Hello and welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yamaguchi Hiroaki in Tokyo.
Thieves Steal Luxury Watches Worth Over $1 Mil.
Two thieves took just 10 seconds to steal luxury watches worth about 200 million yen, or more than 1.2 million dollars, from a store in Tokyo on Tuesday.
The smash and grab happened shortly before noon in the Nakano Broadway shopping complex.
Police say two men entered a watch store, one smashed the display case with a hammer and grabbed four foreign-made watches.
Five employees were inside the store at the time, but the men did not confront them and nobody was injured.
At least one of the men appears to have gotten away on an electric scooter.
Typhoon Saudel Approaches Okinawa, Amami
Next, people on Japan's south are bracing for a typhoon.
Saudel is expected to approach Okinawa and Amami regions, with weather officials warning of violent winds through Wednesday.
Japan's meteorological agency says the typhoon is expected to head west toward Okinawa's main island and Kagoshima's Amami region on Tuesday evening.
A maximum wind velocity of 151 kilometers per hour has already been recorded at Kita-Daito Airport in Okinawa. Gusts could reach 216 kilometers per hour in Amami.
Weather officials are urging utmost caution against gusts and high waves.
They also warn of landslides, flooding in low-lying areas and the swelling of rivers.
Western, Eastern Japan Remain In Grip Of Extreme Heat
Meanwhile, western and eastern Japan are experiencing another day of dangerous heat.
The daytime high reached 38 degrees Celsius in Kumamoto City, which is still recovering from the powerful earthquake that struck in late July.
00:02:01 話者 12
It's very hot. The sun is especially strong today.
00:02:07 話者 1
A heatstroke alert has been issued in 41 of the country's 47 prefectures.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Fire Department says 26 people between the ages of 18 and 90 had been taken to hospital as of 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Officials say people should use their air conditioners, consume adequate amounts of water and salt and get enough rest to prevent heat stroke.
Taiwan Rain Leaves 135 Injured, 2 Missing
And people in Taiwan are dealing with torrential rain. The severe weather has left 135 people injured and two unaccounted for as of Monday afternoon.
A tropical depression and other conditions brought heavy rains to the east and south.
Pindang County recorded 933 millimeters of rain from Saturday through 1 pm on Monday.
TV station TVBS broadcast this video of flooded houses and construction machinery on a road that caved in.
Authorities warned that Typhoon Saudel could approach in the coming days, bringing even more heavy rain. Premier Cho Lontae has instructed officials to prepare.
South Korea, US To Work Closely On North Korea Nuclear Issue
South Korea's foreign ministry says it has agreed with the United States on close cooperation to deal with North Korea's nuclear development.
The ministry announced that Foreign Minister Cho Hyun spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday.
It said they agreed to continue working together and to closely communicate about North Korea and to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.
US President Donald Trump has said he's willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year.
Cho said South Korea will make every possible effort for Trump's message to lead to renewed dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang.
For many years, US foreign policy has been to denuclearize North Korea.
But Trump has referred to North Korea as a nuclear power in the past, so attention is on what position the US will take to facilitate talks.
Iran Conflict: US Launches New Sanctions Against Tehran
US officials have been threatening leaders in Tehran with new economic penalties.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced sweeping sanctions on companies and individuals that do business with Iran.
He describes the measures as an economic D-day.
Bessent says they're calling the sanctions Operation Economic Outcast.
00:04:53 話者 23/Scott Bessent
We are launching an economic onslaught against Iran's financial connections around the globe.
Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone.
00:05:13 話者 1
Besant warned that countries violating the sanctions could be shut out of the dollar-based economic system.
He says President Trump has called world leaders to discuss the campaign to isolate Tehran.
He says the Treasury will announce more sanctions, including ones on major financial institutions by the end of this week.
Iranian leaders responded to the announcement.
Iran's state media cited Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh as saying, If they take any action, they should expect our response.
He added that Iran is fully prepared for any scenario.
Business
Let's see what's happening in the world of business.
Yuko Fukushima joins us from our biz desk.
Trump To Raise Tariffs On Canadian Autos, Steel To 50%
00:06:00 話者 5/Yuko Fukushima
President Donald Trump says the US will increase import tariffs to 50 percent on Canadian cars, trucks, auto parts and steel from January 1.
Trump made the announcement on social media on Monday arguing that the US trade deficit with Canada is not sustainable. He added, build in the US and there are zero tariffs.
Washington currently only imposes a 25% additional tariff on parts made outside the US and used in Canadian-made vehicles.
That's if they meet requirements under the North American Trade Agreement known as the USMCA.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Trump's announcement is not a surprise.
He said Canada is the US auto industry's largest customer, indicating that the tariffs will hurt US businesses.
00:06:53 話者 35/Mark Carney
When the Americans go to the negotiation table first with the right attitude towards our industries and a true partnership, of course we'll come to the negotiating table.
00:07:02 話者 5
Trump's announcement came after the failure of bilateral trade talks that saw the US on Saturday impose immediate 50 percent additional tariffs on a wide range of Canadian imports, including dairy products.
Ottawa says it plans to slap import duties on US steel and other products from September 8.
Free Vehicle Program Launches For Chiba Flood Survivors
The Japan Car Sharing Association is offering temporary use of vehicles free of charge to people who lost their cars in recent floods in Chiba Prefecture.
The area adjoining Tokyo was hit by a massive storm earlier this month.
In less than a day, the storm dumped about three times the average August rainfall on Chiba City and left about 2,700 vehicles submerged across the prefecture.
The group on Tuesday started providing vehicles to applicants in Chiba's Oamishirasato City.
They get free use of passenger cars for up to seven days and small trucks for three days.
Rather, Chiba's Oamishirasato City.
They get free use of passenger cars for up to seven days and small trucks for three days.
One applicant says his two vehicles were flooded in the storm.
00:08:16 話者 44
I had to write off one of them.
I'm relieved that I now have a vehicle so I can go shopping again.
00:08:24 話者 5
The association says it has a total of 62 small trucks and passenger cars available.
It had received 129 applicants as of Tuesday morning.
00:08:36 話者 44/Yoshizawa Takehiko/Japan Car Sharing Association
Flood survivors cannot rebuild their daily lives without vehicles.
We want to provide more support to these people and so we are appealing for donations of cars.
00:08:49 話者 5
The program is expected to run through December 25.
Hokkaido Aquarium's Fish-Feeding Frenzy Goes Viral
An aquarium in Hokkaido, Japan's large northern island, has found some unlikely new stars and the fans are lining up to meet them.
The famous fish are sturgeons, and the hands-on or hands-in feeding event has gone viral on social media.
00:09:13 話者 2/Reporter: Goto Tadashi/Narrator: Caroline Miller
This type of sturgeon can grow up to two meters in length.
The hungry but harmless fish grabs the snack, as well as the whole arm of the aquarium staffer.
00:09:33 話者 52
It's awesome. The fish was bigger than I expected.
00:09:39 話者 53
It was very scary.
00:09:43 話者 2
The Shibetsu Salmon Museum first posted the feeding frenzy on social media in April, and it has been viewed more than 90 million times around the world.
Visitors queue up for the show every time.
00:09:56 話者 54
I saw the show. I came all the way from Tokyo just to see it. It was on Instagram.
00:10:04 話者 2
Aquarium head Ichimura Masaki says the response has been overwhelming this year.
00:10:12 話者 56/Ichimura Masaki
I'm happy that so many visitors are excited about the event.
00:10:18 話者 2
As its name suggests, salmon is the main feature of the aquarium.
It houses more than 30 salmonid species.
Visitors can follow their lives through the seasons.
In early November, they can watch them spawning.
But the aquarium has also been breeding sturgeons, an endangered local fish.
kokKaido University is helping with the research.
Ichimura noticed that baby sturgeons bite the fingers of staff when they are fed.
These sturgeons have no teeth, so it doesn't hurt.
He set up an interactive exhibit where visitors can let the babies nibble on their fingers.
It quickly became a hit. He then recruited the adult sturgeons for the show.
Sturgeons are usually bottom feeders. They don't go for anything above eye level.
After five years of training, 5 fish became eligible for the show.
They can now take food directly from the staff.
The feeding event had only been held during the May holiday period.
But this year, Ichimura decided to hold it every week until the end of July.
He says the show became more popular after someone posted about it online.
00:11:45 話者 56
An influencer posted a video on social media and it went viral.
But some people thought it was AI. So we said on our official account that it's actually real.
The video went totally viral after that.
00:12:01 話者 2
Ichimura hopes the show will be an opportunity for people to become interested in sturgeons.
00:12:09 話者 56
Most people probably don't know that sturgeons are endangered.
It's one of the missions of aquariums to give visitors a chance to learn more about the natural environment and ecology.
00:12:21 話者 2
The aquarium's unique hands-in approach certainly brings visitors very much closer to nature.
Markets
00:12:30 話者 5
Now let's get you a check on the markets.
♪
And that's the biz for this hour.
Zelenskyy Vows To Secure Peace On Independence Day
00:13:17 話者 1
Monday marked 35 years of Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union.
In a ceremony, the country's president told European leaders there is no single doubt his country will always be independent.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainians will not be cobblestones under the feet of tsars.
And he says he's determined to achieve peace together with his country's allies four-and-a-half years into the Russian invasion.
People gathered in the capital Kyiv wearing traditional clothing called the vishvanka.
They commemorated the soldiers who lost their lives in the fight against Russia.
00:14:01 話者 65
I hope that Ukraine will win and become peaceful and that the country will prosper.
00:14:09 話者 66
I celebrate Independence Day every year.
I think of the soldiers who died fighting to protect our freedom.
Coalition Pledges To Boost Ukraine's Air Defense Support
Meanwhile, a group of nations discussing support for Ukraine has vowed to increase military assistance, and their top priority is strengthening the country's air defenses.
The Coalition of the Willing held a summit meeting in Kyiv to coincide with Independence Day.
The gathering brought together leaders from about 30 nations.
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae attended online.
00:14:50 話者 75/Andy Burnham/British Prime Minister
We need to stop Russia launching missiles in the first place.
00:14:55 話者 1
The British prime minister also encouraged the use of sanctions to cut off Russian military supply chains and to support Ukraine's long-range campaign.
Britain earlier announced that it will disclose classified information on the Scalp cruise missile, which has a long range, to help Ukraine boost production for the weapon, which was jointly developed by Britain and France.
00:15:19 話者 77/Volodymyr Zelenskyy/Ukrainian President
We need to make sure that the winter package of air defense will be in Ukraine.
00:15:29 話者 1
Zelenskyy renewed his appeal for missiles for Patriot air defense systems, saying Ukraine needs at least 300.
The co-chair's statement issued after the meeting says participants expressed their determination to increase military support for Ukraine and enhance cooperation with its defense industry.
Russia's presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reacted sharply to Britain's move.
He said London regularly adds fuel to the fire.
2011 Disaster's Decontaminated Soil To Be Reused Outside Tokyo
The Japanese government has selected two sites outside Tokyo where it plans to reuse soil removed during decontamination work following the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The government decided on the plan in a meeting Tuesday.
The soil will be used at the central government's branch offices in Saitama City near Tokyo and Sendai City in the northeast.
00:16:31 話者 83/Kihara Minoru/Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary
Reusing the soil is key to making sure these materials are disposed of outside Fukushima Prefecture.
It is essential to foster broad public understanding of the necessity and safety of such measures.
00:16:46 話者 1
The soil removed during the decontamination work in Fukushima Prefecture has been kept in an intermediate storage facility within the prefecture.
By law, all soil must be disposed of outside the prefecture by March 2045.
This is the first use of the decontaminated soil outside Tokyo aside from one project inside Fukushima Prefecture itself.
The government's plan is to continue using the soil in public works projects.
It has already used the soil on the grounds of the prime minister's office as well as in other central government offices in Tokyo.
Japan To Hike Residency Application Fees For Foreign Nationals
Separately, Japan's government has announced it is raising application fees for foreign nationals seeking to change their residency status or apply for permanent residence.
The changes are in line with a revision to the Immigration Control Act that will go into effect on October 1. The move was approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The fee to apply for permanent residency is currently set at 10,000 yen.
This will be raised to 200,0000 yen and applications will only be available in person.
The current fee when renewing or changing residence status is set at a uniform 6,000 yen for in-person and 5,500 yen online.
But applications will now be divided into several categories.
For three-month stays, the fee will be 10,000 yen both in-person and online.
For one-year stays, it will be raised to 33,000 yen in-person and 27,000 online.
And for states five years or longer, the fee will be raised to 75,000 yen in person and 65,000 online.
The government says it will reduce fees for applicants such as refugees who face financial difficulties.
00:18:49 話者 94/Hiraguchi Hiroshi/Japanese Justice Minister
We will ensure these measures are implemented, strengthened and expanded in order to achieve an orderly society that promotes coexistence with foreigners.
That's why these measures are important.
00:19:05 話者 1
Hiraguchi added he intends to have the system implemented in a smooth and appropriate manner.
DOCUMENTARY ON TSUNAMI OPENS EYES
In the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, an elementary school in Miyagi Prefecture was struck by a tsunami, claiming the lives of 84 people, mainly students.
A documentary film about the bereaved families is gaining attention at independent screenings of the film.
NHK World's Fujioka Shihori met a woman greatly moved by the film.
00:19:38 話者 8/Fujioka Shihori
The movie, To Live Alone With You.
00:19:43 話者 7/Bereaved family
Some children were swept away by the receding tsunami waves, and their bodies were later found in the open sea.
00:20:02 話者 8
The film documents the days when the relieved families of Okawa elementary school children fought the legal battle to hold the local municipalities accountable for the children's death.
In 2019, the families won the fight.
For Fujiwara Teiko, the film resonated with her own experience as a school teacher.
00:20:31 話者 9/Fujiwara Teiko
I was really shocked.
Just imagining how those children died, It was terrifying and agonizing.
00:20:43 話者 8
She was reminded of an incident in her past.
In 1968, she was teaching mathematics at the Junior Technical School of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
During a training exercise to cross a pond, 13 students lost their lives.
00:21:06 話者 9
It was such a painful experience that I just sealed it away.
I didn't really want to think about it.
It was easier to live with a sense of ease that way, so I just pretended not to notice.
00:21:23 話者 8
Half a century after that accident, the film about the elementary school forced her to face the past she had kept hidden.
00:21:33 話者 9
I was just a teacher, but the fact that parents saw their children die before they did and had to carry on living despite that, it is something I can really empathize with.
00:22:02 話者 8
In 2024, Fujiwara organized an independent screening of the film.
About 500 people packed the hall.
And this year, she published a book describing her own experiences and why she thinks the film is important.
Fujiwara believes the book may help people to never forget that children lost their lives when they should have been safe in school.
00:22:33 話者 9
Forgetting allows us to live more easily. But parents who have lost a child cannot do that.
They carry that pain with them until the day they die.
I want to convey that I never want to have a child die at school.
00:22:52 話者 8
Fujiwara continues to think deeply about both the incident at Okawa and the accident in her past with a strong hope that children can be protected from danger.
Fujioka Shihori NHK world.
♫～
World Weather
00:23:38 話者 1
As we've been reporting, people in Okinawa and Amami are bracing for Typhoon Sadeo as it approaches the region.
Our meteorologist Jonathan Oh has a look at the situation in our world weather report.
00:23:50 話者 3
Hello, I hope that for those of you in the Okinawa and the Amami regions of Japan that you have already met preparations.
We've been telling you about this approaching storm for the past couple of days.
and hopefully you've secured all your belongings from the outdoors because the storm is now going to only be worse for you going through the evening and overnight hours into the day on Wednesday.
The storm is already bringing its impacts into Okinawa and onto Amami as well.
Rainfall amounts over a 24 hour period going into noontime on Wednesday in Amami will be up to 250 millimeters and Okinawa up to 150 millimeters.
Gusts can hit up to 216 kilometers per hour with the waves up to 11 meters.
So you should not be anywhere near the waters and seeking higher ground.
But one thing we also look out for is with the intense rainfall, the concerns for landslides, for inundation and flooding are also part of the story here.
So make sure that you stay weather aware as you go throughout the next 24 to 48 hours with this storm that's going to be crossing through the area.
Meanwhile, a very different story in the other portions of Japan.
It's hot. Highs in the 30s in many locations. upper 30s in some locations.
High pressure along with the influence of the southerly flow from Solidale pumping up the heat up toward the north is where we're seeing rain.
And with the front pushing on through, the instability is going to trigger the chance for some rain as we head toward Thursday and Friday.
So looking at the forecast here, we'll see another hot day coming up from Tokyo to Kyoto, mid to upper 30s on Wednesday.
Rain comes in starting on Thursday and then we'll see temperatures just backing off
Naha again, reminder, the storm coming through things should start to wrap up by Thursday and then calmer as we go toward Friday.
Quick note of North America, hot back toward the west, temperatures in the upper 30s, so be on the lookout for that with storms down toward the central and southeastern portions of the US for Tuesday.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
Japan To Hike Residency Application Fees For Foreign Nationals
00:26:45 話者 1
Before we go, fishermen in southwestern Japan have reported good catches of spiny lobsters after the season opened last Friday.
A boat offloaded its hull of the local specialty in Goto City's Fukuejima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture around dawn on Sunday.
A special tool, called a tekagi, was used to remove the lobsters from nets carefully to prevent damage to their antennae and legs.
The spiny lobster's spawning period is May 20 through August 20, and the city bans catching them at that time.
00:27:23 話者 11
I think it's good. This one weighs one kilogram. This season things are going well.
00:27:32 話者 1
Most of the cash was shipped to markets in western Japan.
And that wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline. Thank you very much for staying with us.
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NHK World
00:28:01 話者 99
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