here in japan it's 7:00 p.m. on a tuesday. i'm james tengan. welcome to this hour's nhk "newsline". here's the latest at this hour. briefing the boss. japan's top diplomats to south korea briefed shinzo abe on a diplomatic row over a statue of what are referred to as comfort women.

investing in america. japanese auto giant toyota will spend billions in the u.s. following criticism by president-elect donald trump. and looking ahead. thousands of people in japan acelebrating the start of their adult lives this week after making the country's coming of age day. japan's top diplomats to south korea have briefed prime minister shinzo abe on a diplomatic row. they were temporarily recalled in protest over a statue outside the japanese consulate general in pusan. the figure symbolizes people referred to as comfort women. abe recalled the ambassador along with the japanese consul general to pusan. he heard from them tuesday on seoul's response to the issue. japanese government officials have been calling on south korea to remove the statue. they say it runs counter to a 2015 bilateral agreement. the agreement states that south

korea will strive to resolve the conflict over a similar statue in front of the japanese embassy in seoul. japan's chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga told reporters south korea has said that there's no change to its position. it says seoul intends to carry out the agreement. they both acknowledged that the agreement would be final and irreversible. >> translator: it is extremely important that the governments of japan and south korea responsibly implement the agreement. i will continue asking south korea to do so tenaciously on every occasion. >> the japanese government will decide when to reinstate the diplomats after getting seoul's response. south korea's prime minister and acting president has told his cabinet that the 2015 agreement should be honored. he also had a word of caution for the members.

>> translator: people should refrain from words or actions that could make the situation worse in regard to our future-oriented relationship. >> he reportedly also told members there are concerns that the issue is aggravating relations. following criticism from u.s. president-elect donald trump, japan's biggest auto maker says it will invest billions of dollar in the u.s. gene otani has more on that and other headlines. it was the case for toyota, the company was targeted by trump for plans to build a factory in mexico. now the head of the company revealed a plan for the u.s. >> we will be investing another $10 billion here in just the next five years alone. >> toyota said his company would not change plans for the factory in mexico, but stressed his company's contribution to

u.s. employment, noting that its largest factory is located in the united states and not in japan. he added that 136,000 people across the country are on toyota's payroll. at the detroit auto show, the president of honda motor also addressed his company's manufacturing plans. >> translator: we intend to maintain our production in mexico for now. we will wait for the president-elect's policies to become clear before reviewing our plans. >> hachigo also stressed honda's contribution to the u.s. economy and said the company will keep building on its operations in the united states. he noted that honda was the first japanese auto maker to manufacture its vehicles in the country. checking the markets, tokyo stocks continued to decline falling if are the third straight day. many were cautious before trump's news conference.

the benchmark slipped to finish at 19,301. the losses widen in the afternoon as the dollar extended the fall, dragging down shares. financials dropped. the dollar weakened to the lower 115 yen level. >> let's see the closing levels for this tuesday, january the 10th. nikkei lost .8%, ending at 19,301. the index declined for a third day in a row. the broader topix also fell .7%. let's look at broader stocks, the company toyota says it will invest $1 billion in the u.s. on the flipside, pharmaceutical company takeda gained a touch.

officials say they will purchase all outstanding shares bringing the u.s. firm under their wing. ariad has been developing new medicines to advance the treatment of leukemia and other cancers. they have been focusing resources on cancer and neurological diseases. the acquisition is a unique opportunity and they would help advance the company's priorities. in china, the consumer price index rose 2.1% from a year ago. below expectations. but the producer price index was this way. grew at its fastest way in more than five years, gaining 5.5%. the strong ppi data failed to prop up shares. shanghai composite shed .3%, closing at 3161. and hong kong was cheered, finishing up at 22,744, hitting its highest level in four weeks. sydney slid 0.8%. first loss this year.

declines in major banks. the annual number of visitors to japan reached a new high in 2016 growing by 4 million people. marking it the fith year the figure hit a record. the transport ministry officials estimate 24 million people visited in 2016, up about 22% from 2015. government officials say a major contributor was an increase in flights and cruises from asian countries. they say easing restrictions and improving the tariff system led to the rise. the cabinet secretary sasaid tourism is a key for growth and the retalizazation of lolocal areas outside of major cities. >> translator: we will implement several policies this year t to keep up this momentum. we aim to have 40 million foreign visitors by 2020. >> the government plans to attract more visitors by

improving airports and tourism resources. japanese researchers say artificial intelligence will take away more jobs than it creates in the coming decade. they predict a net loss of 2.4 million positions in japan by 2030. analysts at mitsubishi said 5 million jobs will be created and 7.4 million will be eliminated. the manufacturing industrial will see the most cuts by a loss of 1 1/2 million jobs. the report is not all bad news. the analysts expect that technology innovation will help the economy grow. it will ease the labor shortage stemming from the country's declining population.

>> china's gdp grew 6.7% last year and the annual growth rate is expected to be about the same. >> the country's economy has the potential to maintain a reasonable pace of expansion. government released the 2016 gdp figures on january 20th. let's check our global economical dar for this year. on wednesday, japanese officials are out with a key economic indicator. that is the index of business conditions for november. that is followed with the release of japan's account balance for november. they stayed in the black for more than two years. the next day brings china's trade data for 2016 every month. both exports and imports posted declines for much of last year, mirroring a slow down. on friday, an update on the

u.s. economy, when officials announce retail sales for december. every week we ask specialists to share perspectives on the week. in today's edition, we hear from the senior economist at mitsubishi research and consulting. he expects japan's current account balance to show another surplus in november. >> translator: japan's current account balance for november is forecast to remain in the black. expanding by $1.7 billion compared to the same month last year. the surplus is projected to total about $11.2 billion. the main reason is an expected increase in japan's trade surplus. the japanese yen weakened against the u u.s. dollar in november from the month before, but the yen was still around 10% higher than the same month last year. the crude oil prices have fallen about 10% from a year earlier. this means there was a greater

reduction in imports than exports. >> starting in december, he believes the trade surplus could start to shrink. he cites the weakening of the yen since the u.s. presidential election and opec's decision to cut oil production. >> translator: when the u.s. currency strengthens against the yen, japan's imports rather than exports tend to grow when calculated in yen. since the trade surplus will shrink when the yen falls against the dollar, there is a possibility of a decline in the current account surplus. if oil prices rise, there is a possibility that the current account surplus will diminish. >> u.s. president-elect donald trump has promised to reduce the american trade deficit, but nakata said it's not likely to be a high priority target for his administration.

>> translator: in the past japanese companies build production plants overseas. after being criticized by other countries for accumulating a trade surplus. as a result the number of cars produced by japanese automakers in the united states is more than twice the number they export from japan. in that sense, japan is contributing to creating jobs in the u.s. and since china accounts for half of the u.s. trade deficit, i think japan ranks lower as a concern for the u.s. administration. >> you can catch our business news with a full transcript on

nhk's website under business wraps. >> that's a look at business news. i will leave you with the markets. ♪ two aging nuclear reactors near new york city will be shut down by 2021 xt the operator says rising maintenance costs and falling energy prices have made them less profitable. the two reactors are located at the indian point plant on the hudson river about 40 kilometers north of new york city. they were first licensed for operation in the mid-1970s. together they can generate up to 2,000 megawatts of electricity. inindian poioint has b been the of frequent accicidents, includg a fire and a leak of radioactive water. new york governor andrew cuomo

said that closing the plant will protect the safety of new yorkers and he was proud to announce that it will close 14 years ahead of schedule. with just a few days left in office, u.s. president barack obama is offering successor donald trump some words of caution about climate change. obama made his appeal in an opinion piece for the journal "science" titled "the irreversible momentum of clean energy." in it, obama says efforts to fight climate change and spur economic growth can coexist. he notes carbon dioxide emissions from the u.s. energy sector fell 9.5% between 2008 and 2015 while the economy grew by more than 10%. obama also writes that american businesses are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and shifting to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. obama describes the impact of climate change as increasingly and disturbingly clear. he callsls global momentum to

tackle the problem irreversible, citing the paris agreement that took effect in 2016. president-elect donald trump has called global warming a hoax and hinted that the u.s. might pull out of the paris agreement. he has named several climate change skeptics to his administration. japan's air self-defense force scrambled fighter jets monday. officials were responding to chinese military planes flying over southwestern japan. defense officials say japan's air space was not violated. the chinese aircraft included six bombers, one early warning plane, and one surveillance plane. the officials say the planes headed northeast over the sea of japan, made a u-turn, and flew back to the east china sea. the asdf fighters scrambled to intercept the chinese aircraft flying near japanese air space. chinese military planenewere al s spotted ovever the sushima straitit in august and lasast january. beijing has s been trying to

expand its country's military capability. china's aircraft carrier made its first appearance last month in the pacific ocean. the u.s. defense department says one of its destroyers fired warning shots at iranian military boats sunday in the persian gulf. pentagon officials say the boats were approaching at high speed and ignored requests to stay away. the officials say four boats from the iranian revolutionary guard corps closed in on the the destroyer was navigating in the strait of history muse at the entrance to the gulf. the officials say the "mayhan" fired warning shots after the boats ignored radio warnings and cameme within about 800 meters the ship. >> these types of actions are certainly concerning. and cecertainly risk escalating

tensioions. when it is o our viethatat we shouldld look for waysyso de-escscalate tensions, , not unnecessarily escalate them. >> a u.s. navy vessel last august fired warning shots at iranian military boats in the same waters. japanese researchers have made a discovery that could lead to better treatment for an itcty skin condition. researchers say they identify protein that plays a big role in causing dermatitis, also known as eczema. researchers say this has been confirmed in experiments using human cells. >> translator: most prescribed treatments cure the overall symptoms of the rash.

our discovery y could lead to t developmpment of new drugsgs th could target the itchiness. >> eczema affects about 10% of japan's population. japan has over a million new adults this year. monday was coming of age day, a national holiday where people across the country celebrate turning 20. nhk world shows us what that day represents for the freshly proclaimed adults. >> translator: i'll try my best to become a fine adult. >> translator: i want to become a grown-up man who can stand on his feet and make decisions. >> reporter: yokohama holds the biggest ceremony every year. it marked the milestone for 30,000. in osaka, a group of adults felt on top of the world after they

climbed japan's tallest building. youngsters often dress in traditional kimono and business suits for ee cebratatiowhile e hers are a t t mo creatate. >> transtotor: iilll b a good housife. >> reporte t theoliday was creadd in 1948oncourage the younger generation after world war ii. they are legally old enough to smoke or order alcohol. this new adult in okinawa followed the local tradition to organize an event to show gratitude. they invited community members who have supported them.

[ speaking japanese ] >> reporter: the new adults practiced tradititional dances r the event. at 20, she is a housewife and a mother. through the event, she wants to express her grtd to her mother. she became pregnant when she was in her second year of high school. she had to drop out. those around her pressed her to give up the child, but her mother supported her. >> translator: i talked to her and found that she was determined to have the baby and would never regret it. >> reporter: on the day hundreds of guests arrive to watch the new adults perform for three hours.

but many would help going in. >> translator: our youth worked hard today. i'm overjoyed beyond words. >> reporter: the young adults gave speeches. not all of them were able to have their parents next to them. this man lost his father when he was in junior high. he's determined to support his mother in the family business. >> translator: i would like to be at the top of the region's livestock industry. >> reporter: her turn comes. >> t translator: i am really grateful for my mother who has raised four children by herself. i gave birth to my own child and i'm realizing how tough child

raising is. i will w work hard to support m own family. >> reporter: coming of age day is an important milestone for many. they can look back on their childhood and forward to the futures that await them. nhk world. nhk "newsline" comes to you live from tokyo. parts of california were lashed by downpours and people in affected areas are bracing for more rainfall as sayaka mori jojoins us with a weather updat. >> nearly one meter of f snow fl and california has had three millimeters of rain since frididay. the m moisture has been poundin

parts of the western united states. i want to show you some video coming out of the western united states. serious floods are forcing thousands of people to evacuate from the western u.s. on monday, residents of east of lalake tahoe in nevada along wi portions in northern california were told to leave after heavy rainfall swept through the area. storm knocked out power to 70,000 customers. trees fell because of the stormy conditions. take a look at this picture. this is a sequoia tree. it toppled because of the loose ground due to the heavy rainfall.. it shattered on impact. very sad newsws. unfortunately the atmospheric river will continue to cause heavy rainfall orr heavy snowfal inin the higher elevations.

nearly 150 -- millimeters of rain could happen in the area. san francisco, los angeles, with heavy rainfall especially on tuesday and rainy weather will likely continue at least into your thursday and seattle, you'll see snow on tuesday and temperatures expected to be quite shilly starting on wednesday and that will continue into your thursday. so please d do bundle up. it's much colder in southeastern portions of europe. a cold voluntary tex has been lingering here. we saw quite low temperatures. athens had a morning low of minus 4 degrees on monday. even the south of the balkan peninsula showedd heavy rainfal. i want to show video from greece and turkey where heavy snow fell. parts of greece had more than a meter of snow on monday. a state of emergency was declared in parts of the country.

istanbul had heavy snow since friday. snowplows attempted to keep roads cleared. many schools were closed on monday. now the cold vortex will continue to sit in the area. cold temperatures will likely stay for the next of days. athens your morning low will be minus degree on both wednesday and thursday. good news, temperatures are expected to come up on friday. japan, heavy snow is falling in northern portions of the country in the past 24 hours. 30 millimeters of snow has fallen in hokkaido. the cold of the season will blanket much of japan. quite cold companies and cold winds. we're looking at sea effect snow across japan. some areas may see 40 centimeters of snowfall. different story in other areas

of japan, including tokyo. it will be staying quite dry. all right. here's the extended forecast.

thousands of people competed for the title of luckiest person. of the year. they were taking part in a new year foot race at a shinto shrine in western japan. it's held every january 10th as part of a ritual to pray for success in business. about 5,000 men and women lined up at the shrine gate for the race's 6:00 a.m. start. when the gate opened, they dashed to the main hall 230 meters away. the top three runners were crowned the year's luckiest men and women. the fastest runner this year was a 21-year-old university ststudent. >> translator: i'm just very happy. i'veve watched it on tv v every year, so i'd always wanted to take part. i was determined to finish in at least third place so i did my best. >> and he said he hopes the luck

will help him become a pilot. still ringing in the new year here in japan.

genie: you are watching "france 24." minutes live from paris. i'm genie godula. these of the headlines. you estimate pets set to challenge donald trump's pick .or attorney general -- u. jeff sessions was already rejected for a post as a judge 30 years ago over racist concerns. no senate hearings needed for the president-elect's son-in-law, however. jerrod