Hello and welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yamaguchi Hiroaki in Tokyo.
Japanese Lawmakers Visit China Seeking To Mend Ties
Three Japanese lawmakers from the ruling and opposition blocs have begun a visit to China with hopes of mending strained relations between the countries.
Hashimoto Gaku from the governing Liberal Democratic Party, Isa Shinichi from the opposition centrist reform alliance and Kawamura Yudai from the opposition party Komeito took off for Beijing on Monday.
Relations between Japan and China soured following Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's remark last November on a possible Taiwan emergency.
Before taking off, Isa told reporters that all forms of bilateral exchanges have been severed.
00:00:58 話者 12/Isa Shinichi
There has been fallout between the two countries.
We'd like to meet face-to-face to explain Japan's stance and listen to China's views.
We want to find a breakthrough to hold dialogue.
00:01:13 話者 1
The lawmakers are scheduled to hold talks with senior officials of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee.
Much Of Japan Swelters Under Intense Heat Monday
A broad area of Japan is in the grip of intense heat, with officials urging people in western and eastern parts of the country to guard against heat stroke.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says a high-pressure system is to blame for the sweltering temperatures.
As of 2 p.m. Monday, Ota City recorded a high of over 39 degrees Celsius.
The mercury is also soaring in areas of Kumamoto Prefecture which was hit by a major earthquake in late July. Yatsushiro City and Kosa Town both surpassed 37 degrees.
A heatstroke alert is in place for 31 prefectures from Okinawa in southwestern Japan to Tokyo and Chiba in eastern Japan.
Meanwhile, a very strong typhoon is expected to approach Japan's southern regions of Okinawa and Amami as early as Tuesday.
The meteorological agency says Typhoon Saudel is located over the waters south of Japan as of 3 p.m. Monday and is moving west-northwest at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour.
Weather officials are urging people to prepare for the storm in advance.
Justice Ministry Mulls Stricter Laws On Clients Of Prostitution
A draft report presented to Japan's justice ministry says no objection has been raised to setting regulations on buyers of sexual services.
The ministry launched a panel in March this year to review the anti-prostitution law and other regulations.
Soliciting sex on streets and elsewhere has become a major social issue in the country.
The draft report presented on Monday says it is necessary to address the imbalance in the current law, which targets only the sellers of sexual services.
The draft also stressed the need to raise the level of fines, stating the current maximum is not high enough.
Sakamoto Arata, from a non-profit organization supporting women mainly in Tokyo's Kabukicho Entertainment District, welcomed the idea of regulating customers.
He said it should reduce prostitution.
00:03:35 話者 21/Sakamoto Arata
These women are moving on the assumption they will be caught.
There are many cases where people are unable to consult the police even if they suffer some kind of harm through prostitution.
00:03:51 話者 1
Regarding the need for legal amendments, Sakamoto said the government and municipalities will have to help prostitutes get back on their feet.
IN FOCUS
As ordinary people in Japan deal with economic uncertainty, the historically weak yen and a cost of living crisis, some are taking unexpected steps.
A growing number of Japanese women are going to Australia for work in the adult business there and its promises of high wages.
Matsuda Nobuko reports.
Why Japanese Women Are Seeking Sex Work In Australia
00:04:30 話者 3/Reporter: Matsuda Nobuko/Narrator: Bill Sullivan
Accessible to anyone, this Australia-based website advertises adult services, displaying a long catalog of profiles featuring women claimed to be Japanese.
In major cities like Sydney and Melbourne, many sex industry establishments feature Japanese women as a key draw.
And on this Japanese language site, there are listings for high-paying massage parlor jobs, promising daily earnings of up to $1,400 US dollars.
When we checked in July, there were more than 400 similar posts here.
One Japanese woman currently working in a brothel agreed to speak with us.
She came to Australia 3 years ago on a working holiday visa to enter the sex industry.
（Japanese voice changed）
Post-pandemic, Australia has surged in popularity as a working holiday destination for young Japanese people. In the 12 months to June 2025, their numbers exceeded 16,000.
This woman initially came to Australia on a working holiday visa, planning to study English as well. However, she struggled to find a job to fund her plans.
That's when she came across one of the recruitment ads on social media and decided to work in the sex industry, a field in which she had no prior experience.
She says she aims to save over $60,000 during her stay.
(Japanese voice changed)
Retired Detective Sergeant Onuma Yuki is a 15-year veteran of the Victoria Police Force.
Her job took her to various sex industry establishments, where she checked that women were not being forced to work and that conditions were safe.
As Onuma sees it, the reality of the sex industry is fading into the shadows.
Legal reforms three years ago removed the need for operators in the state of Victoria to hold special licenses or registrations.
Today, one of the fastest growing business models operates without a storefront.
Workers live and receive clients in ordinary apartments.
They get bookings through their managers by phone and then let the clients in.
If trouble arises, it can be difficult to get help, heightening the danger.
00:08:07 話者 23/Onuma Yuki
In many cases, people hesitate to report incidents, have their phones stolen and can't call for help, or feel too anxious about language barriers to contact authorities.
Because this business model carries these inherent risks, I strongly urge people to exercise caution.
Analysis: Japanese Women In The Australian Sex Industry
00:08:34 話者 1
Earlier, my colleague Keiko Kitagama talked with Matsuda Nobuko, who filed that report.
00:08:40 話者 24/Keiko Kitagama
Nobuko, it's quite a shock to hear about individual Japanese women choosing to do this kind of work abroad. What's behind that?
00:08:49 話者
Well, I believe the situation stems from a complex interplay of factors.
They include the widening wage gap between Japan and other countries, an uncertain outlook for the Japanese economy, personal financial hardship, and the historic depreciation of the yen.
That said, it's important to emphasize that the majority of those on the working holiday program are using it for its intended purpose, jobs to fund their stay and travel around Australia.
But at the same time, however, some individuals are using the visa as a means to earn money through sex work. I too was shocked by the situation.
00:09:30 話者 24
The former detective you interviewed also pointed out the dangers that come with this kind of work. Are the women involved aware of the seriousness of the risks?
00:09:40 話者 25
Well, the dangers associated with the sex industry such as STIs and violence are the same in both Japan and Australia.
One woman I interviewed told me about clients getting angry with her.
She tried to escape, but one forcibly grabbed her by the arm.
And our client even used drugs right in front of her.
While the spread of social media has made the buying and selling of sex easier, and there are moves in Australia toward decriminalization, the woman I interviewed noted significant downsides.
They told me about the feeling of being treated like an object, the stress, and a tendency for the industry to demand youth.
They emphasize that it's not a job to recommend simply because it's easy to earn money.
We will continue covering the issue as long as the situation continues.
00:10:36 話者 24
Thank you for your insight, Nobuko.
Iran Conflict IRGC: US Sanctions 'Implicit Admission' Of Military Defeat
00:10:46 話者 1
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says a US plan for new sanctions amounts to an implicit admission of Washington's failure to defeat Tehran militarily.
This comes after US President Donald Trump last week said he was launching a crushing economic operation against Iran.
His Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, is expected to announce details on Monday.
Bessent has already posted on social media that Washington will at dawn launch the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary.
Iran's state-run Press TV on Sunday quoted an IRGC as saying the US would have no need to resort to economic warfare if it had achieved victory on the military front.
The spokesperson stressed that Iran would not yield to tougher US sanctions.
He said, We can easily establish economic relations with countries.
There is no concern regarding the economic situation.
Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority is also taking an unyielding stance.
It said on Sunday that vessels violating Iranian protocols for the Strait of Hormuz face restrictions on future passages, including fines, detention or confiscation.
War In Ukraine: Zelenskyy Raises Alarm Over Moscow's Missile Threat
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sounded the alarm over Russia's increasing capacity to manufacture ballistic missiles.
He says Moscow could produce up to 1300 a year.
Commenting on social media on Sunday, Zelenskyy said Russia now has 600 to 630 ballistic missiles.
He said Ukraine is taking steps to weaken the Russian military industry, including targeted strikes.
This comes after Ukraine reported a wave of ballistic missile and other attacks were carried out by Russia last week on the capital Kyiv and other areas.
Officials say 16 people were killed through Thursday morning.
Zelenskyy reiterated his request for Patriot air defense systems.
He said he wants to secure 300 interceptor missiles to guard Ukraine against possible strikes on power plants and other targets this winter.
Specifically, the president said he would like to access 5 percent or 10 percent of US
stockpiles of the defensive weapons.
Police: Multiple Errors May Have Caused Fatal Rail Accident
Police say multiple errors were likely to blame for a fatal accident at a train station in Japan's Tochigi prefecture on Thursday.
Four rail workers were spraying herbicide on railway tracks in Kanuma City, north of Tokyo, when they were hit by a limited express train and killed.
The train's operator is Tobu Railway.
Police searched the offices of the company's subsidiary, Tobu Kensetsu, on Sunday on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death.
Tobu Kensetsu was subcontracted by the parent company to remove weeds along the tracks.
Tobu railway officials say there were two lookouts around the station on that day to ensure the workers' safety.
But miscommunication between them may have helped cause the accident.
The first lookout's job was to alert the second lookout when a train approached.
The second lookout was then supposed to confirm the workers had moved to a safe area before the train entered the station.
But the company says the first lookout was in a situation where they were unable to communicate with the other.
The train driver reportedly entered the platform after receiving a signal from the second lookout that all workers had left the tracks, but they had not.
Police are questioning an official overseeing the waiting work and the lookouts to confirm why the train entered the platform while the workers were still there.
Business
Right now, let's turn to Yuko Fukushima for what's happening in the world of business.
Yuko.
00:15:05 話者 4/Yuko Fukushima
Thanks, HIroaki.
Suzuki Unveils First Electric 'Kei' Passenger Car
Suzuki Motor has unveiled the prototype of its first passenger electric kei car amid growing interest in the sales potential of mini-sized EVs in Japan.
Suzuki says the E-Sky has a range of 310 kilometers on a single charge, which is relatively long for a mini EV.
The automaker hasn't set a price for the model, but plans to start selling it in Japan as early as this fall.
Domestic rivals Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi already sell mini passenger EVs.
And just last month, Chinese giant BYD entered the Japanese market with a model developed exclusively for the country.
Suzuki has so far only released electric K cars for commercial use,
But one auto analyst says there's a market for passenger models in the countryside.
00:15:59 話者 33/Kinoshita Toshihide/Nomura Securities
Many people in rural areas use K cars, but the number of gas stations is decreasing.
One of the attractive selling points of EVs is that drivers can charge them at home.
00:16:13 話者 4
While mini cars are popular in Japan, EVs accounted for just over 1 percent of K passenger vehicles sold in the first half of this year.
The analyst says that the key challenge is to keep prices down and consumers expect mini cars to be as affordable.
Tokyo Used Condo Prices Drop For Second Month
Prices of used condominiums in Tokyo's 23 wards dropped for the second straight month in July.
Analysts say soaring prices in the center of the Japanese capital could be hitting a ceiling.
Real estate research firm Tokyo Kantei says the average listing price for a 70 square meter unit was roughly 127 million yen, or about $800,000.
That's down 0.1% from June in yen terms.
In the six most central wards, including Minato and Chuo, the average stood at around $1.14 million, representing a decline of 1.7 percent.
But prices rose elsewhere. In the six wards in the south and west, including Shinagawa and Setagaya, the average listing was almost $685,000, up 0.7 percent.
The price in 11 other wards in the north and east increased 1.9 percent to around $535,000.
No More Govt. Money For Loss-Making Cool Japan Fund
Japan's industry ministry has decided not to seek budget allocations next fiscal year for a loss-making investment fund set up to promote Japanese culture abroad.
The public-private Cool Japan fund was launched 13 years ago to invest in sectors including anime and food.
But poor investment decisions have resulted in cumulative losses reaching 54 billion yen or about 340 million dollars as of the end of March.
The fund had already suspended selecting new investment targets after failing to balance its books.
The industry ministry convened a panel of experts last month to consider future options, including scrapping the fund. A decision is expected around the end of the year.
The panel will also study why the losses balloon.
The government's investment in the Cool Japan fund has exceeded 880 million dollars.
Social Media Firms Add Parent Alerts In Japan To Shield Teens
Social media companies are introducing measures in Japan to help parents monitor their children's online activities.
The moves come as the government considers new rules amid concerns the overuse of social media can harm the health of minors.
US tech giant Meta started a parental notification feature for its Instagram platform in Japan this month.
The system uses an e-mail or app to alert parents or guardians if it detects teenage users writing searches about suicide or self-harm.
The notification includes advice on managing the situation.
It also provides contact information for the health ministry's consultation desk.
The video sharing site TikTok has also introduced features to protect minors.
They include allowing parents to limit the length of viewing by their children and the watching of inappropriate content.
Oil Price Spike Revives Japan's Interest In Biofuels
The Middle East conflict drove up the price of crude oil and generated new interest in cleaner biofuels as an alternative.
Japan is using innovative strategies to find supply sources.
00:19:40 話者 6/Reporter: Ishii Masaki/Narrator: Kitadai Hiroko
This is a biofuel plant completed in February this year in Osaka.
The company uses waste cooking oil from restaurants and food processing plants.
The plant refines it into biofuel for blending with light diesel or heavy fuel oil.
The company says demand is surging for use in heavy machinery at construction sites and in ships.
00:20:05 話者 62/Takamatsu Katsuyuki/President and Representative Director, Sanwa Energy
Customers who previously used heavy fuel oil are now saying they want to switch to a blend containing 30% biofuel. We are trying to supply as much as possible.
Demand has more than doubled compared to last year.
00:20:20 話者 6
Biofuel blends can be used directly in most conventional engines, so its use is increasing, setting off a global scramble for waste cooking oil.
Japan produces about 150,000 metric tons of waste cooking oil a year.
Around 20,000 tons is used domestically. The rest is exported.
00:20:47 話者 63/Fukuda Katsura/Senior Consultant, Mitsubishi Research Institute
Demand for biofuels is expected to continue growing rapidly, and among these feedstocks, used cooking oil is a particularly limited resource.
The competition for it will only intensify in the future.
00:21:00 話者 6
With waste cooking oil in short supply, companies are scouring the world for other fuel sources. That led to Mozambique in southern Africa.
The jatropha tree in the country has seeds unfit for human consumption, but they contain oil that can be used for biofuel.
The tree also grows in poor soil and arid regions unsuitable for food crops.
A Tokyo-based renewable energy company has spent 20 years working on boosting the yield from the tree.
The firm says it has now cultivated a jaterfa variety that yields 50 times more seeds than the wild species.
The company has signed cultivation contracts with about 30,000 farmers in Mozambique and plans to begin production in 2029.
00:21:55 話者 64/Gouda Makoto/CEO, Nippon Biodiesel Fuel
By purchasing the crop, processing it into oil and delivering it to customers, we ensure sustainability and allow farmers to continue production with peace of mind.
Mozambique's per capita GDP is approximately 600 dollars, but this can add an additional 400 dollars in income.
00:22:16 話者 6
In June, more than 20 interested companies met to discuss the project, including how to ship the seed oil to Japan.
00:22:26 話者 65
We have prepared a chemical tanker and an oil tanker to be ready to ship the product.
We expect growing demand in the future.
00:22:37 話者 6
The biofuel company aims to produce 400,000 tons a year of the Jatropha oil by 2035.
That would meet 20% of the annual fuel supply for ships operating in Japan.
Markets
00:22:50 話者 4
And now to the check on the markets.
♪
And that's the biz for this hour.
♫～
World Weather
00:23:44 話者 1
As we've been reporting, the heat is starting to crack back up in Japan.
Our meteorologist Jonathan Oh has the details.
00:23:51 話者 2/Jonathan Oh
Hello. After seeing a period of normal temperatures, we're starting to see temperatures now way above average.
And that is causing some concerns because it's leading to real concerns of heat stroke.
Look at these temperatures as we went through today on Monday, anywhere from 38.5 degrees in Kawamoto, which is an August record, and in Otsu, 39.5 degrees, which is an all-time record. A couple of factors why we're seeing the heat.
First of all, we have down toward the south and that's driving into the southerly flow and that's helping to push up the temperatures not just in western Japan but also eastern areas as well.
Then we have the high pressure system located over the Korean Peninsula and that's keeping these relatively dry and sunny and all that helps to really put the temperatures and humidity on a higher level and that is a problem.
So something that we have to look out for the next couple of days.
Tokyo looking a high of 35 degrees on Tuesday into Wednesday, Kyoto up to 38 on Tuesday.
Now, we're seeing rain toward the north, and that's going to be the case for the rest of the week.
And we may see a push of that moisture on the tail end of that front into place like Tokyo and Kyoto by Thursday.
Now, for those of you in Naha, you see all these windy and rain icons, that's because of Sawdell that's about to run right on top of you in the next day, as this system is quite powerful with a very well-defined eye.
This system will continue to move from the north and west and bring plenty of impacts into Okinawa.
So let me tell you now, if you haven't done it already, make the preparations now.
Get the stuff secured, get stuff inside so that you're prepared for the storm as it runs through the area.
Meanwhile, across North America toward the west, it's hot.
Highs near 40 in some locations.
Strong to possible severe thunderstorms along a culvert that's tailing its way along the eastern side of the US down to the southeast.
And so that's what you have to look out for as you go throughout the day on Monday.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
Western Japan City Holds Goldfish Scooping Tournament
00:26:35 話者 1
Now before we go, goldfish scooping is a timeless summer tradition in Japan.
Every year, a town in Nara Prefecture, western Japan, holds an event where competitors young and old can show off their skills.
The competition took place on Sunday in Yamato Koriyama City, which is known as a hub of goldfish farming.
The event included a team category in which groups of three faced off.
Two individual titles were also up for grabs, including one for elementary and junior high school students.
Competitors had three minutes to scoop as many goldfish as possible.
00:27:20 話者 71
I got nine of them. It was fun.
00:27:25 話者 72
Goldfish scooping is a symbol of summer in Nara. I did better than last year.
00:27:33 話者 1
The city has organized the event almost every year for about three decades.
And that concludes this edition of NHK Newsline.
I'm Yamaguchi Hiraki in Tokyo. Thanks for watching.
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NHK World
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