Glad to have you with us on NHK Newsline. I'm Yuko Fukushima.
Japan and Australia Strengthen Economic Security Cooperation
Japan's Prime Minister, Takaichi Sanae, has held a summit with her Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese.
They laid the groundwork for more cooperation, especially in the field of economic security.
The summit takes place on Monday in the Australian capital, Canberra.
00:00:32 話者 2/Takaichi Sanae
The international situation has become increasingly complicated and severe.
That's why for years I've been stressing the importance of cooperation among like-minded countries. Australia is one of the leading nations for such collaboration.
I hope both our countries will play a key role in regional stability under the updated vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
00:00:55 話者 12/Anthony Albanese
In areas such as critical minerals, there is much more that we can do together.
And I'm very pleased that we're elevating our special strategic partnership across the breadth of our relationship, bringing peace, stability and security to the region.
00:01:14 話者 1
Takaichi and Albanese set out their guidelines for economic security cooperation in a joint declaration.
It focuses on strengthening supply chains for key resources, including energy, critical minerals and food.
The talks also covered the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East.
They agreed to step up work to ensure stable and reciprocal supplies of energy.
Takaichi and Albanese have also agreed to deepen security cooperation.
They confirmed the two countries will steadily advance their joint development of new Australian frigates based on an upgraded Mogami-class vessel of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force.
Takaichi told reporters that Japan and Australia stand as front-runners in a network of like-minded partners who are effectively building what she described as a quasi-alliance.
US Launches “Project Freedom” in the Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump is proposing what he calls a humanitarian process to evacuate ships from the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran, meanwhile, says the United States has responded to its latest proposal for ending the ongoing conflict.
Trump wrote on Sunday that efforts to evacuate ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz will start on Monday morning, Middle East time.
Trump named the process Project Freedom.
He said it is aimed at helping ships from areas that are not involved in the current situation in the Middle East.
He went on to say, If in any way this humanitarian process has interfered with, that interference will unfortunately have to be dealt with forcefully.
The US Central Command announced it will start supporting the effort on Monday.
It said guided missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft, and about 15,000 service members will be mobilized.
US news site Axios quoted American officials as saying the US Navy will provide information on safe passage to commercial ships.
The ships will be shown routes where the Iranian military has not laid mines.
The news report says the project will not necessarily include US Navy ships escorting commercial vessels.
The head of the Iranian parliament's National Security Commission, Ibrahim Azizi, warned on social media that any American interference in the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire.
It is unclear whether the evacuation of ships will actually proceed.
US Responds to Iran’s New Proposal Amid Rising Tensions
Meanwhile, Iran's Tasnim news agency earlier reported that Iran had presented a 14-point proposal for ending the conflict.
The plan reportedly includes guarantees of non-aggression, lifting the maritime blockade, and establishing a new mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media on Sunday quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaei Balayi as saying that the US delivered the response via mediating country Pakistan.
It said the reply is currently being reviewed.
Japan Outlines Africa Policy for AI‑Driven Growth
Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu says Tokyo is seeking peace and a virtual cycle of growth on the African continent.
This stands as part of an updated policy for a free and open Indo-Pacific advocated by Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae.
Motegi made the remarks during a speech on Japan's policy toward Africa at a symposium in Kenya's capital.
00:04:44 話者 21/Motegi Toshimitsu
In order to maintain and strengthen international order, it is necessary to enhance the autonomy and resilience of each country and region.
Japan will provide the necessary support and cooperation in all kinds of fields.
00:05:03 話者 1
Motegi added Tokyo will emphasize efforts to strengthen the economy for the age of artificial intelligence.
He also stressed that he hopes to hand over a bright future to young people in Africa and grow strong and prosperous together.
The Japanese minister said he wants to evolve the Tokyo International Conference on African Development into a key pillar that supports a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Asian Finance Leaders Warn of Market Risks Amid Iran Conflict
Finance leaders from across Asia have called for regional unity and cooperation to deal with the Middle East turmoil.
The ASEAM plus three group cited risks of economic slowdown and accelerating inflation through soaring crude oil prices.
The group's finance ministers and central bank governors met in Uzbekistan on Sunday.
Japan's finance minister, Katayama Satsuki, co-chaired the talks with her counterpart from the Philippines.
Other participants included China, South Korea and ASEAN countries.
A joint statement said the group will continue to monitor financial markets for excessive volatility.
It says they are ready to respond appropriately, according to their domestic circumstances. Katayama told a news conference that regional cooperation is vital.
00:06:18 話者 32/Katayama Satsuki
We need to support each other to diversify supply chains and make energy transitions.
I believe we reached a common understanding that structural adjustment is needed.
00:06:31 話者 1
Japan's representatives explained the framework of financial support it announced in April.
The new program offers other Asian countries help in procuring crude oil and petroleum products.
OPEC+ to Increase Oil Production in June
OPEC+ says its member countries will boost crude oil output next month.
The decision follows the exit of the United Arab Emirates from the group of major oil producers.
Saudi Arabia, Russia and five other members held a meeting online on Sunday.
They agreed to raise production by 188,000 barrels per day in June.
The production hike will be 18,000 barrels less than their increase in May.
OPEC+ said it will continue to closely monitor and assess market conditions.
Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remain restricted.
The latest increase is believed to be in response to the possible opening of the strait.
In New York on Thursday, WTI crude oil futures temporarily hit a three-week high of over $110 per barrel.
Their price increase reflected concerns that the US has not ruled out further military action against Iran.
Tourists Return to Iwate After Wildfires Contained
Tourists returned to Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan after wildfires that raged for over a week were brought under control.
Visitors took photos on Sunday in front of Sanriki Railway's Otsuji Station.
Town officials had declared the day before that all wildfires had been contained.
00:08:07 話者 41
I think it is safe to visit now. I want to support this town by doing what I can, such as dining, shopping, and staying overnight.
00:08:21 話者 1
About 30 people lined up at a seaside restaurant before it opened.
The visitors enjoyed local specialties like scallops and wakame seaweed.
Half of the restaurant's banquet reservations were canceled over concern of possible tsunami.
This was due to a mega-quake advisory that was issued following the April 25th earthquake off the Sanriku coast.
The restaurant owner said the recent wildfires caused a temporary closure and she is happy to greet visitors.
Those were the main stories for this hour. This is NHK Newsline.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
And that's the news for this hour.
I'm Yuko Fukushima. Thanks for joining us and do stay with us on NHK World Japan.
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Easy Japanese
00:10:09 話者 2
Hi there.
Welcome to Easy Japanese from NHK World Japan.
I'm Erico Kojima.
00:10:15 話者 3
And I'm Michael Reese.
Let's have fun studying Japanese together.
00:10:19 話者 2
Today we bring you lesson 10 on asking how much something costs.
00:10:30 話者 3
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.
00:10:39 話者 2
Listen to the skit for lesson 10.
00:10:45 話者 4
Taksan arimasune.
Sugoi desho.
Koreba sarasara hair.
Koreba tsiyanga deru taipu.
Eh...
Ikura desu ka.
00:10:57 話者 2
Serutu kaitaru.
00:10:59 話者 4
Kitemiyo?
Sumimasen.
00:11:14 話者 2
Let's go over the skit line by line.
00:11:17 話者 3
Tam is overwhelmed by the wide range of hair dryers on the shelf.
00:11:24 話者 2
So many hair dryers! Ayaka says, Amazing, don't you think?
00:11:32 話者 3
And she shows Tam different types of hair dryers.
00:11:37 話者 2
This one makes your hair silky smooth.
And this one makes your hair shine.
00:11:44 話者 3
Tam asks.
00:11:49 話者 2
How much is it?
00:11:51 話者 3
Ayaka looks at the price tag, but it only says that the dryer is on sale.
00:11:58 話者 2
The sign says it's on sale.
Let's ask the clerk.
00:12:04 話者 3
Tam gets the attention of a salesperson.
00:12:08 話者 2
Excuse me.
How much is this hairdryer?
The clerk replies, 9,900 yen.
00:12:19 話者 3
Tam is surprised and says.
00:12:24 話者 2
Oh my, that's too expensive.
00:12:28 話者 3
Tam was able to ask about the price of the hair dryer, but unfortunately, it wasn't within her budget.
00:12:40 話者 2
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?
Ikura desu ka.
00:13:22 話者 3
So all you have to do is indicate the item and ask Ikura desu ka.
00:13:26 話者 2
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 i kura desuka?
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.
00:13:52 話者 3
Then the key phrase becomes, how much is this hairdryer?
Kono doraya wa ikura desuka?
Listen and repeat out loud.
00:14:05 話者 2
Ikura desuka?
Kono doraya wa ikura desuka?
Okay, 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.
00:14:51 話者 3
Excuse me.
How much is this rice cooker?
00:14:58 話者 2
Is a rice cooker.
00:15:02 話者 3
8,700 yen.
00:15:05 話者 2
Yen, or yen, is the unit of the Japanese currency.
00:15:09 話者 3
Listen and repeat.
00:15:14 話者 2
Ikura desu konosui hanki wa ikura desu ka sumimasen konosui hanki wa ikura desu ka
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.
00:16:36 話者 3
So for 20, say 2 followed by 10 to make niju.
00:16:43 話者 2
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.
One hundred is hyaku.
Just like before, add one hundred, hyaku, after each number from two to nine.
00:17:08 話者 3
So two hundred in Japanese is ni followed by hyaku.
That gets you nihyaku.
00:17:15 話者 2
That's right.
But the pronunciation can be a bit tricky.
Three hundred is pronounced sambyaku.
Six hundred becomes ropyaku.
and 800 is pronounced hapyaku.
On to thousands.
One thousand is sen.
Here, too, the pronunciation changes.
Three thousand becomes san-zen.
Eight thousand becomes has-sen.
To express numbers, go from the largest to smallest denomination.
For example, 1,234 is pronounced sen-nihaku-san-ju-yong.
Now, take a listen to today's skit once again.
00:18:01 話者 4
Daksan arimasune.
Sugoi desuo.
Korewa sarasara haiya.
Korewa tsiyanga jeru taipu.
Ikura desu ka?
Seirutu kaitaru.
Kiitemiyo?
Sumimasen.
Kono dora yawa ikura desu ka.
00:18:23 話者 2
Kyusen kyousakuen desu.
00:18:25 話者 4
Takasugimasu.
00:18:35 話者 3
Time now for Haru-san's bag full of advice.
Today, we'll talk about bills and coins used in Japan.
00:18:44 話者 2
Japan has four kinds of paper money: 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, and 10,000 yen bills.
00:18:53 話者 3
And what's interesting is you don't see old and crumpled banknotes.
00:18:57 話者 2
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.
00:19:10 話者 3
Brand new bills have a role of their own, too, yes.
00:19:13 話者 2
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.
00:19:24 話者 3
So they look and feel fresh.
00:19:25 話者 2
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?
00:19:52 話者 3
We hope so.
Join us again next time.
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Great Buddha
00:20:18 話者 5
Japan has various kinds of landmarks that fascinate visitors.
They range from cultural and historic locations to modern buildings created with cutting-edge technologies.
What led to their creation and what were the challenges involved?
The backstory of Japanese landmarks brings you the stories behind these amazing places.
In this episode of the Backstory of Japanese Landmarks, we feature the Great Buddha of Kamakura.
Kamakura is a popular tourist destination located near Tokyo.
It's about a one-hour train ride from the capital.
One of Kamakura's landmarks is the Great Buddha.
As its name suggests, the Great Buddha is a colossal copper statue of Amitabha Buddha.
It was built as the principal deity of Jodo Sect Temple Kotokuin.
The Buddha is nicknamed Brozano Daibutsu, meaning The Great Buddha Sitting Out in the Open.
It's a national treasure of Japan.
From central Kamakura, the train ride and walk to Kotoku-in Temple takes about 15 minutes.
After passing through the temple's gate, the grand statue of Buddha comes into view.
The Buddha sits in a Zen meditation posture and is over 11 meters tall.
Kamakura was the seat of Japan's feudal government from the end of the 12th century to the early 14th century.
The construction of the Great Buddha began during this period in 1252, almost 800 years ago.
Today, the statue is covered with verde gris, a bright green substance that forms on oxidized copper.
A closer look reveals slight traces of gold leaf, indicating that the statue was originally gilded.
The Great Buddha was made by copper casting.
It's a manufacturing method of melting copper and pouring it into a mold.
But creating a statue that's over 11 meters high wasn't easy at the time.
And it wasn't possible to melt over 120 tons of copper in one go.
So the metal was cast in 40 sections.
This is why joints can be seen on the statue's surface.
The Buddha is hollow.
The statue has two windows on its back.
After the statue was completed, the inner mold was removed through these openings.
Today, the windows let in light and air.
The Buddha was enshrined when it was first built, but over time, the hall was damaged by earthquakes and typhoons.
A tsunami at the end of the 15th century swept it away, leaving the Buddha exposed to the open air.
The temple was also abandoned for a certain period, but was restored in the early 18th century.
After a period in which Japan secluded itself from the rest of the world, the Yokohama Port near Kamakura was opened for foreign trade in 1859.
Following this, many foreigners are said to have visited the Great Buddha of Kamakura.
Built nearly eight centuries ago, the Great Buddha of Kamakura has a magnificence
that continues to captivate people.
Thank you for tuning in to the backstory of Japanese landmarks.
We hope you have a chance to visit these landmarks and see for yourself what makes them so special.
00:25:01 話者 3
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00:26:34 話者 2
The.
