Welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Kanako Sachno.
Crown Prince And Princess Akishino Visit School In Paraguay
Japan's Crown Prince and Princess Akishino have visited a school in Paraguay that offers Japanese cultural programs.
The couple first paid a courtesy call on President Santiago Pena at the presidential palace in the capital Asuncion.
They then traveled to the school, which provides Japanese language and cultural classes.
Tea ceremony is one of the subjects.
Paraguay is home to an estimated 10,000 Japanese people and people of Japanese descent.
The Crown Princess was taught how to make an origami hat and then shown the students' paper creations.
The school also held a ceremony for the couple, performing a song that included Japanese phrases.
The crown prince and princess applauded as they watched a traditional dance in which performers balanced bottles on their heads.
Bad Communication May Have Led To Fatal Japan Train Accident
Police are questioning people who were at the site of Thursday's fatal railway accident north of Tokyo.
Railway operators have said poor communication among those responsible for track worker safety may have played a role.
Four workers were struck by Tobu Railways Limited Express train in Tochigi Prefecture while they were spraying herbicide on the tracks. All were later confirmed dead.
Company officials told a news conference that 10 people were at the accident site.
Three were posted as lookouts to signal with flags before trains approached the station.
Officials said they may not have been able to establish communication among themselves.
They added that the train entered the platform after a signal that all the workers had left the tracks.
Police are investigating the accident for the possibility of professional negligence resulting in death.
Gold Mine Collapse In Central African Republic Kills Over 100
A gold mine in the Central African Republic collapsed on Tuesday, killing more than 100 people. Rescue operations are continuing as many remain missing at the site.
The mine is located near the border with Cameroon.
Local authorities say they're looking into the cause of the collapse and trying to identify those responsible for operating the mine.
The Associated Press reports that several thousand people work in small scale extraction mining in the Central African Republic.
The media outlet says the miners typically lack sufficient protection, often leading to deadly outcomes.
China Exports Of Rare-Earth Magnets To Japan Plunge
China's shipments of rare earth magnets to Japan dropped by more than half from a year earlier in July.
This follows moves by Beijing to tighten controls on so-called dual use items bound for Japan.
Data released by Chinese customs authorities on Thursday shows overall exports of rare earth magnets stood at more than 5,300 tonnes.
That's down 3.5% from the same month last year.
Rare earth magnets are used for electric vehicle motors, among other purposes.
Shipments to Japan totaled 111 tons, marking a significant decline of about 52%.
The Chinese government has been strengthening control since January on exports deemed to have both military and civilian applications.
The latest figures indicate the restrictions are having an impact.
The data also shows that Japan-bound exports of a key raw material used to refine tungsten remained at 0 from January through July.
Tungsten is a critical mineral used in a wide range of industries.
China's overall exports to Japan increased by 14% last month.
But shipments of minerals that Japan mainly imports from China and certain other commodities have been on the decline.
This has raised concerns about the impact on Japanese industries.
Russia Holds Drills Near Japan's Northern Territories
Russia's Pacific Fleet has conducted an exercise off the coast of Japan's northern territories. Russia controls the four islands. Japan claims them.
Moscow says the drill on Thursday simulated an attack on ships in the area.
Defence officials say it included a nuclear-powered submarine and a guided missile cruiser.
They say an anti-ship missile system known as the Bastion was also part of the exercise.
President Vladimir Putin inspected a separate exercise by the Pacific fleet last week.
He said at the time, Moscow sees a potential conflict in the Asia-Pacific region.
He says NATO is making inroads there and forming a new military-political bloc, and he described Japan's sanctions against Russia as unprovoked.
The inspection came a day before Putin visited one of the four islands for the first time.
The Japanese government lodged a strong protest against the visit.
It maintains that the four islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory.
It says the islands were illegally occupied after World War Two.
♫～
Iran Conflict: Trump Warns Of 'Crushing Economic Operation'
US President Donald Trump has said he's launching what he calls a crushing economic operation against Iran and he's warned that any country helping them will face tremendous consequences. But Iran is pushing back against Trump's latest threats.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbasar Aqji has slammed Trump's move.
He says the US plan is a diversion and it will only bring further defeat.
He calls it economic terrorism that threatens the global economy and sovereignty worldwide.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke to CNBC about the plan.
He claims it's going to be the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world.
And he warns that countries that keep doing business with Iran will face the full might and force of US sanctions.
He points to transferring money, buying Iranian oil or doing seaborne ship transfers.
Bessent declined to say if China will be targeted, but he says it's in Beijing's interest to get with the program.
He says he'll hold a news conference on Monday to provide more details.
Taiwan Proposes Record Defense Budget For 2027
Members of Taiwan's cabinet have released details about their draft budget for next year.
They're allocating a record amount of spending for defence.
That comes against a backdrop of increasing military pressure from China.
The budget proposed on Thursday allocates more than 1.1 trillion new Taiwan dollars, or about 35 billion US dollars for defense. It's the first time the total has surpassed 1 trillion.
The amount is reportedly equivalent to just over 3% of Taiwan's gross domestic product.
President Lai Ching-te said earlier this week that the budget demonstrates Taiwan's determination to strengthen its self-defense capabilities.
Lai appears to be responding to pressure from the Trump administration for Taiwan to increase its defence spending.
But with the legislature controlled by the opposition, smooth progress of the proposal may prove difficult.
This year's budget was only passed last week after a process that took almost a year.
And those were the main stories for this hour.
World Weather
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
That wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline.
I'm Kanako Sakno in Tokyo. Thanks very much for joining us.
checked.
00:10:09 話者 2
Hi there, it's time for NHK World Japan's Easy Japanese.
I'm Erico Kojima.
00:10:14 話者 3
And I'm Michael Reese.
Let's have fun learning Japanese together.
Now today we'll be bringing you lesson 25 on saying you're not feeling well.
The main character in our skit is Tam, a student from Vietnam who lives in Harusan House.
She's been relaxing in the living room, but something seems to be wrong.
00:10:40 話者 2
Listen to the skit for lesson 25.
Now let's go over the skit line by line.
00:11:16 話者 3
Haru-san is on the living room table.
She is equipped with a sensor that detects problems.
So her cheeks start to glow pale blue.
00:11:28 話者 2
Tam, you look pale.
What's wrong?
Tam coughs and says, My throat hurts.
Haru-san says, Oh dear.
00:11:46 話者 3
Haru-san gives her some advice.
00:11:52 話者 2
In times like these, ginger honey tea may help.
Miya says, Kaito is making you some now.
00:12:03 話者 3
Then Kaito brings Tam the ginger honey.
00:12:08 話者 2
Tea.
All ready, Tam.
Here you go.
00:12:14 話者 3
Miya says to Tam.
00:12:18 話者 2
Take care.
Now, ginger honey tea is made by pouring hot water over grated ginger and honey.
It's said to work on sore throats and coughs.
00:12:28 話者 3
Poor Tam.
Let's hope she gets better soon.
Today's key phrase is, My throat hurts.
If you learn this pattern, you'll be able to say what's wrong with you when you're not feeling well.
00:12:50 話者 2
First, look at the meaning of the key phrase.
Nodo is throat.
The ga that follows is a particle that indicates the part where you're feeling pain.
Itaindesu means it hurts.
Today's point is contained within itaindesu, that is n-desu.
When you want to explain to someone that you're not feeling well, you add 'ndesu' to the end of the sentence.
'Itaindesu' is made-up of the 'i' adjective 'itai', which means 'hurt', followed by 'ndesu'.
In today's kit, Tam used it to explain her condition to Haru-san.
00:13:34 話者 3
Now listen and repeat.
00:13:42 話者 2
OK, got it.
00:13:58 話者 3
Listen to a conversation about other health problems.
00:14:15 話者 2
Let's review the conversation.
00:14:18 話者 3
What's wrong?
00:14:22 話者 2
This is a phrase used to ask about someone's condition.
Do is an interrogative meaning how or what.
Try to memorize the whole phrase.
00:14:33 話者 4
Atama ga itai in desu.
00:14:35 話者 3
My head hurts.
00:14:37 話者 2
Atama means head.
Atama ga itai means my head hurts.
00:14:43 話者 4
Netsuga arun desu.
00:14:45 話者 3
I have a fever.
00:14:47 話者 2
Netsu means fever, and aru is a verb meaning to have.
Netsuga aru means to have a fever.
As you can see in this case, not only adjectives, but verbs can also come before ndesu.
00:15:05 話者 3
Repeat the answer after listening to the conversation.
Now, what would you say if your stomach hurts?
Stomach is...
00:15:32 話者 2
Onaka.
Onaka.
00:15:35 話者 3
And hurts is...
00:15:37 話者 2
Itai.
Itai.
00:15:39 話者 3
Right.
Go ahead.
00:15:46 話者 2
Onakaga itai desu.
Onakaga itai desu.
How about if you were feeling sick from motion sickness?
Feeling sick is...
Now give it a try.
00:16:22 話者 3
Okay, now you can explain what's wrong when you're feeling sick.
Today's bonus phrase is this line by Mia.
She said it to Tam who was not feeling well.
Memorize it and make it yours.
00:16:43 話者 2
Odaishini means take care.
It's a phrase you use with someone who's ill or has been injured, hoping that person will get some rest and feel better soon.
00:16:54 話者 3
Listen to how various people say it.
Now it's your turn.
Listen and repeat.
00:17:14 話者 2
Now let's listen to today's skit one more time.
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
00:17:51 話者 3
Next up, Haru-san's bag full of advice.
Today, what to do if you get sick in Japan?
00:18:02 話者 2
Michael, how about you?
What would you do if you got sick here?
00:18:06 話者 3
Well, it would depend really on the symptoms.
If it's not too serious, I'd probably buy something at a drugstore.
00:18:13 話者 2
When the symptoms are not too serious, drugstores are convenient.
If you describe your symptoms, such as my stomach hurts or I have a fever, the pharmacist will show you some over-the-counter medicines.
00:18:27 話者 3
What if you have to go see a doctor?
00:18:29 話者 2
Well, you should find a clinic or a hospital that has the right kind of doctors who can treat your symptoms.
After an examination, the doctor will give you a prescription.
You can take that to the drugstore to be filled.
The website of the Japan National Tourism Organization has a list of medical institutions that are prepared to accept international tourists, such as by offering information in various languages.
00:18:54 話者 3
To access the site, search for safe travels in Japan JNTO.
You might want to bookmark it for reference.
And you can also find nearby institutions by asking at the tourist information centers and hotel reception desks.
In case of emergencies, however, dial 119 on the phone and ask for an ambulance.
00:19:16 話者 2
Yes, that's 119.
Please remember that number, although I do hope you never need it.
We hope you enjoyed today's Easy Japanese.
00:19:36 話者 3
Please join us again.
Kusatsu Hot Springs
00:20:19 話者 4
Japan has various kinds of landmarks that fascinate visitors.
They range from cultural and historic locations to modern buildings created with cutting edge technologies.
The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks brings you the stories behind these amazing places.
In this episode of The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks, we feature Kusatsu Hot Springs.
The first thing a visitor notices upon entering the town of Ksatsu is what appears to be a giant pond of hot water.
Some 4,000 liters of hot spring water gushes up every minute at this yubatake, or literally hot water field.
It's 60 meters across and 20 meters wide.
The area is filled with the sound of flowing water, steam rising from the ubatake, and a sulfurous odor typical of hot spring resorts.
It all adds up to create an atmosphere that helps visitors step away from their everyday mind state.
Kusatsu Hot Springs is in Guma Prefecture in the central part of Japan.
You can get there by the Shinkansen bullet train or buses from Tokyo.
Kusatsu has been a renowned hot spring resort for many centuries.
Emperors and shoguns, as well as regular people, have long taken a dip in its baths.
The natural hot springs are said to ease fatigue from long travels and supposedly have curative effects for illnesses, bruises, and sprains.
Kusatsu is ranked as one of the top three hot springs in Japan.
Bathing is a well-loved part of life in Japan, but bathing in hot springs is not the same as taking a bath at home.
Under Japan's hot spring law, in order to be officially considered a hot spring, the water, steam, and gas must well up from the ground and contain certain natural elements, and the temperature must be at least 25 degrees Celsius.
One of the main features of Ksetsu Hot Springs is the sheer amount of water that wells up from the ground in the area.
In terms of volume, it's the top hot spring in Japan with more than 32,000 liters gushing out a minute.
That's enough to fill 230,000 oil drums a day.
The Yubatake hot water pond at the center of the town is where visitors can get a sense of the vast amount of water flowing out from the ground.
Seven wooden conduits line the oval-shaped Yubatake.
Hot water of around 50 degrees Celsius cools as it flows through the conduits before being distributed for bathing to some baths.
The conduits also accumulate what are known as yunohana, or literally hot spring flowers.
They're crystalline compounds that form from the elements in the water as it's cooled by the air.
The crystals are gathered and dried and made into a powder.
The powder is a popular souvenir as it can be used as a natural bath salt.
But the most famous of the attractions at Kusetsu is a water stirring event called Yumomi.
With a temperature of around 50 degrees Celsius, the hot spring water must be cooled down to a temperature suitable for bathing.
One way to do this is yumomi stirring the water using wooden paddles.
Locals stir the water while singing traditional folk songs to keep rhythm.
The most famous of these are the kusetsu folk songs.
Visitors can enjoy yumomi performances and even try their own hand at stirring the water.
Thank you for tuning in to the backstory of Japanese landmarks.
We hope you have a chance to visit these landmarks and see for yourself what makes them so special.
NHK World
00:25:01 話者 99
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