From our studios in Tokyo, this is NHK Newsline. I'm Ross Mihara.
S.Korean Military: Joint Exercise With US Shortened
South Korea's military says ongoing joint military drills with the United States will be shortened to end on Friday.
It says the change is being made at Washington's request.
The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began on Monday.
It was scheduled to last through August 27.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on Wednesday the duration would be cut by almost half.
They also said the two sides are discussing scaling back field maneuvers that are part of the exercise.
This comes after US President Donald Trump on Sunday ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military drills with South Korea.
Trump said the exercises send a totally inappropriate and hostile signal to North Korea.
South Korean media outlets say training based on counterattack scenarios against the North will be canceled. Pyongyang has strongly denounced such drills.
Report: Trump Seeking Summit With North Korean Leader Kim
Meanwhile, a US media report says President Trump is pushing for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as soon as this autumn.
The Wall Street Journal said the move would be a renewed attempt at convincing Kim to abandon North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
Trump tried and failed to do so in his first term.
The report said the meeting could occur during Trump's next trip to Asia in November.
That's when he's set to take part in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum summit in Shenzhen, China.
The report added that Trump is searching for a crowning diplomatic success since victory in Iran remains elusive.
WHO: Ebola In DRC Far From Under Control
Ebola is running rampant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The World Health Organization chief warns the outbreak is far from being under control.
WHO Director General Tedros Adonom Guebresos told an emergency meeting the outbreak is moving unprecedentedly fast. It started spreading in May.
The WHO says almost 5,000 people have been infected and more than 2,300 have died.
The agency also says there are no effective vaccines for the virus behind the latest outbreak.
Officials plan to mobilize over 1,000 more health workers and increase the number of hospital beds to 3,000.
Japan FM Motegi Meets Yemen's Interim Leader
Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu has met the leader of Yemen's interim government, Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi.
Their discussions included the need to safeguard shipping in the Middle East.
The talks took place on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Alimi's interim government is based outside Yemen due to a civil war involving Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The country sits on the Bab el Mandeb Strait, which serves as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for oil shipments.
Moteghi said Yemen's stability is important for the development of the global community.
He also condemned the Houthis for attacking ships and other targets in the waterway.
Al-Alimi expressed gratitude for Japan's support.
He also said he highly values Japan's policy of pursuing a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Motegi and Al-Alimi agreed to develop bilateral ties.
US Sanctions ICC Chief Akane Tomoko
The administration of US President Donald Trump is escalating its campaign against the International Criminal Court.
It's imposing sanctions on the court's leadership, including President Akane Tomoko.
Akane is a Japanese judge who took office in 2024.
The State Department released a statement from Marco Rubio on Tuesday.
It described the ICC as corrupt and fatally politicized.
It accuses the court of abusing its authority.
The sanctions call for any assets held in the US to be frozen, and the State Department says it's ready to take further action until the ICC can no longer threaten US sovereignty.
US officials have objected to the court's approval of an investigation into alleged war crimes by American troops in Afghanistan, and they've condemned arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes.
They've imposed sanctions on judges and prosecutors involved in those cases.
The ICC criticized the sanctions. It says targeting the court will undermine the rule of law and place the international legal order at risk.
It insists that it will continue to work independently.
Removing Cars Urgent Issue After Heavy Rainfall
People in Japan's Chiba Prefecture outside of Tokyo are dealing with the aftermath of last week's record-breaking rainfall.
Local officials confirm at least 13 people have died and one is still missing.
This man's car was swept away by floodwaters and stopped moving.
A male relative who rushed to the scene to help him went missing.
The man eventually managed to get out of the car on his own, but his relative was found in a nearby rice paddy on Monday and confirmed dead.
00:05:36 話者 11
When I think about it, I made a lot of mistakes.
The road was the one I always used, so I followed it. but I regret doing so.
00:05:49 話者 1
Over 2300 houses were damaged by flooding. Work has been underway to move roughly 2500 vehicles that were abandoned on roads in the city of Chiba after the deluge.
Authorities say they expect all of them will be moved as early as Wednesday.
Some drivers have hit abandoned vehicles.
Police had confirmed at least eight such cases by Tuesday.
Most of them happened when it was dark.
Japan Mulls Plan To Help Foreign Residents Adapt
Members of a Japanese government panel are working on a plan to help foreign residents.
It includes learning about the language and rules for daily life.
The program is aimed at creating an environment that enables a smooth adaptation to Japanese society. The plan will broadly cover medium to long-term residents.
The online learning environment will also be available outside Japan.
00:06:42 話者 21/
The establishment of the program is an important issue from the perspective of realizing an orderly and inclusive society.
Topics at the meeting included the content and target participants of the program, as well as how to reflect the results in resident status screening.
The panel confirmed it will continue discussions with the aim of starting the program in fiscal 2028.
Japan's Crown Prince And Princess Akishino Head To Paraguay
Japan's Crown Prince and Princess Akishino have departed for Paraguay.
Their visit comes 90 years after the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the South American country.
The couple left on a government plane from Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday.
Ahead of the trip, they held a news conference on Thursday.
(Japanese)
During the nine-day trip, the two are scheduled to attend a commemorative ceremony in the capital Asuncion and meet President Santiago Pena Palacios.
The crown prince and princess plan to visit a number of Japanese settlement sites.
They include La Comena, where the immigrants first settled, and Iguasu, a leading farming district for wheat and soybeans.
The couple is also expected to offer flowers at a monument dedicated to the pioneers and talk with the settlers and their descendants.
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Those were the stories for this hour.
World Weather
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
I'm Ross Mihara in Tokyo. We thank you for joining us on NHK Newsline.
checked.
Easy Japanese
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.
Tam-san, how are you?
Do you like this?
No, it's not.
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's 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.
00:11:57 話者 3
Miya says.
00:12:01 話者 2
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
Mia says to Tam, Take care.
00:12:20 話者 2
Now, ginger honey tea is made by pouring hot water over grated ginger and honey.
It's set 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.
00:12:49 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
Okay, 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 kimochi gawarui.
Now, give it a try.
00:16:13 話者 4
Kimochi gawarui in desu.
00:16:23 話者 3
OK, 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.
Thomas-san.
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?
00:18:01 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.
Tokyo Skytree
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.
What led to their creation and what were the challenges involved?
The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks brings you the stories behind these amazing places.
In this episode of The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks, we feature the world's tallest broadcast tower, Tokyo Skytree.
Tokyo Skytree is 634 meters tall.
Other landmarks such as the Tokyo Tower and Paris's Eiffel Tower have wide bases.
But Tokyo Skytree is slim and more like a spire.
Its color, named Skytree White, is based on the lightest shade of Japanese indigo blue.
The tower can be seen from a great distance, but when people first see it, some think its form is rather simple.
Tokyo Skytree was built using state-of-the-art Japanese technology.
But that's not all.
Traditional skills respected and handed down over generations of craftspeople also played a vital role in its construction.
The base of Tokyo Skytree is triangular in shape when seen from above.
This was designed to let people enter from the three sides of the surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, the two observation decks at the heights of 350 meters and 450 meters are round and offer a 360-degree panoramic view.
This means the cross-section of the tower's base is a triangle but becomes round toward the top.
Looking more carefully, Tokyo Skytree's outline is not made of straight lines.
The lines are actually slightly curved.
Depending where the tower is viewed from, some parts of the tower warp inwards, while other parts bulge outwards.
This comes from traditional Japanese architecture.
The inward warp is called sori, while the outward curve is called mukuri.
Tokyo Skytree's towering outline is a combination of sori and mukuri.
A particularly important feature of Tokyo Skytree is its earthquake resistance.
The tower's construction began in 2008.
Three years later, in 2011, a massive earthquake struck eastern Japan.
After overcoming a number of challenges posed by the disaster, the tower was completed in 2012.
Tokyo Skytree has an outer frame and an inner column.
The two are structurally detached.
During an earthquake, the column acts as a weight and moves in the opposite direction as the outer frame.
This reduces the impact of tremors.
This anti-seismic structure was inspired by a traditional Japanese structure, the five-story pagoda.
Five-story pagodas of Buddhist temples have a column at the center, similar to Tokyo Skytree.
Due to their excellent quake resistance, there are no records of any wooden pagodas collapsing in an earthquake in Japan's history.
Japan's oldest five-story pagoda is in Horyuji Temple in Nara, built more than 1,400 years ago.
The wisdom of ancient people lives on in today's advanced technologies.
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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