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00:12Welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Yamasawa Rina and I'm Yamaguchi Hiroaki. Here are the headlines.
00:18It's been a year since a massive earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand. We look at the
00:23current situation in both countries. U.S. President Donald Trump said he will suspend
00:30attacks on Iran's energy facilities again for 10 days. He says Tehran requested it. Iran say they
00:38didn't. The cherry blossom season is now underway in Tokyo and we'll have a report from a park where
00:45the sakura are illuminated. Saturday marks one year since an earthquake that struck Myanmar and
00:54Thailand left thousands dead. Tehran Tirakau-san is at the site in Bangkok where a skyscraper collapsed.
01:01Tehran. I'm standing at the spot where a 30-story government building under construction came
01:09crashing down killing 95 construction workers. The debris has now been cleared but the skeletal
01:16remains of a neighboring structure are still visible. The quake's epicenter was more than a
01:23thousand kilometers away in Myanmar but at magnitude 7.7 it was powerful enough to shake high rises
01:30here in the Thai capital and bring one down. Thai authorities are working to determine what
01:38caused the collapse and to hold the construction companies to account.
01:48It took two seconds for the building to crumble.
01:59Last June, investigative agencies released a report outlining construction flaws.
02:04They found failures in the walls of elevator shafts and stairwells as well as sub-standard concrete.
02:11Separately, the Thailand Structural Engineers Association inspected about 150 skyscrapers in and around Bangkok.
02:21It found several buildings with structural and other issues. Some similar to those in the collapsed
02:27tower including low-quality concrete concrete.
02:34The collapse of this building has changed how we think. We need to pay far more attention to the structural
02:41strength of both new and existing buildings in Bangkok.
02:51Among says a government committee is now considering tightening seismic standards and other regulations.
02:58In neighboring Myanmar, the military said the quake left more than 3,800 people dead and over 5,100 injured.
03:07Many survivors had already seen their lives torn apart by the ongoing fighting between the military,
03:14pro-democracy forces and armed ethnic minority groups. The disaster added to their suffering.
03:22One of the hardest hit areas is the country's second largest city of Mandalay.
03:29The recovery appears to be going slowly. Many collapsed buildings are still being cleared away,
03:35and some areas remain completely untouched. A shortage of workers and a lack of machinery has been cited.
03:46A Sandarsou lives with her son and nephew in a tent provided by a church.
03:51Her younger sister and her husband went missing in the quake, and she is taking care of their son.
03:59Repair work was carried out on her home earlier this year, but the ruling military didn't provide
04:05enough support to repair the house completely, leaving it unsafe to live in.
04:15These cracks were just painted over. They were repaired with cement,
04:20but they've opened up again. Since then, I haven't been able to sleep properly.
04:25Among those affected by the quake, some 3.6 million people had already been internally
04:32displaced by the country's prolonged conflict.
04:37Four years ago, Tin Mare fled with 12 family members to Mandalay,
04:42to escape fighting in the neighboring Zagayin region.
04:47She fled with nothing but the clothes she was wearing. Tin Mare now makes a small living running a tea
04:54stall. The quake a year ago struck just as she was settling into camp life, and the memories still
05:01leave her shaking. Everyone in the camp fell when the quake hit, and the screaming would not stop.
05:10All I could do was to stay with my 80-year-old mother.
05:24Tin Mare used to ride her motorbike every day to a market, to buy ingredients for her tea stall.
05:31But these days, she can't pay the higher prices.
05:36Fighting in the region she left behind is intensifying. An independent media outlet
05:43reported last week that the military had carried out air strikes in Zagayin,
05:47killing about 50 civilians.
05:53I always worry about what I will do if another quake strikes. I can never forget my hometown,
06:00but I'm unable to return. All I can do is keep hoping that peace will come to this country
06:07and this world as soon as possible.
06:11The United Nations Development Programme continues to provide relief efforts on the ground. It calls
06:19on people around the world not to forget the citizens of Myanmar as they face multiple hardships.
06:30There is simply so much suffering that it's no longer clear where the impact of the earthquake
06:35ends, where the effects of COVID-19 begin, or where the fighting comes into play.
06:42I think the people of Myanmar hope that even limited support from the international community
06:47or friendly nations could make their lives better.
06:54For more, our Asia correspondent Aoyama Sacheru reports from Myanmar's capital, Neipiro.
07:01I recently went to Mandalay to find out how people there are recovering one year on. Walking the streets
07:10of the city and speaking with survivors, I saw a harsh reality. Mandalay is filled with people who still
07:20have trauma from the conflict and the disaster. Some shed tears during interviews to help heal people's
07:29emotional scars. It's essential to provide them with proper places to live and stable work.
07:37That's why Myanmar's ruling military must create an environment where people can get the support
07:45and aid they need. With the general election over, Myanmar is expected to launch a new administration next month.
07:54It will almost certainly be heavily influenced by the military. The country's civil war continues
08:03with no end in sight. Even so, the international community must strongly urge the administration to embrace reform.
08:15Before the coup, Japan had very deep ties to the country through economic aid and other assistance.
08:25As civil war and the earthquake caused the people of Myanmar to suffer,
08:30Japan needs to encourage the new administration to listen to their voices.
08:39The earthquake underscored the close links between Myanmar and Thailand. Of the 95 workers killed when the tower
08:47collapsed, 25 were migrants from Myanmar. A ceremony to honor them will be held here on Saturday.
08:53Today, thank you very much for the updates.
08:59We turn next to the situation in the Middle East, where there's more contradictory information about the
09:06conflict in Iran. For the second time, US President Trump says he's suspending attacks on Iran's energy
09:14facilities for 10 days. He says Tehran requested it and he approved it because several oil tankers have been
09:22allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. But Iranian officials reportedly say they did not ask for it.
09:30They are begging to make a deal, not me. They're begging to make a deal. And anybody that saw what
09:37was
09:37happening over there would understand why they want to make a deal.
09:41Trump held a cabinet meeting Thursday. He says negotiators on the US side include his son-in-law,
09:49Jared Kushner, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Vice President J.D. Vance. CNN reports that Tehran told
09:58Washington through informal channels that it wants Vance to lead the talks.
10:04Witkoff confirms that the US presented a 15-point action list that would form the framework of a peace deal.
10:13I can say this. We will see where things lead and if we can convince Iran that this is the
10:20inflection
10:21point with no good alternatives for them other than more death and destruction. We have strong signs
10:29that this is a possibility. A Wall Street Journal report says Iranian officials have told mediators
10:37that they are interested in negotiations but the country's leadership has yet to deliver a final
10:43decision. Iran's Tasneem news agency reports that Tehran sent a formal response through mediators.
10:51It reportedly demands an end to attacks, compensation for losses and a reaffirmation of Iranian sovereignty
11:00over the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the pause, the Trump administration appears to be considering
11:07what could come next. It's reportedly preparing additional military options for a so-called
11:14final blow against Iran. US news website Axios reports that the Pentagon is discussing scenarios
11:23including invading or blocking Iran's main oil export hub on Karg Island. But Axios says White House
11:33officials describe any potential ground operations as only hypothetical.
11:48Japan's public transportation system is starting to feel the squeeze of soaring oil prices.
11:55Yuko Fukushima from our business team is here to tell us more.
11:59Thanks, Rina. Well, one of the things that comes from oil is diesel and costs are skyrocketing.
12:04As a result, public bus operators are having trouble reaching agreements with suppliers on prices.
12:10As many as 10 municipalities say they failed to conclude contracts this month for April and beyond.
12:17Tokyo alone operates around 1,400 buses. It says fuel suppliers all offered prices higher than it was
12:25prepared to pay. And Kagoshima City in southwestern Japan held a second auction on Thursday but failed
12:32to find a supplier. The city of Kyoto has switched to no bid contracts. It's buying fuel for next month
12:40at a price that's double what it paid for this month. And there's no sign the situation is likely to
12:45improve anytime soon. To try and ease the supply problem, NHK has learned that Japan's energy giant
12:52Impax is planning to impose crude oil from import crude oil from Central Asia. Impax is the nation's top
13:00oil and gas developer and is backed by the government. It says it's going to source fuel from Kashagon field
13:07in Kazakhstan and the ACG field in Azerbaijan. Impax already has stakes in both operations,
13:15which currently sell their output to Europe. Redirecting some of that to Japan raises particular
13:21challenges. Tankers may need to go all the way around the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa,
13:27which can be more than twice as long as from the Strait of Hormuz. That drives up costs. Even
13:34so, Impax is said to be in talks with potential customers and supply and pricing agreements.
13:40The bullet train line connecting Japan's main island of Honshu and the northern prefecture of
13:46Hokkaido marked its 10th anniversary on Thursday. The Hokkaido Shinkansen began operating between
13:52Shin-Hakodate Hokuto Station and Shin-Aomori Station on March 26th, 2016. The line was expected to boost
14:01travel by business and leisure passengers, but usage at Shin-Hakodate Hokuto Station has dropped by
14:07around two-thirds over the decade. Riding the train from the end of the line to Tokyo takes about four
14:14hours, so many travelers choose to fly instead. The line has fallen into an annual deficit of more than
14:2160 million dollars. Another major issue is a substantial delay in construction work to extend
14:28service to the Hokkaido capital Sapporo. Around 80 percent of the extension consists of tunnels where
14:34construction has run into serious difficulties. The completion date has been pushed back to the end of
14:41fiscal 2038, eight years later than originally planned. Project costs are also likely to keep rising.
14:48The total is now expected to increase by up to seven and a half billion dollars, on top of the
14:55original
14:55estimate of around 14 billion dollars. Construction delays and soaring material prices are the main reasons.
15:06We take the delay of the opening of the entire route very seriously and we deeply regret the situation.
15:12We are working on the project with the belief that the Hokkaido Shinkansen will deliver its full benefits
15:17only once it reaches Sapporo. Fujita said the agency will fully explain the costs and seek the understanding of
15:25everyone involved. And now to the markets. Well, in currencies, the yen weakened to near the 160
15:32level to the dollar, a level not seen since July 2024. Investors bought the dollar and sold the yen as
15:39the WTI global oil price index rose. Some traders don't see an end to the conflict in the Middle East
15:45anytime
15:45soon. And here's how the pair is trading now. Now, staying in Japan, the yield on the benchmark long-term
15:51government bond rose to the highest in about 27 years. Money managers are worried the country's
15:57finances will worsen as oil prices hover at painfully high levels. And to stocks, oil indexes in the region
16:04were mixed as oil prices were relatively calm in the morning before climbing steadily. The Nikkei in Tokyo
16:10ended down 0.43 percent. And that's the buzz for this week. Japan and the European Union have agreed
16:19to further strengthen cooperation and dialogue in a wide range of areas related to security and defense.
16:26Japan's foreign minister, Motegi Toshimitsu, and EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kalas talked for over an
16:32hour in France on Thursday on the sidelines of a G7 foreign ministerial meeting.
16:39In this very difficult geopolitical environment, our cooperation is increasingly more important.
16:50In addition to economic and trade, I hope to take the relationship to new highs in the fields of politics
16:56and security. Motegi conveyed Japan's intention to deepen strategic coordination with the EU and its
17:05member countries. Areas include the defense industry and strengthening supply chains, particularly those
17:12for critical minerals. Motegi and Kalas also discussed the situation in the Indo-Pacific region.
17:18They focused on how to respond to North Korea, as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
17:24They also exchanged views on the conditions in the Middle East and agreed to continue close cooperation.
17:32A ceremony has been held to mark the completion of modifications to a Japan maritime self-defense
17:39force destroyer. The work enables the ship to launch U.S.-made tomahawk missiles.
17:47Chokai is the first Japanese destroyer to undergo upgrades to launch tomahawks.
17:53Its home base is at Sasebo in southern Japan and will add to Japan's counter-strike capabilities.
18:00The American cruise missile has a range of about 1,600 kilometers.
18:07About 200 people and crew members took part in the completion ceremony on Thursday
18:13on the ship's deck at a naval base in San Diego, California, where the modification work was done.
18:23The acquisition is critically important to strengthen the overall deterrence and response
18:28capabilities of the Japan and U.S. alliance under the increasingly severe security environment.
18:34officials say that by August this year, Chokai will conduct firing tests using tomahawks.
18:42It will return to Japan in mid-September.
18:46Staying in this country, Japan's government is making it harder to get citizenship.
18:51Starting next month, applicants will need to have lived in Japan for at least
18:5510 years in order to fulfill one of the requirements.
18:59The justice minister said on Friday that foreign nationals will also have to be well
19:04integrated into society to be granted Japanese citizenship.
19:09The current required residency period is five years.
19:12The government and ruling parties have been discussing extending that to match the requirement
19:18for receiving permanent residency.
19:23There have been criticisms that acquiring Japanese nationality is easier than obtaining permanent residency.
19:30The government will continue to conduct strict screenings on a case-by-case basis
19:35under the new operational rules.
19:42The government will also extend the period for checking the applicants have
19:46paid taxes in order to confirm their good conduct and ability to earn a living.
19:59Cherry blossom season is now underway in Tokyo.
20:03Across Japan, people can enjoy the fleeting flowers throughout March and April
20:07as the sakura bloom at different times depending on the region.
20:11Our reporter Maria Sato is at the famous park where the sakura are illuminated in the evenings.
20:18Maria?
20:21Hi, I'm at a popular cherry blossom spot in Tokyo's Ueno Park.
20:26Here, people can enjoy the flowers day and night.
20:30And as the weekend kicked off, people came streaming in to walk this pathway called Sakura Avenue.
20:39Food vendors are also set up for visitors to eat and drink as they go.
20:43This year's bloom came earlier than last year and five days ahead of the seasonal average.
20:49About 800 cherry blossom trees of more than 50 varieties are planted in this park.
20:56Every spring, it's tradition to gather and view the cherry blossoms together.
21:01We call it hanami and people picnic, eat and drink under the blooming trees.
21:15It's really crowded, but then everything's so nice.
21:22We love seeing so many people out.
21:23I think just enjoying the flowers together and like doing it as a big group.
21:27But the rise in oil prices due to the ongoing Iran conflict is also affecting local businesses.
21:34Vendors stationed around the park specifically for the cherry blossom crowd say they're feeling the pinch.
21:41Today, we have 800 yen, but we can't do it.
21:51We can't do it.
21:54We can't do it.
21:56We can't do it.
21:57We can't do it.
21:57We want to do it.
21:59We don't have to worry about the customers.
22:02We can't do it.
22:06Locals are also concerned about the rising cost of food and overall price hikes.
22:11I asked people who were visiting the park what changes they had to make this spring.
22:33A private research firm says that on average, people are budgeting to spend just over 6,000
22:40yen, or around $40 during the viewings.
22:43That's down more than 13 percent from last year.
22:47But it seems like the rising prices are not stopping everyone from going all out during
22:53cherry blossom season.
22:55We don't have an event for a year.
22:59It's one of the regular events.
23:01We can enjoy it.
23:05It's delicious.
23:07Others are keeping it simple by choosing not to sit down and party as a group, but enjoying
23:13the atmosphere on their own.
23:16I want to be able to do it.
23:16I want to see people on Instagram on Instagram, everyone, and they can be able to make it
23:19with me.
23:20I feel like I'm not even sad at that one.
23:23I feel like I can see it at my pace at my pace and see flowers slowly.
23:31The Sakura Festival is on until early April, and it's just one of the many places keeping
23:38hanami alive, a tradition that's over a century old.
23:42Back to you.
23:44Thank you very much for that lovely live, Maria.
23:49And now Japan isn't the only place where it's cherry blossom season.
23:53In the U.S., people are flocking to the capital, Washington, to enjoy flowers that are at
23:59their peak.
24:01About 3,000 cherry trees, including a popular variety called Somei Yoshino, were donated
24:08in 1912 by the mayor of Tokyo.
24:12They were given as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.
24:16Washington has since become a famous cherry blossom viewing spot in the U.S.
24:21The National Park Service said on Thursday that the cherry trees have reached peak bloom
24:28with 70 percent of the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms open.
24:33Warm weather and blue skies brought out crowds of people to stroll through a park along the
24:39Potomac River.
24:41The blooming trees and boats on the water made for a photographer's dream.
24:47What I believe knows, these are a beautiful gift from Japan, they're one of the greatest
24:53gifts in the city, and I always take an opportunity to come down here when I can.
24:58I think it's a symbol of something positive right now that people can enjoy, so I'm glad
25:05that it's this crowded.
25:07Some of the trees have been showing signs of aging.
25:10The Japanese government donated 250 new ones this year to mark the 250th anniversary of
25:18the founding of the United States.
25:20Ten-keits.
25:24Want to grab those in aть.
25:54Let's take a look at
25:55weather forecasts for cities around the world.
26:55Let's take a look at weather forecasts for cities around the world.
27:22Let's take a look at weather forecasts for cities around the world.
27:29Let's take a look at weather forecasts for cities around the world.
27:46We'll see you next year at our local weekend.
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