legal victory. a political heavyweight in japan beats charges he broke political funding laws and plots his comeback. welcome to nhk world "newsline." ichiro ozawa is a household name here in japan, a career politician, and a force to be reckoned with. however, a political funding scandal sidelined him, sent him to court, and could have sent him to jame. but three judges ruled ozawa is not guilty and now could be preparing to shake-up his ruling democratic party. prosecutors accused ozawa of conspiring with his aides to falsify accounting records for about $5 million. the group that manages the funds he raised used money in 2004 to

buy land in tokyo. he has denied any conspiracy from the start. the presiding judge acknowledged that one of ozawa's former aides falsified the reports, he said he believed the aide thought the discovery of the assets would hurt his boss' political activities. the three judges informed ozawa of the report and approved him of falsifying the document, but they could not determine whether there has been any conspiracy. ozawa says the verdict shows the court's good sense and fairness. the court-appointed lawyers serving as prosecutors in the trial are considering whether or not to appeal to a higher court. ichiro ozawa has been a key figure in japanese politics for more than two decades, and in that time he has held top positions in both ruling and opposition parties. >> reporter: ozawa joined the democratic party in 2003. it was the largest opposition party at the time. he played a key role in shaping a force capable of challenging the government.

that work finally paid off in 2009. the dpj scored a landslide victory in the lower house election, ending 55 years of almost unbroken rule by the liberal democratic party. but tokyo prosecutors slowed ozawa's momentum, targeting his political funding. they charged his former aides in 2010 for falsifying an accounting report in connection with a $5 million land deal. prosecutors said the money came from a construction company hoping to win public works contracts. >> translator: i am innocent. i received no illegal donations. >> reporter: tokyo prosecutors later dropped the case against ozawa saying they didn't have enough evidence. but an inquest panel challenged that decision. the panel was made up of members of the public. their finding led to an indictment in january last year.

soon after, the dpj decided to suspend ozawa's party membership. court-appointed lawyers serving as prosecutors summed up the case last month. they said ozawa clearly approved of the false accounting and demanded a three-year prison term. but the court criticized tokyo prosecutors, describing their investigation as illegal and unjust. it rejected most of the depositions by ozawa's former aides linking him to the land deal. ozawa repeatedly pleaded not guilty. >> a democratic party representative says the trial's outcome was expected. >> translator: the acquittal is a matter of course. >> dpj secretary general azuma koshiishi says party leaders will soon begin the process of restoring ozawa's membership, but a top ranking official from the opposition liberal democratic party says it doesn't

matter if ozawa get his membership back, he's still tainted by scandal. >> translator: ozawa bears heavy political and ethical responsibility, considering that three of his former aides were arrested. >> ldp secretary-general nobuteru ishihara says his party will ask ozawa to testify about his alleged role in this funding scandal. ozawa refused similar requests while his trial was under way. nhk's political commentator masayo nakajima has followed the ozawa case from the start. and he spoke earlier with shery ahn about what we can expect following this decision. >> what verdict will this have on japanese politics? >> well, in a nutshell, i suspect ozawa will try to regain political power, and use it to push out his political rival, prime minister yoshihiko noda. the democratic party leaders suspended ozawa's membership after learning of the charges against him. i expect the acquittal will push

them to withdraw the suspension. ozawa still controls the biggest faction in the dpj. so without his cooperation, it will be very difficult for noda to govern. >> so what can the prime minister expect from ozawa? >> well, ozawa's most likely target is noda's plan to double the consumption tax, up to 10% by 2015. noda says the tax hike is necessary to cover the cost, increasing costs of social security. but, you know, ozawa doesn't buy that argument. he insists that cutting wasteful spending must come first on the way to an economic recovery. he says the party made those promises when it took power 2 1/2 years ago. so the tax bill faces similar challenges. senior lawmakers close to ezsa roy quit their official positions last month when noda submitted the bill to the diet.

many opposition members have already signaled that they will not cooperate. if ozawa orders members of his faction to vote against it, then passing the bill would be impossible. then the prime minister would almost certainly have to resign. noda could call a general election to ask voters whether or not they support him, but his public approval ratings suggest that they do not, at least not now. so it will be a very big struggle for him, to say the least. >> noda has been in office for only about six months. is there any way he could survive? >> noda is trying to win support from the main opposition, labor democratic party so he doesn't have to worry about this. if noda makes a bargain to deserve the lower house and call a general election, the ldp may cooperate with the prime minister. the party looking at noda's low public support rate believes it can regain power in an election.

in any case, noda will not be able to survive or stay in power without an election. so, you know, japanese voters may be facing the possibility of having the seventh prime minister in six years. >> nhk world's political commentator masayo nakajima. pakistan's prime minister has been found guilty of contempt. the ruling deepens the sense of political crisis in the country. let's get the details from patchari raksawong in bangkok. >> prime minister yousuf raza gilani's job appears to be in jeopardy following thursday's ruling by the supreme court. gilani was found gltd of contempt for refusing to follow the court's order to reopen a corruption investigation against the president.

gilani's lawyer says the prime minister will appeal against the ruling. nhk world reports from islamabad. >> reporter: pakistanis have been left bewildered by the first ever guilty verdict against an incumbent prime minister. the supreme court had ordered prime minister gilani to move to reopen corruption cases against president asif ali zardari dating back to the 1990s. observers suspect the hand of the military behind the actions of the court. ties between the government and the military have been strained in recent months. allegations surfaced in october that zardari had sent a memo to the u.s. government asking for help out of fear of a possible military coup. the court's decision is a further blow to the credibility of the government.

the united states sees pakistan as a critical front in the fight against terrorism, but as they gain more influence, ties with the united states could become even more strained. nhk world, islamabad. turning to another front in the war against terrorism, the u.s. ambassador to afghanistan says he believes there are divisions among the taliban. ryan crocker spoke exclusively to nhk about the strategy united states is following as it looks to exit the long war in afghanistan. nhk world's hideki yui reports. >> reporter: anti-u.s. sentiment in afghanistan has been growing following a series of scandals

include i including a burning of the koran by american troops. that led the taliban to state publicly they are suspending with the united states. ambassador ryan crocker told nhk that some members of the taliban have began negotiations with the afghan government. he said they're exploring the possibility of reconciliation. >> the reality is that some of them are talking to the afghan government. this creates division, confusion and dissension among the taliban themselves and among the leadership of the taliban. >> reporter: crocker says taliban hard-liners were responsible for recent violent attacks against foreign missions in kabul, including the japanese embassy. crocker says a strong military presence is necessary to counter that threat. >> i think it's very important that we keep up the military pressure on the taliban and other insurgents, that they feel the pain, that they are feeling

the pain because that helps to shift their thinking as to whether they can win this militarily. i think this dialogue process, plus the military pressure that we and the afghans have been imposing on them is leading to further divisions. >> crocker stressed this policy will be effective in achieving reconciliation to facilitate the exit of the u.s. troops as planned by 2014. hideki yui, nhk world. >> that will wrap up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong, reporting in bangkok. chinese government officials aren't denying reports one of their country's firms helped north korean authorities with their missile program. a canadian news agency says the company sold transport vehicles that could be used as

launchpads, supplying north korea with materials that could be used for weapons goes against a u.n. security council resolution. members of the korean people's army showed off what appeared to be intercontinental ballistic missiles mounted on transporters earlier this month in a parade in pyongyang. the canadian news agency reports a chinese firm sold eight vehicles to north korea last year. the agency specializes in covering china's military. a spokesperson for the chinese foreign ministry denies the claim. >> translator: china has consistently opposed the spread of weapons of mass destruction. we strictly observe u.n. security council resolutions banning the supply of weapons related material to north korea. >> u.s. officials raised allegations with their chinese counterparts. thursday marks exactly 26 years since the disaster at the chernobyl nuclear power plant in

the former soviet union. a memorial was held in yukraine for the victims. people gathered in the town of slavutich early thursday for the memorial thursday. the town is located about 50 kilometers from the chernobyl plant. people mourned the victims by offering candles and flowers at a monument. the reactor at the chernobyl plant exploded during an experimental operation on april 26th, 1986. the blast released massive amounts of radioactive substances. more than 130,000 people living within a 30 kilometer radius of the plant were forced to evacuate. around 30 plant workers and firefighters died of acute radiation sickness. the radiation is still affecting the environment and posing health threats to residents in ukraine, belarus and russia. last week japan concluded a treaty with ukraine to share information on post nuclear disaster measures following the

fukushima nuclear accident. japan is also in talks with belarus on a similar arrangement. some medical workers in japan who helped out in the northeast following the march 2011 earthquake and tsunami are struggling with what they saw. a survey suggests they felt emotional strain carrying out their work and even developed post traumatic stress disorder. researchers at japan's national disaster medical center conducted regular surveys of 173 doctors and nurses who went to the disaster areas. 6% of them reported serious psychological ailments four months after march 11th. they required counseling for their problems. many said they felt ashamed when they were overwhelmed by emotion during relief work and that they almost lost control. the researchers say most medical personnel are bound by a sense of duty and the perception they must remain calm and professional at all times.

>> translator: medical staff should understand it is natural in difficult situations and they should not feel ashamed. >> the survey team says follow-up care and counseling should be offered to relief personnel to help prevent post traumatic stress disorder. japanese game consolemaker nintendo posted its first full year loss in over three decades. the company announced its business results for the fiscal year that ended in march. nintendo says its net loss for fiscal 2011 came to about $530 million. it says sales were down 36% in yen terms from the previous year to $7.9 billion. it says poor demand for the new 3-ds model that can beam 3-d images led to its first net loss since 1981, and that is when it began reporting consolidating results. nintendo reduced the price of the new console last august and was selling it below cost. the firm says the strong yen also led to the losses.

president satura iwata expressed regret that the company could not turn around its business. >> translator: we decided to lower the price of the new console to promote sales, even at the expense of short-term profit. the huge loss was due to our misjudgment about the console. >> nintendo says it plans to improve its margin by launching a new home game console in japan, europe and the united states in time for christmas. mobile phone carrier softbank posted solid earnings last fiscal year. the company's net profit was about $3.9 billion. that's an increase of more than 65% in yen terms from a year earlier. this is due to increased revenue from its telecom service, which showed a steady growth in the number of mobile phone subscribers. southbank enjoyed strong demand

for the iphone. the firm had been the sole provider of the apple device in japan until its competitor kddi starting selling it as well last autumn. gains from selling, part of its stake in yahoo!, which is an affiliate, also helped to boost its profit. japan's mitsubishi motors posted a sharp rise in its net profit for the fiscal year through march. mitsubishi announced a net profit of over $290 million, that's an improvement of more than 50% over the previous business year in yen terms. despite some negative factors, such as the strong yen, the increased profit was mainly due to strong sales of models with high-profit margins. sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks were among them. other positive factors included measures to reduce material and other costs. here are the latest market figures.

it's been years in the making. next month the world's tallest free-standing broadcast tower will open its doors to the public. tokyo sky tree was built to relay television and radio signals over a broad area. the structure is also becoming a st-see for tourists. and area businesses are coming up with novel ways to get a piece of the action. nhk world's rina nakano shows us a view of tokyo from the clouds. >> reporter: the tokyo sky tree is over 600 meters tall. that's almost equal to two eiffel towers. it stands head and shoulders above a cityscape bristling with skyscrapers. your ears will definitely be

popping on this minute and a half vertical ride. at the end of it, it's 450 meters tall observation deck. here, the public will have access to a never before seen panoramic view of tokyo. they'll see every landmark in the tokyo metropolis. even the tokyo tower, which used to hold the title of tallest, is like a red dot in the distance. these glass floors are on the lower deck. it's 340 meters off the ground, plenty high to give visitors the thrilling sensation of floating in midair. back down on earth, sky tree fever is in full swing. the sleek tower provided an ultra modern backdrop this spring for traditional cherry blossom viewing. >> translator: i am so glad i got to see this. it invigorates me.

>> reporter: people try to capture the grandeur of the tower from a variety of angles. >> i can only get half of it. it's impossible, even if i lie down. >> reporter: snapping a photo of yourself at the world's tallest tower is quite a tricky task. in order to fit in the frame you have to have your camera down on the ground. one way to avoid that is to use something like this. these mirrors allow for a perfect photo op with the tower's reflection. >> translator: people were lying down on the bridge because they just couldn't get a good shot of the whole thing. that's why we decided to put these up. >> reporter: and if climbing up the sky tree or taking pictures

aren't enough, how about using your taste buds to appreciate it? restaurants have added new menu items inspired by the tower. there's this appetizer, the onion ring tree, or a main dish called the sky tree curry. and check out this dessert. the tower waffle. >> translator: the shops in this town used to only attract locals. but i hope the area becomes radiant with the new sky tree tourists. >> reporter: mom and pop shops have been busy crafting eye-catching sky tree models for tourists to see. they hope the new structure will boost the local economy. >> translator: the sky tree is

going to bring a lot of visitors from around the world. i am starting to feel the citizens of our town becoming anxious to welcome these guests. we are all getting pumped. >> reporter: neighborhood officials estimate the tokyo sky tree will bring more than $1 million in annual profits. this city has long been known as a tourist hot spot for its traditional architecture. but now with the opening of the tokyo sky tree, visitors will be able to experience both the old and the new at once. rina nakano, nhk world, tokyo. ahead of the tower's grand open, japan's empressure and empress enjoyed a spectacular view from the tokyo sky tree. emperor akihito and empress michiko rode up to the tower's tube shaped observatory after receiving an explanation about

the tower's engineering and quake resistance. the imperial couple took a ten-minute walk around the slightly inclined 100 meter long corrid corridor. the couple pointed to tokyo tower and other landmarks as well as asking staff about the rivers and bridges they could see. the tokyo sky tree opens to the public on may 22nd. overcast rain on and off here in tokyo, that is. robert speta with the latest forecast for here and elsewhere. robert? >> yes, rainy conditions throughout japan today but good news as this low pressure system starts to push off towards the east. high pressure will be ridging in behind it, bringing much fairer weather with it for the korean peninsula and japan for your weekend. but unfortunately, this high is ushering a westerly wind all the way out of the gobi desert this and will be carrying some yellow sand with it, extending out towards the korean peninsula on saturday and eventually into sunday, it could reach as far as hokkaido.

so unfortunately anybody with respiratory issues do take the proper precautions as this sand continues to push off towards the east. southeastern china, you're going to be seeing some rain showers here, actually indicated here in the darker blue yoblues. that's next 24 hours for you there in the guangdong province and hong kong, you could be seeing thunderstorm activity on your friday going into saturday as this area of unstable weather continues to erupt. very warm down towards the south. bangkok, you're looking at a high of 39. beijing at 26. ulan batur only a high of 2 for you. now, into the americas, the ohio river valley, kentucky and tennessee, you have been seeing some severe weather here. actually already reports of golf ball sized hail out of this. strong winds as the system continues to push off towards the east. it will continue to bring you severe weather throughout your day on thursday before pushing off towards the northeast. bringing some rain to the new

england states for your weekend. meanwhile, here in western texas and new mexico, you have been seeing some very dry air combined with some gusty winds. there is a risk of blowing dust down here. could reduce visibility down to about a mile or a kilometer and a half here in some areas as that wind starts to kick up this dust. meanwhile, that warm air will continue to push off towards the north and collide with some cooler air spilling in from canada. it is actually the cause of some freeze warnings in parts of the dakotas. and once these collide, it will be bringing up severe weather risk of a large hail, strong gusts, and even tornadic activity in these areas indicated in the red. so be sure to have your weather radios ready just in case severe weather warning is issued for your area. denver, looking at a high of 27. winnipeg, at 9. off towards the east, very warm out there in washington, d.c. at 23. atlanta, you're holding a high of 27. now into europe.

still a messy picture out here towards the west. we continue to watch this low pressure area spin here over the british isles. good news, winds are going to start to calm down here as it drifts off towards the northeast. but unfortunately, wet weather will remain in place over the iberian peninsula as a new low starts to form up here and runs off towards the northeast. following this whole jet stream that has been setting up here, coming all the way down just off the northwestern coast of africa, pushing off towards the north, wet and unsettled here towards the west, but into the east, warm and calm. warm air is following this jet, raising up temperatures. moscow, looking at a high of 21. kiev all the way up to 26 for your thursday high, that's well above your normal averages. it looks like these will continue to build into your weekend. now, here's a look at your extended outlook.

we'll be back with more news in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo.

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