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Newsroom Tokyo 2026 04 03
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00:12Welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Kume Ayako.
00:15And I'm Raja Prada.
00:16Here are the headlines.
00:18Tit-for-tat attacks continue between the U.S.-Israeli side and Iran.
00:22Iran's biggest bridge is hit and collapses, killing eight and wounding many.
00:28Microsoft plans to spend $10 billion to bolster artificial intelligence in Japan
00:34by improving data centers and fostering local talent.
00:38And as tourists flock to Tokyo, the city is grappling with a litter problem.
00:43Metropolitan authorities are revamping the hotel tax to pay for a cleanup.
00:49U.S. President Donald Trump says American forces are nearing completion of their objectives in Iran.
00:56But Tehran is warning the U.S. to prepare for broader and more destructive attacks.
01:04Trump posted this footage on social media on Thursday.
01:08He claimed it was Iran's biggest bridge, saying it can never be used again.
01:13He told Tehran to make a deal before there is nothing left.
01:18The post didn't say where or when the bridge collapsed.
01:22But Iranian media said an attack on a bridge in Karaj near Tehran killed eight and wounded 95 others.
01:30We're going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong.
01:36That speech triggered sharp words from the commander-in-chief of the Iranian army.
01:41According to state-run media, he warned the U.S. against any ground operations.
01:47He said if the enemy attempts one, there will be no survivors.
01:52Turning to Israel, the military there says it's intercepted four waves of Iranian missiles.
01:59It said the attack took place around the time of Trump's speech to the nation on the Iran conflict.
02:06Israeli media said four people near Tel Aviv were injured and cluster munitions may have been used.
02:13The Israeli military said it's conducted large-scale strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps bases
02:20and ballistic missile storage sites in Tehran.
02:24Now, as for Iran's missile launchers, CNN says roughly half of them are still intact.
02:30And it says thousands of one-way attack drones are still in Tehran's arsenal.
02:35CNN reported on the numbers Thursday.
02:37Its sources say they're from recent U.S. intelligence assessments.
02:41The documents allegedly suggest many of Iran's coastal defense cruise missiles are also intact.
02:47It's a stark contrast to President Trump's recent claims.
02:50In his address Wednesday, he said the Iranian Navy and Air Force had suffered significant losses.
02:56In the past, he's even claimed U.S. forces knocked out about 90 percent of Iran's missiles and launchers.
03:03NHK reached out to U.S. defense officials for comment.
03:06Spokesperson Sean Parnell claims CNN's sources are completely wrong.
03:12He went on to describe the operation as a resounding success and called the report shameful.
03:19Britain has hosted a meeting to discuss how to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
03:27Representatives from more than 40 countries, including Japan, attended the virtual event.
03:36British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper hosted the gathering.
03:40She said, she says, Iran is trying to hold the global economy hostage by blocking the waterway.
03:47We've come together as foreign ministers and officials from across the world today.
03:52So those who joined in the leader's statement on restoring safe passage through the Strait and more and many more
03:58coming together in our collective determination to secure freedom of navigation and to reopen the Strait.
04:06A Japanese foreign ministry official says the participants condemned Iran's effective closure of the Strait.
04:14Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu called on the countries to make efforts to ensure a stable global energy supply.
04:22The British government released a statement after the meeting.
04:25It says, the delegates discussed boosting diplomatic pressure on Iran and rejected the imposition of tolls.
04:33They also addressed possible sanctions.
04:37They agreed to work with the International Maritime Organization to secure the release of thousands of ships and sailors trapped
04:45in the Strait.
04:47The meeting came after Trump lashed out at other countries on Wednesday for not doing enough to open the Strait.
04:54He said, European and Asian nations get a lot of oil from the Strait.
05:00He named France, Japan, South Korea and China and he said, let them do it.
05:07Next, a spacecraft carrying four astronauts has successfully left Earth's orbit to begin its historic journey toward the moon.
05:14The rocket carrying the Ryan crew capsule for the Artemis 2 mission lifted off Wednesday evening.
05:22The capsule spent about a day orbiting Earth, testing docking and other operations.
05:28The view is a planet Earth. We've circled it completely and we forgot how beautiful it is to look down
05:35on Earth.
05:36On Thursday night, the spacecraft executed a thruster firing that placed it on a pathway to the moon.
05:42I am so, so excited to be able to tell you that for the first time since 1972 during Apollo
05:4917, human beings have left Earth orbit.
05:54The U.S.-led international mission will last for about 10 days.
05:58The capsule is scheduled to enter the moon's gravitational sphere in about three days and circle the moon before returning
06:04to Earth.
06:05The Artemis program under U.S. space agency NASA aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2028.
06:13NASA has called on companies and research institutes around the world to track radio waves from the Orion.
06:21A university in central Japan is taking part and says it has successfully received a batch of data from space.
06:30Fuku'i University of Technology is following the spacecraft with a 13.5-meter antenna from its Awara Space Center.
06:39The school was one of 34 parties from 14 countries selected by NASA to provide data on the Orion.
06:47Members of the tracking team confirmed they had received radio waves from the spacecraft early Friday morning.
06:56I believe this is the first step of Fuku'i University of Technology's involvement in a global movement.
07:05The university says it will attempt to receive radio waves several more times through April 11th.
07:22Now, let's take a look at the world business.
07:25Raja, what's the latest?
07:27Let's start with a major move by Microsoft to bolster artificial intelligence here in Japan.
07:32The company has unveiled a plan to invest $10 billion by the year 2029.
07:38Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith met with Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae in Tokyo on Friday to explain the
07:45objectives.
07:46Takaichi said she was very happy with the plan.
07:49She said it was in line with the government's aim to increase domestic investment.
07:53She added the plan will address concerns about data sovereignty.
08:01We welcome the plan because it will raise Japan's growth potential, deal with the issue of data sovereignty, and boost
08:10human resources.
08:18The $10 billion will go toward improving the data centers needed for AI development and to fostering local talent and
08:25expertise.
08:26Microsoft says it wants to establish an environment in which AI technology can be developed while keeping the data management
08:33within the country.
08:34The Japanese telecom giant SoftBank and data center operator Sakura Internet will also participate.
08:40Microsoft aims to produce one million engineers and other highly skilled workers in the country by 2030.
08:47It'll do this by working with NTT Data Japan and the electronics firm NEC.
08:53We also shared and discussed with the Prime Minister the work that we're doing to strengthen the cybersecurity protection of
09:00the nation
09:00and to provide skilling to enable more opportunities by people across Japan.
09:06Now, this comes as more and more businesses and municipalities are falling victim to cyber attacks.
09:11To bolster measures against such attacks, Microsoft will cooperate with Japan's National Cyber Security Office and the National Police Agency.
09:19All of this is taking place amid a heated global rivalry to make strides in AI.
09:26Now, the impact of the Middle East conflict is being felt far and wide, even in Japan's fishing industry.
09:32In Nemuro City, in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, the season's first catch of scallops has just been brought into
09:39port.
09:39But local fishing operations are having a hard time due to the higher prices of heavy oil needed for fuel.
09:45Some fishers say they've been cutting engine speeds to conserve fuel.
09:50Elsewhere, fish farmers say the fuel shortage is delaying shipments of imported juvenile grater amberjack,
09:57which is a fish often served grilled or in sashimi.
10:00On the southwestern island of Kyushu, fish farms in Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures
10:06normally import amberjacks from China from March through July.
10:10When shipments are delayed and the fish grow beyond 30 centimeters in length, a 10 percent tariff is imposed.
10:17Therefore, the government has decided to cut the tariff on amberjacks of up to 50 centimeters until the end of
10:23the year.
10:24The Middle East uncertainty is also casting a shadow on an annual spring tradition.
10:30Kagoshima's Tarunizu City usually holds an amberjack festival in early May.
10:35But the organizer has decided to postpone the event this year.
10:38It says it has to deal with the sharp rise in oil prices.
10:41It's also having trouble finding materials for fish cage floats and packaging for processing plants.
10:48The United States is drastically ramping up tariffs on imports of non-generic drugs.
10:54President Trump says the additional tariff will be 100 percent.
10:58He signed an executive order to this effect on Thursday.
11:01But Japan will be exempt as the U.S. will honor lower tariffs already agreed in deals with trade partners.
11:08That includes a 15 percent rate for Japan and the European Union.
11:12The new tariff will be applied to patented pharmaceuticals and associated ingredients.
11:17It will take effect in 120 days for large companies and 180 days for smaller ones.
11:24Firms that have plans to produce these items in the U.S. will get a reduced rate of 20 percent
11:29for four years.
11:31Companies that agree to lower prices for the U.S. market will be exempt until January 2029.
11:37Despite its exemption, Japan's pharmaceutical exports to the U.S. have already fallen off.
11:43The finance ministry says they plunged 58 percent in February from a year earlier to under $90 million.
11:50All right, now let's check how the Tokyo stock market finished the week.
11:55The benchmark Nikkei 225 rebounded on Friday as concerns over supplies of crude oil and oil products eased.
12:02The index ended the day nearly 1.3 percent higher at 53,123.
12:10Investors picked up chemical and machinery shares.
12:13Analysts say the news Iran and Oman are working on a joint statement to secure the safety of navigation in
12:19the Strait of Hormuz brought investors some relief.
12:22And that's all for business this week.
12:32All right, it's peak travel season here in Tokyo and the capital is teeming with tourists.
12:37And the city has approved a revised hotel tax to help cover the cost of the influx.
12:47Tokyo's Akihabara is packed with anime and manga shops and always crowded with visitors from around the world.
12:56Piles of garbage were left in the district over the New Year holidays as tourists flocked for countdown events,
13:02leaving ward officials to deal with the cleanup.
13:08Visitors often drop trash in the flowerbeds.
13:13In central Tokyo's Chiyoda ward, the streets are strewn with cigarette butts and plastic and paper waste.
13:22Garbage collectors clear the litter, but they can't keep up.
13:26Residents are complaining.
13:29The ward spent 40 million yen on new trash cans.
13:33Emptying them is projected to cost 30 million yen a year.
13:40Sanitation offices are basically set up to collect household waste,
13:44so picking up litter falls outside their normal duties and puts a heavy burden on them.
13:50Starting next fiscal year,
13:53Tokyo will move from a flat hotel tax of 100 or 200 yen
13:56to a fixed 3% of per-person room rates.
14:01Tourists visiting the capital had this to say about the review of the accommodation tax.
14:07Taxes that are gate collected from tourists or everything should be used for the citizens, yes.
14:15There are really a lot of people, so I think it's good if they raise it,
14:19because maybe we can stop this over-tourism,
14:23and so much people and everywhere is so crowded.
14:30Joining me now is NHK World's Kajiwara Akina,
14:34who's been following the story.
14:36So, Akina, what prompted the metropolitan government to rethink the hotel tax?
14:41More than 40 million foreign tourists visited Japan last year,
14:46and they spent around $59 billion.
14:49Both of those numbers are record high.
14:53On the one hand, that's good news for Japan's economy.
14:57On the other, the flat of visitors is putting a burden on city governments and local residents.
15:05In Tokyo, there's been a rising number of complaints about noise,
15:11improper garbage disposal,
15:13and other rude behavior by guests at short-term rentals such as Airbnb.
15:20Some districts are restricting their operation.
15:25Outside Tokyo, locals have been unable to use public transit,
15:30with buses brought to a halt by the huge number of tourists.
15:38Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko says the tourism boom is creating new challenges.
15:46We'd like to continue to take advantage of the accommodation tax
15:50and promote various measures to support sustainable tourism in Tokyo.
15:56So, Akina, the tax review is expected to bring the metropolitan government a lot of income, right?
16:00So, how much money are we talking about, and how will it be used?
16:04The changes are estimated to bring in $75 million extra dollars.
16:10It's expected to be used for things like cleaning up the city and making hotels buyer-free.
16:18One expert on local finance says
16:21Tokyo authorities need to think carefully about how to manage this extra money.
16:28It's important to make good use of the tax revenues,
16:31so I think Tokyo should establish a system
16:34to clarify how to use the funds effectively
16:36and monitor the results of major projects.
16:41The Internal Affairs Ministry says
16:43six prefectures and 33 municipalities
16:46currently collect lodging taxes.
16:51And 16 other local governments
16:53have plans to implement one,
16:56including Okinawa and Nagano,
16:58which are popular tourist destinations.
17:02Professor Kobayashi says
17:04the introduction of a fixed-rate system
17:07for the first time in a city
17:09the size of Tokyo
17:10is attracting a lot of attention
17:12from governments
17:13in other places in Japan.
17:15All right. Thank you for all your insight, Akina.
17:17NHK World's Kajiwara Akina.
17:31Now let's go to Tratira Kausal
17:33in our Bangkok studio
17:35for more stories making headlines
17:36across the Asia-Pacific.
17:41Myanmar's parliament has elected
17:43former junta chief
17:44Min Ong Hwain
17:45as the country's president.
17:46He is set to launch an administration
17:49that's expected to be heavily influenced
17:52by the military.
17:55Lawmakers of both houses
17:57voted on Friday
17:58to choose the president
17:59from among three candidates.
18:01Min Ong Hwain received
18:03429 out of 584 votes.
18:06He had headed the junta
18:08since leading the 2021 coup
18:10that ousted the elected government.
18:13Min Ong Hwain stepped down
18:15as commander-in-chief
18:16of the armed forces
18:17on Monday
18:18as he was nominated
18:20for the presidency.
18:22Pro-military camps
18:23hold more than 80%
18:25of Myanmar's parliamentary seats.
18:27That's after a recent
18:28controversial general election
18:30that excluded
18:32pro-democracy parties.
18:35The military has claimed
18:37the country is returning
18:38to civilian rule
18:39but it's expected
18:40to effectively maintain
18:41a grip on power.
18:43Fighting with pro-democracy forces
18:45and armed ethnic minorities
18:47continues with no end in sight.
18:52Officials from Pakistan
18:53and Afghanistan's
18:54interim Taliban government
18:56have opened talks in China
18:58after months of clashes.
19:00They're believed to be focused
19:02on a ceasefire
19:03but negotiations
19:04are expected to be challenging.
19:08Afghanistan's Taliban foreign ministry
19:10posted on social media
19:12on Friday
19:13that discussions
19:14with Pakistan
19:15had begun
19:15under mediation
19:17by Beijing.
19:18Previously,
19:19Pakistan's foreign ministry
19:21spokesperson said
19:22the country
19:23had sent a delegation
19:25to Urumuji,
19:26the capital
19:27of the Xinjiang
19:28Uyghur autonomous region,
19:29for talks.
19:30He urged the Taliban
19:32to curb cross-border terrorism.
19:34The burden of real process,
19:37however,
19:37lies with Afghanistan
19:38which must demonstrate
19:41visible
19:42and verifiable actions
19:44against terrorist groups
19:45using Afghan soil
19:47against Pakistan.
19:50Clashes between the two countries
19:52have been escalating
19:53since last October.
19:55Pakistan carried out
19:56airstrikes in Afghanistan
19:58to counter cross-border attacks
20:00by militant groups.
20:01The Taliban have responded
20:03with retaliatory attacks
20:05causing mass casualties
20:07including civilians.
20:10India says
20:11it is continuing
20:12to ship fuel
20:13to neighboring
20:13South Asian countries
20:15at their request.
20:16This comes
20:17as oil prices
20:18in the region
20:19soar
20:19amid the Iran conflict.
20:23The Indian foreign ministry
20:25said Thursday
20:26that it is supplying
20:27energy to Bangladesh,
20:29Nepal,
20:30Bhutan,
20:31and Sri Lanka
20:31through a commercial agreement.
20:33This includes
20:3438,000 metric tons
20:36of petroleum products
20:38for Sri Lanka.
20:39The Maldives
20:40has also put in
20:41a request.
20:43The Maldives request
20:44is being examined
20:45keeping in mind
20:46our own availability
20:49and our own needs.
20:52Countries such as Sri Lanka
20:53and the Maldives
20:54are grappling
20:55with soaring fuel prices
20:57as they rely heavily
20:58on energy imports.
21:00they are implementing
21:01four-day work
21:02and school weeks,
21:04fuel rationing
21:04and more
21:05to save energy.
21:07Concerns are growing
21:08that there may be
21:09a prolonged impact
21:10on people's lives.
21:12Meanwhile,
21:13India is worried
21:14about potential
21:15liquefied petroleum
21:16and gas shortage.
21:17It imports
21:18about 60%
21:20of its LPG
21:21with 90%
21:22of that passing
21:23through the
21:23Strait of Hormuz.
21:24But New Delhi
21:26says it is
21:26well-stocked
21:27with crude oil.
21:28It adds
21:29that it has
21:30ensured available
21:31and affordable
21:32energy for its people
21:33by diversifying sources.
21:36And that wraps up
21:37our bulletin.
21:38I'm Thra Thira Kaosan
21:39in Bangkok.
21:48U.S. President
21:50Donald Trump
21:50has announced
21:51that Attorney General
21:53Pam Bondi
21:54is leaving her post.
21:55The president
21:56is said to be frustrated
21:57over her job performance.
22:00Trump made the announcement
22:02on a social media post
22:03Thursday.
22:04He said
22:05Bondi will be transitioning
22:07to a much-needed
22:08and important new job
22:10in the private sector.
22:11He did not specify
22:13what her new role
22:14would be
22:14or why she's departing.
22:17Trump did note
22:18that Bondi
22:19had served faithfully.
22:21He named
22:22Deputy Attorney General
22:23Todd Blanche
22:24as Acting Attorney General.
22:26U.S. media say
22:28a major issue
22:29was her handling
22:30of the Jeffrey Epstein file.
22:32The financier died
22:33after being indicted
22:35on sex abuse charges.
22:37Trump was also
22:38allegedly discontent
22:39with how few successful cases
22:42were mounted
22:42against his political enemies.
22:45Bondi is the second
22:47federal department chief
22:48to be replaced
22:49under the current
22:50Trump administration.
22:52In March,
22:53Kristi Noem
22:53was removed
22:54as Secretary
22:55of Homeland Security.
22:57On the same day,
22:59U.S. Defense Department
23:00officials confirmed
23:01that Army Chief
23:02of Staff General
23:03Randy George
23:04will step down
23:05and retire.
23:07CBS News said
23:08this was at the request
23:10of Defense Secretary
23:11Pete Hegseth.
23:13U.S. media
23:14described it
23:14as an extraordinary step
23:16coming in the midst
23:17of the ongoing
23:18military campaign
23:19against Iran.
23:21The organization
23:22formed by Japan,
23:24Britain,
23:24and Italy
23:25to build
23:25a next-generation
23:26fighter aircraft
23:27has signed
23:28its first unified contract
23:29with an industrial
23:30joint venture.
23:32The trilateral
23:34Global Combat Air Program
23:36or GCAP
23:37was launched
23:38in 2022.
23:39Its executive body
23:40is known as
23:41the GCAP
23:42International Government
23:43Organization
23:44or JIGO.
23:46On Thursday,
23:47JIGO announced
23:47the deal worth
23:48£686 million
23:50around $907 million.
23:53It was awarded
23:54to Edgewing,
23:55a joint venture
23:56comprising companies
23:57from each of the
23:58three countries
23:58for key design
24:00and engineering activities.
24:01GCAP aims
24:02to develop fighters
24:03that can collaborate
24:04with drones
24:05and outperform
24:06current state-of-the-art models.
24:08It set the goal
24:09of 2035
24:10for delivering
24:11the aircraft.
24:13JIGO chief executive
24:14Okama Sami
24:15is a former
24:16Japanese vice minister
24:17of defense
24:18for international affairs.
24:19He called
24:20the New Deal
24:20an important moment
24:22for GCAP.
24:23He said activities
24:24previously conducted
24:25under contracts
24:26from each nation
24:27will now be carried out
24:28as part of a fully-fledged
24:29international program.
24:41A system lingering
24:42in the Mediterranean
24:43is causing havoc
24:45in the region.
24:46Our meteorologist
24:46Yumi Hirano
24:47explains the situation
24:48for there and elsewhere
24:49in our world weather report.
24:51A slow-moving storm
24:53has been bringing
24:54thundershowers to Italy
24:56and the Balkans
24:57this week.
24:57People in Athens
24:59saw over 130mm rainfall
25:01in just one day
25:03which is more than
25:04four times
25:05the monthly average.
25:07The downpours
25:08caused severe flooding
25:09in southern Greece.
25:12The storm hit Greece
25:14in the middle of the week.
25:16The Attica Legion
25:17was the hardest hit
25:18with firefighters there
25:20receiving over
25:21750 emergency calls.
25:24They pumped water
25:25out of homes,
25:27rescued people
25:28and cleared wards
25:29of fallen trees.
25:30According to Reuters,
25:32police say
25:33the one victim died
25:35after he was swept away
25:36and trapped
25:37under a car.
25:39The storm is expected
25:41to weaken gradually.
25:43However,
25:43more rain is still possible
25:45so people there
25:46should watch out
25:47for additional flooding.
25:49Another system
25:50is developing
25:51near the UK
25:52bringing stormy conditions
25:54gusts of up to
25:56145km per hour
25:57are possible
25:58potentially affecting
25:59traffic and transportation
26:01over the Easter
26:02holiday weekend.
26:03With weather
26:05will continue
26:06in Athens
26:07and Istanbul,
26:08the high in Berlin
26:09will be only 9
26:10but will jump
26:12to 15 on Saturday
26:13and almost 20
26:15on Sunday.
26:17Moving to Japan,
26:18a high-pressure system
26:19is bringing calm
26:21and dry conditions
26:22on Friday
26:22but the next storm
26:24is approaching.
26:26Intense rain
26:27is expected
26:27in western
26:28and eastern Japan
26:29on Saturday.
26:30In addition,
26:31Kyushu
26:32may see
26:32gusts of over
26:33120km per hour.
26:36With weather
26:37is likely
26:38in many cities
26:39on Saturday
26:39but sunny skies
26:41are expected
26:41to return
26:42on Sunday.
26:43After the rain,
26:45the high in Tokyo
26:46will jump to 24.
26:48That's it for now.
26:49Have a nice weekend.
27:06good to see you flu000
27:06on Saturday.
27:06a Jesuit
27:33water
27:33is a
27:35And that wraps up this edition of Newsroom Tokyo.
27:38Don't forget, you can always catch our program on our website as well.
27:41I'm Raja Prada.
27:41And I'm Kumei Ayako.
27:44Have a great weekend.
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