hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." it's friday, march 23rd, 8:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi.

prime minister another another is expected to outline a new vision for defending nuclear power plants. sources close to the japanese government say he will lay out his plan at the upcoming nuclear security summit in seoul. noda is expected to stress the importance of preparing for any contingency based on lessons from the fukushima accident. sources close to the prime minister say he will underscore the necessity for an immediate response where the cause is a natural disaster or terrorism. they say the prime minister will emphasize the need for trained emergency response teams and proper equipment. noda's expected to promise to increase the number of security guards at nuclear facilities, and strengthen inspections. the sources say noda will introduce new steps to protect not only reactors but also outdoor facilities, such as the seawater pumps used to cool them. japan and the united states have agreed to share information and coordinate closely in

dealing with next month's planned rocket launch by north korea. the agreement came at a meeting in tokyo between the japanese defense minister and u.s. arm to japan. >> translator: as we face the north korean issue, now is a good time to demonstrate the u.s.-japan alliance. >> the japanese prime minister said the international community should unite in pressing north korea to abandon the launch plan. the ambassador said the north's action is a threat to peace and stability in the asia pacific region. he said he will order the self-defense forces to prepare to intercept any falling debris from the rocket. he added that the defense ministry is considering deploying destroiyers with a complete air defense system off the southern islands.

he sa south korea says it will work with other countries to persuade north korea to scrap the launch plan. the south korean foreign minister says he has discussed the issue with china, japan, russia and the united states. >> translator: the nations shares a common understanding that what north korea calls a satellite launch would violate u.n. security council resolutions. we will continue discussing the matter based on this understanding. >> the resolutions adopted two years ago ban any use of ballistic missile technology by north korea. the country says the launch is for the peaceful use of space. south korea strongly opposes the launch saying it is designed to develop technology for ballistic missiles that could carry nuclear weapons. u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon has also expressed great concerns over north korea's launch plans. he says he'll discuss the issue

with world leaders at the nuclear security summit in south korea next week. japan securities watchdog has launched an investigation into aij investment advisers on suspicion of defrauding its clients. aij allegedly misrepresented its position when taking investments because it wanted additional funds to recoup last past losses.past losses. the tokyo-based asset manager lost most of its roughly $1.8 billion entrusted to it by other firms and pension funds. it has ready access to only around $97 million. sources say that in a bid to cover up the huge losses, aij president asakawa fabricated investment statements, and made accountants falsify audit reports. the sources say the firm tricked new clients into buying products for high prices although the value had sharply declined as a result of aij's investment failures.

the financial services agency also plans to strip aij of its registration as an asset manager. the united states is asking japan to pay for the transfer of u.s. marines stationed in okinawa to locations other than guam. tokyo and washington are making arrangements for the planned realignment of u.s. forces stationed in okinawa, southwestern japan. the current plan is to reduce the number of marines initially set at 8,000 to be transferred from okinawa to guam. 5,000 marines will now go to other places outside japan, including hawaii and northern australia. it's been revealed that in bilateral working level talks, the u.s. has asked japan to pay for the transfer to locations other than guam. some japanese government officials argue that it is unavoidable to bear part of the cost for the transfers to reduce the burden on okinawa.

both countries had previously agreed that japan will pay $6.1 billion for the transfer of 8,000 marines to guam. some japanese officials say the government should ask for the sum to be reduced to match the number of military personnel going to guam. japan and kuwait have agreed to step up cooperation in the energy field. the two countries also signed an agreement to promote mutual investments. prime minister yoshihiko noda thanked the leader for his country's donation of 5 million barrels of crude oil following last year's disaster, as well as for providing a stable supply. he replied it is in his country's capacity to meet japan's increasing need for oil. leaders agreed that stability in oil markets is indispensable for global economic growth. noda explained japan's disaster

reconstruction efforts, to which he responded that kuwait will lift restrictions on food imports from japan. cartoonists and illustrators around the world have joined hands to produce an art book full of messages to encourage japan as it tries to recover from last year's earthquake and tsunami. the work was publish in japan earlier this month at the initiative of a french comic writer. nhk world met him as he visited japan one year after the disaster. >> reporter: this is one of europe's leading writers of comic books. he's been a fan of japanese comics since he was a child.

>> not so good. >> reporter: on march 11, 2011, he was in tokyo on business. >> when i saw japanese next to me fainting or starting to cry, or even calling out for people in panic, that's when i really understood we were witnessing a historic moment. >> reporter: he invited a wider group of artists to produce illustrations for japan. about 2,000 were sent to him over the next two months. >> translator: i think illustrations help calm you. you pick up a book, sit down, take time to look at it and you're in a calmer place.

>> reporter: 140 comic artists and illustrators from europe, japan and other countries in asia. this is a depiction of fukushima 50 years in now relying on fukushima as a wind energy source. each picture of full of prayers for the victims' souls and recovery of the disaster-hit area. as part of a new project, he built a temporary housing community in one of the regions affected by the tsunami. he feels after the disaster french media focused too much on the nuclear accident instead of people suffering. he's asking survivors to recount their experiences so he can write scenarios about them for the world to read. >> translator: i remember it all as if it happened yesterday.

i also find myself wondering what i'm doing here. >> translator: brownish water gushed forward. i didn't think my house would be swept away. but now it's all gone. i haven't been sleeping well since the disaster. the more i think about it, the more everything seems hopeless. >> i'd really like you to tell this kind of story to me. so maybe if she's okay with me, we can possibly make it translate? >> translator: please let them know that we would appreciate their help. >> reporter: he visited several areas in miyagi and fukushima prefecture over three days. many people he met asked him to convey their plight to the world.

>> i think there is something very interesting here we can talk about, about human being. not go japan, of course, but about the life of humans. yes. >> reporter: one year on, he says he's determined to continue writing comics about the disaster to make sure the world remembers. nhk world. >> the first version of his book was published in france last year. part of the proceeds from sales in japan and abroad will be donated to disaster-hit areas. next we go bangkok to find out what's happening in the region. >> the coming elections in myanmar have become a litmus test of the country's democratization. they have invited the united

states to send observers to monitor the vote. >> this is a welcome first step. we would obviously encourage the burmese government to try to bring this monitoring effort as closely as they can to international standards. >> by elections to both chambers of parliament, as well as regional assemblies are scheduled for april 1st. the most high-profile candidate is pro-democracy leader aung san suu kyi. myanmar announced this week it would accept observers from its asean neighbors. newland suggested the limited number of invitations falls short of international standards for election monitoring, but she said the u.s. would work with the other observers from asean.

washington is closely watching the vote to judge myanmar's commitment to democratization. myanmar's government apparently hopes that by accepting foreign observers, it will encourage the international community to take a positive stance and eventually lift economic sanctions. myanmar steps toward political reform roo alreaare a changing the way international community sees the country. they now think of myanmar as the place to invest. foreign companies are scrambling to secure their piece of the pie. nkh's jim kobayashi reports.fir exhibition of japanese products was held in march. some 45 japanese companies showcased products, including motorcycles, household appliances, and cosmetics.

>> translator: japanese products are a lot better than those from other countries. >> reporter: until now, few western brands have been able to secure a foothold in this market of 60 million consumers. but myanmar's moves toward democratization are giving many foreign companies hope. a japanesemaker for machinery used in mill works, the regional manager bid the company in myanmar. >> this market has great potential. we are treating it as a significant opportunity to invest. >> reporter: the company already holds a top spot among worldwide

manufacturers of large scale mill. experts are betting that exports from myanmar will grow significantly boosting demand for their equipment. until the 1960s, myanmar was the world's largest exporter of rice. producing an estimated 5 million tons a year. but it has since been overtaken by thailand and vietnam. in 2011, myanmar claimed top spot in one category in the worldwide competition. collated rice. >> translator: i believe our rice industry will continue to expand. it won't be long before we reclaim our position as the world's largest exporter of rice. >> reporter: rice from myanmar costs 30% less in thailand and

vietnam but the quality of myanmar's grains continues to improve. convinced it will be major opportunity. the key will be to continue improving the product, and that's where his company steps in. high-tech sensors in the camera in the rice mills instantly filter out tainted grains. he says this kind of technology will help raise the rice from myanmar. >> this type of machine is an essential component of rice processing. when it comes to exports, it will be one of our company's main assets. >> reporter: but his plants are under threat. copycat machines sold at one-third of the price are penetrating myanmar from neighboring china. he is trying to explain that

japan's standards are essential for export. >> translator: it is a very tough battle but i believe that customers in search of better quality will benefit from our equipment. we still have a chance. >> reporter: as a full lifting of sanctions becomes ever more likely, competition among companies is expected to heat up. the time for opportunities in emerging myanmar has only just begun. j jim kobayashi, nhk world. rising fuel prices are becoming a risk to the strong goet enjoyed by most asean economies. a gauge of world oil prices has been over $100 a barrel since last month, amid tension with and sanctions against iran. consumers in southeast asia are feeling the pinch and they're starting to make their anger

known. in indonesia, around 5,000 protesters rallied wednesday outside the presidential palace in jakarta. they called for a planned hike in fuel prices to be delayed. the government of the president there has proposed a 33% increase in energy prices. the plan still needs to be approved by parliament. it's due to come into effect on april 1st. >> translator: the government says it has to raise prices. my question is who put it on this lot? the people? >> economists forecast the price hike will push indonesia's inflation rate above 7% this year. meanwhile, in the philippines, people are also showing anger about fuel prices in a unique way. the a littlest trend mocks the

president's alleged inaction on the issue. it involves people just sitting down and looking bored. or lying around staring into space. basically, not doing much at all. local media quoted the president as saying the new form of protest does not merit attention. that's going to wrap up our bulletin. i'm pack sh now let's take a look at market figures. now let's ta market figures.

now time for your world weather forecast. it was really warm in tokyo yesterday and felt like spring. but i lear it will be chilly today again. what's going on? >> good morning. yes, it was a quite warm day yesterday. the high rose to the mid teens. however, yes, it is going to feel more like winter today. the reason is this developing low pressure system that will bring cold air to our area. so temperatures will dip into the single digits. however, tole south of the front areas like kyushu temperatures will rise above average. precipitation wise, heavy rain is occurring in western japan up

to 200 millimeters is possible in the next 24 hours. thunderstorms and gusty winds will be accompanied with the heavy precipitation. as the system moves towards the northeast, rain should change over to snow in northern tohoku. heavy snow is in the cards over the weekend here. meanwhile, rain in the southern half of the korea peninsula will move out to sea, but instead snow will be moving into the northern half of the peninsula on -- over the next 24 hours. as for china, ongoing heavy showers will dissipate so that's good news. down towards the iindochina, he rain will occur as well as in southern vietnam on saturday. another scorching day for you in bangkok with 37 degrees, cooler than nanaverage in shanghai wit 11. tokyo dipping down to 9 degrees on friday but back to 15 degrees

on saturday. very changing weather here. change over to the americas, we can zero tating clouds over the central u.s. so severe thunderstorms are still impacting this area and it hasn't moved very much so the rainfall total will become even more significant currently parts of alabama and mississippi are experiencing the brunt of it. tornado watches have been issued here. over the next 24 hours, as i mentioned, it won't moch veve v much so the risk of flash floods is very high here. toward the west, a freezing rain will move into central canada. meanwhi meanwhile, stays dry akrot the west coast. however, as a strong low pressure moves in things will turn wet and gusty over the weekend. as for the high, historic warmth will continue across the western half of the u.s. getle up to 20 degrees in chicago and summer like -- 27 in washington, d.c. but parts of ontario and quebec are starting to see temperatures

drop. 18 degrees for a daytime high on friday. and it will become even cooler as we head into saturday. heading over to europe, mostly calm across much of europe, but a very strong low pressure system is dashing down over western russia bringing a wintry mix. because this the system is containing a lot of cool air, temperatures will dip to 1 agree in moscow. but other than that, the exceptional warmth is continuing. 20 degrees in paris and 17 degrees in berlin. actually the warmth will likely continue until the end of march. up next is your three-day outlook. imimimimimime mister yos

expected to outline a new vision for defending nuclear power plants. sources close to the japanese government say he will lay out his plan at the upcoming nuclear security summit in seoul. noda's expected to stress the importance of preparing for any contingency based on lessons from the fukushima accident. sources close to the prime minister say he'll underscore the necessity for an immediate response, whether the cause is a natural disaster or terrorism. they say the prime minister will emphasize the need for trained emergency response teams and proper equipment. noda is expected to promise to increase the number of security guards at nuclear facilities and strengthen inspections. the sources say noda will introduce new steps to protect not only reactors, but also

outdoor facilities such as the seawater pumps used to cool them. japan's securities watchdog has launched an investigation into aij investment advisors on suspicion of defrauding its clients. aij allegedly misrepresented its position when taking investment because it wanted additional funds to recoup past losses. the tokyo-based asset manager lost most of the roughly $1.8 million entrusted to it by other firms and pension funds. it has ready access to only around $97 million. sources say that in a bid to cover up the huge losses, the aij president fabricated investment statements and made accountants falsify audit reports. the sources say the firm tricked new clients into buying financial products for high prices, although their value will sharply declined as a result of aij's investment

failures. the financial services agency also plans to strip aij of its registration as an asset manager. one of the world's largest animation trade fairs is under way in tokyo. featuring works from japan and abroad. the annual tokyo international anime fair opened on thursday. last year's event was canceled due to the march 11th disaster. this year's theme is reconstruction from the disaster, and features an animation character statue that was repaired after being destroyed by tsunami waves. also on display are magazines featuring landscapes drawn by cartoonists associated with disaster-hit iwate prefecture. >> translator: i came to this fair two years ago but i liked artwork and styles used this time much better.

>> translator: people in iwate suffered a lot but also received a lot of support. we'd like to express our preesh ya appreciation and let people see our products. >> 216 companies and municipalities have set up booths at the fair venue. a record high number of participants from abroad are participating this year. that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm katherine kobayashi in tokyo. do stay with us.