- 7 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:12Welcome to News in Tokyo. I'm Yamasawa Rina and I'm Raja Prada. Here are the headlines.
00:17Japan's prime minister is set to hold talks with the U.S. president in a few hours. We take a
00:22look
00:22at what's on the agenda. Iran threatens to attack energy facilities across the Gulf region
00:29after a reported strike on its South Pass gas field. And Japan's central bank keeps rates unchanged
00:37as it assesses how the conflict will affect the economy and crisis.
00:43Japanese prime minister Takaiji Sanae is in Washington for talks with U.S. president
00:49Donald Trump. On the agenda are the situation in Iran and Japanese investment in the United States.
00:56Takaiji touched down on Wednesday night. It will be her first summit at the White House but her
01:02second face-to-face meeting with Trump. Before departing, she told reporters that global peace
01:10and stability are under threat, citing risks to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and to energy
01:17security. It is important that the situation is de-escalated as soon as possible and that efforts
01:27are made for peace and stability in the Middle East, including energy security. I want to hold
01:33thorough discussions based on Japan's position and views. The prime minister stressed the need to
01:42maximize Japan's national interests. She warned if the current instability continues, it will seriously
01:49affect the economies of nations around the world, including Japan and the U.S. Takaiji also hopes to
01:57reaffirm the importance of the bilateral alliance. She plans to tell Trump that Japan will work with
02:04the U.S. to boost American crude oil production in Alaska as part of broader cooperation between them.
02:11Meanwhile, final preparations are underway for the two leaders to announce a second set of projects
02:18regarding a deal struck last year for Japan to invest $550 billion in the U.S. The two countries will
02:28also draw up an action plan to introduce a floor price for rare earth and other key minerals. The
02:36mechanism is intended to protect rare earth producers from price swings caused by low-cost Chinese exports.
02:44Japan has been moving to diversify its supply and reduce its dependence on China.
02:50Now, President Trump has been calling on NATO members and U.S. allies, including Japan,
02:55to send warships to escort oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively closed the key
03:01waterway since the start of the Middle East conflict.
03:05We get less than 1 percent of our oil from the Strait and some countries get much more. Japan gets
03:1395 percent.
03:14China gets 90 percent. Many of the Europeans get quite a bit. South Korea gets 35 percent.
03:22So we want them to come and help us. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arochi said on Monday,
03:28the strait is open. He says it's only closed to those who've carried out what he calls unfair
03:34aggression and Iran's enemies. NATO member countries have so far declined to answer Trump's call.
03:41British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the U.K. would not be drawn into a wider war over Iran.
03:48Germany has also ruled out participating. A government spokesperson said Berlin would not
03:54take part in any form, saying the conflict has nothing to do with NATO.
04:00U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, who served as ambassador to Japan during Trump's first term,
04:06told NHK he hopes Thursday's summit delivers a more positive outcome.
04:11What you'll see, I believe, is a very strong alliance, a strong relationship.
04:16And I don't want to get ahead of the two. I'm looking forward to the announcement,
04:19but I think it's going to be a very good day to me.
04:22Hagerty said he had talked with Trump about the meeting,
04:25and he expressed hope Japan would respond to the call for help in the Strait of Hormuz.
04:30I feel certain that Prime Minister Takeiichi and President Trump will come to an agreement tomorrow
04:35so that Japan will be able to exercise its fullest extent of support for the United States' efforts
04:40with Iran. And I'm certain Japan will find ways to support this movement.
04:45We are now joined by NHK World Senior Political Correspondent Oikawa Jun.
04:50So Jun, the Japan-U.S. summit will be starting in a few hours. What are the key things to
04:56look out for?
04:57The meeting will cover a wide range of issues,
05:00but attention is focused on Japan's response to the situation in Iran.
05:06In particular, President Trump has talked about countries dispatching vessels to the Strait of Hormuz.
05:12Here's what Prime Minister Takeiichi had to say about that during the question-and-answer session in the Diet.
05:21I intend to convey clearly what we can and cannot do under Japanese law.
05:28Based on past precedent, the U.S. should have a good understanding of Japanese law.
05:36I think there are two points we need to grasp in order to understand this comment.
05:41The first is that the Japan-U.S. alliance is the bedrock of Japan's diplomatic and security policies.
05:50The second is that Article 9 of Japan's constitution renounces war.
05:56Takaiichi needs to make a decision that satisfies both of these points.
06:02As Japan tries to maintain good relations with the U.S.,
06:06Takaiichi's administration may have to decide how much the constitution permits the self-defense forces to do in its overseas
06:14activities.
06:16Well, Jun, this isn't the first time Japan has found itself in this kind of situation, right?
06:20That's right. People with long memories may feel that history is repeating itself.
06:28During past military campaigns in the Middle East,
06:31the U.S. has also called on Japan to shoulder its burden as a member of the international community.
06:38The Gulf War in the early 1990s was a major turning point.
06:43Japan contributed large sums of money rather than personnel,
06:47leading to international criticism that it was practicing so-called checkbook diplomacy.
06:55Then, Prime Minister Kaifu Toshiki eventually decided to send a maritime self-defense force minesweeper to the Persian Gulf.
07:04It was the first full-scale overseas mission since the SDF was established after the end of World War II.
07:11So, how did this influence Japan's approach during subsequent conflicts?
07:18Following the September 11th attacks in 2001,
07:22then Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro sent a clear message to Washington.
07:29At the Japan-U.S. summit, two weeks after the attacks,
07:33he said his country would back the U.S. in its so-called war on terror.
07:39The MSDF went on to provide referring support in the Indian Ocean
07:44for U.S. and other naval vessels carrying out anti-terrorism operations.
07:50After the invasion of Iraq began in 2003,
07:54Washington is said to have requested Japanese boots on the ground.
07:59But public opinion was divided over whether to send the SDF.
08:04In the end, the government decided to dispatch personnel to help with reconstruction efforts.
08:11Looking at Trump's comments about Iran over the past few days,
08:16he has changed his demands on Japan and other countries.
08:19It's not clear exactly what he wants.
08:23So, while Takai-chi is aiming to confirm that the Japan-U.S. alliance is stronger than ever,
08:29she may have to think on her feet during the meeting at the White House.
08:34All right, Jun, thank you always for all your input.
08:36NHK World Senior Political Correspondent, Oikawa Jun.
09:02Iranian media outlets said Wednesday,
09:05natural gas and oil facilities in the south of the country had been attacked.
09:09U.S. President Trump denies American involvement.
09:15Now, this video shows a place believed to be near the South Pars gas field in Iran.
09:21Violent flames and smoke can be seen rising across a wide area.
09:26Following the Iranian report,
09:28the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement
09:30vowing retaliation on oil and gas-related facilities in other Gulf countries.
09:35Meanwhile, a state-run energy firm in Qatar said Wednesday,
09:39missiles had struck Ras Lafon Industrial City, causing extensive damage.
09:44The Qatari Ministry of Defense said there were two separate strikes,
09:48on Wednesday night and in the early morning of Thursday.
09:51Also on Wednesday, Trump revealed Israel had struck facilities in Iran.
09:56He denied U.S. involvement.
09:58He wrote on social media Qatar was also not involved in the attack.
10:02He said Israel will not attack the South Pars gas field anymore unless Iran attacks Qatar.
10:08Still, the U.S. news website Axios reported Israeli and U.S. officials
10:14had said the strike was coordinated with and approved by the White House.
10:19It also quoted officials in both countries as saying Trump's remarks were inaccurate.
10:25Foreign ministers from a number of Arab and Islamic countries
10:28held a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in response to the escalating attacks.
10:32Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud later spoke at a news conference.
10:40I have to tell you, what little trust there was before has completely been shattered.
10:47Reuters news agency reported Wednesday,
10:49the Trump administration is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops
10:53to step up its campaign against Iran.
10:55The Washington Post reports the Department of Defense has submitted an additional budget
11:00bill worth more than $200 billion to cover the cost of military operations.
11:08Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he's worried about how the Iran conflict
11:14will affect its country's ability to defend itself against Russia.
11:19Speaking to the BBC Wednesday, he warned supplies of U.S. Patriot missiles
11:24could run short if the conflict is prolonged.
11:29Zelensky said there will definitely be a shortage of missiles when stockpiles in the Middle East are exhausted.
11:36He said the first day of what he called the Middle East war used as many Patriot missiles
11:42as the U.S. typically produces in a year.
11:46Zelensky had been requesting more air defense systems,
11:50calling them indispensable to intercept ballistic missiles from Russia.
11:55In the interview Wednesday, he also noted that U.S.-led ceasefire talks between Kyiv and Moscow
12:03are being constantly postponed due to the Iran conflict.
12:17The Bank of Japan decided to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged.
12:22And policy makers met for the first time since the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks on Iran late
12:27last month.
12:29Yuko Fukushima joins us with the details on that. Yuko.
12:31Yes, it seems officials didn't want to make waves,
12:34as they wait to see what impact the Iran conflict will have on Japan's economy and prices.
12:39The attention now turns to whether the BOJ will change its course of gradual rate hikes
12:45that it had planned before the crisis in the Middle East.
12:48The BOJ said at the end of its two-day policy meeting on Thursday
12:52that it will continue to target a short-term rate of around three-quarters of a percent.
12:57It's the second time in a row for the bank to maintain the level following a rate hike in December.
13:02The BOJ said the economy is likely to continue growing moderately,
13:07but it also noted that higher prices for crude could stoke inflation and weigh on growth.
13:14WTI crude oil benchmark briefly topped $100 a barrel again in New York on Wednesday.
13:20That was after attacks on energy sites in the Middle East ramped up concerns about oil supplies.
13:25And another global oil benchmark, Brent Futures in London, exceeded $110 a barrel.
13:31The yen has been on a weakening trend since the conflict in Iran.
13:36Selling against the dollar gained momentum in Tokyo trading on Thursday,
13:40with the Japanese currency approaching the $160 level, a low not seen since July 2024.
13:47Japan is seen to be heavily dependent on crude oil imports,
13:51and the weaker yen increases procurement costs.
13:54After the decision was announced, the BOJ governor stressed
13:58that more time is needed to assess what happens next.
14:05The key point is the impact of the situation in the Middle East.
14:08We will look at how much downward pressure worsening conditions
14:12stemming from rising oil prices could have on the economy.
14:19Well, I talked to Adachi Masamichi, an economist who used to work at the Bank of Japan,
14:24on what to make of the governor's comments.
14:28The Bank of Japan faces a difficult trade-off.
14:30You know, if the bank raises rates, it could slow the economy.
14:34But then if it doesn't, it could accelerate inflation.
14:37So from the governor's press conference,
14:40how do you think the BOJ is looking at the impact of the price hike in oil to the Japanese
14:47economy?
14:48I think in his press conference and the statement of the BOJ,
14:52it was very clear that it's too early to judge.
14:57All right.
14:58But at the same time, I mean, I think the emphasis of the governor's weather was that
15:03before this oil shock, the BOJ is ready to hike a rate soon.
15:09And so as long as the impact of this oil shock is rather short and small,
15:18the BOJ's policy normalization will continue.
15:21So in this meeting, they just discussed how they should think in the next couple of meetings.
15:27And now their base case is unchanged, that they are planning to raise a rate.
15:33You know, this is critical that they mentioned that the real interest rate is still quite low.
15:40In short, BOJ still expect to raise a rate in April.
15:45So you answered my question.
15:47So they are likely to raise rates in April.
15:50Yes, I think that's a very clear message that I got from the governor weather.
15:56But, of course, if the situation in the Middle East, you know, getting worse,
16:03then oil prices go above 150.
16:06And many people now predict a severe recession comes in, not only in Japan, but also globally.
16:13Then, of course, BOJ stay on hold in April and wait and see for longer.
16:17And if this situation continues, not a couple of months, but a couple of years,
16:23then I think the BOJ may need to think about rate cut, like the case of the US or Europe.
16:30So at the moment, you know, the global, I mean, many major central banks are talking about raising a rate
16:36or reducing a number of cut because of this risk of higher inflation.
16:41But if the inflate, I mean, spike of the energy price is more significant,
16:48I think many people probably need to think about the recession risk.
16:51I mean, stuck inflation, not stuck inflation, but pure recession risk.
16:58So Adachi thinks the Bank of Japan is still on course to raise rates in April,
17:02but that could all change depending on how the situation in the Middle East develops.
17:07And now to the stock markets.
17:08Well, here in Tokyo, the Nikkei slumped more than 3.3 percent with shares sold across the board.
17:14That was after the reports that both Iran and Israel attacked energy facilities in the region.
17:19At the same time, comments by the Federal Reserve chair indicated U.S. rate cuts will be more gradual than
17:25previously thought.
17:27While the same lackluster sentiment gripped the whole region,
17:30investors took risk-off mood as they factored in the continued climb in global oil prices.
17:36Many countries in Asia are net importers of oil.
17:39The Kaspi in Seoul was down 2.73 percent,
17:43and the San Saxon India declined 3.25 percent.
17:49And that's the biz for this week.
17:52All right, thank you very much for that, Yuko.
17:53Now let's move to Tra Tirako-san at our bureau in Bangkok
17:56for more stories making headlines across the Asia-Pacific.
17:59Tra.
18:02The situation in Iran is driving up fuel prices around the world.
18:06In the Philippines, drivers of jeepney buses are calling on the government
18:10to raise fares and abolish fuel taxes.
18:19The protesters called on drivers across the country to go on strike.
18:27If fuel prices continue to rise,
18:30the families of jeepney drivers and operators
18:33will be unable to cover their living expenses.
18:41The government has started providing a subsidy of about $80
18:45to ease the burden on jeepney and tricycle taxi drivers.
18:49President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited a payment centre
18:53where drivers can apply for the subsidy.
18:59The government will provide assistance to tricycle drivers
19:03and everyone in the transportation sector
19:06in order to ease the burden of the price increase.
19:13This is a big help because the price of gas is really high.
19:16We can use this to cover our expenses.
19:21Tricycle taxi drivers in Metro Manila were the first to receive the subsidy.
19:25They visited a payment centre
19:27and showed their ID to government officials
19:29in order to receive the cash.
19:34Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Chan-wira-kun
19:36has won a parliamentary vote to keep him in office.
19:40This follows last month's general election,
19:42which brought his party a decisive victory.
19:46Anutin was re-elected as Prime Minister
19:49after securing a majority in Thursday's parliamentary vote.
19:54His conservative Pumtai Thai party
19:56significantly increased its house seats
19:59during the general election.
20:00Pumtai Thai has made an alliance with the Puyatai party
20:04and they are expected to form a coalition government
20:07with a majority.
20:12I would like to thank everyone,
20:14both those who voted for me and those who didn't.
20:18I will work for everyone.
20:22Anutin will continue pursuing measures to boost the economy.
20:26The public is also expecting a response
20:29to more immediate concerns,
20:31such as soaring crude oil prices.
20:34Meanwhile, the office of the ombudsman
20:37has filed a petition with the Constitutional Court
20:40arguing the secrecy of the election
20:42was not sufficiently guaranteed.
20:45This comes amid claims
20:47the ballot paper used in the election
20:49could identify individual voting choices.
20:53A court decision on the issue
20:55would have seismic consequences for the government,
20:57with one possible outcome
20:59being the invalidation of the election results.
21:04Pakistan and Afghanistan have entered a pause
21:07in fighting for the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr.
21:11This comes days after an airstrike in Kabul
21:14caused mass casualties.
21:18Pakistan's information minister posted on X
21:21that the pause would be effective for five days
21:24through March 23rd.
21:27Afghanistan's Taliban spokesperson
21:29also announced the suspension of operations.
21:33Both sides noted they had received requests
21:36for a pause from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.
21:41The Taliban say a Pakistani airstrike
21:44hit a hospital in Kabul on Monday.
21:46Reuters News Agency reports
21:48143 people have been killed,
21:51quoting an official at the UN mission in Afghanistan.
21:55Pakistan says it was targeting military infrastructure.
21:59The UN has welcomed the pause in fighting
22:02and is calling for it to be extended.
22:06The Secretary General has called for de-escalation
22:08and the immediate cessation of hostilities
22:10and for parties to comply with international law.
22:15So this is in line with that
22:17and we hope that the suspension during Eid
22:20will be extended.
22:24Clashes between the two countries
22:25have been escalating since last month.
22:28Both sides say they will respond
22:30to any threat from the other
22:32despite the pause.
22:34And that wraps up our bulletin.
22:36I'm Traantira Kalsan in Bangkok.
23:04Japan's nuclear regulator says power plants should be required
23:08to have drone detection systems as part of anti-terrorism measures the nuclear regulation
23:15authority decided at a meeting on wednesday to revise its regulations the rule change will make
23:23it mandatory for operators of 22 facilities such as nuclear power plants and research reactors
23:30to install drone detection systems concerns have been rising about video surveillance at plants
23:38last year three lights were spotted in the sky around the genkai nuclear power plant in saga
23:44prefecture southwestern japan the plant operator reported the incident to the regulator saying
23:52they might have been drones but there was no video footage of the lights nra chairman yamanaka shinsuke
24:00told reporters that drones are easily easy to obtain and their speed and size have improved
24:07significantly the price of drones is low and their performance is very high
24:16we need to take some preventative measures
24:23yamanaka said he wants to revise regulations further to protect nuclear materials more effectively
24:30next a world-famous boys choir in austria known for their angelic voices have released their first
24:37original song in japanese
24:47the song is called moon boat the vienna boys choir unveiled it to the media at a palace in the
24:53austrian
24:54capital on wednesday the song was written by japanese composer fujikura dai to commemorate the 100th year
25:01since the choir started touring overseas fujikura is said to have been inspired by works of japanese
25:08literature one of the choristers ishishima tempu is originally from tokyo
25:17i'm very proud of being able to sing on behalf of everyone to celebrate 100 years
25:22i think a lot of fans and a lot of people are waiting for us and i'm very proud and
25:29very happy to
25:29to sing the japanese song the choir was founded more than 500 years ago they'll perform moon boat
25:38during their upcoming japan tour scheduled to start in may
25:52all right there's more to come here on newsroom tokyo but first a 3d outlook on the weather for
25:57selected cities around the globe
26:00so
26:44so
26:45so one more before we go cherry blossom season is now officially underway in japan's capital
26:52i can confirm that 61 flowers have been spotted the cherry blossom season has now begun in tokyo
27:01japan's meteorological agency made the announcement after inspecting a benchmark cherry tree at yaskuni
27:09shrine in central tokyo the annual announcement is made when at least five to six blossoms are seen on
27:17that particular tree this year's bloom comes five days earlier than both the seasonal average and last
27:25year's season serena i guess we could see the sakura in full bloom around the end of march maybe yeah
27:31let's hope yes so that's it for this edition of newsroom tokyo don't forget you can always catch our
27:37program on our website as well i'm roger prada and i'm yamasawa rina thank you very much for watching
27:43friday is a national holiday here in japan so we'll be back on monday please join us again then
Comments