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Newsroom Tokyo 2026 03 23 Episode 3 Engsub
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00:12Welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Yamasawa Rina and I'm Raja Prada. Here are the headlines.
00:18Concerns about the conflict in the Middle East hit Asian stocks hard.
00:23The International Energy Agency puts the Asia Pacific at the forefront of the global rush to secure oil.
00:31And NHK World's senior political correspondent analyzes the latest Japan-U.S. summit, including what Tokyo may or may not
00:38do in the Strait of Hormuz.
00:41First, the Middle East. Iran is vowing to completely close the Strait of Hormuz if the United States attacks the
00:48country's power plants.
00:49U.S. President Donald Trump told Tehran on Saturday it had 48 hours to fully open the waterway, or, he
00:57said, America would obliterate the energy facilities.
01:00Amid the escalation, a rally was held in the Iranian capital to support the government.
01:11People gathered in Tehran on Sunday. They held up placards criticizing the U.S. and Israel.
01:18Iran's military issued a statement the same day, saying the Strait is closed only to the enemy and harmful traffic,
01:25and it remains under smart control.
01:28The statement adds, if the U.S. carries out Trump's threat, Iran will close the Strait and not reopen it
01:34until the destroyed power plants have been fully rebuilt.
01:38It also warns power stations in countries neighboring Iran will become legitimate targets if those nations host U.S. bases.
01:46Attacks between the two sides continue. The U.S. military released footage of a strike on Iran on Sunday.
01:53The Israeli military also announced it launched airstrikes on targets, including the headquarters of Iran's intelligence ministry.
02:00Iran's Red Crescent Society says more than 81,000 private facilities have been damaged so far.
02:07A spokesperson for the Israeli military said the fighting will continue for a few weeks.
02:14We're responding with great force, but not on civilians. We're going after the regime. We're going after the IRGC.
02:22Iran continues to strike back.
02:25Israeli media reported on Sunday, cluster bombs caused damage in and around Tel Aviv and injured people.
02:32The U.S. Department of State has issued a security alert on its website, advising Americans worldwide, and especially in
02:40the Middle East, to exercise increased caution.
02:42The alert says groups supporting Iran may target U.S. interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and
02:50or Americans throughout the world.
02:54Hopes for diplomacy remain intact despite three weeks of fighting.
02:59U.S. news website Axios says the Trump administration is laying the groundwork for possible peace talks with Iran.
03:07The story published Saturday quotes a U.S. official and two other sources.
03:13They say Washington and Tehran have not been in direct contact in recent days, but Egypt, Qatar and Britain have
03:22passed messages between the two sides.
03:25Egypt and Qatar have reportedly informed the U.S. and Israel that Iran is interested in negotiating.
03:33But they say Tehran's conditions are very tough, including compensation and guarantees to prevent the recurrence of war.
03:43Axios quotes a U.S. official as saying Washington wants Tehran to make six commitments.
03:49They include no missile program for five years, zero uranium enrichment and the decommissioning of three nuclear facilities, Natanz, Isfahan
04:01and Fado.
04:02The U.S. and Israel bombed those sites last year.
04:06Axios also quotes U.S. officials as saying Trump's advisers see Iranian foreign minister Abbas Arachi as, quote, a fax
04:16machine.
04:17The advisers are reportedly trying to determine who actually makes the decisions in Tehran and how to get in touch.
04:27The exchange of threats between Washington and Tehran is hitting stock prices.
04:32That's right. And Yanaka Marie from our biz team joins us with the details.
04:36Marie.
04:37Shares in Asia fell sharply on Monday and Tokyo's Nikkei average was no exception.
04:43Investors are worried that the Iran conflict is set to escalate and further disrupt oil supplies.
04:51Japan relies heavily on imports of crude from the Middle East.
04:54The Nikkei 225 closed at 51,515 as stocks sold off across the board.
05:02At one point, the index lost five percent.
05:06In the end, the benchmark finished almost three and a half percent lower from Thursday.
05:11Friday was a national holiday.
05:13Oil prices once again climbed above a key level on those worries about escalating tensions.
05:19WTI crude futures briefly went above $100 a barrel.
05:25One analyst said Trump had placed a ticking time bomb over markets with his threat to expand bombing if Iran
05:33fails to open the Strait of Hormuz.
05:36Investors across the Asia-Pacific were concerned higher oil prices would spur inflation and slow the global economy.
05:44Many major indexes lost over two or three percent.
05:49Solskosby was the worst performer, tumbling six and a half percent.
05:55Worries about oil also hit other assets.
05:58Japanese government bonds saw heavy selling on inflation fears.
06:02The yield on the benchmark 10-year JGB climbed to 2.3 percent at one stage.
06:08That's a two-month high.
06:11As markets reel from the oil shock, demand for energy in the United States climbs ever higher due to artificial
06:18intelligence.
06:20In the state of Ohio, Japan's SoftBank Group has just broken ground on a $500 billion project to build a
06:28natural gas power plant.
06:29It's also announced a massive data center on the same site.
06:34The gas plant will power the data operations.
06:37The energy project is part of Japan's pledge to invest in the U.S. during tariff talks last year.
06:43Construction of the data center is scheduled to start later this year.
06:49SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Son Masayoshi stressed the scale of the endeavor.
06:58This will undoubtedly be the largest investment for a single project in human history.
07:05Song added that with the U.S. facing an energy shortage and in need of more data centers,
07:11his company is entering a harvesting phase for the initiatives it's been introducing.
07:15He also expressed a willingness to continue to invest in the U.S.
07:21That's the biz for this Monday.
07:32Safety in the Strait of Hormuz is a major focus for many countries including Japan.
07:37The key waterway was high on the agenda in the latest Japan-U.S. summit.
07:41But Tokyo says no specific promises have been made so far about what to do.
07:48To secure the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,
07:52Japan will continue to make all necessary diplomatic efforts in close coordination with the international community,
07:58including relevant countries and international organizations.
08:02Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae met President Trump on Thursday in Washington.
08:07She conveyed Japan's views about the situation in Iran and stressed the need for early de-escalation.
08:13She also said Japan opposes Iran's attacks on countries in the region and its effective closure of the Strait.
08:20Trump reportedly asked Japan to help ensure ships can navigate safely in the key waterway.
08:26Takaichi says she responded by pointing out there are actions Japan can and cannot take within the framework of domestic
08:33laws.
08:35For more, we are joined by NHK World Senior Political Correspondent Oikawa Sojun.
08:42Tokyo's leaders have had a few days after the summit to digest about what they discussed.
08:49How did he feel about the key points?
08:52I can tell you that a sense of relief is spreading within the Japanese governments.
08:58So, officials had some weariness going into the meetings because of the mixed messages
09:05President Trump has been giving in recent weeks, especially regarding the situation in Iran.
09:12So, officials were not sure what to expect from him.
09:16During the meeting, Trump asked Japan to help ensure that ships can navigate safely through the Strait of Hormuz.
09:25In response, Prime Minister Takaichi pointed out there are constraints to what Japan can legally do.
09:32Because, remember, Article 9 of Japan's constitution put some pretty significant limits on the self-defense forces and the types
09:42of situations in which they can be deployed.
09:46Ultimately, we didn't get a clear resolution on Iran out of this summit.
09:52But, overall, the Japanese side sees the summit as a success.
09:58I think one of the reasons was that Takaichi and Trump talked about a number of other topics, too.
10:07Government sources have told NHK that when talking about Iran, the Japanese side proposed cooperating to try and lower crude
10:17oil prices.
10:18So, Jun, what do we know about what Japan might ultimately decide to do about the Strait of Hormuz?
10:24Well, Trump has made it pretty clear that he expects Japan to take some sort of concrete action.
10:32On Friday, he told Fox News that he knows Japan has constitutional restraints but would be there for the U
10:40.S. when needed.
10:42And he described Japan as a better ally than NATO.
10:48So, it does seem that he understands the legal limits Japan has to work within.
10:53But there is still some uncertainty.
10:57Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu was at the summit.
11:02He has said Trump did not make any specific requests about what Japan should do.
11:08But he indicated that dispatching the self-defense forces could become a matter of consideration after a potential future ceasefire.
11:19And there are precedents for Japan providing this type of support for U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
11:27After the Gulf War in the early 1990s, Japan dispatched maritime self-defense force minesweepers to the Persian Gulf.
11:37And after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, MSDF provided refueling support in the Indian Ocean for U.S.
11:47and other naval vessels carrying out the so-called War on Terror.
11:51So, previous Japanese governments have been able to find ways to work within those constitutional limits of Article 9 while
12:01also placing importance on relations with the United States.
12:05But it hasn't always been easy for them to do.
12:11And as for right now, it is still very unclear what will happen.
12:15The situation in Iran is still very volatile.
12:20The Japanese government would not take a decision on any deployment lightly.
12:26And finally, Jun, the two leaders had also the economy on their high agenda for the summit.
12:35Can you tell us more about what they discussed?
12:37Sure.
12:37They also covered economic issues.
12:40Last July, the two sides reached an agreement that will see Japan invest $550 billion into U.S. industries.
12:50And to accompany last week's summit, they released a joint announcement containing more potential projects under the deal.
12:58They include the possible construction of next-generation small nuclear reactors in Tennessee and Alabama and natural gas power plants
13:09in Pennsylvania and Texas.
13:11The joint announcement covered modern economics.
13:15It is also intended to usher in a new golden age for the Japan-U.S. alliance.
13:22But these are testing times.
13:25Trump's various requests might change and Takahichi will have to strike a very delicate balance down the road.
13:36Thank you very much for your insight, Jun.
13:38My pleasure.
13:52Now let's take a look at the impact of the ongoing Middle East oil crisis on the wider Asia-Pacific
14:00region.
14:00Tratira Khao-san in our Bangkok studio has the details.
14:05The head of the International Energy Agency has warned the global economy faces a major threat.
14:13Fatih Birol indicated he may ask member nations to release more oil reserves if necessary.
14:19We will see, we will look at the markets.
14:22If it is necessary, of course, we will do it.
14:25But we will look at the conditions, we will analyze, assess the markets and discuss with our member countries.
14:30Birol spoke in Canberra on Monday on the first leg of a world tour.
14:35He said the Asia-Pacific is at the forefront of the crisis as it largely relies on oil and other
14:43essential products such as fertilizer and helium,
14:46which are transported through the Strait of Hormuz.
14:49He revealed that as of Sunday, at least 40 energy-related facilities in nine Middle Eastern countries had suffered serious
14:58damage.
14:59He said the conflict has removed 11 million barrels of oil per day from global supply.
15:06Birol compared the current situation to a combination of the two oil shocks in the 1970s and the gas shock
15:13following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
15:16He stressed that no country will be immune to the effects of the crisis and called for global efforts to
15:23resolve it.
15:24He said opening up the Strait of Hormuz is the single most important solution.
15:29We're joined now by our Asia correspondent, Takaoka Shikashi, for more.
15:35Shikashi, just how serious is the Middle East situation for Asian nations?
15:39Well, countries are being affected differently, but the region as a whole faces a huge risk.
15:47Asia relies heavily on crude oil imports from the Middle East, much of it passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
15:54And many countries don't have results as substantial as those held by Japan and South Korea.
16:00Fuel shortages and long lines at gas stations are being reported daily across Asia.
16:06Here in Thailand, people in some rural areas say they are struggling to buy fuel.
16:12The government has repeatedly urged the public to avoid panic buying.
16:16A major supplier has set a guideline limiting purchases to about $15 at a time.
16:22A wide range of industries have also been hit.
16:27Some tourist boats in Thailand remain docked due to high fuel costs.
16:32Fishing and agriculture are feeling the impact as they rely on vessels and machines for harvesting.
16:39In the Philippines, drivers of the iconic Jeepney buses went on strike nationwide last week amid rising fuel prices.
16:47They called on the government to raise fares and scrub fuel taxes.
16:52It looks like the fallout from the fuel crisis is hitting Asia sooner and harder compared to the rest of
16:58the world.
16:59How are governments responding?
17:02Well, they moved quickly to roll out energy-saving measures.
17:05Here in Thailand, authorities have told staff at government offices and state-run firms to work from home.
17:12They also advised raising air-conditioner settings and having employees wear healthy shirts instead of formal suits.
17:21Countries including the Philippines, Laos, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are cutting the work or school week to three or four
17:29days.
17:30In Myanmar, the junta is restricting car use to curb gasoline consumption.
17:36Private and commercial vehicles with even-numbered plates can be used for one day, outnumber the next.
17:43These are just some of the steps being taken in Asia, reflecting the sense of crisis among the authorities.
17:50These efforts may curb energy use in the short term, but what about longer term fuel shortages?
17:56Well, most of these measures will be difficult to sustain, so governments are rushing to expand and diversify their supply
18:04chains.
18:05Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines are considering importing crude from Russia after the U.S. East sanctions on Russian oil.
18:14Thailand says it is also in contact with Nigeria and Brazil.
18:18Vietnam has asked Japan and South Korea to provide oil.
18:22But these talks could hit obstacles if the conflict drags on and global supplies come under even greater strain.
18:31So Asia faces an uncertain energy outlook.
18:34Thank you, Shikashi.
18:36We now wrap up our bulletin. I'm Tra Chirakau-san in Bangkok.
18:40Thank you very much, Shikashi and Tra.
18:42Next, a Japanese high court has upheld a not-guilty ruling for a 30-year-old woman accused of killing
18:49her wealthy older husband.
18:51The man had famously styled himself as the Japanese Don Juan.
18:56Sudosaki was charged with killing 77-year-old Nozaki Kosuke at his home in Wakayama Prefecture in May 2018.
19:04She was alleged to have forced him to ingest a lethal amount of stimulants.
19:08Nozaki claimed to have had thousands of lovers and likened himself to the fictional Spanish womanizer.
19:14The Wakayama District Court decided in December 2024 the possibility of an accidental overdose could not be ruled out.
19:22And on Monday, the Osaka High Court dismissed an appeal filed by prosecutors.
19:28Sudos lawyers maintained the district court had handed down a fair judgment and the high court should respect the decision
19:34of lay judges.
19:37North Korea has reappointed Kim Jong-un as president of state affairs.
19:43The role is equivalent to head of state.
19:47State-run Korean Central Television says the Supreme People's Assembly made the decision during a session in Pyongyang on Sunday.
19:55During the session, it was announced that Kim's close aide Cho Yong-won had replaced Choi Ryong-hae as the
20:04chair of the Assembly's standing committee.
20:07About 40 percent of cabinet members were newly appointed.
20:12This reflects a generational shift following the ruling Workers' Party Congress last month.
20:17The session was expected to continue on Monday.
20:22Attention is focused on whether Kim will deliver a speech and refer to relations with the United States.
20:29Another focal point is whether the North's policy of regarding South Korea as a hostile state will be reflected in
20:37the constitution.
20:39Humanitarian concerns are rising in Sudan after years of conflict.
20:44The World Health Organization says a hospital has come under attack, leaving at least 64 people dead.
20:50The WHO said on Saturday, the victims include 13 children, two nurses, one doctor and multiple patients.
20:58Sudan's military and the paramilitary rapid support forces have been fighting since 2023.
21:06WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the hospital is no longer functioning after damage to the pediatric, maternity and
21:15emergency departments.
21:16The military reportedly denies conducting the attack.
21:20The WHO chief says there have been more than 200 attacks on health facilities since the conflict began, killing over
21:272,000 people.
21:28He's calling for de-escalation and the protection of civilians, health workers and humanitarians.
21:36Economic downturns often force people to tighten their purse strings.
21:40And in China, some tourist businesses have found opportunity in frugality.
21:45They are targeting holidaymakers who aren't seeking the real thing, but the next best thing.
21:53The ski resort in Jilin province in northeastern China was developed with help from a Japanese company.
22:01Chinese travelers are coming to experience the atmosphere of a ski area in Japan without traveling abroad.
22:09Visitors have risen 13% this season to 950,000.
22:13The Chinese government's call on citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan may have helped drive demand.
22:22This hotel interior features abundant wood in the style of a Japanese resort.
22:30The facility also has a Japanese-style outdoor bath.
22:35Visitors include Chinese tourists who decided to cancel trips to Japan.
22:44We wanted to go to Hokkaido, but we canceled the reservation because of the heightened tension between the two countries.
22:50It's really unfortunate, but I'm sure there will be chances again.
22:55A domestic destination like this is closer and convenient.
22:59It's perfect for a short trip.
23:04The idea of saving money by traveling to mimic sites is catching on in farming areas, too.
23:11A village outside Xi'an in the inland province of Shaanxi has allowed people to pretend they're visiting Tiananmen Square
23:18in Beijing.
23:20Visitors would take photos that make it look like they are standing in front of the square's gate.
23:29I'm so excited to see Tiananmen near my home. I took a lot of photos.
23:37The feature has appealed to the many people who post pictures of their travels on social media.
23:45The Tiananmen on a wall concept has gone viral.
23:50Tourists are posting photos from at least 40 other life-size paintings of the famous gate.
23:57This mural depicting the Great Wall of China is completed in January in a farming village in the central province
24:04of Funan.
24:09A village lane is lined with stalls to accommodate the many visitors that have begun flocking there.
24:15The site has become a new source of revenue.
24:21With so many visitors, I can make money selling just about anything.
24:25The economy has been revitalized and it's all good.
24:30Make-believe trips like these may help pry open people's wallets and spark domestic demand in China.
24:49It's time for a look at world weather with our meteorologist Jonathan Oh.
24:55Hello, we're seeing spring-like conditions starting to pick up around Japan with warmer temperatures and even sunny skies in
25:01place like Tokyo as we went through Monday.
25:03But those warmer temperatures are leading to some problems in other parts of Japan.
25:07I want to share some video coming out of Shizuoka Prefecture where at least 79 people found themselves stranded after
25:15a slope collapsed over the weekend in Shizuoka City.
25:18The city says rising temperatures may have caused frozen soil to thaw leading to the landslide that blocked the pathway
25:26out.
25:27As the debris was cleared, many of those who were stranded were able to make their descent Monday.
25:32So far, no injuries or illnesses have been reported.
25:36Yes, as we continue to see the temperatures picking up, areas that are seeing things adjust, that can lead to
25:43some concerns on the ground.
25:45And we are looking at temperatures to still be on the warm side as we go into the day on
25:49Tuesday.
25:50High pressure moves into Japan and really takes control of the weather pattern.
25:54Even places like Hokkaido, seeing temperatures moving up into the teens as we go into Wednesday.
25:59Now, rain will be a part of the story from Tokyo into Fukuoka starting on Wednesday.
26:03So you need your umbrellas there.
26:04And then we'll still see the clouds hanging around, but at least the warm weather will also be a part
26:09of the story where overnight lows will also be on the rise as well.
26:13So not as chilly as you wake up in the morning hours.
26:18Meanwhile, we're looking at a bit of an unstable pattern across portions of Europe.
26:21We have a low pressure system moving its way over to the northwestern portion of the continent.
26:25High pressure dominating most of Europe, though.
26:27And that's keeping things on the drier side from the center and northern portions of Europe.
26:31But down toward the south, rain to places like Rome with a high of 17 coming up on Monday.
26:37Looking at what's happening across North America, cold front pushing off toward the north and east.
26:41High pressure moving in behind it.
26:43But behind that cold front, really chilly.
26:44Plates like Chicago, a high of two.
26:46Snow into Toronto, but way down toward the south ahead of that front.
26:49High of 26 in Atlanta coming up on Monday.
26:52Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
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27:23We're here to work on Plaza 300.
27:35And that's all for this edition of Newsroom Tokyo.
27:38Be sure to catch our program on our website as well.
27:40I'm Raja Pradhan.
27:41And I'm Yamasawa Rina.
27:43Thank you very much for watching.
27:45Please join us again tomorrow.
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