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U.S. Secretary John Kerry Meets with Russian Foreign Minister; Tracing Origin of Japan's Macha; Hollywood Premier's Latest In Star Wars Franchise; CNN to Host Last Republican Debate of 2015 Tonight; Japan's Invisible Homeless. Aired 8-9a ET>

Aired December 15, 2015 - 8:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[08:00:19] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream.

Now, seeking common ground on Syria and the fight against ISIS. We are live in Moscow with the top U.S. diplomat is due to meet Russian President

Vladimir Putin.

Plus, just hours away from the CNN Republican debate, a new poll finds a growing lead for

Donald Trump.

And Hollywood plays host to a galaxy far, far away. We'll take you to the red carpet premiere of the new Star Wars film.

We begin with a renewed push to the end to the conflict in Syria. John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov. Now both acknowledge they have differences,

especially about the civil war in Syria, but agree that they should focus on common ground: the fight against ISIS.

Now, let's go straight to Jill Dougherty in Moscow for more on this. She is a former CNN Moscow bureau chief, and our researcher at the

International Center for Defense and Security.

And Jill, how will the U.S. and Russia, Secretary Kerry and eventually Vladimir Putin, how

are they going to navigate and discuss the thorny issue of Syria's political transition, in particular, the fate of President Bashar al Assad?

JILL DOUGHERTY, FRM. CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well, they've been talking about this, as you can imagine, for a long time. But the details are the

thing that they're working out right now. They are hoping that there will be a meeting, at least the Americans are hoping there will

be a meeting on Friday in New York, which will be an important one for the Syrian support group.

And in order to get that meeting going they have to work out some of these details.

The most important really, Kristie, are the details of this political transition period, which would

create some type of interim government, governmental body, that could move Syria from this terrible crisis that they're in into some type of

government structure.

But it's really very complicated. And it includes questions about the fate of Bashar al Assad. Its questions about who among the opposition, both the

fighters and the political opposition, could be part of it. And it's very, very complex.

You know, in a couple of hours the Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with President Putin. And that's really the set-piece of today because he

did meet, for quite a while, with the foreign minister. And now the foreign minister goes to President Putin, briefs

him. And the most important thing is for John Kerry to hear directly from President Putin what he thinks, what he wants, and what they plan on doing.

LU STOUT: Syria is indeed front and center in these talks happening today. There's also the issue of economic sanctions over the Ukraine crisis. I

mean, Jill, do you think that they have been effective? Will they go on? How is that issue going to be addressed during these talks?

DOUGHERTY: Well, the sanctions per se, are continuing. I think you would have to say that they have had a strong effect here in Russia, but what

really is happening right now, as you well know, is oil prices. I mean, oil prices are rapidly dropping. It's having a very bad effect on the

ruble. And that is what the media and the government are talking about right now.

But on Syria, we did want to try to get some information, and there is a media pool following

Secretary Kerry. Briefly they followed him down the street in Moscow here as he took a walk and looked for some souvenirs, popped in -- or at least

was outside a Dunkin' Donuts, et cetera.

But they didn't get too much from him. The pool asked him how is it going. He said, good. And then they said, any progress? And he basically was

silent.

So I think they're waiting, obviously, until he sits down with President Putin, who is the person who will decide pretty much everything here.

LU STOUT: All right. Jill Dougherty with the details live from Moscow. Thank you, Jill.

Now, the UN called it a human catastrophe. Now both sides of Yemen's civil war are due to sit down in neutral territory in Switzerland to find a way

out.

Now, a cease fire went into effect a few hours ago setting the stage for those talks.

Thousands of civilians have been killed in months of fighting and the political vacuum has allowed terror groups like ISIS and al Qaeda to

expand.

Now, Saudi Arabia has announced the creation of an anti-terrorism coalition in a move that boost the global battle against ISIS. It brings together 34

predominantly Muslim nations from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. We have highlighted them on the map here.

Now right now, most air strikes on ISIS in Iraq and Syria are being conducted by the U.S.

Now ten Middle Eastern countries are members of the U.S.-led coalition, but the Pentagon says

only half of them have actually carried out strikes on ISIS.

Now, U.S. President Barack Obama is under pressure to reassure Americans that his strategy to fight ISIS is working and he is taking heat from the

Republican presidential candidates. Jim Acosta has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:05:45] JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: With the public growing anxious about his plan to destroy ISIS, President Obama

stopped by the Pentagon, where he offered up a Commander In Chief image, with wartime rhetoric to match.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are hitting ISISL harder than ever. ISIL leaders cannot hide, and our next message to them is

simple, you are next.

ACOSTA: The President met with nearly every member of his national security team for a deep dive into the military campaign to defeat ISIS. So far, Mr.

Obama said, the U.S.-led coalition has delivered 9,000 air strikes against ISIS, targeting its oil infrastructure and forcing the terror army to give

up 40 percent of its territory. But the President acknowledged progress is not coming fast enough.

OBAMA: This continues to be a difficult fight. As I said before, ISIL has dug in urban areas. And they hide behind civilians.

ACOSTA: The President's focus on ISIS comes as Republican White House candidates are slamming his approach as too weak, and advocating a bigger

U.S. commitment on the ground.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R) FLORIDA: Number one is put together a global coalition on the ground, made up of Arab Sunnis. It will require embedding

alongside them, U.S. and other international partners.

ACOSTA: Coming on the heels of the terror attack in San Bernardino, and as polls show, the public is losing confidence in the President's strategy.

The White House acknowledged it is formulating its ISIS plan.

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think the message we're trying to convey to the American people is the President and his team are hard at

work, on a strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL.

ACOSTA: Part of that White House approach is tolerance, something senior advisors preached on a conference call with Muslim and other religious

leaders, in part due to Donald Trump, who has blasted the President for not condemning radical Islamic extremists.

DONALD TRUMP, 2016 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He is wrong. He is not identifying the problem. He is wrong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was Jim Acosta reporting.

Now, Mr. Obama is due to visit the U.S. counter-terrorism center later in the week. And once again, that was Jim Acosta reporting.

Now, a powerful storm hitting the coastal areas of the Philippines has claimed more lives. State media reports at least four people have died,

including a man who was hit by a flying metal sheet. Now, Typhoon Melor has forced more than 700,000 people to leave their homes, and power is out

in several regions.

The storm, it strengthened unexpectedly on Tuesday morning having lost some of its power on

Monday. And for the latest forecast let's go straight to our meteorologist Chad Myers who joins us now live from the world weather center.

And Chad, just how unusual is it that this typhoon has strengthened and weakened and now strengthened back into a category 4 equivalent storm?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, if you look where it went, it was right back over very warm water, it's what we should have expected.

But when it hit land, typically typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones will die. Well, the land really wasn't very much. It was the southern tip of Luzon

Island, which was about ten miles wide, a bout 16 kilometers from one side to the other.

So it got back over water and it did strengthen. It was back to almost 240 kilometers per hour for a while. It strengthened very rapidly and then

died off when it hit the land but then strengthened right back up again. And we're still watching it right now.

Watch the eye as it moves over and into Luzon. There is the eye. Significant storm yesterday. We knew it was moving over the central part.

But look how small the area of land that it hit. Then, all of a sudden it was back in all of that. That's all water. That's all water over probably

30 degrees Celsius. I mean, this is warm stuff, not body temperature, but very, very warm.

And then back into another island as it was dying off later on this afternoon in to tonight it will finally die.

But it's the the people that were right there, and this island here, that were not expecting a 230-kilometer per hour storm, they are expecting a

tropical cyclone somewhere around 100 kilometers per hour. That didn't happen. It strengthened. And I'm afraid that some of those people were

probably in the way of a very strong storm, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah. And that's why you always, always have to prepare for the worst.

Chad Myers reporting there. Thank you, Chad.

Now, French prosecutors, they say several suspects have just been arrested in connection with two separate attacks in Paris. Now, a 29-year-old man

is in custody for his role in the coordinated terror attacks last month, the attacks that killed 130 people.

And a married couple has been arrested in connection to the supermarket attack back in January. The husband is a suspected arms dealer.

Now, still to come right here on News Stream, life on the streets of Tokyo. Why the city is seeing a growing number of homeless people and what's being

done to help them.

And, it won't be long before this debate hall in Las Vegas is full. The U.S. Republican presidential candidates gearing up for their final sparring

match of the year. The CNN debate is just hours away.

Plus, lucky fans and celebrities got to see a galaxy far, far away on Hollywood Boulevard. We'll bring you highlights from the premiere of the

latest Star Wars movie next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, living without a permanent home, it can take a toll on anyone. But imagine if you are living in one of the world's most prosperous countries.

Now that is the grim reality faced by Japan's homeless population.

Now, Will Ripley has a closer look at what is driving the problem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Every night the same announcement. Police at Tokyo's Shinjuku station order the homeless to leave. They stay,

largely ignored by the thousands passing by.

"I used to be a machinist," say Koji Kato (ph).

The 84-year-old won't say how he ended up here. Most of these men are over 65, a reflection of Japan's aging society.

"I don't worry about my health," Kato (ph) says. "All I think about is how I'm going to eat."

If he is lucky, he earns about $50 a week, payment for standing in line at electronics stores, mostly for Chinese tourists. The world's busiest

transport hub, home to high-end retailers and the lowest of Japanese society.

"It frustrates me to see pedestrians walking by as if they're part of the scenery," says Ren Onishi (ph) who work for a nonprofit helping thousands

of homeless in the Japanese capital. . He takes me to a makeshift town of tarps, cardboard and umbrellas sitting ironically beneath the majestic headquarters of Tokyo's municipal

government.

"In Japanese society the biggest obstacle to solving poverty is indifference," he says.

Mostly quiet and neat, Japan's homeless do not abandon the custom of taking off their shoes before stepping inside.

Most of these people will leave during the day and they will go and try to collect recyclables or things that they can sell to earn a little bit of

money.

Even some Japanese with jobs can't afford permanent housing, so they sleep in internet cafes.

I checked into a one and a half square meter cubical, $15 for six hours.

Vending machine food, unlimited coffee and soft drinks, and a library of Manga comics helps

the so-called net cafe refugees pass the time.

The lights are always on. You can hear people talking in the other cubicles. But for people who cannot afford an apartment this is about as

good as it gets.

More than a third of Japan's workforce is underemployed with low-paying jobs, not nearly

enough to save up four months' rent, the standard deposit.

"It's like living in a downward spiral," says Daichiro Sasaki. "I have money to pay for what I eat today. I have money to sleep, but not enough

money to have hope and move on."

Sasaki (ph) says he lived in despair until a nonprofit placed him in a permanent home.

Government aid is available, but only after asking for money from relatives, considered a shameful act in Japanese society. That leaves very

few options for those who can't afford a home.

For thousands, it means a life on the streets, a life in the shadows.

Will Ripley, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[08:16:43] LU STOUT: Such a revealing and compassionate report about the homeless in Japan there.

Now, New Zealand is voting to scrap its 100-year-old flag in favor of something new. Now, critics say the current version looks too similar to

Australia's.

Now, Prime Minister John Key spurred the campaign, asking citizens to submit designs for how the new flag should look.

And these were the top results.

Now, the country just held a referendum to decide its favorite out of the five. And here is the winning choice, it's called Silver Fern. It will go

up against the current flag in a final vote in march.

You're watching News Stream. Still to come, the world premiere of Star Wars has come and gone. And now companies are hoping to use the movie's

success to boost sales with some pretty unusual ads and products.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:21:12] LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream. And while international businesses in Asia catch the

headlines, sometimes the smaller operators, the entrepreneurs, are quietly and tastefully making something happen.

Now in the ASEAN region, you can find that in Thailand inside a bag of popular seafood snacks. Now, in today's Road to ASEAN, tasty treats have

turned one man's small dream into a big business.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Over 620 million people call the ASEAN region home, and the diversity of its

people is reflected also in its food. Nearly 40 percent of people here work in the industry. And in Thailand, it is a sector that's part of the

cultural identity.

And while Aitthipat might have stumbled into it by accident, the founder of Tao Kae Noi is now at the helm of one of the country's most popular

packaged snacks.

AITTHIPAT KULAPONGVANICH, FOUNDER, TAO KAE NOI (through translator): I think there are many opportunities for Thai products. Thai food is very

famous. Both Asians and Europeans are interested in Thai food.

LU STOUT: Tao Kae Noi specializes in fried seaweed, flavored and eaten like potato chips. Itipa (ph) started the company when he was 19-years-

old.

A former video game fanatic turned businessman, the young entrepreneur is a celebrity on

his home turf with a story so endeariing it was captured on film.

Now at 31-years-olf, he first realized the snacking potential of seaweed when he raked in $30,000 of sales during his first year.

11 years later, expected sales are $84 million.

KULAPONGVANICH (through translator): If we turn back time to ten years ago and where I am now, it is much more than I expected. At that time, I only

thought that if I could sell it all over Thailand I would become rich, and that would make me happy. But now our seaweed snack is the top

five in Thailand's snack market. And it is about to become top five in many countries.

LU STUOT: The company sells six million packets of seaweed products each year.

WAGHIRA YAHNTHASANAKIJ, TAO KAE NOI: Tao Kae Noi has been exported to over 35

countries. I would say ASEAN or Asia, is our main market.

LU STOUT: So much so that the seaweed snack can be found on the shelves of supermarkets in

every ASEAN country with flavors ranging from Tom Yum Goong to Cheese. But the secret ingredient to success in the region does not necessarily lie in

the flavors.

YAHNTHIASANAKIJ: In many countries in ASEAN you are see a lot of gap, some country is very premium, like Singapore, like Brunei, they prefer the big

size for the small retail price. But for some countries like neighbor Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, they prefer the small size, because it's easy buy.

LU STOUT: With seaweed gaining popularity as a healthy snack in the western world, Tao Kae Noi is looking to even further expand their

footprint.

KULAPONGVANICH (through translator): I think Tao Kae Noi is an expert in seaweed. I would say perhaps number one in the world because we are the

pioneer. What we have to do next is make our products available in every corner of the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, fans were out in force for the world premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Los Angeles. The seventh installment of the famous

sci-fi franchise, it was kept tightly under wraps. And a lucky few finally got to see the widely anticipated movie.

CNN caught up with the stars to ask them about the big night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This area is under the protection of the first order!

HARRISON FORD, ACTOR: It's great to know how eagerly the film is anticipated. And we have a really good film.

DAISY RIDLEY, ACTRESS: I was feeling quite sick with nerves, and then I started and it's all kind of cool. It's great.

JOHN BOYEGA, ACTOR: Yeah. I feel great. I feel fantastic. And I feel surprisingly relaxed.

[08:25:07] JJ ABRAMS, DIRETOR: There were certainly nervous showing the movie to a thousand-plus people tonight. But I feel very confident about

the work that was done by the actors. So, if nothing else, I know people will enjoy watching the performances.

LUPITA NYONG'O, ACTRESS: Finally the fans get to see the film. It belongs to them after all.

MARK HAMILL, ACTOR: You have all these sense memories going -- popping off in your head because the smell of it. You know, it's like going back to

your old school.

GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE, ACTRESS: And I think that's what these films instill in us. They stimulate our imaginations, they fire up our imaginations,

they work their way into our dreams. They make us laugh. They make us cry. But they give us hope.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, the BBH there rolling down the red carpet, that was pretty cool.

Now, you may have seen a dozens of Star Wars themed merchandise in the months leading up to the movie. And Disney is no stranger to the draw of

beloved movie characters. So, they're releasing Star Wars branded grapes. They say it's to encourage kids to eat healthy food.

Now others are also jumping in on the Star Wars brand for marketing. Subway recreated the famous Cantina scene for its sandwiches. And if you

have a paper cut, well, these are the droids, or rather the Band-aids you're looking for.

And finally, here is some Star Wars makeup, unfrotunately the lipstick is not a secret lightsabre.

Now, you're wtaching News Stream. And still ahead in the program, in just in hours from now

Republicans running for the U.S. president race, they face off in the CNN debate stage. What new polls reveal about their standings.

Also ahead, a U.S. soldier now faces a military court on desertion charges. Why he says he left his base in Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[08:31:30] LU STOUT: And we are counting down the hours until the final U.S. presidential debate of the year. The stage has been set for the Los

Vegas showdown hosted right here on CNN.

Now, two national polls just out show Donald Trump expanding his lead despite the backlash he has faced over a proposal to temporarily ban Muslim

immigrants.

And now some in the Muslim community say that they fear Trump's remarks are fueling hate crimes against them.

Jason Carroll reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: American Muslims are becoming increasingly concerned about being targeted because of their faith. In the

past few days, three mosques vandalized in California, one set on fire, a 23-year-old under arrest. In Philadelphia, a severed pig's head thrown at

a mosque. And then there was this attack on Sarker Haque.

SARKER HAQUE, VICTIM: I was standing and he just looked for a second -- I mean, a minute or less, you know. Then he turned and he punch me in the

ear.

CARROLL: Haque owns a convenience store in Queens, New York. He says last Saturday a man attacked him because he is Muslim.

HAQUE: He said I call -- I kill Muslim.

CARROLL: He said, wait. I'm sorry. He said I kill...

HAQUE: I kill Muslim.

CARROLL: Is that how you got the black eye?

HAQUE: And this is he punishing him.

CARROLL: Oh, so he punched you. Is that...

HAQUE: Then he punched me. I don't know how many times. I said, help, help, help, you know.

CARROL: This man, who did not want to be identified for his safety, heard those cries for help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy, he was just angry. He just wanted to keep hitting him

and keep hitting him until the cops came.

CARROLL: Haque believes Donald Trump, who is from Queens, is partly responsible. Muslim leaders say Trump's recent plan to temporarily ban

Muslims from the United States is part of a continued effort to demonize their faith.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This rhetoric echos the policies enacted by Nazi in Germany against the Jews. Trump's and Carson's mainstreaming of

Islamophobia in the election is inciting real discrimination, real hate crimes.

CARROLL: Ehad Awad called out now only Trump and GOP candidate Ben Carson for his claim a Muslim should not be president, but also New Jersey

governor and GOP candidate Chris Christie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think many Muslims in New Jersey feel a sense of betrayal for what Governor Christie has

done.

CARROLL: Why betrayal? Many New Jersey Muslims thought Christie was an ally, but now

disappointment over this comment from Christie about Syrian refugees.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) NEW JERSEY: I don't think orphans under 5 are being -- should be admitted into the United States at this point.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the Republican primary campaign, Muslim bashing seems to be the red meat that the candidates are throwing to some of their

supporters.

CARROLL: As for Trump, a new ABC/Washington Post poll finds nearly 60 percent of Republicans support his plan. The frontrunner himself says he

has support among the Muslim community.

TRUMP: I have many friends that are Muslims. And I will tell you, they are so happy that I did this, because they know they have a problem.

CARROLL: But for Saker Haque, this problems are just beginning. He's is on his way to speak to the district attorney, hoping his attacker gets the

punishment he deserves.

Jason Carroll, CNN, Queens, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And CNN will host the final debate of the year among the Republican candidates. Our Wolf Blitzer will moderate. Coverage starts

Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. in Hong Kong, 8:00 in Tokyo. you can tune into the replay at 7:00 p.m. in Hong Kong, 8:00 p.m. in Tokyo right here on CNN.

The U.S. Army says that Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl will face court martial on charges of desertion and endangering fellow soldiers. Now, he could

receive a life sentence if found guilty.

Now, this is a major departure from Bergdahl's preliminary hearing when an army officer suggested he get no jail time. Bergdahl disappeared from his

base in Afghanistan in 2009 and six U.S. soldiers were killed in missions attempting to rescue him.

Now, he spoke on the popular U.S. podcast Serial about what made him leave.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. BOWE BERGDAHL, U.S. ARMY: By doing what I did was me saying I am like Jason Bourne. I had this fantastic idea that I was going to prove to the

world that, you know, I was the real thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now, some question at Bergdahl's participation in the latest serial podcast could be the reason behind the military's recent about-face.

Now, the Christian Science Monitor quoted a former military lawyer saying it's a, quote, no-brainer, because Bergdahl admits on tape to the crime.

But The Washington Post cites a spokesman for the general who issued the court martial saying the move had nothing to do with the serial podcast.

Now you're watching News Stream. And coming up, an ancient flavor that's getting a new following. A traditional Japanese tea that is rising in

popularity all over the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Now macha, a form of green tea has been a staple in Japan for centuries. But now it's beginning to pop up all over the world from coffee

shops in New York to bakeries in Europe.

Now, Paula Newton traveled to Japan to track the tea's ancient origins.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is an elegance in Japanese design that owes much to its spiritual heritage. Enter Shofukujai

(ph) temple, and you feel it instantly: Zen. An I'm not kidding.

Caressed by soft light and serenaded by bird song, this is Japan's first Zen temple. And it is meant to inspire deep meditation. (inaudilbe) the

Buddhist monk who first bought zen to Japan and with it tea from china as a spiritual elixir for body and soul.

We go inside the monastery here behind closed doors to experience the winter tea ceremony and the most revered tea in all Japan: macha.

This is chado, literally the tea way, a highly choreographed observance. My mentor: Frenchman Arnold Macadre (ph), a man devoted for years now to

learning all he can about this unique ritual.

At its core macha, a highly concentrated green tea to be prepared with one's full attention and reverence. Our macha is prepared by the temple

monk, who is taking instruction from the tea master Soku Shimura (ph).

Every last detail is prescribed, even how you drop the macha in the bowl.

I confess I grasped very little the first time around, but apparently it's okay, they tell me. Being a tea master can take a lifetime.

[08:40:08] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No fingers please

NEWTON: Oh, sorry.

Clearly, I'll be at this for centuries.

There is a reason you treat macha and its rituals with its due respect. This is precious tea, carefully nurtured and manicured on lush Japanese

hills. It is without a doubt green tea, but only the best leaves are selected. A whole leaf is used, but not processed. It's painstakingly

ground by stones, mimicking the method used centuries ago.

It takes hours to make just 40 grams.

Shinya Yamaguchi is a master macha maker and he reminds us the tea's origins are medicinal and spiritual, to make your life both healthy and

complete.

SHINYA YAMAGUCHI, MACHA MAKER (through translator): I think macha sis becoming very trendy. It's gradually becoming more popular. Inquiries

from overseas have really been growing over the last five to ten years.

NEWTON: Good macha is meant to be brimming with antioxidants, even its caffeine has a superior time release quality.

YAMAGUCHI (through translator): The other thing is the taste. Good macha is full of both richness and sweetness, so you savor the sweetness.

NEWTON: In Japan, macha tea isn't just a drink or a medicine, it is spiritual by design.

Paula Newton, CNN, Fokuoka (ph) Japan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Bot a beautiful drink and an incredible ritual.

That is News Stream. I am Kristie Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere, World Sport with Alex Thomas is next.

END