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Newsroom Tokyo 2026 04 28
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馃摵
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00:12Welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Kumei Ayako and I'm Yoshikawa Ryui-chi. Here are the headlines.
00:19Prospects of a peace deal are still up in the air as Iran's latest proposal reportedly gets a cool reception
00:26from the White House.
00:28Tensions flare at the U.N. headquarters in New York as delegates gather to review a crucial treaty on nuclear
00:35disarmament.
00:36And we look at a looming crisis facing museums here in Japan. They are running out of space to store
00:43their collections.
00:48Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran have reportedly hit another hurdle.
00:54Multiple media outlets say Tehran has put forward a new proposal.
00:59But it seems U.S. President Donald Trump isn't happy with their offer.
01:06The Associated Press cited two anonymous regional officials Monday who gave details of the proposal.
01:13They said Iran has offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, but only if Washington lifts its
01:20blockade on Iranian ports.
01:22As for Iran's nuclear program, it suggested putting those discussions off to a later date.
01:30The AP report said Trump was likely to reject the proposal as it doesn't touch on America's core concern, nuclear
01:39weapons.
01:41It's something Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted again in an interview on Fox News.
01:48Suffice it to say that the nuclear question is the reason why we're in this in the first place.
01:54Meanwhile, anonymous U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that Trump's team is also skeptical of Iran's offer.
02:02They said the fact that Tehran isn't addressing the nuclear issue has Trump questioning if it's negotiating in good faith.
02:10The U.S. is expected to offer its response in the coming days.
02:15Meanwhile, Tehran is moving to strengthen ties with Russia.
02:20Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi was in St. Petersburg Monday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
02:29Iran's Foreign Ministry says Arachi also briefed Russian officials on efforts to end the conflict.
02:35And he blamed Washington for the slow progress in negotiations,
02:40accusing it of making unreasonable demands and frequently changing its stance.
02:46Speaking to Russia media, Arachi also claimed the U.S. has failed to achieve any of its goals.
02:53One expert says Iran could be looking for a mediator to replace Pakistan.
03:03I believe Tehran is still considering which country to choose as a moderator.
03:08It is totally at odds with the U.S. over its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
03:12And it is not sure if Pakistan is accurately conveying its wishes to the U.S. negotiators.
03:24Delegates have gathered at the U.N. headquarters in New York to review a crucial treaty on nuclear disarmament.
03:32But recent tensions, including the conflict in the Middle East, are casting a long shadow over the meeting.
03:41The review conference on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT, started on Monday.
03:49In his opening remarks, the U.N. Secretary-General issued a stark warning to delegates.
03:56Some governments are openly mulling the acquisition of these horrific weapons.
04:01Have we forgotten that a nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought?
04:07At the outset, the U.S. delegate objected to Iran being selected as one of the vice presidents of the
04:15conference.
04:16And the Iranian delegate responded in kind.
04:20It is indisputable that Iran has long demonstrated its contempt for the non-proliferation commitments of the NPT.
04:28It is indisputable that Iran has refused to cooperate with the IAEA to resolve the glaring questions about its program.
04:37It is indisputable that the United States, as the only state ever have used nuclear weapons,
04:45and the one that continues to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal in blatant disregard of its Article VI obligation,
04:56seeks to position itself as an arbitrator of the compliance.
05:03191 member states adhere to the treaty.
05:06It requires the five recognized nuclear powers, the U.S., Russia, Britain, France and China,
05:14to negotiate on nuclear arms reduction.
05:17And it bans others from developing or possessing such weapons.
05:22The conference will last until late May.
05:26NHK World's Ebizuka Megumi is in New York and has more details on the conference.
05:32The conference got off to a turbulent start on its opening day.
05:37Not only did the United States and Iran engage in a heated exchange,
05:41but Ukraine and Russia also strongly criticized each other.
05:46Amid these tense circumstances,
05:49atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki are also on site.
05:53They are holding an exhibition at the venue to convey the realities of the atomic bombings.
06:01Because Japan is the only country to have suffered atomic attacks in war,
06:06they want to highlight the grave-threat nuclear arms camp post.
06:11The U.N. Secretary-General also referred to the survivors during his speech.
06:16He said they survived the worst of humanity to show people the best of it,
06:22and their message to the world could not be more timely and urgent.
06:27Delegates at the two previous NPT review conferences failed to adopt the final document,
06:32so they are growing calls to avoid the third consecutive failure to reach a consensus.
06:38But divisions are deepening,
06:41and there are increasing doubts about whether the international community can unite in moving forward
06:47on nuclear disarmament.
06:49Ebizuka Megumi, NHK World, New York.
06:54As we just heard, survivors are holding an exhibition on the sidelines of the conference,
07:00detailing the horrors of atomic weapons.
07:04Nobel Peace Prize-winning survivors group, Nihon Hidankyo, organized the event.
07:11Secretary-General Hamasumi Jiro was in his mother's womb
07:15when the atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima in 1945.
07:24We hope to convey our wishes with everyone
07:26so that no one ever has to endure the pain and hardship we have faced.
07:39One visitor praised the work of the survivors known as Hibakusha.
07:44It really is heartbreaking to see.
07:48But what is nice to see is the Hibakusha here giving their perspective
07:54and telling us and demanding us that we need to put an end to
08:00the possession of nuclear weapons.
08:03More than 50 items are on display.
08:06One photo shows a boy at a crematory, likely in Nagasaki,
08:11with a younger child on his back.
08:13This is the fifth time the exhibition has been held.
08:27Now to a key focus of attention on Tuesday,
08:31the Bank of Japan's policy meeting.
08:33We bring in Yanaka Marie from our biz team.
08:35Right.
08:36So, Marie, you told us yesterday the central bank would
08:38likely keep its benchmark rate unchanged.
08:41And that was the decision, correct?
08:44Yes, it was.
08:45But there were some surprises in the BOJ's outlook.
08:47Let's start with the rate decision.
08:50The Bank of Japan has decided to keep its benchmark interest rate
08:54unchanged amid uncertainty over the situation in the Middle East.
08:58The central bank's two-day policy meeting ended on Tuesday.
09:02The BOJ said it will continue to target a short-term rate of around 0.75%.
09:08This is the third time in a row that the BOJ has kept monetary policy unchanged
09:13since a rate hike in December.
09:16The decision was widely expected as the Iran conflict has driven up
09:21prices of crude oil and petroleum products such as NAFTA.
09:25There are concerns that disruptions in raw material supplies
09:29could drag on the economy.
09:32Six of the nine board members supported the action,
09:36while three voted against and proposed a rate hike.
09:40BOJ Governor Ueda Kazuo said he needs to take seriously the fact that
09:45three policymakers opposed maintaining the rate.
09:48He added that he and the others are concerned about upside risks for prices,
09:52but it's not urgent enough to immediately respond with a rate hike.
09:57The BOJ also announced its outlook for economic activity and prices.
10:03It said the rise in crude oil prices will push up inflation,
10:07especially energy as well as goods and services.
10:10The bank said its median forecast for consumer prices excluding fresh food for this fiscal year
10:16is 2.8%, a jump from January's projection of 1.9%.
10:22Its outlook for the next fiscal year is now at 2.3%, up from 2% in the previous forecast.
10:31Meanwhile, the central bank downgraded its growth projection for both the current and next fiscal years.
10:37Its median forecast for fiscal 2026 is at 0.5% in real terms.
10:43The January outlook was 1%.
10:46For fiscal 2027, it expects to see 0.7% growth, down from 0.8% projected in January.
10:54But from that year onward, it said growth is likely to rise moderately,
10:59since the negative effects of high oil prices are likely to wane.
11:08Underlying inflation is approaching 2%,
11:11and businesses' wage and price-setting moves are active.
11:15Considering these, it is necessary to pay close attention
11:19to the risk of a significant rise in prices
11:22in order to prevent a negative impact on the economy.
11:30So what should we make of the BOJ's announcements?
11:33Kato Isuru, chief economist at TOTAN Research,
11:36told us the decision to hold rates steady was no surprise.
11:40But he notes the BOJ appears more worried than anticipated
11:44about inflation pressures linked to the Iran conflict.
11:50The outlook report indicates that the BOJ is very concerned about upside risks and prices.
11:57Three board members opposed the governor's proposal
11:59to maintain the rate and called for a rate hike.
12:03I believe chances of raising the rate at the next policy meeting in June
12:07are quite high unless the Middle East situation becomes very chaotic.
12:11I think that there are underlying concerns among policymakers
12:15that if the BOJ fails to raise the rate,
12:18it would fall behind in inflation control.
12:23Kato says the BOJ's report signals to market players
12:26that the bank plans to gradually raise rates.
12:30He thinks this was done to prevent further depreciation of the yen.
12:37If the BOJ had not emphasized the upside risks in prices in the report,
12:43market players would likely have taken that as a factor for a weaker yen.
12:47The spring holiday period is about to begin in Japan,
12:51so there are quite high risks that investors might sell the yen
12:56in overseas markets while the Tokyo market is closed.
13:01If it happens, the rate of rises in crude oil prices
13:04could be even higher in yen terms.
13:07I think that preventing the yen's depreciation
13:10was part of the BOJ's intention.
13:16There's still uncertainty over whether a June rate hike
13:20will actually happen.
13:21The situation in the Middle East
13:23is only adding to the lack of clarity.
13:26Last to check on the markets,
13:28Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 retreated on Tuesday
13:32from an all-time high above 60,000 mark the day before.
13:36The dip was largely due to speculation
13:38that the Bank of Japan's next rate hike
13:40could come sooner than expected.
13:42The index fell 1% to finish at 59,917.
13:47On to the rest of the Asia-Pacific.
13:50Most stock benchmarks fell,
13:51but Seoul's Kospi bucked the trend,
13:54adding 4 tenths of a percent.
13:56Media outlets say the index hit a fresh record high
13:59to overtake the UK in stock market cap.
14:03South Korea's chip-heavy benchmark
14:05has gotten a big boost this year from the AI frenzy.
14:09And that's the biz for this Tuesday.
14:13Now let's go to Cholapansa Narula in our Bangkok studio
14:17for stories making headlines across the Asia-Pacific.
14:22A collision between two trains near the Indonesian capital, Jakarta,
14:26on Monday night has claimed at least 14 lives.
14:30The accident apparently occurred
14:32when a long-distance train plowed into a commuter train
14:35stopped at a station.
14:36Indonesia's state railway firm said that 84 people
14:39were taken to hospitals to receive treatment for injuries.
14:42Many passengers were initially trapped in the wreckage.
14:46A local authority said on Tuesday,
14:48rescuers had pulled out all of the remaining survivors.
14:52Poytus quoted the authority as saying
14:54a women-only car of the commuter train
14:56bore the brunt of the impact
14:58and that all of the victims were women.
15:00A passenger on the commuter train said
15:03it had stopped at the station due to a problem.
15:05She said at the moment of impact,
15:07she was calling her husband to come and pick her up.
15:11I hadn't even finished the call when the trains collided.
15:15Luckily, I was in the fifth car,
15:17not the women-only one at the end of the train,
15:19although I initially wanted to ride in that one.
15:23President Prabowo Subianto visited a hospital
15:26treating injured passengers on Tuesday.
15:28He expressed condolences for the victims
15:30and pledged a comprehensive review
15:32of Indonesia's rail safety system.
15:34The National Transportation Safety Committee
15:37is dispatching investigators to the scene of the accident.
15:41The impact of the Iran conflict
15:43continues to mount for countries
15:45that rely heavily on oil from the Middle East.
15:47In the Philippines, soaring fuel prices
15:50are forcing drivers of the iconic jeepney buses
15:52off the roads and disrupting daily commutes.
15:57I've been waiting for two hours already
16:00and I'm still stuck here.
16:02There aren't many jeepneys around,
16:04so it takes a while to get one.
16:07I'll be home a bit late.
16:10The minibuses are a vital mode of public transportation
16:13for people throughout the Philippines.
16:15The base fare for a ride is around 20 US cents
16:18and passengers can get on and off anywhere.
16:21But spiraling fuel costs
16:23are making it increasingly difficult
16:25for operators to keep their fleets running.
16:27This operator currently has just three
16:30out of eight buses in service.
16:33Many jeepney drivers lease the vehicles from operators
16:36and rely on the fares they get to make a living.
16:39This driver stopped his service a month ago
16:42when it ceased to be financially viable.
16:44He now lives in the jeepney
16:46with his wife and granddaughter.
16:49I was only able to make 200 pesos a day.
16:53That wasn't enough to cover rent and electricity.
16:57Drivers have become increasingly frustrated
16:59with the government's handling of the matter.
17:01The stage rallies to protest a spike in prices
17:04and demand an increase in fares.
17:07Motorcycles dominate the roads in Vietnam
17:10where Japanese makers lead the market.
17:12But new regulations taking effect in July
17:14will restrict gasoline bikes.
17:16The shift is already reshaping both consumer choices
17:19and the motorcycle industry.
17:21NHK World's Kamino Takehiro reports.
17:25The streets of Hanoi are defined by motion.
17:29At rush hour, that motion reaches a peak
17:32and motorcycles are the part of it.
17:36But change is coming.
17:38Last July, the government announced plans
17:40to ban gas-powered motorcycles in the capital.
17:44Under the current draft plan,
17:47they won't be allowed into areas around Huanqin Lake
17:50in a part of the center of the capital
17:52at certain hours from Friday afternoon
17:54through the weekend.
17:57It's a policy driven by severe air pollution.
18:00A private monitoring company says
18:02Hanoi's air quality sometimes ranks
18:04among the world's worst,
18:06contributing to respiratory illness
18:08and other health problems.
18:12This shift is already boosting demand
18:15for electric vehicles.
18:18At the forefront is FIMFAST,
18:21a major domestic automaker
18:23backed by one of Vietnam's largest conglomerates.
18:26Production has taken off
18:28since the company launched electric motorcycles
18:31in 2018.
18:32The new regulations, coupled with rising fuel prices,
18:36have only amplified demand.
18:42I think that switching to an electric vehicle
18:44is better for me personally.
18:46It's also better for the environment.
18:49What's more,
18:50FIMFAST's customer support program
18:52has helped motivate me to change.
18:57A company executive credits shifting consumer attitudes
19:01for expanding sales.
19:05As awareness grows,
19:07it's inevitable that people will shift to clean transportation.
19:10Without a doubt,
19:12without a doubt,
19:12we can compete in a market
19:14that's been dominated by foreign brands for years.
19:20Meanwhile,
19:21Honda is maneuvering to expand its share
19:24in the electric bike market.
19:26The Japanese automaker holds around 80%
19:29of Vietnam's motorcycle market.
19:36The company plans to expand its lineup of electric bikes
19:39to three models in Vietnam,
19:41ahead of the new regulations.
19:46Many enthusiasts try out to a launch event in Hanoi
19:50to try out the new model.
19:54I think Honda still has the edge in luxury
19:57and a modern feel,
19:59which appeals to young people.
20:06When it comes to performance,
20:08handling and stability,
20:09our expertise in two-wheel vehicles
20:12is something no competitor can match.
20:18Vietnam's motorcycle market
20:20has reached a turning point
20:22as companies compete in the changing environment.
20:25Kamiro Takehiro,
20:27NHK World, Hanoi.
20:30That wraps up our bulletin.
20:32I'm Chola Pansanarula in Bangkok.
20:35Japan is about to enter
20:37one of its yearly long holiday periods
20:40with many people likely planning to visit museums
20:43and other cultural facilities during their time off.
20:47But behind the scenes,
20:48museums across Japan are facing a serious problem.
20:52They're rapidly running out of space
20:55to store their collections,
20:56raising concerns that valuable historical material
21:00could be discarded.
21:02This is the Tsukagawa City Museum in Fukushima Prefecture.
21:07Every spring, one of its most popular exhibitions
21:10is its display of Hino dolls,
21:13ornamental dolls traditionally displayed in Japan
21:16to celebrate Girls' Day on March 3rd.
21:19Around 300 dolls are on show,
21:21including some dating back to the Edo period,
21:24more than 150 years ago.
21:27But inside the museum's storage rooms,
21:30the situation has become critical.
21:33There are more than 1,000 dolls stored here.
21:37Stacks of scrolls are piled so high,
21:40they look ready to fall from the shelves.
21:44Large ceramic jars and heavy cow statues block the aisles.
21:49Traditional dining sets used for celebrations
21:52are also stacked to the ceiling.
21:58From the sheer volume,
22:00you can really see the culture and custom
22:03of gathering and sharing meals.
22:05I think this represents an important part
22:08of Tsukagawa's local identity.
22:11More than 70,000 items most donated
22:14by local residents are packed in tightly.
22:17As a result, the museum's storage capacity
22:20has reached 188 percent,
22:23far beyond its intended limit.
22:25With no more space available,
22:28city officials have asked the museum
22:29to consider discarding duplicate items.
22:36We can't just throw them away.
22:38These items were donated
22:40so they could be preserved as records.
22:43We have a responsibility
22:45to respect the feelings of those donors
22:47and pass their legacy on to future generations.
22:52For more, we spoke with NHK World's
22:55Terai Yasunori, who's been covering this issue.
23:04Well, I understand that the museum
23:06in the report is facing a critical situation,
23:08but what about others across the country?
23:12According to a Japanese Association
23:14of Museums survey in 2024,
23:16more than 60% says their storage facilities are full.
23:22Some experts say this happened
23:24because many Japanese museums
23:26have collected items
23:27without long-term planning.
23:30In contrast, countries such as the United Kingdom
23:33have clearly documented
23:35acquisition policies
23:36and management procedures.
23:40Amid growing concerns over museums,
23:42possibly discarding items
23:44that no longer fit in storage.
23:47Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs
23:49revised its standards
23:51for museum management last month
23:53to include rules
23:55related to disposing of collection items.
23:59Museum collections
24:00are often seen as valuable
24:02and historically important.
24:04Is it really okay
24:05to discard them so easily?
24:08Many experts are worried
24:10about items being discarded too lately.
24:14For example,
24:15some may not seem valuable now,
24:17but their importance
24:19may be discovered later.
24:21This item was once
24:22nearly disposed of
24:24by a museum
24:24in Nara Prefecture.
24:26It was later transferred
24:28to a museum
24:29in Fukui Prefecture,
24:31where a staff member
24:32with expertise
24:33in onmyoji,
24:35traditional Japanese diviners' works.
24:38It turned out
24:40that this was
24:41the ritual altar
24:42used by onmyoji
24:43from the Edo
24:45to the Meiji period
24:46and valuable for understanding
24:48their work and practices.
24:51Is there a way
24:53to avoid disposal?
24:55There are two possible solutions
24:57to these problems.
24:59One approach being tried
25:01in Miyagi Prefecture
25:02involves experts
25:04from different fields
25:05and museums
25:06working together.
25:08By sharing knowledge,
25:10they hope to prevent
25:11variable items
25:12from being discarded
25:14simply because
25:15their importance
25:16isn't yet understood.
25:18Three institutions
25:19in Aichi Prefecture
25:20are twiing something else,
25:23building a joint storage facility.
25:25When complete,
25:27total storage space
25:28is expected to double.
25:29museum collections
25:31are gifts
25:32from the past
25:33to us
25:34and at the same time,
25:36gifts from us
25:37to the future.
25:38Even his heart,
25:40it's our responsibility
25:41to find ways
25:43to pass on
25:44as much as possible.
25:46Thank you, Yasunori.
25:51China says
25:52it will block Meta
25:53from acquiring
25:54Manus,
25:55an AI startup
25:56of Chinese origin.
25:57It has ordered
25:58the U.S. tech giant
25:59to revoke the deal.
26:02China's National Development
26:04and Reform Commission
26:05said on Monday
26:06the decision was made
26:07in accordance
26:07with the country's
26:08laws and regulations.
26:10Manus is known
26:11for developing
26:12and serving
26:13autonomous AI agents
26:14that can execute
26:15complex tasks.
26:17It was founded in China
26:18and is now based
26:19in Singapore.
26:21In December,
26:22Meta announced
26:23it would buy Manus
26:24reportedly
26:24for around $2 billion.
26:28The Chinese government
26:29is promoting
26:30technological development
26:31related to AI
26:32as a national strategy.
26:34Its five-year plan
26:36through 2030
26:36includes a policy
26:38to integrate AI
26:39into various industries.
26:41Concern over
26:42AI-related technology
26:43leaking to the United States
26:45is believed
26:46to be behind the move.
26:49Let's take a look
26:50at weather forecast
26:51for cities around the world.
27:25and that's it
27:26for tonight's newsroom
27:27Tokyo
27:27and we'll be off the air
27:29from tomorrow
27:30for one of Japan's
27:31longest holiday periods.
27:33We hope you will join us
27:34again when we return
27:35on May 11th
27:37and don't forget
27:38you can catch this program
27:39on our website.
27:40I'm Yoshikawa Ruchi
27:42and I'm Kumi Ayako
27:43and I'll see you next time.
27:45.
27:46.
27:46.
27:47.
27:48.
27:49.
27:50.
27:51.
27:59.
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