going where no one can go. technicians detect fatal levels of radiation inside one of japan's crippled reactors. you're watching newsline. i'm yuko aotan. officials have done something they hadn't done since the accident last march nap measured radiation inside the number two reactor. they found the levels were extremely height. technicians with tokyo electric power company placed a dosimeter inside's reactor's containment vesle. radiation levels increased as a

lowered the instrument. this suggests nuclear fuel melted down and collected theatbottom of the vessel. it also measured 72.9 seiferts per hour. a person exposed to those levels would die within about seven minutes. the technicians also learned that the water used to cool the reactor is only 60 centimeters deep. they thought the level was about three meters. tepco officials suspect the suppression chamber theatbottom of the vessel may have been destroyed. r two nuclear expert says thuny reactor may slow down the work theatfukushima daiichi plant. tepco's next jop is to find out whether water leakage is occurring. the utility will have to develop radiation resistant cameras and new robots. >> translator: it is going to be a hard task to find the damaged parts that are causing water

leakage in the containment vessel. that's because the vessel has a large surface area. >> radioactive contamination from the fukushima accident may force fishermen in a neighboring prefecture to suspend catches of one of their favorite species. catches japanese sea bass may become the first marine products of miyagi prefecture to be suspended. contamination of up to 360 becquerels of radioactive cesium has been detected in sea bass hauls over the past two months off the coast of miyagi. the levels exceed the stricter government limits that will begin next month. the newer maximum allowable levels will be 100 becquerels per kilogram. miyagi prefective and fisheries cooperatives are asking fisheries to voluntarily refrain from catching the fish. officials in fukushima prefecture are set to pay cash to residents for the emotional

distress caused by the accident. the payments will go to people in municipalities farther away from plant who are not eligible for full compensation from tepco. the officials say they'll pay about $2,400 each to pregnant women and children aged 18 and younger. those payments will cover people in the western part of the prefecture. they'll pay about $1,200 to expectant mothers and children in southern fukushima. tepco has promised to pay those people about $2,400 each. prefectural officials say they'll also pay about $480 to everyone else in western and southern fukushima. japan has some of the world's most advanced measures for dealing with earthquakes and tsunamis. but last year's disaster exposed some major weaknesses.

one was the failure to safely evacuate ships anchored in ports. sari kajahara has been looking into this and joins us from the tokoshima studio. many fishermen died during -- trying to flee the giant waves on march 11th. what's been learned from that experience? >> one key issue is the evacuation. march 11th it was believed that boats should be sent out to sea when a tsunami warning sounds. offshore, where the ocean is deep, tsunami waves are not so high whereas they approach port, the sea becomes shallower and the waves become higher and more intense. as a result, the japan coast guard has a device sending boats far offshore where they can't be capsized on to the land. last year's disaster showed this plan only works if the boats are given enough warning. here is a report on what

happened and what's being done to prepare for the next big quake. leaving port in a hurry. boats head out to sea on march 11th. many never made it to safety. fuel leaking from the wrecked boats caught fire. whole neighborhoods went up in flames. how can this devastation be prevented? officials in tokushima prefecture are among those looking for answers. fishing communities in this area suffered little damage last year. but the region has a history of powerful tsunamis. and the coast guard here is busy revising its evacuation procedures. >> will there be time to

evacuate? will there not be enough time? will it be a close call? we need to find the safest way to handle all of these situations. >> the coast guard is working closely with shipping companies. there are many scenarios to consider. >> this is our manual for responding to tsunamis. the shipping company says it takes about ten minutes for its ships to leave tokushima pier and another 20 minutes to clear out the port. if a big quake strikes, the first tsunami is expected to reach the coast in about 30 minutes. that will give ships just enough time to evacuate. if there is enough time, both the tankers carrying dangerous materials and regular cargo

ships will leave the port. if there is not enough time, the tankers will be evacuated first. >> having a manual will enable faster decision-making and quicker action. we should be able to react swiftly. >> tokushima seems to be busy revising evacuation ship procedures. is that taking place throughout japan? >> yes. numerous cities in hokkaido have established detailed rules aimed at saving more lives. these rules include not evacuating offshore if the tsunami's focused to reach the coast in less than 20 minutes. communities right along japan's pacific coast are preparing for the next big quake. >> all right. but there isn't much time to react when a tsunami is coming. can officials actually execute these detailed plans?

>> that's right, yuko. there are a lot of challenges. shipping companies say securing communication is the major issue. a large quake can knock out radio and television systems. however, company contacts its ships. the response will be different depending on the situation. the people involved realize the importance of learning from last year's disaster. >> thank you, sari. that was sari kajihara. japan's ruling democratic party remains divided over a plan to double consumption tax to 10% by 2015. during another marathon meeting overnight, the party's policy chief seiji maehara proposed a

new amendment to a tax hike bill. the focus of the amendment was the controversial issue of whether to set an economic growth target as a condition for the tax rise. maehara proposed aiming for 2% economic growth in real terms without specifying the figure as a hard requiremen that was an attempt to bridge party differences, but it seems to have failed. some lawmakers still demanded a numeric target while others worried that a tax hike may be pushed through even if the economy stays flat. six hours of debate later, maehara ended the meet deg spite protests. he asked lawmakers to allow him to make a final decision based on their input. opposing members later issued a statement. >> translator: it is regrettable that party executives are hung up on getting our approval within this week even though the party remains divided.

>> prime minister yoshihiko noda wants to get the bill passed during the current diet session. the organization for economic cooperation and development has urged eurozone nations to boost their rescue funds to dispel concerns about the region's credit crisis. the warning indicates that the risk of a global spillover remains. >> progress is in the way, but we're still not out of the woods. the mother of all firewalls should be in place strong enough, broad enough, deep enough, tall enough, all sorts of just big. >> korea says the zone must double its so-called stability funds to at least 1 trillion euros, or about $1.3 trillion to help debt-strapped nations. they are scheduled to discuss boosting the funds in denmark later this week. ireland has announced a date of

referendum on the new european fiscal treaty. the public will be asked to vote for more harsh economic regulations. deputy prime minister gilmore said on tuesday that the government will hold a referendum on may 31st. gilmore pleaded for public support saying that the treaty will solidify the country's long-term stability and recovery. ireland is currently undergoing painful fiscal reconstruction after getting a package of financial support from the eu. the eu's new treaty demands that member nations constitutionally legalize tougher fiscal regulations to prevent another credit crisis. the treaty includes a provision for imposing sanctions on countries that fail to follow the rules. the eu hopes to put the next treaty if 12 out of 17 members ratify it.

a japanese expert panel has put forward options for the nation's future energy mix. this is part of an effort to review power sources. the focus is how much japan should depend on nuclear energy. on tuesday the panel under the industry ministry put forward six options for 2030. one option has zero dependence on nuclear power, which accounted for over 26% in the previous fiscal year through march 2011. to make up for the difference, the proportion of renewable resources would go up over three times to 35%. thermal power would decline slightly to 50%. in-house power generation would more than double to 15%. meanwhile, another option balances energy security with economic growth. this would mean the highest dependence on nuclear power at 35%. here renewable energy would account for 20%, thermal power at 30%, and in-house generation at 15%. at the meeting some experts called for further discussion on

nuclear power policy, while others urged more studies on boosting renewable energy. they plan to finalize the various options by may and submit them to the government. a senior u.s. defense official has called for investment into the u.s. marine corps futenma air snags okinawa. japan and the u.s. are discussing a plan to move troops out of futenma. but okinawa's government has yet to approve the relocation. deputy under secretary of defense dorothy robin told a u.s. senate committee meeting on tuesday that japan and the u.s. must ensure the facility is safe and combat ready. she noted that the u.s. remains committed to moving the air station to nago city also in okinawa prefect purp she called

this the only viable option. both governments have said any repairs will be limited to basic maintenance. more serious work could stoke local concern. but the facility's becoming permanent. the japanese government wants to keep the pressure on north korea. government leaders will ask parliament to extend sanctions against pyongyang for one more year. the current measures expire in two weeks. japan first imposed sanctions in 2006. they were meant to punish the north for carrying out missile launches and a nuclear test. the decision to extend sanctions follows the north's recent plan to launch another satellite. government officials are also frustrated with the failure of their north korean counterparts to resolve the issues of japanese abductions. the sanctions ban all trade with korea and prohibit north korean ships from harboring in japan. japanese officials may call on the u.n. security council to

pass a resolution imposing additional penalties if the north goes ahead with the launch. they may also add measures of their own. it's been said that history often depends on who writes it. officials at japan's education ministry have been reviewing high school textbooks. they have added several that include references to a disputed group of islands. the education ministry officials finished screening geography and civics textbooks to be started using next april. they approved 20 texts. 17 refer to the takeshima islets. one book says south korea is illegally occupying the islets and suggests the territory belongs to japan. some books refer to the senkaku isnds. japan controls the chain in the east china sea. china, too, claims the islands. 18 of the 20 books now mention those islands. some sports fans in japan have had this day marked on

their calendar for four years. u.s. major league baseball is holding the season opener in tokyo. the fourth time since 2000. the seattle mariners plays the oakland athletics. but it's more than just a game. it's a chance for the mlb to show off its top japanese players and to prove it's still relevant in this baseball-mad nation. nhk world's rena nakano explains. >> reporter: daisuke matsuo remembers the first time he went to a major league baseball game in the u.s. >> translator: when i got my first autograph from jason varitek in boston, i was so happy. >> reporter: and he was hooked. since 2004 matsuo has made four trips to the u.s. his mlb autograph collection has expanded to more than 300, and now he's getting ready to see his fourth mlb season opener in japan.

>> translator: if you watch the game live, you get really into it with other fans. you can feel everyone's passion for the game. >> reporter: and that passion dates back more than a century. japan's had its own pro league for decades, but interest in the game spiked when mlb teams started recruiting japanese stars. nomo, ichiro, matsui. so when big leaguers come to japan, it's a big deal. fans line up for autographs, snap up collectors items, and dress up like their heroes. >> translator: we're witnessing a special moment in history. >> translator: i wish they would play here every year. we've been waiting four years for this. >> reporter: these fans are

making a lot of noise about major league baseball, but some say japanese fans have been losing interest in the past few years. baseball writer robert whiting says during that time only a handful of japanese players hit it off in the mlb. >> people aren't going nuts like they used to, you know. there's interest, but it's not like it was before when ichiro won his mvp in his first year. it was like the second coming of you know who. >> reporter: mlb officials say games such as wednesday's opener are key to holding on to their japanese devotees. >> even though we're 7,000 miles away, we have to make a point of always trying to deliver the competition to the fans. we can't expect the japanese fans to respond simply to media exposure to major league baseball.

>> reporter: mlb officials and baseball watchers are optimistic new superstar hopefuls such as the rangers udarvish and hiroki karoda will ignite interest and create more die-hard fans like daisuke matsuo. he says the a's/mariners game in tokyo is just the ticket. >> translator: because ichiro is coming, a lot of people will show support. there are two other japanese newcomers on the mariners, so i know more of us will fall in love with the mlb. >> reporter: and in the process, maybe form a lasting relationship with the league's players and the game. rina nakano, nhk world, tokyo. >> all right. wednesday's athletics versus mariners game begins at 7:00 p.m. japan time. people in washington have spent recent weeks enjoying their famous cherry trees.

thousands of them line the potomac river. they were a gift from japan exactly 100 years ago. first lady michelle obama just added another one. the cherry trees are a landmark in the u.s. capital. every spring people descend on the river banks to appreciate this symbol of japanese culture. they presented 3,000 cherry trees to the u.s. capital as a token of friendship. obama took part in a commemorative event to mark the anniversary. it was held near the planting of the first planting held by first lady helen taft. >> so many years these trees have served as a symbol of the great friendship between the united states and japan, and as a reminder of our shared hopes, dreams and aspirations. >> the first lady said that on this historic anniversary the american people don't just admire the tree's beauty but also their resilience.

♪ framed by the cherry trees, there was a performance of the japanese traditional music. and next, rachel ferguson with weather. >> hi there. it's look like it's going to be fairly wet across much of china as we head into thursday. you can see the cloud moving across. this is going to be bring something intense showers. maybe as much as 50 millimeters of rain in just a 24-hour period. however, the further east that that area of rain moves, the waechter will get. hot on its heels is yet another round of wet weather. starting off with snow in the upper elevations of southwestern china turning over to rain. towards the north, a lot of this will be snow as well. intensifying over northeastern china where we'll have winter storm conditions. down towards the south, looking nice and clear for indochina. and we have a new tropical

depression that has formed here in the south china sea. at the moment, it's just sitting over the water but it's slowly moving in towards the coast of vietnam. so we'll see consistent heavy rain here as well as high waves caused by some pretty strong winds coming in from the northeast. now as we head towards the philippines, heavy rain has been targeting central portions for the last couple of days. starting to ease off here. that's certainly good news. it's just going to be moving north. seeing those downpours hitting luzon. tomorrow, looking like a clear day across much of the country. and indeed we'll be feel something warmer winds from the south as well which will be fairly pleasant. all right. as we head into north america you can see the circulation in the cloud there. this is going to be a round of heavy rain at the coast and mountain snow. the olympics you can see about two feet of snow in the next 24 hours. it will be accompanied by strong gusts, too. this is going to weaken off but there will be another round of heavy pripitation right in behind it. today we're seeing some severe thunderstorms erupting around

the mid-mississippi valley here toward the north. it's going to be a band of sleet, snow, some rain as well. across the u.s./canada border here and just north of the great lakes. maybe some freezing rain in that, too. the central plains, here, though are looking dry and we'll see the warm winds continuing from the south which means a fire risk. temperatures. 28. that's pretty hot in oklahoma city. 25 in denver. 19 in chicago. that warmth spreading to the northeast after a chilly day yesterday. those temperatures will come down, though, as that cooler system makes its way further towards the east. and up into the northwest, a little bit chilly here, too. 11 in seattle and 10 in vancouver. all right. into europe we go. you can see just the arc of the cloud there. this is showing you where the jet stream is protecting a central and western europe from all of that precipitation and the cold air. this is what's going on. warm and dry here in the west and central locations. cool and wet out towards the east. it is going to start to change as we see a cold front sagging

down from scandinavia coming down into central locations for example. we've got about 19 degrees in berlin today. very nice summer-like warmth here. in the next couple of days, that high is going to come down to the single digits. vienna will be impacted by that as well. conversely, the jet stream is going to move to allow some warmth to come up from the south across the southeast. ankara, 7 degrees. that temperature will steadily improve. and look at this. 20 degrees in london. 21 in paris. sometimes you don't even get that in your summer months. so do enjoy that while it lasts. i'll leave you with your extended forecast.

the top story once again -- technicians have done something they haven't done since the accident last march at fukushima daiichi. they measured radiation inside the number two reactor. they found the levels were extremely high. technicians with tokyo electric power company placed a dosimeter inside the reactor's containment vessel. they say radiation levels increased as they lowered the instrument. this suggests nuclear fuel melted down and collected at the bottom of the vessel. the dosimeter measured 72.9 seiverts per hour. a person exposed to those levels would die within about seven minutes. the technicians also learned that the water used to cool the reactor is only 60 centimeters

deep. they tught the level was about three meters. tepco officials suspect the suppression chamber at the bottom of the vessel may have been destroyed. a nuclear expert says the new findings at the number two reactor may slow down the work to decommission the fukushima daiichi plant. tepco's next job is to find out where the water leakage is occurring. the utility will have to develop radiation-resistant cameras and new robots. >> translator: it is going to be a hard task to find the damaged parts that are causing water leakage in the containment vessel. that's because the vessel has a large surface area. and that's all for now on this edition of "newsline. "i'm yuko aotani in tokyo.

thank you very much for joining us.