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00:12Welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Kumei Ayako and I'm Yoshikara Ryuiichi. Here are the headlines.
00:18A key conference on nuclear disarmament will begin shortly in New York.
00:23Japanese atomic bomb survivors marched calling for a world without nuclear weapons before the meeting.
00:30An advisory for a potential mega quake following the earthquake in the northeastern part of Japan last week has ended.
00:38And Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei stock index has claimed another milestone closing above the 60,000 mark for the first time.
00:50Japanese atomic bomb survivors or Hibakusha are hoping that a key conference on nuclear disarmament in New York will come
00:58up with effective measures for a nuclear weapon-free world.
01:02The conference starts on Monday.
01:10Members of Nihon Hidankyo, an atomic bomb survivors group, walked alongside U.S. peace groups ahead of the review conference
01:18of the parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT.
01:26Before leaving Japan, the group held a rally in Tokyo.
01:30They urged the Japanese government to work harder for their ultimate goal of nuclear weapon abolishment.
01:36They also say they are desperately calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons as the Hibakusha age.
01:46Nuclear arms are the devil's weapons, and they cannot coexist with humanity.
01:52We should not possess even a single weapon like this.
01:57For more, we spoke earlier with NHK World's Tomita Ryo, who's been covering the story for us.
02:06So, Ryo, what were the survivors calling for when they rallied outside of the Japanese legislature?
02:12They want Japan to do more to stop the threat from these weapons, and they say this review conference is
02:21an important place to do that.
02:24As you mentioned, the review is of an important document called the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
02:32It's an international agreement meant to step the atomic arms race.
02:40These review conferences happen every five years, but the last two meetings ended without a final document being approved.
02:51It raised the serious concerns about whether the treaty has any teeth.
02:58That's why these atomic bomb survivors are insisting the Japanese government step up its efforts at the next meeting.
03:08Japan, of course, is in a unique position to take a leadership role at this conference.
03:15The members of Nihon Hidankyo want Japanese officials to press nuclear powers to meet their disarmament obligations.
03:25The secretary general of the group had this say.
03:31Today, the world is facing a reality, which the United Nations Charter and international law are being completely disregarded.
03:39This is precisely why we must continue to call for a world governed by order and the rule of law.
03:45Above all, we hope that fighting will stop as soon as possible.
03:51So, Ryo, many of the survivors are elderly. Is there a sense of urgency growing as time goes by?
03:58Well, recent conflicts have made their work more necessary.
04:02Russia has even said it would not rule out the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
04:11At the same time, the last remaining nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia expired this year.
04:22And French President Emmanuel Macron stated his intention last month to increase France's number of nuclear warheads.
04:33Taken together, these developments have darkened the outlook for nuclear disarmament.
04:39Because of these developments, atomic bomb survivors say their fear has reached an unprecedented level.
04:50Their average age is about 86.
04:53Many of them have health concerns, but they still continue to speak out.
05:00They are determined to make sure that no one else goes through what they endured.
05:07Well, how has the international community responded to their work?
05:12These survivors are, unfortunately, the experts.
05:17They experienced a nuclear attack firsthand.
05:21And they've spent decades conveying how inhumane these weapons are.
05:26I think people recognize and respect that expertise.
05:33And winning the Nobel Peace Prize, which they did in 2024, helped amplify their message.
05:41They've had requests for testimonies from around the world, including from nuclear powers themselves.
05:49The survivors will be at the upcoming review conference to give speeches, and they will show people the realities of
05:59living through a nuclear attack.
06:02They are hoping people listen closely, especially in the current political climate.
06:09Thank you very much.
06:10Thank you very much, Ryo.
06:11That was NHK World's Tomita Ryo.
06:20Japan's meteorological agency has ended an advisory for a potential megaquake in the northeastern part of the country.
06:27As of 5 p.m. Japan time on Monday, the advisory was issued following the earthquake that struck the area
06:34on April 20th.
06:38The period to call for special caution has ended, but the possibility of a large-scale earthquake has not disappeared.
06:48Please continue to prepare for earthquakes on a daily basis.
06:55The JMA and the Cabinet Office held a news conference on Monday after the advisory ended.
07:01An official from the Cabinet Office said a large-scale earthquake could still occur suddenly without any preceding shaking, even
07:09though the advisory has ended.
07:12The magnitude 7.7 earthquake that prompted the advisory struck off the coast of Japan's Sanriku region on April 20th.
07:21The quake reached an intensity of upper 5 on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7 in Hashikami Town in
07:29Aomori Prefecture.
07:30An 80-centimeter tsunami was observed in Iwate Prefecture's Kujiport.
07:36Under the advisory, 182 municipalities in Hokkaido and the Tohoku and Kanto regions were required to take disaster preparedness measures.
07:49For more on that, my colleague Yamamoto Miki spoke with our NHK World correspondent Yakko Kento earlier about an advisory
07:57for a potential megaquake, which was issued one week ago.
08:03So Kento, tell us more about the advisory and its significance.
08:08The JMA first introduced the subsequent earthquake advisory in 2022. This is only the second time it has been issued.
08:17The last time was when a quake struck the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture in December of last year.
08:25The JMA says that based on past seismic activity in this area, people need to be aware of the increased
08:31possibility of a megaquake.
08:34According to recent data, an advisory like this could be issued about once every two years in the future.
08:41If another earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or more occurs, the agency will issue another week-long advisory.
08:50Magnitude 7 to 9 earthquakes have repeatedly occurred in the Chishima Trench and the Japan Trench in the past.
08:57An earthquake could occur at any time.
09:00Right. And we need to remember that even after the advisory period passes, a large-scale earthquake could still occur.
09:09Even after the week has passed, the possibility of a massive earthquake is still there.
09:16For example, in Russia, seismic activity ramped up near the Kamsaka Peninsula after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on
09:25July 20, 2025.
09:27Ten days later, a larger magnitude 8.8 earthquake hit the region, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific.
09:37The chance of a major earthquake occurring decreases gradually as time passes, but the risk will always be there.
09:45Another point to remember is that many major earthquakes of magnitude 8 or higher have occurred suddenly without a previous
09:52earthquake.
09:54So people really need to be on alert and prepared at any time.
09:58Right. So what should people in the advisory area do now?
10:02People in the area can continue social and economic activities as usual, but in order to evacuate immediately in the
10:10event of a tremor or tsunami, there is a checklist people should follow.
10:14They view evacuation routes and shelter locations, prepare emergency bags, secure furniture, and check stockpiled items such as food and
10:26water on a regular basis.
10:29Meanwhile, Japan's spring holiday season gets underway. The number of people going to their hometowns or on trips is expected
10:38to increase because it is unclear where and when an earthquake will occur.
10:44It is important to prepare in advance. That means running the disaster risk for the area you are staying in
10:53and identifying evacuation shelters so you know what to do in case of emergency.
11:00In the end, this advisory is a valuable exercise for people in the region to prepare for the worst, as
11:07well as a good reminder for the rest of the country.
11:13Moving on. Iran has reportedly given the United States a new proposal to end their current stalemate.
11:21U.S. news website Axios says the offer involves reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but does not resolve the nuclear
11:29issue.
11:31Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi met with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shabazz Sharif and other officials over the weekend.
11:39According to the proposal, negotiations on Iran's nuclear program would start only after the Strait reopens and the U.S.
11:47blockade of ships to and from Iranian ports ends.
11:52Arachi reportedly told mediators that the Iranian leadership has no consensus on U.S. demands for the long-term suspension
11:59of uranium enrichment.
12:01It also does not have internal agreement over the removal of enriched uranium.
12:07Axios says the proposal is meant to resolve the current stalemate and get-around disagreements over the nuclear program.
12:15Pakistan reportedly has given Iran's proposal to the White House.
12:20It is unclear whether the U.S. is willing to explore the offer.
12:25Russia's state-run media reported that Arachi is visiting the country on Monday to meet President Vladimir Putin.
12:33Axios says that U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet his top national security and foreign policy teams
12:40on Monday.
12:42They are expected to discuss the current stalemate and potential next steps.
12:57Tokyo stocks closed above a key threshold for the first time.
13:01Yanaka Marie from our biz team is here with the details.
13:04So, Marie, what is fueling the Boeing?
13:07Optimism about two things.
13:08The talks between Washington and Tehran and artificial intelligence.
13:13The Nikkei 225 has closed above the 60,000 mark for the first time ever.
13:20Reports that Iran offered a new proposal to the U.S. for ending the Middle East conflict prompted investors to
13:26place buy orders.
13:28The benchmark finished Monday's session up nearly 1.4 percent at 60,537.
13:36That was after it set an all-time intraday high above 60,900, led by gains in semiconductor-related shares.
13:44It's the second day in a row that the index has had a record close.
13:48It touched the 60,000 mark for the first time last Thursday.
13:53The Nikkei has risen 100 percent in less than three years.
13:58It hit 30,000 in May 2023 on expectations Japan would make a full-fledged economic recovery from the coronavirus
14:07pandemic.
14:08The benchmark breached the 40,000 milestone for the first time in March 2024 and topped 50,000 last October.
14:16It's only taken another six months to break through 60,000 amid the AI boom.
14:23Now, it seems central bankers may be a bit more cautious when it comes to assessing the Iran conflict, especially
14:31the impact of higher energy costs.
14:33The Bank of Japan is expected to keep the benchmark rate steady.
14:38Policymakers headed into a two-day meeting on Monday.
14:42Government data shows that in March, consumer inflation accelerated for the first time in five months.
14:49The shift was attributed to the Iran conflict, which has driven up prices of crude oil and petroleum products like
14:56nafta and gasoline.
14:58Some policymakers have argued for higher interest rates to inflationary pressure.
15:04Others worry that supply chain disruptions could drag on the economy.
15:08The BOJ has indicated it's aiming to gradually raise rates because companies are increasing pay for their workers this year.
15:16The goal is to achieve a sustainable inflation cycle.
15:21Markets will be looking for hints on the timing of any hikes when BOJ Governor Ueda Kazuo gives his news
15:28conference after the meeting.
15:31Next, Japan's department stores enjoyed stronger sales in March.
15:35They credit demand for watches, jewelry, and other luxury items.
15:40Outlets saw a rebound in tax-free purchases by foreign visitors.
15:45The Japan Department Stores Association says sales for the month topped 507 billion yen, or about $3.2 billion.
15:55On a same-store basis, that's an increase of 3.2% year-on-year.
16:00This marks the third consecutive month of annualized growth.
16:04Tax-free sales to foreign visitors were up 5.2% to about $300 million.
16:10The jump reverses four straight months of decline.
16:14A drop in the number of visitors from China was offset by increases from Taiwan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.
16:22The weaker yen also helped bolster per-person spending by about 20% year-on-year.
16:29Still, the Middle East conflict and the resulting disruptions to energy and petrochemical supplies are fueling uncertainty for businesses.
16:38The association says supplies to department stores could be hid further down the road.
16:43It notes that some clothes, food trays, and other items are made from petrochemical-derived materials.
16:50Last, a check on stock markets across the Asia-Pacific.
16:54Like Tokyo's Nikkei Average, other benchmarks in the region rode the AI optimism.
16:59South Korea's KOSPI jumped over 2%, and Taiwan's Tyaxe 1.75%.
17:06Media outlets say both indexes closed at record highs, pushed up by heavyweight chipmakers.
17:13And that's the viz for this Monday.
17:17For a look at what's making headlines elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific, let's go to Rosalyn DeBavalia in our Bangkok
17:23bureau.
17:25A team of experts from Japan is helping Philippine authorities tackle a fire that broke out at a waste disposal
17:33site in Manila Bay.
17:35Toxic smoke is endangering nearby residents.
17:38The group includes specialists from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
17:46They were dispatched at the request of the Philippine government.
17:52We'd like to contribute to the early resolution of the problem by advising on measures that utilize Japan's expertise.
18:01On Friday, they met local officials and were briefed on firefighting efforts.
18:06They also checked levels of hazardous substances in the air near the smoldering blaze.
18:11About 460 people have had to evacuate.
18:17My daughter has been coughing for the past five days because of the smog.
18:21She also coughs during the night and can hardly sleep.
18:26The fire broke out late last month.
18:28It was brought under control but flared up again about two weeks ago.
18:33Next, a new development in Malaysia's multi-billion dollar state fund corruption scandal.
18:39In prison, former Prime Minister Najib Razak has withdrawn his court attempt to serve the rest of his term under
18:45house arrest.
18:47Najib has been serving a six-year sentence since 2022 for crimes including graft and money laundering linked to a
18:55subsidiary of the state fund 1MDB.
18:58He filed a legal bid for home detention but a court dismissed it last December.
19:04Najib appealed that decision.
19:06Court documents dated earlier this month say he wishes to terminate the appeal without giving any reason.
19:13Najib was also sentenced to 15 years in a separate case involving 1MDB, which he has appealed.
19:20Najib has denied any wrongdoing but apologized for his handling of the scandal.
19:26Over 1.7 million people are believed to have lost their lives in Cambodia in the 1970s under the Khmer
19:34Rouge regime.
19:34It continues to leave a lethal legacy in the form of landmines, which also remain from years of conflict including
19:43civil war.
19:44Efforts are underway to open a museum that will pass on this tragic history.
19:50NHK World's Asayishi Keisuke reports.
19:55About an hour's drive from Angkor Wat sits Cambodia's new peace museum.
20:02The facility was built with grant aid from Japan.
20:07Our objective is clear.
20:10This museum will collect and preserve the painful experiences endured by the Cambodian people during conflict.
20:21Un Raksme is a staff member of the Cambodian Mine Action Center, which is preparing for the opening.
20:29He lost his uncle under the Pol Pot regime.
20:37He was forced into hard labor and died from exhaustion due to malnutrition.
20:43The harsh memories I heard from my family have become the driving force behind my work.
20:48I was told by the Cambodian people, but I was able to help.
20:54I was able to help.
20:55I was able to help.
20:55C-Mark displays landmines and unexploded oldenances at its older building.
21:01However, for this museum, it wanted to try a new approach.
21:07The center asked for help from the southern prefecture of Okinawa in Japan.
21:13It has deep experience in preserving the memories of war.
21:19A delegation from the prefecture offered a different idea.
21:23It is vital to present the war from the perspective of residents, of victims,
21:29to convey what war really is and why peace is essential.
21:34Raksme is now collecting testimonies from landmine survivors.
21:55Raksme hopes they will form the core of the new museum's exhibits.
22:05Raksme hopes they will form the core of the new museum's exhibits.
22:09He visits classrooms to let students hear from a landmine victim.
22:27How can we bring peace to the world?
22:34Conflicts are still happening around the world.
22:37Wars involving Israel, the United States and Iran, and Russia and Ukraine.
22:43Last year, there was also a clash between Cambodia and Thailand.
22:48Dialogue is the only way to resolve conflict.
22:52Raksme hopes that his approach will use the past to put the focus on the future.
22:59I originally planned to speak about the civil war,
23:03but conflict is not just a thing of the past.
23:06I want to convey that peace is essential for every country.
23:13Officials aim to open the museum later this year with hopes for a legacy of peace.
23:19Asaishi Keisuke, NHK World, Simriap.
23:24And that wraps up our bulletin.
23:26I'm Rosalinda Bovalia in Bangkok.
23:57I'm Rosalinda Bovalia in Bangkok.
23:57I'm Rosalinda Bovalia in Bangkok.
23:57I'm Rosalinda Bovalia in Bangkok.
23:57I'm Rosalinda Bovalia in Bangkok.
23:57I'm Rosalinda Bovalia in Bangkok.
23:57I'm Rosalinda Bovalia in Bangkok.
23:58I'm Rosalinda Bovalia in Bangkok.
23:58I'm Rosalinda Bovalia in Bangkok.
24:23and now it's time for a check on the
24:25weather parts of the greater Tokyo area were absolutely drenched Monday
24:29morning but things started to dry out after that right and our meteorologist
24:34Jonathan Oh will tell us what is ahead for the week hello as we went through
24:41the morning hours in the eastern and even portions of the western portion of
24:44Japan we had a low-pressure system that dumped a lot of rain in a relatively
24:49short period of time I mean portion of Chiba prefecture saw 60 millimeters of
24:53rainfall in a six-hour period over into Oase 114 millimeters in that same time
24:58period so if you're out and about and that rain was dumping on you you got
25:02drenched the low did eventually move out and it relatively cleared up at least in
25:07terms of the rain and it looks like that as you go into Tuesday things are going
25:10to be on the drier side but we'll have some more moisture coming in from the
25:14west and that's going to help bring some more rain as you go into the day on
25:18Wednesday Thursday into Friday depending on where you're located looking at the
25:21four-day forecast here again drier on Tuesday then we'll see rain creeping in
25:26from the southwest on Wednesday spring toward the north and east as we head
25:29toward the end of the week speaking of some rain we go to the Middle East where
25:33a lot of rainfall is causing problems over in Syria here's a look at some video
25:37coming out from the country people in the northwestern portion of Syria were
25:42caught in floodwaters over the weekend after heavy rain caused a dam to collapse
25:46according to the Associated Press a farmer said about 150 houses were flooded and
25:50their farmland was gone residents were forced to navigate flooded streets on
25:54tractors and small boats rescue teams are doing what they can to strengthen the
25:58embankment while watching the water levels people are being urged to listen to
26:02official instructions and avoid flooded roads it does look like that we're still
26:06dealing with a bit of the wet pattern in place but eventually spraying toward the east
26:10and so things just start to dry out as we go toward Tuesday and Wednesday other areas of
26:16the Middle East down to the south and east into this the Arabian Peninsula looking at
26:20highs in the mid to upper 30s as we go through Monday quick note in North America
26:24strong thunderstorms being reported in the central portions of the United States
26:28this pattern with the low pressure system moving on through will continue to bring the
26:32possibility of strong thunderstorms not just for Monday but also into Tuesday as well
26:37hope you have a good day wherever you are
26:40Thank you
27:34And that's it for this edition of Newsroom Tokyo.
27:37We can catch this program on our website.
27:39I'm Yoshikawa Ryuichi and I'm Kumei Ayako.
27:43Please join us again tomorrow.
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