to monitor the situation on the korean peninsula and trying to monitor the issue surrounding north korea's nuclear development program. some american officials say obama shouldn't meet one-on-one with noda until progress is made on the relocation of the u.s. futenma air station. members of japan's central government are trying to win the approval of local authorities in okinawa. south korea's president, lee myung-bak, used his new year's address to promise to do all he can to maintain peace and

stability on the korean peninsula. >> translator: the government's priority is to properly manage annal uncertain situation so the public can have peace of mind. >> he said he anticipates big changes on the korean peninsula and in northeast asia because of the death of kim jong-il. he said south korea is opening a window of opportunity for improving relations with the north but the south will maintain tight national security as long as there is a possibility of military provocation. he said the two koreas have the main responsibility for maintaining peace and security on the korean peninsula and that he hopes neighboring countries will help them. north korea's new leader, kim jong-un, inspected a tank force on sunday. he is now the supreme commander of the military, a position held by his late father. the country's state media said that the inspection was conducted along with jang song thaek, his brother-in-law and ri

yong ho, chief of the north korean people's army general staff. kim jong-un told the tank force to prepare for action and maintain readiness to react to any situation as quickly as possible. otherers say he visited the mill tae un is to assert his position as successor to his father. authorities in the u.s. state of washington have cordoned off a national park and are searching for a suspect in the fatal shooting of a park rain injure. they say the man they are looking for is believed to be armed and hiding in mt. ranier national park. the local sheriff's office and other sources say the suspect fired at the 34-year-old forest ranger when she tried to stop his car after he drove through a checkpoint on sunday. the man is believed to have run into the forest after deserting his car. authorities say the suspect may also be responsible for a pre-dawn shooting in a nearby residential area. four people were wounded.

mt. ranier national park attracts about 2 million visitors annually including skiers. the operator of the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant has to juggle two huge tasks this year. one is to continue cooling the damage reactors. the other is to start preparing for decommissioning. the japanese government said two weeks ago that the reactors had reached a state of cold shutdown, an important step in bringing the plant under control. the government in tokyo electric released a work schedule showing that decommissioning may take up to 40 years. tokyo electric plans to develop technology for decontaminating the inside of the reactor buildings and repairing the containment vessels. it also needs to remove fuel that's believed to have melted and fallen into the containment

vessels. another task is removing debris from the number four reactor building, which was damaged by an explosion. tokyo electric needs to get the debris out of the way so they can start removing spent nuclear fuel. the challenges for tokyo electric also include keeping the reactors cool and dealing with contaminated cooling water. the company plans to cut the length of four kilometers of piping by half. it also plans to install a new facility to remove radioactive strongium from wastewater. the japanese emperor has given his annual new year greeting to the public. he wished earn a better year as japan recovers from the earthquake and tsunami. the emperor appeared with his family on the balcony of the imperial palace in tokyo where he greeted thousands of well

wishers. >> the new year holidays are continuing here in japan. one place you can definitely feel the mood is department stores. they are packed with new year bargain hunters. 20,000 people waited for this department store in tokyo to open its doors in the morning. the store says it prepared 100,000 of what are known as lucky bags. these are popular, because they are full of discounted items. this year's lucky bags contain items on the themes of safety, peace of mind, and family ties

in light of the earthquake and tsunami last year. one popular type has a radio, a portable gas cooker and other things useful for surviving a disaster. another contains meat and vegetables for a hot pot that a family can enjoy together. >> translator: i spent over $1,600. i bought lucky bags for my relatives in the disaster area. >> reporter: department stores in japan saw the sales fall for the 14th year in a row. they are hoping their new year's specials will lure shoppers back. before we get to the world weather forecast, we want to introduce you to a hardy bunch of children. they braved the cold in eastern japan to kick off this year's practice of the traditional martial art, karate. about 60 participants took part in the annual ritual on monday

in the town of na ga toe doe. mostly elementary and junior high school students. they wore kara tay uniforms and were barefoot. they sat up straight on rocks to concentrate and then they practiced punches and kicks as well as sparring moves. the practice concluded after trainers and older children waded knee deep into the river to demonstrate karate moves. >> translator: the three of us do karate together. it was cold but it made me feel motivated. >> translator: i have never knocked down anything so i want to score my first win at the tournament this year. quite bracing to say the least. up next here on "newsline," the

extended world weather forecast.

that concludes this addition of "newsline." i'm james tengan in tokyo. thanks for watching. stay tuned tomorrow here on nhk world. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com my girl is touchy, and she doesn't cook. or anything. >> i work from morning 'til night. even on holidays. but i never get a raise. it's not fair. >> my boyfriend is a women p. -- a wimp. when he is angry, he takes it out on me and cries.

>> grumbling. complaining about things beyond one's control. today on documentary 20 minutes, we'll listen to the grumblings of ordinary people on the streets. shinsaibashi is busy in osaka and streets are bustling with people. they come here after work for a drink. i was strolling the streets after the last train had left, looking for something interesting. what's this?

>> translator: we listen to people grumbling. >> that's interesting. >> now they are friends from high school. they're 23 years old. every friday from 11:00 at night to 5:00 in the morning they sit on the sidewalk and listen to people gripe. let's hang out and see how they do it. >> you listen to grumbling? >> yes, we do. >> seeing two handsome guys, a lot of girls stop by to talk. >> translator: will you listen to me? wow. i can't seem to find a boyfriend. boys these days irritate me.

they're all sissies. so if a boy likes a girl and she has a steady, he just gives up, or waits around until the two split up. i really don't know what he's thinking. why doesn't he go and get her? >> how could she tell something like that to strange young guys? >> you listen for free? i have a heap of things i want to say. >> a man this time. >> where i work, your pay depends how many years you're with the company. ability doesn't matter. some workers may have been employed for 10, 20 years, but they haven't learned anything. but the longer you've been with the company, the more you get.

if you're young, you don't get paid much, even if you're good at the job. what i want to say is get rid of the employees that can't do their jobs. >> well, you'll need a lot of guts to say that on the job. people come one after another. the two will listen for hours, free of charge. but i wonder, why do they do this? >> translator: i have a kind of phobia about people, and i can't carry on a conversation.

but i want to be honest and even talk about things that are painful to me. i didn't know how to go about it. so i thought i could learn from others by listening to them. >> the two listen to strangers now, but they used to be really shy and afraid of people. when he was in high school, he wasn't good at connecting with people, so he often skipped school. after graduation, he just hung around doing odd jobs now and then. but he decided to change by talking to people on the street and asked his friend to join him.

>> translator: there's so much work to be done, but they hardly ever pay me for overtime. i know it's grumbling. >> translator: it's depressing to think i am so insignificant. >> everybody has something to complain about, so the two decided to become good listeners. >> translator: good evening. will you listen to my story? >> a middle aged man stopped by. >> translator: i am fed up. but what's the use of saying all this? the steel industry, you know, isn't doing so well. >> this man runs a small factory.

>> translator: it's like this. a worker says he has to go home early because he has to drive his wife somewhere. and another one calls to say his wife has a cold, so he can't come in. things like that aren't unusual any more. people my age would never do something like that. when we were young, our seniors would scold us if we did that. they would take us out for a drink and lecture us how important work is. but if we do that now, young people would just laugh at us. >> i wouldn't laugh, never. i'd be pleased knowing that you're thinking about me. i would thank you.

>> translator: really? you gave me a new view. i have to change my way of thinking. i thought all kids were the same. >> hey, they did it! the boss is rethinking things. but there are some people that are really hard to handle. >> i'm happy. that's why i have no complaints about my job, and i don't think that you two can make people happy, because you're both green. >> he's really sarcastic, but it won't turn into a quarrel. they make it a rule never to contradict a person. they just keep on listening, and

then -->> translator: i basically like people, just tired that's all. i want to grumble about how tired i am. i work on holidays, too. i'm just tired. >> i guess it is easier to show your weakness to a stranger. they have listened to the complaints of 700 people. >> some people look very serious in the beginning, but after talking for awhile, they start to smile and even laugh. watching them made me realize that if you let your troubles get to you, then everything will be miserable.

but if you can laugh at your misfortune, things may not seem that bad. >> some people come in the wee hours of the morning. >> when i am home, my wife doesn't speak to me. >> he started to grumble about his family. >> translator: i have two daughters, but they don't care about me at all. when i'm home, my wife and daughters ignore me. they stay in their rooms and i'm alone in the living room, watching tv, talking to people on tv.

they just need me for money. if i lose my job, they're going to dump me! the only thing i'll have left is the mortgage. they'll probably say don't worry about us and leave. i am so miserable. >> his complaints about his family seem endless. >> you know, i like dogs, so i asked her can i get a dog? and she says no. she tells me that our daughter is allergic, so you can't keep a dog in the house. i thought if i had a dog, then it would be my only friend, but i can't even do that. so now you know my lonesome fate. >> he grumbled over an hour.

he was the last customer. well, that's it for today. >> listening to them takes time. i wanted to hear more. >> do they really want to listen to gripes from people their parents' age? they're so young. so i wonder why? he lives with his grandparents in osaka, away from his parents who also live in the city. when he was little, his father neglected the family and his

parents always quarrelled, so he learned not to show his feelings. that's probably why he doesn't know how to communicate with others. >> bon appetite. >> he says listening to the grumbles of older people has changed him. >> translator: many people in their 50s and 60s come to talk to us, even though they're much older and experienced in life. they talk about their jobs, their families. listening to their stories made me realize that maybe my parents felt the same way about me.

i thought my father must have had troubles and anxieties like these people. things like that were beyond my imagination or interest at the time, but little by little i realize mom and dad had their difficulties and that i wanted to know about them. >> he has listened to 700 people grumbling to understand his parents. that's a lot of listening. sometimes regulars drop in. this girl brought a pack of snacks. she has gripes about her job at

a cafe. >> translator: kids employed after me get better jobs. my boss still doesn't let me do the accounting. maybe i'm not good enough. >> he nods and let's her talk as much as she wants. >> translator: the snacks are good. i haven't eaten anything since last night. i felt sick thinking about my job. >> he changes how he interacts depending on the person. >> translator: i can't get any sleep these days. i work all week long and go to college, too. what should i do?

>> this college student works nights to earn his tuition. that's tough. >> i'm very worried about you. if you can, maybe you could skip school? >> translator: i'll try that. i'm glad i talked to you. >> he doesn't just listen, he's learned to give advice. >> oh, it is the man complaining about his family. he is back. >> your wife still won't let you have a dog? >> no. >> no welcome home, bow wow?

>> translator: my daughters won't even come near me. tomorrow is father's day and i wonder what they'll give me. nothing probably. >> you know, i had a hard time relate to go my father. i had many things to tell him, but i couldn't. >> he started talking about himself. >> when i talk to you, it reminds me of my dad. >> translator: why is that? >> i felt lonely because i couldn't talk to my father. if you can't get along with your father when you're little, it doesn't change much when you get older. i was frustrated not being able to say what i wanted to. and now?

now i knew how difficult it must have been for my father to work and support us. i knew it in my mind, now i feel it in my heart, it must have been hard. >> translator: >> it is. >> now i see how hard my father worked for us and i want to let him know, but it is still hard to say the words. i think your daughters are the same. they're probably shy and can't say thank you, even though they want to. when i get married, i want my kids to be able to thank their father. >> translator: good for you. the father works so that you don't have to. life is difficult, but you kids shouldn't give up. we older folks are giving all we've got to support our families, no matter how we're treated. i tell you, it's good to have a

family. >> he grumbled about his family, but talking made him smile. >> translator: thanks for everything. >> please come again. >> translator: it is sometimes difficult to complain to people close to you. i'm like that, too. it's probably easier to speak to someone that knows nothing about you. i think everybody is like that. >> grumbling may not solve anything, but it's amazing to see people smile, just from talking about their troubles.