A close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to go to the United States soon to discuss a second summit between the leaders of the two nations.
Japan's foreign minister is in the process of arranging a meeting with its South Korean counterpart.
Thursday marks 24 years since the Great Hanshin Earthquake devastated region western Japan.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20190117200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : Kim expected to go
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190117_28/
A close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to go to the United States soon to discuss a second summit between the leaders of the two nations.
Kim Yong Chol, a vice chairman of the Workers' Party of North Korea, flew in to Beijing on Thursday.
He is in charge of high-level talks with the US, and may leave for Washington later in the day for talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Just before the first US-North Korea summit last June, the vice chairman visited Washington to deliver a letter from Kim Jong Un to US President Donald Trump.
It remains to be seen whether Kim Yong Chol will meet Trump this time around.
In his talks with Pompeo, Kim faces the challenge of narrowing the differences between the two sides over North Korea's denuclearization to pave the way for a second summit.
The US has been urging Pyongyang to take more specific measures toward dismantling its nuclear program, while North Korea wants sanctions to be lifted.
North Korea also wants to negotiate a peace treaty to officially end the Korean War and to have its political system guaranteed.
Key words : Kono switzerland
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190117_43/
Arrangements are reportedly underway for the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea to meet in Switzerland next week amid worsening bilateral ties.
The meeting would be the first between Taro Kono and Kang Kyung-wha since wartime labor compensation rulings were handed down in the South.
South Korea's Supreme Court ordered Japanese firms to compensate people who said they were forced to work at the companies' plants during World War Two.
Key words : Iwaya
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190117_20/
The defense chiefs of Japan and the United States have reaffirmed their close cooperation in dealing with China's growing maritime presence and other regional matters.
Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya met acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan in the United States on Wednesday.
It was Iwaya's first meeting with Shanahan, who assumed his post at the start of this month after James Mattis resigned as Secretary of Defense.
Iwaya and Shanahan agreed to maintain close Japan-US cooperation in the domains of space and cyberspace with China's increasing maritime activities in mind.
They reaffirmed that Article 5 of the Japan-US Security Treaty applies to the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, and that the US has an obligation under this article to defend them.
Japan controls the islands. The Japanese Government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. China and Taiwan claim them.
They also agreed to push for the enforcement of the UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea to persuade the country to completely scrap its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Iwaya referred to an incident last month in which a South Korean destroyer directed its fire-control radar on a Japanese patrol plane. He explained that Japan is working to prevent this incident from affecting the ties between Japan, the US and South Korea.
Iwaya and Shanahan agreed that defense cooperation between the three countries is essential for dealing with North Korea and other issues.
Iwaya also briefed Shanahan about the start of landfill work to relocate the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the coastal district of Henoko in Okinawa Prefecture.
Iwaya asked for US cooperation in reducing the base-hosting burden on Okinawa.
Key words : French finance
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190117_06/
French Minister of the Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire says France's government would like Renault to hold a board meeting within days and decide on new management.
The company's chairman and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, has been detained for trial in Japan on his alleged misconduct at Nissan Motor, an alliance partner with Renault.
In an interview with a French TV network on Wednesday, Le Maire said now is the time to "enter a new phase," as Ghosn can no longer perform his duties.
The French automaker kept Ghosn in its top position after he was arrested in November in Japan, while he was dismissed as Nissan Motor's chairman.
Earlier in the day, French government spokesperson Benjamin Griveaux told reporters that officials are visiting Japan to discuss the future of the alliance between Nissan and Renault.
Griveaux said the delegation includes the head of the agency that oversees French state shareholdings and sits on Renault's board, and Le Maire's chief of staff.
Some French media outlets speculate the purpose of the visit is to talk with Nissan about new management at Renault in preparation for the company's upcoming board meeting.
Key words : Japanese government ceremony discuss
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190117_26/
The Japanese government has made further decisions on the outlines of the ceremonies for the Imperial succession that will take place later this year.
A government committee in charge of preparations for the succession met on Thursday to discuss plans for the series of events that will be held as ceremonial acts of state by the Emperor, as prescribed in the Constitution.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said after the meeting that the committee will continue to work hard to ensure everything goes smoothly.
The committee decided that the abdication ceremony, the Taiirei-Seiden-no-Gi, will be held from 5:00 PM to 5:10 PM on April 30th in the Matsu-no-Ma room in the Imperial Palace. The ceremony would be the first of its kind in the history of Japan's Constitution.
Among the accession-related ceremonies, the Kenji-to-Shokei-no-Gi, in which the new Emperor inherits the Imperial Regalia and the State and Privy Seals, will be held from 10:30 AM on May 1st. Later that day, from 11:10 AM, the Emperor will hold his first audience after his accession with representatives of the people in the Sokui-go-Choken-no-Gi.
Both ceremonies will be 10 minutes long and will take place in the Matsu-no-Ma room.
Only male adult members of the Imperial Family will be allowed to accompany the new Emperor in the Kenji-to-Shokei-no-Gi, as was the case in the previous succession. But it has been decided that 26 people will attend the ceremony, including the Prime Minister and his cabinet ministers. This means that a woman is likely to be present for the first time ever.
The abdication ceremony and the new Emperor's first audience will be attended by just over 330 people, including the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, and the heads of local governments.
On October 22nd, the enthronement will be proclaimed to people in Japan and abroad at the Sokuirei-Seiden-no-Gi, which will be followed by the Shukuga-onretsu-no-Gi parade.
It has been decided that an open top Toyota Century car will be used for the parade, after considering safety and environmental features.
The New Otani hotel in Tokyo will be the venue for the banquet that will be hosted by the Prime Minister on the following day, October 23rd. About 900 people, including dignitaries from abroad, will be invited.
Key words : labor ministry launched
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190117_27/
Japan's labor ministry has launched an external investigation panel to look into the use of an improper method for collecting job data.
The ministry is supposed to survey all businesses with payrolls of at least 500 people to compile its monthly labor surveys. But it was recently revealed that the ministry only covered a third of such firms in Tokyo for years, resulting in incorrect data for wages and work hours.
The panel of lawyers and experts on statistics met for the first time on Thursday.
Addressing the inaugural meeting, Labor Minister Takumi Nemoto noted that government statistics are expected to be accurate at all times as they serve as the basis for policy making.
He said the improper method used for data collection is an extremely grave problem that could undermine the public's trust in official statistics. He stressed the importance of getting to the bottom of what happened.
The improper method is believed to have been used for the monthly labor surveys since 2004. The panel is expected to shed light on what prompted officials to adopt the practice and why it remained uncorrected for years.
The panel members plan to interview officials in charge of compiling past surveys, including those who have retired. They will report back to the ministry as quickly as possible.
Key words : Thursday marks
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190117_09/
Thursday marks 24 years since the Great Hanshin Earthquake devastated western Japan. People prayed for the victims at the exact time of the quake.
In the chilly dawn, survivors and families of the victims gathered at a park where thousands of bamboo lanterns flickered.
A woman said, "I've lived in Kobe for many years, but the quake is an unforgettable experience."
A man said, "I'm thinking how to let people know about this kind of disaster as a person from the Kansai region."
6,434 people died and thousands more were injured in the massive quake. It damaged over 250,000 houses, forcing more than 300,000 people to evacuate.
Key words : Kuchinoerabu eruption occurred activity
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190117_21/
A volcano has erupted on Kuchinoerabu Island in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima.
Japan's Meteorological Agency says the eruption occurred on Mount Shindake at around 9:19 AM Thursday Japan time. A column of smoke rose more than 500 meters from the crater.
Eruptions were continuing as of 10 AM, spewing smoke up to 300 meters.
The agency is urging people to be on alert for volcanic rocks and pyroclastic flows. Residents and visitors are being advised to seek shelter and remain updated.
Last August, the agency raised the eruption alert level for the island to four on a scale of five, after observing heightened volcanic activity.
The alert level was later lowered to three. But eruptions have occurred sporadically since last October. An explosive eruption took place on December 18th.
An eruption in May 2015 forced the evacuation of all of the island's more than 130 residents.
Key words : number of major
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190117_19/
A number of major global companies are coming together to tackle ocean pollution. 28 firms from a range of industries are forming the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a non-profit organization.
The members include Exxon Mobil, Procter & Gamble and three Japanese chemical companies.
P&G Chief Executive and alliance Chairman David Taylor said: "I invite all companies that touch any part of the value chain and those that are concerned about this to join us. We can make a meaningful difference. This is the start, and together we can end plastic waste in the environment."
The group says it will invest 1.5 billion dollars over the next 5 years to develop the technology and infrastructure needed to recover and recycle plastic waste.
The partnership is the latest move by businesses to tackle plastic pollution. Several major companies, including Disney, have recently announced plans to ban single-use plastic straws.
Key words : Influenza alart
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Key words : foreign traveler
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190116_38/
Foreign travelers' spending in Japan hit a record high in 2018, but the average spending per person declined.
The Japan Tourism Agency estimates foreign visitors spent around 41.4 billion dollars in 2018 while they were in the country.
The agency changed its survey method from last year. But on a simple comparison of the figures, last year's amount was up from 40.6 billion dollars in 2017, and hit a record for a sixth consecutive year.
That is largely because the number of foreign travelers to Japan rose to an estimated 31.19 million, up 8.7 percent from the previous year.
Travelers from China spent about 14 billion dollars, accounting for one-third of the total, followed by South Korea and Taiwan.
The average consumption per foreign traveler was about 1,400 dollars in 2018. That is down 0.9 percent from the previous year, posting a decline for three straight years. The top three consumption figures were for travelers from Australia, Spain and Italy.
The average Chinese traveler spent around 2,000 dollars. The amount was down 2.9 percent from 2017. It was the fourth highest among countries and regions, dropping from the top rank in 2017.
The Japanese government has a goal of increasing foreign visitors' yearly spending to about 74 billion dollars by 2020.
But the pace of increase has been moderating as fewer travelers use a lot of money for shopping.
Observers say that to reach the government's goal, Japan should promote activities that can only be experienced in the country and increase the number of tourists from the US and Europe.
Agency chief Hiroshi Tabata said at a news conference on Wednesday that to achieve that goal, it is also important to attract visitors to local areas, not just the large cities.
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