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00:10Hello, and thank you for joining us on Newsroom Tokyo.
00:13I'm Raja Prada.
00:14Here are the headlines.
00:16U.S. President Donald Trump repeats threats to destroy Iranian infrastructure if the Strait
00:21of Hormuz is not open.
00:23The Artemis II crew ventures farther into space than any humans have done before.
00:29And five Japanese have been detained in Cambodia over scams.
00:34We begin with the situation in Iran.
00:37U.S. President Donald Trump has repeated his threat to destroy Iran's energy facilities
00:42if it fails to meet his deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz.
00:45But Tehran is showing no sign of backing down.
00:49Trump spoke at a news conference at the White House on Monday.
00:52He suggested U.S. forces will implement the attacks immediately after the deadline of
00:578 p.m. Eastern U.S. time if it's missed.
01:02We have a plan because of the power of our military where every bridge in Iran will be decimated
01:11by 12 o'clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business.
01:20The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed for weeks since the conflict began at the end
01:25of February.
01:26During that time, Trump has constantly criticized other countries for their lack of support to
01:31reopen the Strait, a point he made once again at the latest news conference.
01:48Iran's spokesperson for the military's Central Command called Trump delusional in a statement.
01:54He said Trump's rude rhetoric, arrogance, and baseless threats will in no way affect Iran's
01:59continued military operation against the U.S. and Israel.
02:04Earlier, Iran's state-run media agency reported Tehran had rejected a U.S. ceasefire proposal.
02:10The response was delivered through its intermediary, Pakistan, and emphasized the need to find a
02:15permanent end to the war.
02:18Meanwhile, military strikes continue to rock the Middle East.
02:21The Israeli defense minister said in a video statement on Monday, the country's forces have
02:26struck Iran's largest petrochemical facility in Asaluyeh in the south.
02:32Israel Katz said the facility and another conflicts attacked last week account for 85 percent of
02:38Iran's petrochemical exports.
02:40He said the airstrikes have dealt a heavy blow to the key funding sources of Iran's regime.
02:45The Japanese government says it's arranging telephone talks between Prime Minister
02:50Takaichi Sanae and Iranian President Masoud Pejishki on.
02:55Takaichi told lawmakers Monday, efforts are underway towards top-level dialogue and other diplomatic
03:02efforts are also being explored.
03:04She wants to directly urge Tehran to de-escalate the situation and ensure safe navigation through
03:10the Strait of Hormuz.
03:11Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu spoke Monday night with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Arochi.
03:18He expressed grave concern over prolonged retaliatory attacks and urged Iran to engage
03:23sincerely with the diplomatic efforts currently underway.
03:27Motegi also held a separate phone call with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
03:33He expressed thanks for Islamabad's efforts to mediate between the United States and Iran,
03:38adding Japan hopes to work closely with Pakistan.
03:43Humanity has ventured farther from home than ever before.
03:48Astronauts on NASA's Artemis 2 mission set the distance record as they looped around the far
03:53side of the moon.
03:55That's where the Orion space capsule went dark as the moon blocked signals from reaching Earth.
04:01We are getting our first views from Orion after the loss of signal.
04:07Orion has come back around the other side of the moon, and that little crescent that you see is Earth.
04:14Orion entered the moon's gravitational sphere of influence on the fifth day of the 10-day mission.
04:20It then made a swing around the far side.
04:22The U.S. Space Agency says the spacecraft was more than 406,700 kilometers from Earth at its farthest point.
04:31This surpassed the record set by Apollo 13 in 1970 by about 6,600 kilometers.
04:38The latest mission is the first crewed test flight under the U.S.-led Artemis program,
04:43aimed at landing astronauts on the moon in the year 2028.
04:48The crew is due to return to Earth on Friday with a splashdown off the U.S. coast.
04:54So, a milestone for humanity.
04:56Earlier, I spoke with my co-anchor, Kume Ayako, for more.
05:00So, Ayako, you've been covering NASA and U.S. space policy for several years, right, over here.
05:05So, the U.S. has already been to the moon.
05:08Tell us, why is it going back now?
05:11One big reason is resources.
05:13Data shows that craters near the moon's south pole are permanently shadowed and may contain water ice.
05:20Water can be used for drinking, breathable oxygen, and rocket fuel.
05:25Another focus is helium-3, which is seen as a potential source of energy.
05:30The U.S. plans to have human presence on the moon after constructing a base on the lunar surface.
05:37These resources are essential for a continuous presence.
05:40During President Trump's first term, the U.S. was set to land on the moon in 2024.
05:48However, space exploration requires enormous costs and advanced technology, and things were lagging.
05:55But Trump signed an executive order to return humans to the moon by 2028, last December.
06:02NASA is facing budget cuts, though.
06:04This might make it tough to meet the schedule.
06:07Right. So, tell us, why is a crewed mission to the moon's far side so significant?
06:13One reason is competition with other countries, such as China, over lunar resources.
06:18The U.S. wants to be there before China.
06:22Space development has long been a symbol of scientific and technological strength.
06:27During the Apollo program, the U.S. was looking to win the space race with the former Soviet Union.
06:33After that, the U.S. sent crews to the International Space Station on space shuttles.
06:39But the shuttles retired, and the ISS will be ending its mission in 2030.
06:45The U.S. set moon exploration as its next goal.
06:50NASA is planning a launch next year with the moon landing set for the year after.
06:55Then they will build a foundation for exploration to Mars.
07:00So, you mentioned China, and that country, as well as India, they're also progressing with lunar programs, right?
07:06So, tell us, how do they fit in?
07:07Yes. The race to the moon has been intensifying in recent years.
07:12As I said earlier, the U.S. is planning to land humans there in two years, but China is steadily
07:18advancing.
07:19It was the first country to return to Earth with samples from moon's far side and aims to land humans
07:26in 2030.
07:28Back in 1957, the former Soviet Union successfully launched the first artificial satellite.
07:35This sent shockwaves around the world, including the U.S.
07:39The rapid advances by China are raising concerns in the U.S. about falling behind and repeating history.
07:46As for India, it's Chandrayaan-3 landed near the south pole of the moon in 2023.
07:55Even Japan is getting involved in 2024.
07:58The smart lander for investigating moon, or SLIM, landed on the lunar surface.
08:04Ayako, does this intensifying race raise new geopolitical risks?
08:08Right. The Outer Space Treaty says no country can claim sovereignty of the moon, but the vagueness of the treaty
08:16intensifies the race to get there and set the rules.
08:20Washington has expressed concerns that China and Russia are pursuing the military use of space and developing weapons.
08:29As space exploration becomes increasingly important from a security perspective, the need for deepening international cooperation is even more vital.
08:39Ayako, thank you very much for all your input.
08:40Thank you very much.
09:25Thank you very much.
09:44Thank you very much.
10:00Thank you very much.
10:22Thank you very much.
10:29Thank you very much.
11:18Thank you very much.
15:51For a Bulletin.
15:52I'm Cholopan Sanarula in Bangkok.
16:05The head of Taiwan's largest opposition party is visiting China.
16:10Cheng Li Wen is expected to meet with President Xi Jinping during her six-day trip.
16:16Cheng is the chairperson of the Kuomintang or KMT.
16:19She said before her departure, she hopes to realize peace across the Taiwan Strait through dialogue with China.
16:29In Taiwan, we must seize the slightest chance, every possible opportunity, to keep us from being embroiled in war.
16:42Cheng is scheduled to visit the mausoleum of KMT founder Sung Yishun in Nanjing on Wednesday.
16:49The last time a KMT head visited China was 2016.
16:54Experts say Cheng is trying to unsettle the administration of Taiwan's president, Lai Chengde, by showing a willingness to promote
17:01dialogue with Beijing.
17:03Lai's Democratic Progressive Party has distanced itself from China.
17:07Taiwan will hold local elections in November and its next presidential election in 2028.
17:15Next, Japan's imperial family has visited a display in Fukushima Prefecture on damage done by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and
17:24nuclear disaster.
17:27Emperor Narushito, Emperor Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko visited the prefecture for two days starting Monday.
17:36They arrived at the historical archive museum in the town of Tomioka on Tuesday and were welcomed by the mayor
17:43and other officials.
17:45The family saw an exhibit of a police car that was swept away by the tsunami while helping to evacuate
17:51residents.
17:51They listened closely as museum staff explained one of the two officers in the vehicle died and the other is
17:59still missing.
18:00Officials said the emperor asked how the vehicle had been preserved.
18:04The empress commented the incident was tragic.
18:08The family visited an education facility in the town of Okuma in the afternoon and is set to return to
18:15Tokyo on Tuesday evening.
18:19A small Japanese town with an aging population is betting on cosplay and cherry blossoms to revive its fortunes.
18:27It's hoping a new social media drive will draw a younger crowd and a global audience.
18:38Cosplayers and photographers gathered at a shrine in Wakee town of Okuma Prefecture for an event timed to the cherry
18:45blossom season.
18:46They posed as their favorite characters from anime and video games as the cameras clicked away.
18:52Organizers say the goal is simple.
18:54Get more young people talking about the town online and build new buzz for a town where over 40%
19:00of the residents are elderly.
19:04I have quite a few followers from overseas on social media.
19:09I want to share scenery like this with them.
19:15Local leaders are hoping if images like these can spread, then the visitors will follow.
19:23The lion dance is traditionally performed to celebrate the Lunar New Year in China.
19:28It features colorful costumes, lively music, and symbolic movements.
19:33Every year, students at an elementary school in western Japan perform the lion dance.
19:38Our next report explores why the school honors this Chinese tradition.
19:47At the end of January, children at the Ushioe Minami Elementary School in Kochi Prefecture perform the Chinese lion dance
19:57for local residents.
20:00The event has been a tradition at the school for about 20 years.
20:05Traces of Chinese language education can also be seen around the school.
20:12On this side, the signs are written in Japanese. On the other side, they are written in Chinese.
20:18Not only the principal's office, but many classrooms have signs like this.
20:23The area where the school is located was home to many Japanese who were left behind in China in the
20:30chaos after World War II and later returned to Japan.
20:35Because some students were born in China, the school introduced language and cultural programs to help others learn Chinese customs
20:44and respect different cultures.
20:50The lion dance continues as a tradition to preserve this history.
21:01We want to keep this tradition alive. The children look forward to the dance and we want them to know
21:08the history of our community.
21:12Students spent a month practicing the dance, carefully matching the lion's mouth movements to the rhythm.
21:24I want to share this lion dance with people who have never seen it.
21:33On the day of the performance, the well-coordinated lion dance thrills the audience.
21:55I was nervous, but it was fun.
22:01The children's dance particularly impressed one man in the audience.
22:06Asada Isamu, 84, was left behind in China after the war and returned to Japan at age 48.
22:16Watching the children reminds me of my childhood in China. It brings tears to my eyes.
22:28Continuing this event helps keep the community connected from children to the elderly.
22:34We hope to carry it on.
22:41The lion dance connects the community with history. Students play a critical role in continuing the tradition.
23:03Some residents of southern Japan dealt with April showers on Tuesday.
23:07Our meteorologist Jonathan Noh has the forecast for there and elsewhere in our World Weather Report.
23:13Hello. We had a front that was pushing through Japan.
23:16In the process, it brought some rainfall, plenty of it, down toward even places like Okinawa.
23:22Take a look at this video.
23:30Heavy rain and strong winds hit Okinawa on Tuesday as a cold front passed through.
23:35The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that 20 millimeters of rain fell in just one hour
23:39and wind gusts hit over 75 kilometers per hour in Nago City.
23:42Now that same system is making its way toward the Izu Island in south of Tokyo.
23:46The weather agency is urging caution against landslides through Tuesday night.
23:51And so the front is passing through.
23:53We'll go into Wednesday.
23:55High pressure will be coming in behind it.
23:57And that means we're going to be dealing with drier weather as we go through the day on Wednesday.
24:02The morning hours, especially for the eastern side of Japan, may be dealing with some showers,
24:08but then we'll see brighter skies.
24:09Temperatures moving their way back up to 20s, 26 in Tokyo, possibly by Saturday, 28 in Naha.
24:17And so we're looking at the temperatures climbing their way back up as we head toward the end of the
24:23week.
24:23Meanwhile, we're looking at relatively calm weather across the United States.
24:28But with the stationary front down to the south, we have some wet weather across Florida.
24:33Behind that, a cold front is pushing on through, driving temperatures down.
24:39Highs at around 2 from Toronto into Chicago with some snow in the forecast as we go through the day
24:45on Tuesday.
24:46Plenty warmth though south there.
24:48Highs in the low to mid 20s from Atlanta to Houston as we go through Tuesday.
24:53Wrapping things up with a look at Euro.
24:55High pressures, the big story across the central portions of the continent.
24:59But low pressures pushing toward the east, bringing the chance for some wet weather in places like Moscow, Warsaw,
25:05to keep Istanbul looking at some wet weather as well.
25:08But highs into the 20s from Paris into Rome as we go through Tuesday.
25:11Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
26:16Now, we have a revision for an earlier story on the imperial family.
26:19I repeated the word emperor twice instead of saying empress.
26:24We apologize for that, and here's that story once again.
26:27Japan's imperial family has visited a display in Fukushima Prefecture
26:31on damage done by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster.
26:38Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and their daughter, Princess Aiko,
26:44visited the prefecture for two days starting Monday.
26:46They arrived at the Historical Archive Museum in the town of Tomioka on Tuesday
26:51and were welcomed by the mayor and other officials.
26:54The family saw an exhibit of a police car that was swept away by a tsunami
26:59while helping to evacuate residents.
27:01They listened closely as museum staff explained one of the two officers in the vehicle died
27:07and the other is still missing.
27:09Officials said the emperor asked how the vehicle had been preserved.
27:13The empress commented the incident was tragic.
27:17The family visited an education facility in the town of Okuma in the afternoon
27:22and is set to return to Tokyo on Tuesday evening.
27:28And that's all for this edition of Newsroom Tokyo.
27:32Don't forget, you can always catch our program on our website as well.
27:36I'm Roger Prada, and from all of us at NHK World Japan,
27:39thanks for watching.
27:59I'm Roger Prada, and from all of us at NHK World Japan,
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