standing by. north korean officials push ahead with their plan to launch a rocket as diplomats elsewhere wonder what they're up to. north korean authorities are just days away from a controversial countdown. they've moved a rocket into place and they say they're going to use it to send a satellite into space sometime between thursday and monday. but foreign governments don't buy it. they say this is all an elaborate cover for a long-range missile test. the north crease leaders are trying to counter that claim by

giving the media a front-row seat. they invited about 60 international journalists to check out the launchpad. the site is in the northwestern part of the country. all three stages of the 30-meter-high rocket are in position. it's marked with a north korean flag and the name "milky way iii" in korean. officials showed journalists what they say is the satellite they plan to launch. the device is covered with solar panels and is equipped with cameras and antennas. the north korean official responsible for the launch facility said everything has been prepared. he says crews could load the satellite, fuel up the rocket, and launch it at any time. he also says his country's leaders have an even bigger goal in mind. they want to put larger satellites into orbit in the future including a geostationary communications satellite. >> translator: we have already set out a concrete program.

it could pass over japan. it could also fly over other countries. >> we asked for an analysis from a retired vice admiral from japan's maritime self-defense force and an expert on ballistic missiles. >> the new rockets which they say are to carry the satellite into space, when i looked at that and also i compared with the old rocket, which was tried to launch the satellite but failed in april 2009. i can observe the two things different. the one thing is they have four new one, four nozzles, which means a very strong power. and the strong power to the rockets or missiles.

and the other one is in the bottom you may see the contour wing. that contour wing they didn't have in 2009, but now they have, which is some very, very precise control of the rocket would be available. this is a very precise and very stable and reliable things. they are able made. which means they have lessons learned from the failure of the launch of the missile in 2009. after that, they made an effort to improve that missile or rocket to launch a satellite. we can't say.

not only me, but every expert of the missiles or rockets of space issue in the world think that the satellite rocket this time could be equivalent to the experiment of a firing. long-range ballistic missile. which north korea didn't have now. >> that was a retired maritime self-defense force vice admiral. north korean authorities have been using state-run media to document the lead-up to the launch every step of the way. korean central television rep t reported on the foreign media visit we showed you earlier. the station says the tour shows there is heightened international interest in the upcoming event.

>> analysts say the korean central television report may be trying to boost the national profile and authority of the country's new leader, kim jong-un. north korea's likely preparing for a nuclear test in addition to the launch. the u.s. state department has warned the north that it would pose a threat to regional security. it has called on china to use its influence on the country. south korean intelligence officials said recent satellite images show that north korea's getting ready for a nuclear test in the northeast province. spokesperson victoria newland said firing a rocket is a provocative act but a nuclear test would be just as bad, if not worse. she said the u.s. has, again, called on north korea to abort its plan.

>> we are continuing to urge all of the countries that may have influence on the dprk, most notably china, to continue to use that influence to make clear they disapprove of this and would be a bad idea and further isolate the dprk. >> she said china is one of the countries that would benefit from a nuclear-free korean peninsula, but the chinese government disagrees that a u.s. resolution prohibits any country from launching ballistic missiles. the japanese foreign minister will seek the support of the g-8 in opposing the launch. koichiro gemba will visit washington for four days to attend the g-8 foreign ministers summit. the meetings will be held on wednesday and thursday. he hopes to coordinate with other countries to pressure the north to stop the launch. gem ba plans to ask counterpart to issue an emergency statement condemning north korea for violating u.n. security council

resolutions. he's expected to call for a tough stance such as adopting new u.n. resolutions criticizing the country. japan plans to re-test its early warning system on tuesday ahead of north korea's rocket launch. japan's fire and disaster management agency last week tested the so-called j-alert system. in 26 municipalities of okinawa prefecture. the tests failed in seven locations including the prefectural capital, naha. the agency asked the municipalities to fix the problems. for tuesday's re-test, the manage chlt task force will send dummy data twice. j-alert is designed to automatically activate public address systems. it issues alerts about natural disasters and other emergencies. countries along the course

of north korea's rocket are on high alert. falling debris is expected to hit about 130 kilometers off the northeast coast of luzon island in the philippines. the interior ministry ordered almost all local island governments to coordinate with the military and police. local media are intensifying their coverage amid fears that rocket parts may fall on philippine territory. >> taiwan is also making preparations. the rocket is likely to pass over the eastern coast of the island. the defense ministry has ordered troops to protect citizens be on the lookout for debris. defense minister told parliament

that he will consider coordinating with the united states to monitor the rockets and track its orbit. people in japan's northeast are focused on overcoming the challenges of the 2011 disaster. but it won't be easy. they have to rebuild homes, businesses, entire communities. we'll show you their struggles and their successes on "the road ahead" every wednesday at 1:00 p.m. japan time here on "newsline." the japanese government says the safety plan for the ohi nuclear power plant basically conforms to the new safety standards for reactors. the cabinet of prime minister yoshihiko noda will make a final decision later this week on whether to allow the two reactors at ohi to resume. they're currently offline for safety checks. noda convened a meeting on monday with four cabinet members including yukio edano. the operator of the facility

submitted the plan earlier in the day. >> translator: although we have decided that the number three and four reactors at the ohi plant basically conform to the government's new safety standards, we will discuss it further because this is a very important issue. >> the plan involves installing vents in 2015. they would filter the radioactive materials from the steam released to reduce the pressure in the containment v s vessels. the operator of the ohi plant is trying to prove its facility does not pose a threat to the public. executives of kansai electric power company want to re-start two reactors. the company's president, yagi, handed the paperwork to industry minister yukio edano. >> translator: i believe it's important for operators to raise

safety benchmarks, themselves. >> translator: we'll carry out the plan so we can further improve safety. >> the utility plans to construct an earthquake-resistant building in 2015. it says the office will serve as a response center to deal with nuclear accidents. the government says it has come up with an estimate that might affect its decision on whether to re-start the ohi facility. it says keeping all of the firm's reactors offline could result in a nearly 20% power shortage this summer in areas served by the utility including major cities, osaka, kobe, and kyoto. the government says a shortage of up to 19.6% is possible if the firm's reactors stay offline and temperatures reach the sweltering levels of the summer of 2010. the government projects a shortage of up to 17.2% if this summer's temperatures stay within the average range of the

past five years. but it says a shortage could drop to 7.6%. that's if factories operate on weekends instead of some weekdays and households use less power. the government plan to decide whether to re-start the ohi reactors after considering the estimate and the utility's new safety standards. prime minister yoshihiko noda has been on the job just eight months but is facing a crisis. an nhk poll suggests more than 50% of respondents disapprove of the prime minister's cabinet. this is the first time the number surpassed the midway point since the ministers took power last september. the survey says 53% this approve of noda's cabinet, a jump of five percentage points from a month ago. 30% of respondents support noda's cabinet, a drop of three percentage points. of the people who this approve of noda's cabinet, 46% said they cannot expect much from its

policies. another 27% said the cabinet lacks the ability to implement its ideas. the poll addressed the issue of re-starting nuclear reactors halted for inspections. 15% said they support the resumption. 39% were against. and 42% were unsure. the emperor or japan will resume a full schedule of public duties on tuesday as his health has been improving since having heart bypass surgery in february. emperor akahito and the empress were at their villa since thursday. they returned to the imperial palace on monday. the emperor had a house check at the household hospital. he rarely experiences shortness of breath and has less fluid in his chest. his doctors say his condition is getting better. crowned prince narahito has been

taking over the state duties on behalf of his father. sony is cutting about 10,000 jobs worldwide this year because of its money losing flat panel television business. the electronics maker plans to eliminate several thousand jobs in flat panel tv reduction and also reduce management positions in japan and overseas. sony expects to post a net loss of about $2.7 billion for the fiscal year that ended last month, mainly due to poor flat panel tv sales in the united states and europe. it will be the firm's fourth consecutive year of losses. on april 1st, about 2,000 sony employees were moved to a newly established company, japan display. sony and two other electronics companies toshiba created this

firm by mergie ining their liqu crystal subsidiaries. they plan to sell their subsidiary with about 3,000 employees later this year. all seven board members of sony including chairman howard stringer and the ceo plan to forego their bonuses for the last business year. corporate bankruptcies in japan declined in fiscal 2011 for the third straight year. the fall is attributed to increasing reconstruction projects after last year's marc says a little over 11,400 companies went under last fiscal year. that's down 0.5% from 2010. the number fell 27% in thdisast hit areas in northeastern japan. the reason was assistance the government provided for companies struck by the earthquake and tsunami. the research firm notes,

however, business situation may be worse than it appears in the coastal regions where residents had to evacuate following the fukushima nuclear accident. in these areas it says about 1,500 companies have had to suspend business but have not filed for bankruptcy, or authorities cannot locate the owners. now, let's take a look at the market figures.

crews in japan have finished a cleanup job that's taken more than three decades to complete. it's a legacy of the country's post-war boom. cabmeum leaked from a mine poisoning a wide area of land. worse, it triggered a disease among locals. all these years later, people in the region are getting ready to share the lessons they learned from this painful chapter in their history. my colleague found out more from nhk world. >> now, so could you explain what the disease is? >> the disease, here in 1968, it was designated as japan's first polluti pollution-related illness. some 200 cases were recognized since then. a softening of the bones and liver, dysfunction, severe pain all over the body. sick people constantly said in

the japanese word for "it hurts." it was caused by poisoning from local mining. toxins from the mine seeped into a large river and contaminated farmland downstream. it accumulated in the bodies of residents who ate locally produced rice. work to restore the contaminated land took 33 years to complete and ended just last month. a ceremony was held to mark the completion of the decontamination work. about 1,700 hectares of farmland was affected. it was converted into housing plots, parks, and other facilities. the government and the mining

company spent $500 million to replace the topsoil and turn it back into land. but there was no place to dump the contaminated soil, so they buried it on site deep under ground. first, the contaminated topsoil was removed. then the healthy soil below was dug out, making the huge hole. next, the polluted topsoil was put into the hole and covered by the healthy soil. finally, the entire plot was covered with soil brought from nearby mountains. nobumasa's farm was once badly polluted. it was impossible for him to plant rice that was edible. he was forced to grow rice used

for making industrial glue. worked to improve his farm's soil ended four years ago. after passing safety inspecti inspections, he was allowed to produce edible rice again. but he still faces obstacles. >> translator: when i first started growing rice for food, my fields were filled with stones and rocks. >> reporter: the mountain soil lacked the nutrients needed to grow rice. he had to start from scratch. he's still trying to make the soil nutritious enough for rice cultivation, but he often has to use chemical fertilizers. >> translator: i love my farmland, so i'm determined to do whatever i can, but i feel unsure about my future.

>> now, can you tell us about what's about to open? >> this museum is said to open april 29th. this place will show how local communities tackled it with explanations in english, chinese, russia, and several langua languages. museum volunteers will tell visitors around the personal experiences of patients, their families, and local residents. the people of toyama have battled environmental pollution for generations. they hope to convey the tragedy and its lesson to the world and future generations. >> nhk world there. it's time now to go to rachel ferguson for the world weather forecast. rachel, another beautiful day today. what's in store for us? >> certainly is a beautiful day

here in tokyo. we're looking for 19 degrees and lots of sunshine. that is something to look forward to. however, wednesday will be a bit different. we already see showers starting to move into western japan this afternoon and then it will spread across much of the southern half of japan into wednesday. bringing strong winds along with that heavy rain. so storm conditions, high waves at either coast as well, and where that heavy snow is piled up, particularly along the northeastern coast, there is the potential for flooding to occur. also avalanches because of the snow melt. strong, warm southerly winds accompanied by the heavy rain. so it's not going to just be japan impacted by this system coming over from eastern china. it will develop over the yellow sea and also bring heavy downpours across the korean peninsula. heavy rain also for parts of bangladesh as well as northeastern india and myanmar, this has been a lingering system, bringing more than 100

millimeters of rain in some places in the last 24 hours. the good news is it's starting to weaken off. however, any additional rainfall would be most unwelcome and could lead to a flooding and landslides. we're going to take a look at temperatures next which are looking springlike. 23 degrees in chongqing. most of the region seeing temperatures in the low 20s. cooler in tokyo at 19. still very pleasant. 18 in seoul. cooler in ulan bator. frigid air coming down from the arctic. we'll see temperatures in the mid 30s for manila as well as bangkok. into north america, still seeing heavy rain for the northwestern coast. now, california is going to be seeing a lot of that heavy rain. the system sitting offshore. we'll see that into tomorrow as well. severe weather is expected across parts of the southern plains. in fact, the arklatex is going to be hit by some heavy rain in places, thunder and gusts and also potential for large hail. also this system will continue

on into our wednesday as the front just lingers in that same area. up toward the northeast, it's going to be a bit of a different story. more like wintertime here. wintry mix for much of new england. turning over to snow for southeastern portions of canada. so cooler air coming down even toward the upper midwest. 9 degrees in chicago. 5 or 6 degrees cooler than yesterday. and these slightly cooler temperatures will be with you through toward the end of week. up in toward the northwest, though, seattle 18 trdegrees. warming up nicely here. winnipeg, just 2 degrees for the high. all right. into europe, very large low-pressure system is dominating much of western and northern europe. today from scandinavia down through germany. in fact, we have a front starting to push through the iberian peninsula. along the front is where we'll see the heaviest of the rain and the strongest gusts. could see also some snow once again for scotland. east of that, business bon isbo

settled. in the southeast, very stormy conditions, heavy rain for much of turkey here and could lead to flooding issues on our tuesday. temperatures are warming up a little bit. especially in central locations. we're now into the mid teens in berlin as well as vienna. 15 in rome. 14 in paris which is just about on average. a little bit cooler in madrid and lisbon as the showers move in. i'll leave you now with your extended forecast.

a titanic memorial cruise has set sail from england. it's to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the fateful 1912 voyage of the iconic liner. some of the passengers are descendants of the titanic's doomed maiden outing. the cruise started from south hampton on sunday with 1,309 passengers onboard. this is the identical number to that carried by the titanic. the ship left from the same port as the original voyage and will follow a similar route ending in new york. some passengers wore period

clothing. the ship's restaurant will serve the same dishes as on the original cruise. a live band will add to the mood with music of the era. the passengers include relatives of the more than 2,200 people onboard the titanic. >> my grandfather sailed on titanic as a first-class steward, survivor, lifeboat 13. one of the things i'm particularly looking forward to is sailing into new york and see the statue of liberty. >> the trip will include a visit to the location where the ship sank between april 14th and 15th, after colliding with an iceberg. a memorial service will be held at the spot. well, people in tokyo are still enjoying the beautiful cherry blossoms while the sunny weather lasts. we leave you now with a live shot of the pretty pink flowers outside of our studios. i'm catherine kobayashi. thanks for joining us.