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Newsroom Tokyo 2026 03 23 Episode 3 Engsub
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00:12Welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Yamasawa Rina and I'm Raja Prada. Here are the headlines.
00:18Concerns about the conflict in the Middle East hit Asian stocks hard.
00:23The International Energy Agency puts the Asia Pacific at the forefront of the global rush to secure oil.
00:31And NHK World's senior political correspondent analyzes the latest Japan-US summit, including what Tokyo may or may not do
00:39in the Strait of Hormuz.
00:41First, the Middle East. Iran is vowing to completely close the Strait of Hormuz if the United States attacks the
00:48country's power plants.
00:49U.S. President Donald Trump told Tehran on Saturday it had 48 hours to fully open the waterway, or, he
00:57said, America would obliterate the energy facilities.
01:00Amid the escalation, a rally was held in the Iranian capital to support the government.
01:11People gathered in Tehran on Sunday. They held up placards criticizing the U.S. and Israel.
01:18Iran's military issued a statement the same day, saying the Strait is closed only to the enemy and harmful traffic,
01:25and it remains under smart control.
01:28The statement adds, if the U.S. carries out Trump's threat, Iran will close the Strait and not reopen it
01:34until the destroyed power plants have been fully rebuilt.
01:38It also warns power stations in countries neighboring Iran will become legitimate targets if those nations host U.S. bases.
01:46Attacks between the two sides continue.
01:49The U.S. military released footage of a strike on Iran on Sunday.
01:53The Israeli military also announced it launched airstrikes on targets, including the headquarters of Iran's intelligence ministry.
02:00Iran's Red Crescent Society says more than 81,000 private facilities have been damaged so far.
02:07A spokesperson for the Israeli military said the fighting will continue for a few weeks.
02:14We're responding with great force, but not on civilians. We're going after the regime. We're going after the IRGC.
02:23Iran continues to strike back.
02:25Israeli media reported on Sunday cluster bombs caused damage in and around Tel Aviv and injured people.
02:32The U.S. Department of State has issued a security alert on its website, advising Americans worldwide and especially in
02:40the Middle East to exercise increased caution.
02:43The alert says groups supporting Iran may target U.S. interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and
02:51or Americans throughout the world.
02:54Hopes for diplomacy remain intact despite three weeks of fighting.
02:59U.S. news website Axios says the Trump administration is laying the groundwork for possible peace talks with Iran.
03:07The story published Saturday quotes a U.S. official and two other sources.
03:14They say Washington and Tehran have not been in direct contact in recent days.
03:19But Egypt, Qatar and Britain have passed messages between the two sides.
03:25Egypt and Qatar have reportedly informed the U.S. and Israel that Iran is interested in negotiating.
03:33But they say Tehran's conditions are very tough, including compensation and guarantees to prevent the recurrence of war.
03:43Axios quotes a U.S. official as saying Washington wants Tehran to make six commitments.
03:49They include no missile program for five years, zero uranium enrichment and the decommissioning of three nuclear facilities, Natanz, Isfahan
04:01and Fardol.
04:02The U.S. and Israel bombed those sites last year.
04:07Axios also quotes U.S. officials as saying Trump's advisers see Iranian foreign minister Abbas Arachi as, quote, a fax
04:16machine.
04:17The advisers are reportedly trying to determine who actually makes the decisions in Tehran and how to get in touch.
04:27The exchange of threats between Washington and Tehran is hitting stock prices.
04:33That's right. And Yanaka Marie from our biz team joins us with the details. Marie.
04:37Shares in Asia fell sharply on Monday, and Tokyo's Nikkei average was no exception.
04:43Investors are worried that the Iran conflict is set to escalate and further disrupt oil supplies.
04:51Japan relies heavily on imports of crude from the Middle East.
04:55The Nikkei 225 closed at 51,515 as stocks sold off across the board.
05:02At one point, the index lost 5 percent.
05:06In the end, the benchmark finished almost 3.5 percent lower from Thursday.
05:11Friday was a national holiday.
05:14Oil prices once again climbed above a key level on those worries about escalating tensions.
05:20WTI crude futures briefly went above $100 a barrel.
05:25One analyst said Trump had placed a ticking time bomb over markets with his threat to expand bombing if Iran
05:33fails to open the Strait of Hormuz.
05:36Investors across the Asia-Pacific were concerned higher oil prices would spur inflation and slow the global economy.
05:44Many major indexes lost over 2 or 3 percent.
05:49Seoul's Kospi was the worst performer, tumbling 6.5 percent.
05:55Worries about oil also hit other assets.
05:58Japanese government bonds saw heavy selling on inflation fears.
06:02The yield on the benchmark 10-year JGB climbed to 2.3 percent at one stage.
06:08That's a two-month high.
06:11As markets reel from the oil shock, demand for energy in the United States climbs ever higher due to artificial
06:18intelligence.
06:20In the state of Ohio, Japan's SoftBank Group has just broken ground on a $500 billion project to build a
06:28natural gas power plant.
06:29It's also announced a massive data center on the same site.
06:34The gas plant will power the data operations.
06:37The energy project is part of Japan's pledge to invest in the U.S. during CAREF talks last year.
06:44Construction of the data center is scheduled to start later this year.
06:49SoftBank Group chairman and CEO Son Masayoshi stressed the scale of the endeavor.
06:58This will undoubtedly be the largest investment for a single project in human history.
07:05Song added that with the U.S. facing an energy shortage and in need of more data centers,
07:11his company is entering a harvesting phase for the initiatives it's been introducing.
07:16He also expressed a willingness to continue to invest in the U.S.
07:21That's the biz for this Monday.
07:32Safety in the Strait of Hormuz is a major focus for many countries, including Japan.
07:37The key waterway was high on the agenda in the latest Japan-U.S. summit,
07:42but Tokyo says no specific promises have been made so far about what to do.
07:48To secure the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,
07:52Japan will continue to make all necessary diplomatic efforts in close coordination with
07:57the international community, including relevant countries and international organizations.
08:02Prime Minister Takai Tsanae met President Trump on Thursday in Washington.
08:07She conveyed Japan's views about the situation in Iran and stressed the need for early de-escalation.
08:13She also said Japan opposes Iran's attacks on countries in the region and its effective closure
08:19of the strait. Trump reportedly asked Japan to help ensure ships can navigate safely in the key
08:25waterway. Takai-chi says she responded by pointing out there are actions Japan can and cannot take
08:31within the framework of domestic laws.
08:36For more, we are joined by NHK World Senior Political Correspondent Oikawa Sojun.
08:42The Tokyo's leaders have had a few days after the summit to digest about what they discussed.
08:50How do they feel about the key points?
08:52Yeah, I can tell you that a sense of relief is spreading within the Japanese governments.
08:57So, officials had some weariness going into the meetings because of the mixed messages
09:05President Trump has been giving in recent weeks, especially regarding the situation in Iran.
09:12So, officials were not sure what to expect from him.
09:16During the meeting, Trump asked Japan to help ensure that ships can navigate safely through
09:23the strait of Hormuz. In response, Prime Minister Takai-chi pointed out there are constraints
09:30to what Japan can legally do. Because, remember, Article 9 of Japan's Constitution
09:37put some pretty significant limits on the self-defense forces and the types of situations
09:43in which they can be deployed. Ultimately, we didn't get a clear resolution on Iran out of
09:51the summit. But, overall, the Japanese side sees the summit as a success.
09:58I think one of the reasons was that Takai-chi and Trump talked about a number of other topics, too.
10:07Government sources have told NHK that when talking about Iran, the Japanese side proposed
10:14co-operating to try and lower crude oil prices.
10:18So, Jun, what do we know about what Japan might ultimately decide to do about the
10:23strait of Hormuz?
10:24Well, Trump has made it pretty clear that he expects Japan to take some sort of concrete
10:31action. On Friday, he told Fox News that he knows Japan has constitutional restraints
10:38but would be there for the U.S. when needed.
10:43And he described Japan as a better ally than NATO. So, it does seem that he understands the
10:51legal limits Japan has to work within. But there is still some uncertainty.
10:57Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu was at the summit. He had said Trump did not
11:04make any specific requests about what Japan should do. But he indicated that dispatching the self-defense
11:12forces could become a matter for consideration after a potential future ceasefire. And there are
11:20precedents for Japan providing this type of support for U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
11:27After the Gulf War in the early 1990s, Japan dispatched maritime self-defense force mine sweepers
11:35to the Persian Gulf. And after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, MSDF provided
11:43refueling support in the Indian Ocean for U.S. and other naval vessels carrying out the so-called
11:50war on terror. So, previous Japanese governments have been able to find ways to work within those
11:58constitutional limits of Article 9 while also placing importance on relations with the United States.
12:06But it hasn't always been easy for them to do. And as for right now, it is still very unclear
12:14what
12:15will happen. The situation in Iran still is still very volatile. The Japanese government will not
12:22take a decision on any deployment lightly. And finally, Jun, the two leaders had also the economy
12:32on their high agenda for the summit. Can you tell us more about what they discussed? Sure. They also covered
12:39economic issues. Last July, the two sides reached an agreement that will see Japan invest $550 billion
12:47into U.S. industries. And to accompany last week's summit, they released a joint announcement containing
12:55more potential projects under the deal. They include the possible construction of next-generation small
13:03nuclear reactors in Tennessee and Alabama and natural gas power plants in Pennsylvania and Texas.
13:12The joint announcement covered modern economics. It is also intended to usher in a new golden age for
13:20the Japan-U.S. alliance. But these are testing times. Trump's various requests might change and
13:30Takaichi will have to strike a very delicate balance down the road. Thank you very much for your insight, Jun.
13:38My pleasure.
13:53Now let's take a look at the impact of the ongoing Middle East oil crisis on the wider Asia-Pacific
14:00region. Tira Tira Kao-san in our Bangkok studio has the details.
14:06The head of the International Energy Agency has warned the global economy faces a major threat.
14:13Fatih Birol indicated he may ask member nations to release more oil reserves if necessary.
14:19We will see. We will look at the markets. If it is necessary, of course, we will do it. But
14:25we will look at the conditions. We will analyze, assess the markets, and discuss with our member countries.
14:30Birol spoke in Canberra on Monday on the first leg of a world tour. He said the Asia-Pacific is
14:38at the
14:38forefront of the crisis as it largely relies on oil and other essential products such as fertilizer and
14:45helium which are transported through the Strait of Hormuz. He revealed that as of Sunday at least 40
14:53energy-related facilities in nine Middle Eastern countries had suffered serious damage. He said
15:00the conflict has removed 11 million barrels of oil per day from global supply. Birol compared the
15:07current situation to a combination of the two oil shocks in the 1970s and the gas shock following
15:14Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He stressed that no country will be immune to the effects of the crisis
15:21and called for global efforts to resolve it. He said opening up the Strait of Hormuz is the single
15:27most important solution. We're joined now by our Asia correspondent, Takaoka Shikashi, for more.
15:34Shikashi, just how serious is the Middle East situation for Asian nations?
15:40Well, countries are being affected differently, but the region as a whole faces a huge risk.
15:46Asia relies heavily on crude oil imports from the Middle East, much of it passing through the
15:52Strait of Hormuz. And many countries don't have results as substantial as those held by Japan and
15:59South Korea. Fuel shortages and long lines at gas stations are being reported daily across Asia.
16:07Here in Thailand, people in some rural areas say they are struggling to buy fuel. The government has
16:13repeatedly urged the public to avoid panic buying. A major supplier has set a guideline limiting
16:19purchases to about $15 at a time. A wide range of industries have also been hit. Some tourist boats
16:28in Thailand remain docked due to high fuel costs. Fishing and agriculture are feeling the impact as they
16:36rely on vessels and machines for harvesting. In the Philippines, drivers of the iconic Jeepney buses
16:43went on strike nationwide last week amid rising fuel prices. They called on the government to raise fares
16:50and scrub fuel taxes. It looks like the fallout from the fuel crisis is hitting Asia sooner and harder
16:57compared to the rest of the world. How are governments responding?
17:01Well, they moved quickly to roll out energy-saving measures. Here in Thailand, authorities have
17:07have told staff at government offices and state-run firms to work from home. They also advised raising
17:14air conditioner settings and having employees wear healthy shirts instead of formal suits. Countries
17:22including the Philippines, Laos, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are cutting the work or school week to three or
17:29four days. In Myanmar, the junta is restricting car use to curb gasoline consumption. Private and
17:37commercial vehicles with even numbered plates can be used one day, odd number the next. These are just
17:44some of the steps being taken in Asia, reflecting the sense of crisis among the authorities. These efforts
17:51may curb energy use in the short term, but what about longer term fuel shortages?
17:56Well, most of these measures will be difficult to sustain, so governments are rushing to expand
18:03and diversify their supply chains. Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines are considering importing
18:09crude from Russia after the U.S. East sanctions on Russian oil. Thailand says it is also in contact
18:16with Nigeria and Brazil. Vietnam has asked Japan and South Korea to provide oil. But these talks could hit
18:24obstacles if the conflict drags on and global supplies come under even greater strain. So Asia faces an
18:32uncertain energy outlook. Thank you, Shikashi. We now wrap up our bulletin. I'm Tra Chirakau-san in Bangkok.
18:40Thank you very much, Shikashi and Tra. Next, a Japanese high court has upheld a not-guilty ruling for
18:4730-year-old woman accused of killing her wealthy older husband. The man had famously styled himself
18:53as the Japanese Don Juan. Sudosaki was charged with killing 77-year-old Nozaki Kosuke at his home in
19:01Wakayama Prefecture in May 2018. She was alleged to have forced him to ingest a lethal amount of
19:07stimulants. Nozaki claimed to have had thousands of lovers and likened himself to the fictional Spanish
19:13womanizer. The Wakayama District Court decided in December 2024 the possibility of an accidental
19:20overdose could not be ruled out. And on Monday, the Osaka High Court dismissed an appeal filed by
19:27prosecutors. Sudos lawyers maintained the district court had handed down a fair judgment and the high
19:33court should respect the decision of lay judges. North Korea has reappointed Kim Jong-un as president of
19:42state affairs. The role is equivalent to head of state. State-run Korean Central Television says the
19:51Supreme People's Assembly made the decision during a session in Pyongyang on Sunday. During the session,
19:58it was announced that Kim's close aide, Cho Yongwon, had replaced Che Ryong-hae as the chair of the
20:05Assembly's standing committee. About 40 percent of cabinet members were newly appointed. This reflects
20:13a generational shift following the ruling Workers' Party Congress last month. The session was expected
20:20to continue on Monday. Attention is focused on whether Kim will deliver a speech and refer to relations with
20:27the United States. Another focal point is whether the North's policy regarding South Korea as a hostile
20:35state will be reflected in the constitution. Humanitarian concerns are rising in Sudan after years of
20:43conflict. The World Health Organization says a hospital has come under attack, leaving at least 64 people
20:49dead. The WHO said on Saturday the victims include 13 children, two nurses, one doctor and multiple
20:58patients. Sudan's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since 2023.
21:06WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the hospital is no longer functioning after damage to
21:13the pediatric, maternity and emergency departments. The military reportedly denies conducting the attack.
21:19The WHO chief says there have been more than 200 attacks on health facilities since the conflict
21:25began, killing over 2,000 people. He's calling for de-escalation and the protection of civilians,
21:32health workers and humanitarians. Economic downturns often force people to tighten their purse strings.
21:40And in China, some tourist businesses have found opportunity in frugality.
21:45They are targeting holiday makers who aren't seeking the real thing, but the next best thing.
21:53The ski resort in Jilin Province in northeastern China was developed with help from a Japanese company.
22:01Chinese travelers are coming to experience the atmosphere of a ski area in Japan without traveling abroad.
22:13This hotel interior features abundant wood in the style of a Japanese resort.
22:30The facility also has a Japanese-style outdoor bath.
22:35Visitors include Chinese tourists who decided to cancel trips to Japan.
22:44We wanted to go to Hokkaido, but we canceled the reservation because of the heightened tension
22:49between the two countries. It's really unfortunate, but I'm sure there will be chances again.
22:56A domestic destination like this is closer and convenient. It's perfect for a short trip.
23:04The idea of saving money by traveling to mimic sites is catching on in farming areas, too.
23:11A village outside Xi'an in the inland province of Shanxi has allowed people to pretend they're
23:17visiting Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Visitors would take photos that make it look like they are standing in
23:23front of the square's gate.
23:29I'm so excited to see Tiananmen near my home. I took a lot of photos.
23:37The feature has appealed to the many people who post pictures of their travels on social media.
23:46The Tiananmen-on-a-wall concept has gone viral.
23:50Tourists are posting photos from at least 40 other life-size paintings of the famous gate.
23:57This mural depicting the Great Wall of China is completed in January in a farming village in the
24:03central province of Funan.
24:09A village lane is lined with stalls to accommodate the many visitors that have begun flocking there.
24:15The site has become a new source of revenue.
24:21With so many visitors, I can make money selling just about anything.
24:25The economy has been revitalized and it's all good.
24:31Make-believe trips like these may help pry open people's wallets and spark domestic demand in China.
24:49It's time for a look at world weather with our meteorologist Jonathan Oh.
24:55Hello. We're seeing spring-like conditions starting to pick up around Japan with warmer temperatures and
25:00even sunny skies in place like Tokyo as we went through Monday. But those warmer temperatures are
25:04leading to some problems in other parts of Japan. I want to share some video coming out of Shizuoka
25:11where at least 79 people found themselves stranded after a slope collapsed over the weekend in Shizuoka
25:18City. Now, the city says rising temperatures may have caused frozen soil to thaw leading to the landslide
25:25that blocked the pathway out. Now, as the debris was cleared, many of those who were stranded were able
25:31to make their descent Monday. So far, no injuries or illnesses have been reported. And yes, as we continue
25:37to see the temperatures picking up, areas that are seeing things adjust, that can lead to some
25:44concerns on the ground. And we are looking at temperatures to still be on the warm side as we
25:48go into the day on Tuesday. High pressure moves into Japan and really takes control of the weather
25:53pattern. Even places like Hokkaido seeing temperatures moving up into the teens as we go into Wednesday.
25:59Now, rain will be a part of the story from Tokyo into Fukuoka starting on Wednesday. So you need your
26:03umbrellas there. And then we'll still see the clouds hanging around. But at least the warm weather
26:08will also be a part of the story where overnight lows will also be on the rise as well. So
26:13not as
26:13not as chilly as you wake up in the morning hours. Meanwhile, we're looking at a bit of an unstable
26:20pattern across portions of Europe. We have a low pressure system moving its way over to the northwestern
26:24portion of the continent. High pressure dominating most of Europe, though, and that's keeping things on the
26:28drier side from the center and northern portions of Europe. But down toward the south, rain to places
26:33like Rome with a high of 17 coming up on Monday. Looking at what's happening across North America,
26:39cold front pushing off toward the north and east. High pressure moving in behind it. But behind that
26:43cold front, really chilly. Places like Chicago, a high of two, snowing to Toronto, but way down
26:48toward the south ahead of that front, high of 26 in Atlanta coming up on Monday. Hope you have a
26:53good
26:53day wherever you are.
27:35And that's all for this edition of Newsroom Tokyo. Be sure to catch our program on our website as
27:40well. I'm Raja Pradhan. And I'm Yamasawa Rina. Thank you very much for watching. Please join us again
27:46tomorrow.
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