CHINA RESTARTS PROCEDURES FOR JAPANESE SEAFOOD IMPORTS
China says it has restarted procedures to permit seafood imports from some parts of Japan. The two countries came to an agreement to resume them in May. China began blocking shipments about two years ago, and that followed Japan's release of treated and diluted water into the ocean from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Officials at China's General Administration of Customs announced on Sunday that they were allowing the restart from the same day.The officials also noted that imports from 10 prefectures, including Fukushima, Miyagi and Tokyo, will remain banned.
They said imports will be permitted after Japanese businesses have their processing and other facilities registered with Chinese authorities. The officials added that the businesses will need to submit certificates issued by Japanese authorities regarding sanitation, radioactive materials and places of production. They said they will rigorously monitor and control imports of Japanese farming products and vowed to take prompt action if they ascertain cases in which China's relevant laws or food safety standards are not met. They added similar steps will also be taken if the Japanese side fails to fulfill its supervisory responsibilities.
JAPANESE GOVT., PRODUCERS WELCOME RESTART
Japanese seafood exporters and government officials have reacted positively to China's announcement. The head of a scallop producer in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido welcomed the move.I'm glad the sales channels will increase and Japan's delicious seafood products will be available to people in China.
The country-- rather, the company had been stepping up exports to the US and Vietnam in an effort to expand its export markets beyond China. Japan's fisheries minister called the move an important development.It is a major milestone. Marine products are an important export item for Japan. The public and private sectors will work together to resume exports to China swiftly and smoothly.
Koizumi said he appreciates all who have made efforts on the issue.Earlier, I spoke with Nakamura Genta in Beijing for more details on the country's decision on Japanese seafood imports.
WHAT'S BEHIND BEIJING'S DECISION ON JAPANESE SEAFOOD
Genta, why did China decide to resume imports of Japanese seafood at this time?Well, Beijing knew it would eventually have to lift the ban. And I believe there are several reasons for doing it now. Just last month, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it would study Japan's request to restart seafood imports under the principles of science and safety. That signaled a green light for officials to move ahead.
On the other hand, Beijing had its own reasons for wanting to resume imports as soon as possible. With tensions expected to drag on with the Trump administration, China wants to improve ties with Japan. The domestic economy is slowing, so reviving economic exchanges with Japan was in Beijing's interest. They were likely waiting for the right moment.
So the economic situation was a major reason for the announcement.
Yes, but I don't think that's all. Last week, China announced plans for a massive military parade on September 3. That marks the day after Japan signed its World War II surrender, which China commemorates as Victory Day.This year is the 80th anniversary, and Beijing is planning a major campaign around it to fuel patriotism.
So the closer the import resumption announcement got to that sensitive date, the more criticism the government could face at home about where its loyalties lie.
So does this mean that tensions between Japan and China on this issue are resolved?
And it is worth noting, this new process doesn't even include 10 prefectures like Fukushima and Miyagi. China has restricted imports from those areas since the nuclear accident, even before the treated and diluted water release.
So, in effect, this just resets the situation to what it was before the latest dispute. For Japan, it's back to square one.
And China's government has warned it will take prompt measures if Japan fails to uphold safety standards. While Beijing is showing some willingness to ease tensions, the broader trajectory of its Japan policy remains highly uncertain.
TRUMP SUGGESTS SANCTIONS ON IRAN COULD BE LIFTED
The US president has reiterated that recent strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities were a success and suggested that he could lift sanctions on the country. Donald Trump was speaking on Fox News Channel's Sunday Morning Features, The interview came about questions about the true extent of damage caused by the US attack.And then it turned out, no, it was obliterated like nobody's ever seen before.
IAEA: IRAN COULD RESUME ENRICHMENT IN 'MONTHS'
Meanwhile, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency says the US attacks caused a very serious level of damage to the nuclear facilities. But Rafael Grossi told CBS News that it's possible the country could resume the uranium enrichment in a matter of months. The IAEA director general stressed the need for the agency to conduct inspections as soon as possible. But Iran's parliament adopted a plan last week to suspend cooperation with the agency. Multiple US media outlets also reported that a preliminary intelligence assessment indicates Iran's nuclear program was only set back by a few months. And the Washington Post reports the US obtained intercepted communication between senior Iranian officials about the strikes. It cites sources close to the government as saying officials said the attack was less devastating than they had expected.EXPERT: HIGH RISK OF MORE MILITARY ACTION AGAINST TEHRAN
For more on this, we spoke with Tanaka Koichiro, a professor at Keio University and an expert on Middle East affairs. He says that, despite indications by the Trump administration Iran may soon be ready to negotiate, the outlook is not good, and there could be further military confrontation ahead.Well, last week, President Trump announced that he would be willing to see Iran coming back to the negotiating tables this week. The Iranians have responded that they are not willing to negotiate at this moment, or at least that they haven't been, say, called into a negotiation yet. So if that sort of a, say, tip attack continues, President Trump may be, I mean, usually his patient runs out quite soon, and quite quickly. And there will be the possibility that he will, I mean, the United States will again attack militarily the Iranian nuclear sites.
Tanaka notes that Trump has raised the possibility of easing sanctions on Tehran as part of negotiations. But he says there is nothing concrete about this, and it is far from clear how this would work.So what is he talking? When he talks about sanctions, which sanctions are you talking about?That's one question that remains.
Iranian strategy, as far as I understand, is to keep the Americans busy in a way that they would either suspect that Iran is up to something, or at the same time there is sort of an ambiguity whether or not the United States needs to back again.
well Eventually, I believe that this current situation, meaning that the ceasefire that came into force on June, late June, I believe is not going to last. It's going to be either the Israelis again, or the Americans along with them, that are going to target some Iranian nuclear facilities, and maybe others. And eventually, I believe that this ceasefire is not going to last for long.
Tanaka says the Tehran regime has few options.
However, it still hopes there may be some diplomatic way out and could be willing to negotiate. It thinks the US could be distracted by other geopolitical issues, such as China.
At the same time, the regime understands its survival is at stake if it compromises too much with the US and Israel.
N.KOREA AIMS TO DEVELOP CULTURAL TIES WITH RUSSIA
North Korean leader has said he wants to expand ties with Russia beyond the military field. Kim Jong-un has reportedly underscored the importance of cultural ties with the country. North Korea's state-run television has reported that Kim sat down with Russia's Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimowa in Pyongyang. Kim reportedly said exchanges in culture and art can foster mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two countries. Ryubi Moa also met with her North Korean counterpart Soon Jong-yu. The two reportedly approved a plan to promote such exchanges. The local media say the Russian minister's visit coincides at the first anniversary of a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between Pyongyang and Moscow. It calls for mutual military support.CANADA SCRAPS DIGITAL SERVICES TAX FOR US TARIFF TALKS
Canada says it's scrapping its digital services tax just hours before it was set to take effect in a bid to advance trade negotiations with the United States. The Canadian government announced the news Sunday. It was supposed to start collecting the tax Monday. Instead, the government said it will submit draft legislation to rescind the tax to parliament. The tax would have applied to tech giants operating in Canada. Many of those companies are American. US President Trump has said he would call off talks with Canada unless they ditched the tax. Canada says Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump agreed to resume negotiations. They're hoping to hammer out a deal by July 21. In a statement, Carney said he will continue to seek an agreement that's in the best interests of Canadian workers and businesses.TRUMP TARIFFS
US PRESIDENT: AUTO TRADE WITH JAPAN 'NOT FAIR'
Well, the US president continues to take issue with the trade deficit with Japan. He noted again. That the US buys way more cars from the country than the other way around. It's not fair. And I explained that to Japan and they understand it.
ZELENSKYY CALLS FOR MORE US ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEMS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stressed the need to introduce additional US air defense systems to better protect the country as Russian forces continue to carry out large-scale aerial attacks. Zelenskyy noted on social media on Sunday that Russia has lost at least 114 missiles and 1,270 drones at Ukraine this week alone. He said, quote. Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defense, the things that best protects lives. These are American systems which we are ready to buy.Zelenskyy apparently had Patriot systems in mind. Ukraine's defense ministry said Russia had staged massive airstrikes across the country involving 60 missiles and 477 drones overnight through Sunday morning, but said Ukrainian air defenders destroyed or shot down many of them. But local media reported six people, including a child, were injured in the central region of Cherkosy. The reports also said infrastructure was damaged in the southern region of Nikolayev.
UKRAINE TO WITHDRAW FROM TREATY BANNING ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES
And staying with Ukraine, Zelenskyy has signed a decree to pull the country out of a treaty banning anti-personnel landmines. The president's move on Sunday concerns the Ottawa Convention that prohibits the production and use of anti-personnel mines. Russia is not a party to the convention. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry statement said Russia has used anti-personnel mines extensively as a method of warfare. It said that placed Ukraine in what it called an an equal and unjust situation that restricts its right to self-defense. Media reports say Ukraine is expected to notify the United Nations of its withdrawal from the treaty after securing parliamentary approval.Other countries bordering Russia, including Poland, Finland and three former Soviet ballistic Baltic states, announced earlier this year that they would withdraw from the convention.
the latest in business
Now let's get to the latest in business with Gene Ohtani.Yuko, thanks.
NIKKEI 225 CLOSES AT 2025 HIGH
In our top business story this hour, the Tokyo Benchmark Stock Index climbed on Monday, finishing at its highest level of the year for a second straight trading day.The momentum carried over from a Friday rally in New York. The Nikkei 225 closed at 40,487, up 0.8 percent. Investors placed buy orders on a wide range of shares. Soon after the opening, the index briefly gained 1.7 percent. Analysts say this was partly due to news the Canadian government was revoking attacks on US tech firms in order to resume talks with Washington. But the benchmark lost steam as some investors sold off export-related shares on the back of a stronger yen.
The Nikkei index extended its winning streak to five days. It has been on an upward trend since April. That's when US President Donald Trump's tariff rollout and related events led to dramatic swings.
JAPAN'S MAY INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT RISES FOR 1ST GAIN IN 2 MONTHS
Japan's industrial production rose for the first time in two months in May, led by auto parts and passenger vehicles.The industry ministry says total output increased 0.5% from the previous month.
Nine of the 15 industries surveyed saw growth. Production machinery saw the largest increase among all sectors, growing 5.6%. General purpose and commercial machinery gained 4.5%, driven partly by increased output of compressors. Automobile manufacturing climbed 2.5% due to brisk sales of passenger vehicles.
Further gains in industrial production are forecast for June, but a decline is expected in July. The ministry maintains its basic assessment that output is fluctuating without a clear trend.
Ministry officials say US tariff policies are set to be affecting production plans and adding to uncertainty about the future.
JAPAN LIFE INSURERS TO RAISE YIELD ON WHOLE LIFE POLICIES
Japan's life insurers are raising the yield on new whole life policies to reflect an increase in long-term interest rates after the central bank hiked rates.Sumitomo Life Insurance says it will increase the yield from 1.3% to 1.75% in July.
That's the highest in 24 years. The new yield will apply to whole life policies with a single upfront premium payment.
Sumitomo Life invests funds and bonds.
The yield on the benchmarkTen-year JGBs has risen following BOJ rate hikes.
It's lately been hovering around 1.5 percent.
Asahi Mutual Life Insurance says it will also raise the yield on whole life policies from July. The insurers aim to attract more customers with the higher yield products because they require a smaller premium payment.
CHINA'S FACTORY ACTIVITY TICKS UP BUT REMAINS BELOW KEY LEVEL
China's factory activity picked up slightly in June, but its key gauge remained below the boom or bust line for a third month in a row. This is as businesses are still concerned about the future of trade talks with the US The National Bureau of Statistics says the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index was 49.7 for the month. That's up 0.2 from May, but still below the 50-point threshold. Figures above the mark indicate expansion, while those below suggest contraction. The Bureau surveyed 3,200 manufacturers.The index for large businesses exceeded the threshold at 51.2, but activity at medium- and small-sized firms remained sluggish. Meanwhile, the index for the non-manufacturing sectorincluding service providers, improved by 0.2 points to 50.5.
Washington and Beijing continue to hold tariff negotiations after slashing additional levies on each other. Concerns were somewhat eased following a round of talks in London, but this was not enough to reverse the cautious outlook.
JAPANESE TOILET TECH CONTINUES TO EVOLVE
Japanese toilets are world-renowned for their cleanliness, comfort and cutting-edge features. But public restrooms get less rave reviews, especially when it comes to long lines. We take a look at efforts to solve the problem through technologies aimed at reducing wait times and improving the experience for everyone.
And this is toilet. Ohh You see?
Wow.
A hot item for foreign visitors to Tokyo is toilet tours. They take people to see modern Japanese commode construction done by famous architects.
That is amazing.
But when it comes to the wait for using facilities, some visitors to Japan are less impressed.
The woman toilet always has more cue.
I had to wait in line for the restroom at shopping malls in Shinjuku and Shibuya.
This public event space in Shibuya has adopted A surprisingly simple solution.Stools in the restroom are arranged along a corridor with men's and women's sides separated by a barrier, but depending on the needs, the wall can be slid to change the number of toilets available. Adjustments are made for events like concerts based on the ratio of attendees.
We've gotten feedback that the waiting time for restrooms has decreased compared to before. We hope that other venues take note and consider adopting the system.
The wait time issue stems from a long-standing problem, according to Kobayashi Junko, an architect with extensive experience in restroom design.Society was male-dominated for quite some time, so more men's restrooms were built than women's. Things are gradually changing, but the old thinking for restroom design has remained.
One possible solution that can be implemented at existing facilities is showing how busy a restroom is. This department store has digital displays that indicate occupied status, making it clear when toilets are available. People can even scan a QR code with their phones to see if there are any free seats.Sensors detect when a door opens and closes, and a screen in the store notifies users when they've been inside for over 10 minutes.
It also lets them know how busy the bathroom is by showing how many stools are in use. But people are also encouraged to stay longer if they need to.
People can see how long they've been using the stall and how many are open or full. It generally encourages people to take less time and result in improved usage for everyone.
Japanese restroom tech is regarded as some of the best in the world. But efforts are still underway to make it even better and ensure greater accessibility for all.
markets
All right, let's have a look at the markets.♪
And that's it for business news.
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a check on the weather
It's time for a check on the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan. Oh, so Jonathan, we're back to seeing the heat cranking up across Japan. Is it here to stay for a while?Hello, we are definitely seeing the mercury rising as we see the hot weather taking place across Japan. Even though the northeastern portions of the country are still technically in the rainy season, it doesn't feel like it.
37.1 degrees was the high on Monday in Mayabashi back for the West, close to 38 degrees, setting a record for the month of June for that location in Tokyo, also hitting 33.2 degrees on Monday. So yeah, it's. Definitely on the hot side and we're not going to be getting much in terms of relief as we go through at least the next couple of days. High pressure is the main dominant factor. You've probably heard me talk about the high pressure system that's been coming through or a few of them over the past week or two and that's really the main key feature, keeping things dry. I mean we'll have some clouds probably popping up from time to time, not much in terms of rain chances, can't really out maybe a stray possibility if there's just a little bit instability, but in general is actually going to be relatively calm but hot. 35 in Osaka coming up on Tuesday, 32 in Fukuoka, 33 in Tokyo, near 30 in Sapporo. So you've heard us on the weather team talk about this many, many times, but just bears repeating that as the temperatures continue to get hot and make sure that you take the proper precautions of staying hydrated, dressing appropriately and trying to get into those air conditioned spaces because it's just going to continue being hot as we go now forward into the next several weeks during the summer months. Meanwhile, we're looking at what's happening across near Mexico and North America, where we have a couple of tropical setups on either side of the country bringing some very heavy rainfall. And that's going to continue to be a concern as we go throughout the next couple of days. We have another kind of unstable area near the Gulf that may be moving over Florida. So we'll keep an eye out on that cold front moving through the central portions of the United States and along that we'll be seeing some thunderstorms. As we go through day on Monday, Chicago into Oklahoma City, Houston also looking at thunderstorms, the high of 33 and hot across the western side as well, 28 in Seattle as you go through Monday.
Hope you have a good day wherever you.
♫~ 3-DAY FORECAST ~♫
And that's it for this hour on NHK Newsline. I'm Yuko Fukushima. Thanks for joining us.