Hello, a very warm welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.
TRUMP CONTINUES THREATS TO DESTROY IRAN'S INFRASTRUCTURE
US President Donald Trump has repeated his threat to destroy Iran's energy facilities if it fails to meet his deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz.
But Tehran is showing no sign of backing down.
Trump spoke at a news conference held at the White House on Monday.
He suggested that US forces will implement the attacks immediately after the deadline of 8 p.m. Eastern US time if it is missed.
00:00:42 話者 10/Donald Trump
We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business.
00:01:00 話者 1
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed for weeks since the conflict began at the end of February.
During that time, Trump has constantly criticized other countries for their lack of support to reopen the Strait, a point he made once again at the latest news conference.
00:01:20 話者 10
I've always said NATO's a paper tiger. See, NATO is a paper tiger.
Japan didn't help us, Australia didn't help us, South Korea didn't help us.
00:01:31 話者 1
Iran's spokesperson for the Military Central Command called Trump delusional in a statement.
He said Trump's rude rhetoric, arrogance and baseless threats will in no way affect Iran's continued military operation against the US and Israel.
Earlier, Iran's state-run media agency reported Tehran had rejected a US ceasefire proposal.
The response was delivered through its intermediary, Pakistan, and emphasized the need to find a permanent end to the war.
Meanwhile, military strikes continued to rock the Middle East.
The Israeli defense minister said in a video statement on Monday that the country's forces have struck Iran's largest petrochemical facility in Assaluyeh in the south.
Israel Kotz said the facility and another complex attacked last week account for 85 percent of Iran's petrochemical exports.
He claimed that the airstrikes have dealt a heavy blow to the key funding sources of Iran's regime.
JAPAN PREPARES PHONE TALKS WITH IRAN PRESIDENT
The Japanese government says it is arranging telephone talks between Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and Iranian President Masoud Pezeskian.
Takaichi told lawmakers on Monday that efforts are underway towards top-level dialogue and other diplomatic efforts are being explored.
She wants to directly urge Tehran to de-escalate the situation and ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Foreign Minister Motegui Toshimitsu spoke Monday night with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.
He expressed grave concern over prolonged retaliatory attacks and urged Iran to engage sincerely with the diplomatic efforts currently underway.
Motegui also held a separate phone call with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
He expressed thanks for Islamabad's efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran, adding that Japan hopes to work closely with Pakistan.
ARTEMIS II CREW SET DISTANCE RECORD FOR HUMANS IN SPACE
The astronauts of NASA's Artemis II mission have reached the farthest distance from Earth ever traveled by humanity as they journeyed to the far side of the moon.
00:03:52 話者 3/NASA narrator
We are getting a first views from Orion after the loss of signal. Orion has come back around the other side of the moon and that little crescent that you see is Earth.
00:04:05 話者 1
Orion entered the moon's gravitational sphere of influence on the fifth day of the 10-day mission. It then made a swing around the far side of the moon.
NASA says the crew set the distance record at 23:02 UTC Monday.
The US space agency says the spacecraft was more than 406,700 kilometers from Earth at its farthest point.
It surpassed the record set by Apollo 13 in 1970 by about 6,600 kilometers.
The latest mission is the first crewed test flight under the US-led Artemis program aimed at landing astronauts on the moon in 2028.
The crew of Artemis II is due to return to Earth on Friday with a splashdown off the US coast.
PAKISTANI MAN ARRESTED FOR SMUGGLING STIMULANTS INTO JAPAN
A Pakistani man has been arrested on suspicion of smuggling stimulant drugs into Tokyo from the United Arab Emirates. The drugs have an estimated street value of $90 million.
But Shafkat Mushtaq is said to be denying the charge.
He's a 53-year-old used car dealer without a known address.
Tokyo police and other officials suspected him of smuggling 270 kilograms of stimulants into Tokyo port in a container.
They say he did so across three days, from December 30 of last year to January 1.
They say Tokyo customs officials inspected the container after it had been left unattended for three months. They found the drugs in bags, typically used for cosmetic products.
Investigators say the suspect also gave instructions on how to smuggle to other people, including another Pakistani citizen.
They arrested the suspect on Sunday as he was attempting to leave Japan through Narita Airport. They are now investigating how he acquired the drugs.
IMPERIAL FAMILY VISITS MUSEUM DISPLAY ON FUKUSHIMA DISASTER
Japan's imperial family has visited a museum display in the town of Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, on the damage done by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko are in the prefecture for two days starting Monday.
They arrived at the Historical Archive Museum of Tomioka on Tuesday and were welcomed by the mayor and other officials.
The family saw an exhibit of a police car that was swept away by the tsunami while helping to evacuate residents.
They listened closely as museum staff explained that one of the two officers in the vehicle died and the other is still missing.
Officials said the emperor asked how the vehicles had been preserved.
The empress commented that the incident was tragic.
The family visited an education facility in the town of Okuma in the afternoon and will return to Tokyo on Tuesday evening.
BUSINESS
Now, let's see what's happening in the world of business.
Here's Yuko Fukushima from The Biz Desk. Yuko.
00:07:32 話者 4/Yuko Fukushima
Thanks, Miki.
JAPANESE AIRLINES MAY ADD FUEL FEES FOR DOMESTIC FLIGHTS
Well, NHK has learned the surge in crude oil prices has prompted some Japanese airlines to consider adding fuel surcharges for domestic flights.
This comes as the country's two biggest airlines announced last week they would hike fuel fees for international routes.
Almost no carriers currently apply the charges for travel within Japan.
Japan Airlines and Skymark Airlines responded to a survey by saying they may start applying the charges next spring.
Skymark, in addition, may raise ticket prices before collecting fuel surcharges.
Most of the other surveyed carriers are exploring the possibility of raising airfares for domestic routes.
A group representing domestic airlines says a key price index for jet fuel has jumped roughly two-and-a-half times since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February.
Japan's Transport Minister Kaneko Yasushi said he will continue to ask airlines to provide consumers with clear explanations of any changes.
00:08:33 話者 5/Kaneko Yasushi
We will coordinate with the relevant authorities while monitoring trends for fuel prices and demand. The ministry will deal with the situation in a timely and appropriate manner.
00:08:45 話者 4
Kaneko added that jet fuel is subject to the government's emergency measures to address rising energy costs.
JAPAN HOUSEHOLD SPENDING DIPS FOR 3RD MONTH IN FEBRUARY
Japan's household spending in February fell for the third straight month year-on-year.
Food expenditures dipped, desk prices rose, car purchases declined.
The Internal Affairs Ministry says outlays by households of two or more people dropped 1.8 percent from a year earlier, adjusted for inflation.
The average stood at just over 289,000 yen, or about 1,800 dollars.
Food typically accounts for a relatively large share of household spending, and this fell half a percent in the month.
The dip reflects the higher cost of fishery products and seasonings.
Disbursements on transport and communications fell almost 6% as consumers bought fewer automobiles.
On the upside, spending on culture and recreation climbed almost 11%.
The category includes overseas package tours and accommodation services.
Expenditures rose 1.9% for furniture and household goods, such as bedding and electric products.
The ministry says the data indicates households are being more selective about their purchases rather than cutting overall spending.
SAMSUNG'S QUARTERLY OPERATING PROFIT JUMPS EIGHTFOLD TO RECORD
Samson Electronics says operating profit in January to March surged more than eight-fold from a year earlier to a record soaring semiconductor sales led the way.
The South Korean technology conglomerate released the preliminary figures on Tuesday.
Profit hit 57.2 trillion won, or about $38 billion, which exceeds the number for all of last year. Sales jumped 133 trillion won, another record for a quarter.
Besides chips, Simpson says the strong performance was helped by the improved competitiveness of its home appliance and smartphone businesses.
SMART RECYCLING SET TO BOOST SOURCES OF METALS
Demand is climbing for metals used in everything from electronic devices to cars.
Recyclers in Japan are developing new ways to capture nickel, palladium, lithium and others for reuse. The efforts are critical in the resource-poor country.
00:11:05 話者 6
This company began a demonstration project here last September.
At this factory, disused devices, including smartphones, game consoles, and digital cameras, are sorted as the first step.
The process yields bits that contain metals, listed by the government as rare.
The company that operates the plant says this is the world's first automated system to break down gadgets to recycle metals.
These ceramic capacitors on circuit boards contain rare metals such as nickel and palladium that can now be extracted using the process.
00:11:50 話者 13/Nakagawa Yukimi/Technical Department Group Leader, Daiei Kankyo
Because the parts are so small, removing and sorting them by hand would not be realistic.
00:12:01 話者 6
Lithium batteries are separated from other components to reduce fire risk.
The crushed matter from disused devices is sorted based on weight, electrical conductivity, and other factors.
The resulting materials are sent to refiners where metals are extracted.
00:12:27 話者 15/Yamada Makoto/Executive Officer, Daiei Kankyo
We'd like to see this lead to a future where rare metals and rare earths are recycled within the country.
00:12:36 話者 6
This white powder is high-purity lithium, recycled from used batteries at another demonstration project.
At this non-ferrous metals plant, batteries are burned in a specially designed furnace.
The process removes non-metal materials.
The remains are then crushed and refined into a black powder that is rich in metals.
That fine powder is dissolved in water and treated repeatedly with special chemicals and then dried. The result is high purity lithium powder.
The company says it has boosted recovery rates from under 50% to 90% by using different chemicals and processes. That's among the highest rates in the world.
00:13:43 話者 17/Nakagawa Tadashi/Vice President & Director, JX Metals Circular Solutions Tsuruga
We believe it's crucial to recycle lithium-ion batteries safely. We hope our technology can be put to use in that area, and it would really benefit Japan as a whole.
00:14:00 話者 6
Advances in recycling technology are raising hopes that metals designated as rare can be secured more steadily within Japan, which is also important for economic security.
MARKETS
00:14:15 話者 4
And now to courtesies and stocks here in Asia.
♪
And that's the biz for this hour.
JAPANESE AMERICAN MEDIC'S LETTERS REVEAL REALITY OF WWII
00:14:59 話者 1
Sunday marked National Go for Broke Day in the US.
The saying means wager everything. It originates from the motto of a combat team made-up of Japanese Americans during World War II.
More people are now learning about their contributions, thanks in part to the writings of a medic. NHK World's Komiya Lisa reports.
00:15:22 話者 7
I can't stand the atmosphere of being guarded day and night in this barbed wire enclosed space. It will be a relief to breathe fresh, free air again on the outside.
00:15:39 話者 8/Komiya Lisa
Toshiaki Kuge's account of life inside a US incarceration camp. He was part of the more than 125,000 people sent to one simply because of their Japanese ancestry.
Kuge was born in 1919 in Oregon as a second-generation Japanese-American.
He was 22 years old and a pre-med student when the war broke out.
He was sent to an incarceration camp the following year.
While incarcerated, he put his name forward to serve as a medic.
00:16:15 話者 9/Carole Kawamura/Kuge's niece
I know he wanted to be the best American he could be, and that would be by volunteering.
00:16:27 話者 8
Carol Kawamura is Kuge's niece.
Her family preserved his letters and items after they were passed on to them.
00:16:36 話者 9
Recently.
00:16:40 話者 8
Kuge's team was sent to the European front in 1944, the site of fierce fighting against Nazi Germany. In letters to his future wife, Kuge conveyed the horrifying realities of war.
00:16:54 話者 7
There's nothing so dispiriting as to see friends wounded and killed.
I only hope that this all ends soon.
So my brothers won't have to go through all of this, too.
00:17:13 話者 8
But that hope was not to be. His younger brother, Thomas, was drafted while incarcerated and deployed to the front lines later that year.
And just months after that, another devastating letter.
00:17:30 話者 9
My brother Thomas was killed in action
It came as a great shock to me at the time, and I haven't quite gotten over it yet.
00:17:43 話者 8
The 442nd Regiment had launched a surprise attack on German forces in Italy, breaking through their defensive line and chasing them off. Thomas was killed during that fight.
Two weeks later, the Germans surrendered, but there was no joy in Kuge's letter.
00:18:02 話者 7
I can only console myself in thinking that he died bravely in the performance of the duty, which he and so many other thousands have signed up to do.
There wasn't much celebrating for me, even after the fighting stopped.
00:18:23 話者 9
I cried. He would have been very on the offensive, knowing he would die.
And I just think about all of those soldiers. And it's just, like, so art ready.
00:18:42 話者 8
Kawamura says she wants more people to learn about the Japanese-American soldiers.
So this year, she arranged for a temporary exhibit at a local library.
00:18:55 話者 9
Do you know about the 442? What do you know about?
My grandfather was-- Was he?
00:19:02 話者 8
On this day, she told visitors that love for one's country has nothing to do with one's roots.
00:19:11 話者 18
I wasn't aware that some of the Japanese-Americans were fighting.
I think it should receive a little bit more recognition and acknowledgement.
00:19:23 話者 19
We need to look at Americans as being Americans, regardless to where you're from or where your family came from. Yes.
00:19:32 話者 9
This is exactly what I wanted, to be able to reach out and let people know there's this big story here.
I hope that everyone realizes that there are so many different paths to being an American and that all of us have an important impact on our country.
00:19:53 話者 1
And earlier, I delved further into this topic with Lisa, who is in Los Angeles.
So, Lisa, How did Japanese-American families back then feel about their children serving in the US military.
00:20:08 話者 8
There were a lot of complex emotions involved.
Many of their parents were the first generation to come to the United States.
They had families and friends in Japan with lots of childhood memories there.
It would not have been easy for that generation to swear loyalty to the US.
That said, a parent's love for their child does not change.
This is a separate traveling exhibit that began in San Francisco in February.
It tells the stories of Japanese-American soldiers who served in the US military during World War II. It includes a Japanese amulet called Sennimbari on display.
It's a strip of cloth with a thousand stitches made to wish for the safety of a soldier heading off to war.
This shows how much they prayed for their children who had decided to volunteer.
Kuga's diary and other items related to him are part of the exhibit, too.
Among them is a service flag. It's displayed by family members with a loved one serving in the US forces during war.
His parents seem to have displayed this flag at the camp they were incarcerated at.
That suggests they respected their son's choice to dedicate himself to the country.
00:21:21 話者 1
Serving the US may have entailed fighting against Japan at times.
Were there any cases of Japanese-American soldiers having to do that?
00:21:32 話者 8
Yes, there were Japanese Americans who were deployed to the Pacific front.
Particularly known are those who served in the military intelligence service.
6,000 Japanese Americans were responsible for translating enemy documents, interrogating prisoners of war, and intercepting communications.
During the Battle of Okinawa, they were tasked with calling on civilians to surrender.
What is not widely known is that there were also some Japanese Americans who fought as part of the now defunct Japanese military.
They were in Japan mostly for education when the war broke out and were eventually drafted. There were even cases where siblings were split between the two countries.
These stories about the Japanese Americans are not well known in either country, making Kuga's documents a valuable resource.
Kawamura says she hopes that such materials will help people learn the harsh realities of war and make sure that this kind of history is never repeated.
RURAL TOWN TURNS TO COSPLAY TO BOOST TOURISM
00:22:38 話者 1
Now, a small Japanese town with an aging population is betting on cosplay and cherry blossom to revive its fortunes.
It's hoping a new social media drive will draw a younger crowd and a global audience.
Cosplayers and photographers gathered at a shrine in the Okayama town of Wake for an event timed with the cherry blossom season.
They posed as your favorite characters from anime and video games as the cameras clicked away.
Organizers say the goal is simple: get more young people talking about the town online and build new buzz for a town where about 40 percent of the residents are elderly.
00:23:28 話者 23
I have quite a few followers from overseas on social media.
I want to share scenery like this with them.
00:23:39 話者 1
Local leaders are hoping that if images like these can spread, then the visitors will follow.
Now in the previous Artemis story, we regret the poor sound quality.
WEATHER
And it's time for a check on the weather with our meteorologist Jonathan Oh.
So Jonathan, we saw some April showers in parts of Japan Tuesday. What can you tell us?
00:24:04 話者 12/Jonathan Oh
Hello, we had a front that was pushing through Japan, and in the process it brought some rainfall, plenty of it, down toward even places like Okinawa.
Take a look at this video.
Heavy rain and strong winds hit Okinawa on Tuesday as a cold front passed through.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that 20 millimeters of rain fell in just one hour and wind gusts hit over 75 kilometers per hour in Nago City.
Now that same system is making its way toward the Izo Island South of Tokyo.
The weather agency is urging caution against landslides through Tuesday night and so the front is passing through.
We'll go into Wednesday. High pressure will be coming in behind it and that means we're going to be dealing with drier weather as go through the day on Wednesday.
The morning hours, especially for the eastern side of Japan, may be dealing with some showers, but then we'll see brighter skies.
Temperatures moving their way back up to 20s, 26 in Tokyo, possibly by Saturday, 28 in Naha.
And so we're looking at the temperatures climbing their way back up as we head toward the end of the week.
Meanwhile, we're looking at relatively calm weather across the United States, but with the stationary front down from the south, we have some wet weather across Florida.
Behind that, a cold front is pushing on through, driving temperatures down.
Highs at around 2 from Toronto into Chicago with some snow in the forecast as we go through the day on Tuesday.
Plenty warmth though south of there, highs in the low to mid-20s from Atlanta to Houston as we go through Tuesday.
Wrapping things up with a look at Europe.
High pressure is the big story across the central portions of the continent.
But low pressure is still pushing toward the east, bringing the chance for some wet weather in places like Moscow, Warsaw, Kiev, Istanbul, looking at some wet weather as well. But highs into the 20s from Paris into Rome as they go through Tuesday.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:40 話者 1
And that's NHK Newsline for this hour.
I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo. Thanks for staying with us.
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