Next year's Olympic marathon and race walk events are being moved from Tokyo to the northern city of Sapporo.
Police and fire officials in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa have begun an on-site investigation at Shurijo Castle, a day after a devastating fire broke out there.
Japan's education ministry says it will postpone the introduction of private-sector English tests from next April as part of a new university entrance exam system.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20191101200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : next year olympic marathon stressed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191101_41/
Next year's Olympic marathon and race walk events are being moved from Tokyo to the northern city of Sapporo.
The move is aimed at avoiding the extreme summer heat, with the International Olympic Committee saying temperatures will be five to six degrees cooler in Sapporo.
Representatives of four bodies involved in organizing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics met on Friday to discuss the issue.
An IOC official stressed that his committee holds the ultimate authority to change the venue.
He also said Tokyo's metropolitan government won't be asked to bear the cost of the move and pledged there would be no other venue changes.
Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike says she opposes the decision, but reluctantly accepts it.
She said, " The explanation that the IOC gave us is not enough and there are some parts we can't agree on.
The marathon is one of the key events in the Summer Olympics and has traditionally been held in the host city.
Key words : IOC decline
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191101_43/
The International Olympic Committee has declined to say whether it will shoulder the cost related to moving the marathon and race walking events of next year's Olympics from Tokyo to the northern city of Sapporo.
The head of the IOC Coordination Commission, John Coates, and the Games' organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori met reporters on Friday after a decision was made to move the venue to avoid intense heat.
Asked whether the IOC will shoulder additional cost, Coates said it needs to grasp the expenses first. He also said all he can say now is that Tokyo will be spared.
The IOC, the organizing committee and officials of Sapporo City and Hokkaido Prefecture will discuss how to divide the cost.
Mori suggested that the organizing committee aims to win approval for the new courses of marathon and race walking events from the IOC executive board early next month.
He said the committee will make every effort to complete the preparations for the events with concerned parties. He also said there's not much time left, so efficiency is key.
Key words : police and fire investigation a day after
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191101_29/
Police and fire officials in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa have begun an on-site investigation at Shurijo Castle, a day after a devastating fire broke out there.
About 80 police personnel began working at the site before noon on Friday together with members of the fire department.
They plan to focus their investigation on the main hall where police believe the blaze started to determine what caused the fire and how it spread.
The fire that began early on Thursday quickly spread to different structures, fanned by wind. It took 11 hours to extinguish the fire. By then, all main structures on the castle grounds were destroyed.
Police say a sensor installed on the north side of the main hall sounded an alert. They say a security guard rushed over and found the entrance to the main hall was shut. The guard unlocked the shutter, entered the hall, and found it was already filled with smoke.
Shurijo Castle was built some 500 years ago but was destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa toward the end of World War Two. The main hall and other buildings were later reconstructed.
The ruins of the original castle have UNESCO World Heritage status. The restored buildings do not.
Key words : city of Naha
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191101_37/
The city of Naha in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa has put up a box for donations to rebuild Shuri Castle.
The donation box was set up at the city office on Thursday. A fire that began earlier in the day destroyed the main structures of the castle in Naha.
On Friday morning, many people were seen making donations in the box on the first floor of the city office.
A 52-year-old Naha resident says Shuri Castle was a natural part of the landscape and now that it has gone, he feels like there's a hole in his heart. He says he wants the people of Okinawa to be united in their efforts to rebuild the castle.
City officials say donations can be made even when the office is closed. They say the donation box will be placed in the security guard's room on Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays and after 5:15 p.m. on weekdays.
They say donation boxes will also be put up at the city's branch offices in Mawashi, Shuri, and Oroku. Donations will only be accepted during the branches' opening hours.
Key words : education ministry it will postpone
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191101_23/
Japan's education ministry says it will postpone the introduction of private-sector English tests from next April as part of a new university entrance exam system.
Education minister Koichi Hagiuda told reporters on Friday that the decision was made because the planned system does not provide fair treatment for all examinees in terms of their economic situation and where they live.
Hagiuda apologized to the examinees, their parents and the businesses that are involved.
He said the ministry will spend one year checking the problems with the system and will introduce the privately run tests in university exams from fiscal 2024.
The ministry announced its decision on the day when examinees were allowed to start applying for their identification numbers for the tests.
The exams would have been administered by six private firms, including Benesse Corporation and the Eiken Foundation of Japan.
Many universities had voiced concerns that the private tests varied in their levels of difficulty, making it hard to use the scores for screening applicants.
Only about 60 percent of universities and junior colleges had planned to use the scores in the first year of the new system.
High school students and teachers have also complained about the test fees and the cost of traveling to exam venues.
Key words : ambassador expressed hope
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191101_24/
Japan's Ambassador to the United Nations has expressed hope that a Security Council meeting will be convened to discuss the latest launch of two short-range projectiles by North Korea.
Koro Bessho said at a news conference in New York on Thursday that the Security Council should decide on a response against North Korea.
He added that Japan maintains close contact with the council members at all times. He implied that Japan will cooperate with the UNSC members on the issue.
Bessho commented on an annual meeting on human rights in North Korea which wasn't held last year due to lack of support from some council members.
He said this year's meeting is still under consideration. The United States is expected to act as chair.
Bessho's term as UN ambassador will end this month, after more than three years in the post.
Key words : manufacturer rushing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191101_15/
Japanese manufacturers are rushing to develop batteries that can store solar energy as a system that requires utilities to buy excess power produced by households comes to an end.
The system started a decade ago to promote the use of solar energy. Currently, over 2.5 million households have signed on.
Households can continue to sell electricity to utilities, but at a significantly lower price.
Manufacturers expect this to lead to a jump in demand for storage batteries as many households will want to keep surplus energy for later use or in case of natural disasters.
Key words : Here's a quick look at which have been making news this week here in Japan
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