japanese and british companies have been sharing their expertise on fukushima daiichi. we asked for their thoughts. >>> european leaders have brushed off the latest comments made by u.s. president-elect donald trump on europe and nato. in an interview published on sunday in "the times of london" and a german daily "bild," trump says britain's decision to leave the eu would end up being a great thing. he said he believes other countries will follow. >> translator: europe needs no advice from outsider to be told what it has to do. >> hollande spoke on monday during a ceremony to honor the outgoing u.s. ambassador to france. german chancellor angela merkel also dismissed trump's remarks. >> translator: i think for us europeans we have our fate in our own hands. >> merkel said she will continue to work with european countries and see how she could cooperate with trump once he takes office. >>> world leaders have gathered at a swiss resort to discuss some of the most pressing issues for the global economy. gene otani joins us with more on that and other business headlines. >

japan went to the crippled fukushima daiichi plant, becoming the first minors to be admitted to the site. they're hoping the experience will help them contribute to the recovery of the surrounding community. >> reporter: the students spent months preparing for their visit to the site of the 2011 nuclear disaster. they've been checking radiation levels around the region. miko is in her second year and she's a member of her school's science club. >> translator: i wanted to know how the workers feel, how far the decommissioning work has progressed, and what problems they have. i thought it would be best to see it with my own eyes because there are some things you can't understand just from the media. >> reporter: after much preparation, miku a and the oth stududents headed to the plant. they got their parents' permission. radiation levels in most of the areas have fallen, so they were able to wear ordinary clothes. but they did wear gloves and covered their shoes to avoid picking up contaminants. they carried devices that measured how much radiation they were being exposed to. and they stay

that's one of the three reactors at fukushima daiichi plant where meltdowns occurred following the massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. researchers believe that overheated fuel started to melt, went through a barrier and mixed with debris. workers have tried for years to locate the fuel. confirmation of the latest finding would greatly boost the decommissioning process. the officials plan to send in another set of devices early next month for further exploration. they hope to decide the method for the most difficult task, removing the fuel, later this year. ayumi chikaraishi, nhk world, tokyo. >>> japanese government officials released a slew of data. we received the latest batch this morning. what do the numbers tell us? >> they're giving us a snapshot of the economy like how consumers are using their money. the situation with the labor market. lee let's take a look at household spending. in december it fell for the 10th consecutive month. consumers are keeping a tight grip on their wallets. expenditures in december by households with two or more members fell from 0.3% from the year be

he's been working to improve the safety of nuclear power plants since the 2011 accidents at fukushima daiichi. he has also been involved in iaea efforts to monitor iran's nuclear program. his reappointment will be finalized in >>> japan is facing the challenges of an aging population. ballooning welfare costs and a labor shortage. government officials are trying to tackle the problem by encouraging seniors to re-enter the workforce. it's estimated that more than 2 million elderly people are eagerly and capable but don't have jobs. businesses and local governments are rolling out measures to tap this demographic but they've got some high hurdles to overcome. nhk reports. ♪ >> reporter: the seats are full and this is no ordinary jazz concert. it's a job fair focused on the elderly hosted by the local government. nearly 200 people turn up to find jobs. most people here are in their 60s and they are seeking work for a variety of reasons. some want to stay active. others want to make a contribution to society that many say they need the money. >> >> translator: i have to work because i don't have

nuclear regulators have confirmed safety measures for two reactors put in place after the 2011 fukushima daiichi accident. it covers kyushu electric power company's number three and four reactors at its genkai plant in saga prefecture. the regulator started public hearings after it compiled a draft of the assessment in november. an nra official said some were critical of the draft for failing to reflect potential lessons from earthquakes that struck the region last year. but the official pointed out that regulations require the plant to function normally, even if a quake occurs. detailed checks for quake resistance and local consent are still needed. the reactors may be back online as early as this summer. the genkai facility is the fifth in the country whose safety measures have received nra approval. >> translator: i want the government and prefecture to keep a close eye on the operator's security measures. i'm sure many residents will find that most reassuring. >> other issues include evacuation plans for the elderly and people living on 17 small islands near the plant in the event of a nucle