Welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Kanako Sachno.
Japan Marks 3rd Day in a Row of Extreme Heat
Japan is in the grip of a third day of a severe heat wave.
Several cities around the country have recorded temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius and people are being advised to be on high alert for heat stroke.
The meteorological agency says temperatures are especially high in western and eastern Japan on Thursday.
In Sakuma, Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture, the mercury climbed to 41.1 degrees.
That's the highest temperature seen in Japan so far this year.
Elsewhere, cities in Gifu, Mie, Aichi and Shizuoka Prefectures in central Japan also saw temperatures of over 40 degrees.
Heat stroke warnings have been issued for 39 prefectures, stretching from the Tohoku region to Okinawa.
This comes as a growing number of people have been taken to hospitals with heat stroke symptoms.
The meteorological agency is advising people to continue using air conditioners and to consume adequate amounts of water and salt to prevent heat stroke.
It's also urging people to avoid long periods of outdoor activity.
Meanwhile, atmospheric conditions are expected to become unstable over Kanto Koshin and southern Tohoku, with rain clouds developing locally.
Extremely heavy rain of 50 millimetres per hour could fall, especially in the Kanto region towards the evening.
The weather agency is calling for caution against flooding in low-lying areas, swollen rivers and mudslides, as well as lightning strikes and strong gusts of wind.
Residents Scramble to Keep Cool Amid Scorching Heat
For more on this extreme heat, NHK World's Endo Yuka reported earlier from Saitama Prefecture, about two hours north of Tokyo.
00:01:57 話者 2/Endo Yuka
We're here in Kumagaya City, which is known as one of the hottest cities in Japan, having recorded temperatures over 41 degrees Celsius in the past.
The current temperature here is 37 degrees Celsius, and it feels extremely hot and humid.
Earlier, I spoke to local residents about how they are coping with this intense heat.
00:02:21 話者 22
It's been like hell these days, truly hell.
00:02:25 話者 23
Too hot and too humid. I feel like I might fall over.
00:02:31 話者 24
I always carry a portable fan, and also protect my face with a parasol.
00:02:39 話者 2
Cooling shelters have been set up across the city, and some are in places you wouldn't expect.
For these construction workers, taking a walk into the shop earlier today was a real relief after working outside in the summer heat.
This space normally operates as a liquor store, but it is now offering parts of its air-conditioning area to people feeling overheated while outside.
00:03:09 話者 25
This place is like an oasis. It helps us out a lot.
00:03:18 話者 2
That crew is back to work now, but this store is equipped with sofas where visitors can relax and cool down any time.
The owner, Nakajima Yuhei, also provides frozen barley tea, a summer Japanese staple to people who are not feeling well due to the heat.
00:03:40 話者 26/Nakajima Yuhei/Store owner
We started doing this out of the hope people would fall in love with the region and enjoy it even in the summer heat.
We also wanted to create a space for locals to come together and interact with one another.
00:03:55 話者 2
Cooling shelter like these are air-conditioned facilities designated by local governments across Japan to provide refuge from dangerous heat.
In Kumagaya, More than 50 locations, including public facilities and private businesses, have been designated as shelters.
The city has taken several other steps to help people fight the heat, including installing mist sprayers outside Kumagaya Station.
They've also created a website where they show which parts of the city are hottest on a map.
While these measures are helping residents cool down, City officials and weather authorities are continuing to urge caution.
They advise people to avoid spending long periods outdoors.
Use air conditioning, stay hydrated and regularly replenish salt to prevent heat stroke.
Iran Conflict: Houthis Claim Attacks on 2 Saudi Oil Tankers in Red Sea
00:04:57 話者 1
Houthi rebels in Yemen say they've carried out attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The strikes were raising fears of a widening conflict and disruptions to oil supplies.
A spokesperson for the Iran-backed Houthis said on Thursday that it had carried out missile and drone strikes that caused massive fires on the tankers.
The Houthis say it was for violating a naval blockade they had declared on neighboring Saudi Arabia on Monday.
With navigation restricted in the Strait of Hormuz, the attacks have raised concerns that disruptions may spread to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
It serves as an alternate shipping route for crude oil.
Following the Houthi's claim, the benchmark WTI crude oil futures rose for a time above $88 per barrel in New York. That was its highest point in about 1 1/2 months.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday responded to the Houthi threat to impose a naval blockade. He said the US would take care of it if it happened.
US, Saudi Arabia Sign Nuclear Cooperation Agreement
The US military said on Wednesday that it had launched more strikes against Iranian targets, marking the 12th successive day of attacks.
The United States has signed an agreement to pursue peaceful nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia.
The US Department of Energy says the deal builds on President Trump's policy of expanding nuclear technology exports.
The full text of the agreement has yet to be released.
Still, US media outlets point to differences from a nuclear deal concluded with the United Arab Emirates in 2009.
The Wall Street Journal says one contrast is that Saudi Arabia rejected a commitment to never enrich uranium or reprocess spent fuel from a reactor on its territory.
The agreement will be reviewed by the US Congress.
Some Democratic lawmakers and others have voiced concern over potential risks of nuclear proliferation.
Critics appear to have in mind a remark made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman suggesting that if Iran developed a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would follow suit.
Japan Defense Minister Calls for Taboo-Free Nuclear Debate
A Japanese atomic bomb survivors group is raising concerns after Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro made comments calling for a taboo-free nuclear debate.
Koizumi made the remark after a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Marc Rutter in Belgium on Wednesday.
00:07:16 話者 21/
France has shifted its nuclear policy and has shown new developments, including drills with Germany.
I think it is a matter of course that no country can establish its national security by itself unless they have discussions without any taboos.
00:07:36 話者 1
Koizumi told reporters he and Rutter had exchanged views on the changes in each other's security environments.
He said the meeting was an opportunity to reaffirm that the security of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions are inseparable.
He noted that China had recently conducted a firing exercise inside Japan's exclusive economic zone, while Russia reportedly carried one out in waters between Britain and France.
Tanaka Terumi, co-chairperson of the atomic bomb survivors group Nihon Hidankyo, responded to Koizumi's remarks.
Tanaka said it's unacceptable to make a comment on nuclear policy on the premise that nuclear weapons are a given.
He said he thinks Koizumi is of a generation that didn't experience the war and doesn't fully understand the damage nuclear weapons cause, and that he shouldn't be making such comments lightly.
War in Ukraine: Kyiv Removing Protections From Cultural Assets
In Ukraine, work is underway in the capital Kyiv to remove some protective coverings from historic buildings and cultural assets.
They've been used across the country to protect sites from Russian attacks.
Cultural authorities in Kyiv decided to remove the wooden and metal covers because of concerns that temperature and humidity could cause discoloration of marble and other materials covered for a long period of time.
They also say residents feel anxious seeing the cityscape dotted with covered sites.
00:09:13 話者 32
For more than four years now, our cultural assets have been inaccessible, both to visitors and to Ukrainians. I think the approach has to change.
00:09:23 話者 1
Removal work started in late June. Some residents have criticized the move because Kyiv has been hit by large-scale Russian attacks in recent months.
Kyiv's cultural authorities say more than 200 heritage sites have been damaged since the Russian invasion.
They say even with the coverings, it's been a challenge to protect the country's cultural sites.
But they added it's important to restore the scenery to make the country's history and culture accessible.
Ukraine: Turning Minefields Into Harvests
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has also left huge areas of fertile farmland badly contaminated by land mines and unexploded ordnance.
Around a quarter of the country's land is believed to have been affected.
A UN agency has identified a farming technology developed in Japan as having strong potential for helping to restore Ukraine's agriculture.
00:10:15 話者 5/Narrator: Bill Sullivan/Reporter: Nozawa Sakiko
Yoshioka Hiroshi is the CEO of an agricultural startup on the outskirts of Tokyo.
Yoshioka and his team have developed a method of growing vegetables on a thin hydrogel film that replaces soil.
00:10:36 話者 56/Yoshioka Hiroshi
The roots cling so tightly to the film, the plant won't fall off, even if you turn it upside down.
00:10:44 話者 5
The film turns into a gel as it absorbs water and nutrients.
The plants spread their roots across the surface, drawing up what they need to grow.
00:10:57 話者 56
This film acts as a substitute for soil, which means crops can be grown even in places where the soil has been polluted.
00:11:12 話者 5
Last September, Yoshioka and his team traveled to Kyiv. Yoshioka was confident that his film farming technology could offer a solution as Ukraine tries to rebuild its agriculture.
For the initial trials, they worked with a research institute of Ukraine's agriculture ministry.
They brought in all their equipment from Japan.
00:11:46 話者 57/Larysa Prysiazhniuk/Deputy Director of Science Work, UIPVE
I know it's a features of Ukrainian planting.
00:11:54 話者 5
Deputy Director Larysa Prysiazhniuk says tomato production in Ukraine is facing enormous challenges.
00:12:03 話者 57
South of Ukraine was the center of the growing vegetables.
Outside, tomatoes, it's dangerous now and some territories are occupied now.
The greenhouses, this decision is very wise for us for today.
00:12:20 話者 5
In looking for a way to grow tomatoes outside of the south of Ukraine, Prysiazhniuk saw potential in the approach offered by Yoshioka's team.
Yoshioka and his team already have experience in using film farming to grow vegetables in places where traditional agriculture is difficult, including the desert environment of the UAE and areas of India affected by climate change.
Their work has won international acclaim.
The technology has already proved its value in Japan.
In 2011, a massive earthquake hit coastal areas of northeastern Japan, and the ensuing tsunami caused salt damage to the land.
But Yoshioka's technology made it possible to grow the tomatoes seen here.
Their sugar content is nearly twice that of ordinary tomatoes.
The secret to their sweetness lies in the growing conditions, which place the plants under stress.
00:13:40 話者 56
The plants have to work hard to draw up water, as it is difficult to absorb through the film.
In response, they produce sugars and amino acids, making the tomatoes extremely sweet and flavorful.
00:13:54 話者 5
The high-sugar tomatoes grown on the film can fetch nearly twice the price of ordinary tomatoes in Japan.
00:14:04 話者 56
If we can produce high-quality vegetables in Ukraine, farmers should be able to earn plenty of profit.
Exporting them to Europe and other markets would also bring in foreign currency for the country.
00:14:21 話者 5
However, Ukraine was hit by record cold conditions in January that sent temperatures plunging to minus 25 degrees Celsius.
...
Members of the institute had to keep feeding wood into the boiler around the clock.
Repeated Russian attacks on energy facilities led to severe power shortages.
00:15:05 話者 57
Thanks to everyone's efforts, we have grown these wonderful tomato plants.
We are hoping for good results.
00:15:21 話者 5
Spring has finally arrived. And at last, the plants began developing ripe red tomatoes.
00:15:46 話者 57
Greetings from Ukraine.
00:15:49 話者 5
Yoshioka joined in the celebration from Japan.
00:15:55 話者 56
I hoped I was there and I wanted to taste there, your face.
00:16:04 話者 57
Miss Olha, she had a chance to taste Furutica and she told me it was like a honey.
00:16:17 話者 5
The next step for Prysiazhniuk is to spread the word about Yoshioka's technology among the farmers of Ukraine.
00:16:30 話者 57
The war has lasted longer than we expected, but we hope it will end one day.
We need to start preparing now for the domestic economy and for export.
00:16:44 話者 56
Men are still likely to be called up for military service, and increasingly, I think women will be the ones propping up Ukraine's economy.
If farming can adopt this kind of approach and become less physically demanding, I think women will be able to play a central role in agriculture.
Business
00:17:03 話者 1
Now for more business stories, here's Ramin Mellegard.
00:17:07 話者 7/Ramin Mellegard
Thank you very much indeed.
US Launches AI-Driven Science Initiative
Now the US has selected the first projects for its Genesis mission, a government initiative aimed at accelerating scientific innovation using advanced AI and supercomputers.
The Energy Department announced the first portfolio of 278 projects on Wednesday.
They include those related to nuclear energy, critical mineral extraction, and semiconductor design.
The largest investment will be made into nuclear energy, where the department says AI can be used for the faster and safer construction of nuclear facilities.
Japan is the Genesis mission's first international partner.
The country's ambassador to the US said AI is at the center of Japan's growth strategy.
00:17:57 話者 3/Yamada Shigeo/Japanese Ambassador to US
We are very much looking forward to accelerating our joint projects in cutting-edge science and technology, including quantum, biotechnology, fusion energy, and new materials.
00:18:16 話者 7
The two governments have agreed to invest $500 million each into the initiative over a five-year period.
Samsung Throws Down Challenge in Foldable Smartphone Race
South Korea's Samsung Electronics has unveiled its latest line of foldable smartphones.
US rival Apple may release its own model this year, setting the stage for a fierce fight to dominate the new segment.
One of the models in Samsung's Galaxy Z series opens like a book and is only 4.1 millimeters thick when unfolded.
The company says it's the thinnest in the series and weighs 215 grams.
It claims the 8-inch screen is ideal for watching videos and reading electronic books.
US media report that Apple is expected to release its first foldable smartphone by the end of the year.
US research firm IDC says the growth of the global smartphone industry has peaked as consumers now tend to keep their devices for longer periods.
But it predicts 2026 shipments of foldables will rise by 20% year on year, supported by the release of new models.
Tokyo Used Condo Prices Up in June, Pace Slows From May
Now, asking prices for used condominiums in Tokyo's twenty-three wards rose in June, but at a slower pace than seen in May.
Real estate research firm Tokyo Kantei says the average price for a 70 square meter unit was a little over 127 million yen or about $781,000.
That's up 23% from the same month last year.
But the pace of increase dipped more than 4 percentage points from May.
In 6 wards in the city's south and west, the average price jumped 25 percent in yen terms.
The 11 wards in the north and east followed close behind, with a gain of about 24 percent.
In Tokyo's central 6 wards, the average price climbed almost 13 percent.
The research firm says that while prices are still rising, they're losing some steam because the market is softening for high-end condominiums in Central areas.
Japanese Companies Turn to Biomaterials
The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted the supply of oil and derivatives, like nafta, used in plastics in Japan.
A growing number of domestic companies are looking for alternatives.
NHK World's Yamada Nana reports on plastics made with bio-materials.
00:20:50 話者 3/Yamada Nana
Okimura Satoshi is the president of a startup based in Fukushima prefecture.
His company produces bioplastic raw material using rice husks, a common byproduct of rice farming.
The firm developed a method to dry the husks.
A special machine then crushes them into powder.
00:21:14 話者 5/Okimura Satoshi
The machine breaks rice husks down into extremely fine powder, just like a stone grinder would do.
00:21:22 話者 3
Bioplastic can be made by mixing the startup's high-purity cellulose with ultra-ride materials such as resins. It compares favorably with conventional plastic.
This material helps protect the environment and reduces waste, but its high cost has prevented it from being widely used.
The Middle East conflict has led companies to search for steady supplies of alternative materials.
Okimura's firm is receiving a flurry of inquiries from major fast food and pup chains keen to use trays and plates made with biomaterials.
A senior official of a metal mold maker says that one of its clients is considering using bioplastic containers at its factory.
00:22:15 話者 53/
The client said it would adopt the products right away if it leads to cutting back on naphtha-derived materials.
00:22:24 話者 5
The current situation has reminded many people of the need to reduce risks.
I expect demand for the rice-husk-based cellulose to grow.
00:22:37 話者 3
This company in Miyagi Prefecture makes bioplastic, utilizing waste from chocolate production, such as cacao husks.
00:22:50 話者 54/
This is a prototype for a strawberry container made of cacao plant-based plastic.
00:22:59 話者 3
Nasukawa Naoto has been getting inquiries from companies keen to reduce their reliance on oil-derived plastic.
The firm has also experimented with combinations of other materials like barley and acai.
00:23:20 話者 54
We feel encouraged by the growing interest in bioplastics.
We want to create a circular economy through materials made of items that are otherwise discarded.
00:23:35 話者 3
Although the Japanese government aims to have about 2 million tons of bioplastics in use by 2030, little progress has been made so far.
but the end result may actually be a more sustainable society.
Yamada Nana, NHK World.
Markets
00:23:54 話者 7
Okay, let's get a check on the markets.
♪
And that is it for business news.
♪
World Weather
00:24:46 話者 1
As we've been reporting, continued heat is gripping many parts of Japan, bringing the risk of heat stroke. Our meteorologist Sayaka Mori has a look at the details in World Weather.
00:24:56 話者 8/Sayaka Mori
Hello there. The Japan Meteorological Agency has introduced a new weather term starting this year for a day of over 40 degrees Celsius.
It's called Kokushobi, or a cruelly hot day, and we are already hearing the name again and again.
Today, seven places of Japan had over 40 degrees Celsius. The hottest place was Sakuma in Shizuoka Prefecture, where the mercury hit 41.1 degrees.
That's the all-time record for this spot and 0.7 degrees shy of the national record.
Now, what's behind the heat?
We have a couple of high-pressure systems. One is the Pacific High, and this is Japan.
On top of the Pacific High, we have another high called the Tibetan High, stretching from the continent. So the two layers of high pressure is acting like a blanket.
So that is forcing the air to sink, suppressing the cloud formation.
As we go into Friday, this frontal system will sack to the south a bit.
So rain and clouds will develop in central Japan. So that could cool things down.
But western Japan are still in the grips of two layers of high pressure.
So heat will remain. Osaka could see a high of 38 degrees.
So to avoid heat stroke, stay in an air-conditioned room as much as possible.
And temperatures inside a vehicle could ride sharply.
So don't leave your pet unattended inside your car.
Japan's summer is hot and humid, but Mediterranean area, especially the south of Europe, that is drier and also hot.
So many fires have been occurring. We have some video coming out of France.
Wildfires have battered southwestern France, forcing at least 600 people to evacuate.
According to Reuters, the wildfires have burned over 100 hectares.
The threat of more wildfires could remain very high for the rest of the week because we are anticipating drier conditions to persist across the west and temperatures are going to be much higher than average.
That's it for me. Stay safe.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:35 話者 1
That wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline.
I'm Kanako Sachno in Tokyo. Thanks very much for joining us.
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NHK World
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