FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR PLANT
SOURCES: DEBRIS REMOVAL WON'T START UNTIL LATE 2030s
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has decided to convene a key decision making meeting. This comes amid pressure on Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru to resign as party head following the LDP's poor showing in the recent upper house election. Ishiba and other LDP executives decided on Tuesday to hold a joint plenary meeting of all the party's Diet lawmakers in the near future. The Prime Minister says he will take party lawmakers' opinions into consideration after he faced criticism at a meeting on Monday. A senior LDP official says more discussions will be held.
The opinion was expressed at yesterday's meeting that we should hold an LDP joint plenary meeting. I think that should be respected. We can hold the meeting without going through the procedures, so I decided to do so.
Moriya Ma said the chair of the joint plenary will now listen to the opinions of lawmakers who called for the meeting.
He added it was uncertain whether the joint plenary could bring forth the date of the party's presidential election.
Ishiba also spoke to reporters about his stance on the meeting.
I have to offer a thorough and sincere explanation. That's all I'm thinking about right now.
I will explain without hiding.
Plans to remove molten fuel debris from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant will likely be years behind schedule.
NHK has learned that the work won't start until the late 2030s at the earliest. Three of the plant's nuclear reactors melted down after a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The facility is now in the process of being decommissioned, but 880 tons of debris still resides in the reactors.
It consists of molten nuclear fuel and parts of the reactor structures themselves. Removing it is considered the biggest hurdle of the decommissioning process. The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, aims to start with the debris in reactor number three. There were plans to begin in the early 2030s. But after conducting studies on specific removal methods, sources say TEPCO concluded it would take more time. They say the company would need 12 to 15 years just to prepare for the work. That's because TEPCO planned to build new facilities above reactor number 3 and try to reduce radiation levels. But that will take longer than anticipated.
The government and TEPCO were aiming to decommission the plant by 2051, 40 years after the accident. But several parts of their roadmap are now behind schedule.
KIM JONG UN'S SISTER SUGGESTS TALKS WITH THE US ARE POSSIBLE
The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has suggested that new summit talks with the US are possible, but ruled out Pyongyang giving up its nuclear weapons program. In a statement, Kim Yo-jong described the personal relationship between her brother and US President Donald Trump as not bad. But she added that if the US's purpose is North Korea's denuclearization, it can be interpreted as nothing but a mockery of the other party. She reiterated North Korea's irreversible position as a nuclear weapons state. But Kim also stressed that if two countries that possess nuclear weapons move in a confrontational direction, it is by no means beneficial to each other.
Trump met Kim Jong-un three times in 2018 and 2019 during his first term. Trump was not able to reach agreement with Kim, but is still willing to meet him again in his current term.
Reuters news agency quoted a White House official as saying, Trump remains open to engaging with Kim to achieve a fully denuclearized North Korea.
CHINA'S MILITARY MOVES IN INDO-PACIFIC RAISE CONCERN
China's increasing military presence in the Indo-Pacific has been raising concern in and out of the region. It's also raising some uncomfortable questions about a possible future conflict and whether Japan and other countries would get involved. A former senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense in the previous US administration gave us his thoughts.
Here's that report.
Japan's Air Self-Defense Force is taking part in this massive US-led exercise in the Indo-Pacific for the first time. It continues through August 8th. The aim is to strengthen US frontline deployment capabilities. It comes amid a rise in China's activities in the region.
In early June, two Chinese aircraft carriers were spotted in the Pacific.
Japan's defense ministry says it was the first time that Liaoning and the Shandong entered the area simultaneously.
Around that same time, a J-15 fighter jet from the Shandong flew close to a Japanese P-3C patrol plane.
The ministry says the J-15 jet came as close as about 45 meters.
What appears to be a missile can be seen under the fighter's wing.
Then in July, the Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber repeatedly approached a Japanese YS-11 intelligence-gathering plane two days in a row over the East China Sea. The ministry says this time the fighter-bomber came as close as about 30 meters.
And in February, in an unprecedented move, three Chinese naval vessels circled around Australia.
Indo-Pacific security expert Abraham Denmark says he thinks there are two main drivers behind the recent actions by the PLA, China's People's Liberation Army. As they become more of a global power, their interests are expanding, their economies, their economy is more closely tied with other countries around the world, and the PLA sees the need for them to defend and assert China's interests more more broadly, more explicitly around the world. and especially in the region. I think the second driver, ohh so I'd say a corollary to that is the purpose of these military actions I think is very clear.
It's coercion. It's an attempt to intimidate countries in the region to show that China has military capability, that China needs to be respected and potentially feared as a lot of these geopolitical negotiations are are ongoing. Taiwan recently conducted its longest ever military exercise. It was based on a scenario in which Chinese forces gradually shift from Gray zone activities to actual military action. Denmark says a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is possible. There's no check on Xi Jinping's power. If he makes the decision, that's what China will do. I think it would be dramatically risky for Xi Jinping to do that. I remain very confident that the US has the ability to defend Taiwan and any of our other allies or partners in the region, but the risks and the potential costs of that defense, I think are increasing. And that to me is where a lot of our focus is and how do we reduce the the cost and how do we increase deterrence so that China knows that it will not succeed. In its in any sort of military adventurism. Former President Joe Biden repeatedly said the US would use force to defend Taiwan.
There are questions around whether the new administration would do the same, but Denmark points out that the administration also thinks China is a major threat.
Recently, some news outlets reported that Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby asked Australian and Japanese defense officials how their countries would respond to an invasion of Taiwan.
My understanding is that what Under Secretary Colby is looking for is a political commitment from our allies that if the United States comes to the defense of Taiwan, that you'll be with us. Um So it maintains that ambiguity.
Ultimately, it's going to be the decision of the American president. But I think it's beyond a question of joint planning or joint discussions about how we would work together, how armed militaries work together, more of a political commitment that he's looking for, that if the United States comes to Taiwan's defense, um that Japan and Australia would be with us. That's my understanding of what he's looking for.
TAIWAN LEADER SCRUBS US VISIT AMID CHINESE OBJECTIONS
A planned trip by Taiwan's president to Latin America next month that included possible stopovers in the US has reportedly been shelved. The Financial Times says Washington has denied permission for Lai Tsingta to stop in the US amid objections from China.
Diplomatic sources said there had been a plan for Lai to visit Latin American countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan. He was also supposed to visit some US cities, including New York. But a spokesperson for the Taiwan presidential office on Monday said Lai has no plans for overseas trips in the near future. He cites the country's recovery efforts from a typhoon disaster and trade talks with the US as reasons.
A US State Department spokesperson noted that Taiwan has yet to announce Lai's itinerary, adding that the department will not comment on a hypothetical case. The US administration is also now in trade talks with China. It is reportedly seeking to arrange a summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
US, CHINA BEGIN TALKS AS TRADE TRUCE DEADLINE NEARS
The US and China trade talks has kicked off in Stockholm. They're expected to discuss extending the August 12th deadline for Beijing to reach a deal with Washington. US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who oversees his country's economic policy, are attending. The world's two biggest economies have kept negotiating since reaching a truce in May, when they agreed to slash additional tariffs and pause some levies for 90 days. The US is expected to push China to further open its market, particularly in the agriculture sector.
And China is likely to call for abolishing all tariff measures.
Bessent has indicated Washington could extend the deadline by another 90 days. And US President Trump is hoping for progress. We have a good relationship with China. China is tough. And like you're tough, you know we're we're all tough, yes. But we're going to see what happens. He also warns that other countries unable to reach deals could see tariffs ranging from 15 to 20 percent.
SHAOLIN 'CEO MONK' PROBED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT AND IMPROPRIETY
The head monk of the world-famous Shaolin Temple is reportedly being investigated by Chinese authorities. He is suspected of embezzling funds and having inappropriate relationships with women.
The Buddhist temple in Hunan Province revealed Xi Yongsin is being probed by multiple agencies. In addition to misappropriating assets and violating temple ethics by having affairs, he's accused of fathering at least one child.
Xi has been referred to as the CEO monk for launching multiple business ventures including in the food and clothing industries. He's also reportedly served as deputy head of China's Buddhist Association and attended the National People's Congress as a delegate.
The temple he oversaw is known globally in martial arts circles as the center of the tradition known as Kung Fu.
WAR IN UKRAINE
TRUMP SETS NEW CEASEFIRE DEADLINE FOR RUSSIA
US President Trump has moved up the deadline for Russia to reach a ceasefire with Ukraine. He now says he wants a deal to be agreed within 10 to 12 days.
Trump, earlier this month, called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to make a deal within 50 days. He threatened severe tariffs if Moscow did not act within the limit, which ends in early September. But on Monday, he expressed his frustration with Putin and shortened the time frame.
I'm going to make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today. There's no reason in waiting. There's no reason in waiting.
It's 50 days I wantbe generous, but yeah we just don't see any progress being made. Trump threatened sanctions and maybe tariffs. He also suggested that secondary levies could hit imports from countries buying Russian products. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the move. He said on social media that Trump's clear stance and expressed determination is right on time. Russian Security Council Deputy Chair Dmitry Medvedev responded online, calling it a threat and a step towards war, not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.
UN CONFERENCE ON ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN SOLUTION BEGINS
An international conference on a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict kicked off in New York on Monday, but the United States and Israel were not there.
France and Saudi Arabia are hosting the gathering at UN headquarters, which aims to raise approval for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace and security. Delegates from 125 countries and territories are attending. The wholesale destruction of Gaza is intolerable. It must stop. Unilateral elections that would forever undermine the two-state solutionare unacceptable.
They must stop.
The UN Secretary-General said a two-state solution is farther than ever before.
He added that it remains the only framework rooted in international law, endorsed by this assembly and supported by the international community.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa called for independence.
There is a path to peace. and regional integration. It will be achieved through our independence, not our destruction.
Discussions included recognition of a Palestinian state and disarming the Islamic group Hamas. Many participants called for an immediate ceasefire and criticized Israel's settlement activities in the West Bank, which are said to be in violation of international law. Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danan, said on Monday, This conference does not promote a solution, but rather deepens the illusion. He criticized the organizers of the meeting, saying they are engaging in discussions and plenaries that are disconnected from reality.
BUSINESSESS
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Gene Otani from The Business. Gene.
Miki, thanks.
JAPAN PRESSING US TO ACT AS TARIFF DEADLINE NEARS
In our top business story this hour, Japan's trade minister says Tokyo and Washington need to act swiftly to implement their recent tariff deal.
Mito Yoji is urging the US to take the necessary legal steps with a deadline looming. The two countries agreed last week to cut a planned. 25% US tariff on Japanese goods to 15%. The higher rate was set to come into force on Friday.
The important thing for both Japan and the US is to make efforts to implement the agreement. With Friday's deadline in mind, Japan is strongly urging the US to take necessary measures, such as signing at an early date executive orders to cut the rate.
Muto said the ministry is calling for quick implementation of the 15% levy on Japanese cars, which was cut from 27.5%. He said the ministry will determine the impacts of the tariffs on Japan's industries and job market and take additional measures whenever necessary.
ISUZU MAY MOVE SMALL-TRUCK PRODUCTION TO US FROM JAPAN
Japanese automaker Isuzu Motors says it may shift small truck production to the US in 2028 to avoid the higher import tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
Isuzu exports more than 10,000 small trucks to the US each year from its Fujisawa plant near Tokyo.
The company says it is considering to move production of the vehicles to a factory it plans to build in the US state ofSouth Carolina, he says it says it would maintain production at Fujisawa by baking vehicles for other markets at the plant.
FINANCE MINISTRY UPGRADES ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT FOR OKINAWA
Okinawa is enjoying an economic rebound due to some strong tourism
numbers. That's from the finance ministry, which has upgraded its economic assessment for the southern island prefecture. The ministry's local Bureau chiefsheld a quarterly meeting on Tuesday. They revised Okinawa's economic description, saying it is recovering, up from the previous moderately recovering.
They kept their assessment unchanged for all 10 other regions.
Officials say the prefecture is seeing a sharp rise in inbound visitor numbers, due in part to more flights. They say hotels and other tourism businesses are thriving and retail sales are up.
The officials say the opening last week of the Janguria Okinawa amusement park has helped to fill hotel rooms, but elsewhere the picture is less rosy.
JAPAN GOVT. WHITE PAPER WARNS OF ECONOMIC RISK FROM US TARIFFS
The ministry says the Japanese economy overall is picking up moderately, a phrase unchanged for two years.
The government says price increases. show Japan is clearly not in the deflation that plagued the economy for more than 20 years. However, it says US tariffs are a new threat and may drag on growth.
The government on Tuesday released its annual white paper on the economy and public finance for the current fiscal year through March. The document says the virtuous cycle of prices and wages rising together is starting to take root.
It points out that this year's spring labor talks led to the biggest wage hikes in 34 years and businesses are passing on higher costs in product prices. But the paper warns the economy could slip back into deflation because wages are not rising fast enough to keep up with inflation and US tariffs add a new risk. The white paper says further work is needed to balance efforts to revitalize the economy with fiscal health. It says supplementary budgets for the past five fiscal years totaled about 170 trillion yen, or more than $1.1 trillion.
JAPANESE TOILET TECH CONTINUES TO EVOLVE
Japanese toilets are world-renowned for their cleanliness, comfort and cutting-edge features, butPublic 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. 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's 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.
And that's it for business news.
WEATHER
And it's time for world weather with our meteorologist Jonathan. Oh, Jonathan.Pigs found themselves trying to stay afloat in the submerged pens and trying to escape from those high waters.
Eventually they were able to get out, but that's a lot of water. A car, streets and homes were flooded, leading to school and business closure. So CO may will continue to be a story where eastern areas of China will get real heavier rain bands from Shanghai points northward as we go through the next few days. We also have Crosa, which is kind of having a hard time figuring out where it wants to go. First it looks like it's gonna go straight N then looking more toward the north and West toward Japan and the eastern areas of Japan. So we have to keep an eye out on this because the possibilities are still quite variant. So looking at this, looking at cold wind, bringing this heavy rainfall into Shanghai, and Krosa still spinning its wheels for the moment. Heavy rainfall though, Taiwan's other areas looking at up to 200 millimeters of rainfall in a very short period of time, so it could be compounding the flooding concerns.
Shanghai 29, hot though across Japan into North and South Korea, highs in the mid 30s, so make sure you take those proper precautions. Meanwhile, strong thunderstorms were impacting the upper Midwest of the United States. That focal point is shifting slowly toward the east into the Great Lakes, so we'll still be looking at the possibility of strong thunderstorms with that down toward the South. It's hot 38 for the high on Tuesday in Oklahoma City, 36 in Houston. Thunderstorms into Atlanta with a high of 35 for Tuesday.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo. Thanks for staying with us.
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