Newsroom Tokyo - Season 2 / Year 2016

In less than a month, Japan will welcome the leaders of the G7 countries. The 2-day summit will be held in a region of Mie prefecture called Ise-Shima.

A Canadian in southwestern Japan is running one of the largest animal shelters in the country, helping to save scores of abandoned pets from being put down

Millions of Filipinos have been to the polls to choose their country's next president, and vote-counting is now underway.

The Philippines will soon have a new leader, and it will be Rodrigo Duterte, the mayor of Davao in Mindanao.

The White House has announced that US President Barack Obama will become the first sitting American president to visit Hiroshima, one of 2 cities devastated by US atomic bombs in 1945.

NHK reporters have been scouring the Panama Papers, a huge trove of leaked documents from Panamanian law firm Monssack Fonseca detailing offshore financial dealings, for links to Japan.

Acclaimed Japanese theater director Yukio Ninagawa passed away on Thursday. He was 80. Ninagawa devoted his life to the stage, blending the best theatrical traditions of East and West.

It's been 2 decades since US and Japanese officials agreed that the site of US Marines Corps Futenma Air Station would be returned to the Okinawan people.

It's been 20 years, but an agreement between Tokyo and Washington to relocate a US Marine base in Okinawa has yet to achieve its goal. People living near the facility still have to deal with noise and the risk of accidents.

The Japanese economy is rebounding, albeit slightly. Government officials have released GDP figures for the January to March period, and they're back in positive territory for the first time in 2 quarters.

Japan's population is continuing to decline and there are fewer births every year, so competition between companies that cater to children is heating up.

Taiwan inaugurated its new president, Tsai Ing-wen, on Friday. She's Taiwan's first-ever female president, and she's promising to maintain peaceful and stable relations with China.

US President Barack Obama has been sharing his hopes ahead of his historic trip to Hiroshima. Speaking exclusively to NHK, he said he wants to recognize all victims of war, past and present.

Beijing started applying pressure on Taiwan before Tsai Ing-wen was inaugurated as president last week, and that pressure appears to be already taking a toll.

Falconry is gripping the hearts of young people across Japan. More women are also becoming interested in the tradition, and are training to become falconers.

Leaders of the Group of Seven countries are holding their annual once-a-year meeting, this time in Ise-Shima, central Japan.

Barack Obama made a historic visit to Hiroshima on Friday, the first sitting US president to do so.

Last month, Fashion World Tokyo welcomed companies from around the world. The goods on offer included cashmere from Mongolia, which produces a huge amount of the cloth and is looking to churn out more.

In India, there have been a number of cases of elephants wreaking havoc in residential areas in recent years. The worrying trend has led to a search for new ways for humans and elephants to live in harmony.

Foreign tourists are pouring into Japan, especially from China. Many go on shopping sprees but they're starting to spend a little less, and on different things.

Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was killed in a US drone strike, but the path to peace in Afghanistan remains unclear.

Memories of the Tiananmen Square incident seem to be fading with the passage of time, but a theater group in Hong Kong is trying to keep those memories alive

A cancer survivor is breaking down barriers by reaching out to patients with a webcast. He's tackling sensitive issues in a casual format.

In Japan's ancient capital city of Kyoto, a small theater is attracting many tourists from abroad, with a non-verbal play.

Naomi Kawase has become the first Japanese jury president at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Young people in a Japanese city devastated by the 2011 tsunami are working to warn future generations, and make sure they never forget.

Two new challenges have come to light from NHK World's coverage on building-reinforcement efforts, and through interviews with specialists on quake-resistance.

On Thursday, Shanghai Disneyland Park will open its gates. The complex is expected to provide 50,000 jobs, and locals are already witnessing its massive impact.

The Philippines saw fierce fighting in World War Two that left some people stateless. A non-profit organization is helping people in that situation to obtain Japanese citizenship.

A Burmese couple who fled to Japan recently returned to their home country for the first time in a quarter of a century.

Masayoshi Son, a leading Japanese entrepreneur, has come up with a bold plan to create a renewable energy network to connect countries in Asia.

Recent earthquakes in southern Japan caused heavy damage to an important cultural landmark, but artisans and workers are teaming up to repair Kumamoto Castle.

On Sunday, people in Okinawa held a protest against US bases that was the largest in the past 2 decades.

The price of wagyu beef, prized for its tasty marbled flesh, has been soaring. But now, some breeding innovations are helping farmers and consumers alike.

Official campaigning began on Wednesday for Japan's Upper House election on July 10. Political leaders have gone out across the country to call for voters' support.

People in southern Japan are remembering the Battle of Okinawa -- one of the bloodiest in World War Two.

South Korea is mobilizing its Coast Guard and navy to catch crab poachers from China who are damaging the livelihood of local fishermen.

Efforts to rebuild relations between victims and perpetrators of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia are making progress but many challenges remain.

A non-profit organization is helping street children in Jakarta build a brighter future with a unique approach.

The Islamic State militant group proclaimed itself a caliphate and claimed territory spanning Syria and Iraq exactly 2 years ago.

Rodrigo Duterte was sworn in as the Philippines' new president on Thursday in Manila.

Kenro Izu is a Japanese photographer based in New York who is well-known for his monochrome prints and for his charity work in Asia.

It's been more than a week since a majority of British voters chose to leave the European Union, but the economic impact on Japan and the rest of Asia is still unclear.

Researchers in the United States recently detected gravitational waves for the first time, and a Japanese scientist played a key role in their quest to solve the mysteries surrounding the birth of the universe.

Award-winning film director Brillante Mendoza has made it his mission to put the problems of the Philippines on the big screen.

US President Barack Obama has once again revised his exit strategy for Afghanistan. He is leaving more US troops in the country than planned.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's governing coalition beat its goal of winning a majority of contested seats in the July 10 Upper House election. It won well above what it needed to keep control of the chamber.

Singapore is taking a practical approach to managing its cemeteries within its limited space.

Japan's Upper House election, which produced a clean sweep for the ruling parties, was a milestone for young people -- the first national election since the voting age was lowered from 20 to 18.

Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of a landmark deal aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear program. The move was hailed as historic, but challenges remain.

Chinese violinist Liu Wei recently celebrated her 30 years in Japan with a concert. But it wasn't easy to get where she is now.

Some teachers in Japan are using a form of standup comedy to help students improve their communication skills.

As more and more people use virtual currencies, the Japanese government is adding restrictions and looking into ways to foster the new field.

South Korea is accepting an advanced missile defense system from the US, and the reactions it's provoking.

Members of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, a group that won the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize, have visited Hiroshima to learn about how the city healed after it was destroyed by an atomic bomb in 1945.

Author Shinsuke Yoshitake has created a picture book that captures the imagination as well as the eye. "It Might Be An Apple" has been a popular choice for young and old in Japan since its publication 3 years ago.

Thailand, a Buddhist country, is aiming to become a major player in the global trade of products for Muslims.

NHK has had a look at the behind-the-scenes negotiations that helped a Japanese soldier return from the Philippines, 30 years after World War Two.

A team of Japanese researchers is trying to determine how people first arrived in what is now Japan. To test their theory, they attempted to travel between 2 islands using a primitive vessel they think was used 30,000 years ago.

Forty percent of Indonesians earn less than 25 dollars per month. It's not enough to feed them and their families. But one new restaurant has a mission to support these people.

Voters in Tokyo have chosen their first female governor. Former defense minister Yuriko Koike takes on the role, inheriting substantial challenges.

Authorities in Bangladesh are trying to fight back against extremism, carrying out police raids and launching an campaigns to deter young people from terrorism.

Many family members in Japan must act as caregivers for their elders as the population ages. But that has led to a spate of "caregiver murders."

While many applauded US President Barack Obama's recent visit to Hiroshima, a citizen's group in Nagasaki says it felt overlooked so it sent him a request to visit their city.