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00:00Hello and welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Raja Pradhan.
00:15Japan's lower house has been dissolved for a general election.
00:19That means voters across the country will head to the polls on February 8th.
00:30The Speaker of the Chamber announced the dissolution Friday afternoon.
00:47The Cabinet then confirmed the election's schedule.
00:50Official campaigning begins next Tuesday, January 27th.
00:55Voting takes place February 8th.
00:57This will be the first general election for Takaichi Sanae as prime minister.
01:02She was elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Party last fall and took office shortly after.
01:07Her ruling coalition currently holds a slim majority with support from three independent lawmakers.
01:14In the upcoming race, 465 seats in the lower house are up for grabs.
01:19Now, we wanted to learn more about how prospective voters are feeling.
01:23So we sent our Endo Yuka out to one of the busiest places in Tokyo to find out.
01:29This is Tokyo Station, where hundreds of thousands of people pass through each day,
01:35rushing to school or to work or just to get home.
01:38They lead busy lives.
01:40And now they have to find time to navigate a snap election.
01:45How do you feel about going to vote so soon?
01:47To be honest, I didn't think this was necessarily the right timing.
01:55The prime minister has just been replaced.
01:58And people are only just keeping up with the changes that are happening.
02:03The election is yet another thing to deal with.
02:06It might have been better to hold it when things had settled down a bit more.
02:11I think the timing is very good.
02:19We need this quickly.
02:21The international situation keeps changing.
02:25The situation in Europe and the United States is very unstable.
02:31Plus, there are issues like Greenland, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
02:34Japan needs to create a stable government quickly or it won't be able to deal with what's happening.
02:43What's the main issue for you this election?
02:50The biggest thing is high prices.
02:54Rice and other food are going up.
02:58So some people say it's hard to make ends meet.
03:01There's a lot of talk about how to tackle high prices and what to do with the consumption tax.
03:09If the consumption tax were abolished, I wonder how the government would get funds.
03:23Relations between Japan and China and relations between Japan and the United States seem unstable.
03:28I can't live with peace of mind unless that's all stabilized.
03:35When it comes to diplomacy, I want Japan to take the path of pushing for peace and be a leader.
03:44I don't want to see unilateralism.
03:47Something from a long-term point of view is respecting human rights.
03:51When it comes to social security, some things I'm concerned about are nursing care and the cost of medical care, for instance.
04:10Policies on social security are often criticized on social media.
04:17But the services are essential.
04:19So I'd like to see most people covered.
04:28Voters have just over two weeks to make up their minds.
04:32For now, it's back to you.
04:33And earlier, I spoke with NHK World's political correspondent, Igarashi Jun.
04:39He explained what's happening in the legislature.
04:44So Jun, Takaichi has triggered a snap election.
04:47How are the ruling and opposition camps reacting right now?
04:51We're seeing mixed reactions among the members of the lower house.
04:54Takaichi says she wants to put her position as prime minister on the line.
05:01If the public votes for her, it gives her a stronger mandate
05:04and more leverage to bring her government's policies to fruition.
05:09One LDP executive said the point of this election is to choose Takaichi as prime minister or not.
05:16Takaichi said that the ruling coalition is looking to secure a majority.
05:21But they already have a slim majority.
05:23So if they don't see big improvements in the number of seats,
05:28they might be hearing some complaints.
05:32Meanwhile, opposition parties are critical of the choice to call an election.
05:36And they're questioning the need for the public to head to the polls.
05:40Some leaders say that what we need now is not to dissolve the lower house.
05:46Instead, they say they should be discussing policies in the chamber,
05:50not spending their time campaigning.
05:52Right.
05:53So that's inside the legislature, right?
05:55For the candidates and voters,
05:57what are the key issues that are going to emerge during this election?
06:01Tackling rising prices will definitely be on the agenda.
06:05The cost of living is rising, but people's wages haven't kept up.
06:10Both ruling and opposition camps are putting out word
06:14that they want to make changes to the consumption tax.
06:17LDP leader, Takaichi has said she will speed up efforts to remove the consumption tax
06:24from food products for exactly two years.
06:27Meanwhile, you've got the newest opposition party,
06:31the Centrist Reform Alliance.
06:33It's mainly made up of members from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Kômei-tô.
06:39And they've said they want to scrap the tax on food items for good.
06:45Other opposition parties are also pledging to reduce tax rates or abolish taxes entirely.
06:51So, we're expecting heated debates on how parties will secure financial resources for the country.
06:59Foreign and security policies, as well as policies on foreign nationals, are also on the table.
07:06Meanwhile, in the bond market, Japan's long-term interest rates continue to rise at a rabid pace.
07:16Takaichi has set forth a fiscal policy that she calls responsible and proactive.
07:22Last year, her administration approved a record-breaking draft budget.
07:27Now, Jun, as a bit of an election primer,
07:29can you briefly walk us through how the lower house election works?
07:33There are two types of seats.
07:35All 465 seats in the lower house are up for grabs.
07:41289 will be from single-seat districts,
07:44where the voters simply write a candidate's name.
07:48The remaining 176 seats will be chosen through a system of proportional representation.
07:55For those seats, voters are given another ballot,
07:59and they write the party's name on that one.
08:02233 seats are needed for a majority.
08:05Candidates are already gearing up to win these lower house seats.
08:10So, what are stock investors saying about the election here in Japan?
08:14Yugo Fukushima joins us now from our business desk.
08:17So, Yugo, what can you tell us?
08:18Yes, Raj.
08:19Well, shares in Tokyo were on the rise even before Prime Minister Takaichi dissolved the lower house on Friday.
08:25Here's a chart for Japan's key stock index, the Nikkei 225, for the past few weeks,
08:30when reports of a possible election started to surface.
08:34Analysts say this sparked a buying spree that set the benchmark to a record on January 14th.
08:40Many experts on Japan's market pointed to a saying, buy on an election.
08:46Some say this also can be seen before U.S. presidential votes.
08:50So, what's behind the wisdom?
08:52Ichikawa Masahiro, an equity strategist, fills us in.
08:55Ichika's analysis shows how the Nikkei has moved from the dissolution of the lower house for each election since 1969.
09:04He found it rose 17 out of 18 times.
09:08Ichika says there may be no logical explanation to the rise, but he offered some perspective.
09:15For any election, most of the parties will come out with campaign pledges that will be popular with the people because they want to win.
09:26For example, they will promise to reduce taxes.
09:29So, traders have expectations there will be economic stimulus policies that will support stock prices.
09:37But this trend seems to change after the election.
09:40This is data compiled by Ichikawa on how the Nikkei moved six months after the election.
09:46It shows that the movements vary for different election years.
09:49Sometimes, he has found that stocks go down even if a stable majority government is formed.
09:55Ichikawa says the focus usually shifts back to the fundamentals of the macro economy,
10:00and our current situation is highly uncertain both at home and abroad.
10:04The Chinese government has announced stronger export controls against Japan.
10:12At the same time, in the U.S., President Trump is showing a bullish stance on geopolitical issues, including Iran and Greenland.
10:21So, I think money managers are forced to take those situations into consideration.
10:26There is also a likelihood that investors' attention will shift to the health of the Japanese economy
10:32and how the nation's companies will perform this year.
10:40So, whoever wins the election may not have that much impact on stocks in the longer term
10:45as traders turn their attention to the hottest topics of the day.
10:49We'll keep an eye out for the next big market-moving event.
10:52Now to what's happening in the markets on Friday.
10:55In currencies, there was a big move in the dollar-yen rate.
10:59The yen started being sold, and the dollar bought after the press conference of the Bank of Japan governor began.
11:05But the pair suddenly reversed course.
11:07Some investors seemed cautious about government intervention as the yen neared the 160 mark to the dollar.
11:14And to stocks, Tokyo's benchmark added about three-tenths of a percent.
11:18The BOJ's improved outlook for the economy encouraged some buying,
11:22and sold the cost to be closed at a fresh high, gaining three-quarters of a percent from Thursday.
11:27Financial stocks drove the index higher on expectations of momentum in the domestic market.
11:33But the sensex in India did more than nine-tenths of a percent
11:37as foreign investors are pulling out some funds.
11:40And that's what it is for this week.
11:42Japan has seen a dramatic rise in foreign visitors.
11:54Their numbers topped 40 million for the first time in 2025.
11:58Some of the biggest spikes have come from Southeast Asia.
12:01And to tell us more, my co-anchor Yamasawa Rina is in Bangkok.
12:04Rina.
12:05Hi, Raja.
12:09I'm at one of Asia's largest travel expos.
12:13And with me is Tula Tirakao-san, our anchor here in Bangkok.
12:17Thank you for coming, Tula.
12:18It's nice to have you in Bangkok.
12:20Are you surprised to see so many Japanese boosters?
12:23Yes, I am.
12:23There are so many companies and local governments here.
12:27You can tell it's a big destination, right?
12:30That's correct.
12:30Despite the fact that the Thai economy has been struggling, the gap between the rich and the poor is pretty big here.
12:37But decades of economic development has lifted some families into the middle class.
12:42And the weekend in particular has made Japan a really attractive destination.
12:47And that's good for Japan's tourism industry, especially since numbers from China are now on a huge decline.
12:56And one thing I was really surprised was that over 70% of Thai tourists are repeat visitors.
13:03I spoke to some of the frequent flyers.
13:05Why do they keep going back?
13:12Sucks.
13:13Every year, this ski resort in Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture, is covered in a thick blanket of pure white snow.
13:26It brought over 95,000 foreign tourists to the resort last winter, many of them from Thailand.
13:33Whenever I visit Tokyo, I always make sure to come here because it's close.
13:39This is my third year in a row.
13:42We are especially grateful that so many tourists come from Thailand.
13:48But what is the appeal?
13:50To find out more, I visited one Thai family who has made touring Japan an annual tradition.
13:56This couple lives in Bangkok with their son.
14:06This is from Kawazu in Shizuoka.
14:09We were there in 2023.
14:11They run their own business as financial planners.
14:15As for why they choose Japan,
14:17they say the visa exemptions for Thai visitors and the weak yen make it an attractive destination.
14:23When it comes to eating at Japanese restaurants,
14:28it costs about as much there as it does here in Thailand.
14:31It used to be that Japan was much more expensive,
14:33but that's not the case anymore.
14:36There are still so many places we haven't been to.
14:39That's why we want to keep going back.
14:43That's a big opportunity for some smaller Japanese cities like Hokuto in Yamanashi Prefecture.
14:49For the past two years, the city has had Thai staff to help promote its charms.
14:57There's wonderful nature in Hokuto.
15:01I'm Thai, so I hope other Thai people will feel the same way.
15:05She often coordinates tours for Thai travel agencies and influencers.
15:17She and her colleagues hope they will spread the word about Hokuto's appeal.
15:21The itinerary focuses on things they hope will appeal to Thai tourists.
15:43Many say they like Japanese beef.
15:45Beef.
15:56And the view of the famous Mount Fuji.
16:02It's great.
16:04It's a small town, but it has a warm atmosphere and is full of nature.
16:09Officials say these efforts are starting to bear fruit.
16:13Before the initiative, it was rare to see a Thai tourist in Hokuto.
16:19But last year, about 1,500 Thai visitors stayed the night.
16:23So, for more on this, I'm now joined by the Japanese ambassador in Thailand, Otaka Masato.
16:33Ambassador, thank you very much for joining us.
16:35My pleasure.
16:36So, here at the Expo, it's clear that other countries like China and South Korea also tried to win over the Thai tourists.
16:45So, how can you make them choose Japan?
16:49Well, I think we just have to keep on appealing to the people of the strength of Japan.
16:56The strength of Japan can be its variety.
16:58In terms of the variety of tourist sites, Japan spans a very long way from the north of Hokkaido to Okinawa in the south.
17:08And there's quite a variety of different places with different food and different historical sites and whatsoever.
17:15And on top of that, Japan has four seasons.
17:19In some places, like in Thailand, they don't have those four seasons.
17:23And to be able to experience snow or the cherry blossom or the red leaves, that is something that can excite people.
17:32And this is something that we have always been trying to appeal to the people of other countries.
17:37Now, also, many Japanese who come to Thailand on a holiday, what impact do you think visitors like those can have on relationships between countries?
17:47Well, as a diplomat, I always hope that people will understand each other better.
17:53Mutual understanding between countries is the key to a good relationship and perhaps the peace and civility of the world as well.
18:02People have different ideas, different views or different images of other countries.
18:07And to actually know and visit and know what the country is about, they can get rid of their presidents and have a more accurate understanding about that country.
18:20For Japan, Japanese people are very serious, they are very hospitable, and they love to talk to other people, and they love peace as well.
18:31By meeting Japanese people, I think it would be a good thing for Japan to let the other people in the other countries know what Japanese people are like.
18:42And that will be for the betterment of the understanding of Japan and put us closer to peace and civility of the world as well.
18:52Thank you very much, Ambassador.
18:54So, for many of us, tourism may just be a fun vocation, but it can be more a way for us to bridge the divide and ask the Ambassador, too, as well, to find a mutual understanding.
19:10Back to you, Vaja.
19:10All right, thank you very much for all that, Rina. We'll see you back in Tokyo soon.
19:27Next, Japan's Prudential Life Insurance says it set up an independent panel to decide compensation for customers affected by employee misconduct.
19:36This includes the embezzlement of customer funds.
19:40We solemnly accept the fact that we caused a situation that undermines public trust.
19:49We recognize our management system was the heart of the problem.
19:52The firm is a unit of U.S.-based Prudential Financial.
19:58Officials say staff reaped profits totaling 3.1 billion yen, about 19.5 million dollars, by selling non-company products and also borrowed money from clients.
20:10They say more than 100 current and former employees were involved.
20:13Prudential Life said on Friday, it'll fully compensate for cases recognized by the panel.
20:19Experts will also re-examine past investigations where compensation was not made.
20:25The company president acknowledged Prudential Life's system of excessively linking reward to performance led to the problem.
20:32He said measures will be implemented to prevent a recurrence.
20:36These include making improvements in reward and other sales systems, management structure and corporate culture.
20:43European Union leaders have met in Brussels.
20:47They discuss the tensions with the United States after President Donald Trump's back down on threats to use trade action to acquire Greenland.
20:56He claims he's reached a framework of a deal for the territory with NATO, but it's not clear where that leads.
21:02European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the bloc's solidarity with Denmark and other members facing Trump's tariffs.
21:11We were successful in withstanding by being firm, but non-escalatory, and most importantly, very united.
21:22She also says European nations should use a surge in defense spending to boost security in the Arctic.
21:28Trump says he needs to take over Greenland, claiming Denmark and other European nations cannot defend the territory from Russia or China.
21:37After a meeting with NATO Chief Mark Rutte, he abandoned his threats.
21:42He also told reporters on Air Force One the agreement they make on Greenland will last forever.
21:48We can do anything we want. We can do military. We can do anything we want.
21:54And it's being negotiated. Let's see what happens. I think it'll be good.
21:58The Wall Street Journal reported on what was behind Trump's sudden U-turn on Greenland.
22:03It says Trump and his close aides held days of back-channel talks with European leaders and the NATO chief.
22:10The report says the Europeans employed a mix of enticements like boosting Arctic security.
22:16And they warned a deeper rupture in NATO would pose dangers for the U.S.
22:21Now, President Trump has warned Iran a massive fleet is moving toward the country.
22:27It follows weeks of unrest there that reportedly killed thousands.
22:31Trump was speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday.
22:36We have a big force going toward Iran.
22:40I'd rather not see anything happen, but we're watching them very closely.
22:44Trump also vowed to go through with his plan to impose a 25 percent tariff on any country doing business with Iran.
22:52He said the measure would be taken very soon.
22:54Trump has repeatedly indicated the U.S. could attack Iran militarily if the country's authorities cracked down on protesters.
23:03But last week, he thanked Iran, saying it had canceled the hangings of over 800 people.
23:11Five years have passed since the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons took effect.
23:16A group based in Japan has held an event in Tokyo to mark the occasion.
23:22Thursday's gathering was hosted by Peaceboat, a non-governmental group participating in the international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons.
23:30The treaty bans the development, possession and use of such weapons.
23:3574 countries and regions have ratified it.
23:37But no nuclear-armed nation has joined, and neither has Japan.
23:42Survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, known as Hibakusha, were invited to the event.
23:49Tanaka Terumi addressed the meeting as co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo,
23:54a group representing nuclear bomb survivors, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024.
23:58This year, we must have a mindset of building a movement from the beginning again,
24:09and lifting the momentum for the treaty until nuclear weapons are completely abolished.
24:17Tanaka said he intends to renew his efforts this year to finally get the Japanese government to take part in the treaty.
24:24Setsuko Thurlow is an atomic bomb survivor who now lives in Canada.
24:30She sent a video message to the meeting.
24:35Because the world feels dark right now,
24:37I believe we need to keep seeking light by continuing our efforts toward nuclear abolition.
24:45Thurlow said people should work together and never give up.
24:54Hi.
24:55Switching gears now to a check on the weather.
25:23Japan has already been hit by heavy snowfall this week,
25:27and concerns are growing over additional impacts during the weekend.
25:30Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the details in our World Weather Report.
25:35The combination of cold air and moisture over the Sea of Japan
25:39has damped record-breaking snowfall on Kasuno-Akita Prefecture.
25:44But another round of heavy snow is expected to hit the country over the weekend.
25:49Snow is likely to spread to the Pacific side, including Kinki and Tokai, from Saturday to Sunday.
25:57The heaviest amount is expected on the Sea of Japan side, especially around Hokuriku.
26:03Up to 70 centimeters is possible by Saturday evening, and another 70 centimeters by Sunday evening.
26:11Snow may accumulate even in parts of Shikoku and Kyushu.
26:15Tokyo is likely to stay on the dry side, but northern Kanto and Koshin will see heavy snowfall.
26:23Traffic and transportation services may continue to be affected over the weekend.
26:29Power outages could also be a big concern.
26:32That's it for now. Stay safe.
26:33liegen close to 90 more regions.
26:35Next slide please.
26:35To be continued…
26:36엄마謝謝
26:37altenλε
26:37かなさい
26:38eno
26:39J crec
26:41Of course
26:41Even more
26:42Fun
26:55To be again
26:57Bo
27:00Put
27:01Up
27:32And that wraps up this edition of Newsroom Tokyo.
27:38Don't forget, you can always catch our program on our website.
27:40I'm Roger Prada.
27:41Thank you very much for watching.
27:43And please join us again next week.
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