fukushima daiichi power plant has been gripping our attention. on today's nuclear watch we go inside. 3 dozen journalists toured it last saturday. he tells us what he saw. he is speaking in japanese and we provide simultaneous interpretation. >> translator: yes, we have been asking since immediately after the accident to open the site to the media to the japanese government and tepco, but we were not allowed to because we were told that we may obstruct the works and the radiation was very high, but eight months had passed, and cooling of the reactors has stabilized, and we were able to accompany the minister in charge of the nuclear accident, along with other media people. i boarded the bus and went through the main gate. first we went to the main gate, and then we went through the higher ground road, and through the purification facility, and went through the seaside route, and then went to the living quarter. and discovering of this site, we had to limit the radiation level to 100 microsieverts. time and routes were limited. so this is before t

about the same distance between fukushima daiichi and kawachi. they still face radiation 25 years after the chernobyl accident. this device is installed at the village school. it measures radiation levels in food. people bring in samples and take their own readings. residents of komani still need to take steps to protect themselves from radiation exposure. the situation shocked mayor endo. despite the challenges people face living in komari, the village's population has returned to what it was before the 1986 accident. >> translator: local residents have provided with necessary information. 15 babies have been born in the village in the past nine months and the population is increasing. >> the mayor of kawachi hopes the decontamination of his village will encourage his citizens to come home. >> translator: people have been living in their village for 25 years, and they've raised children there as well. we need to take action for the villagers to return. i'm so determined to put into practice what we've learned here. >> make yukiyo endo is now bac

the ministry has been monitoring radiation levels in rivers near the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant to assess the impact of the accident there. officials took sand samples from two rivers in september. the upstream radioactive cesium levels were over 3,000 becquerels per kilogram in itate. the downstream levels of the same river in an area of soma city were 13,000 becquerels. the upstream levels had fallen to one-fifth of those observed in may, but the downstream measurements had tripled. cesium levels near the mouth of another river in soma city where were nearly 30,000 becquerel. they have doubled since may. kinki university hideo yamazaki says radiation levels should be monitored near river mouths as radioactive substances in riverbed sands are probably moving downstream. >>> a survey team of the international atomic energy agency has drawn up final recommendations on how to remove the radioactive substances released from the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. the team handed the report to the japanese government on tuesday. the 80-page report is based on the team's visit to

"nuclear watch" brings insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> thousands of people have been working at fukushima daiichi trying to control the plant and get it ready for cold shut down. thousands of others will be needed to clean up the accident created. the process will take decades. the japanese aren't just relying on their own experts, they're trying to learn valuable lessons from people that have gone through similar nuclear crises. people gathered for a symposium monday at the university of tokyo. japanese researchers were joined by american experts who studied the three mile island nuclear accident in the u.s. soon after it happened. >> processing and meeting all federal and state limits at the same time, that took a long time, about 15 years to get completed. >> experts say the task of cleaning up the fukushima daiichi accident will be even more difficult. radiation levels are high on site and in surrounding are

his house is located just 2.5 kilometers from fukushima daiichi. one can see the plant's ventilation tower from the road in front of his house. the march 11th earthquake damaged some of his furniture and a lot of other things. sato had to search through his family's photo albums. he selected photos of a few special occasions, family celebrations, school entrance ceremony. he left all the other photos behind. >> translator: spending time and living so far from home, i've realized how precious those family memories are. it's really touching. >> reporter: sato says he wanted the take picture books for his children. he thought the books might expose them to radioactive substances. he took photos of a few pages instead. his wife and their three children were waiting for him in their apartment, their temporary home. >> translator: i know that i can't get back home in the next few years. but i hope to return someday. for my children, it is up to them to make their own decisions. >> reporter: radiation levels around sato's house were high. approximately 50

his house is located just 2.5 kilometers from fukushima daiichi. you can see the insulation tower from the road in front of his house. the march 11th earthquake damaged some of his furniture, and a lot of other things. he had to search through family photo albums. he selected photos of a few special occasions, family celebrations, school entrance ceremony. he left all the other photos behind. >> translator: spending time, living so far from home, i've realized how precious those family memories are. it's really touching. >> reporter: he wanted to take picture books for his children. he thought the books might expose them to radioactive substances. he took photos of a few pages instead. his wife and their three children were waiting for him in their apartment, their temporary home. >> translator: i know i can't get home in the next few years, but i hope to return someday. for my children, it is up to them to make their own decisions. >> reporter: radiation levels around his house were high. approximately 50 microsieverts. it may be awhile yet before

the ministry has been monitoring radiation levels in rivers near the fukushima daiichi plant to assess the impact of the accident there. officials took sand samples from two rivers in september. the upstream radioactive cesium levels were over 300 becquerel in a river near a village. downstream levels of the same river were 3,000 becquerel. they had fallen to one fifth of those observed in may, but downstream measurements tripled. cesium levels near the mouth of another river in soma city where were nearly 30,000 becquerel. they doubled since may. he says radiation levels should be monitored near river mouths as radioactive substances in river bed sands are probably moving downstream. >>> a survey team of the international atomic energy agency has drawn up final recommendations on how to remove the radioactive substances released from the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. the team handed the report to the japanese government on tuesday. the 80-page report is based on the team's visit to fukushima prefecture last month. the report urges central and local governments to find final d

his house is located just two and a half kilometers from fukushima daiichi. one can see the plant's ventilation tower from the road in front of his house. the march 11th earthquake damaged some of his furniture. and a lot of other things. sato had to search through his family's photo albums. he selected photos of special occasions. family celebrations, a school entrance ceremony. he left all the other photos behind. >> translator: spending time and living so far from home, i've realized how precious those family memories are. it's really touching. >> reporter: sato says he wanted to take picture books for his children. he thought the books might expose them to radioactive substances. so he took photos of a few pages instead. his wife and their three children were waiting for him at their apartment in kitakata, their temporary home. >> translator: i know that i can't get back home in the next few years. but i hope to return some day. for my children, it's up to them to make their own decisions. >> reporter: radiation levels around sato's house were high. appro

the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant has held our interest ever since the disaster. on tonight's "nuclear watch," we go inside three dozen journalists toured the plant last saturday. nhk world's yoshihiro nemura was one of them. we'll provide simultaneous interpretation. >> translator: it's been eight months since the accident and the site was opened to the media for the first time. but isn't it too late? >> well, yes, we've been asking since immediately after the accident to open the site to the media, to the japanese government and to tepco, but we were not allowed to, because we were told that we may obstruct the works and also the radiation was very high. but eight months have passed, and the cooling of the reactors have stabilized. and we were able to accompany the minister in charge of the nuclear accident. >> could you explain the route you took? >> yes. along with other media people, i boarded the bus and went through the main gate. first we went to the main gate, and then we went to through the higher ground road, and went through the purification facility,

"nuclear watch" brings you the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ead" shows efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> japan's nuclear agency has confirmed that sustained nuclear fission did not take place last week at the fukushima daiichi power plant. the safety agency disclosed the results of expert studies on a report by tepco. the utility detected a small amount of radioactive material, xenon 135 in the containment vessel in the damaged number two reactor last tuesday. tepco initially feared it was a sign of an ongoing nuclear reaction. the substance was produced by spontaneous fission and not from sustained physician or krit kalety. they say criticality did not occur. density didn't change when boric acid was injected into the reactor. the agency ordered tepco to check the substances in the vessels regularly and report any changes. the cabinet office parliamentary secretary said on monday, it's regrettable that tepco was slow to report the incident to local governments. he

"nuclear watch" brings you the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" shows efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> japan's nuclear agency has confirmed that sustained nuclear fission did not take place last week at the fukushima daiichi power plant. the safety agency disclosed the results of expert studies on a report by tepco. the utility detected a small amount of radioactive material, xenon 135 in the containment vessel in the damaged number two reactor last tuesday. tepco initially feared it was a sign of an ongoing nuclear reaction. the substance was produced by spontaneous fission and not from sustained physician or krit kalety. they say criticality did not occur. density didn't change when boric acid was injected into the reactor. the agency ordered tepco to check the substances in the vessels regularly and report any changes. the cabinet office parliamentary secretary said on monday, it's regrettable that tepco was slow to report the incident to local governments. h

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >> the country has a new leader. >>> next we go to pachari raksawong in bangkok to find out what's going on in the region. >> india and pakistan have agreed to accelerate efforts to improve relations. indian prime minister, manmohan singh, met pakistani prime minister yusuf raza gilani on thursday. they exchanged views on the territorial issue of kashmir, as well as how to expand trade. nhk world's sukiyaya reports. >>n a joint news conference, both sides expressed strong willingness to improve bilateral ties. >> we have wasted a lot of time in the past in acrimonious debates. the time has come to write a new chapter in this relationship. >> i think the next round of the talks would be more constructive, more positive and it will open a new chapter in the history of both countries. >> reporter: the issue of control of kashmir has clouded relations between in

calculating the contamination -- researchers in japan start mapping out radiation levels around fukushima daiichi. and why childn iukushi efectu an' gwi a fa as ks in e rt oth untry. >>> th is "nsline. i'm kooti tokyo environmental minists are trngo fure out h mh radiation is lingering in the towns and villages paamed nuclear taedurvey on mon. the information they collect will enable government authorities to drop decontamination plans for their 20-kilometer zone. about 20 millisieverts per year will be included in the survey. some 30 people gathered on monday at a monitoring point in iitate village located in a designated evacuation zone. tokyo electric power company employees are working alongside government officials. they recorded radiation levels at 100-meter intervals, using helicopters that fly 50 meters above the ground and cars equipped with measuring devices. >> translator: nearly 100,000 people have been forced to evacuate. with that in mind, we'd like to do all we can to press ahead with the decontamination plan, to evacuees can return home sooner. >> environment ministry researchers

discharged from the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. the scientists say radioactive cesium may have contaminated soil up to 500 kilometers away. the researchers combined global atmospheric patterns with radioactive measurements over a period of one month from march 20th. nine days after a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered a nuclear accident. the results of the simulation suggest some cesium 137 reached the northern island of hokkaido. the simulation reached 250 becquerels. the simulation also spread to some areas of western japan. the density per kilogram reached 25 becquerels in mountainous areas. researchers say the radioactive material may have accumulated in the soil due to rain. but they say the pollution levels are not high enough to require decontamination. >> translator: there are many places throughout japan where radiation testing of the soil has not been carried out. i hope this simulation will be a useful reference when more detail tests are conducted. >>> despite the debt crisis, the economy of the 17-nation euro zon

so workers at the fukushima daiichi reactor are using silamol aesth trk. th o c even take pictures by detecting obstacles in the dark. researchers started working on the robot after two disasters struck japan in 1995. the great earthquake and the g attack on the tokyo subway system. researchers at tohoku university and the sheba institute of technology and international rescue system developed the technology together over ten years. >> translator: this robot could be used to probe volcanoes, locate fires and handle dangerous objects in factories. the technology will keep evolving along with the needs of society. >> reporter: the accident at fukushima prompted a computer chipmaker to devel robot technology of its own simonths ago. taiwan too relies on nuclear power. developers use these tips to make a miniature of the robot and then test its abilities. >> we can take information back to t base and see what happened there and transfer the information back to the headquarters or the head office and then for them to decide what next should be go. >> reporter:

the construction of fukushima daiichi began in the late 1960s. the plan's number one react or went online 40 years ago. members of the nuclear and industrial safety agency held their first meeting with a panel of experts on tuesday. the panel's secretary reported that fukushima daiichi shut down automatically after the march 11th quake. he said emergency power generators were working until the tsunami struck. the facility there lost all sources of electricity, which caused meltdowns in three reactors. >> translator: it's essential to analyze whether the aging of the plant caused the accident. >> nuclear power reactors are designed to function for many years, but their machinery and infrastructure become more vulnerable as time passes. reactors are the heart of a nuclear plant. they're made of steel. but the strength of the metal deteriorates from exposure to neutrons. metal water pipes are subject to erosion and corrosion and their walls gradually become thinner. in 2004, vapor escaped from a broken water pipe at a reactor at the mihaha nuclear p

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on newsline. >>> in thailand, measures to protect central bangkok from flooding are succeed bug water is being trapped in areas to the north. the floodwater had threatened e to reach central bangkok. the bangkok metropolitan authority closed flood gates and canals to the north of the central commercial district. the water cannot escape anywhere and houses upstream of the gate remain inundated. on monday, about 200 residents demanded that the government open a gate and some of them tried to break it to release the water. >> translator: the water has been trapped for 15 days while the government did nothing. it's a health hazard. >> the water is now threatening an industrial complex in a downstream area south of central bangkok where about 20 japanese companies are operating. >>> a new fact has surfaced concerning north korea's nuclear ambitions. they demanded lightwater

the company that operates the fukushima daiichi power plant forecasts more financial troubles.okyo electric power company is set to post a heavy loss for the business year that runs through march 2012. in figures released on friday, tepco estimated its net loss for fiscal will total 600 billion yen, about $7.7 billion. the utility blames the cost of ongoing efforts to stabilize the damaged nuclear plant. fuel costs from the use of thermal power plants to shore up electric output add to the losses. tepco analysts project energy-saving efforts by households and businesses will translate into a 1% decline in annual energy sales. the utility plans to book an extraordinary loss of about $13 billion to compensate those affected by the nuclear disaster. a government-backed fund is expected to contribute about $11.5 billion worth of public funds to assist tepco in making the payments. [ bell ringing ] [ applause ] >>> aapanese machine maker has finally achieved a long-held goal -- kikuchi got its name put on on the jazdaq securities exchange and is now a publicly-listed company. the fi

"nuclear watch" brings insight and information on the fukushima daiichi crisis. "the road ahead" examines the efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> measures to protect central bangkok is succeeding but waters are being trapped to north. road water threatened to reach central bangkok after devastating parks in central thailand. bangkok metropolitan authority closed flood gates and canals north of the district. water can't escape anywhere and houses upstream of the gate remain inundated. on monday about 200 residents demanded that the government open a gate and some of them tried to even break it to release the water. >> translator: the water has been trapped for 15 days. but the government did nothing. it's a health hazard. >> the water is now threatening industrial complex in a downstream area south of central bangkok where about 20 japanese companies are operating. >>> a new fact has surfaced concerning north korea's nuclear ambitions. they demanded light water reactors in exchange for stopping uranium

the company that operates the fukushima daiichi power plant forecasts more financial troubles.okyo electric power company is set to post a heavy loss for the business year that runs through march 2012. in figures released on friday, tepco estimated its net loss for fiscal 2011 will total $600 billion yen, about $7.7 billion. the utility blames the cost of ongoing efforts to stabilize the damaged nuclear plant. fuel costs from the use of thermal power plants to shore up electric output add to the losses. tepco analysts project energy-saving efforts by households and businesses will translate into a 1% decline in annual energy sales. the utility plans to book an extraordinary loss of about $13 billion to compensate those affected by the nuclear disastedisaste disaster. a government-backed fund is expected to contribute funds to assist tepco in making the payments. >>> in a move to increase trade, russia has restored the railway that crosses its border with north korea. the train connects the russian town of khasan and rajin. the track is part of russia's strategic plan in the far

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the fukushima daiichi accident has hurt watanabe's bottom line. price of his peaches dropped 90% this summer compared to last year. he's never experienced such a loss. >> translator: when i received it, i thought there should be another zero. >> reporter: watanabe is now concerned about upcoming sales of his fuji apple. the fruit is famous for its sweetness. many customers order fuji every year as gifts for friends and family. fukushima inspectors have already tested samples of apples from his region and approved their sale. but he wanted to be 100% sure. so before the fuji harvest he sent apples from his field to the laboratory. >> translator: i ordered a test for my apples, because when people question their safety, i would like to say, from the bottom of my heart, that they are okay to eat. >> reporter: watanabe was relieved when he found out the results. his apples are radiation-free. he sent letters to his customers to let them know, but some people were still concerned. >> translator: as a farmer my income is decreasing. i'm not sure whether

they expect to achieve a cold shutdown at fukushima daiichi by the end of the year as planned.orkers will keep monitoring the xenon levels in the number two reactor and checking the conditions in reactors two and three. tepco is asking the japan atomic energy agency to re-examine the situation because it might have detected a different substance that has similar characteristics to xenon. in addition tokyo electric said radiation levels near number two reactor were basically unchanged from the previous day. the utility says the reading at a monitoring post located about 500 meters northwest of the number two reactor stood at 293 microseiferts per hour. it says the radiation level near the compound's west gate, about one kilometer from the number two reactor, was unchanged at 11.2 microsieverts per hour and no neutron radiation was detected there. readings taken at eight other monitoring posts around the plant on wednesday were also identical to tuesday's data. we asked nhk senior commentator noriyoki mizuno what he had to say. here's what he had to say through simultaneous inter

they were imposed after the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. yang said china would seriously consider the matter, employing scientific assessment to ensure safety. next year the two countries will mark the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties. the question of how far noda can solidify the relationship with china will attract attention during the first visit to china since taking office. hitoshi hirouchi, nhk world, beijing. >>> people on the south korean island of yongpyeong have gathered to remember the victims of a north korean attack. north korea's military pounded the island with artillery a year ago wednesday. yongpyeong is located near the disputed maritime boarder in the yellow sea. the victims of the attack were two south korean marines and two civilians. 100 military officers and other people gathered at a hillside park for a memorial service for the two marines. they could see north korea in the distance. organizers unveiled a monument bearing the portraits of the dead marines. following the memorial service people

they were imposed after the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. yang said china would seriously consider the matter, employing scientific assessment to ensure safety. next year the two countries will mark the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties. the question of how far noda can solidify the relationship with china will attract attention during the first visit to china since taking office. hitoshi hirouchi, nhk world, beijing. >>> people on the south korean island of yeonpyeong have gathered to remember the victims of a north korean attack. north korea's military pounded the island with artillery a year ago on wednesday. four people died. yeonpyeong is located near the disputed maritime border in the yellow sea. the victims of the attack were two south korean marines and two civilians. 100 military officers and other people gathered at a hillside park for a memorial service for the two marines. they could see north korea in the distance. organizers unveiled a monument bearing the portraits of the dead marines. following the mem

here had we gotten anywhere in well certainly the fall out continues the releases from fukushima daiichi continue to annex so it's still it's still below a very yes there is steam escaping from unit three which evidence is mounting that it is severely damaged the primary containment structure appears to be damaged the unit three as well the call from the woman on the ground in japan is to evacuate much broader areas because there are tens or hundreds of thousands of children in severely radioactively contaminated areas still and they're also calling for an end to nuclear power but here in the united states we said join them because we have twenty three identical twins the fukushima daiichi they could have a bad day we're still receiving the fallout as you mentioned there's a question about even the oceanic currents and the seafood that is migrating from the japanese coast here salmon tuna water the contamination levels there and it's a shame that the obama administration. has dismantled any post who can see my radiation monitoring we're doing very shallow radiation monitoring is it desig

. >> coming up next on this special edition of frontline, a provocative response to the daiichi nuclear disaster. "the atomic artists" begins right now. >> werman: it's the evening rush hour in shibuya train station in tokyo. more than a million and a half people come through here each day. it's one of the busiest stations in japan. i'm here to report a series of stories on the aftermath of the march 11 earthquake. when i arrive, staring down at the passing crowds is this incredible 100-foot-long mural. for a long time, japan's contemporary cultural scene has intrigued me. this piece, titled "the myth of tomorrow" by taro okamoto, is among japan's most famous. it's a chronicle of this country's atomic horrors. it's a pretty impressive painting, this "myth of tomorrow." it's kind of surprising nobody's stopping to look at it. here's a larger-than-life reminder of japan's history-- the only country to have suffered not one but two atomic bombs. and it's mind-boggling to me that it's at the center of yet another atomic disaster. these horrors would be made fresh on march 11 when northeast

. >> reporter: we were heading north to the evacuation zone around the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant about 40 miles away. we gathered radiation readings in the air and on surfaces with geiger counters in and outside of the vehicle. using a handful of devices, we measured raw radiation levels-- counts per minute-- as well as becquerels and microsieverts, which calibrate the raw numbers to their impact on human beings. >> as you can see it's down to 94 c.p.m. and .185 min. sieverts considerably lower than they were just a few moments ago. >> reporter: sean bonner is one of the founders of safecast, an all-volunteer organization that has plotted the most detailed maps of radiation contamination in japan since the nuclear meltdown in march. radiation doesn't fit that nice neat little disk you want to paint on the map, right? >> yeah. radiation isn't looking at a compass, radiating outward. >> reporter: that's right. it's a very arbitrary thing. >> yeah. there was like wind and topography and this crazy stuff that ends up playing into it. >> reporter: wherever they go, they draw a crowd.

increasingly crucial as the domestic energy resource, especially after the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. >>> italy's new prime minister is ready to slash his country's massive debts. it's a promise made to the european union. he confirmed his commitment to push ahead with reforms during a meeting in brussels with the european counsel president and the european commission president. he told leaders the new government will do its best to take action as other eu countries expect. borosso said the world is paying close attention to what italy does and says he is confident the nation will work to ensure reforms are carried out and added that the eu will send a team of inspectors to rome to monitor the country's efforts. >>> the u.s. has released numbers on the economy. the economy did grow, but at a slower pace than expected. the commerce department said tuesday the country's gross domestic product increased by annualized rate of 2% in the third quarter. that's down .5% from the preliminary figure released late last month. private consumption grew 2.3%. that's 0.1 percent

this is the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant in japan.n up close and personal look at it. we'll show you some other pictures when we come right back. no problem. you want to save money on rv insurance? no problem. you want to save money on motorcycle insurance? no problem. you want to find a place to park all these things? fuggedaboud it. this is new york. hey little guy, wake up! aw, come off it mate! geico. saving people money on more than just car insurance. even if you think you can live with your old mattress... ask me how i've never slept better... why not talk to one of the 6 million people who've switched to the most highly recommended bed in america. it's not a sealy, a simmons, or a serta... ask me about my tempur-pedic. ask me how i can finally sleep all night. ask me how great my back feels every morning. did you know there's a tempur-pedic for every body? tempur-pedic beds now come insoft...firm...and everything in-between... ask me how i don't wake up anymore when he comes to bed... these are real tempur-pedic owners...ask s

. >>> a senior government official has drunk a glass of water from the fukushima daiichi plant to demonstrate safety after being asked by a reporter. on october 7th, the tokyo electric power company sprayed tons of water on the compound. the water is taken from the number five and six reactor buildings. the firm and the government's nuclear safety agency says the water is below the government standard for bathing. cabinet office secretary drank the water at a press conference on monday. he said he drunk the water because he was asked to. but he said he doesn't believe the act proves the water's safety. he disclosed the results of the scientific tests and they proved there was no issue with water quality. why did he feel compelled to drink the water? we spoke with the expert who watched the news conference. >> translator: government and tokyo electric power companies insufficient explanations have resulted in widespread public mistrust. it's pathetic that all they can do to explain an ongoing and urgent safety issue is to drink a glass of supposedly decontaminated waste water. >>> "newsline" i

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> the people who run japan's equivalent of the new york yankees are embroiled in high-profile dispute over the until nation of the club's new coach. the general manager of the yomiri giants has publicly denounced the chairman. watanabe's control over the newspaper group makes him one of the most powerful and influential figures in japan. the general manager says the club's chairman tried to interfere with his choice of a new coach. he harshly criticized watanabe, saying the chairman had no authority over personal matters. >> translator: the leadership must not break the company's internal control and compliance rules. i want the chairman to reconsider his position and accept my initial choice. >> watanabe has served as chairman of the giants since 2005. when he became president of the newspaper with the highest circulation in japan. >>> next, we go to

now would you drink water that came from a puddle inside japan's damaged fukushima daiichi nuclear plant? rowland burke reports. >> look closely. the hand is shaking. the water is from a radioactive bottle inside the fukushima plant. he is demonstrating its fate in the decontamination process. this is the bottle being filled with water at the power station, leftover and used for things like watering plants. journalists have repeatedly challenged the spokesman to prove is save. and the eight months after the explosions and meltdowns of fukushima, radiation is still leaking from the reactor's. the ability of the -- the faith of the japanese in the ability of the authorities to contain the situation has been shaken. there have been scarce for beef, even green tea. the 20 kilometers around the plant, exclusion and remains in force. tens of thousands have been forced to abandon their homes. the government plans to bring the reactor to a stable shut down by the end of the year. but that will be the end of only the immediate crisis. they are contaminating the area around the power station. afte

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan afs efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss, "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> the king and queen of the himalayan nation of bhutan attended a state banquet at the imperial palace in tokyo on wednesday. king jigme khesar namgyei wangchuk and queen jetsun pema are on a six-day state visit to japan. at the banquet crown prince naruhito welcomed them on behalf of akihitoho is now in the hospital. people including yoshihiko noda attended the banquet. the emperor said it's a pleasure to welcome bhutan's king and queen so soon after their marriage. the emperor also expressed gratitude to the himalayan country for the aid extended to victim of the march 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern japan. >> the outpouring for support of japan in march, with people from all over bhutan visiting temples and monasteries to pray for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami. >> bhutan's royal couple will visit disaster-hit soma city, f

such robots are being used in the restoration work at the fukushima daiichi power plant. this is being shown to the public for the first time to give a better understanding of the usefulness of robot technology. the power of this robot attracts a crowd. it uses rollers to climb over rubble and can stay upright even on a slope. it is the most powerful crawling robot in the world. they are using models at the plant. it can take pictures, detecting obstacles in the dark. researchers started working on the robot after two disasters struck japan in 1995. the earthquake and gas attack on the tokyo subway system. researchers at the university developed technology together over ten years. >> this robot could be used to probe volcanos, locate fires, and handle dangerous objects in factories. and the technology will keep evolving, along with the needs of society. >> the accident at fukushima prompt a chinese computer chip maker to develop robotic arms six months ago. taiwan relies on nuclear power. they use these chips to make a miniature out of the fukushima robot. >> you take the

they expect to achieve a cold shutdown at fukushima daiichi at the end of the year as planned. workers will keep monitoring the levels in the number 2 reactor as well as checking the condition in reactors 1 and 3. tepco is asking the japan atomic energy agency to re-examine the situation because it might have detected a different substance that has similar characteristics to z non. in addition tokyo electric said radiation levels near number 2 reactor were basically unchanged from the previous day. the utility says the reading on a monitoring post located about 500 meters northwest of the number 2 reactor stood at 293 microsieverts. it says the radiation level near the compound's west gate, about one kilometer from the number 2 reactor, was unchanged at 11.2 microsieverts per hour and no radiation detected there. readings taken around the post on wednesday were also identical to tuesday's data. we asked nhk leading congressmen at a timer, noriyoki mizuno, what he had to say. here's what he had to say. >> translator: it's not in a critical condition, but close monitoring must co

nuclear watch brings insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis, and the road ahead examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> eu finance ministers are trying to scrounge up more money to keep the eurozone afloat. what are officials doing to deal with the credit crisis? >> they are meeting to find ways to work on the european bailout fund. high on the agenda how to use measures compiled at the last summit. the meeting is currently under way in brussels. the ministers are working up plans for beefing up the fund called the european financial stability facility. they seek to increase it to 1 billion euros. discussions include guaranteeing government bonds issued by debt strapped countries, that is to make them more attractive to investors. another option involves setting up a special framework within the fund to get aid from countries outside the eu. some senior officials say the international monetary fund should be tapped for help. >>> in part three of our special series, an indian's india

nuclear watch brings insight and information on the fukushima daiichi crisis. the road ahead examines the efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss nuclear watch and the road ahead on "newsline." >>> senior officials from japan, the uz and india will have a meeting to discuss strengthening their relations in the asia pacific region. the move comes from china's growing influence in the south china sea and indian ocean. they say the gathering will be held in washington december 19th. they add it is the first meeting of its kind. the u.s. president barack obama said november 17th in an address in australia that the united states thinks the asia pacific region is one of the most important to the u.s. he noted u.s. will increase involvement in the area. obama also said china should uphold international norms. india is worried because china has been expanding economic and military assistance to india's neighbors. it plans to undertake with vietnam joint development of an oil field in the south china sea, but china is opposed to the project. >>> pakistanis have taken

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> the people who run japan's equivalent of the new york yankees are embroiled in high-profile dispute over the until nation of the club's new coach. the general manager of the yomiri giants has publicly denounced the chairman. watanabe's control over the newspaper group makes him one of the most powerful and influential figures in japan. the general manager says the club's chairman tried to interfere with his choice of a new coach. he harshly criticized watanabe, saying the chairman had no authority over personal matters. >> translator: the leadership must not break the company's internal control and compliance rules. i want the chairman to reconsider his position and accept my initial choice. >> watanabe has served as chairman of the giants since 2005. when he became president of the newspaper with the highest circulation in japan. >>> next, we go to

company are preparing to sue the current and former executives over the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. a group of 22 -- rather 42 individuals asked the utility's auditors on monday to file a lawsuit against 61 executives who have held posts since 2002. they're seeking more than 5.5 trillion yen or about $71 billion in compensation. the amount is the highest ever demanded in a lawsuit in japan. the investors say tepco executives failed to take steps to protect the plant from earthquakes and tsunami, and must be held accountable for the accident. >> translator: we want to make it clear through a court trial that the executives are personally responsible. >> they added that if the auditors don't file the lawsuit within 60 days, they'll do so on their own. tepco declined to comment on the matter. >>> "newsline" is the place to turn to for the latest on on japan post-march 11th. we have two segments offering two unique perspectives on the fallout from the earthquake and tsunami. "nuclear watch" has insight and information on the impact of the fukushima crisis and "the r

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> in south korea, a growing number of people are enjoying the single life so much they're putting off marriage for a longer time than previous generations. this graph shows the average age of south koreans who marry for the first time. right now it's almost 32 for men and close to 29 for women. compared to 20 years ago, both genders are getting married more than four years later. with a report on this phenomenon is nhk world's kazuto sassa. ♪ >>> a musical called "singles" is attracting big clouds in south korea. ♪ >> reporter: a single woman, close to 30, hovers between marriage and a career. >> translator: i sat through the play thinking, i've been there. i was moved by every line she said. >> translator: i identified with a lot of the things about marriage and life. >> reporter: as south korea's economy expands, more women put careers ahead of marri

"nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis and "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild. don't miss "nuclear watch" and "the road ahead" on "newsline." >>> now we look at sumo from the kyushu tournament. ross mihara has the results of day one. >> in the final sumo tournament of 2011, hometown hero koto show gee cue is making his debut. here's his first match and more from the first day. he becomes the only japanese in the sports top two ranks. his first opponent is a young georgian tochinoshin. after receiving a warm round of applause the fukuoka native looks quite calm, given the commotion. and once the match starts, he calmly gets a left inside grip and follows it up smoothly with a frontal pushout so it's a triumphant debut. hakuho is seeking a fifth straight win against homasho. he's his usual dominant self and picks up win number one with ease. the grand champion is once again the heavy favorite as he seeks the 21st of his spectacular career. >>> just before the basho stable master in a rue toe suddenl