Welcome back to NHK Newsline. Here's the latest we have for you at this hour.
The Japan Coast Guard says it detected a Chinese maritime research ship engaging in activities in Japan's exclusive economic zone near its southernmost island. It says the vessel had not obtained a consent to be there.
Coast Guard officials said their patrol aircraft spotted the ship about 270 kilometers east of the island of Okino Torishima in the Pacific at about 5:40 PM on Monday. The officials added the ship was seen putting what appeared to be a cable into the ocean.
The Coast Guard aircraft radioed the vessel to tell it to stop its activities.
It warned in Japanese, Chinese and other languages that research activities are not allowed in the area without prior consent. The vessel reportedly left the EEZ about 5 hours later.
We have lodged a protest with the Chinese side, saying that a maritime scientific survey without Japan's consent is not allowed and should be stoppedimmediately.
The officials said January 2024 was the last time a Chinese research ship was found conducting activities in the EEZ near the island without Japan's consent.
This latest sighting marks the ninth such occurrence in the past decade.
The US Marine Corps will carry out a live-fire drill with the cutting-edge NMESIS anti-ship missile system as part of joint exercises with the Philippines. The Marines of the two countries started their annual joint exercises on Monday in the Philippines.
The drills will continue through June 6, with more than 4,000 personnel from the two countries taking part. They will also be joined by personnel from Japan, South Korea, and other countries.
simulations and at the same time there will be a live fire during the counter landing exercise.
I would argue that it truly enhances the archipelagic coastal defense concept for the Philippine Armed Forces and and really moving forward in modernization.
The system uses remotely operated unmanned vehicles to launch anti-ship missiles with a range of over 180 kilometers. The live fire drill could cause a sharp reaction from China as it will be held on Luzon Island near Taiwan.
The head of Ukraine's foreign intelligence service has suggested that China is supplying gunpowder and other materials to Russian military companies.
Oleh Ivashchenko said in an interview released on Monday that his team has confirmed data on 20 Russian factories.
He said information shows China is providing machine tools, chemicals, gunpowder and components. He added that as of the start of the year, 80% of critical electronics found in Russian drones originated in China.
In April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country has received information that China is supplying weapons to Russia. China dismissed the Ukrainian claim as groundless accusations.
The head of North Korea's secret police has reportedly left for Russia to attend an international conference. The North's ruling party newspaper, Rodong Xinmun, says that state security minister Ri Chan-dae headed out on Monday.
South Korean media outlets report Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu is expected to hold talks with him during the visit. The outlets say that the North's deployment of troops in Russia may come up. That could include their future activities, the repatriation of the ones who've died, and the issue of those who have been taken prisoner.
Rodong Shimbun also reports that Russia's Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs arrived in Pyongyang on Monday. The trips come ahead of an anniversary between the two countries. Next month will mark one year since they concluded a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty.
Japan is trying to arrange another round of high-level negotiations with the United States on Friday. It wants a review of tariffs rolled out by President Donald Trump. If the meeting happens, it would be the second week in a row of high level negotiations between the two.
Akazawa Ryosei is Japan's chief negotiator. He says he hopes to meet with the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not attend the last talks.
Definitely like to have an in-depth dialogue with him this time.
Japan's side has so far explained that it can help create jobs and bring other benefits to the US economy through expanded investments. It has also proposed reviewing regulations to make it easier to import US vehicles and offered to cooperate in shipbuilding.
Government sources say Washington has reacted positively to Japan's proposal for a shipbuilding partnership. But it remains cautious about reviewing tariff measures, including the auto levy that Japan is staunchly against.
Japan's government has decided to use soil removed during decontamination work near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant at the Prime Minister's office in Tokyo. It's intended to set a precedent and help gain public understanding for reusing the soil outside the prefecture.
The government on Tuesday compiled a basic policy on reuse and ultimate disposal. The entire Cabinet was present at the meeting. Large volumes of earth and other materials collected during decontamination after the 2011 disaster have been kept at a vast storage facility. It straddles the Fukushima towns of Okuma and Futaba.
Under the law, the soil must be disposed of outside the prefecture by March 2045. To reduce the total volume, the government plans to use some with low radioactivity in public works and other projects across the country.
I'd like to request that the government as a whole take every opportunity to widely disseminate information on the necessity and safety of reusing the soil.
The soil at the Prime Minister's residence will be the first to be reused not counting safety trials in Fukushima. Sources say it will likely be used in flower beds and elsewhere at government offices.
The race to become South Korea's next president is heating up. A new poll shows the gap in support between the top two candidates has narrowed just one week before voting day. The election is expected to be a showdown between these two men. The largest opposition Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung, and the Conservative ruling party's candidate, Kim Moon-soo. He's with the People Power Party. A Gallup Korea survey conducted last week found 45 percent back Lee and 36 percent support Kim. That's a nine percentage point difference. Just the week prior, the gap was 22 points. Lee Joon-seok from the minor Conservative Reform Party trailed with 10 percent support. Kim and Lee's combined support rate exceeds that of the frontrunner Lee Jae-myung. People in Seoul told us what they are looking forward to in next Tuesday's vote.
It's a very important time for South Korea to return to normal. In that sense, I think Lee Jae-myung is the candidate who is most prepared for that.
The opposition parties make many mistakes. The president should not be involved in any misconduct or have moral issues. Kim Moon-soo does not have any of those problems.
I hope the next president will be a person who can unify a divided society. I hope that the president can accept opinions from different people without being biased toward one side.
Earlier, I spoke with NHK World's senior international correspondent and former Seoul bureau chief Aoki Yoshiyuki. He explained the challenges the candidates are facing and what comes next.
Let's start with that gap between the two main contenders. It's narrowed quite a bit. What is behind that?
One of the main reasons has to do with previous polling. Conservative voters saw Kim trading by more than 20 points. At the start of the campaign, that served as a, what should I say, wake up call for them to join and together and support him. Over the weekend, the PPP candidates spent more time holding rallies in conservative strongholds. Kim also met with former President Park Geun Hye. She was ousted in 2017, but it's still popular and seen as an icon among conservatives.
Problem is, experts say the party has been slow to show unity to its supporters. In fact, it took until Monday for Kim's rival in the primary to appear at Kim's rally to show his support.
And there's a major ongoing conflict inside the party. Its current leader openly apologized for what former President Yoon Suk-yeol did, including the Martial Law Declaration last year. But lawmakers close to Yoon and Kim have not expressed a clear stance on it. It's also worth mentioning that PPP has been trying to convince Lee Joon Seok of the Reform Party to step down. The thinking is the conservative vote is split right now and will be better to unite behind Kim. But Lee said he's not going anywhere.
And neither is Lee Jae Myung, but he and his Democratic Party are facing challenges as well. Could you tell us about those?
Yes, there have been a few bad headlines involving the Democrats recent recently. A lot of them were self-inflicted. One of the bigger gaffes had to do with, of all things. Coffee.
Lee Jae Mion received a harsh criticism after saying a cup of coffee at the cafe costs only around eight cents to to produce, but it actually sells for around $6. Lawmakers from other parties say Lee Jae-myung does not really understand how the economy works. The Democratic Party also attracted controversy by proposing a bill on judicial reform. The aim was to allow people without the license to practice law, to become Supreme Court justices. The PPP condemned the movement. It said the reform could severely damage the separation of powers because those who are sympathetic towards the Democratic Party could be easily placed in the judiciary. The party later retracted the proposal and now calls on members not to feel too optimistic about the election results.
And those results are not too far away now. What's on the schedule in the final week of campaigning?
Well, there are the usual last ditch efforts to connect with the voters. But one of the bigger moments of the campaign period happens Tuesday. I'm referencing the final TV debate. We will not be able to know how it will affect voters. That's because a blackout period starts Wednesday, banning announcements of a new poll results. But what's interesting about South Korean politics is that. Anything can happen. In the 2022 presidential election, two conservative candidates agreed to unite as a single candidate after the final TV debate. So we need to watch until the very end. And it looks like many are watching. Early voting is set for Thursday and Friday.
The last vote attracted a 37% turnout. So experts expect that to jump this time.
And of course, many people outside the country are also paying attention. That includes Japan, us here as well. So why does this election matter to Japan so much?
Well, it matters because the two countries have been working together closely over the years. And this year, the two countries are commemorating the 60th anniversary of the bilateral relations. While campaigning, Lee Jae-myung mentioned the importance of these ties, saying he has good feelings toward Japan's people. That said,He has been known as a hardliner on Japan.
Diplomacy has not been an issue at the race, but surrounding countries as well as the United States are definitely curious to see who will be the South Korean ex-president.
Supporters of Israel's far right parties have marched through Jerusalem and called for the destruction of Hamas. The rally came as US mediated ceasefire talks continued between Israel and the Islamic group. Monday's parade marked the anniversary of Israel's 1967 capture of East Jerusalem, which Palestinians regard as the capital of their future state.
We need to finish the war and you know accomplish all the stuff we need, get the hostages home and make Gaza safe again for everyone.
A crowd of participants marched into the old city, chanting slogans and dancing. Far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government oppose a permanent ceasefire with Hamas. Israel's military said on Monday it had struck over 200 targets, including Hamas positions, in the past 48 hours. Health authorities in Gaza said 38 people have been killed in one day. Arab media outlets say mediators, including the United States, have proposed a temporary ceasefire of about 70 days.
Hamas and Israel would discuss an end to the fighting during that time while hostages would be released.
As Israeli military operations continue in Gaza, German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz has slammed them for causing increasing numbers of civiliancasualties.
I no longer understand why they're harming the civilian population in this way, as has increasingly been the case in recent days. This can no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas terrorism.
Mertz's comments came in a television interview on Monday. He added that the Israeli government must not do anything that friendly nations are no longer prepared to accept. But the chancellor also indicated that Germany will continue to support Israel. German media have noted that it is unusual for Germany to criticize Israel. Successive governments have taken a pro-Israel stance for historical reasons. The Nazis killed millions of Jews in the Holocaust during World War II.
Multiple explosions at a construction site in downtown Tokyo have left 10 people injured and damaged at least 30 buildings.
The blasts occurred in Edogawa Ward on Tuesday morning. Footage shows black smoke rising from a construction vehicle.
More than 30 fire engines were deployed and the blaze was mostly contained in about 90 minutes. Police urged nearby residents to evacuate as explosions continued after the initial blast. Police say the injured include workers and residents, all in their 20s to 70s.
There was a loud sound that I had never heard before or even imagined. There was also a big jolt.
Police say construction workers were driving piles into the ground for a new condominium building at the time of the incident. They say an underground gas pipe could have been damaged in the process.
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Ramin Mellegard from the Biz Desk.
Thank you very much indeed.
Now, Japan's agriculture minister says retailers have started to apply to buy stockpiled rice as part of a new program to try and reduce soaring prices.
Minister Koizumi Shinjiro says that 19 companies had applied to purchase the grain as of 9:00 AM on Tuesday.
From now on, we will start procedures to swiftly deliver the stockpiled rice. I think we can complete contracts with some companies today or tomorrow at the earliest. Deliveries can begin on Thursday. We expect the rice to be on shelves in the first week of June. This is the schedule we can now see more clearly.
Koizumi said the application so far would amount to more than 90,000 tons, or about 30% of the stockpiled rice the ministry plans to release. The government on Monday introduced the scheme to sell the rice directly to retailers. This after a series of auctions among wholesalers failed to lower prices on supermarket shelves. Now, the operator of the Don Quixote discount stores has applied to buy the grain. Internet retailer Rakuten has also submitted an application. The ministry will sell the rice at a fixed price that is roughly half that paid in auctions. The goal is to bring retail prices down to 2,000 yen, or $14.00 for a 5 kilogram bag. That's around half the current retail price, which has doubled in the past year. Koizumi says the challenge is to figure out how stores and supermarkets throughout Japan can apply. He added that the program may soon be modified to open it to these smaller retailers.
Now Japanese government white paper on tourism is calling for efforts to boost domestic travel by Japanese residents, by Japan's residents, which has been sluggish since the COVID pandemic. Now the decline in contrast to a boom in the number of visitors from overseas.
The white paper says Japan saw an all-time high, all-time number of foreign visitors who spent a record high amount in 2024. Japanese people also spent a record amount of 25.1 trillion yen, or roughly $175 billion on their domestic trips last year.
But their numbers were down over 8% compared to 2019 before the pandemic took hold. The government report blames the country's shrinking and aging population and declining birth rate. One idea is to attract repeat visitors through programs where they can interact with local residents. Seven municipalities are collaborating in such an initiative called Yukiguni. A woman from Tokyo experienced rice planting in Niigata Prefecture last week. The accommodation fee was free in exchange for the work.
The soil is good. I don't have a hometown, so I'm really moved. I also wanted to come to harvest rice.
The organizer says the the tour fosters a sense of affection for the area among participants, as they can contribute locally. Another benefit is that the visitors can help with the region's labor shortage through their interactions with local people.
And moving to the countryside can be a big challenge for city dwellers. Some might be worried about finding the right place and where to buy groceries. One rural prefecture in Japan is offering a concierge service to help would-be residents take a closer look at the lifestyle and surroundings.
NHK World's Homan Tomoyuki has more.
Nasu town in Tochugi Prefecture is nestled Mountain Forest. an hour and 40 minutes by train from central Tokyo.
Kinoshita Aiki is Concierge for the Promotion of Migration. He acts as a guide for people who want to move to the town. Kinoshita carefully listens to visitors' interests and arranges tours one by one.
I love coffee. There are dozens of cafes in Nasa town where people roast their own coffee. Kinoshita introduces a cafe filled with local people.
I set up order-made tours for people who are considering moving to the area.
The tour will be very considerate of individual needs.
Tochugi Prefecture is calling on people to move in to stop an almost 20-year population decline. The local government formed the concierge system last year, partly to provide better information about what people want.
People want to move here for various reasons. We hope to increase the number of residents by accurately conveying these needs to the concierge and using that information well.
Kinoshita himself relocated to Tachigi from outside the prefecture. That gives him some insight into the needs of people considering the same. Users start by speaking on the phone with him.
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Discussions also get into the crucial question of working life in the countryside.
(Japanese)
The day to show the local area, he visits supermarkets and other places to show firsthand how it's different from city life. Kinoshita's big opportunity comes in showing visitors the best parts of living in the area.
There's no scenery in Tokyo.
Kinoshita always tries to bring visitors to places that will make them think they might like living there. This man is dreaming of living in a place with houses nearby.
I had been worried that my idea for moving would not match reality, so I am very satisfied that I could ask for help and get very specific answers.
Preventing mismatched expectations and showing the joy of living in a new place are what the concierge is all about. Houman Tomoyuki, NHK World, Nasu.
And that is it for Business News.
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And it's time for us to check the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan. Oh, so Jonathan. It is feeling more like the rainy season, not just here in Japan but in other parts of Asia. What can you tell us about this?
Hello, we're seeing a lot more patterns when it comes to wet weather and cloudy weather, not only in Japan but also into portions of China. We've been talking about the southern areas of China dealing with some heavy rainfall and that will continue to be the story as we see another push of moisture coming into the area. The areas that are technically declared under the rainy season category in Japan, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency in Amami, getting a little bit of a break actually because the front itself has now kind of tilted toward the South a bit and so more sunshine place like Okinawa, but Tokyo, eastern areas of Japan. A little bit cloudy, a little bit on the cooler side. We may talk about more rain as we head toward Wednesday. Again, more heavy rainfall into southern areas of China. That's going to be something that we have to continue to look out for because we've had reports of flooding problems. I know it's an annual event.
This happens every year, but that doesn't make the situation any easier. And we're talking more rain to Hong Kong and Taipei with highs in the mid to upper 20s. Tokyo looking at rain with a high of 22. You need those umbrellas. As we go throughout the middle of the work week.
Speaking of some rain, we're talking on some heavy rainfall in southern areas of the United States. We have a couple of low pressure systems kind of hovering around here and pushing toward the east along the stationary front. And as it does so, we're talking about possibility of even strong to severe thunderstorms into places like Texas and also over toward the eastern of the Appalachian Mountains as we see the battle of the air masses.
And so that will be continuing to be something you have to lookout for as we go throughout Tuesday up toward the Pacific Northwest, a little bit drier highs of around 20 degrees as we go throughout the day on Tuesday.
Look at what's happening across Europe. It's a bit of a mess everywhere in terms of seeing spotty rain in different locations and so in general you'll need the umbrellas from London into Rome, Warsaw, and keep looking high of 21 as you go through Tuesday.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
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That wraps it up for this edition of NHGain Used Line. We'll have more for you soon. Thanks for joining us.
