help the reformers in japan by holding japan accountable and declare japan to be noncompliant. i want to conclude by offering a solution. we've seen this situation before with the state department's conduct surrounding international trade. the state department was found to drag its feet, lie and obfuscate. and in investment of trade and diplomacy. indeed, the kennedy administration and its wisdom found that the state department had an inherent conflict of interest in dealing strongly with our trading partners who were not dealing fairly with us. so president kennedy created a new office office of trade representative. out there the 1980s, the u.s. became perturbed in the state department's concerns of trying to rein in a huge deficit. remember the '80s? i do remember who the problematic country was? that's right japan. so what did congress do about it. the authority was further enhanced under the omnibus trade and competitiveness act of 1988. section 61 of the 1988 legislation codifyied the responsibilities. in so doing reinforcing the partnership for the u.s. trade policy. the

these reformers in japan understand how far behind japan truly is. why is the state department still covering up for japan? at the end of the day what we all need to do here is acknowledge where the problem is coming from. there is a massive elephant in the room that nobody seems to want to talk about. the elephant in the room is the inherent conflict of interest problem for the state department in these cases. their primary mandate as they see it is to maintain good relations with strategic allies such as japan, a very good cause. this is in direct conflict with the interest of our children and the children of japan whose advocacy would require state department to publically shame and reprimand japan for truly barbaric regime that violates some of the most basic human rights of parents and children alike. as state department officials have told us, the military bases in japan and the economic interests that we have do not allow them to demand compliance from japan. the strategic relationship is too important too important to advocate for our childre

japan uld south korea. to be more specific japanese leaders have a entire to expand their territory and generally speaking they have been reluctant to place koreans under japanese control. >> professor pac is encouraging students to deepen the debate. she says this is the way to solve this problem. >>> >> there is a wide gap of information in japan and south korea. there needs to be more to share information. >> some south korean media say the professor's arguments are reasonable, that it's good to have debate. >> if society engages if discussion that include differing points of view and if many people listen and thing hard, i think there will be a better understanding of history. >>> professor says it's not acceptable simply to pass it onto the next generation. she is calling on people in both countries to resolve the dispute quickly. >> we have been covering this issue. we are joined from seoul. >> reporter: what the professor says in her book i think her assertion will be taboo in the country. it stirred

japan is placed in group c. the top two in each group and best ranked third place teams advance to the knockout stage. also in group c, cameroon beat ecuador 6-0. cameroon and japan both have three points. here's the current ranking in the group. >>> okay. now it's time for weather. the rainy season is upon us here in tokyo. and jonathan oh is here to tell us about how monsoon rains are battering neighboring china. jonathan? >> hello. our latest information is telling us we are going to be seeing even more rainfall for this region as we continue on forward. every time around this time of year we do see the rainy season from the stretch from china expanding eastward into japan. eventually as we go over a period of time that does move to the north. until then we are definitely going to be dealing with these concerns of heavy rainfall especially in southern china. let me show you what happened during the past couple of days giving you an idea of right here of what's been taking place with the rainy season in easter

but in japan i feel so big she wrote. uncomfortably told for japan. what a land of little people it is anyway. [laughter] i want to jump around and rush about and yet not have a thought about strange. every time time a gift to japan and they think i'm an honest. and i do too much of this. i am a size three and i fielded their, so i knew what she was feeling. i think it also speaks to the power of culture that it's not just about what you eat. it's how you feel physically anyplace and she captured that so beautifully. she changes so much it's not surprising i guess. she really in some ways it is astonishing to read her letters because what happened to her is she has developed the mind of a young american missionary in the body of a japanese girl who feels honored to the japanese government to go back and do her best in the service of her country but she thinks like an american whose duty it is to bring enlightenment. this causes great stress in her mind. she looks around at the men who drink on sunday. she thinks how can i live among these people when

and yet the state department can't bring itself to hold japan accountable by naming japan as an offender in the annual report. it is disappointing, it is discouraging and i believe it is disgraceful. the report whitewashes japan's egregious record on parental child abduction. and to add insult to injury, the report table that was to show the unresolved abductions in japan failed to include a single one of the more than 50 cases, 36 of which have been dragging on for more than five years according to the national center for missing and exploited children. instead the table listed japan as having a 43% resolution rate. japan again has never issued an enforced return order for an american child. these young victims, these american victims like their left behind parents are american citizens who need the help of their government. the goldman act is clear that all return requests submitted to the foreign ministry and are resolved 12 months later are to be counted against japan, not just three months. nearly 100% of the abduction cases in japan remain open and the reports conclusion of 43% res

in japan. again, i think this is theater of the absurd. there are more than 50 of them. some of the parents -- left behind patients are sitting in this room saying zero? how could that be zero? the definition is as air tight as i think lawmakers can write. i don't see how you felt you could not include that. and even in your footnotes you acknowledge the 50 cases, later on in the narrative. so i think you have done a grave disservice to the american children who have been abducted and their left behind parents with total sincerity. >> and i don't think the fix was in and i don't there was an in tension to not cite japan. as we read through internal discussion, this definition here, it was the feeling that those cases did not meet this definition as written in the law. but it was precisely because of our concern for the 50 cases that we did discuss them at length in the rest of the body of the report and they continue to remain of great concern to us. ambassador susan jacobs will be going there

. >>> japan's prime minister shinzo abe says the region in central japan will host next year's summit of leading nations. eight parts of the country were in the running to welcome the delegates. >> translator: i chose the ise-shima region because it's a place where world leaders can enjoy the beautiful nature and the rich cultural heritage of japan. >> the cities of ise and shima are in the southeastern part of the prefecture. they face the pacific ocean. the area is famous for its natural beauty and historical sites. members of the imperial family as well as the prime minister and other government leaders often visit the ancient ise shrine. it draws 10 million visitors every year. the ise-shima summit is likely to take place on the small island. local officials say it would be easy to secure the safety of the leaders there. residents in the region welcomed the announcement. >> translator: really? that's great news. i hope the summit will vitalize the region. >> translator: i hope the summit will be a great success. >> abe made the announcement just before he left for ukraine and germ

when kim came to japan, many came after him. including south korean intelligence agents. >> reporter: kim was unable to elude his enemies even in japan. he was kidnapped from a hotel in tokyo. >> reporter: a couple of days later he was in seoul. investigators collected fingerprints at the hotel and matched them to an official at the south korean embassy. >> translator: the japanese side reacted strongly. what was that all about? was it an infringement of sovereignty? but the south korean government would not admit to any involvement. >> translator: japanese officials asked their south korean counterparts to hand kim over for questioning. but officials in seoul refused. then they placed him under house arrest. president park held secret negotiations with the japanese side. then japanese prime minister tanaka reviewed the incident. >> translator: government leaders shared the view ties between the two countries were important. they also thought a certain level of compromise would also be necessary even if they couldn't always be s

japan team is fourth in the world. the players have to keep a watchful eye on germany in first place, u.s. in second and france in third. the coach said he wants his team to get better against a strong opponent. the japanese players are known for their quick passes and domination of the ball. the coach is aiming to supplement these strengths with a more offensive strike. the player who holds the key to possible victory is a veteran playing in her sixth world cup. she was the top scorer and most valuable player in the last world cup. in many ways she will be the driving force behind japan's win. this is her first time on the field in a year. but she has a strong presence and there are high hopes for her in both defense and offense. >> translator: we're honored that people are paying special attention to japan's team. we hope we can meet high expectations. >> translator: we want to play to the best of our ability, and we're confident in our preparation. we shouldn't rest on our laurels following our success in the previo

the call was at a meeting at the japan business confederation. he said that the corporate tax and regulatory forms are going to spur private investors. >> translator: what's necessary for "the cycle" is investments that will produce activity. >> after 20 years it's time to shed deflation mind set and start to make bold investments. >>> real wages rose up this year. it's to the weak tax hike last year. the officials released the results of the survey work ers salary. about 33,000 businesses with five or more took part in the business research. wages in real terms that factor in the priceent up 0.1 percent in the previous year. they say that prices have stabilize one year after the tax increase. >>> checking the markets and some investors took their money off the table and a 12 day winning streak and the longest in years. it ended the dow at 20 percent and some took profits from resent gains. the dollar wreef briefly touched 105 yen for the first time and u.s. currency has gained ground following the data in the u.s. in china they posted another ga

china overtook japan in 2009 as the country's biggest source of financial assistance. >>> people in japannd south korea will commemorate on monday the 50th anniversary of an agreement to normalize ties between their nations. about 20 years ago the leaders of both countries worked hard to mature the friendship. nhk world's hiroki yajima spoke with two figures who were in the background of those efforts. >> reporter: kazuo ogura was japan japan's am bassbassador to south korea in the 1990s. he worked to improve advertise. >> obouchi was committed to sitting down and talking about historical issues with south korean president kim dae-jung. at the time they were moving forward with a future oriented approach. that worked well. >> reporter: this man worked as a professor of modern history at the university in tokyo. he returned home in the early 1990s and became a close aide to then president kim dae-jun. >> translator: president kim said we should build relations between japan and south korea but we need a consideration of anti-japanese sentiment among our citizens. >> reporter: he met kim in

today students from japan, china and south korea are teaming up. they are translating videos into english, chinese and korean. some of the language in the video is difficult to understand. the students sometimes consult with professors so sometimes their translations are accurate. >> what does it mean? >> in english it means to crawl. it means the whole body is rising. oh, i see. >> it was difficult to find words that are familiar to korean and chinese people. >> working on this made me feel very strongly that wars shouldn't happen. >> he says he wants to recruit more volunteers and translate the videos into other languages. he says that will bring the stories of survivors to life former people. >> people around the world should be able to share these accounts and teach us we most never again allow a tragedy caused by nuclear weapons. >> a group of volunteers is working to spread words spoken by survivors of the atomic bombing far and wide. their message is one of peace and hope for world free of nuclear weapons. >>> people north of tokyo are tryin

japan moves on from the group stage with three wins and no losses. >> reporter: other teams have japan in their sights since its world cup victory four years ago. >> the opponents they're coming up again are far better organized to deal with them. now japan may be feeling that the pressure from the opposition. obviously the japanese media, japanese supporters and people from other countries know they're a team they have to expect things from. i think japan is having to come to terms with that at the moment. >> reporter: he also gave us his thoughts on which team will come out on top. >> i think in general the level is really improving. it's not just the traditional big teams, but other countries, too, are now becoming forces to be reckoned with. but it's difficult to look beyond germany, i think. germany are just so strong. and with the men also being the reigning champions at the moment, they will be very keen to make it. the men and women are both holding the world cup trophies. as we saw in 2011, you never know. >> reporter: 16 teams have qualified for the knockout stage beginning o

he noted japan is within range of a certain country's missiles. and he said that country has the technology to turn them into weapons of mass destruction. >>> weather officials in japan say a volcano on an island in the southwest has erupted for the second time in nearly three weeks. they're calling on people to be alert for further eruptions. mt. shindake is on the island of kuchinoerabu. they measured around noon time. they were able to confirm that small rocks fell in the sea about nine kilometers away from the crater. no people have been affected. all of the residents fled at the end of may when the volcano came to life. authorities say they're keeping their alert level for the alert level a five the highest on the scale. >>> japanese lawmakers are trying to bring a breath of fresh air into the democratic process. they lowered the voting age from 20 to 18. it's the first such move in 70 years and could add 2.2 million new voters. the aim is to give young japanese a role in solving social issues. nhk world's kaz mee iz ta mee has more. >> repor

he collects real time data across japan. his index shows prices started increasing from the end of march. he sees early signs of inflation. >> right now what we see is that we have a lot of price increases concentrated in the product. so product just is a past stage for price increasing. >> reporter: going forward for inflation to pave the route in japan, people need to believe prices will keep rising. not everyone sees that happening. among those coming to terms with inflation are young people. >> we have never experienced price hikes in our lives. i can't imagine prices rising. >> reporter: they conducted a survey that shows many people above 40-years-old think prices will rise and keep rising in the future. but not so those under 30. they don't see inflation coming any time soon. >> differential continues over the last 20 years and during their lifetime prices were declining over time. we are very much accustomed to them declining. when they make it about consumption, they always consume the price will decline. so they tr

and japan is eyeing even more ambitious projects. thailand also plans to construct a high-speed railway that would link bangkok and shanghai, a tourist destination. thai and japanese officials are studying the possibilities of using japan's shinkansen bullet train technology for the 700-kilometer-long rail link. the japanese government aims to offer wide ranging support for thailand's rail projects and promote japanese technology at the same time. as a key strategy for its own economic growth, japan eventually hopes to export its shinkansen technology to thailand. nhk world, bangkok. >>> once played mostly in china, japan and south korea, the game of go is spreading, especially in thailand, which hosted the prestigious world amateur go championships earlier this week. nhk world investigates how an ancient board game is thriving in the 21st century. >> reporter: the world major go championship took place for the first time in thailand. players from 57 countries and regions participated to become the world's number one. in go, players

but police say bike riders in japan must obey the rules.uthorities hope the revised law will help prevent accidents and encourage safer cycling. >> looks like biker friendly roads are in order for future city planning. thanks for that report. >>> for us here in tokyo sunny summer-like weather prevails until tuesday but cloudy to wet conditions are forecast for almost a week. from wednesday. here is this hour's weather update. >> the rainy season starts around june 8th. gloomy and wet weather will likely happen from wednesday. so the rainy season is just around the corner. until tuesday sunny weather will continue thanks to this high pressure system over japan. meanwhile rainy season over okinawa, taiwan and central portions of china due to seasonal rain that's sitting here and more heavy rain is likely. provinces in china will see the heaviest rainfall into tuesday. temperatures extremely warm over many parts of china. take a look. 30 degrees in beijing. chongqing 30 degrees. hanoi scorching hot on tuesday your high will be 38 degrees. so i

by holding japan accountable and declare japan to be noncompliant. i want to conclude by offering a solution. we have seen the situation before with the state department and conduct surrounding international trade. the state department was found to drag its feet and so the early 60s the 60s the partner state was responsible for conducting us trade and investment policy and having reporting responsibilities. indeed they found the state department has an inherent conflict of interest in dealing strongly with training partners were not dealing fairly with us. the pres. us. the present created a new office, the office of the us trade representative. that was not enough. they continue to grow. quite perturbed with the state department's perceived interference with an important strategic partner. remember the 80s? i do. remember who remember the problematic country was? that's right, japan. what the congress do? the authority was further enhanced and of the omnibus trade and competitive act of 1988. 1988. section 1601 of the 1988 legislation codified and e

she hopes to become an artist in japan. but her mother is concerned about taking care of basics. >> translator: i'm scared. it feels like a dark path right now. if we can't find support or any access to support, rabina will be in a really tough situation. >> reporter: one specialist says local governments cannot be expected to handle everything. >> translator: children from a wide range of backgrounds have important roles to play in japanese society. it is the duty of adults and of the nation to provide an education that enables children from diverse backgrounds to dream and hope. >> reporter: the number of people from other countries living in japan is increasing year by year. opportunities to learn the language may determine whether their children thrive or just survive. szusa maryuyama, nhk world. >> thanks for that report. >>> some people in southern japan were advised to evacuate their homes due to heavy downpour. jonathan oh is here with the details. >> hello. we have been monitoring the rainy season continuing to exp

strong to potentially severe thunderstorms in northern japan.ain reason for that is that cold air aloft and you get that daytime heating. it is starting to warm up summerlike temperatures will increase with the amount of instability. on the bigger picture, still got those showers across parts of china over here. you'll be seeing about 180 millimeters in the forecast. look at chongqing, 25 especially over towards bangkok, strong to severe thunderstorm there on your wednesday. i'll leave you now with your extended outlook. >>> and that concludes this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. do join us again at the top of the hour. >> hello and welcome to "global 3000." over the next half hour we'll bring you up to date on some of those key issues that matter wherever you live. and here is what is coming up. is coexistence impossible? how indigenous groups in peru try to live in harmony with nature. witch hunts in papua new guinea. a barbaric practice that simply won't go away. and moving to the city -- we visit chinese farmers happ

this family orders from japan every week. these freshly picked cherries have arrived from northern japan. >> translator: i didn't know they would be so sweet. >> japanese food is part of culinary scene in hong kong. consumers are developing a taste for fresh japanese ingredients. many want to important directly from source. japanese delivery businesses are starting to expand refrigerated parcel services to meet the demands. this transport set up a hong kong affiliate to deliver door to door. aomori is the northern most prefecture on the aland. many fisherman catch many varieties of fish but only possible to offer next-day deliveries to neighbors of jay pan, international refrag rated delivery services kaug their attention, schoolallops are brought in at 4:00 a.m. and will be sent to hong kong. the school bulbs are placed in a refrigerator refrigerator. the jet arrives on the southwestern island. the airport is a 24-hour hub for cargo and it's just four hours from most major asian cities. so next-day delivery to asian countrie

the company launched promotions across japan to introduce the new model. three months before launching it on the market. the official in charge of development explained the model's attractions. >> translator: the vehicle is low slung to give drivers a good view. >> reporter: visitors were encouraged to upload their impressions on the internet in the hope of creating a buzz about the car before its official release. >> translator: talking to customers one on one deepens communication. we hope such steady efforts will help broaden our customer base. >> reporter: over 5.5 million cars were sold in japan last year, but the market is struggling. sales are down by 28% from their 1990 peak. makers must offer new incentives to buy. this is a mercedes-benz showroom. the managers have installed distinctive features to attract young people. this one has a cafe and a restaurant. it's drawing visitors who come in for coffee, not cars. the carmaker is trying to broaden its appeal beyond its older customer base. >> translator: i'm still a student, but seeing a mercedes h

they recently came to japan to learn about a machine that creates fuel from waste. a by-product of rice production. rice husks. it's the part people don't eat. the machine grinds the husks to powder. it then solidifies the powder at high temperatures transforming it into solid fuel. company officials say these rice logs burn several times longer than firewood and if they're kept in a dry place they can be scored five to ten years. this man set up the company eight years ago. he says he wanted to do something to protect the environment. so he turned his attention to rice husks, a material normally considered waste. rice husks are as tough as nails. hashimoto had to use advanced metal processing to coat the surface of the grinder. >> translator: most japanese eat rice so rice husks are the type of waste that's most consistently produced here. we regard it as raw material and convert it to fuel. >> reporter: word of hashimoto's innovation started to spread. the first overseas inquiry came from tanzania farmers here grow 200 million tons a year generating mountains of h

okinawa host 70% of american facilities in japan. the state department said officials expressed their sincere appreciation to okinawa for its vital contributions to the bilateral alliance. but reiterated building a replacement facility in henoko is the only solution to getting rid of the futenma base. the mayor said he was able to communicate okinawa's message. >> translator: i told them the people of okinawa are aware of the japan-u.s. security alliance better than anyone else. based on that i explained how the futenma base became what is it now and why people in okinawa can't accept the plan to move it. >> the governor added officials he met they understood but wouldn't change their position. he said he hopes leaders in tokyo and washington will debate the matter sincerely by heeding the concerns of people in okinawa. >>> u.n. members have agreed on ways to help protect people and their livelihoods from disasters. they adopted proposals that came out of talks in the japanese city hit by an earthquake an tsunami. delegates came up w

japan's emperor welcomed him at the imperial palace in tokyo. crown prince and prime minister shinzo abe also attended. the emperor is reported to have said he is delighted with the president's visit. he said it will promote mutual understanding and friendship. he later made a speech in the diet. aquino implicitly criticized reclamation work by china in the spratly islands much the philippines claim sovereignty over part of the archipelago in the south china sea but aquino didn't mention china by name. >> the process terraity -- prosperity of coastal trade in southeast asia which relies greatly on the free movement of good and peoples is being disrupted by attempts to redraw the geographic limits and entitlements of those clearly bestowed by the law of nations. >> aquino stressed the strong links between his nation and japan. >> ours is a partnership that can only grow stronger because it is based not on mere practicality, but on shared values and mutual respect amongst equals. >> aquino is scheduled to sit down with abe on thursday. he hopes to

now let's go to japan. i think the biggest story in japan is severe weather in the northern kanto region that occurred yesterday. i want to take you to isesaki. two people were injured because of the strong conditions. winds battered trees and power poles. authorities are now investigating the cause of the gust. hail and drenching heavy rain battered the city. the reason for the bad weather was the temperature difference. we had cold air in the upper atmosphere but near the ground the temperature was nearly 30 degrees. we still have the cold air in place, so more severe weather can be found over the eastern portions of japan. now, heavy rain is finally tapering off from shikoku but heavy rain is still happening. still happening into central portions of china. some areas will see an additional 200 millimeters of rain over the next three days. but southern portions of china will see clearing up. will see the high of 32 degrees in hong kong. meanwhile 31 degrees in seoul. tokyo down to 25 degrees with cloudy c

who had a legion to japan as a nation. but again, it really stabilizes in that this person not only had a cultural affinity, in many cases, a national sense of belonging to america, but at the same time, of being from japan. >> delia: the japanese-americans who spoke english -- where the -- were they able to have better access services afterwards? naoko: by the u.s. army, you mean? in many ways, the immediate need for medical assistance, i think was not met by anybody. not only american medical assistance, but japanese medical institutions and personnel who were incapable of offering any support. at that level, their ability to communicate in english was not in any way the quality that benefited them. after a while, they were able to work more for u.s. occupational forces then at the japanese institutions. not only because of language ability, but the ability to cross cultural boundaries. i can remember one survivor who was born in the u.s., and his english was good because of that. that was the primary link which -- langu

article 9 says the people of japan forever renounce war. it goes on to say japan renounces the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. academics are divided over whether this allows japan to use force over a closely related country to comes under attack. members of the ruling party say it does. and they say their logic is backed up by a supreme court ruling in 1959. it says that under the article, it is natural for japan to take measures necessary for self-defense to maintain peace and security. abe says he's completely confident about the bill's legitimacy. and he says he wants to carefully explain his reasoning to the japanese people. >> translator: we must decide what measures for self-defense encompass always taking into account the surrounding situation. we cannot ignore international security and abandon our responsibility to protect the lives of the people. >> but members of the opposition are not convinced. some have criticized the diet extension as absurd and are showing no sign of backing down. >> trans

no electronics retailer in japan had ever been able to offer both. we like to think of our collective as a 21st century electrical appliance store. >> his shop is taking part in the initiative. he's hoping to cater to the needs of elderly people who find it difficult to visit chain stores or use the internet. >> translator: most houses in this area are about 40 years old. many of the people who live here are senior citizens. we're trying to listen to their needs and help satisfy them. >> reporter: he believes japan's aging society offers an opportunity for neighborhood stores like his. to survive and thrive. >> more headlines for you in business next hour. here's a check on markets. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> gaming officials in mac cow, china, are trying to reverse their fortunes. they've seen revenues in the world's biggest casino hub tumble. they're working on a plan to diversify. julian look explains. >> one, two, three! >> reporter: asia's largest gaming trade show was held in makao last month. 180 companies from around the world showcased their latest gamblin

japan. today's focus is the highest value fish in fiji, tuna. tuna has always been the top choice of the world. it is now an extremely valuable fish. >> 190 kilos. >> for years, the best years of tuna. from fiji. ♪ the market. 10:00 at night. >> right now it's pretty quiet but i heard after a while things get active. i see some trucks over there. it's time for the delivery of two. for tomorrow's morning auction -- it is time for the delivery of tuna for tomorrow's morning auction. i found a sturdy box in the unloading area. it is at least two meters long. i'm really excited to see what this looks like in this condition. loved by the japanese, it continues to roll in. tuna in wooden boxes are brought to the auction market. a box reading 138 kilograms. here it comes. it is filled with ice. a gigantic raw tuna! it's huge. it's roughly twice what most people weigh. >> it is about 1.5 meters long. ice completely fills the box. thanks to the ice, tuna are kept fresh without damage and arrive at th

now it's heading for a railway theme park in kosaka town, northeastern japan. this amusement park occupies the site of a railway that closed six years ago. the once deserted facility has been reborn as a popular tourist spot. railway fans can drive diesel-powered locomotives, and try other hands-on experiences. but there's a problem. the local area has just one hotel. tourists coming all the way to visit the park have nowhere to stay. this is where the train comes in. town officials wanted a retired sleeper express. their plan works like this. during the day, a diesel train carries visitors around the park. at night, the sleeping cars will be called into service. okay the cars are more cramped than hotel rooms, but railway fans will get a kick out of staying in a sleeper. >> translator: having a place to stay here in kosaka is also a big plus. in terms of promoting tourism. >> reporter: it has three types of sleeping compartments. the bed in the second-class private room has a view of the night sky. this is the first-class private compartment. it once made the

japan, the united states have not joined. representatives gather in beijing at the end of this month to seal a pact to establish the bank. >>> japanese food and beverage makers are competing to improve the technology for producing bottles and containers. they believe innovation in this area will help them differentiate their products from the competition and increase market share. we take a look at the forefront of the developments. water from mt. fuji runs abundantly in this city in central japan. one of japan's major soft drunk companies uses this underground water to produce mineral water annually. this year the company changed its plastic bottle for the first time in five years. it cut the weight by 20%. now at 28.9 grams, it's the lightest of its kind in japan. this will eliminate the need for over 1,000 tons of oil-based materials a year. saving the firm an estimated $1 million or more. the thickness of the bottle was reduced to just .15 millimeters. crushing it is the work of a moment. the bottle is reduced to 1/12 of

as for the game that's coming up pretty soon at 7:00 local time 11:00 here at japan time japan is playing against the netherlands. weather looks nice 21. stay hydrated if you are spectating. out here we are whale watching. i call this whale watching because the name of the storm system is kujira. it is making its way towards vietnam. already authorities are advising residents to stay away from the area and head to higher grounds. gusts are reaching 110 kilometers an hour. the stormy conditions are happening across hanoi already. but 200 millimeters of rainfall could cause flooding especially people living in huts and the coastal area. out towards the bigger picture, we still have that rainy season boundary. and this system is exasperating this situation. another round of 180 millimeters especially in and around sichuan. and that's around the islands of japan. in fact, we're looking at these kind of digits in june. june is not over yet, so the numbers will be increaseing yet. but that's more than three times what we usually see. not welcome at all with the precipitation. tokyo will escape

japan follows with nearly 18%. south korea 8%. >>> executives at a major japanese insurer has their eyes on overseas expansion. they announced a $7.5 billion takeover. tokyo marine holdings will buy all outstanding shares of hcc insurance holdings. tokio marine executives say they expect to complete the acquisition by year's end. they say they want to expand overseas process. hcc insurance deals with risks not covered by ordinary insurance. it covers agriculture and aviation. the firm operates in the u.s. and europe. japanese life insurers face a shrinking domestic market due to facts as a declining population. analysts say this may prompt more firms to search for business in u.s., asia and europe. >>> many investors bought the yen against the dollar on wednesday. comments from the bank of japan governor at a lower house panel sparked the buying spree. he said the yen will probably not lose more ground against the dollar. occur row da said it will have a certain prediction of the yen's future, real effective exchan

jonathan: we will take it to japan.lier this morning the central bank maintained its record monetary stimulus as governor kuroda speaks about inflation. let's go to willie. any signs that all they are done easing? bring us up to speed. willie: there has been confusion. i covered the federal reserve in washington for many years, now we are focusing on boj speak. we are trying to figure out the ins and outs of that. when you look at japan's economy at the moment, gdp is doing better, there are some indications that the boj's massive stimulus is paying off certainly the weak profits. we are not seeing a lot of companies raising wages. in many ways the boj is focused on inflation, but that is a symptom of japan's problems, not the underlying illness which is the lack of confidence in the future. i think you will see more boj action later the biggest reason is because it is the only game in town. the prime and a surface talked a lot about structural reform, he's not come through with it. in many ways the boj has been doing a

counting down to the opening in japan and korea. let's head to japan. red. 25 closed in futures in chicago pointing to a higher open. a lot of data coming from japan, including first quarter gdp revisions coming out. china trade data, exports, imports and trade balance. dollar-yen, a 13 year low. china, a share boom. a wider impact from tomorrow. that is if domestic shares are included in the msci emerging market index. with the inclusion of a shares, it could cause an international rush and a shift in global tracking funds. what is the likelihood this time will benese shares included? last time it was rejected. >> more likely than last time. they are pretty much split. you can see in the sem key, the top business story right here, msci seemed cautious in adding a shares. because cautious trading restrictions in china, they have increased quotas. the shanghai-hong kong connect coming later this year, the hong kong-shenzhen connect. only about less than 6% of the a shares and china are traded by foreigners. they are trying to professionalize the markets,