Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yoko Nishimura in Tokyo with the latest news.
We have an update on breaking news.
PROJECTILES LAUNCHED FROM N.KOREA LIKELY FELL OUTSIDE EEZ
Japan's defense ministry says multiple projectiles have been launched from North Korea.
Officials say the objects appear to have already fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. The defense ministry adds the projectiles were likely ballistic missiles.
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae issued instructions in response.
She called on officials to gather and analyze information, and to swiftly provide it to the public.
She also called for the confirmation of the safety of aircraft and ships, and full preparation for unexpected situations.
North Korea launched several ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on January 4.
The South Korean and US military have been on alert and monitoring the situation since then.
PARTY LEADERS MAKE PITCHES TO VOTERS
Japan's lower house election campaign kicked off Tuesday.
It's Takaichi Sanae's first general election as prime minister.
Her coalition is aiming to secure a majority as the opposition tries to gain more seats.
It's also the first lower house election since late 2024.
Here's a taste of what the leaders are pitching to voters.
00:01:31 話者 2/Takaichi Sanae
We are calling for a strong and prosperous Japanese archipelago.
No matter where you live, you should be able to live safely.
You should be able to receive the proper medical care and welfare you need.
In order to build such a Japanese archipelago, We need economic growth right now more than anything.
The Takaichi Cabinet's policies have changed completely from those of its predecessor.
The core of these policies is responsible for active fiscal policy.
This includes crisis management investment and growth investment.
Our key policies and the framework for the administration have changed.
We would first like to seek your mandate. Please provide me your support.
00:02:22 話者 3
Will you choose those that put people's lives on the back burner?
Or will you support us, as we, the Centrist Reform Alliance, put forward policies based on putting people first? The best way is to lower the consumption tax rate.
Our plan is to get it done by this autumn, with a clear explanation of the finances behind the measure.
Komeito ended the coalition with the LDP because the ruling party had problems with money in politics, and because it did not reflect on the issue.
Does the LDP think the matter is settled? Isn't that wrong?
00:03:06 話者 4
Reforms have not much progressed under the LDP.
We will step in, take on the role of the accelerator, and move Japan's politics forward.
We must aim at national security, economic security, and economic growth.
Prices are rising now. We should at least do something about the consumption tax on food items for all of you. Let's make it zero.
Together with Prime Minister Takaichi, in a coalition of the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party, let's make Japan's politics take one more step forward.
00:03:38 話者 5
We must shift toward new politics that prioritizes policies, people's.
Lives and the economy, not the old style that prioritizes political maneuvering and elections. We need to increase people's take-home pay.
We will ensure that everyone's annual take-home pay rises by 60,000 yen this year.
We will fight not for the stability of the ruling parties, but for the stability of people's lives.
00:04:09 話者 6
One key focus of this election is on how we can protect people's lives from rising prices.
Profits are flowing only to major shareholders and large companies and being held.
We will definitely change such politics into one that puts people's lives first.
We will work to improve people's lives for peace, for human rights, and for the public without wavering and change LDP politics.
00:04:36 話者 7
Rising prices need to be addressed urgently. People's lives have been devastated.
Abolish the consumption tax. Immediately provide a stop-gap cash payment of 100,000 yen and lower social insurance premiums using national funds.
Prompt action is also needed to address the declining birth rate and aging population.
Do not take part in the war business.
I want to work with the people to build such a country.
00:05:00 話者 8
Japan's independence, Japan's revival and Japan's salvation. The people are getting poorer and poorer. Pensions are being cut, salaries are going down.
And why? Because Japan's politics are flawed, right?
As for the consumption tax, the only choice is to completely abolish it.
Just bringing the food tax down to 0 won't change anything.
00:05:21 話者 9
When the economy isn't functioning, the answer is tax cuts.
The consumption tax should be abolished soon.
We strongly oppose accepting excessive immigrants.
We must set limits on how many come in. Each one of us is Japan.
Unless we create a system to support this country together, Japan won't recover from its current stagnation.
00:05:43 話者 10
First of all, there is no time to wait for tax cuts. I think the biggest issue is immigration.
If Japanese society is completely transformed by immigrants, Japan will never again return to what we are. Let's stop for now.
00:06:00 話者 11
Your taxes are for you. Zero consumption tax. Let's do whatever it takes to fight against politics that destroy peace and people's lives and create a big wave.
00:06:15 話者 12
Team Mirai is not calling for cutting the consumption tax.
This is because we believe we should prioritize reducing social insurance premiums, which are a huge burden on the current generation of workers.
00:06:29 話者 1/Yoko Nishimura
All 465 seats in the Lower House are up for grabs.
289 of them will be from single-seat constituencies.
The remaining 176 will be elected through a system of proportional representation.
Some candidates will run under both systems.
That means even if they lose in their constituency, they may still win a seat through proportional representation. 233 seats are needed for a majority.
The election is expected to focus on the current administration's policies.
On the domestic front, candidates will likely campaign on measures to tackle rising prices, including potential changes to the consumption tax.
The declining birth rate and social security issues are also key topics for voters.
Money in politics and policies for foreign nationals will likely come up in the campaign.
Foreign and security policies will also be a major talking point.
The official campaign runs for 12 days. Voting will be held on February 8.
ANALYSIS: POLITICAL LANDSCAPE SHIFTS AS CANDIDATES HIT CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Earlier, I spoke with NHK World political correspondent Igarashi Jun.
He helped us understand what to keep an eye on during this campaign.
It's been less than a year and a half since the last lower house election.
Why the timing now?
00:07:52 話者 13/Igarashi Jun
Takaichi has triggered a snap election because the ruling coalition wants to secure a certain majority. You need 233 seats out of 465 to control the lower house.
Before the chamber was dissolved, the ruling LDP and its new coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, needed support from several independents to make it work.
They were able to clinch a somewhat unstable majority.
But, it's not as solid as they like. What's more, Takaichi says her economic and fiscal policies are very different from the last administration's.
So she says she wants the people of Japan to judge those differences for themselves.
Takaichi says the ruling coalition is looking for stronger support, and even says she will put her position as prime minister on the line.
This is her first test in office and the first time she's sought a public mandate to lead Japan.
00:08:59 話者 1
And what are we hearing from the opposition parties about this election call, since it's so soon after the last election?
00:09:06 話者 13
They're being quite critical. Some leaders say that we don't need an election right now.
Instead of making campaign speeches, they say they should be debating policies in the chamber. There have been major movements within the opposition lately.
Until recently, the largest opposition party was the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. But earlier this month, it joined forces with Komeito.
Komeito, of course, had partnered with the LDP for over two decades, but left the ruling coalition last October.
Those two opposition parties then formed a new party in the lower house.
That party is called the Centrist Reform Alliance, or CRA.
Noda Yoshihiko is the party's co-president. He says this election can reshape Japan's political landscape and allow the country to form a new government.
There are 289 single-seat constituencies across Japan.
The CRA will have candidates in more than 200 of those districts.
while the ruling coalition will be fielding candidates in almost all of them.
00:10:22 話者 1
So does that mean voters essentially have to choose between the ruling coalition and the CRA?
00:10:28 話者 13
Well, those aren't their only options.
In recent years, we've been seeing a greater multi-party influence in Japanese politics.
The Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito gained seats in last year's national election.
This time, they've doubled the number of candidates running in single-seat districts compared to the last lower house election.
So, there are quite a few major changes for this election to keep an eye on.
And we'll be watching them closely over the next 12 days of this campaign.
US AIRCRAFT CARRIER IN MIDDLE EAST TO ADD PRESSURE ON IRAN
00:11:14 話者 1
A US aircraft carrier strike group has entered the Middle East after Iran's crackdown on anti-government protests.
US President Donald Trump is putting pressure on Tehran, but says he'd prefer diplomacy.
An official tells NHK the USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying warships are in the region under US central command.
Trump has repeatedly told media of his plans to send a fleet toward Iran after threatening to intervene if Iranian authorities killed more people.
But he's also said he'd prefer not to use force. Trump told news website Axios on Monday that Iran wants to make a deal and it has called on numerous occasions.
Several thousand people are believed to have died in clashes with Iranian security forces since protests began last month, though the unrest appears to have calmed.
TRUMP RELENTS ON MINNESOTA CRACKDOWN AFTER FATAL SHOOTINGS
US media are quoting sources who say some federal agents will soon be pulled out of Minnesota amid protests against an immigration crackdown.
Two people were shot dead by officers this month.
Now, President Trump appears to be trying to lower the temperature.
37-year-old nurse Alex Preti was gunned down on Saturday during an incident with federal agents. That came after Renee Goode, also 37, was shot dead in her vehicle on January 7.
The two killings have fueled outrage from Minnesota residents and state officials.
On Monday, Trump posted, He had a very good call with Governor Tim Walz, who asked that they work together.
He added, They seem to be on a similar wavelength. This was a major shift from Trump's previous, more combative tone with the Democratic governor.
Walz also called their tuck productive.
He says Trump agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in his state and help ensure Minnesota authorities can independently investigate the shootings.
Also on Monday, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt told reporters that Trump does not want to see people getting killed.
But she also said Saturday's tragedy was a result of actions from Minnesota's Democratic leaders.
00:13:28 話者 25
It is President Trump's hope and wish and demand for the resistance and chaos to end today.
That's why President Trump spoke with Governor Walz directly this morning, and he has outlined a clear and simple path to restoring law and order in Minnesota.
00:13:45 話者 1
Levitt called on Walz and others to turn over all incarcerated illegal aliens, as well as those with active warrants or known criminal histories.
BUSINESS
Now to tell us what's happening in the world of business, here's Gene Otani from the biz desk.
00:14:03 話者 7/Gene Otani
Yoko, thanks. In our top business story this hour,
JAPAN'S ANNUAL WAGE TALKS KICK OFF AS INFLATION PERSISTS
business and labor leaders in Japan have kicked off annual wage negotiations.
The focus is on whether they can agree on pay raises that outpace inflation.
The heads of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, and the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or RENGO, met on Tuesday.
00:14:32 話者 4
The public attention to wage hikes is growing amid rising prices and labour shortages.
An increase in base pay will be the primary topic for the talks.
We are calling on all companies to hold active discussions.
00:14:54 話者 7
The labor group aims for average increases of at least 5 percent for base pay and regular hikes. The goal for smaller businesses is 6 percent.
00:15:09 話者 5
Negotiating pay raises of at least 5 percent for the third straight year is a minimum target.
It needs to be achieved not just at large companies, but also at smaller ones.
00:15:23 話者 7
The discussions face headwinds. They include tariff policies under the administration of US President Donald Trump and resistance among smaller firms to raise pay.
Negotiations will get into full swing next month when labor unions at major firms submit their requests.
JAPAN CRUDE-STEEL OUTPUT FALLS TO 4TH FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1963
Japan's crude steel production has fallen to fourth in the world for the first time in more than 60 years. The figure is a key measure of the strength of the steel industry.
The World Steel Association said Japan produced about 80 million tons of crude steel in 2025.
That's down 4% from the previous year and behind China, India and the United States.
Japan's output of crude steel increased rapidly after World War II due to demand for reconstruction.
The figure topped 100 million tons during the rapid economic growth of the 1970s, but has decreased in recent years.
An analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities indicated, Japan's declining population and changing industrial structures have been pressuring the key sector.
00:16:42 話者 4
There is a growing geopolitical risk. The steel industry is absolutely necessary.
It must be preserved.
00:16:51 話者 7
Yamaguchi said the government may need to give more support to the industry.
MARKETS
All right, let's have a look at the markets.
♪
That's it for business news.
IN FOCUS
00:17:36 話者 1
Next, we turn to my colleague Shibuya Aki for Newsline in Focus. She is a feature on a Japanese photographer renowned for documenting a turbulent era in South Korea.
POSTWAR S.KOREA SEEN THROUGH GAZE OF JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHER
00:17:48 話者 8/Shibuya Aki
Kuwabara Shisei, an emerging photographer, got on a plane heading for South Korea in 1964. This was a heady time defined by a dramatic shift toward normalizing diplomatic ties with Japan and the establishment of the military dictatorship of Park Chung-hee.
Large-scale demonstrations were erupting around the country.
The government tightly controlled the media, censoring free press.
Kuwabara not only got into South Korea, but was also able to frame the events of those times and beyond.
00:18:28 話者 9
A preview of a documentary tracing the life of photographer Kuabata Shisei is being screened in a sentiment near Seoul, bringing renewed attention to his rich body of work.
(Japanese)
The photographer's connection with South Korea got its earnest start after covering a demonstration against the normalization of diplomatic ties with Japan.
(Japanese)
For decades, Kuwabara has continued to train his lens on the shifting landscape of South Korean society, shooting over 100,000 images so far.
00:19:53 話者 19
It's really astonishing that it was a Japanese. Person, not a South Korean, who documented the realities of South Korea throughout his lifetime.
I'm deeply grateful that he preserved these records for posterity.
00:20:10 話者 9
While in town for the screening, Kuwabara heads to a place with special meaning.
Korea University, where the student demonstration had taken place.
The images he captured there remain etched in his memory.
At the time, students at universities across the country were staging repeated protests against Park Chun-hee 's administration.
00:20:47 話者 6
I didn't enter the campus, but was pointing my camera toward it from the sidewalk.
00:20:57 話者 9
Looking back, Kuobara understands the extent of the students' anger.
00:21:07 話者 6
The ostensible purpose of the protests was to demonstrate against South Korea's humiliating foreign policy toward Japan.
But I saw another underlying motive at the time, a backlash against the domestic situation.
Whether economic or ideological, I think it was the unspoken basis of the opposition to the Park Chung-hee regime.
00:21:35 話者 9
Kuobare kept up his visits to document other aspects of life, including the impact of rapid economic growth, dubbed the Miracle on the Hangan River.
His images taken during military rule, when freedom of press was virtually non-existent, have become invaluable resources to understanding the era.
And this has earned him the respect of his South Korean peers in the field of photography.
00:22:11 話者 3
Despite South Korea not being his homeland, his determination to document it as a photographer is truly remarkable.
00:22:24 話者 6
This photograph is incredibly powerful. It captures the heavy and dark mood of South Korean society of that time. South Korea is distilled in his single image.
00:22:44 話者 9
Kuwabara also reveals the streets of Seoul bearing the deep scars of the Korean War and rallies demanding the president's resignation.
Turning 90 this year, the photographer is now working to preserve his vast portfolio for future generations.
This involves digitizing the volumes of negatives and positives taken over the decades.
00:23:19 話者 6
I believe the photographs I leave behind may be effectively used by future generations as historical materials. So I want to be proactive in sharing them.
00:23:36 話者 8
What makes Kwabata's work so powerful is that he has viewed South Korea through a clear lens. Coming from the outside, he was snapping scenes as they unfolded.
Not only does that process help us see the history, but it also serves as a way to share it.
After all, the past may be as relevant as to what goes on today.
And that's all from me.
♪
WEATHER
00:24:25 話者 1
It's time for a check on the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh.
So, Jonathan, snow might be slowing down in northern Japan, but it's still slow going for folks in Hokkaido. What can you tell us?
00:24:38 話者 10/Jonathan Oh
Hello. We've been talking about how the snow intensity has been waiting a bit for those located in the northern and northeastern portions of Japan, but there's still a lot of snow on the ground that's causing some problems. Take a look at this video.
We're going to go to Sapporo, where snow may be easing in the region, but it was still slow going for those trying to get around Tuesday.
JR. Hokkaido said about 330,000 people were impacted by delays and cancellations of their trains Monday and Tuesday.
The snow depth for South Porter remained close to a meter.
That's causing problems for drivers on the roadways.
Now as transportation issues are expected to continue, officials are asking people to check the latest information before attempting to head out just to save themselves some time, especially when it comes to the trains by checking out the websites and things like that.
We are looking at the snow to kick back up as we go in the next couple of days.
We'll have a little break in Sapporo as we go into Wednesday.
Then we'll see the snow picking back up down toward the south, relatively dry.
And we're seeing temperatures hovering around 9, 10 degrees in places like Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka as we go through the rest of this week.
Snow again continue to be in the picture as we go through the rest of this week in Sapporo.
We brought out the view back toward the west and other portions of East Asia.
High pressure is the controlling factor. Chile from Lombatari, below 0, Beijing at 1.
So we're looking at sunny skies, but minus 2 for the high as we go through Wednesday.
It's been freezing cold across a good portion of North America, especially even into the Deep South, seeing that frigid temperatures and some of the hardest temperatures, the coldest temperatures going through Tuesday morning before we see the rebound.
And looking at more snow coming into the picture as another low crosses over the Great Lakes here. So a place like New York into Toronto looking at some snow.
Temperatures staying well below freezing, minus 6 in New York, minus 8 in Toronto, minus 10 in Chicago and Oklahoma City staying below freezing throughout the day as we go through Tuesday.
Hope you stay warm and hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:36 話者 1
And that's it for now on NHK Newsline. I'm Yoko Nishimura in Tokyo.
Thanks for joining us.
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