It's a Friday evening here in Japan. I'm James Tengan in Tokyo. Welcome to NHK Newsline.
China Warns U.S. on Taiwan Red Line
The leaders of the world's two biggest powers will come face-to-face next week when US
President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Ahead of this, China's premier warned visiting US lawmakers that the Taiwan issue
is a red line that must not be crossed.
State-run media and others report Premier Li Qiang met with the bipartisan group of senators in Beijing on Thursday.
The delegation was led by Republican Steve Daines, seen as an ally of President Donald Trump.
The report said, Li expressed hope the United States and China will work together in the same direction and maintain stable, predictable economic and trade ties.
Li reportedly stressed that the Taiwan question is at the core of China's interests, calling it the foremost red line that must not be crossed.
Li remarks appear intended to highlight the importance of US ties, while warning Washington to keep out of Taiwan affairs.
Trump said he expected to have an amazing meeting with Xi.
00:01:18 話者 2/Donald Trump
I have a very good relationship with President Xi. We've had a great economic time.
China's been great for us economically.
00:01:28 話者 1
The visit comes as Trump continues to grapple with the ongoing tensions with Iran.
Kim Oversees New Destroyer Test
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly inspected an open-sea navigational test of a new destroyer, and he ordered the ship to be delivered to the Navy in the middle of next month.
State-run media reported that Kim observed the maneuverability of the 5,000-ton vessel on Thursday off the country's western coast.
Photos show Kim accompanied by his daughter.
The report says Kim expressed satisfaction with the test.
It added that he made what it called an important conclusion on the newly planned weapons system for two additional destroyers being built.
The new destroyer was launched last year and carried out a series of test launches of strategic cruise and anti-warship missiles in March and April.
South Korean experts say the vessel could be equipped with missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Korean Central Television said Kim also visited a munitions factory on Wednesday to inspect the production of new self-propelled gun howitzers.
They're expected to be deployed along the military demarcation line with South Korea later this year.
Hormuz Sees U.S.–Iran Exchange
Media reports say the US military has attacked targets near the Strait of Hormuz, violating the ceasefire agreement.
The US Central Command, or CENTCOM, says three of its destroyers intercepted unprovoked attacks and hit Iranian military facilities in response.
Donald Trump told US media the ceasefire is still in effect.
Iranian media quoted a military official as saying,
US forces attacked an Iranian oil tanker headed towards the strait.
Another vessel near the UAE's port of Fujairah was also targeted.
He added that the US military carried out attacks on Keshem Island and civilian areas in coastal provinces, with the cooperation of other countries in the region.
He said Iranian forces retaliated and caused significant damage.
CENTCOM says, The vessels were sailing through international waters from the strait toward the Gulf of Oman.
They were targeted by Iranian missiles, drones, and small boats. The US responded with strikes against launch sites, command centers, and surveillance facilities.
CENTCOM says it does not seek an escalation, but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces.
President Trump told ABC News the US response was just a love tap, and the ceasefire is ongoing.
WHO Updates Hantavirus Risk
The head of the World Health Organization is warning that more hantavirus cases may emerge following the outbreak on a cruise ship. But he says the risk to public health is low.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gave the update on Thursday.
He referred to the Andes virus, a specific type of hantavirus that has been identified in several cases from the ship.
00:04:46 話者 12/Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Given the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can be up to six weeks, it's possible that more cases may be reported.
While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low.
00:05:06 話者 1
The WHO says two more hantavirus infections have been confirmed.
That brings the total number of cases to eight, including three suspected infections.
Three of these people have died.
Most hantavirus infections result from contact with infected rodents or their urine droppings or saliva.
Limited human-to-human transmission has been documented previously in South America.
A WHO official stressed that the current situation is not the start of a COVID pandemic.
She added that it is an outbreak on a ship. There is a confined area.
The cruise liner is now sailing in the Atlantic Ocean.
It's expected to arrive at Tenerife, one of Spain's Canary Islands, on Sunday.
US Court Rejects Trump’s Global Tariff
President Donald Trump's trade agenda has suffered another legal setback.
A US court has ruled that a 10 percent tariff his administration imposed in February is illegal.
The US Court of International Trade handed down the ruling on Thursday.
The Trump administration imposed the levy on a wide range of countries and regions using Section 122 of the Trade Act.
The duty was introduced as a replacement measure after the Supreme Court struck down Trump's sweeping global tariffs in February.
The top court ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority when he invoked emergency powers to impose his original levies, including what he calls reciprocal tariffs.
Section 122 says a president can impose tariffs of up to 15 percent to deal with large and serious balance-of-payments deficits. It sets a limit of 150 days.
The plaintiffs argued that Trump does not meet such requirements.
Japan–EU Secure Sea Routes
Japan and the European Union have confirmed their cooperation in safeguarding crucial sea lanes amid the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Japan's Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister Akazawa Ryosei and European Commission Executive Vice President Stephane Sejourne were among delegates taking part in a ministerial-level meeting.
They issued a joint statement saying the two sides reaffirmed the importance of secure and uninterrupted trade flows.
It added that this includes safety of navigation and the protection of critical maritime routes and infrastructure.
00:07:41 話者 21/Akazawa Ryosei
I said flexibility is needed in case the Iran situation goes on, including more oil releases under the International Energy Agency.
00:07:50 話者 1
Akazawa also said he highlighted the importance of maintaining and reinforcing diversified trade systems to shore up Asian supply chains.
SpaceX Plans Massive Chip Plant
Elon Musk's SpaceX plans to invest tens of billions of dollars to build a semiconductor plant in the US state of Texas.
The plant is apparently intended to make chips for autonomous driving technology and humanoid robots.
A notice from Grimes County in Texas says the estimated capital investment for the initial phases is $55 billion.
It says the estimated total will be $119 billion if additional phases are realized.
The notice also says the plan would represent a transformative investment in domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity.
In March, Musk announced plans for a large-scale chip-building effort called TeraFab.
The project also involves Musk's electric car maker Tesla and the AI development and social media firm XAI.
Yen Intervention Estimate at ¥4 Trillion
A think tank says Japanese authorities may have intervened in currency markets between May 1 and 6.
It estimates they used about 4 trillion yen, or about 25.5 billion dollars, to prop up the Japanese currency.
The company, the Totan Research, made the calculation based on data released by the Bank of Japan on Thursday.
The BOJ report shows that the amount of funds expected to be transferred from its current account deposits to state coffers exceeds market forecasts by more than 4 trillion yen.
The Japanese government and the central bank stepped into the market on April 30, when the yen was changing hands in the 160 range against the dollar.
The operation sent the Japanese currency sharply up to 155 level at one point.
The yen rose steeply on May 1, 4, and 6, spurring market speculation that Japanese authorities may have intervened again.
Japan's Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Mimura Atsushi, shied away from clarifying whether authorities had intervened.
He told reporters on Thursday there was no particular need to make comments.
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Sumo Stars Withdraw from Tournament
Some disappointing news for sumo fans. Officials say two top wrestlers will be absent from the May Grand Sumo Tournament, kicking off on Sunday.
Yokozuna Grand Champion Onosato is one of the big names sitting out the Tokyo event.
This will be his second straight absence from the tournament and third overall.
Onosato pulled out during the previous tournament in March after aggravating an injury to his left shoulder.
Meanwhile, Ozeki Aonishiki will not be competing in the first two days.
He is also carrying an injury, in this case, his left ankle.
This will be the first time for the Ukrainian wrestler to sit out a tournament since he made his grand sumo debut in 2023.
Aonishiki will enter the tourney as a kadoban, which means that he needs to win at least eight bouts to retain his Ozeki status.
If he cannot return to the tournament, Aonishiki will be demoted to the rank of Sekiwake at the July tournaments.
SURVIVING A BEAR ATTACK Tourist areas
00:12:59 話者 33
Bear sightings in tourist spots have become a major concern since last fall.
This bear was spotted near a popular tourist mountain.
These cases have prompted authorities to take precautionary measures, warning visitors in several languages. What can we do to protect ourselves?
Take bear spray or bells and travel in groups.
If you inadvertently encounter a bear, do not turn your back and run away.
That could make the bear aggressive. Slowly step backwards while facing the bear.
If an attack is imminent, lie face down on the ground and cover your head. Stay safe.
00:13:53 話者 1
And those were this hour's main stories.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
And with that, we conclude this edition of NHK Newsline.
For all of us here on the program, I'm James Tengan in Tokyo. Thanks for watching.
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Easy Japanese
00:15:09 話者 3
Hi there! Welcome to Easy Japanese from NHK World Japan.
I'm Eriko Kojima.
00:15:15 話者 4
And I'm Michael Reese.
Let's have fun studying Japanese together.
00:15:19 話者 3
Today we bring you lesson 10 on asking how much something costs.
00:15:30 話者 4
The main character of our skit is Tam, a student from Vietnam.
She's come to an electronics store with her friend, Ayaka.
Tam wants to get a hair dryer.
00:15:39 話者 3
Listen to the skit for lesson 10.
Taksanarimasune.
Sugoi desho.
Goreba sarasara hair.
Goreba tsiangader type.
Eh...
ikura desu ka...
Let's go over the skit line by line.
00:16:17 話者 4
Tam is overwhelmed by the wide range of hair dryers on the shelf.
00:16:24 話者 3
So many hair dryers.
00:16:26 話者 4
Ayaka says.
00:16:29 話者 3
Amazing, don't you think?
00:16:32 話者 4
And she shows Tam different types of hair dryers.
00:16:37 話者 3
This one makes your hair silky smooth.
And this one makes your hair shine.
Tam asks, How much is it?
00:16:51 話者 4
Ayaka looks at the price tag, but it only says that the dryer is on sale.
00:16:58 話者 3
The sign says it's on sale.
Let's ask the clerk.
00:17:04 話者 4
Tam gets the attention of a salesperson.
00:17:08 話者 3
Excuse me.
How much is this hairdryer?
The clerk replies, 9,900 yen.
00:17:19 話者 4
Tam is surprised and says.
00:17:24 話者 3
Oh my, that's too expensive.
00:17:28 話者 4
Tam was able to ask about the price of the hair dryer, but unfortunately, it wasn't within her budget.
00:17:40 話者 3
Today's key phrase is, How much is this hair dryer?
Once you've learned this pattern, you'll be able to ask the price of anything.
Here's the meaning of the key phrase.
Kono means this.
Doraiya is hair dryer.
The wa that follows is a particle that shows the topic of the sentence.
Ikura is an interrogative meaning how much.
Today's point.
To ask the price of something, use the phrase, How much.
00:18:22 話者 4
So, all you have to do is indicate the item and ask,
ikura desu ka.
00:18:26 話者 3
That's right.
And you can use one of the words that we previously learned for this, that, or that over there, kore, sore, are, to ask, for example, kore wa ikura desu ka?
How much is this?
When you know the name of the thing you're talking about, replace kore, sore, are with kono, sono, ano, and put the noun after it.
00:18:52 話者 4
Then the key phrase becomes how much is this hairdryer?
Listen and repeat out loud.
00:19:21 話者 3
OK.
Now, listen to another conversation in a shop.
A customer is asking the clerk about the price of an item.
Here's what the conversation means.
00:19:51 話者 4
Excuse me.
How much is this rice cooker?
00:19:57 話者 3
Sui hanki is a rice cooker.
00:20:02 話者 4
8,700 yen.
00:20:05 話者 3
Yen, or yen, is the unit of the Japanese currency.
00:20:09 話者 4
Listen and repeat.
00:20:14 話者 3
Ikura desu ka?
Konosui hanki wa ikura desu ka?
Sumimasen.
How would you ask the price of earphones displayed on a high shelf?
If an item is far from both you and the sales clerk, use ano before the noun.
Earphones are pronounced as...
Go ahead.
Time to step up.
A price was part of the conversation in today's skit.
Previously, we learned how to count up to 10, or ju.
This time, we'll learn some bigger numbers.
First off, double digits.
To count in tens, like 20 and 30, just add 10 after each number from 2 to 9.
00:21:36 話者 4
So for 20, say 2 followed by 10 to make niju.
00:21:43 話者 3
That's right.
Counting in tens from 10 to 90 in Japanese, it's
ju, niju, sanju, yonju, goju, rokuju, nanaju, hachiju, kyuju.
Now, next, three-digit numbers.
100 is hyaku.
Just like before, add 100, hyaku, after each number from 2 to 9.
00:22:08 話者 4
So 200 in Japanese is ni followed by hyaku.
That gets you ni-hyaku.
00:22:15 話者 3
That's right.
But the pronunciation can be a bit tricky.
300 is pronounced san-byaku.
600 becomes lo-pyaku.
And 800 is pronounced hap-pyaku.
On to thousands.
1,000 is sen.
Here, too, the pronunciation changes.
3,000 becomes san-sen.
8,000 becomes hassem.
To express numbers, go from the largest to smallest denomination.
For example, 1,234 is pronounced Senmihaku Sanju-yong.
Now, take a listen to today's skit once again.
It's a good one.
It's a good one.
It's a good one.
.
.
.
00:23:35 話者 4
.
.
.
Time now for Harusan's bag full of advice.
Today we'll talk about bills and coins used in Japan.
00:23:44 話者 3
Japan has four kinds of paper money.
1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 yen bills.
00:23:53 話者 4
And what's interesting is you don't see old and crumpled banknotes.
00:23:57 話者 3
That's because the Bank of Japan collects worn bills early on to be destroyed and replaced with fresh ones.
1,000 and 5,000 yen bills are taken out of circulation and replaced every year or two.
00:24:10 話者 4
Brand new bills have a role of their own, too, yes.
00:24:13 話者 3
Yes.
The proper etiquette when giving cash gifts for marriages and other celebrations is to insert crisp new bills in envelopes specifically used for that occasion.
00:24:24 話者 4
So they look and feel fresh.
00:24:25 話者 3
That's right.
As for coins, Japan has six types-- 1 yen, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500.
Vending machines don't take 1 yen or 5 yen coins, so they stay in your pocket until you shop at a store.
Did you enjoy today's Easy Japanese?
00:24:52 話者 4
We hope so.
Join us again next time.
NHK World
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