Here in Japan is a Monday afternoon. I'm James Tenkan in Tokyo. Welcome to NHK Newsline. Years of planning and preparation came to fruition on Sunday as crowds descended on Yumeshima Island in Osaka for the 2025 Expo. But opening day wasn't without its problems. Long lines in and out of the venue highlighted the challenges for organizers. The Japan Pavilion and other sites held ceremonies to mark the launch of the six-month event, which has the theme, Designing Future Society for Our Lives.
Nearly 160 countries and regions are taking part. Seven international organizations are participating too. Organizers say there were 119,000 visitors on the first day. They expect more than 28 million will come over the course of the expo. There was much talk beforehand about minimizing wait times. Organizers were hoping to prevent long lines by requiring advanced reservations for entry and pavilion visits.
But that wasn't enough. Visitors were forced to stand in the rain as they waited to enter the venue. And they had to do the same again as they left and made their way to a nearby train station. They haven't sorted out the line from the expo to the train station. It's a mess. They need to fix it. Inside the venue, some visitors complain there wasn't enough shelter from the wind and rain. Organizers will have their work cut out to smooth over operational kinks in the days and weeks ahead.
Nevertheless, famous inventions have been unveiled at the World Expo in years gone by. Our Tashiro Kyoko is at the expo site and will walk us through... what might become commonplace in the future. Kyoko. Hello, this is day two of the expo, and it's a Monday. But that hasn't stopped people from coming in the venue. As you can see, they're enjoying the fine weather.
the sunny sky. So this expo focuses on sustainable solutions for humanity and we're going to look at how Businesses are trying to make a difference here. This is the work of a Japanese tech company. First of all, their centerpiece attraction showcases some of their mainstream technologies. It blends cutting-edge audio and visual technology. technology that analyzes human behavior. Visitors can enjoy the immersive illusion, then receive feedbacks based on their personality traits.
as an interactive experience. And this is another example of the exhibition, this panel. The materials used in this design,
produces electricity from light. It can be printed on windows like this so it saves space and that's drawing a lot of attention as well. So of course companies are displaying their cutting-edge technology but But also, the expo is a chance for them to experiment new ideas that may become the foundation of their future businesses, as many of them face fierce international competition.
Some of them are reaching out to unexpected ideas, including this one here. These are real plants. You can see here corn and down here, look at this. green pepper. So vegetables are actually being grown here. This is part of their demonstration. And it's not about gadgets, but it's about this special liquid. This is not a fertilizer. This is extracted from a type of microorganism, something found in nature.
So this is biotech. The company says by sprinkling this on plants, it boosts its photosynthesis and helps them grow healthier and bring in more harvest, even indoors under these artificial lights. experimenting this biotech indoors. They were given the rare opportunity because the study seemed to fit perfectly with the theme of the expo. It is a rare move for a company that's known for their TVs and audio systems.
We're going to take another look at an example of a study being on display. It's in here, but whoa, it's very dark inside. So I'm going to switch to pre-recorded video for a better look. The glowing light you see is from living bacteria. Look at how it reacts to water flow. There's no electricity involved, and the company is looking into ways to use it. as an alternative to traditional lighting.
And this experiment was shelved for years because of funding, but again, because of the expo, it's now on display here and being monitored at the same time. For more, I'm joined by Mr. Hara Yoshiteru in charge of this pavilion. plan to take advantage of this big event? So we view this expo as a testing ground for the future society and we plan to conduct various trials including data collections and exploring new possibility partnerships.
And we want to introduce new technologies that may be somewhat different from our usual image. To achieve this, we hope to rise. raise awareness of our initiative globally and build a community of supporters. So we believe this will accelerate the development and commercialization of our idea, allowing us exploring many possibilities. including taking action with the partners Out of curiosity, what's going to happen with the vegetables?
Maybe barbecue. Thank you, Mr. Hara. So as many exhibits are meant to evolve throughout the expo, many companies are expecting their opportunities to evolve with them as well. And we'll see how that goes in the next six months. Back to you. Our Tashiro Kyoko reporting from Osaka. Now here to walk us through the latest from our biz desk is Ramin Malagard.
Thank you very much indeed. Now, major Japanese travel agency JTB says that fewer people in the country are likely to take trips over the upcoming spring holiday period. Now, the downbeat prediction. comes as soaring prices prompt many households to tighten their purse strings. JTB basis forecasts on a survey, hotel reservations and other data says about 23.5 million people will be traveling domestically or abroad on a trip involving at least one overnight stay between April 25th and May 7th.
That's down almost 7% from the same period last year. Close to 23 million people are planning domestic trips, more than 7% fewer year on year. Now, meanwhile, the number of tourists opting for overseas destinations is up 10 percent to more than half a million. But the number of outbound travelers is still only about half that in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic.
JTB says sustained inflation is putting a burden on household budgets, while the dates the springtime public holiday fall on this year are less conducive to taking a long vacation. The travel agency notes that people are increasingly trying to avoid peak seasons as major tourist spots are crowded with Japanese and foreign visitors.
And Japan has revamped its agriculture policy to target a sharp increase in rice exports over the next five years. The move comes amid a surge in domestic prices for Japan's main staple food. The Agriculture Ministry aims for exports of about 350,000 tons of rice, including pre-cooked products in 2030. That's a 7.5-fold jump from current levels. Officials hope the decision will give farmers an incentive to plant more of the grain
which will also help ease supply shortages at home. The five-year plan looks beyond rice to boost food and beverage spending by the record numbers of overseas visitors to Japan. The ministry expects this revenue to grow 2.8 times to 4.5 trillion yen, or about 30 billion dollars. The ministry also sees opportunities overseas for Japanese restaurants and food makers. It expects their foreign earnings to climb 1.8-fold to around $20 billion in the same period.
And Japan's prime minister met with domestic industry leaders over U.S. tariffs. He told them that he will make the case that hurting Japan won't benefit American companies. Ishma Shigeru heard from people in the manufacturing sector about the impact of U.S. tariffs on their production. Japan is the world's largest investor in the U.S. and has created more jobs there than any other country.
Japan will keep negotiating to win over the U.S. administration and help them understand what Japan has been doing. Ishima commented on support for industries in Japan, saying the government will take appropriate measures by taking into account opinions from manufacturers. He added that he will work with the ruling parties and will also listen to opposition parties.
US President Donald Trump has said he will announce tariff rates on semiconductors over the next week. He was speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. We'll be doing that with semiconductors, with chips, and numerous other things. And that'll take place in the very near future. When asked about tariffs on electronics, including cell phones and tablets, he said he would talk to companies and that there must be a certain flexibility.
And that is it for Business News. Going to hand it right back to you. Ramin, thanks. Well, tariffs aren't the only big change under the Trump administration. It's been widely cutting federal spending to agencies like the USAID. Elon Musk and the new Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge, have been spearheading the cuts. Musk proudly touted the cutbacks at a cabinet meeting Thursday.
I'm excited to announce that we anticipate savings in FY26 from reduction of waste and fraud by $150 billion. And they're great, smart, sharp, right? Finding things that nobody would have thought of. There was no celebrating at USAID headquarters. In February over 10,000 workers were given just 15 minutes to pack up and leave. The repercussions are already being felt abroad. USAID helped fund this clinic in Johannesburg. Now it'll be forced to close.
There was no money in the kitty to just carry on and what we had to do then was to put staff on what was known as unpaid leave. Dan McDonald also received his walking papers. Over his 10 years at the agency, he was in charge of aid for the Gaza Strip. He's calling on lawmakers in Congress to speak up and defend USAID.
I believe a lot of Republicans are making a calculation where they say, my constituents, they don't care yet. We would like to make enough Americans aware of what's going on to change that calculation. Right now, American opinion remains divided. A survey in early March shows almost half said shattering the agency may help reduce the U.S. fiscal deficit. However, two out of three respondents believe it will lead to more death and disease in developing countries.
Opposition is rising even among Republicans. John Gardner, a former special assistant to President George H.W. Bush, worked as the general counsel for USAID. one of the reasons why President Kennedy set up the agency was to help further the national interest. And it really, I think, helped show people in the developing world that the United States cared about them, I think the damage from this will be very, very high.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department will take over about 20 percent of USAID's programs. The rest will be terminated. But a federal district court said in March the dismantling of USAID may be unconstitutional. It prohibited any further actions from being taken. President Trump says he will definitely appeal the case to a higher court. A second Japanese medical team is in Myanmar to help people affected by the massive earthquake that struck the country last month.
The 37 disaster relief specialists arrived on Sunday at an airport in the country's largest city, Yangon. We want to provide support to as many quake survivors as possible. The first Japanese team set up a temporary clinic in the nation's second largest city, Mandalay. The group has been treating survivors since early this month.
Myanmar struggling to provide relief. The quake damaged hospitals in affected areas. And medical supplies are scarce. The UN estimates that more than 500,000 people have no access to needed medical care. The magnitude 7.7 temblor hit central Myanmar on March 28. The country's ruling military reports that more than 3,600 people have died. Japan's foreign ministry says one Japanese resident of Mandalay has been confirmed dead. The junta adds that over 130 people remain unaccounted for.
The quake also shook neighboring Thailand in the wake of the disaster people are still celebrating the country's traditional New Year. The Songkran Festival started on Sunday at the landmark Wat Arun Temple in the capital Bangkok. Locals and tourists poured water on Buddhist statues. The act symbolizes cleansing, reverence and good fortune. The effects of last month's major earthquake in Myanmar continue to weigh on many.
I just want peace in my home country. I don't want to see any other disasters. The best I can do now is pray for those affected by the quake. I hoped for an end to the disasters. I was feeling down but I felt better after making that wish. The tremor also caused destruction in Thailand. It toppled a high-rise building in Bangkok that was under construction.
Thai tourism officials say hotel reservations declined following the quake, but they've been gradually recovering. UNESCO put the Songkran Festival on the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2020. A Christian church is condemning an Israeli airstrike that hit one of its hospitals in Gaza. It's urging the international community to stop Israel from attacking medical institutions. The Israeli military issued a statement about the incident on Sunday.
It claimed the hospital was being used by Hamas as a command and control center. The medical institution said Israel's forces ordered patients and other people to evacuate the premises 20 minutes before the attack occurred. It reported a child being treated at the hospital died during the evacuation process. The Israeli military conducted attacks in other areas of the enclave on the same day. Local media outlets say an air raid in central Gaza left seven people dead.
Israeli forces encircled and cut off the southern city of Rafah on Saturday. They also announced they have started a military operation to expand what they call a security zone in northern Gaza. Ukrainian authorities say dozens of people, including children, have been killed by a Russian missile strike in the northeastern city of Sumy. President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for more pressure on Russia, saying talks have never stopped ballistic missiles.
Ukraine says Sunday's attack on the heart of Sumy damaged houses and public transport systems. Over 30 residents were killed, including two children. More than 100 people were injured. Zelensky posted this footage on social media. He condemned the strike, saying they were staged on Palm Sunday when many people were going to church. Zelensky called for strong reactions from all people who seek an end to the war. He said without the pressure on the aggressor, peace is impossible.
As the fighting continues, Ukrainians abroad are thinking about their future. There's little hope Russia will give up the territory it has taken. Some who fled from those occupied areas to Japan are considering staying here long term. NHK World's Akiyoshi Kana reports. Katerina Ignatova, 유크라인에서 벗어버렸습니다. to the city of Hikone in Western Japan. She has been working part-time while studying business management, a graduate school.
She took an interest in Japan as a child, watching anime, and went on to study Japanese literature. The Japanese language is completely different from Ukrainian and I wanted to explore this difference. When Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, Katarina's province of Donetsk became a fierce battleground. She had no choice but to stay at her university, which was far from her home. At first, I thought the fighting would end in two or three days.
But now it has been more than three years. Every day, sirens would ring out, and I had to rush to the evacuation shelter. A turning point came where she joined an online project organized by Shiga University to translate a Japanese picture book. This book answers the questions, what is peace? It has a lot of pictures and is in really simple Japanese for children. A professor at the university suggested that Catalina come to study there, and she arrived in Japan in the summer of 2022.
She received housing and other support from the university and studied Japanese. Her hard work paid off last year when she passed the highest level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. She also started working part-time at a Ukrainian restaurant. She appreciates the interest customers' take in her country. People often say to me that they hope the war will end soon. I'm really happy to hear that.
Some of the other Ukrainian students have gone back to their country. But Katerina has decided to stay in Japan to study. My hometown is in Donetsk, where there's still fierce fighting with Russia so I can't go home. I'd like to find a job in Japan after graduation. Katerina says she is looking to her future, but is also worried about family back in Ukraine.
When you hear news about a war every day, then it is natural to gradually get used to it. But I hope people don't forget that this war is still going on. A foundation that supports displaced people says. of the Ukrainian evacuees in Japan. Over 70% want to stay long term. It will be necessary to provide them with support. Back-to-back storms have led to severe flooding in parts of Spain. Our meteorologist Yoko Komagata has the details in this World Weather Update.
Hello there. A couple of low-pressure systems swept through the southwestern parts of Europe over the weekend. Severe thunderstorms have triggered damaging winds, large hail, and numerous lightning strikes. bursts of showers have also led to flash flooding in Spain. Heavy rain hit a popular tourist destination in the country on Saturday, causing disruptive floods.
Emergency services say 60 millimeters of rainfall was reported in a two-hour period. Some roads were turned into muddy rivers and flooding many homes. On Monday, the next storm system is approaching the Iberian Peninsula. So showers will increase yet again across Portugal, Spain and spread toward France and the UK on Tuesday. People in Lisbon, Madrid and Rome should experience another day of wet weather on Monday with highs in the teens.
The same storm system will also produce unstable weather conditions in the northern parts of Africa. so Marrakesh and Chinese should expect isolated thundershowers on Monday. Toward the south, much drier conditions are likely in Johannesburg and Antananarive, but there is a higher chance of showers in the coming days with much cooler temperatures. Wrapping things up in Northeast Asia, we are seeing extreme windy weather in northeastern China due to an intense low-pressure storm system.
Some guests exceeded 160 kilometers per hour near Beijing, causing hazardous travel conditions. The windy conditions will shift to the Korean Peninsula and Japan on Tuesday. At the same time, severe thunderstorms could produce bursts of showers and even lightning strikes.
If you're in Tokyo, you should keep your umbrella nearby. The high will be 21 degrees on Tuesday. Meanwhile, windy conditions will be winding down in Beijing. Temperatures will be on the rise with a high of 31. That's all for now. Have a nice day. For future stories and information, do visit our website. More coming here on NHK World Japan, so stay with us.