(LinkAsia: March 15, 2013)
Thuy Vu:
Moving on now to Japan, the country's in an energy crunch. Ninety-nine percent of Japan's crude oil and natural gas are imported. Virtually all its nuclear reactors were closed after the Fukushima disaster two years ago. So the country’s scrambling to find new energy sources to keep the lights on. They may have found a new source deep in the ocean. Here’s Japan's public broadcaster NHK.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: March 11, 2013

Kaho Izumitani, Reporter:
Researchers in Japan have been hunting for methane hydrates since the 1990s. They estimate the deposits discovered in the Pacific could cover the country’s gas needs for 14 years.

And that’s not all. They’ve found evidence of methane hydrates elsewhere in Japanese waters. Some experts say the total amount could provide natural gas for the next century.

Ryo Matsumoto:
The fact that natural gas can be extract within the Japanese exclusive economic zone is a huge advantage for Japanese industry.

Kaho Izumitani:
The push to find new sources of energy got stronger in 2011 after the nuclear accident in Fukushima. Only 2 of 50 commercial nuclear reactors are generating power right now because of tougher restrictions.

Utility companies are importing more natural gas to fire thermal power plants. That’s caused Japan’s trade deficit to balloon to a record high. It grew to more than 70 billion dollars last year.

Along with methane hydrate, businesses are looking for other energy sources. Workers at a drilling company succeeded last October in extracting shell oil from rock layers deep underground in northern Japan.

Researchers also have their eye on the water’s off Sado island in the Sea of Japan. Oil and natural gas reserves could be sitting nearly 3,000 meters below the seabed. Government officials plan to start test-drilling there in April.

But for now, it’s the revelations about methane hydrate that are fueling excitement in Japan. Experts caution that scientists soon need to create technology to stably extract the gas and reduce costs.

Ryo Matsumoto:
I hope Japan can start production in about 10 years. Many countries are watching how Japan extracts gas from this new resource and whether the method works. If Japan cooperates with other countries as a leader, it can contribute to the world.

Kaho Izumitani:
Japan is considered a resource-poor nation, but it’s rich in technological know-how. The government and industry hope they can tap that resource and secure safe and stable source of energy that will last for generations. Kaho Izumitani, NHK World, Tokyo.

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Thuy Vu:
All this week, Japanese have been marking the second anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 20-thousand people and displaced hundreds of thousands on Japan's northeast coast. The anniversary reverberated in New York as well. Masaaki Suzuki conducted his Baroque Orchestra in memorial concert for victims of the tsunami and last winter's big storm in the American northeast. Here's NHK.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: March 11, 2013

Reporter:
300 people gathered at a church in Manhattan on March 11. It’s the second anniversary of the earthquake in Japan. The orchestra performed Bach in memory of the victims. It also prayed for the reconstruction of the affected areas.

Onlooker:
"I thought it was very beautiful, and I think it’s a very nice gesture that these two different countries are getting together to support the people that had to go through both of these traumatic experiences."

Maestro Suzuki says he is happy because he could finally show his appreciations to Americans for their support.

(LinkAsia: February 1, 2013)
Thuy Vu:
After a major meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi two years ago, Japan shut down the country's nuclear power plants. The government of the day promised to make the country nuke free. But the newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made it a top priority to reverse that policy saying Japan needs energy. In preparation for getting Japan's nuclear reactors up and running again, new safety measures have been announced. For more on the story, here's Japan's public broadcaster NHK.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: January 29, 2012

Reporter:
An expert panel within the authority finalized the guidelines to be passed into law by July. The new regulations will define active faults as formations that have moved in the past 120,000 to 130,000 years. But that could be extended to 400,000 years ago if faults are hard to identify. The guidelines will force plant operators to prepare for the highest possible tsunami for all of the reactors. The operators will have to implement safety measures like sea walls to protect the plant from tsunamis and minimize flooding.

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Thuy Vu:
There's still a lot of work to be done to safeguard the country's nuclear reactors from another disaster. And researchers have just discovered that one reactor in central Japan may be resting directly over an active fault. Once again, here's NHK.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: January 28, 2012

Reporter:
The experts drafted a report on the newly found fault under Tsuruga plant site in Fukui prefecture at a meeting on Monday. They said it might have moved after 120,000 to 130,000 years ago. The draft says that fractures direction and other  factors suggest that another fault could be directly under the plant's number 2 reactor. And could be active. Authority official Kunihiko Shimazaki expressed readiness to hear opinions on the matter from other experts and the plant's operator. Japan autonomic power company. He said learning from others would be helpful in compiling a thorough report. Government guidelines prohibit building key nuclear facilities directly above active faults.

(LinkAsia: September 28, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
Over in Southeast Asia, Thais are looking nervously at the skies. The annual rainy season is causing a steep rise in many of Thailand's rivers. Last year brought disastrous floods in much of the country, including the capital city of Bangkok, leading to more than 880 deaths, misery for millions of people, and billions of dollars in lost production.
One of the areas hit hardest by the floods was the world heritage site of Ayutthaya. NHK has this report on the city's flood defenses.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: September 21, 2012

Reporter:
The ancient city of Ayutthaya is famous for its world heritage temples. Last year, the city was inundated by Thailand's worst floods in half a century. As the rains approach again, citizens are on high alert. Situated on the bank of Chao Phraya river, these historical temples are at risk of flooding.

(LinkAsia: September 21, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
Turning to Japan, not everyone supports the government's promise to halt the nation's dependence on nuclear energy by the year 2030. Japanese businesses are adamantly opposed. They say that electricity would just be too expensive without nuclear power. Here's Japanese broadcaster NHK with more.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: September 18, 2012

Hiromasa Yonekura:
We are united in opposing the idea of ending the reliance on nuclear power generation. It's extremely regrettable that our view has been completely ignored.

Reporter:
The three officials spoke with one voice against the government policy. Hiromasa Yonekura who heads the Japan Business Federation, or Keidandren, said pursuing the policy would hurt employment.

Yasuchika Hasegawa of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives noted that it would hamper the country's energy security and people's lives.

Tadashi Okamura, Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce Industry, said shutting down all nuclear reactors would boost bills and lower national strength.