It's a Friday evening here in Japan. I'm James Tengan in Tokyo. Welcome to NHK Newsline.
FOCUS ON STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS US AND IRAN PREPARE FOR TALKS
Delegates from the US and Iran are preparing for talks in Pakistan on Saturday.
They'll be led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baghur Ghalibaf.
Attention is now mainly focused on how the two sides will handle the Strait of Hormuz.
As of now, the Strait still appears to be effectively closed.
Iranian officials reportedly issued a designated route for tankers and are charging them fees for passing through.
US President Donald Trump reacted to those reports online, saying, They better not be, and if they are, they better stop now.
He also said in a separate post, Iran is doing a very poor job.
Iran's state media released what it says is a statement from the supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on Thursday.
It said Tehran will certainly demand compensation for every injury inflicted in the war, and bring management of the strait to a new stage.
Meanwhile, Israel has continued attacks on Hezbollah, the Shia Muslim group backed by Iran.
On Thursday, the Israeli military urged residents in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, to evacuate.
Authorities in Lebanon say at least 300 people have died since Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu says there's no ceasefire in Lebanon, but he did say his side is pursuing talks.
00:01:41 話者 9/Benyamin Netanyahu
Following repeated appeals from the Lebanese government to enter into peace negotiations with us, last night I instructed the cabinet to open direct negotiations with Lebanon.
00:01:53 話者 1
He says they want to achieve two goals: a peace deal and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
A US State Department official tells NHK that it will host a meeting between Israel and Lebanon next week.
ANALYSIS: PAKISTAN AS MEDIATOR IN US-IRAN TALKS
For more on this, earlier I spoke with NHK's Islamabad bureau chief, Ota Yusuke.
He's been following the US-Iran talks for us. So, Yusuke, what's the mood like there?
00:02:23 話者 2/Ota Yusuke
Officials won't say where the talks are taking place, but we do know where some of the guests are staying.
Tourists at one particular hotel were told to find other accommodations.
And authorities have completely sealed off the area around it.
Even those working nearby cannot get in, ourselves included.
Our NHK office is actually in that zone. We were locked out with just one day's notice.
So, as you can imagine, the city is buzzing.
Everyone wants to know how things are going to go.
00:03:00 話者 1
A unique situation indeed. Yusuke, why is Pakistan the one hosting these talks?
00:03:08 話者 2
For starters, it doesn't have any US military bases, despite sharing a border with Iran.
So it's easy to see it as neutral ground.
But Pakistan also has strong ties with both sides, thanks to Army Chief Ashim Munil.
He has enormous power, and not just in Pakistan.
He supposedly has ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard call, but he also enjoys a close relationship with President Trump.
Last year, he was even invited to a luncheon at the White House.
Plus, Pakistan is a motivated mediator. The conflict has dealt a major blow to its economy, so it has its own reasons for wanting a lasting solution.
00:03:57 話者 1
What do we expect will be the sticking points in these talks, Yusuke?
00:04:00 話者 2
A key issue will be uranium enrichment. According to Iranian state media, Tehran's 10-point proposal includes allowing it to continue enriching uranium.
The US, on the other hand, is demanding a complete stop because it could lead to the development of nuclear weapons.
Another major issue is the Strait of Hormuz.
The US has called on Iran to reopen it as part of a ceasefire.
But Iran insists it will continue to control the waterway, even during these two weeks.
Right now, they seem so far apart on these issues.
It's hard to imagine them reaching any kind of compromise.
It's unclear whether or not Pakistan can breach that divide.
TAKAICHI: JAPAN WILL RELEASE MORE OIL RESERVES NEXT MONTH
00:05:00 話者 1
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae says the government plans to release more oil from national reserves next month.
She announced the move during a cabinet meeting to discuss oil supplies amid the Middle East conflict.
00:05:15 話者 12/Takaichi Sanae
To ensure stable supply, we'll conduct a second release of crude oil from national reserves, amounting to about a 20-day supply starting in early May or later.
00:05:25 話者 1
Takaichi said the government has been trying to secure crude oil from alternative sources and through routes other than the Strait of Hormuz.
She also said Japan should be able to obtain enough oil to last beyond this year.
Takaichi also said people are concerned about the availability of paint thinners used in home construction and auto maintenance.
She said she instructed the country's industry and transport ministers to address supply chain issues.
00:05:54 話者 13/Akazawa Ryosei/Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister
We will carefully eliminate supply imbalances and bottlenecks one by one and take all necessary measures to fully protect people and safeguard their daily lives and economic activities.
00:06:06 話者 1
Takaichi also says she's checking into requests from countries that are looking for help obtaining oil.
ZELENSKYY CALLS FOR REIMPOSING SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for certain sanctions to be reimposed on Russia.
He says a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran has eased soaring oil prices.
Zelenskyy made the remarks on Wednesday following the announcement of the two-week ceasefire.
He noted markets have responded positively, triggering a sharp drop in oil prices.
Zelenskyy said that the US partially lifted sanctions on Russian crude oil and petroleum products in response to rising prices caused by the conflict with Iran.
Zelenskyy also pointed out that unblocking the Strait of Hormuz should reduce Russia's oil revenues.
In a video address on Tuesday, the Ukrainian president described safe navigation as a global value.
He expressed an eagerness to help secure the strait using his country's expertise in countering Russian maritime forces in the Black Sea.
TRUMP SAID TO CONSIDER PULLING TROOPS FROM NATO NATIONS
US President Donald Trump has reportedly discussed withdrawing some American troops from NATO member countries in Europe.
This comes as Trump posted a series of messages on social media expressing his frustration with NATO's response to the Iran conflict.
Reuters news agency said on Thursday the idea of withdrawal was raised with some advisers, but no decision was made.
The messages were posted after Trump met with NATO Secretary General Mark Ruta on Wednesday in Washington. Details of the discussion have not been disclosed.
00:07:46 話者 14/Mark Rutte/NATO Secretary General
When it came time to provide the logistical and other support the United States needed in Iran, some allies were a bit slow.
00:07:57 話者 1
Ruta also commented on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
He said if NATO can help, obviously NATO is there.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday he spoke with Trump by phone the previous day.
00:08:14 話者 15/Friedrich Merz
There is currently no substitute for this alliance, and this is why I have a keen interest in preserving it and developing it further with the American President.
00:08:25 話者 1
Merz also said he offered further consultations on NATO's future ahead of the alliance's July summit in Ankara.
UK WARNS RUSSIA OVER ALLEGED COVERT SUBMARINE MISSION
Britain has accused Russia of conducting covert submarine operations in its waters.
The Russian embassy is reportedly denying the claim.
Defense Secretary John Healey said on Thursday that three Russian submarines had conducted nefarious activity near critical underwater infrastructure.
He said the operation took place in waters north of Britain.
Healey said the British military identified the vessel several weeks ago, and deployed a naval frigate and aircraft to track them.
He said Britain has not confirmed any damage to its underwater cables or pipelines.
00:09:22 話者 23/John Healey
To President Putin, I say, we see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines.
And you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences.
00:09:39 話者 1
Norway said on Thursday it had also confirmed Russian submarine activity around Norwegian and British waters.
CHINA, NORTH KOREA AGREE TO STRENGTHEN TIES
China and North Korea have agreed to bolster ties in line with an agreement reached by their top leaders last year.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his North Korean counterpart, Chaesonyi, in Pyongyang on Thursday.
China's foreign ministry says Wang told Che that Beijing wants to develop ties by reinforcing communication, expanding exchanges, and boosting cooperation.
It also says the North Korean minister confirmed they plan to strengthen relations based on the leader's pact reached during their summit in Beijing last September.
It added that Che affirmed North Korea's support for China on issues Beijing counts as core interests.
Those include Taiwan and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
The ministry quotes her as saying Pyongyang fully supports the One China principle and opposes interference in Beijing's internal affairs.
BUSINESS
Up next is Yuko Fukushima from our BizDesk to unpack for us today's business and financial news.
00:10:50 話者 5/Yuko Fukushima
Yeah, thanks, James.
JAPAN SETS UP FARM-SUPPLY TASK FORCE AMID HIGHER OIL PRICES
Well, Japan's agriculture ministry has set up a task force to assist the farming and fishery industries.
The move comes as elevated oil prices raise concerns about material and logistic costs.
Minister Suzuki Norikazu says the team will focus on investigating supply chines and distribution networks to make sure they are functioning as needed.
00:11:14 話者 33/Suzuki Norikazu
We will conduct a thorough verification of inventory, production outlook, and imports of materials.
We will use all possible measures to ensure that food supply is secure for Japan's people.
00:11:32 話者 5
Suzuki said the team will check on the status of supplies of petroleum-related products, such as food trays and packaging materials.
Supply of fuel for farm machinery and fishing vessels is also a focus of the team.
JAPAN'S CONSUMER CONFIDENCE WORSENS IN MARCH
A government survey shows Japan's consumer confidence worsened in March for the first time in three months. Analysts lay the blame on soaring crude oil prices.
The consumer confidence index for households of two or more people came to 33.3.
That's down 6.4 points from February.
The Cabinet Office asked 8,400 households nationwide about their views on livelihoods over the next six months, including spending plans and employment.
Willingness to buy durables such as vehicles fell 7.7 points from the previous month, while confidence about employment dropped 5.7 points.
Analysts believe concerns over spiking oil prices are behind the survey results.
The Cabinet Office downgraded its basic assessment of consumer sentiment from showing signs of improvement to weakening.
CHINA FACTORY PRICES TURN POSITIVE, FIRST TIME IN 3.5 YEARS
China's producer prices returned to positive territory for the first time in three and a half years in March. Surge in crude oil costs are a major factor.
The National Bureau of Statistics says the index rose half a percent last month from a year earlier, turning positive for the first time since September 2022.
The gauge measures price fluctuations of goods at factory gates.
March also saw the country's consumer price index climb 1%, marking the sixth straight month of gains. The escalating Iran conflict is driven up gasoline prices.
Higher gold prices also made jewelry and accessories significantly more expensive.
But cars continue to be sold at lower prices, reflecting the frugal mindset among consumers. Personal spending could cool further if energy prices don't come down.
BIZ PICKS
And now here is NHK World's Gene Otani with BizPix.
00:13:42 話者 6/Gene Otani
Here's a look at key business and economic stories in the week ahead.
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve gives an update on US regional economies.
The release of the so-called Beige Book comes two weeks ahead of the Fed's next interest rate decision. A key data figure comes out on Thursday.
That's when China reveals its GDP numbers for the first quarter of 2026.
CHINA'S GDP GROWTH PRESSURED BY OIL PRICES, HOUSING SLUMP
China's economic growth met the government's annual target of 5% in 2025, but the pace of increase sloped steadily through the year.
The figure was only 4.5% year on year in the final quarter.
We talked to an analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research about the outlook for 2026.
Saito Naoto estimates There was a slight improvement in the January to March period.
He puts the growth at 4.7 to 4.8 percent.
00:14:40 話者 7/Saito Naoto
There are two main factors to consider.
First, strong exports. Outbound shipments rose over 20 percent between January and February.
Given that the trade surplus also expanded, I believe external demand made a greater contribution to the overall economy.
Secondly, there was the revival of subsidies for consumer goods, such as cars and household appliances. These had kept spending robust through last summer.
They ran out, and consumption slowed from around October.
But the subsidies came back at the start of this year, so there was a modest pickup in spending.
00:15:20 話者 6
The Chinese government said its 2026 economic growth target at between 4.5 and 5 percent during the National People's Congress in March, but Saito expects growth to slow even further.
00:15:35 話者 7
The slump in the real estate sector has gone into the fifth year, and it still continues.
Also, the impact of subsidies that supported spending until last summer may be reaching its limit.
These programs have pulled forward consumer demand that may have been spread over the next several years. So there's a consequence.
00:16:04 話者 6
Surging crude oil prices driven by the Iran conflict are also weighing on growth.
China imports about 70% of its oil.
Saito says a prolonged situation in the Middle East could deal a heavy blow to the economy.
00:16:20 話者 7
Gasoline prices are being hiked in China too, but the rate of increase only reflects half of the reality.
State-run companies and public money are shouldering the rest.
Upward pressure on prices is definitely growing, but it is difficult to pass on higher costs to consumers in a deflationary economy like China's.
Weakening corporate performance is a concern too.
Given these factors, we project China will grow 4.4% in 2026.
00:16:52 話者 6
Saito also points to the US-China summit scheduled for mid-May.
He says its outcome may have an impact on the economy, along with housing market developments and deflationary trends from destructive price competition.
I'm Gene Otani, and that's this week's Biz Picks.
MARKETS
00:17:10 話者 5
And now to how currencies and stocks are trading here in the region.
♪
And that wraps it up for business.
MOTION CAPTURE SAVES CRITICAL PRODUCTION SKILLS
00:17:45 話者 1
Major Japanese companies have become popular household brands around the world, yet over 80% of Japan's manufacturing sector involves small-sized firms.
An ongoing problem those businesses are facing is how to pass on knowledge from older, skilled workers to a younger generation.
One answer to this dilemma takes a tip from moviemaking.
CONNECTING CRAFTSMEN
00:18:09 話者 4
The skill of the maker determines the quality of the product.
To preserve these techniques for the next generation,
Some small manufacturers are starting to implement a technology most commonly associated with digital entertainment: motion capture.
One of the people driving the adoption of this tech is Sato Shimpei.
He offers a service that records and analyzes the movements of craftspeople.
00:18:44 話者 53/Sato Shimpei/CEO, Acuity
Here we have two carpenters who specialize in building temples and shrines.
When using a hand plane, the more experienced one said it was important to pull with your hips, but it was hard to know what he meant just by watching him.
00:18:56 話者 4
But if you look at the data gathered using motion capture.
00:19:02 話者 53
You can see right here, the expert's buttocks is moving downward.
So we realized that pulling with your hips actually meant dropping your center of gravity down through your glutes.
00:19:14 話者 4
Analyzing the techniques of a craftsman requires recording even the most minute movements.
To achieve this, Santo made a range of changes, including to the capture markers.
He made sure that their surfaces were perfectly smooth.
These modifications increased measurement precision tenfold, allowing for accuracy down to 0.1 millimeters.
To date, more than 300 companies have adopted this service.
---
Like this small company, it specializes in manufacturing machined parts.
For this shop, passing on techniques to new hires has been a long-standing challenge.
Today, the president, Miyamoto Taku, is teaching a young employee proper TIG welding techniques.
The task is to attach a small bracket to an arch-shaped piece of metal.
When comparing the results of their welding, the difference is clear.
Miyamoto's weld features a series of evenly spaced ripples.
The young employees' work, on the other hand, lacks uniformity.
The varying thickness of the bead means it won't offer the same degree of strength.
00:20:45 話者 54
It's not something you can just grasp right away.
00:20:50 話者 55/Miyamoto Taku/CEO, Creative Works
It's really hard to teach. Words can only go so far, so beyond that, all I can do is show them and say, Do it just like this.
00:20:58 話者 4
To improve employee training, Miyamoto recently began using motion capture analysis.
tThe orch must be held just millimeters above the surface of the metal.
This is one of the basic techniques of welding.
Here's an employee's practice weld.
Miyamoto uses the system to break down the employee's technique.
You can see that the expert's orange line remains steady throughout the weld, maintaining a distance within one millimeter of the plate.
The young employee's blue line, however, fluctuates much more significantly.
00:21:41 話者 55
As you can see, a good stable weld remains within a range of one millimeter.
But once you exceed that, the instability makes the way the metal melts inconsistent.
Like here, when you got too close to the metal.
Let's work on improving our steadiness.
00:22:00 話者 54
The analysis makes it very clear where I need to improve.
00:22:06 話者 55
It's made a huge difference. Being able to see the data broken down numerically makes it much easier for me to process.
♫～
00:23:19 話者 1
I've gained weight just seeing all those goodies.
WEATHER
Now it's time to check out the weather.
A spring storm has been battering parts of Japan.
Our meteorologist, Yumi Hirano, has the details.
00:23:29 話者 8/Yumi Hirano
Japan has been experiencing widespread showers on Friday, and intense downpours have been reported in Kyushu.
Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture saw over 60 millimeters in just an hour, setting an April record.
In addition, strong winds are a concern.
High winds hit western and central Japan on Friday.
Gusts of over 100 kilometers per hour were reported in Wakayama City.
And southerly winds also pushed up temperatures in Toyama City with a high of about 20 degrees.
The weather agency is urging caution over strong winds in coastal areas on Friday.
The storm is approaching northern Japan through Saturday, bringing gusty winds.
On top of that, rain is expected to turn to snow in Hokkaido, so white out and blizzard conditions are possible, leading to potential transportation disruptions over the weekend.
But in western and eastern Japan, sunny skies will return on Saturday.
The high in Tokyo will jump to 26, and people in Kumagaya may see 29, which is as warm as in July.
Further south, a tropical storm has formed near Guam.
It's expected to intensify into the first typhoon this year in the western Pacific.
The system is likely to approach Guam from Saturday, bringing strong winds, so long-lasting power outages could be a big concern.
On top of that, 300 millimeters of rain is possible in total, leading to potential flooding.
It's still unclear whether the system will move west or north after next week, so please stay updated.
That's it for now. Stay safe.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
FLORAL 'CARPETS' ENCHANT VISITORS OF WESTERN JAPAN ISLAND
00:26:40 話者 1
One more item before we leave you. Flowers are in peak bloom on a small island in Japan's western prefecture of Kagawa, creating breathtaking displays.
From spring to early summer every year, hillsides on Shishijima are covered with carpets of vivid blooms against the background of this Seto Inland Sea.
About 20 species are blossoming on the island around this time of year, including moss phlox, pot marigold, and pneumophila.
00:27:14 話者 66
The landscape is so impressive. I will remember it for the rest of my life.
00:27:19 話者 1
Flower growing once thrived as a business on Shishijima.
A former member of the industry and her family are trying to revive its reputation as an island of flowers.
They say they're really happy if their creations bring comfort to visitors.
---
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NHK World
00:28:01 話者 99
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