Hello, a very warm welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.
EVEN MORE HEAVY SNOW ON THE WAY FOR JAPAN
People in Japan are bracing for more snow. Officials say residents of northern and western Japan should prepare for another round of winter weather.
Meanwhile, residents in the Tokyo area may also see incoming snowfall, a relatively rare sight for the city.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says a strong winter atmospheric pressure pattern will continue through Friday.
Snow accumulation in many areas across Japan has already surpassed the yearly average.
Parts of Niigata Prefecture are currently buried under about 2.5 meters as of Thursday, and some regions could see as many as 70 centimeters of fresh snowfall before the weekend.
Active snow clouds are expected over Niigata and the regions of Hokuriku, Kinki and elsewhere through Friday, causing snow to pile up in a short period of time.
The bad weather system may also affect the Tokai and southern Kanto regions, which includes Tokyo.
Heavy snow has already left travelers delayed in Hokkaido.
The Hokkaido Railway Company says it will suspend all trains coming to and from Sapporo Station from 9 p.m. Thursday onward to clear snow from the tracks.
Weather officials say other traffic disruptions are possible.
They're also warning residents to take precautions against possible avalanches, power outages and accidents while removing snow.
And for more on the impact of the snow in Japan, we turn to our meteorologist Yumi Hirano. So what's the latest, Yumi?
00:01:52 話者 2/Yumi Hirano
A combination of cold air and the moisture over the Sea of Japan will bring more snow through the country.
Snowfall is expected not only the Sea of Japan side, but also on the Pacific side such as Kinki, Tokai and Kanto. Even southern Kanto, including Tokyo, could see up to 1 centimeter of snow on Thursday night.
But the heaviest amount is likely on the Sea of Japan side.
Up to 70 centimeters in Hokuriku and up to 50 in KInki is possible.
Heavy snow could affect traffic and transportation services.
Power outages may also be a big concern.
On Friday, sunny skies will come back to the Pacific side, such as in Osaka and Tokyo.
But Tokyo might have snow on Thursday night, so please watch out for icy roads on Friday morning.
♪
MAN ARRESTED AFTER LINK TO CHILD ASSAULT BLOG IN LAOS
00:02:53 話者 1
Tokyo police have arrested a 61-year-old man in connection to a blog containing possible child exploitation material in Laos.
Police say Kida Hiroshi of Osaka Prefecture is suspected of using a false address and phone number to sign up for a blog server in 2022.
In the blog, a person posted experiences about child exploitation in Laos.
Police say they began investigating who was behind the blog after receiving several reports about its content.
Police say the blog contained images of what appeared to be underage Laos girls.
The suspects' computers and smartphones reportedly stored the same images as those posted in the blog.
Police say the suspect is denying the allegations, saying a man he became acquainted with in Laos asked to use his Japanese address to sign up for the server.
Tokyo authorities say they are investigating in partnership with Laos police.
CHILD SUICIDES IN JAPAN HIT RECORD HIGH IN 2025
Japan's health ministry says a record number of children of school age took their own lives last year.
That was despite the total number of suicides in the country dropping below 20-thousand for the first time.
According to a preliminary report by the ministry, 532 students in elementary school through high school died by suicide in 2025.
That is the most since comparable records began in 1980.
352 of them were in high school, 170 in junior high, and 10 were elementary pupils.
The number of female students who took their lives has been rising since the surge in 2020 and surpassed males in all age brackets last year.
School-related issues, such as poor grades or an inability to decide on their future, were the main reasons cited for suicides among people aged 19 or younger.
They were followed by health problems, including depression.
The government plans to step up efforts to tackle the problem, such as expanding counseling services through social media.
Overall, men accounted for 13,117 suicide cases last year, and women for 5,980.
The main reasons cited were health problems, economic and living difficulties, as well as family issues.
The ministry says a counseling service is available on the Yorisoi Hotline at 0120-279-338.
For consultations in languages other than Japanese, press 2 after the initial message.
The number is not accessible outside Japan.
CHINA-BASED ILLEGAL MANGA PIRACY WEBSITE SHUTS DOWN
One of the world's largest manga piracy websites has been shut down after a Japanese industry group helped locate the operator in China and reported him to authorities.
Japan's Content Overseas Distribution Association, or CODA, says Chinese authorities raided the home of a man last November in Guanxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The man, who is in his 40s, is suspected of copyright law violations.
CODA worked with cybersecurity experts to help catch the suspect and file a criminal complaint in September.
The man had been running an illegal website called Batou.
Content was illegally uploaded to 60 domains, among them were Japanese manga.
The site received up to 350 million monthly visits.
The suspect used a method known as scanlation, which scans and translates comic books from around the world.
The site is said to have pirated content in about 50 languages.
00:07:01 話者 3
The shutdown of the website is a remarkable result.
Manga and anime are very popular, so we will actively respond to infringements.
00:07:10 話者 1
Koda says the problem is ongoing as translation has been made easier through the widespread use of artificial intelligence.
BUSINESS
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business.
Here's Gene Otani from The Business. Gene.
00:07:25 話者 4/Gene Otani
Miki, Thanks. It's our top business story this hour.
CANON CEO MITARAI TO STEP DOWN AS PRESIDENT
Japanese precision device maker Cannon says its president will step down.
Mitarai Fujio is retaining his roles as the company's CEO and chairperson.
Cannon announced Vice President Ogawa Kazuto will take over as president from 90-year-old Mitarai.
00:07:53 話者 3
I will set Canon's policy direction as chairman and CEO for the time being.
I want to see Ogawa work closely alongside me.
I will redouble my efforts for the company.
00:08:11 話者 4
I will leverage everything I learned in my career to fulfill my new responsibility.
The change in the top executives will become official after meetings of the company's general stockholders and board of directors in March.
Ogawa joined Canon in 1981 and became vice president in 2024.
He has previously held key posts, including as head of a US subsidiary.
PRIVATE FIRMS IN JAPAN IMPORT RECORD AMOUNT OF RICE IN 2025
Private firms in Japan imported a record amount of rice last year.
That was as prices of domestic supplies of the grain remained high.
Data from Japan's finance ministry show that private firms brought in over 96,000 tons of rice in 2025.
The figure is up more than 90-fold from the previous year, and the most since data became available in 2000.
There are two ways rice is imported to Japan.
One is through a government framework called minimum access.
The other is by private firms that pay steep tariff of 341 yen or about $2 per kilogram.
Most of the rice brought in by the private firms came from the United States.
The figure reached more than 75,000 tons or about 78% of all such imports.
Shipments from Taiwan followed at over 7,000 tons.
Vietnam was next with more than 4,500 tons.
The price of domestic rice hit record levels last year.
Japan's agriculture ministry says private firms took the view that imported rice was relatively cheap despite the tariff they had to pay.
SK HYNIX TOPS SAMSUNG IN 2025 OPERATING PROFIT
Competition is heating up among AI chipmakers.
South Korean firm SK Hynix has posted record operating profit for 2025, outperforming Samsung Electronics for the first time.
SK Hynix says its annual operating income doubled to over 47 trillion won, or $33 billion.
Demand has been soaring for its high-performance memory.
Rival manufacturer Samsung reported operating profit of just under 44 trillion won, or 30.5 billion dollars.
Both firms have been locked in fierce competition,
posting record sales amid the AI boom.
SANRIO'S CHARACTER-BUILDING STRATEGY FOR GLOBAL EXPANSION
Japan's kawaii culture has captured the hearts of fans around the world, but all those cute, adorable characters would not be possible without a lot of tough business decisions.
We talked to the president of Sandeo, creator of Hello Kitty, to find out what it takes to stay lovable at a time of cutthroat competition.
00:11:16 話者 5
Tsuji Tomokuni was just 31 when he became the president of Sanrio Company, founded by his grandfather.
Less than five years later, in 2025, Sanrio posted a record net profit.
Japan's content industry now exports more than its semiconductor plants.
00:11:37 話者 3
I've been feeling a tailwind ever since the coronavirus pandemic.
00:11:44 話者 5
But that wasn't the case when Suji took over Sanrio.
Sales and profits were in decline.
That was partly due to the company's heavy dependence on a small group of characters.
The new president thought a more stable business model was needed.
00:12:00 話者 3
There was a couple of instances where a character suddenly gained popularity and then quickly fell out of favor.
We don't want that to happen again.
Instead of relying on one character, we need to exploit our full range of characters so they all support each other.
00:12:17 話者 5
Putting that strategy into action, Sanrio is moving to utilize its full stable of more than 450 characters.
Just as important, Customers are encouraged to show loyalty.
The company organizes birthdays and other promotional events, always keeping fans informed.
The idea is to avoid the boom and bust of passing fads.
Sanrio has also reinforced its licensing business.
As a result, familiar characters are showing up in a growing range of products and services.
Licensing income now makes up almost half the company's sales.
Suji is especially taken by North America.
Sanrio's share in that licensing market is only 4%.
The president says a small share means ample room for growth.
Here comes her big finish.
00:13:13 話者 3
Compared with the Asian region, our share in North America is still small, but in value terms, it is significant.
So increasing our share in North America will be our main focus for the company's growth.
I am certain the licensing business will remain the core of our revenue model in order to make our characters known widely around the world.
00:13:40 話者 5
It's a fast-changing industry.
Tsuji says his strategy for going global will never lose sight of the key ingredient responsible for the company's success.
00:13:53 話者 3
Kawaii is a Japanese concept that's not exactly the same as pretty or cute.
It's hard to describe
kawaii in other words.
It's about things that look adorable, even for those used by adults.
I believe only Sanrio can share the kawaii-ness among people of all ages, so we hope to take on new challenges with great vigor.
00:14:18 話者 5
Sanrio opened a virtual theme park in December, drawing on the power of kawaii.
The company says it will continue setting up venues where customers can connect with their favorite characters.
MARKETS
00:14:34 話者 4
Okay, let's have a look at the markets.
♪
That's it for business news.
PLAYING WHACK-A-MOLE WITH AUSTRALIA'S SOCIAL MEDIA BAN
00:15:17 話者 1
It's been over a month since Australia introduced a sweeping social media ban.
Anyone under the age of 16 was supposed to be cut off from platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
The companies are responsible for shutting down those accounts, or they could face millions in fines.
For more, I spoke with NHK World's Matsuda Nobuko in Sydney.
So, Nobuko, how has it been going on?
00:15:48 話者 6/Matsuda Nobuko
Well, it depends on who you ask.
The government says it believes 4.7 million accounts has been deactivated so far.
that includes at least 330,000 Instagram accounts.
We wanted to see the law come into effect in the real time.
So we met up with 40-year-old Mikaela Ayers on the day of the ban.
Her TikTok had already been frozen.
It says new age restrictions in Australia, and then it says you can't use your account.
I'm locked out.
I don't know, I guess I'm a little bit sad because like I posted all my stuff on that account.
But she was still able to use other apps like Snapchat and Instagram.
00:16:35 話者 1
So wait, so you're saying that some accounts were shut down while others stayed active?
00:16:43 話者 6
Yes, exactly. I was curious about how often this was happening. So I went to find out.
I asked 38 young Australians how the ban was affecting their lives.
Only two of them said things had gotten better.
14 said it had made things worse.
But majority, 22, said it didn't change anything.
A few say they are spending less time on their phones.
But most of them said the law just wasn't effective.
The social media ban didn't work on me, even though it did put my real age in.
No apps banned me. I just made a newer one, 'cause they don't check the other ones.
00:17:26 話者 1
Hmm, so it sounds like there are many ways to get around the ban.
00:17:33 話者 6
Yes, you're right. Some teens say they just put a fake age when making an account.
Others use their parents' face to get past the face recognition.
There are many loopholes. And the ban doesn't even cover all social media.
It targets 10 major platforms.
So kids are quickly hop onto new apps not covered by the law.
So takes 12-year-old Tanisha, for example.
She said all her friends downloaded Lemon8, an app by TikTok's parent company.
00:18:10 話者 1
This is exactly what you see on TikTok.
00:18:13 話者 6
Just like how to make stuff, people posting, comments, you can still comment.
Expert says the government is going to be stuck playing whack-a-mole.
As new apps pop up, they will be added to the banned list.
And then another app will take its place. They said it makes it hard to keep kids safe.
when you have a lot of children in one place is that you also get a lot of online predators.
It's almost an unending process.
The idea that you can actually do a ban on a platform-by-platform basis is actually very resource intensive, very challenging to track.
00:18:55 話者 1
So given everything you've said, does that mean the law doesn't work?
00:19:04 話者 6
It's still too early to tell. The government says there are other ways to identifying underage users, and it has strict demands for the social media giants.
In the short term, they need to report their account numbers every month so officials can track progress. So more suspension may follow.
But the companies are also pushing back.
Reddit, one of the platforms included in the ban, filed a lawsuit, arguing the law is unconstitutional. We will have to see how that plays out.
I think it's worth mentioning the government knows it's impossible to completely ban social media, but the officials often compare it to underage drinking.
You can't stop every teenager from doing it, but the law still plays an important role.
Many countries understand the risk of the social media.
but no one has found a great solution.
Meanwhile, Australia is taking on this huge national experiment.
I'm sure the world is watching to see how it all plays out.
TRUMP WARNS IRAN TO MAKE NUCLEAR DEAL OR RISK NEW ATTACK
00:20:19 話者 1
US President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran swiftly negotiate a nuclear deal or face another US attack that would be worse than it suffered last year.
Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday that what he described as a massive armada is heading to Iran.
He added that it is ready and willing to fulfill its mission with speed and violence if necessary.
The president defined what he called a fair and equitable deal that would be good for all parties as meaning no nuclear weapons, and he warned Tehran that time is running out to make a deal.
Referring to the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last June, Trump said the next attack will be far worse.
Iran's mission to the United Nations responded to Trump also in a social media post.
It said, Iran is ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests, but it gave its own warning that it would defend itself and respond like never before if pushed.
RUBIO TESTIFIES AT SENATE HEARING
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers the Trump administration does not intend to take further military action against Venezuela, but reserves the option.
He says they've established a respectful and productive line of communication with the current leaders there.
It is the first time Rubio testified in Congress since the US military captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.
Rubio defended the operation.
He says the US made multiple attempts to get Maduro to leave, but described him as not a guy you can make a deal with.
He also says the country has become a base of operations for US adversaries and competitors.
00:22:14 話者 6
For the first time in 20 years, we are having serious conversations about eroding and eliminating the Iranian presence, the Chinese influence, the Russian presence as well.
00:22:24 話者 1
He also believes Washington will soon be able to open a diplomatic presence in the country.
Rubio later met with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the State Department.
Machado says she told Rubio that she wants to return to Venezuela as soon as possible, but she says that she and millions of Venezuelans around the world cannot return without security guarantees.
00:22:52 話者 6
It's about
Hundreds of political leaders that have been forced to flee, many other hundreds or thousands that are in hiding right now in Venezuela.
00:23:03 話者 1
That want to go out and accompany our people.
And she says the people of Venezuela will decide about her role in a future government.
Time to check out the world weather.
East Asia is facing severe cold and our meteorologist Yumi Hirano is back.
00:24:24 話者 2/Yumi Hirano
Severe cold air is covering not only Japan but also much of East Asia.
Heavy snow is expected in parts of Japan and also in northern China.
Weathered conditions are possible in some inland areas.
Snow is also expected in Beijing.
Showers are likely in Chongqing and Shanghai.
Tokyo will be on the sunny side with a high of only nine.
Moving to the United States, a persistent cold wave is dominating the northeast.
New York is experiencing freezing conditions.
Morning ferries navigated a partially frozen New York harbor on Wednesday.
Continued icy conditions meant New York City ferry operations were suspended across all routes on Thursday.
This closure may last for several more days due to sub-freezing weather.
The ferry operator has promised to give an update when it's safe to resume services.
Colder-than-usual weather is expected to continue over the weekend.
New York will see -5 on Thursday and -7 on Friday and Saturday.
The temperature in Atlanta will drop from 7 on Friday to only -2 on Saturday.
On top of that, a powerful winter storm is expected over the weekend.
People along the east coast should watch out for heavy snow and blizzard conditions.
That's it for now. Stay safe.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
TRADITIONAL JAPANESE DOLLS ON DISPLAY AHEAD OF GIRLS' DAY
00:26:50 話者 1
Before we go, a town in northeast Japan is showcasing specially-made traditional dolls ahead of Hinamatsuri, or Girls' Day.
The annual festival is held on March 3rd to celebrate the health and happiness of girls.
The dolls were made for this year's festival and are based on the Tohoku region's traditional wooden kokeshi dolls.
Artisans from across northeast Japan carved and painted the dolls using local techniques.
Now, these pieces feature horses, this year's animal from the Chinese zodiac.
00:27:27 話者 13/visitor 1
I feel warm inside seeing them.
00:27:30 話者 14/visitor 2
They're cute. They make it feel like the girls' festival is already here.
00:27:36 話者 1
Dolls are available for purchase at the exhibition.
They will remain on sale through Girls' Day.
And that's it for NHK Newsline this hour. I'm Yamoto Miki in Tokyo. Thanks for joining us.
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