hello. welcome back to "newsline." i'm yuko fukushima. a is us state department spokesperson says the five countries that negotiated with north korea over nuclear development are united in their opposition to pyongyang's planned rocket launch. north korea says it will be carrying a satellite. the u.s. and its allies believe it's a cover to test a missile. >> we were heartened that every single one of the six-party talks participants made clear that they think this would be an extremely bad idea and a

violation of the u.n. security council resolutions, so we are hoping and expecting that the dprk will take that to heart. >> nuland also spoke about the agreement between the u.s. and north korea last month. it would accept inspectors at its nuclear facilities, including a uranium enrichment plant. nuland said u.s. support of the pact depends on the details of the north's invitation and what the inspectors would be able to see. north korea has unveiled a detailed schedule of its plan to launch the rocket. the japanese foreign ministry said on monday it received the information from the international maritime organization. the institution issued the details to all member countries. the ministry said the north plans to fire the rocket from pyongyang pphkdo. the launch is scheduled for between 7:00 a.m. and noon april 12th to the 16th.

it said the first debris is expected to fall into the yellow sea about 130 kilometers off south korea in a 30 by 80 kilometer area. further debris could fall into the pacific ocean, some 130 kilometers off the philippines. the ministry said some objects will pass over japan's southern sakishima islands. as tensions are rising on the korean peninsula the united states is showing the media key equipment for its annual joint military exercise with south korea. the drill is already under way, it aims to enhance the force's mobility in ground battles. the u.s. forces on tuesday allowed media to observe the transportation of stryker armed vehicles. 36 units of the vehicle arrived at the southern port city of phusan from hawaii, they'll be sent to a u.s. base in south korea to take part in shooting exercises. >> the strykers being introduced to the korean peninsula for the first time again just speaks volumes to our resolve in our

partnership with the republic of korea and the united states alliance. >> tuesday's demonstration is widely viewed as an effort by the u.s. and south korea to highlight their unity ahead of the launch by north korea. today marks the 17th anniversary of a deadly sarin gas attack on tokyo's metro system. the incident left 13 people dead and sickened about 6,300 others. members of aum shinrikyo religious cult released the toxic gas inside subway trains during the morning rush hour. a memorial service was held at tokyo's kasumigaseki station. families of the victims and other participants, including transport minister takeshi maeda, offered flowers. >> translator: i offer flowers every year in the hope that people's memory do not fade away. >> japan's supreme court has

finalized death sentences for 13 members of the cult for the sarin attack and other crimes. japan and canada are expected to announce a plan to negotiate a bilateral economic partnership agreement. the two sides will likely give the final go ahead to the talks when japanese prime minister yoshihiko noda meets canadian prime minister stephen harper in tokyo later this month. japan is looking for an abolition of tariffs on its cars. it also wants a stable supply of canadian coal and natural gas. canada would be able to expand exports of wheat and other farm products to japan. the proposed epa negotiations would be the first for japan with another member of the group of eight industrialized countries. the u.s. soldier accused of a shooting rampage in

afghanistan has told his lawyers that he remembers little of the incident. the defense team argues that he was under severe stress after a colleague was seriously wounded one day earlier. the army staff sergeant shot and killed 16 civilians, including women and children in the southern province of kandahar on the 11th of this month. the soldier's defense lawyers met him for the first time on monday at a military base in the u.s. state of kansas, where he's being detained. after the interview, the lawyers said their client has memories of before and after the incident but very little in between. they quoted him as saying he was not intoxicated at the time of the shooting. the defense team suggested the client may have been of unsound mind at the time. his colleagues say he was an exemplary soldier and had commendations for good conduct but his family says he was unhappy at being sent to afghanistan following three tours of duty in iraq.

the eastern european republic of moldova has a new president. he fills a post left vacant during two and a half years of political deadlock. nicolae timofti was the nominee of the ruling coalition. he won the election by gaining the support of three defectors from the communist opposition. he got the backing of more than 60% of lawmakers in a vote held on friday. timofti is a 63-year-old judge who plans to strengthen ties with western countries. he believes that developing bonds with europe is a priority for the former soviet republic. as president of one of europe's poorest nations, timofti will face pressure to promote economic growth. opposition communist politicians boycotted the election, claiming the voting procedures were illegal. the country's constitutional court dismissed the communists' complaints on monday, clearing the way for the vote to be finalized. moldova had been without a president since 2009.

candidates backed by the pro-european ruling coalition and the pro-russian communist opposition each had failed to garner the 61 votes required to win in the 101-seat parliament. japanese astronaut akihiko hoshide is hard at work at nasa's johnson space center in texas. he's preparing for a long stay in outer space. hoshide will head to the international space station this summer aboard the russian spacecraft soyuz for a five-month mission. hoshide's training at the center includes remote operation of the space station's robotic arm. it will be used to take hold of a japanese spacecraft, bringing supplies. during the mission, he's expected to look into the possible effects of cosmic radiation and zero gravity. >> translator: my mission will involve conducting experiments during several months in space. i'm excited.

>> hoshide stayed on the space station for eight days in 2008. japan has signed a deal to finance the construction of a new subway line in asia. tokyo will extend loans totaling 33 billion yen or $395 million for the project. the 17 kilometer underground line will begin operating in 2020. it will connect central cairo to the pyramids in half an hour. about 1.35 million passengers and tourists are expected to use the system every day. the egyptian prime minister kamal el ganzory and japan international cooperation agency president sadako ogata attended a signing ceremony on monday. >> translator: it will be so exciting to see people visiting and sightseeing at the pyramids using this japanese-made metro train. i expect that many people are interested in this project. >> egypt's international

cooperation minister fayza aboulnaga said she is very grateful for the japanese aid. she says the metro will boost the egyptian economy by transporting tourists to the giza pyramids outside the capital cairo. now let's bring you weather forecasts around the world. that's it for now on "newsline."

we'll be back at the top of the next hour so please stay tuned to nhk world. i'm yuko fukushima. . a new day begins in kyoto, a city more than 1,000 years old. behind this narrow door, that you might easily overlook, she

lives. you open a lattice door and find a narrow but long pathway that stretches before you. you enter and the outside hustle and bustle fades away with each step you take. sakurako is the vice grandmaster of the school of ikebana or flower arrangement established in kyoto more than 300 years ago. spring clean water is a morning routine. it is an old japanese custom for lowering the temperature and

keeping the dust down. floating on water, it makes visitors feel cooler on a hot warm day. it is a gesture of hospitality. at the end of the narrow pathway stands a traditional kyoto house. sakurako begins her day by cleansing the place where she'll arrange flower, until no spec of dust remains. the first flower arrangement she does is for the entrance. she has selected chinese

bellflowers, morningstar lilies, japanese silver grass and hydrangeas. all of these give a feeling of coolness. flower arrangement is supposed to reflect the way flowers grow naturally in fields and mountains. but arranging them as they are will not bring out their natural beauty. tipping the leaves and changing the shapes, sakurako draws out the nuances inherent in plants and flowers. just like people, no two flowers look the same. some stand out, some enhance others.

the key is to create harmony while bringing out the best in each. ikebana is an art accomplished by both those who arrange flowers and those who appreciate them. now, the flowers are ready to greet guests at the entrance. flowers are placed in various spaces in the house.

each arrangement is created with a specific spot in mind. the moment a guest finds an arrangement beautiful, the communication between the person and the flowers is made. >> translator: flowers are alive, so i want them to look beautiful. each flower has a specific direction they want to face in, so you just let them. and they settle into form naturally. the key, i think, is to look at each flower, feel it, talk to it, and place it with care. >> ikebana is said to have

originated as flowers offered to buddha. later, appreciating flowers became popular among the noble people. once, an elevated ail cove in a guest room became common place. people started decorating their house with flowers. ikebana culture developed as people have decorated with seasonal flowers. there is something sakurako consults on occasion, as someone who's born to the home of an

ikebana grandmaster. it is a book that was written 300 s ago, by the first grandmaster. the first grandmaster, is said to have established the oldest form of flower arrangement. to carry on the tradition, sakurako started learning ikebana at the age of 6. >> translator: the responsibility to pass down tradition and nurture the next generation is heavy. so, i just tell myself to live one day at a time, with attention to detail.

>> in the afternoon, sakurako visits a flower shop to select flowers for ikebana lessons. she always selects the flowers for the lessons herself. >> translator: hello. it's a hot day, isn't it? >> it sure is. >> founded in 1861, this is one of the premiere flower shops in kyoto. many people love ikebana in kyoto, where the traditional way of life is still valued. that is why this shop carries various kinds of wild plants and flowers that are indigenous to japan.

sakurako's family has patronized the shop for more than half a century. >> translator: this one and -- pink is a soft color, so would you like to combine it with a more substantial color? >> sakurako chooses flowers based on a sense of the season and color combinations. imagining many possible arrangements, she picks flowers for her 30 students.

the market, known as the kitchen of kyoto, taking time off from her busy schedule, sakurako is here to shop for tonight's dinner. fresh fish are displayed at her favorite fish store. this is a market frequented by professional cooks as well, because plenty of fresh san ingredients are available here.

>> 5 p.m., sakurako begins preparing for the ikebana lesson with her students.

before the lesson starts, sakurako always prays to her ancestors and focuses her mind. her students begin to gather. being beginning >> her style of teaching is to first let

students arrange their flowers as they like and then give advice, based on their finished work. this german lady has been taking lessons for five years. >> translator: it's beautiful. great job, as always. very beautiful. it has depth and height and is very natural. these buds are cute, too. >> junnosuke is sakurako's nephew.

he started taking lessons three years ago. >> did you finish? the lily has good momentum. shall we move the pink flower in front of the lily? it gets in the way of the lily. and it looks dull if similar colors are evenly arranged. let's make a nice contrast here. >> junnosuke's arrangement looks flat because the pink flowers are at regular intervals. sakurako has lowered the pink flowers, changed their angles and moved each closer or farther away. now, the arrangement has more depth and brings out the presence of the lily.

>> translator: okay. that looks good. well done. >> even though they used the same flowers, each person arranges them differently, reflecting their different personalities. sakurako doesn't just teach techniques to her students, she also teaches how to face flowers on a spiritual level. to bring out the best in each student, she only gives them minimal help. >> translator: flowers are always around us. we can feel them in our daily lives and receive the blesses of each season. that's what i'd like to teach my

students through ikebana. >> after the ikebana lesson, sakurako immediately goes about preparing dinner. she cooks every meal using seasonal ingredients and thinking of the people who will eat it. for her, cooking is not entirely like ikebana. the entire family gathers at the dinner table. sakurako's nephew, her father and her husband sit at the same table. that brings a smile to her face.

at night, sakurako arranges the flowers hat are left over from the ikebana lesson. she wants all the flowers to blossom beautifully until the very end. it begins with flowers and ends with flowers. that's sakurako's day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com