- Service Disruptions at Over 100 Shinkin Banks in Japan,Nikkei 225 Plunges on AI, Chip Concerns, Bill on Food Tax Cut Clears Lower House
- 中部・西部の100を超える信用金庫でシステム障害が発生、AIや半導体分野への規制強化への懸念から日経平均株価が約6%急落衆議院は、飲食料品の消費税率を1%に引き下げる法案を可決、
【単語・フレーズ】
service outage（サービス障害、通信・システム停止）
plummet（急落する、暴落する）
circuit breaker（サーキットブレーカー、株式市場の取引一時中断制度）
lower house（下院、衆議院）
pass a bill（法案を可決する）
- Shadowing Tips：英語は世界各地で異なるアクセントで話されています。アメリカ英語を選んだ場合は、シャドーイング教材もアメリカ英語に統一しましょう。
00:00:11 話者 1
It's a Friday evening here in Japan.
I'm James Tengan in Tokyo. Welcome to NHK Newsline.
Service Disruptions at Over 100 Shinkin Banks in Japan
We start here in Japan.
128 community banks known as Shinkin banks in the central and western parts of the country are reportedly unable to handle over-the-counter transactions and ATM withdrawals and deposits. The service outage began shortly after 1 p.m. on Friday.
An organization that manages ATMs and other services for Shinkin banks says the cause appears to be a system disruption.
Work to restore service is said to be proceeding, but it remains unclear when operations will resume.
Rubio Denies Report Suggesting He May Leave Trump Cabinet
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is denying media reports that he's considering stepping down from his post.
That's after the Republican Party's widespread losses in the midterm elections.
In a report on Thursday, Bloomberg quoted people familiar with the matter as saying Rubio was considering leaving President Donald Trump's administration.
Rubio has been Secretary of State since January 2025, when Trump's second term started.
He also serves as the White House National Security Advisor.
The Bloomberg report says Rubio spoke to officials at the White House about resigning, but was asked to stay.
The New York Times later reported that Rubio had denied planning to leave the Trump administration.
Rubio has frequently been mentioned as a potential Republican candidate in the 2028 presidential election, along with Vice President JD Vance.
Trump Reconsidering Attacks on Iran After Midterms
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump says he's considering whether or not to continue attacks on Iran. The conflict was a major issue in the recent midterms.
Trump spoke to reporters inside the White House on Thursday.
00:02:03 話者 12/Donald Trump
Now we'll make a decision do we want to go further and just certify it by certifying it meaning where it'll never happen again.
I think it'll take them 25 years to rebuild the country I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible but maybe I'll have to you'll know soon enough.
00:02:21 話者 1
Trump acknowledged it contributed to the Republican Party's crushing defeat earlier this week.
The Democrats will gain control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives when Congress is sworn in in January.
They have said they will work to pressure Trump into ending the conflict.
Trump was also asked about how he will use executive orders over the next two years.
He said his administration will do a lot of things, and said what they are will become apparent over the next week or two.
Paraguay's President to Resign After Bank Collapse
Paraguayan President Santiago Pena has said he's resigning after the collapse of a major financial institution with which he has close ties.
00:03:04 話者 23/Santiago Pena
I have made the decision to submit my resignation from the presidency of the Republic.
I do so thinking about the stability of our country, about social peace and about the need to preserve our democratic institutions.
00:03:18 話者 1
Ueno Bank's failure prompted the Central Bank of Paraguay to begin a resolution process on Tuesday.
Media reports say Ueno had roughly three million customers in Paraguay, a country with a population just under seven million.
The bank's management is said to have close ties to Pena.
Efforts to hold the president responsible for the bank's collapse have been gaining momentum.
Customers unable to withdraw their funds have staged protests.
Opposition lawmakers have been considering impeachment proceedings for Pena.
Vice President Pedro Aliana is expected to succeed him and try to bring the situation under control.
Japan Protests Putin's Seizure Order
The Japanese government has lodged a protest with Russia over the seizure of assets owned by a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco.
The chief cabinet secretary addressed the issue.
00:04:15 話者 34/Kihara Minoru/Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary
The government has lodged a protest with Moscow and demanded that the measure be withdrawn immediately.
The foreign ministry also made a similar demand to the Russian ambassador to Japan.
00:04:29 話者 1
Kihada also explained that the protest was lodged to ensure the legitimate interests of the people and the Company of Japan will not be undermined.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the decree Thursday.
It covers 4 factories held by JT International or JTI in Russia.
Its website says they're located in St. Petersburg, Leningrad, Rostovodon and the Lipetsk region.
JT issued a press release on Friday. It states the JT Group has continued its business operations in Russia in compliance with all applicable regulations and sanctions.
It also says the group is currently gathering more information and assessing the potential impact.
Russia's state-run TASS news agency says the move is based on a presidential decree from April 2023.
It allows the government or designated firms to temporarily take control of assets owned by entities deemed unfriendly, namely nations that have imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has used the measure against Western businesses in recent years.
The AP reports that some of those companies have ended up being sold to Russian owners at heavily discounted prices.
Some of Moscow's recent moves seem to be targeting Japan.
Putin visited Etorofu Island for the first time in August.
Russia controls the island, Japan claims it. The Japanese government maintains the island is an inherent part of Japan's territory.
It says the island was illegally occupied after World War II.
And Russia's Federal Security Service detained a journalist from the Hokkaido Shimbun press. This happened on October 13 in the far eastern region of Sakalin.
The journalist was detained on suspicion of espionage.
Business
Up next is Yuko Fukushima to tell us how repercussions from across the Pacific are impacting the markets.
00:06:36 話者 5/Yuko Fukushima
Thanks, James.
Nikkei 225 Plunges on AI, Chip Concerns
The US Democratic Party's big win in the mid-term elections weighed on the Tokyo stock market even further on Friday.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 dived on concerns over the outlook for the AI and semiconductor sectors. The index closed almost six percent lower at 57,434.
The drop of more than 3600 points is the third largest on record.
It was also the first time since May 20th the Nikkei has finished below 60,000.
Friday marked the fifth straight session for the index to fall.
Investors sold off shares across the board.
They were worried the Democratic Party would impose tougher rules on the AI industry and data centers after taking control of Congress.
Sell-offs were also seen across other tech-heavy benchmarks in East Asia.
Seoul's KOSPI closed 6 percent down, at one stage losing more than 8 percent.
That triggered a circuit breaker to halt trading. Taipei's Taix also dropped 4.5 percent.
Bill on Food Tax Cut Clears Lower House
Japan's Lower House has passed a bill to cut the consumption tax on food to one percent for two years starting in April. The current rate is eight percent.
The bill also includes support payments for low-income workers to ease their financial burden. It passed a lower house plenary session by a majority vote following discussions.
It now goes to the upper house.
It had the support of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the Japan Innovation Party and others. All the opposition parties in the lower house voted against it.
The bill is now expected to be deliberated in a newly formed special committee of the upper house.
Food Tax Cut Raises Funding Questions
The focus is on how the ruling coalition can build consensus for it as it lacks a majority in the chamber. A key challenge with the tax cut bill is where to find the funding it requires.
About 5 trillion yen or over 31 billion dollars is said to be needed.
In an earlier outline, the government said it would not rely on deficit-covering bonds.
Instead, it proposes reviewing subsidies and special taxation measures.
It is also considering using non-tax revenue and re-examining budget revenue and spending.
The government plans to look more closely at the funding as it drafts its budget toward the end of the year.
Another focus is how much food prices will actually fall when the tax goes down.
Finance Minister Katayama Satsuki said in the lower house Financial Affairs Committee on October 21 that she believes the tax cut will basically be reflected in prices.
She indicated she would monitor price trends using statistics and other data.
In the same committee on October 27, an expert said many companies had not been able to pass higher costs along to prices.
The expert pointed out that companies may move to raise prices when the tax cut takes effect, and if that happens, prices may not fall as much as expected.
Digging to Start on New Railway to Speed Haneda Connection
A massive machine deepening Tokyo is preparing to carve out new train lines to meet rising demand from inbound tourism.
Workers for East Japan Railway will start excavating on November 16.
The planned Haneda Airport access comprises three routes linking the terminal with the Tokyo Station area, the Shinjuku Station area and Chiba.
A heavy machine driving a large disc-shaped cutter measuring 11.8 meters in diameter is being prepared for work about 20 meters underground.
The company says it will dig about 10 meters a day.
Two routes serving the Tokyo Station area and Chiba are scheduled to open in fiscal 2031.
JRE says the journey between the airport and Tokyo Station will take 18 minutes.
The company also says improved access to Haneda Airport will further enhance the airport's functions.
Another new airport line is being planned by rail operator Tokyu Railways.
Chubu Electric Hit with Business Improvement Order
Japan's Chubu Electric Power Company has been hit with a business improvement order over scandals at its Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture.
These include the falsification of data related to earthquake risks.
The order came from the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry.
It says the incident occurred during a review of the plant's number three and four reactors.
It also says the company altered reports related to decommissioning work on the number one and number two reactors.
The improvement order was issued under the Electricity Business Act.
It was handed to Chubu Electric's President Yasui Minodu on Friday by Murase Yoshifumi, commissioner of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy.
The ministry says in the order that inappropriate incidents occurring in a nuclear business undermine the trust of local communities and society.
It says safety should be the top priority.
The order tells the company to fundamentally strengthen its compliance system and foster a sound corporate culture.
It says the utility needs to fix the closed nature of its nuclear division.
00:12:09 話者 44/Yasui Minodu
The biggest problem is that we couldn't hold free and lively discussions.
We would like to do our best to fully recognize the challenges facing working-level employees.
00:12:18 話者 5
The ministry is asking the utility to submit a business improvement plan by the end of the month.
Biz Picks
And next, NHK World's Gene Otani is here with BizPicks.
00:12:36 話者 6/Gene Otani
Let's take a look at the key business and economic stories in the week ahead.
The UN Climate Change Conference, or COP31, gets underway in Turkey on Monday.
The US will publish its October Consumer Prices Index on Tuesday.
Investors will be closely watching for clues to the Federal Reserve's next policy move.
And on Thursday, the Bank of Japan will release its Producer Price Index for October.
It's a key measure of prices charged between businesses.
BOJ Eyes AI Demand as Inflation Risk
In this edition, we examine how the data could affect Japan's inflation outlook.
September's PPI showed a rise of
6.8% from a year earlier.
Higher petroleum product prices remain a key source of upward pressure amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
But another factor that's drawing growing attention is artificial intelligence.
Non-ferrous metal prices surged about 40% on strong demand for copper, while memory prices also climbed.
Miyamae Koya is a senior economist at SMBC Nikko Securities.
He says copper may be playing an even bigger role.
00:13:48 話者 57/Miyamae Koya
AI related demand is helping drive up memory prices.
But when it comes to overall producer prices, the bigger impact is coming from copper.
Demand for power infrastructure for data centers is rising, pushing copper prices higher around the world.
Benchmark prices began climbing late last year, and that upward trend has continued this year.
00:14:11 話者 6
Higher producer prices tend to reach store shelves over time.
The impact of the AI boom on consumer prices is becoming a growing focus for the Bank of Japan.
00:14:23 話者 58/Ueda Kazuo/Bank of Japan Governor
We need to continue monitoring how developments in the Middle East, growing AI related demand and exchange rate movements affect Japan's economy and prices.
00:14:34 話者 6
That focus reflects a shift in the BOJ's monetary policy stance.
The central bank said underlying inflation had reached a level broadly consistent with its longstanding 2% target.
It marks a departure from years of efforts to push up prices.
The focus is now shifting to the possibility that inflation could overshoot.
Against this backdrop, Miyamae says AI demand has emerged as a new variable for the policymakers.
00:15:06 話者 57
The BOJ is now closely watching whether inflation settles around 2% or overshoots that level. Growth in AI-related and electricity demand is likely to be large and long-lasting.
The surge in AI demand is something we have not experienced before.
That is why the BOJ sees it as a potential inflation risk.
00:15:39 話者 6
Miyamae says inflation could top 3% by the end of the year.
AI is expected to boost growth, but its impact on inflation remains unclear.
Whether this demand is temporary or persistent could be an important factor as the BOJ weighs future rate hikes.
I'm Gene Otani and that wraps up this week's edition of Biz Picks.
Markets
00:16:02 話者 5
And now to the latest market figures.
♪
And that's the biz for this hour.
00:16:36 話者 1
Yuko, thanks.
Better Rescue Routes Vital to Saving Lives After Disaster: Report
Japanese researchers are taking a closer look at the obstacles that hampered rescue efforts during the Kumamoto earthquake in July.
The 7.1 magnitude quake killed 36 people with two other deaths possibly linked to its aftermath.
It also left several towns in western Japan in shambles, completely destroying over 2,500 homes and leaving about 1,000 people still living in evacuation shelters.
In the critical hours just after the quake struck, calls for help poured in, but rescue teams had a hard time actually getting to people in the hardest hit areas.
A new report reveals why.
00:17:20 話者 9/Reporter: Tamura Manami, Yoshida Koki/Narrator: Kitadai Hiroko
Firefighter Hisano Hirofumi remembers feeling the ground start to shake.
He knew right away he was in for a busy night.
He was also on duty when a major quake hit the same region in 2016.
00:17:36 話者 63/Hisano Hirofumi
I experienced the Kumamoto earthquake ten years ago, but when the shaking started this time, it seemed even stronger.
00:17:46 話者 9
When the shaking stopped, Hisano and his crew headed toward nearby Misato town.
They were getting reports that a person was trapped there under their collapsed home.
The usual way was the fastest and most direct, a main road that's one of the area's most important transport routes.
But a damaged bridge along that roadway stopped them.
00:18:10 話者 63
We wanted to take the shortest route.
But then we were informed that this bridge was no longer passable.
So we tried to make a detour to the south.
00:18:21 話者 9
Photos taken by rescue personnel show what they encountered along that detour.
Large cracks had opened up in two sections of the roadway.
It was so dangerous and unpredictable, it forced the crew to turn around.
With precious minutes ticking past, they tried another route, this time from the north.
It wasn't much better.
Small breaks and uneven sections in the road slowed traffic to a crawl, congestion building up as drivers inched around the obstacles in their path.
A drive that should have taken the crew 20 minutes took twice as long.
00:19:04 話者 63
We had received reports about a victim whose lower body was trapped, so we knew we had to get there as quickly as possible.
But because of the road conditions, we were delayed.
00:19:18 話者 9
A research team at Kyushu University analyzed the prefecture's roads and infrastructure.
They found that one in five people would have had to wait more than ten minutes for rescue or fire services had they needed them.
That's because even limited damage to major road networks can significantly lengthen emergency responses.
One professor of disaster management says that detours often force first responders to find alternative routes that, in rural areas, are often hard to find.
00:19:53 話者 64/Nagata Shozo/Professor, Kansai University
Authorities need to identify in advance which roads if they're damaged during a disaster would have the greatest impact on fire and emergency response times in surrounding communities.
00:20:07 話者 9
When a disaster hits, the speed of rescue operations can mean the difference between life and death.
Officials and emergency responders say the lessons learned from Kumamoto this time around must be applied, used to build communities that are better equipped when the next one strikes.
Bomb Threats Disrupt European Flights
00:20:36 話者 1
Airlines across Europe have been dealing with a series of bomb threats in recent days.
Media reports say at least 20 flights have been affected.
One plane was traveling from Dublin to Rome, and it made an emergency landing at an air base in northwestern France.
The French Air Force says it scrambled two fighter jets to escort the plane.
It evacuated the passengers and crew and deployed bomb disposal teams.
Czech police say four flights to Prague received threats and were searched for explosives after landing. Flights all over Europe have reportedly been targeted.
Some were forced to divert and redo baggage screenings.
They say no explosives have been found.
The latest disruptions come just days after eight flights in the region received similar threats.
The International Air Transport Association condemned this wave of hoaxes.
It says safety is the number one priority and it takes all threats seriously.
Saudi Airline Delays First Direct Flight Service to Japan
Meanwhile, the launch of the first direct passenger air service between Japan and Saudi Arabia has been pushed back.
The route linking Naita International Airport near Tokyo with Riyadh was delayed amid the worsening security situation in the Middle East.
Regular service by state-run carrier Saudia had been set to start on November 17.
But a source says the company has notified Narita airport officials that they're moving back the launch. The decision comes as the regional security situation deteriorates.
In October, strikes hit Riyadh's international airport causing more than 300 casualties.
Exchanges of attacks between Saudi Arabia and the anti-government Houthi group in Yemen have also intensified.
The source says Saudia is now aiming to launch the route around mid-January, depending on regional developments.
The direct service is expected to meet business demand, particularly from companies in the energy sector. Security concerns in Saudi Arabia are having growing repercussions.
The Asian Cup soccer tournament was scheduled to begin in the country in January. But the opening has been pushed back to December 2027.
Japan Issues 16,000 'Blue Tickets' to Cyclists
Japan's police have issued about 16,000 tickets to cyclists for traffic violations in the six months after the country's ticketing system expanded to cover bicycles in April.
Police can issue so-called blue tickets to cyclists 16 years or older for traffic violations.
Offenders are required to pay a fine.
Being distracted while cycling, including using a smartphone, accounted for about 7,000 cases.
The second most common citation was failure to stop at designated areas with over 5,500 cases.
It was followed by running red lights with about 1,400.
By prefecture, Tokyo recorded the most violations at almost 3,000.
Meanwhile, the number of bicycle-related accidents declined by more than 9% from the same period last year.
The National Police Agency says cyclists may have become more safety conscious.
♪
World Weather
It was so warm today in Tokyo, I came in to work in short sleeves. Our meteorologist Yuumi Hirano is here to tell us how long this summer-like weather will last.
00:24:38 話者 10/Yuumi Hirano
On Friday, Tokyo experienced a high of 25.3 degrees, which is as warm as September.
But the warmer air is moving out.
Cold air has started surging into the country and that will continue into the weekend.
The cold snap will bring snow to northern Japan from Friday night.
Hokkaido may see up to 40 cm of snowfall by Saturday and more by Sunday.
Even the mountains in eastern Japan could get some snowfall.
Strong winds will also be a big concern.
Hokkaido may have gusts of over 120 kilometers per hour, bringing blizzards and wild conditions, potentially disrupting traffic and transportation.
Sapporo will also see snow with a high of only 4.
Showers are likely in Niigata, but Tokyo will stay on the dry side with a high of 21.
Moving to the United States, an active cold front brought heavy rain to Georgia.
One location had over 280 mm of rain in just 12 hours, causing severe flooding.
Rescue operations were underway on Thursday, with crew members using lava boards to assist the victims.
Many streets could be seen submerged by flat water, but deeply flowing downstream on many roads.
Some residents said when they woke up, they saw water rising to the tops of their vehicles.
The frontal system will move away from Georgia and weather conditions may improve.
But the front will continue to bring severe weather to the east coast.
Downpours and damaging winds are still possible on Friday.
That's it for now. Stay safe.
00:27:46 話者 1
All to come here on NHK World Japan so stay with us.
checked.
NHK World
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