/japan. but i think in japan there's an awful lot of critique going on right now of japan's own government's response to the crisis. i caution all of us outside the country to give it time for the empirical analysis, the political analysis, and the scientific analysis to really run its full course, because these are the kinds of challenges and problems that all of our societies will face. the other piece of this, it's not specific to march 11 events themselves, but of course as those of us who watched japan fully realize that you have to but march 11 event and this last year of reconstruction recovery in the context of japan's broader public policy agenda. i think that's what many of us are hopeful that some of this new analysis will come to light, but we also have to understand that the global economic conditions confronting japan today, all of us, in fact, including the energy market, are going to determine the extent to which japan's recovery will be successful. the fiscal health of japan,

tokyo is japan's largest city.s the capital, it is the focus of most legal, pitical, and economic activities in the nation. most large corporations have their headquarters here. everything tends to concentrate in tokyo. 32 million people, or one out of every four japanese live within a 30-mile radius. while tokyo casts a large shadow, it covers only three percent of the total land mass of japan. land prices here have skyrocketed. a booming economy in the 1980s and early 1990s saw profits go into r, contributing to a bubble of inflated values. affordable housing was in short supply. more and more people began moving out to the suburbs to fulfill their dream of owning a home. by the mid-90s, japan hit an economic slump and the asian econic crisis of 1997 hit. the bubble burst and land prices began to decline, but not by much. housing prices in tokyo are falling, but they're still at very high levels compared to the u.s. the average cost of housing in the greater tokyo metropolitan area is about $320,000. so, um... an

japan. i doug doubt that you're going to get all 54 reactors back online, but you must get some of them back online to navigate the short-term needs. >> question right here. >> thank you so much for being here. cindy wait with tv asahi. i think you all mentioned when these disasters happened just how it built momentum between the relationship between u.s. and japan and, you know, made the two countries kind of tighter knit. how has this helped in terms of the security alliance, specifically in terms of the futenma issue? have we gained momentum on this issue? where are we standing with this right now? thank you. >> i guess that's me. thanks. that's a great question. i would say that really in the midst of this historic pivot to asia that secretary clinton described in foreign policy and that others in our government have talked about, i think really this would be impossible without the kind of critical alliance relationship that we have with japan. as sheila said in her remarks, really the u

is working with japan and a partner. >> we'll be look at japan's readiness as i said. that means concrete steps that japan can take to address concerns and japan's political commitment and willingness to participate in a negotiation of a high standards agreement. >> her remarks suggest that the u.s. hopes japan will take concrete steps to put all items on the negotiating table before joining former negotiations on the tpp, japan needs approval from all nine countries already in the takes. japan held a preliminary consultations with the u.s. twice last month. formal negotiations among the nine countries are now being held in melbourne, australia. next we go to bangkok to find out what's going on in the region. >> we start our bulletin in indonesia where a major deal has been agreed to harness more of the nation's untapped geothermal energy. indonesia is one of the most volcanically active countries in the world. it also desperately needs more electricity to power its booming economy. the indonesian government inked a deal on friday with a corporation. the japanese tradi

united nations stands with japan just as japan has always stood by the united nations. >> japan's ambassador to the u.n. expressed gratitude for the support. he said japan will use lessons it learned through disasters to step up its contribution to countries around the world. >>> people in italy are also expressing support for japan. students from a city in italy that's seen its share of earthquakes have reached out to the japanese. with a musical performance. laquila was devastated by an earthquake three years ago. japan helped to reconstruct a music hall there. more than 200 people attended the event in rome. among them italian president giorgio napolitano and former prime minister lamberto dini. the students sang mozart's "gloria." ♪ >> translator: the disasters united the people of japan and italy and strengthened our friendship. >>> japanese traditional dancers from iwate, hit hard by the disaster, perform to express their gratitude. the ambassador also expressed thanks, saying the japanese people were encouraged by the messages and the financial generosity of the italian people. >>> we

the friendship of pakistan and japan and i would like to say that pakistan is always there for japannd like japan has always been with us. >> reporter: the music video has been uploaded to an internet site to reach a broader audience. the band is negotiating to get the video on local tv. they are calling for other pakistanis to lend their support as well. reporting for nhk world in islamabad. >>> the head of the people's bank of china has indicated the central bank may ease monetary policy to spur economic growth. the governor zhou xiaochuan hinted that the central bank may lower the reserve requirement ratio, that the amount of cash chinese commercial banks must hold in reserve. >> will affect will this have on the market? >> translator: china's reserve requirement ratio now stands at over 20%. in theory, we have much room to bring it down. >> zhou said it's necessary to closely monitor the impact of europe's debt crisis on his country's economy. he says global economic trends determine china's monetary policy. zhou's remarks come as china's exports continue to decline due largely t

japan. all i am honored to welcome the ambassador of japan to lead off the discussion. ichiro fujisaki can the ambassador to the united states almost four years ago and served as ambassador to the international organization in geneva and prior to that was japan's deputy minister for foreign affairs. i work with him to the podium right now. thank you mr. ambassador. [applause] >> thank you very much for the kind introduction, ladies and gentlemen. looking at this crowd, i had been afraid that many of you this is already the 24th time that you are going to hear from me. thinking if i could say something new, but not too much. please forgive me. the compensation is that i will be very short. yesterday i was leading a newspaper here. i was a bit surprised that the tall conical top line started like one year later nothing is solved with a big picture a young lady with little boy and i don't share that view. i am not saying that everything has been solved. it's not at all true because it was a hug

japan's been in surplus for a while on a month basis. it's been shrinking steadily and in january the country posted the largest current account deficit on record since 1985. the finance minister said the figure in january showed a deficit of about $5.4 billion. the current account deficit was mainly due to a trade deficit and service balance deficit combined which stood at slightly over $18 billion. exports tumbled 8.5% as europe's debt crisis slowed down the global economy. meanwhile, imports surged over 11% due to rising demand for natural gas after the nuclear plant accident in march of last year. higher prices of crude oil also boosted imports. now, i also have gdp for you. japan revised up its economic growth to minus 0.2% in the period from october to december 2011. that's compared to the previous quarter. in annual terms that translates into a 0.7% drop. this is up from the 2.3% decline given in the preliminary report last month. the cabinet office said that the adjustment to the gross domestic product is due mainly to higher cor

we're live in ishinomaki in japan.e will talk to her throughout the hour and the coming hours for this special. here's an idea of what we expect over the next hour. an official memorial event gets under way at the national theater in tokyo about 30 minutes from now. we'll have opening remarks as well as the national anthem. at 2:46 p.m. local time the exact time of the earthquake, there will be one minute of silent prayer. after that the prime minister is expected to speak. we're also expecting to hear from japan's emperor. you're watching cnn special coverage of "japan one year on." up ahead the story of an merge teenager who traveled there to help. >> i had to do something. my name is richard zadrik, i'm a senior in high school and i'm concerned about the future of our planet, our people and our resources. so i traveled to japan to see what i could do, how i could help, and if i can encourage others to do something as well. need any help? uh, nope. just, uh, checking out my ad. nice. but, you know, with every door di

i was visiting japan ten days ago. i went to -- an area hit by tsunami, and i met the deputy mayor and i met governor of the prefecture, and i asked them, what would be the message to american friends. two things. one. please convey our thanks to the american people. second, please don't forget us. it will take some more time to recover. please, trade with us. please, invest in us, please, visit us. that was their plea, cry, and i'm conveying this to you. because temporary visitors, as you can see, dropped very heavily last year. the blue drops are the lines which is on 10 and red line for 2011. so, at the end of the year it caught up -- during the spring and summer, but this is natural. but because of the situation that i'm explaining in that most part of japan no contamination, and food and water, everything is monitored very carefully. it is safe now, so please take a look and i'm always saying that we are so grateful for visitors to japan. hillary clinton visited one month after. secretary -- vice president visited

featuring works from japan and abroad. the annual tokyo international anime fair opened on thursday. last year's event was canceled due to the march 11th disaster. this year's theme is reconstruction from the disaster, and features an animation character statue that was repaired after being destroyed by tsunami waves. also on display are magazines featuring landscapes drawn by cartoonists associated with disaster-hit iwate prefecture. >> translator: i came to this fair two years ago but i liked artwork and styles used this time much better. >> translator: people in iwate suffered a lot but also received a lot of support. we'd like to express our preesh ya appreciation and let people see our products. >> 216 companies and municipalities have set up booths at the fair venue. a record high number of participants from abroad are participating this year. >>> that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm katherine kobayashi in tokyo. do stay with us.

is working with japan and a partner. >> we'll be look at japan's readiness as i said. that means concrete steps that japan can take to address concerns and japan's political commitment and willingness to participate in a negotiation of a high standards agreement. >> her remarks suggest that the u.s. hopes japan will take concrete steps to put all items on the negotiating table before joining former negotiations on the tpp, japan needs approval from all nine countries already in the takes. japan held a preliminary consultations with the u.s. twice last month. formal negotiations among the nine countries are now being held in melbourne, australia. next we go to bangkok to find out what's going on in the region. >> we start our bulletin in indonesia where a major deal has been agreed to harness more of the nation's untapped geothermal energy. indonesia is one of the most volcanically active countries in the world. it also desperately needs more electricity to power its booming economy. the indonesian government inked a deal on friday with a corporation. the japanese tradi

japan oda is being used to build water treatment plants. nine plants have been set up over the past four years. japan's funding contribution totals over $6 million so far. this plant at dari in unam province treats sewage from about 700 households. the sewage is treated in these tanks. bacteria in the tanks break down the waste and the leftover sludge can be used as fertilizer. officials at the opening ceremony said the facility is already improving lives and the environment. >> translator: the plant has improved the water quality of the lake, a water source for local residents. it has also contributed to deepening friendship and cooperation between china and japan. >> this year marks 40 years since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations. an event to commemorate the anniversary took place in february. koyanagi hosted a seminar on water contamination. when proposing a new project, he needs to allow time to listen to the concerns of the chinese side. >> translator: the proposed site is close to a residential area. foul odors from t

japan is sitting at 23rd. nuclear threat initiative is raising concerns about the country's increase in the use of mixed oxide fuel which could be used to make nuclear weapons. >>> japan's air defense command has moved to a u.s. air base in tokyo to strengthen collaboration between the two nation's forces. the command post will be charged with carrying out any order to destroy debris from a rocket that north korea announced plans to launch. the air self-defense force main command in fuchuo, also in tokyo, was transferred to the yokota air base on monday. the relocation was carried out in line with the 2006 agreement on the realignment of the u.s. forces in japan. the command post, which is next to the headquarters of the u.s. forces in japan, is equipped with advanced communication equipment and large screens to display information gathered by japanese and u.s. radar systems. >> translator: the main purpose of the relocation to the yokota base is to improve effectiveness of traditional air defenses and to shie

that is not an option in japan?rter: not at option, because you have so many people who want to return there. no one wants to return there if the land is contaminated. we're talking about some very heavily contaminated areas. areas where its not safe to stand there for more than just a few hours. it is an enormous job. we're talking about 78,000 people in the immediate area, a 20-kilometer radius, 12.4-mile radius right around the nuclear plant. the southern section right to the south of the nuclear plant, it's a little more optimistic. we're starting to hear some words of perhaps they'll be able it to start moving in towards the spring, the summer. if the contamination -- the decontamination begins to show some progress. but to the north and the northwest of the plant, there are no dates yet. and then if you look at the actual plant itself, 30 to 40 years before we're talking about a decommission there. it is unchartered territory, and there really is no guidance. we don't have any sort of example as to how quickly

lauper is visiting japan onfrom. lauper is visiting japan on a concert tour. ibuying products from the hard hit region. lauper is visiting japan on a concert tour. she made the appeal at a news conference for foreign media in tokyo. the singer visited miyagi prefecture, she noticed slow progress of moving debris. she also talked about shock when a friend from fukushima gave her candy saying it wasn't contaminated with radiation. people in fukushima and the region are isolated and need support to revitalize their businesses and economy. >> don't isolate these people. buy from the areas that were hit, where the stores are still opened. just keep the money moving so people can recover and get back on their feet. >> she promised to continue helping the affected areas to rebuild from the disaster. last year, she was in japan on march 11th, exact day of the disaster. many foreigners left japan in the immediate aftermath, but she stayed on and performed her concert as scheduled. >>> a group of pakistani musicians. reports from islamabad. a rock song and we have this

japan oda is being used to build water treatment plants.ine plants have been set up over the past four years. japan's funding contribution totals over $6 million so far. this plant at dari in unam province treats sewage from about 700 households. the sewage is treated in these tanks. bacteria in the tanks break down the waste and the leftover sludge can be used as fertilizer. officials at the opening ceremony said the facility is already improving lives and the environment. >> translator: the plant has improved the water quality of the lake, a water source for local residents. it has also contributed to deepening friendship and cooperation between china and japan. >> this year marks 40 years since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations. an event to commemorate the anniversary took place in february. koyanagi hosted a seminar on water contamination. when proposing a new project, he needs to allow time to listen to the concerns of the chinese side. >> translator: the proposed site is close to a residential area. foul odors from the

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 takeshim

in japan we have a system affecting south korea and western japan. this system will be just dumping weather towards eastern japan as well. much of the country will be looking ahead for a wet weekend. another system here will be ushering lots of very cold air in and around the region by sunday the precipitations will be turning white. lingering showers in central china that's going to be tapering off much lighter conditions, but widely spread. and here seasonal showers as well as seasonal thunderstorms will be skirtd across the area. in the southeastern manila the system will be approaching closer over the weekend. temperaturewise 32 degrees. we're talking about seoul 16 degrees. so that's going to be nice weather out there as well as beijing at 14. tokyo at 12 on saturday, high much better. and it will be on the rise on sunday. heading over to the americas. still a series one after another the storm systems battering the pacific in fact and the b.c. area. this is another unstable system and more stronger from compared to the other system. gusts are g

the key to japan's lunar program lies in robotics. the plan is to build an unmanned base by 2020 at the earliest, so that robots can start exploring. however, the robots will operate in an environment totally different from earth's. to simulate the moon's surface of rock and fine sand, the initial tests were done on similar terrain. the sand dunes of hamamatsu. this robot has four tracks, which operate independently. even if one of them hits a rock, the others allow it to get over the obstacle. the primary aim of the exploration is water. the japanese lunar orbiter kaguya has identified a number of craters where water might be found. besides being used for drinking, water can also be broken down to release oxygen. discovering water would make long-term exploration far more feasible. this robot was developed by the tokyo institute of technology. it has flexible tires that don't sink into the sand. even if it slips and tips over, it can right itself. this will be an advantage in climbing steep craters. >> translator: there are many tech

japan marks the first anniversary of the march 11th disaster. what lessons have been learned? find out on our special program "lessons of march 11th one year on" sunday 2:00 p.m. japan time only on nhk world. >>> envoys from the united states and north korea have yet to degree on much accept extending talks to finalize details on the u.s. food aid program for the north. after more than six hours of talks in beijing, u.s. special envoy robert king told reporters they will continue their talks on thursday. >> we have discussed a number of the issues. we have made progress. we still have issues to resolve. >> during the talks, they demanded the north to accept western officials to monitor the food shipments. the measure will ensure that aid reaches the most needy people and is not diverted to the military. the two nations agreed last month that the u.s. will provide north korea with 240,000 tons of nutritional supplements. in exchange, the north will suspend its uranium enrichment and missile launches and allow international nuclear inspects near the country. >>> mitt romney will

here in japan at least five new victims of the disaster has been found.hk has learned that they starved to death last year in the evacuation zone around the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. police and medical authorities examined the bodies. they say the victims appear to have been stranded. >> translator: if the nuclear accident had not occurred, some of these people might have been rescued. they had no means to ask for help. we have to learn from these cases about how to manage that kind of situation. >> the government issued an evacuation order one day after the nuclear accident, but some residents were left behind. one of the five was a man in his 70s. he was found dead in late march on the second floor of his home. the tsunami had damaged the first floor. he lived about five kilometers from the plant. another was a woman in her 60s. she was found dead last april in her home. she lived alone and had trouble walking. >>> now to our series, "lessons of march 11th, one year on." we're looking back on japan's magnitude 9 earthquake, which triggered a tsun

one plant is in kyoto, western japan. the other is gunma, near tokyo. the company aims to start operations in july and then sell the energy to power companies. softbank says its station in kyoto will generate enough electricity to support 1,000 households annually. the gunma facility will be able to power 640 households. the schedule to build two other plants in toke oshima prefecture in western japan is not yet decided. it's expected those facilities together will be able to power over 1500 households. >>> and share prices are actually in the negative now here in tokyo this tuesday morning. the nikkei now in the negative by but less than 1 point at 9697. the broader topix also in the negative at 832. earlier markets were up. market sources say investors were buying shares after the overnight release of better than expected u.s. economic data. however, some institutional investors are selling to lock in profits. >>> and taking a look at currencies, the dollar is high against the yen in tokyo trading this tuesday. the dollar/yen at 81.46 to 48, euro/yen

it is a first in japan. chiba university researchers have slightly increased co2 levels in here from the normal 4 parts per million. the result, tomatoes so dense, they need special supporters to protect the vines from snapping. >> translator: if we add co2, we can expect a much larger harvest and a great improvement in the quality of our tomatoes. >> reporter: that's one benefit. the other is helping grow technology many hope will encourage drivers to steer away from gas powered vehicles. take a look at these co2 infused tomatoes. they're actually sold in local supermarkets in chiba prefectures and consumers who try it say it not only looks and tastes gas as regular tomatoes, some say they're much better. joining me now is the man whose company is responsible for providing chiba university with the co2. thank you for joining us. >> you're welcome. >> reporter: thank you. we saw how co2 from the creation of hydrogen helps grow the tomatoes. anything else? >> okay. we consider that the captured co2 from the h

submitted results to japan's expert panel. if the results are approved, them it's up for the government. prime minister yoshihiko noda and three cabinet ministers are looking at the first two reactors to get a nod from nuclear authorities and experts. no noda and his ministers have the green light to restarting the units with local approval. most governors and mayors whose communities host nuclear plants have expressed an unwillingness to okay restarts following the pufukushima daiichi meltdowns. some are also skeptical because many are on a pre-fukushima standard. >> translator: we can't begin discussing whether to start the ohi plant unless we come up with new standards based on what they learned from the fukushima accident. >> many are pressuring the government to fire up the reactors. people are watching how noda will strike a balance between big businesses and public opinion. >>> now we go to bangkok to find out what's making headlines in the region. >> we start in afghanistan where the u.s. government has paid cash compe

time to demonstrate the japan-u.s. alliance. >> tanaka said the international community should unite in pressing north korea to abandon the launch plan. ambassador roos says the north's action is a threat to peace and stability in the asia-pacific region. tanaka said he will order the self-defense forces to prepare to intercept any falling debris from the rocket. he added that the defense ministry is considering deploying destroyers equipped with the aegis air defense system off southern islands such as ishigaki. he said patriot pac-3 surface-to-air missiles could also be deployed. south korea says it will work with other countries to persuade north korea to scrap the launch plan. south korean foreign minister has discussed the issue with china, japan, russia and the united states. >> translator: the nations share a common understanding that what north korea calls a satellite launch would violate u.n. security council resolutions. we will continue discussing the matter based on this understanding. >> the resolutions ad

real friend of japan. i call her foj, friends of japan. plans for reconstruction. there are budget adding up to $225 billion. and the basic conception is that we'll have open reconstruction. we need your ideas, your funding and initiative. so, american or japanese companies alike will be exempted from corporate tax and receive financial support for establishing new companies there. looking back at our disaster which was experienced one year ago, i think that we have to draw some lessons. my way of putting it is that i can -- say it by seven piece. first is p for prediction. however, prediction, there's a limit to that and sometimes prediction cannot be so reliable. there are a lot of these so we have to be very objective. the second p is prevention. in natural disasters this is not possible. it is to mitigate before accidents like nuclear accident there is can be preventive measures. that is exactly what we have to be looking at. where to place the generator, for example. third is preparation. you have to prepare people, you have to prepare the government, you have

, the united states or european countries. >>> japan and vietnam are hancing their ties japan's p biness gro is visiting the southeast asian nation this week. the two sides are talking about continued cooperation in infrastructure development including construction of nuclear power plants. japan business federation chairman met the vietnam trade minister on monday. the japanese delegation is touring southeast asia through saturday. the vietnamese minister called for japan's assistance stressing the importance of progress in infrastructure for the nation's enomic expansion. he said mutual cooperation was necessary to creating a favorable business environment and to promote continued growth of asian economies. he also called fon vietnam to help japan join the transpacific partnership trade talks. vietnam is one of the nine nations discussing the free trade initiative. the vietnamese minister expressed his support. he declared the two countries are indispensable partners for economic development in the asia pacific region. >>> one of japan's bgest bilehone carerss gting into the solar power

and i would like to say pakistan is always there for japan and like japan has always been with us. >>orter: the music video has been uploaded to an internet music site. the band is negotiating to get the video on local tv. they are calling for other pakistanis to lend their support as well. reporting for nhk world in islamabad. >>> time to check on the stories we have gathered from broadcast ares around asia. thai and japanese people in the mai province participated paper lanterns into the sky. this is way to remove troubles and woes from one's life. they observed a minute silence for the disaster victims. later, they lit paper lanterns in a japanese ritual in which the lanterns are thought to guide spirits on their path. >>> the anniversary was also marked in hong kong where japan's consulate held an exhibition on rebuilding efforts in disaster-hit areas. the consul general expressed appreciation by hong kong residents. japan saw a sharp decline in the number of visitors from hong kong in the aftermath of the disaster. but arrivals from the territory bounced back in january. japan is

japan is a big beneficiary of that because japan is such a powerful exporter. news would be a supply shock if you did have a blockade of the strait of hormuz or a war in the middle east and you'd have a big supply disruption, that would be cost push and japan would get a double punch with declining global growth as well as an increase in costs really squeezing profits. >> koll added that global growth last year was 1.8 to 1.9%. this year it's expected to be between 3 to 3.5%. this is a result of a strengthening global economy and not a weakening one. as for japan's growth, if oil stays at around $120 a barrel or so, koll says its gdp will stay where it is now probably, but at $160 a barrel people may take notice, then we might see japan's gdp fall. as for oil's affect on japan, inflation, koll says that the country actually needs for that to happen. >> japan is a little different because we are in deflation. when prices go from minus one to plus one, that's a good thing. that means a bit of a return to pricing power and from that perspective japan needs to get

to japan will have to stop. that's because most crude oil importers have contracted with european insurers. the japanese government says it will step up efforts to persuade the eu to accept the japanese plea. the eu is likely to finalize the embargo later this week. >>> sony will sell its chemical products business to a state affiliated bank. the move is part of the firm's efforts to turn around its finances through streamlining. the japanese electronics maker is in talks with the development bank of japan over a sale of its subsidiary sony chemical and information device. the firm is not directly related to its core electronics business like televisions. it comes as sony is expected to post huge losses of about $2.6 billion for the fiscal year ending this month. it would mark the fourth straight year of losses. the subsidiary manufacture chemical products. they include optical disks for dvds and cds. and glues and adhesive tapes for industrial use. it has some 2900 people on its payroll. the subsidiary posted s

so when big leaguers come to japan, it's a big deal.ans line up for autographs, snap up collector's items. and dress up like their heroes. >> hey, ichiro, what's up, man? [ laughter ] >> 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 and there's interest, but it's not like it was before when ichiro won his mvp in his first year and it was the second coming of you know who. mlb officials say games such as wednesday's opener are key to holding on to their japanese devotees. >> even though we are 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 t

western japan is not yet decided. it is expected those facilities together will be able to power over 1500 households. >>> south korea's kospi just opened. let's look at those levels. more news next hour. back to catherine. >> thanks very much, ai. >>> nhk found at least five starved to death in the evacuation zone around the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. police and medical authorities examined the bodies. they say the victims appear to have been stranded. >> translator: if the nuclear accident had not occurred, some of these people might have been rescued. they had no means to ask for help. we have to learn from these cases about how to manage that kind of situation. >> the government issued an evacuation order one day after the nuclear accident but some residents were left behind. one of the five was a man in his 70s. he was found dead in late march on the second floor of his home. the tsunamiy had damaged the first floor. he lived about five kilometers from the plant. another was a woman in her 60s. she was foun

what will happen in japan this summer?well, we're going to see very similar patterns to what we saw last summer. meeting the thermostats will have to be set quite high. people are going to have to do without. they are going to have to learn to live with less energy. we saw automakers over the summer shift their working days to the weekends. so it's going to have to be a lifestyle change in order to deal with the energy void. in the meantime, the government of japan has got to work on some sort of energy policy, some sort of long-term plan to convince corporate japan to not move production outside this country because so far there has not been a cohesive energy policy laid out by this government. >> exactly. and it sounds like even if they do it's going to be years to implement it fully. so we're looking at self summers of what sounds like discontent. kyung lah joining us live from tokyo. >> from one void to another, andrew. one of the biggest jobs in global economics. the race for the world bank presidency has begun. we'll

we need a strong japan. the united states needs a strong japan. we need a strong alliance to carry out the goals we share. the close relationship we enjoy with japan will continue to be key to moving forward in the future. >> can i asked about the public perception of the self-defense forces after 3/11? japan has had a conflicted relationship with the military restrictions. it is called the self-defense forces. they played probably the crucial role for months. has there been any public opinion polling done to see how people look at them now? >> i saw members recently. i think 93% of those polled supported the role of the japanese self-defense forces in the recovery and rescue operations. i think the answer is a resounding yes, the japanese people have welcomed the role of them and the first responders, those who ran in as others ran out. it does herald a new chapter in the public perception of self- defense forces. >> the very brief fallen because i agree. if you were watching the crisis in real time, one thing that was fascinating as an observer

the official adds that japan understands the purpose of the u.s. law. japanese companies are having to adjust for the changes. ai uchida joins me with what is doing what. >> in order to avoid the u.s. financial sanctions january naez oil companies are voluntarily reducing crude oil imports from iran. the top wholesaler jx nippon oil and energy plans not to extend its contract with iran beyond april. meanwhile, cosmo oil sharply lowered its quota when it renewed its contract with iran in january. to make up for the cuts the whole salers are boosting imports from saudi arabia, the you nated arab emirates and other oil producers. if the middle east situation worsens japan has about half a year's worth stock for domestic use which it plans to reduce to ease market jitters. >>> let's get a check on how stocks are trading with ramin mellegard who is at the tokyo stock exchange. good morning. tokyo had a day off yesterday while the u.s. saw some of these developments in the issue of sanctions on iran. >> ai, very good morning to you. as you said there, the mar

japan's nuclear network is running on empty. only one of the country's 54 reactors is operating right now. engineers ve tak another retor offline for regular maintenance. before reactors can go back online, they must pass new tests put in place following last year's accident at fukushima daiichi. tokyo electric power company engineers suspended reactor six at the kashiwazaki-kariwa plant early monday. all 17 of tepco's reactors are now offline. that includes the six units at fukushima daiichi, four of which are damaged. the plants provided electricity to tokyo and the surrounding area. none of the reactors suspended since the fukushima accident last mar has restarted. the last active unit in japan is on the northern island of hokkaido. it's expected to go offline in early may. >>> earlier, nhk world miho talked about the importance of nuclear power in japan and the government's plan to deal with the idled reactors. >> before last year's accident at fukushima daiichi, 37 of 54 reactors were operating. they supplied abt 30% of the

officials in japan are watching, too. they want to explore ways to work with the new putin administration to resolve a territorial dispute with russia. the countries have been arguing over a group of four islands off northern japan for more than 60 years. soviet troops seized the islands immediately after world war ii. japanese officials have been requesting they be returned ever since. japanese government officials welcome putin's victory. they say he understands the importance of a dispute and is willing to resolve the conflict. some foreign ministry officials remain skeptical. they say russian officials are unlikely to make con educations is. they want prime minister nodda to meet with putin in a summit in may in chicago. next we go to bangkok to find out what's going on in the region. >> pakistan has asked interpol to issue an arrest warrant for its former president mush raf. the one time military ruler is living in self-imposed exile. pakistan's current leaders appear determined to prevent him from returning to polit

the camera was developed by the japan aerospace exploration agency or jaxa. it uses gamma ray technology originally designed for space probes. a gram ray detector inside a camera shows levels of radiation on buildings and landscape in six cloorz cording icolors acc intensity. it can shoot an angle of nearly 180 degrees, three times wider than existing models. same images taken in february show a wide area of radioactive cesium contamination on the ground. in the wall of a supermarket in iitate village within the evacuation zone t professor tadayuki takahashi says his team is working to make the camera lighter. >>> japanese researchers say eggs may help ease depression. a group of researchers at kyushu university's graduate school of agriculture released the results of their study at a conference this week. the group focused on rats showing lower than usual levels of physical activity, a sign of depression. the researchers then tracked how long the rats swam after consuming liquidated chicken eggs for a month and found that rats fed with eggs swam 1.3 times lo

the united states, japan, eu says they will file claims. they say the claims are unfairly restricting the metals. the three parties announced the action on tuesday. united state asking to restrict. little has changed. china produces more than 90% of the world's rare earths. the materials are used in high-tech products. the u.s. is preparing to resume its own production. the three parties plan to negotiate in china with accordance with the wto. if they cannot resolve the dispute, they will ask the wto officials to step in with advice. u.s. president obama said he will take a firm stance toward china. >> we prefer dialogue. that is especially true when it comes to key trading partners like china. when it is necessary, i will take action if our workers and our businesses are being subjected to unfair practices. >> chinese foreign ministry spokesperson defended his government's position. he said china's policy to control the exports is aimed at protecting the resources and environment. >> translator: it's true that china is taking measures to r

the japan national tourism organization says about 550,000 foreigners visited japan for sight-seeing or business during february. among asians, the number of people from hong kong fell 41%. south korea, 27%, and china, 21%. outside asia, the number of visitors from canada was down 14%, france, 13%, and britain, 12%. the pace of decline decreased last month after it decreased to a level below 10% in january. china and hong kong went up during the lunar holidays. >>> northeastern japan had the largest drop in tourism nationwide. in response, public and private sectors launched a campaign to attract more visitors to toho . tohoku.sunday marked the opening of the campaign. >> tourism is crucial for campa. >> tourism is crucial for reconstruction from the disaster. >> the governor of one of the hardest-hit prefectures took part in the ceremony at tokyo station to launch the campaign. visitors can get information on sight-seeing spots and special discount passport to use at restaurants and tourist facilities in the region. 2011 saw a year on decline of 20% in the number of people that stay

in hong kong they have been patient for the abalone from japan to arrive. >> translator: i hope japan recovers quickly from the disaster and can export lots of abalone. everyone here is waiting for them. >> translator: we want to rebuild our abalone business is if he work as hard as we can we will definitely make that happen. >> reporter: he is now looking forward to transporting his abalone to hong kong again. >>> well, there is a tropical storm in southeast asia. that's affecting conditions out at sea and on land. let's go to rachel ferguson to get the details on that. >> good morning, catherine. yes, we have the first tropical system of the season. it's moving close to southern vietnam at the moment, inching closer every day. it's moving very slowly at the moment. this is t. of course, you can see in this mass of cloud. it's really come together in the last 24 hours or so. it's moving slowly, 65 mile an hour gusts and it means that the heavy rain is going to come down in the same place over the course of several days. so as we head into the next 72 hours, you'll see the southern co

companies from japan are no exception. dozens of them are taking part in an exhibition of japanese electronics, cosmetics and other products that opened on friday. >> the japan festival brought together exhibitors from 45 firms and affiliates. it's the first exhibition of its kind in myanmar to introduce such a range of japanese products. economic sanctions against the military government prevent many foreign firms from entering myanmar. local visitors enjoy interacting with the electronic appliances they barely handled before. >> translator: japanese products have better quality and last longer than goods from other countries. >> translator: these days myanmar is opening up quite quickly. we are attracted to its growing potential for the future. >> reporter: the event's main sponsor is the japan external trade organization. it says the level of inquiries from firms considering entering myanmar has increased sharply. the total about 300 between april and december last year. about 50% more than the year earlier. myanmar is

japan won the title with the personal best of 54.1 points. it was her first appearance at an international event. she suffers from scoliosis. she wears a brace to protect her spine and removes it to perform gymnastics. she took gold in the women's individual all around event with a flawless performance. >> the japanese team won the all around team event with 162.7 points. nearly six points ahead of south korea. >>> north korea's chief nuclear envoy says his country will soon accept inspectors. the move comes after a sweeping agreement with the united states. late last month he told washington they will suspend uranium activities in exchange for u.s. food aid. >> translator: we will allow iaea inspectors in the country in the near future. we are taking concrete measures to fulfill agreement with the u.s. >> reporter: ri spoke after attending an international conference in new york. he said the event made it possible for north korean and u.s. representatives to hold detailed discussions on bilateral issues. ri said the end of hostile relations

also, the japan tsunami one year later. we will take you across the globe for a day of remembrance and where the money raised in the bay area went. >>> after being talked about for dedes, tomorrow bart will be one step closer to san jose. >>> plus, here comes the rain. we will show you where and when it will hit the hardest. the news starts right now. >>> good evening. i'm diane dwyer. we begin in afghanistan where an investigation is underway in to what caused an american soldier to reportedly shoot and kill 16 innocent people. the president of afghanistan is calling it an act of terrorism. the attack happened in a vlage near his military base in southern afghanistan. nbc's francisco reports the shooting is straining the relationship between the two countries. >> reporter: 16 civilians, including six children and three women were killed during the night time shooting spree. the killing happened several hundred yards from the military base in kandahar. a serviceman based at lewis movie mcchord in washington state is in cust