a very warm welcome to nhk newsline. broadcasting to viewers around the globe. it is 10:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. our top story this morning, the japan's prime minister has asked a visit by the pope. abe met archbishop. abe said if pope francis visits and auroffers prayers for the victims of the atomic bombing, it will provide great momentum for realizing a nuclear free world. gallagher said he would convey

the message. the two agreed to work to support developing nations and the environment. in 1981, pope john paul ii became first leader of the roman catholic church to visit japan. the american homeland security secretary has come out to explain and defend trump's controversial immigration measures. confusion and chaos spread at airports after the president banned people from seven middle eastern countries from entering the u.s. >> this is not a ban on muslims. this is a temporary pause that allows us to better review the refume and visa vetting system. >> john kelly says the administration is considering various options for tightening immigration control including examining online browsing history, phone records and

social media postings. people were detained at american airports after they were refused entry to the country. some have filed lawsuits saying that the travel restrictions are unconstitutional. get us up to date. what's happening? >> currency devaluation is way to make exports chaeeaper and me competitive. it's sensitive matter. trump has lashed out at beijing but as president this is his first direct criticism of tokyo. sdplo you lo >> they play the money market. they play the devaluation market and we sit there like a bunch of dummies. >> trump was speaking at a meeting of pharmaceutical

industry executives. the finance minister hinted currency intervention could be possible. it led to warnings from the u.s. and japanese authorities ended up not stepping in. japan has not interfered for more than five years. tur trump said future trade deals would include clauses to prevent manipulation. the dollar plunged against the yen. some traders took what trump mean to said his administration may try to keep their own currency lower. let's look at exact levels.

the dollar has paired its losses slightly. the dollar yen is at the upper end of 112. many are buying the safe haven yen on many global risks such as trump's immigration ban. the dollar fell against the euro. that's after the top advisor said germany is using a grossly und undervalued euro. export related shares including car makers and electronic manufacturers are leading the losses. that's paired back some of its earlier losses. main land china and taiwan are still closed for lunar new

year's hollywood but trading in hong kong will resume in under half an hour. not just investors who are concerned about trump's policies. many business leaders are too. that includes those in japan that do business internationally. trump pulled the u.s. out of the transpacific partnership free trade deal and he wants to renegotiate the north american free trade agreement or impose higher tariffs on products from mexico. nhk world went to hear what's on the minds of some of these executives. >> this is the chairman of an auto parts manufacturer in central japan. he's worried that trump has expressed the idea of imposing taxes as high as 35% on cars imported from mexico. >> translator: i'm not able to support president trump's protectionist point of view. >> reporter: hanji's company manufacturers bearings used in car engines worldwide.

the firm has a plant in mexico. the company used to run a factory in ohio but the plant was forced to shut down as its loss grew on the back of the global financial crisis in 2008. the company started operations in mexico three years ago as a new production site for the north american market. it spent nearly $80 million to build this factory which has grown to become the company's second biggest manufacturing facility. hanji thinks that any changes in the nafta rules would affect the company's global supply system. he fears that if the firm is forced to move its factory again, the costs will be prohibitive. >> translator: should we move our production somewhere else from mexico? it's not an easy decision. you need skilled workers to manufacture the parts. >> reporter: another car partsmaker in central japan is also staying alert. it produces seat parts and steering columns.

the company was planning to expand its output in mexico by investing 300 million in the next five years but officials are worried not only about the possibility of higher tariffs but also by possible changes in the so-called growth of origin. under current nafta rules, the mexican portion of the vehicle's components and processing has to be more than 60% to be duty free. >> translator: we do the heating process here before we ship these parts to mexico. >> reporter: they fear a change in the rules could mean this heating process would need to be done in north america, and that would have a big effect on the company's investment plans. >> the product origin rule will be changed at the nafta agreement.

of course, we have to consider our contents of the investment. so some component maybe we are facing some difficulties to produce in mexico. >> reporter: an expert says the current confusion is a headache for japanese businesses. he says rewriting the nafta rules is unrealistic. >> if the united states put on, say, 75% of additional duty on cars coming from mexico, that's already a quite serious violation and infringement to its wto commitment. but this kind of uncertainty is really a heavy cost imposed on japanese cars. >> reporter: many experts point out that while a trade war would put a heavy burden on japanese manufacturers, american consumers could be the ultimate losers. they might have to pay more and have less choice.

the question is is that that what donald trump really wants? reporting for nhk world from tokyo. >> we're going to stay in japan. private sector analysts have released their gdp growth estimates from october to december periods. 12 research firms are predicting an expansion for a fourth straight quarter. the forecast range from 0.1 to 0.5% in real terms compared with the previous three months. this translates to an annual expansion of 0.4 to 2% exactly. analysts at all 12 firms say personal consumption was more or less flat. consumers tightened their pursestrings despite a continued improvement in income. they site robust shipment of cars and other products on the back of the global economic recovery. all 12 firms expect expansion

for corporate capital expenditure. they say business managers are become less cautious about investing in facilities and equipment given firm exports. some analysts warn if u.s. president trump steps up his protectionist policy, exports may slow down putting a damper on japan's recovery. the japanese government says about 270,000 ind indonesian tourists visited japan last year. that's up more than 30% from 2015. major travel agency jtb aims to attract even more by investing in a leading indonesian travel agency. jtb officials say an agreement has been reached for the japanese travel agency to acquire a 40% stake in panorama tours indonesia. jtb president and ceo hiroyuki takahashi says indonesia is the biggest country in southeast asia and its market shows plenty of promise. >> translator: jtb plans to

organize tours that feature places in japan and we hope to contribute to the vitaliization of japan's communities through these products. >> his indonesian counterpart has more than 50 outlets in indonesia. he plans to sell his services at panorama offices and through its websites. a senior indian official has admitted that the scrapping of high denomination bank notes last year has slowed down the economy. but he added better times are ahead. the government has released its latest growth reestimate for the current fiscal year that ends in march. it's been revised down from 7.1% to a range of 6.6 to 6.85%. the government's chief economic adviser arvind subramanian says it has certain costs especially for retailers, but he pointed out that the measure increased

cash deposit at banks enabling to institutions to offer a variety of low interest loans that will encourage consumers to spend more. subramanian said the result will be higher growth. government officials are forecasting the gdp to expand by 6.75 to 7.5% for the next fiscal year. prime minister narendra modi suddenly canceled two large denomination bills last november effective one day later. he said the measure was necessary to fight corruption. still, it triggered a cash crunch and widespread confusion. that's the latest in business for this hour. here's another check on markets.

israel's prime minister will visit washington next week. >> president trump lehaim. >> congratulations, mr. trump. >> this was posted to facebook. it's from the mayor of jerusalem. he's hoping that donald trump will follow through on the controversial promise to move the u.s. embassy in israel from tel aviv to jerusalem. >> translator: let's welcome the ambassador together in jerusalem. >> reporter: jerusalem's old city is a holy site for jews,

christians and muslims. its status continues to be disputed. the wailing wall is a holy site for jewish believers. nearby is the dome of the rock. israel annexed east jerusalem after its occupation during the 1967 arab/israeli war. in 1993, israel signed an accord with the palestinians. both sides agreed to start a negotiation on the basis of a two-state solution. the israeli government insists that jerusalem is the capital of the country. the international community does not approve. since the palestinians also claim east jerusalem as their future capital. the u.s. and other countries currently have their embassies

in tel aviv. in 1995, congress passed a law requiring the government to move the embassy. but each president since then has signed a waiver to postpone it. it has been reported that this building, which was formerly a hotel, is a leading candidate for the relocation of the u.s. embassy. during the campaign, trump took a decidedly pro-israel stance. >> we will move the american embassy to the eternal capital of the jewish people, jerusalem. >> reporter: trump's words have some people hopeful. this huge advertisement of support was put up by the owner of a construction company in jerusalem. >> i think trump is a man of his word. by moving the embassy, it's making that message, we're with israel. >> reporter: palestinian president mahmoud abbas had this to say about the pledge. >> translator: moving the embassy to any place will be a step ahead of anything that may happen in the future and will damage the peace process. also, we hope to stop this. >> reporter: trump has made his

pro-israel stance clear, but experts say moving the u.s. embassy to jerusalem could endanger years of international consensus and efforts to achieve peace. akira saheki, nhk world, jerusalem. another issue netanyahu will likely raise in his visit to washington is iran. he'll push trump to renew sanctions against the country after it test fired what's believed to be a ballistic missile for the first time since trump took office. netanyahu condemned the launch on his facebook page. he said it's a flagrant violation of a u.n. security council resolution. iranian aggression must not go unanswered. officials say the test took place sunday at a military site in northern iran. the missile exploded after traveling 1,000 kilometers. it was described as a failed test.

women's golf is witnessing the rise of a new star from thailand. her world rankings soared from 63rd to 2nd place in just one year. nhk world spoke to the woman who's now a national hero in thailand. >> reporter: ariya jutanugarn burst onto the golf scene in dramatic fashion last year, topping the charts for prize money. last july at the rico women's british open, she became the first thai golfer to win a major trophy. the 21-year-old also brought home the 2016 player of the year award. >> translator: after i won a championship, i felt i really wanted to win a major. when my hitting improved, i told myself the player of the year would be a very worthy title for a golfer to win. i wanted to get it once in my life before i retired.

so this year i've achieved all my life goals. >> reporter: ariya was born in 1995. her father opened a small golf shop after his export business collapsed in the 1997 asian financial crisis. she picked up her first golf club at age 5. and her life ever since has revolved around the links. she devoted her childhood to improving her game. her parents wanted their daughters to become great golfers. they asked the girls' school to let them study alone in the morning to give them time to practice in the afternoon. she would even eat and get changed while being driven to golf courses. >> translator: i practiced every afternoon after school. i didn't miss what other kids had because i didn't know what it felt like. i had no teenage life. i rarely hung out for fun. but if i'd been spoiled or treated like a little princess, i wouldn't be this ambitious,

and i wouldn't have had to struggle to improve life for my family. >> reporter: ariya first made her mark as a brilliant amateur. at 11, she was the youngest ever golfer to qualify for an lpga event, and she got to play against the world's best. she wanted to reach the top to make up for the sacrifices her parents had made to fund her dream. >> translator: my family gave up their time and their career for me. they sold their car and other stuff to support my sister and me. they didn't feel they were losing something, and they never asked anything in return. they did it simply because it was my dream. since i was a kid, the first thing that occurred to me was that this sport could earn me money to support my family. >> reporter: ariya is known for her physical strength. but she struggled at times with her accuracy. last year she began using an

iron for her tee shots when most golfers opt for drivers. the strategy worked and she started winning. >> translator: i'm a long hitter, so if my aim is only out by a bit, a small mistake can put me at greater disadvantage than the others. so i started to think that while hitting a long distance may be all very well, if there's another way to get my ball onto the fairway and work it to the green, it could be easier to win. >> reporter: her global success has made her a national hero, even interim prime minister expressed his admiration. ♪ last december after a string of successes, she returned to thailand where media and fans gave her a warm reception. >> translator: she's world famous now. she'll easily be the world's number one.

>> translator: we like ariya. even if she can't win, she never gives up. >> reporter: against the backdrop of troubling news from thailand in 2016, including the passing of the king, the way ariya embraces hardship and moves forward has lifted people's spirits. >> translator: even though i'm very active abroad, i feel united with the thai people in our love of the king. all i can do is to make a name for myself for the sake of our country and fulfill my obligation as best i can. the message i want to send to everyone is to stay positive. i think it's the most crucial thing in life. >> reporter: the bar is set even higher in 2017, but with her huge talent and support, the sky is the limit for her. thailand's new star is just starting to rise. nhk world, bangkok.

let's get a check of the weather. people in tokyo are bundling up. robert speta joins us with the latest. >> rather cold. this is a pretty dramatic temperature drop. we had the northerly winds spill in. on a visible satellite imagery, there is from nasa. it kind of gives an idea of how cold the winds were. you can see across you had the sea effect snow. the cloud streaks coming down. it's right here i want to key your attention in. peaks up between the clouds and you can see right here, they spin up like if you have a paddle on a boat and move it through the water. you have those little circulations that spin up behind it. same idea. when you look at this, the

longer this is and the thicker it is gives you an idea of how strong the winds are and how much moisture is associated with this air mass coming down. that photo is pretty in abundance. what we have going on is this rain here that will take in the moisture, combined with the cold air and we're looking at plenty of snow in the forecast across western areas of okido. tokyo, on the other hand, the mountains will be stopping it so it's expected to stay on the dry side. even back towards western areas of the country. much cooler. overnight lows below the freezing point. tokyo a high of 11. partly cloudy skies. in beijing just around 4. down towards the southeast the leading edge of the cold surge. you are expecting some scattered showers there for you in taipei.

i want to take your attention to where you would appreciate the rainfall. we have been talking about this for several weeks. the latest images coming out of this region, this wildfire, the series of wildfires that have been taking place has burned over 5,000 hectares. it's claimed 11 lives. this is an air tanker flying around. international help has been coming in to assist the firefighters here in combatting this blaze. right now the weather is not helping at all. this is still threatening some residential areas. definitely it is going to be a continuing situation. it doesn't look like any time soon this is all going to be completely contained but with the additional assistance coming from the international community

definitely going to be helping out a little bit. the weather while still hot and dry even on tuesday, we had some pretty windy conditions around santiago and farther toward the south where a lot of fires have been taking place. do want to take your attention to europe. we have been watching this storm system right here. you can see the satellite picture stretching across the british isles. that will bring in some widespread scattered rain showers. not only that but pretty windy conditions as this does move overhead. if you're into london, paris, madrid, lisbon, expect some rain in your forecast. here is the extended outlook. ♪

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we have one more story to share with you before we go. people in japan's northernmost prefecture of hokkaido are welcoming a treasured winter experience. many came from taiwan and hong kong. some chunks were more than ten meters across. a married couple said they were lucky to be there. >> translator: i've only seen the ice from the shore. it was a nice experience to see it on a ship. >> very happy and very exciting. it's very beautiful. >> the weather official said some of the flows may reach the coast within a week. that's all for this edition of nhk "newsline." thanks very much for joining us.

reyes: with each passing day, a long-lost indigenous tribe is losing its language. can it be rescued in this digital age? i'm elaine reyes in washington, d.c., and this is "americas now." [singing in native language] first up, keeping the culture of a tribe alive by saving its language. that's the mission of a musician in chile. [man speaking native language] translator: we have to have a connection within ourselves. we need to know ourselves and what's inside of us beyond what our minds can create. reyes: correspondent harris whitbeck reports on how reviving the language is helping to resurrect his people's past. and later, it may look like a ukelele, but this stringed instrument is called a cavaquinho. exported from europe, it became key to composing samba music in brazil.