at 20:00 (JST), September 13 AS

The Russian government has expressed readiness to open talks with Japan on President Vladimir Putin's proposal bilateral peace treaty.

エラー 2042

Official campaigning has begun in the race for governor of Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180913200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Russian government expressed readiness
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180913_02/

The Russian government has expressed readiness to open talks with Japan on President Vladimir Putin's proposal to sign a peace treaty by the end of the year without any preconditions.

Putin made the offer after a speech by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Wednesday.

Putin added that Russia and Japan will continue to address all controversial issues as friends based on the peace treaty.

One issue involving both countries is the so-called Northern Territories. Russia controls the 4 islands. Japan claims them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory.

It says the islands were illegally occupied after World War Two.

Russia's presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the proposal as an impromptu and completely new idea.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said Russia is ready and expressed hope that talks with Japan's diplomats could start soon.

Key words : Suga reiterate no peace
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180913_03/

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday reiterated the government's unwavering stance that no peace treaty with Russia can be signed until the issue of the Northern Territories is resolved.

He told reporters that Putin did not make remarks on unconditional signing of a peace treaty during Monday's summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Some government officials have expressed the need to cautiously view how Russia will proceed. They say Japan should never accept negotiations that could shelve the territorial issue.

Abe meanwhile seeks to explore Putin's true intention through diplomatic and other channels to advance negotiations on the signing of a bilateral peace treaty that also resolves the Northern Territories issue.

Abe and Putin have agreed to hold another round of summit talks on the sidelines of upcoming international meetings from this fall.

Key words : Insight intension of the drill china's participation
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Key words : Japanese officials tremor felt
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Key words : Kansai reopen almost complete
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180913_05/

The operator of Kansai International Airport in western Japan plans to reopen part of Terminal 1 on Friday. The terminal has been closed since the airport was flooded by a typhoon on September 4th.

The operator began checking the status of the electrical system in Terminal 1 late Wednesday. Officials say repairs of flooded electrical facilities in the basement are almost complete.

The operator earlier partially reopened the less damaged Terminal 2 to resume some domestic and international flights. But the number of flights to and from Kansai International Airport has shrunk to less than 20 percent of the usual level.

The operator seeks to get its international operations back to normal by reopening Terminal 1.

Key words : official campaigning has begun favor
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180913_26/

Official campaigning has begun in the race for governor of Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa. It comes just over a month after the death of previous Governor Takeshi Onaga.

The candidates are expected to discuss the controversial plan to relocate an American military base within the prefecture, as well as how to revitalize Okinawa's economy.

Four people have registered so far. They are former Ginowan mayor Atsushi Sakima, former Lower House lawmaker and the Secretary General of the Liberal Party, Denny Tamaki, culinary instructor Hatsumi Toguchi, former businessperson Shun Kaneshima.

The winner will replace Onaga who died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Onaga was elected on a promise he would stop the central government's plan to relocate the American Futenma air station. The base sits in a densely populated area in Ginowan City.

Officials in Washington and Tokyo want to move it to a coastal area of Henoko in Nago City to reduce potential danger posed by the military base.

But Onaga tried to block the construction of a replacement facility within the prefecture. He wanted the base moved out of Okinawa altogether.

The race is seen as an effective face-off between Atsushi Sakima and Denny Tamaki.

Sakima has not said whether he is in favor of the current relocation plan, but he says he will negotiate with Tokyo and Washington so the site of the Futenma base will be returned as soon as possible.

He is supported by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito, as well as Nippon Ishin and The Party of Hope.

Tamaki, on the other hand, says he will follow Onaga's wishes and not allow a new base to be built. He is backed by the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Democratic Party For the People, Japanese Communist Party, Liberal Party, Social Democratic Party and the Political Local Party of Okinawa.

The vote is set for September 30th.

Key words : weather officials precaution
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180913_33/

Weather officials in the Philippines are urging people to take utmost precautions as a very powerful typhoon heads toward the country.

Forecasters say Typhoon Mangkhut could hit Luzon Island in the northern Philippines on Saturday.

They warn that the typhoon could cause flooding, storm surges and damage buildings. They are urging people in the expected path of the typhoon to evacuate soon and to take other precautions.

Philippine media are quoting experts who say Mangkhut could be as strong as typhoon Haiyan, which left about 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013.

According to Japan's meteorological agency, as of Thursday afternoon, Mangkhut was located in the Pacific east of the Philippines, moving westward at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour.

Mangkhut has a central atmospheric pressure of 905 hectopascals and is packing winds of up to 198 kilometers per hour near its center.

Forecasters say after possibly making landfall on Luzon Island on Saturday, Mangkhut could cut across the island before closing in on Hong Kong on Sunday.

Key words : myanmar de facto defended
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Key words : food market
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180913_25/

Tokyo government officials and traders held a ceremony on Thursday to mark next month's opening of the new wholesale food market in the Toyosu waterfront area.

The Toyosu market is to begin trading on October 11th after a delay of nearly 2 years due to concerns about soil contamination and other problems.

The 400,000-square-meter-complex will replace the aging Tsukiji market.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told some 900 people at the ceremony that she hopes Toyosu will become Japan's core food market to meet the needs of the times.

She also expressed hope that the market will help to energize the area and send out information on Japan's food culture to the world.

After taking office in 2016, Koike postponed the relocation of the Tsukiji market to Toyosu, citing a series of problems that had come to light.

It was learned that the ground under the buildings was not covered with clean soil as planned, raising concerns about the possible presence of toxic substances.

The Tokyo government took additional safety steps, and Koike declared in July that the new site was now safe.

But officials still face the challenge of fully dispelling traders' concerns. On Tuesday, they said subsidence had caused a 10-meter-long crack near a building.

The aging Tsukiji market will end 83 years of business on October 6th. The market, known for its tuna auctions, is a popular tourist spot for foreign visitors.