidents.
It says Kim misused her position for profit-seeking purposes, accepted luxury goods and focused on adorning herself.
Her lawyers say they will consider whether to appeal.
Her team also criticized a special counsel investigation, describing it as politically motivated. The counsel had demanded a 15-year prison sentence.
A major focus of the trial was on the alleged collusion between Kim and the Unification Church.
And in a separate but related trial Wednesday, the court sentenced a former senior official of the group, who contacted Kim to one year and two months in prison.
The special counsel team says Yoon Young-ho gave the handbags to Kim through a third party.
He has been found guilty of giving illegal political funds to a politician close to the former president as well as bribery.
The leader of the religious group is also on trial. Han Hak-ja faces similar accusations.
She denies all the charges against her.
As the investigation went on, local media say the group allegedly contacted both the then-ruling and opposition parties.
It's worth mentioning that Kim has two more trials coming up.
One of them is on an allegation that also relates to the Unification Church.
The other centers on a bribery allegation that also involves luxury gifts.
00:06:26 話者 1
All right, that was NHK World's Kim Chun-ju reporting from Seoul. Thank you, Chun-joo.
♪
UENO ZOO'S GIANT PANDAS ARRIVE IN CHINA
Two giant pandas from a Tokyo zoo arrived in China early Wednesday morning.
Their departure marks the first time in over 50 years that Japan has no pandas in its borders.
Large crowds gathered at the Ueno Zoological Garden Sunday for a last look at Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei.
The twins were born there five years ago. Tickets for the day were limited.
About 44-hundred lucky people won the draw.
00:07:10 話者 12/visitor
It's the last time I can visit them, so I feel a little sad.
But seeing the palace gave me a bit of energy.
00:07:18 話者 1
Before setting off, Lele seemed restless inside her crate.
But Xiao Xiao was seen happily munching on a carrot.
People gathered to wave goodbye as they were taken away by truck.
The pandas landed at an airport in Sichuan Province early Wednesday morning.
In a statement, the China Wildlife Conservation Association said they arrived safely.
They were then sent to the China Conservation and Research Center for a giant panda.
Some Japanese fans traveled there for the occasion.
00:07:51 話者 13
I'm so relieved the pandas made it here safely.
00:07:56 話者 1
The two will undergo quarantine. Once they have adapted to their environment, they'll be visible to the public. Their mother and older sister are also housed at the facility, and the family will be living together.
ANALYSIS: PARSING BEIJING'S PANDA DIPLOMACY
For more on this, earlier, I spoke with NHK World's Yoshida Mayu in Beijing.
Mayu, what has China said about the future of pandas in Japan?
00:08:24 話者 3/Yoshida Mayu
Not much, actually. Beijing has been sticking to its message, seeing the return was carried out as scheduled. The foreign ministry had its regular press conference yesterday.
A reporter asked if China plans to loan new pandas to Japan.
00:08:41 話者 15
We welcome Japanese people to come visit China to see pandas as before.
00:08:47 話者 3
So not a great sign. Beijing hasn't said if the current state of Japan-China relations has played a role here. But Chinese media outlets think it has.
We've seen reports saying things like it's clear why we won't loan new pandas to Japan, and the fault lies with the Japanese side.
With relations between the two countries still strained, many think the odds of Japan getting new pandas is practically zero.
00:09:16 話者 1
We've been talking about Japan, but Beijing engages in panda diplomacy with many countries. How is it going with them?
00:09:24 話者 3
Right now, there are about 40 pandas overseas.
That includes those born outside of China, but who are still owned by Beijing.
Over the past few months, China has announced several new loans.
In December, during the French president's visit, Beijing announced two new pandas will be heading to France.
And earlier this month, South Korea and China said they were moving towards a new panda loan. Plans to send pandas to Germany were also made public.
China uses these loans as a symbol of friendship between countries.
You can see it as an indicator of whether a relationship is improving or deteriorating.
So the fact that Beijing is moving forward on all these deals paints a pretty stark picture for Japan.
♪
BUSINESS
00:10:26 話者 1
Now, let's turn to our Gene Otani for what's happening in the world of business. Gene .
00:10:31 話者 4
Hiroaki, thanks. In our top business story this hour,
YEN GAINS ON INTERVENTION SPECULATION, TRUMP COMMENT
the Japanese yen gained ground against the dollar to trade at its strongest level in about 3 months. It was changing hands in the 152 range in Tokyo on Wednesday.
The move is being fueled by speculation that Japanese and US authorities may intervene in the currency market.
President Donald Trump indicated on Tuesday he is tolerating a weaker dollar when asked if the greenback had declined too much.
00:11:09 話者 5/Donald Trump
No, I think it's great. I mean, the value of the dollar, look at the business we're doing.
No, the dollar's doing great.
00:11:16 話者 4
The yen appreciated further after his comment, reaching the lower 152 range in New York.
That's a level not seen since late October. Investors started unloading the dollar on Friday.
This came amid reports monetary authorities in Japan and the US ran a so-called rate check with dealers and banks. This is regarded as a sign they may intervene in the market.
BOJ DEC. MINUTES SHOW DISCUSSIONS ON LONG-TERM RATES, WAGES
The minutes from the Bank of Japan's December meeting show policymakers discuss the careful monitoring of long-term government bond yields.
The outlook for wages also took up part of the deliberations.
Policymakers at the meeting unanimously agreed to raise the BOJ's key rate to around 0.75%, the highest level in 30 years. The minutes were released on Wednesday.
They show many board members agreed it was highly likely that firms would continue to raise wages steadily in 2026.
One board member noted that nominal interest rates would reach a level not seen for a considerable time, and that therefore it would be crucial to monitor the impact on the economy and financial markets.
The yen was weakening, and yields on Japan's long-term bonds were rising at the time of the meeting.
One member expressed the view that raising the policy interest rate in a timely manner could curb future inflationary pressure and lead to holding down long-term interest rates.
The BOJ kept its policy rate unchanged on Friday at its latest meeting.
The central bank is reportedly assessing the effect of the December rate hike on household finances and corporate earnings.
BOEING MOVES INTO THE BLACK FOR FIRST TIME IN 14 QUARTERS
Aircraft maker Boeing returned to the black for the first time in 14 quarters in the three months to December.
The uptick was due to the sell-off of its software unit and a recovery in production.
The US aerospace giant said on Tuesday that its revenue in the fourth quarter rose 57% from a year earlier to nearly $24 billion. Net profit stood at about $8 billion.
The company also recorded a full-year net profit in 2025
It's the first time in seven years.
Boeing saw a recovery in production as it delivered 600 commercial airplanes last year.
That's the most since 2018.
Boeing president and CEO Kelly Ortberg said the firm made significant progress in its recovery in 2025.
He also said the aircraft maker has set a foundation to keep that momentum going in the year ahead. The company's backlog stood at over 6,100 commercial aircraft.
The focus now is on whether it can raise the pace of production while ensuring product quality.
MARKETS
All right, let's have a look at the markets.
♪
That's it for Business News.
IN FOCUS
00:15:26 話者 1
Next, we go over to Shibuya Aki for Newsline In Focus. She has a story from the US on a key issue in the run-up to the midterm elections this autumn.
CHURCH, STATE AND NEW CONSERVATISM
00:15:37 話者 6/Shibuya Aki
A year has passed since US President Donald Trump took office for his second term.
One demographic that has provided him with consistent backing is Christian conservatives who place great importance on the teachings of the Bible.
Among a large faction of this bloc,
There's a growing push to enshrine Christian values in public institutions.
Observers say that during Trump's second term, several policies attuned to this Christian nationalism have been rolled out across America ahead of the midterm elections in November. How is this politicized religion affecting policy?
00:16:21 話者 7
The southern state of Texas has the second largest population behind only California and is a focus of attention in the autumn midterm elections.
A megachurch located in the suburbs.
About 3,000 evangelical Christians gather for Sunday prayers every week.
Thousands more watch online.
Evangelicals account for nearly 1/4 of the American people.
Many are known for their strong opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.
They are credited with giving Trump a strong boost in the last presidential election.
The pastor of the church has publicly expressed support for President Trump.
00:17:14 話者 5
In God we trust. That is the national motto of the United States of America.
So we celebrate the fact that we have a president who stands up for faith, who stands up for God. He's not a perfect man. He doesn't always say everything just right.
But at least he stands for faith and he stands for believers.
00:17:36 話者 7
Texas has been a conservative stronghold for several decades and is home to many Christians.
Under President Trump, Christian values have become increasingly visible in the public sphere.
In June last year, a state law was enacted requiring public schools to put up posters of the Ten Commandments from the Bible in classrooms.
Lauren Leakey is an official with the county of Rockwall in the suburbs of Dallas.
He supports the campaign to put up the posters and is actively donated to the cause.
00:18:11 話者 8
We donated 1,350. Yeah. And that's, they went up in every classroom.
00:18:20 話者 7
After the state law was enacted, opponents filed a lawsuit saying it violates the separation of church and state.
In parts of Lictes County, displays of the commandments have been suspended while the trial continues.
00:18:35 話者 8
One of the things you hear people say is that by doing this, we're forcing Christianity and the Christian religion. Well, that's really not true.
We're not forcing you to be a Christian, but we are teaching values that are very important.
00:18:52 話者 7
One candidate from the opposition Democratic Party is strongly opposed to Christian nationalism and is attracting attention ahead of the midterms.
00:19:03 話者 9
Christian nationalism is a perversion of my faith and a subversion of our democracy.
00:19:08 話者 7
James Talarico is a member of the state assembly.
His grandfather is a pastor, and he's a devout Christian himself.
In his speeches, he calls for a politics of love based on Christian values.
Talarico has announced his bid for a US Senate seat.
He argues that it's necessary to overcome the conflict between factions and tackle the issue of inequality.
00:19:36 話者 9
I cherish the separation of church and state. It's a sacred boundary that we must protect.
As a Christian, I hope to lead that fight in the US Senate.
I just enjoy that he really goes for his faith and really is a good shining example of that.
He tries to build a community.
Whether you're left or right, white or black or brown, it's a message of unity that we've kind of lost our community and our neighbors and just this division in our country that's been, that's taken over for years.
00:20:14 話者 7
But Tallerico is facing fierce backlash.
00:20:17 話者 9
Abortion or gay marriage. Christian nationalists like to say this is a Christian nation.
Not only is that historically inaccurate, not only is that theologically blasphemous, but it's also just not true.
00:20:33 話者 19
Okay, he just lied. He just lied. This nation was founded as a Christian nation.
00:20:39 話者 7
The head of a conservative faith-based political organization says Tolarigo misrepresents Christian nationalism.
00:20:48 話者 8
Just the name Christian nationalism and in some circles it's a bad thing that it is, but to me how can it be bad?
I mean Christian nationalism, I mean I think we need to get our country back to God and moral values.
Those people that oppose the Judeo-Christian values, there are many other places that you can go. Go to another country where you can be happy.
00:21:19 話者 6
So how far has Christian nationalism spread in the US?
NHK World's Yamanaka Miyu in Washington explains.
00:21:29 話者 10
According to polling, support for Christian nationalism is strongest in the South and Midwest, particularly in states known to be Republican strongholds.
While Christian conservatism, a broad coalition of religious conservatives seeking to return Christian values to the US, has been a consistently powerful force in modern American politics, the push to codify and prioritize these values has accelerated under President Trump's second term.
In Texas, we have seen renewed vigor in bringing faith back into politics amongst Christians, from churchgoers, local community and faith leaders, all the way up to state legislators.
This energy from Christian nationalism can be traced to Trump's visibly increasingly prioritization of faith-related initiatives, but it also appears to be a backlash towards the Biden administration's policies emphasizing the separation of church and state.
The urgency to reclaim a political space for the Christian faith appears to have shaped a broader, stronger coalition.
Recent polls show around two-thirds of the American population identifies as Christian.
But a Democratic candidate is also embracing his faith as part of his campaign strategy to win new voters shows how politically powerful the Christian population has become.
Voters will have many issues in mind in the upcoming 2026 elections, but both Republican and Democratic leaders will likely keep an eye on how religion plays a role in these voters' decisions.
00:22:58 話者 6/Shibuya Aki
And that was Yamanaka Miyu from our Washington bureau. And that's all for me.
WEATHER
00:23:29 話者 1
It's time for a check on the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh.
So Jonathan, we mentioned in the show earlier about snow impacting folks in northern Japan. What's the latest?
00:23:40 話者 11/Jonathan Oh
Hello, we are seeing the snow picking back up in northern areas of Japan as we have a low pressure system, really help picking up the sea-effect snow.
Anytime we have a system that moves through and helps to bring in that northwesterly flow, the cold air moves over the relatively warm waters that generates a lot of the snow and ends up dumping it across the area.
And we are looking at more snow to be a part of the story as we go into Thursday as another low cross on through and we're seeing that snow picking up along the Sea of Japan coastline.
Now, we're seeing a little bit of a possible break in Hokkaido because of the proximity of where the low is located.
So it's chilly, but likely drier on Thursday in Sapporo with Niigata, looking at some of that snow picking back up with a high of three.
Along the Pacific coastline from Tokyo into Osaka and Fukuoka, temperatures are going to be around 9 degrees as we go through Thursday.
So still going to be a cool day as we go through the day.
Meanwhile, really frigid conditions continue to be a problem, especially down into the deep south of the United States.
And the problem is the fact that we've had an ice storm that has knocked out power due to the trees coming down on power lines. And this has lasted for several days.
And so it's rough going. And the fact that we have more cold air with overnight lows really dipping down, leading to more problems.
And we're expecting it to still be an issue. The weather's going to be dry.
The chilly weather will continue to be a story as we go through Wednesday and Thursday.
We do have a low that's going across the Great Lakes, and that will help bring some lake-effect snow to places like Toronto and areas toward the east.
And so be prepared for some more snow as we go through Wednesday, rain toward the Pacific Northwest.
Quick note on Europe, we have the system moving through the western portions of the continent, bringing some rain from Rome into Madrid and Lisbon.
Snow though toward the north and east as we go through the middle of the work week.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
SHRINE IN WESTERN JAPAN MAKES LUCKY CHARMS FOR SETSUBUN
00:26:32 話者 1
A shrine in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, is busy making good luck charms ahead of Setsubun on February 3.
The day marks the end of winter on the traditional Japanese calendar.
The lucky charms are made here at the Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine in Chingu City, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The ornaments, called kicho, are said to bring well-being and prosperity to families and businesses, when they are displayed at homes and shops to mark Setsubun.
The decorations are made by attaching colorful bowls and auspicious symbols to willow branches.
00:27:15 話者 18
Kicho means good fortune, so I crafted each piece with the hope that something good will happen to the recipient's family throughout the year.
00:27:25 話者 1
The shrine says its attendants will make a total of 1,200 good luck charms by hand in time for Setsubun and the start of spring.
And that's all for this edition of NHK Newsline. Thanks for watching.
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