Thank you for joining us from our studio here in Tokyo. This is NHK Newsline.
Tokyo Has Record-Breaking 34 Days of Rain
Tuesday marks the 34th day in a row that it has rained in central Tokyo.
That's the longest streak since records began.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says a stationary autumn rain front is drenching wide areas from northern to western Japan.
Wet conditions persist mainly along the Pacific coast of eastern Japan.
The previous record for consecutive days of rain was set in 2019.
An observation station is located in a park north of the Imperial Palace.
The figure shows days when rain was observed, even if the weather was sunny at other times of the day.
00:00:59 話者 2
I'm feeling down since it's been raining like this nonstop.
00:01:04 話者 1
Some areas of the southern Kanto region have recorded about three times their average rainfall in the past month.
Meanwhile, severe tropical storm Surigae is approaching Japan.
It could come close to the Izo Islands south of central Tokyo on Thursday.
Officials are urging people to check the latest weather information.
N.Korea Says Its Status as Nuclear State Is 'Irreversible'
A North Korean diplomat says the country's status as a nuclear-armed state is irreversible.
He made the remarks in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Song-kyong spoke in New York on Monday.
Kim criticized the United States, Japan and South Korea over their trilateral security cooperation.
He said the Korean Peninsula and the surrounding area are faced with extreme instability due to an increase in military confrontations from the US and its followers.
He also referenced what he called persistent hostility toward North Korea.
Kim said his country's defensive capabilities curb the risk of an armed conflict.
He stressed that North Korea's status as a nuclear weapon state can never be reversed in any circumstances or by any means.
In his address to the General Assembly last year, Kim focused on his country's rejection of denuclearization.
Iran Conflict: Qatar Holds Separate Talks With US, Iran
Qatari mediators are making a fresh bid to end hostilities in the Middle East.
They've held separate talks with the United States and Iran.
Reuters news agency says the discussions were likely to focus on an amended seven-day proposal Iran presented last week.
It reportedly calls for a halt to all fighting, including in Lebanon, as well as an end to oil sanctions and the US naval blockade in Iran.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday his negotiators had already met the Qatari side.
00:03:10 話者 11
Has your team's official run today?
00:03:13 話者 12/Donald Trump
Yes, ...
00:03:19 話者 1
Iran has also reportedly met the Qatari mediators.
State TV cited Foreign Minister Abbas Araqi as saying the US could respond via Qatar as early as Tuesday.
Yemenis Flee Amid Saudi-Houthi Conflict
Now, the United Nations is warning about the dire situation in Yemen.
It says a flare-up in fighting between anti-government Houthi forces in Yemen and Saudi Arabia has displaced more than 120,000 people.
The fighting, along with attacks between Iran and the US, are further worsening the situation in the Middle East.
There are also tensions over the Red Sea, which is an alternative oil route for the heavily constrained Strait of Hormuz.
The humanitarian situation in Yemen is already dire after over a decade of civil war.
Some are fleeing by boat.
Authorities in Djibouti and the UN say some of the displaced started to arrive this month.
A refugee camp has been set up in the city of Obak, but the conditions are poor and some of the people are sick.
Women say they have to change their clothes at night because there are no partitions for privacy.
One of the women said she fled her home because it is near a military facility targeted in airstrikes.
00:04:46 話者 23
I am pregnant. Living here is exhausting. I am fed up with this.
00:04:54 話者 1
The camp is already hosting over 4,000 refugees from Yemen and Eritrea, and authorities are preparing for at least 10,000 more.
Takaichi Offers Support for Horticultural Expo
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has promised support for the International Horticultural Expo 2027, which is set to open in Yokohama City in March next year.
It will showcase new technologies in the industry.
Officials briefed the prime minister on the event.
It's headed by the chairman of the Japan Business Federation, Tsutsui Yoshinobu.
They show takaichi, an expo uniform made of corn-derived fiber.
The clothing can be turned into plant compost after use.
Tsutsui said there are promising new technologies in Japan's horticultural industry, and the expo is an opportunity to display them.
Takaichi said she believes the expo will help drive growth in the industry.
00:06:00 話者 33/Takaichi Sanae
I strongly hope that the expo will be an enjoyable event for everyone and, at the same time, will serve as an opportunity to showcase state-of-the-art industrial technologies.
00:06:13 話者 1
The expo will run through next September.
The organizers say they expect it to attract more than 10 million visitors.
Kumamoto Quake: 'Invisible Evacuees' Still Living in Damaged Homes
Survivors of the deadly earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture in July are still living in limbo, two months out from the disaster.
The quake killed 38, including two from suspected disaster-related causes, and completely destroyed almost 2300 homes in the region.
Most of those who lost everything are still living in evacuation centers and hotels.
But officials say nearly 2,000 households in one city alone are sheltering mostly inside the remains of their damaged homes, far away from support.
Our next report takes a look at these so-called invisible evacuees and the challenges of reaching them.
Kumamoto's 'Invisible Evacuees' Still Living in Quake-Damaged Homes
00:07:26 話者 3/Reporters: Matsuo Minori, Fujimoto Tamami/Narrator: Carolyn Miller
Just outside Yatsushiro City, an old wooden home once provided Nishida Shunichi with everything he needed.
But the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit the region in July brought those beams crashing down. Two months later, he's still living among them.
He rests, washes and eats in one of the few parts of the house still standing, his kitchen, with walls made of concrete.
Nishida is a farmer and can't abandon his rice fields, not at such a critical time of year.
Just before harvest, heavy rain and wind can damage crops and he needs to remain nearby to protect them. If he doesn't, he could lose the entire harvest.
00:08:16 話者 44/Nishida Shunichi
There are things I have to take care of myself.
It was the most important period of the season.
The rice heads emerged between late August and early September.
There was simply no way I could leave at that time.
00:08:30 話者 3
Nishida is one of hundreds of people in the region who have decided not to leave their damaged homes.
Surveys by city officials revealed that the long distances between farmland and evacuation centers are playing a role.
But they're struggling to identify everyone who needs help.
The city estimates that households sheltering in damaged structures outnumber those living in evacuation centers four to one.
but they don't yet have a final tally. The city says in the meantime it's providing food and water and helping those most in need.
00:09:09 話者 45/Aizawa Makoto/Yatsushiro City official
We're focusing our visits on the elderly and people with disabilities, so it's hard to grasp the overall situation.
One of the major challenges is that support doesn't always reach everyone who needs it.
00:09:23 話者 3
Those invisible evacuees say they're worried about what the future holds, especially with winter on the way.
But officials say it will take time and tailored support to help each diverse household rebuild their lives.
Nishida has done what he can to protect what he has left.
But although there's still a harvest on the horizon, the effort of continuing on has taken its toll.
00:09:51 話者 44
I try not to think about it too much.
The stress is building up, but I do my best not to dwell on it.
Business
00:10:02 話者 1
Now, let's check on the business stories.
Here is Ramin Mellegard from our business desk.
00:10:07 話者 6/Ramin Mellegard
Thank you very much indeed.
WSJ: OpenAI Cancels AI Model Rollout on Safety Concern
Now, The Wall Street Journal says ChatGPT developer OpenAI has decided to cancel the release of its newest AI model on safety concerns.
GPT-6.1 Astra was slated to make its debut in October.
Now, The Journal says the AI product is more adept at completing challenging tasks without human assistance than the US firm's previous models.
But the daily says it has also been shown to be evasive when telling users about actions it did or did not take.
The Journal adds that the model was seen to push ahead on tasks without asking permission and would sometimes use outside tools and services that could be unsafe.
The report says OpenAI determined this behavior did not meet its safety standards.
It calls the decision a rare case of a major AI developer ditching a new release as discussions about slowing AI development have grown.
Nvidia Releases Platform to Control AI Agent Activity
US chip giant Nvidia has introduced a security platform aimed at preventing artificial intelligence from running out of control.
This comes amid calls to improve AI safety and slow development.
In recent incidents, AI agents have bypassed security controls and gained unauthorized access to external systems.
Nvidia says its open agent safety platform sets boundaries to limit what AI can access.
The system also monitors AI behavior and stops it if suspicious activity is detected.
Chief Executive Jensen Huang said AI's extraordinary potential for society will only be realized if we solve AI safety.
Now separately, the company announced it has decided to expand its share repurchase plan by $150 billion to $235 billion.
US media says it's a record increase of its kind for an American firm.
Japan to Spend ¥111.8 Bil. on Tax Cut Preparation
Now Japan's government has set aside more than 111 billion yen or about $710 million to help local governments and businesses prepare for a cut in the consumption tax.
The tax on food items will be lowered from 8% to 1% starting in April.
The cabinet approved the spending from contingency funds at a meeting on Tuesday.
Now most of the money, or about $500 million, is earmarked to help retailers modify their cash register systems. That's the equivalent of up to $22,000 for each business operator.
The government also plans to offer cash handouts to workers based on their income in tandem with the tax cut.
It will allot $170 million to help local authorities build systems to manage the cash distribution.
The government will submit the tax cut bill at an extraordinary diet session scheduled to start Monday.
Markets
Okay, let's have a look at the markets.
♪
And that is a wrap for Business News.
00:14:29 話者 1
Thanks for that, Ramin.
Turning to Sound to Mitigate Disasters
Japan has long been the forefront of disaster preparedness, developing advanced warning systems and disaster prevention technologies.
Now, researchers are focusing on sound as a new source of information.
00:14:48 話者 7/Reporter: Sato Kazuki/Narrator: Kitadai Hiroko
Researchers in Japan's southwestern Kochi Prefecture have been analyzing sound waves in order to better understand tsunami.
The project is headed by Professor Yamamoto Masayuki of Kochi University of Technology.
00:15:07 話者 53/Yamamoto Masayuki
This is a sensor that measures infrasound.
00:15:12 話者 7
When a tsunami occurs following, for example, an undersea earthquake, vibrations are sent through the air.
These vibrations produce what is known as infrasound, a low-frequency noise that is below the range of human hearing. Sound waves travel faster than a tsunami.
Yamamoto is developing a device that estimates the height of a tsunami and the speed at which it's traveling from infrasound waveforms and amplitudes.
Japan's current tsunami monitoring network uses devices that record water pressure data.
The equipment is installed on the seabed at the site of the projected Nankai Trough earthquake. The project cost more than 230 million dollars.
By contrast, Yamamoto's device costs just over 6,000 dollars per unit and can be installed on land. He hopes to supplement the national network at a lower cost.
00:16:17 話者 53
By making the devices cheaper, we can expect more users.
We also hope to take the technology overseas.
It could provide a more affordable way for developing countries to prepare for tsunami.
00:16:31 話者 7
Research is also ongoing into the use of sound analysis in search and rescue operations, such as at the site of a collapsed building.
During such operations, ambulance sirens and people's voices can overlap, making it difficult for rescuers to hear any calls for help.
This major electronics maker is developing technology that can separate overlapping noises. Here, the staff recreate the sounds at a rescue site.
(Japanese)
It is difficult to make out what is being said.
AI analyzes the sounds and isolates only those that relate to the rescue operation.
(Japanese)
It is now easier to hear the voices of the trapped people.
The company is working to improve the accuracy of the sound separation and incorporate the technology into rescue equipment.
00:17:45 話者 57/Aihara Ryo/Head Researcher, Mitsubishi Electric
We want to pick up only the voices that rescuers really need to hear.
We hope this technology will help in the field.
00:17:54 話者 7
Japan has a long history of dealing with natural disasters.
So it's no surprise that its research into disaster early warning and rescue systems is among the most advanced in the world.
Braille Keeps People Connected in Digital Era
00:18:17 話者 1
For people with visual impairments, braille is a vital tool for reading, writing, and accessing information.
But recent advances in technology such as text-to-speech conversion have reduced its use in some situations.
Even so, there are many for whom it remains an irreplaceable part of life.
00:18:40 話者 7/Reporters: Torigoe Yuma, Agatsuma Takeaki/Narrator: Kitadai Hiroko
Inoue Koichi is a systems engineer. He lost his sight at the age of six.
He develops IT systems using braille and sound.
00:19:02 話者 62/Inoue Koichi
Oh that's wrong.
00:19:06 話者 7
After typing code, he verifies it by listening with a screen reader.
He then double checks it with a device that converts the letters he inputs into braille.
00:19:23 話者 62
It's actually faster to just listen to it, but with braille, I can go back to the part I just went over to make sure there aren't any mistakes.
It's like I'm using both my fingertips and my ears.
00:19:39 話者 7
For social worker Yabe Kenzo, Braille has been a constant companion since he lost his sight when he was 13. He finds charm in the way Braille connects people.
That's true of one of his prized possessions.
00:19:58 話者 62
This is the first letter I received from my daughter.
00:20:03 話者 7
His daughter, Minori, wrote him a letter in Braille when she was in first grade.
00:20:11 話者 62
It's full of mistakes.
00:20:17 話者 63
Dear Dad, I am always grateful to you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here.
There is no one else like you in the whole world. From Minori.
00:20:34 話者 7
As he traces the letters, memories come flooding back.
00:20:41 話者 62
I was really moved when I received it.
I think it was the first time she'd typed while referring to the braille chart.
It's like I'm picking up Minori's feelings through my fingertips.
00:20:57 話者 7
Minori is now a high school student and is studying abroad in Germany.
Yabe decides to write her a letter in Braille.
00:21:24 話者 62
All done. I hope she'll take the time to read it.
I'd just be happy if it conveys how much I care about her. I wonder if I'll get a reply.
00:21:40 話者 7
Braille has a long history and as it continues to evolve through integration with digital technology, these dots will keep finding new ways to connect people.
Comb-Honoring Festival Held in Kyoto
00:21:57 話者 1
A festival honoring combs and hair ornaments for their service has been held at a shrine in the ancient Japanese capital, Kyoto.
The annual Kushimatsuri, or comb festival, is held to express gratitude for worn-out combs and hairpins.
The organizers, including local beauticians, hope to keep traditional hairstyling culture alive.
A Shinto priest performed a ritual in front of a burial mound called the kushizuka, or comb grave. Beauty instruments from across the nation were laid to rest.
00:22:38 話者 73
I usually throw my broken combs away, but if I bring one here to dedicate it, I think the comb will be happy.
00:22:48 話者 1
The festival also featured a show in which women in traditional costume modeled hairstyles from various historical periods.
Beauticians recreated the styles, including one featuring plants wrapped around the head and an elaborate one from Japan's Edo period, based on historical research.
♫～
To check out more of our latest news, please access NHK World Japan's website.
♪
World Weather
So it was another day of wet weather across a good portion of Japan.
Our meteorologist Jonathan Oh tells us if changes are on the way over the next few days.
00:24:57 話者 5/Jonathan Oh
Hello, especially for those of you in Tokyo.
If you're kind of getting a workout, always walking around with an umbrella, yeah, it looks like you're going to need that for at least a day or two, but then things will start to likely dry up as we see a little bit of change in the weather pattern.
We have been seeing this autumn rainy season front just kind of lingering across a good portion of Japan and that's gonna bring a lot of the wet weather and a little bit of moisture surging in from Surigae which is kind of enhancing the front but the front is actually starting to move a bit and so we'll be seeing a little bit of change coming up over the next few days we're keeping an eye out on Surigae looking at Izu Island seeing the biggest impact of this before it continues to move out into open waters as it does so it's gonna take that moisture with it.
So we might be talking a little bit more in terms of sunshine even in Tokyo coming up on Friday with a high of 25 and looking at some sunny skies also returning to western portions of Japan as we go into today on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, I mean we're talking about a bit of a story pattern that impacted the northeastern portion of the United States due to a nor'easter here's look at some video that's coming out from the region as a powerful nor'easter caused flooding and coastal erosion early this week in Seabright New Jersey the storm badly eroded the beach leaving these stairs hanging in midair now according to the Associated Press the area also had some severe flooding and that sent about 90 centimeters of water into parts of low-lying coastal communities.
Residents had to, and used sandbags to guard against further flooding and the Associated Press said that the storm could be the first of several along the east coast this fall because of the El Nino climate pattern now while that is starting to wrap up for the northeastern areas we have polo that's impacting Baja California really bringing storm surge concerns as well as very stormy weather coming up and all that moisture surging into the desert southwest with possible strong storms as we go through the next couple days so be on the lookout for that.
That's a look at your forecast. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
00:27:40 話者 1
That's all for this edition of NHK Newsline.
Thank you very much for watching and hope you'll join us again.
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