Hello, glad to have you with us on NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.
We start this hour with news on Japan's move to tackle US trade tariff issues.
For this, let's turn to our business anchor, Gene Ohtani. So a lot going on.
What's the latest, Gene?
Definitely this theme in the spotlight, Miki.
Tokyo has taken another step toward figuring out how to handle Washington's disruptive shift in trade policy.
Japanese government cabinet members gathered for the first meeting of a task force launched a deal with the US tariff policy.
Washington has imposed an additional 25% tariff on all its auto imports. Japan is to also face a 24% levy starting Wednesday.
It's part of so-called reciprocal tariffs. Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru instructed the task force to do everything possible to deal with the matter.
We have explained Japan's concerns at various levels and told the United States. That it should not take unilateral tariff measures. It is extremely regrettable that the US government impose tariffs despite our request.
Ishiba says the auto industry is Japan's mainstay industry and the steel and aluminum industries have also served as the backbone of the country's economy.
The US began imposing 25% tariffs on those two products last month. Ishiba instructed the task force to analyze the US policy's possible impact on Japan and boost efforts to try to get Washington to reconsider the tariffs.
He also ordered the group to support affected domestic industries, including with assistance on their financing.
Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei stock index bounced back on Tuesday with its third largest intraday gain on record. The rise follows, reports. Japan and the US are set to start tariff negotiations after the leaders of both countries discuss the issue on the phone. The Nikkei 225 briefly gained 2,120 points or about 6.5% from Monday as investors placed buy orders across the board. The index closed the day at 33,012, up 6%, marking a gain of 1,876 points. That's its fourth biggest one day increase. This came after the benchmark posted its third largest single day drop the previous day.
It fell 7.8%. amid fears US tariffs imposed this month will erode earnings at Japanese companies.
Ishiba says he's asked the US president to drop the tariffs in favor of a win-win approach. He spoke with Donald Trump by phone Monday.
The call lasted 25 minutes. Ishiba stressed Japan has been the largest investor in the US five years in a row. He added he is gravely concernedthat the tariffs could undermine the capability of Japanese businesses to continue that investment.
Ishiba says Trump explained his view of America's position in the global market. The prime minister says the situation calls for an immediate response. Ishiba says he plans to visit the US at an appropriate time for face-to-face talks with the president.
Trump wrote online after the conversation that his administrationis setting what he calls tough but fair parameters with many countries. He says Japan has treated the US very poorly on trade, pointing out that it does not import American cars, but the US imports millions of Japanese automobiles. He says the same is true of agriculture and many other fields. A prominent Japanese economist says Trump's wide-ranging tariffs and Other measures have succeeded in bringing many countries to the negotiating table at the same time. He said Trump's actions will have an extremely large impact on Japan's economy, and Tokyo will need to be patient in dealing with the US.
With the Trump administration, such important policies can change often and very quickly. That makes it difficult for Japanese companies to draw up long-term business strategies. This is not limited to capital investments, but can affect jobs and wages as well.
Kobayashi says in negotiating with Trump, what might really matter is the upcoming US midterm elections next year.
Tax cuts are one of the pledges made by the Trump administration. It is possible the administration thinks the tariff revenues will fund these cuts. On the other hand, once the tax cuts are successfully implemented, there may be room for negotiations over tariffs.
Kobayashi says Trump's remarks after his phone conversation with Prime Minister Ishiba point the way to a possible approach Japan can take in negotiations.
Japan should not use its negotiating cards too quickly at an early stage.
Rather, in the run-up to the US midterm elections, Japan could offer bargaining chips that are catchy for the Trump camp to use in its election campaign.
Kobayashi says Japan needs to be patient rather than reaching for a quick solution. Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs go into effect on Wednesday, but he now says he may add an even bigger levy on imports from China. It's in response to Chinese leaders saying Beijing will retaliate against the tariffs.
Trump said China's at a rate of 34 percent. Chinese leaders announced last week their own 34 percent levies on US imports. Trump urged Beijing to withdraw them, calling the trade barriers ridiculous.
If that tariff isn't removed by tomorrow at 12:00, we're putting a 50% tariff on above the tariffs that we put on.
But he says he'll start negotiations with other countries immediately.
Beijing responded to Trump's latest threat with some pointed words of its own. A commerce ministry spokesperson issued a statement vowing to hit back at any new tariffs. The statement said China would respond in a way that protects its interests. It described Trump's threat as a mistake coming on top of another one and said Beijing was prepared to fight to the end. The statement also said the countermeasures China currently has in placeare designed to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and development interests. It also said they are aimed at maintaining the normal international trade order and are completely legitimate.
All right, let's have a look at the markets.
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And that's a look at business news. Miki, I'm going to hand it back to you.
All right, Gene, thank you for the update.
A Japanese actor who rose to fame in the 1990s has been arrested on suspicion of injuring a nurse at a hospital. Police say Hirosue Ryoko was arrested in Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Central Japan early on Tuesday for allegedly kicking and scratching a female nurse. Police have not said whether Hirosue has admitted to the charge. They say the suspect rear-ended a large truck while driving a passenger car with her manager on an expressway in Kakegawa City on Monday. She was injured and taken to hospital. Hirosue's management office says it apologize to those who were affected, including the injured. It also expressed regret to her fans for causing great inconvenience and concern.
It says she will refrain from all entertainment activities for the time being. The 44-year-old Hirosue joined the entertainment industry when she was a junior high school student and starred in films including the Oscar-winning Departures. She performed in NHK's morning drama series Damang.
For the first time, Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have visited the remote island of Ioto, also known as Iwojima. It's where US forces and troops of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese military fought a bitter, costly battle near the end of World War II. The effects of the fighting still linger there today.
The Emperor and Empress chose Ioto as their first in a series of commemorations this year, marking the 80th anniversary of the war's end.
Laying flowers for the Japanese troops deployed to the island, the vast majority of whom died, and paying respects at a memorial for those killed in the brutal combat on both sides.
Earlier this year, the emperor spoke about why he feels this visit is important.
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1945, they expected to seize the island in five days, but the fighting lasted over a month. By the end, about 6,800 Americans lay dead.
21,900 Japanese were killed, many inside dugouts and bunkers which dotted the island. More than half are still unaccounted for, including the man who led the island's defense,Lieutenant General Kuribayashi Tadamichi.
The officer sent numerous letters to his family before the battle cut his correspondence off.
Eighty years on, his granddaughter hopes the imperial visit reminds people about the battle and those whose remains never returned home.
I'm grateful that the imperial couple have shown their interest and paid a visit to the island. I hope the younger generations, who have no first-hand knowledge of the war, were able to watch and reflect on what happened on the island.
Japan regained control of the island in 1968, and the construction of a runway made searching for remains difficult. Today, the island is home to a Japan Self-Defence Force facility, but no civilian population.
Families who were forced to leave the island during the war have been unable to return due to concerns over unexploded bombs and volcanic activity.
Some of their descendants took part in the imperial visit. Aso Kenji's ancestors were farmers on Ioto.
I spoke with the Emperor and Empress, acknowledging that what we have in common is that we are part of the post-war generation. I hope the imperial couple will continue to promote a message of peace.
Aso says decades later, people still yearned for the island made famous as a bloody battlefield, but where their families once called home.
For former residents, Ioto is our ancestors resting place. I think some feel the war won't truly be over until they can return.
As we draw closer to the anniversary of the end of the war, the Emperor and Empress will visit more places devastated during its closing stages. Okinawa, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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The United Nations World Food Program has issued a dire warning. It says the termination of funding from the US administration for the organization's emergency food assistance could put millions of lives at risk.
The WFP posted online the cut could amount to a death sentence for millions of people facing extreme hunger and starvation. The agency says it's in contact with Washington to seek clarification and to urge for continued support. It says emergency food assistance in 14 countries would be affected. The Associated Press reports the countries include Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen, and many of them are struggling with conflict. The WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020. The US is the organization's largest financial supporter.
The date was set at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. It came four days after the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon's impeachment over his short-lived declaration of martial law in December.
The presidential election was originally scheduled for March 2027. Candidate selection by political parties will now go into full swing. The ruling People Power Party is preparing to choose its candidate. It launched an Election Management Commission on Monday.
Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myeong is seen as a likely candidate for the largest opposition party. South Korea's Yonhap News Agency says Lee is expected to formally declare his candidacy after stepping down from the top party post.
Next, let's go to my colleague Shibuya Aki for Newsline in Focus. And the story of how one Russian family is dealing with the loss of a son to the invasion in Ukraine.
After last weekend's air attacks, the Ukrainian president accused Russia of using even greater force to try to continue the war.
Vladimir Putin still has steady support in his country. Independent polls show that around 80% of Russians back the invasion in its early days, and that figure has hardly changed.
But as the Russian death toll climbs past 100,000, it raises another question. How do the families of the dead feel about a war that's still grinding on?
Virolenko lives in the town of Stupino, near Moscow. Her only son, Alexander, joined the Russian military in the early months of the fighting. He was killed in action in eastern Ukraine in 2023. He was 33 and left behind two young children.
My son loved children. He was kind, cheerful, always smiling, and never shied away from difficulties.
Vera says Alexander decided to enlist about seven months after the invasion began.
To be honest, I was puzzled by the decision, but he said in a harsh tone, You always said a man's duty is to protect his family and country.
Just a month after joining, Alexander was sent to the front lines in eastern Ukraine. Just before leaving, he sent a voice message to his family.
Six months later, Alexander was dead from a head injury sustained on a battlefield.
It's really hard to think about now. I was in shock for more than a year.
Back home, Alexander was honored as a hero. A memorial plaque was installed at his former school.
Vera recently visited the site. With Alexander's daughter, Adelina.
I was so happy to see the plate. Young people will learn about my son's achievements, so I hope he will be remembered for what he did for generations to come.
When I look at the memorial, my father smiles back at me. I'm proud he's a hero.
In a park in Stupino, a monument stands to commemorate Russia's victory in World War II.
In 2024, a new memorial was added nearby, this one honoring soldiers who died in the war in Ukraine.
Vera believes her son's sacrifice was meaningful.
My son protected our family, our country, and the land of our ancestors. I believe we should end the military operation only when all our territory is returned.
Vera visited Alexander's grave with Adelina.
Vera has told Adelina that her father gave his life for his country and should be remembered as a hero.
Adelina rarely cries, but her voice wavers when she recalls the promise her father made her before he left.
I spoke with our Moscow bureau correspondent, Watanabe Shin, who has reported extensively on both Russian and Ukrainian voices in this invasion.
He says covering this story reminded him of the heavy toll war takes on ordinary people.
When I saw young Adelina in tears after losing her father, I was struck by a painful truth. No matter the cause or justification,war tears families apart. From the Ukrainian perspective, this war is an unprovoked invasion by Russia, something that can never be justified.
And yet, the grief of Russian families mourning their sons felt no different from the sorrow I saw in the Ukrainians I met during my reporting.
Even if a ceasefire is eventually reached, society will still have to grapple with how to support wounded soldiers who returned home and the families of those who didn't.
Shin also says he believes public opinion in Russia is slowly changing.
In my daily conversations with Russian citizens, it's clear that many are hoping for a ceasefire. Some even whisper to me that they are banking on President Trump to help end the fighting. In a survey released just this month, 50% of people supported a ceasefire and 41% opposed it. And so it will be interesting to see how the Putin administration responds to these growing calls.
And that was Watara Bishin of our Moscow bureau.
Each side may have its own justifications for fighting, but the grief that follows knows no borders. In the end, war leaves the same scars on every family it touches. And that's all for me.
Let's check out the weather with our meteorologist Jonathan. Ohh So Jonathan, we've been experiencing steep ups and downs in temperatures these past few few weeks, and today is of course on the warmer side of things. But I'm sure many people are wondering if they can finally put their winter coats back in their closets. Are the spring conditions here to stay?
And so for those of you in the northeastern portions of the country, you will need to lookout for some showers as we head into Wednesday. Places like Niigata looking at some rain with a high of 14, but check this out 20. Tokyo, also into Osaka. If you're out and about, try to check out the cherry blossoms. The weather will continue to cooperate with that, though you might want to check it out now as we head toward the latter part of the week. The winds are going to pick up and the rain is going to be a part of the forecast and we'll start to see some of those blossoms starting to fall. And so you want to try to catch it as soon as you can.
Meanwhile, look at what's happening across North America, the Eastern Seaboard. We've had this cold front that's just kind of dragging its feet into the area. It's going to eventually clear and we'll see some improvement in terms of the sunnier weather coming up as we head toward Tuesday. But low pressure up toward the northeastern portion of the United States and into Canada, bringing some snow. So we're still talking about winter even though it's spring. Upper portions of the Pacific Northwest also looking at some rain and some snow possibilities as well for Tuesday, 10 in Vancouver, 12 in Seattle, Toronto. Still looking at some snow with a high of 1 below 0.
Quick note across Europe, western areas of the continent staying relatively dry, but snow into Moscow and Kiev as we head toward the day on Tuesday with some chilly temperatures ahead.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
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And that's NHK Newsline for this hour.
I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo. Thanks for staying with us.
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