hello there and welcome to nhk "newsline." it is friday december 2nd, 10:00 a.m. i'm katherine kobayashi in tokyo. thailand has a new king. crown prince maha vajiralongkorn who succeeds his father who reigned for 7 decades. he was crowned in a formal ceremony in bangkok. the new king is 64 years old. he's the only son of the late king adulyadej who died in october.

his coronation will not happen until late next year after the late king's --. people at a temple in bangkok gathered to watch the televised announcements. >> translator: i trust the new king. i believe that he will put us in a better direction. >> translator: i hope the new king will follow in his father's footsteps. >> the late king was widely seen as a pillar of stability during times of political turmoil. the nation is now facing the challenge of returning to civilian rule from a military-led interim government. north korea has warned of a tough response to stronger sanctions by the u.n. security council. the unsc's resolutions is is to punish pyongyang for its fifth nuclear test in september. it targeted the country's coal exports. north korea issued a statement warning of even tougher self defensive countermeasures. it says the u.n.s move violates its's sovereignty and it

indicates an intention to pursue further nuclear missile development. this comes ahead of significant dates in december. north korea has marked the fifth anywhere anniversary of the former king kim jong-il and kim jong-un took over. in the past pyongyang has timed test launches of missiles to coincide with such occasions. tnchs. south situations changed on thursday. the opposition party familiar mousily decided park need not been impeached if she agrees to step down.

opposition leaders met later in the day, they said they'll try to get a vote on the impeachment vote later next week. meanwhile park performed official duties outside the capital for the first time in a month. she visit the scene of a fire in a market in her hometown. around the same time, there was a fire at the birth home of park's father, the late former president. police detained a man they suspect committed arson. they say he claims he started the fire because park is refusing to resign. french president hollande will not seek re-election. >> i have decided not to be a candidate in the presidential election. >> hollande was elected in 2012. he faced intense public

criticism over his unemployment and counter terrorism policies. recent polls show only 10% of french voters think the president is doing a good job. former economy member says he'll run in next january's primary. observers say no matter who is chosen, socialists and other left of center candidate also face a tough battle in the presidential election. last month the center right republican party selected the former prime minister as its candidate. and marie la pen has also declared her candidacy. russia's president vladimir putin has struck an unusually conciliatory tone towards washington, he says he's looking forward to working with president-elect donald trump. putin spoke in his state of the

union address about state issues. at the end of his speech, he touched on global issues including the united states. but his rhetoric this time sounded softer than in the past. >> translator: russia and the united states have a common responsibility for international security. we hope to join efforts in the fight against the real, rather than dreamed up threat, global terrorism. >> putin said he's ready for cooperation with the new trump administration on the basis of mutual benefits. and equality. he also stressed the importance of ties of asian nations, china, india and japan. >> we welcome the help of japan's leadership to develop economic relations with russia by launching programs. >> he is scheduled to visit japan later this month for face-to-face meetings with his counterpart shinzo abe. abe wants to expedite

negotiations for a signing of a peace treaty that has been hindered by a decades old territorial dispute. turning to business news, investors are excited about the rise in oil prices as opec decides to reduce production. >> oil prices for one, that's shot up. and energy related stocks too. they shot up too. and on wall street, the dow jones industrial average hit a new high for the second time in five days. the nasdaq lost more than 1% on concerns over tech companies. meanwhile here in toek knkytoky benchmark nikkei closed at its highest level this year. the nikkei 225 currently trading in negative territory, 18,405. oil and gas shares are trading

higher but major exporters are lower. some selling the dollar against the yen to take profits, that's after the pair hit a nine-month high on thursday. it's gone down from the upper 114 yen to the 113-yen level. u.s. currency may lack direction as traders wait for the american jobs report on friday. meanwhile the euro is stronger against the dollar. let's turn to markets open this hour in the asia pacific. we're seeing losses elsewhere too. kospi down by .75%. in australia, stocks are down by .4%. in china markets will open in just under a half an hour. india's economy is slowing down an the reason is a cash shortage following the-the chaos

could sh rain growth this year by around 1 percentage point. the government announced in november it would draw 5,000 500 rupee notes to counterfeiting. 1,000 rupees are worth about $15. the government is asking people to exchange the notes with newly printed ones at banks, but the new issish wangs is falling sho. people desperate to get new bills are forming long lines at banks. this nearly one month after the note's abolition. japanese businesses are feeling the pinch too. companies involved in motorcycles are being hit hard as their products are normally bought with cash. officials at honda motor are

expected to see sales plunge by around 30% in november from a year earlier. officials at yamaha motor are seeing a decline in the number of visitors to their motorcycle dealership. now the prime minister is vowing to make sure that the new notes will be circulated throughout the country by the end of the year. he's acknowledged that the recent move may harm the economy in the short tomorrow, but fairer tax payments will eventually improve people's lives. officials of japan's governing and ruling parties too plan to take a tougher stance against tax avoidance and they're focusing on subsidiaries operating in overseas tax havens. if those companies are subject to income taxes of 20% or higher in their registered jurisdictions then they're -- ending this for shell firms that

are not engaged in any business activities in their jurisdictions. if those companies are in places with corporate tax rates of under 20%, their dividend and interest income will be counted as part of their parent firm's income. the officials are planning to set up the proposals in a set of tax revisions for fiscal 2017. doctors are turning to robots to help out their patients. the devices are proving to be effective in helping after a stroke. how robots are training people to lead normal lives again. >> reporter: shanghai university hospital has been running robot assisted rehabilitation sessions for over a year. staff are using nine different

robots developed in japan and abroad. the devices help rehabilitate patients with paralyzed arms and legs. the hospital rather than the patients are shouldering the cost of the program. this is a learning opportunity for the staff members. >> translator: robots can repeat the same movements over and over without making mistakes or getting tired. we think they're the best training equipment. >> reporter: this man had a brain hemorrhage 1 1/2 years ago, the left side of his body was paralyzed. he's been receiving treatments at this hospital. a robot is strapped to his leg. first the technicians attach sensors. when we walk, the brain sends electrical signals to leg muscles, but the signals have a hard time getting through to the muscles that are paralyzed. so the sensors work at electrical receivers. the brain can learn how to move legs when this process is repeated over and over.

researchers believe patients can eventually move their legs with the same ease as before. the harness prevents patients from falling down. physical therapists lend a hand. he can now walk four times as fast as he did in january when he began coming to this hospital. >> translator: the harness gives a sense of security and i can concentrate on rehabilitation which is the good thing. >> reporter: the motor assists the movements of the hip joints and knees. patients can see their working posture on a monitor right in front of them. when doing walking exercises, patients tend to look at their feet. but thanks to the screen, they can maintain a good posture without looking down.

and when their stepping movements are properly balanced, they hear this. patients can check their working form by looking and listening. this robot helps restore mobility in the hands, it gives electric shocks to help the hands relearn grasping and reaching movements. these rehabilitation robots are giving hope to patients. >> i can lift my leg, which i could only drag before. i'm always ready to try something that looks interesting. >> reporter: this man suffered a cerebral infraction, he rarely leaves his house. >> we're going out together more often now. >> we go shopping a lot like before. >> reporter: researchers are continuing to come up with

robots that push the bounds of technology. the devices are now found in hospital where they are working hard to improve the lives of patients. >> and that's the latest for this hour, i'll leave you with a check on markets. to other stories we're following this hour, a japanese

high court has ordered the central government to pay compensation for noise pollution for those living near a u.s. military base in okinawa. 2,200 plaintiffs complained that their lives were seriously disrupted by aircraft noise at the air station. at the high court in okinawa prefecture, the presiding judge ruled that frequent exposure to aircraft noise had caused them psychological pain, it affected their work and sleep and made it harder for children to learn at school. the judge said the residents basic rightses have violated. lawyers for the plaintiff said they were expecting to receive about $8.5 million. this would include compensation for the period since the conclusion of the lower court trial. in june of last year a lower court ordered the government to pay roughly $6.5 million to the residents. now both sides have appealed.

a japanese irl airline and travel agency want to send people to even farther destinations. >> it's like traveling just around the corner. >> two companies are investing into a firm that would send people to the edge of the atmosphere. the company's now working on a robotic engine. the proposed spacecraft would take off from an ordinary run way. in september, four people joined a training flight and experienced the zero gravity environment. the plane's engine was throttled back to create weightlessness for about 20 seconds. the new company venture boosted the company's determination.

>> translator: we've completed 2% of the way to the goal, but let me assure you we can do it. >> they're hoping the first space tour will blast off in 2023. the ticket price is estimated to be about $120,000. many religions throughout history have been persecuted. it was no different in japan when christianity was banned and their leaders had to go under ground. these so called hidden christians kept alive their faith. the religious minority is gradually disappearing. >> reporter: every year there is a mass held in the woods near nagasaki. many of the attendants are descended from early christians.

christianity was prohibited. violators faced torture. and even death. even after the persecution ended, some lived in fear of possible retaliation and did not return to the catholic church. this is home to 4,000 people. there are around 1,600 christians in this area. this 67-year-old can trace his faith back seven generations. he begins each day by offering prayers. >> this is how buddhists do it. but hidden christians, cross

their chest like this. if you do it this way, no one can tell. >> reporter: they're also disguised his ancestors would put stones in a cross while praying and scatter them so the grave would not be recognized as christian. followers had to register as buddhists to conceal their faith and pray to this female figure. to hidden christians, she represented the virgin mary. >> for 2 1/2 centuries, some christians survived. >> this site is a reminder why his faith is so strong. seven generations of his family are buried here including his father. when his father died ten years

ago, he himself enabled to recite the prayer. >> i was so frustrated with myself at that time, i came here every day for three years and memorized all the prayers. i have changed. i'm glad to have chosen to be a hidden christian. >> today he fears that hidden christians could disappear. he's calling on all the group leaders to join forces to protect their beliefs and strengthen the community. >> he makes every effort to document his faith. he's been recording his prayers

and rituals. he hopes to pass them on to his successor, but he has not found one yet. the annual mass begins at a specified location, the attendees are catholic, christian and buddhist and all have come to help. >> everybody here was a hidden christian back then. >> we have been working together to maintain the tradition. >> the ancient prayers commence. this is the moment the locals reflect on a time when their ancestors were united as hidden christians. >> our faith didn't end under ground, it's surviving even today, we still exist. that's why i must carry on.

that is my mission. shifting gears now, we take you to northern japan where people there are dealing with a winter storm, quite a contrast from the sunny weather we're having in tokyo. robert speda joins us with the details. >> a big difference from northern japan down towards central japan and the west. japan has been seeing cloudy skies all morning. where you're seeing the rough weather is the sea of japan coastline. that's really stopping a lot of that moisture from making it over towards tokyo. it's exceptionally dry, sunny weather, but the rough weather is back to the north. some areas of hokkaido have been looking at fairly gusty winds, winds gusting up to 123

kilometers per hour. and the big thing, when we're talking about blizzard conditions, there's the snow of course, you need that snowfall, but it's the wind combined with it that reduces visibility and causes dangerous windchill out here and that is still going to be one of the big issues as we go through the next 12 hours. we have high pressure ridging in from the west. that's clearing things up from western japan. but in the north, we still have that additional pressure gradient and wins gusting up to 120 miles an hour. the good news, this is tapering off, as we go ahead through friday evening into saturday morning. so saturday, most of japan looking rather beautiful, in fact. temperatures on the rise, tokyo up to 15.

saturday, still cold temperatures, but it gets into the double digits on sunday pushing up into 13 degrees. back towards the west, high pressure's still dominating much of eastern china today, over towards seoul, a high of 8. 14 for your high. do also want to talk about europe here. eastern europe, i know we have been watching several storms out here. it really has been affecting much of germany, poland, but high pressure has really been dominating the forecast for much of the uk extending towards france. show you some video coming out of paris, temperatures have been cold, so we have a little bit of an inversion set up. the air quality has been reduced for several days, we're still looking at unhealthy conditions here on thursday, heading into friday morning. the good news is that it does

look like the warnings are expected to drop here heading into the weekend. so at least the air quality should be improving as we look ahead. back towards the east, though, still some rough wetherby the way. if you have any travel plans in much of eastern europe, you might have some delays, especially as flights go. and poland, even down towards slovakia and parts of hungary, and into western turkey, winds gusting up to 100 to 110 kilometers per hour, plus the snowfall. i do want to take your attention to southeastern india, this is not much of a tropical system anymore, but still some scattered showers towards your coastal areas. here's your extended outlook.

there's one more story to shire with you before we go. visitors to the prefecture in northern japan are now able to enjoy an old-fashioned train tour. more than 30 tourists from japan and abroad boarded the first stove train. they warmed themselves near the coal fired stoves and enjoyed the winter journey while eating a snack of grilled squid and drinking sake. >> my dream to ride on this train has finally come true, it's the most enjoyable moment of my life. >> visitors will have to wait until later this season to view the snowy scenery, the snow train is scheduled to run daily through the end of march. something i would like to check out there. and that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline."

thanks for joining us.

rita aspinwall: on this edition of "native report," we watch master quilt-maker gwen westerman construct a beautiful star quilt. ernie stevens: we view the dreamlike paintings of rabbett before horses strickland. rita aspinwall: and we meet ramona kitto stately, a talented moccasins maker. we also learn something new about leadership in indian country and hear from our elders on this edition of "native report." announcer: production of "native report" is made possible by grants from the shakopee mdewakanton sioux community, the blandin foundation, and the duluth superior area community foundation.