From our studios in Tokyo, this is NHK Newsline. I'm Ross Mihara. Relatives of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea returned on Sunday from a trip to Washington, where they asked for support in bringing back their loved ones. Yokota Takuya heads the group of abductees' families. His sister Megumi was taken 48 years ago when she was only 13. Izuka Koichiro's mother Taguchi Yaeko was abducted when he was just a year old.
The Japanese government says at least 17 of its citizens were kidnapped by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 80s. Five of them returned in 2002, but the fate of 12 others, including Yokota Megumi and Taguchi Yaeko, remains unknown. While in Washington, the relatives met members of Congress and senior U.S. officials, including Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
They say they got assurances from him that the U.S. government will work on the issue and obtained Washington's support for an early resolution. Meeting a key figure in the administration gives us hope. The meeting itself is a sign of cooperation between Japan and the U.S. and could put pressure on North Korea. The relatives say time is running out as Yokota's 89-year-old mother is now the only surviving parent.
Japan and Sri Lanka have agreed their country's defense forces should deepen cooperation. They have also concurred their forces should focus on working together to bring about a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen is on a tour of Sri Lanka and India. Nakatani met on Sunday with Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister of Defense Aruna Jaasekara.
Japan and Sri Lanka are maritime nations that share fundamental values based on the rule of law and democracy. Further strengthening the partnership between the two countries is essential for prosperity in the region. Beijing has been bolstering its influence on Sri Lanka by helping the country build major ports. With that in mind, Nakatani said realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific is important. Japanese experts will organize a seminar on the law of the sea.
That will be among the steps taken to strengthen the partnership. Japan will also allow the Sri Lankan military to observe disaster prevention drills conducted by the nation's self-defense forces. Nakatani also met on the same day with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasudia. The two confirmed their countries will deepen security cooperation to promote regional stability and prosperity.
The Israeli military says a missile fired from Yemen landed near Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday. Local emergency authorities report at least six people were injured. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they launched the attack. The Israeli military said it attempted to intercept the missile, but it fell in the vicinity of the international airport near Tel Aviv. Local media say takeoffs and landings were briefly suspended at the airport.
The attack came as Israeli forces continued their assaults against the Islamic group Hamas in Gaza. The Houthis have expressed solidarity with Hamas and have repeatedly fired missiles toward Israel. The Houthi group issued a warning to all airlines. It said they should stop flying to the airport. Multiple carriers have announced they are suspending services to and from Tel Aviv. Lufthansa Airlines and Air India are among them.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said whoever harms Israel will be harmed sevenfold. That has raised fears tensions in the region could further increase. Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Russia for four days starting on Wednesday. He will attend celebrations there, marking the 80th anniversary of the former Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet and reaffirm the alliance between their countries. This comes as trade friction between the United States and China continues to intensify. The Chinese foreign ministry announced Xi will participate in the celebrations in Moscow on Friday. The ministry stated the two nations unequivocally oppose acts of unilateralism and bullying.
It added the countries are working together to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world, as well as universally beneficial economic globalization. The two leaders are likely to exchange opinions on the situation in Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has been trying to broker a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv. North Korean media say the country's leader Kim Jong-un has visited a tank factory and stressed the need to rapidly strengthen the army.
Sunday's edition of the ruling Workers' Party newspaper reported the visit without mentioning when it took place or the factory's location. Photos show rows of tanks and multiple rocket launchers inside the plant. The report says Kim showed approval of improvements to tank engines and protective equipment. Kim was cited as saying that replacing tanks designed in the last century with the latest types is the most important issue for building up a modernized army.
One South Korean media outlet says the visit reflects Pyongyang's efforts to upgrade its army's conventional capabilities as it deepens military cooperation with Russia. The number of children in Japan has fallen for the 44th year in a row to fewer than 14 million. The figure was released as Japan celebrates Children's Day on Monday. The Internal Affairs Ministry estimates there were 13.66 billion children aged 14 or younger as of April 1st.
This was down 350,000 from a year earlier. Boys accounted for almost 7 million of the total. There were roughly 300,000 fewer girls than boys. There were more than 3 million children aged between 12 and 14, but just over 2 million in the 0 to 2 age bracket, as progressively fewer children enter each age group. Children now account for 11.1% of Japan's total population, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous year, in the 51st straight year of decline.
Japan's convenience stores are hoping to boost sales and they are looking to a new demographic. That's foreign tourists. 7-Eleven Japan is rolling out more products than have been a hit with visitors from overseas, including rice balls with spicy wasabi and sweets made with green tea. Labels are now easier to understand for shoppers who do not read Japanese.
Inbound tourists are a major driving force for sales. We need to urgently create a shopping environment for such customers, including multilingual packaging. FamilyMart has created a website with product information in English, Chinese, and other languages. And Lawson has employees wear badges showing what languages they speak. The Japanese population is on the decline, and the convenience store industry sees foreign travelers as a new opportunity for growth.
A centuries-old spring festival has been held in Japan's central region of Noto for the first time since the area was devastated by an earthquake in January 2024. The annual Sei Hakusai Festival is a tradition that dates back over a thousand years. It features enormous wheeled floats called dekayama, which stand 12 meters tall and weigh 20 tons. Local people pulled three floats through the streets on Sunday, the second day of the festival.
The skillful maneuvering of the floats is called tsuji mawashi. Japanese festivals such as this are registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. Spectators cheered when the float's front wheels were lifted to negotiate tight corners. Some of them joined the locals in pulling the floats. I was thrilled to see people's smiles and hear their cheering and brave voices. I hope this will support the Noto region's recovery. The festival runs through Monday. Those were the stories for this hour.