at 18:00 (JST), December 31 / Tokyo Skytree

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Glad to have you with us on NHK Newsline. I'm Yuko Fukushima.

A District Court in Seoul has approved a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on insurrection allegations. Yoon supporters have been protesting near his residence to block investigators from entering.
More than 1,000 people have gathered and were shouting let's prevent President Yoon from being detained or lying on the road to protest. Some clashed with the police. Local media say the warrant defines the president as a boss of a group that committed insurrection.
The court issued the document after Yoon failed three times to comply with a summons issued by the joint investigation team. It's the first measure of its kind against an incumbent South Korean president. The joint investigation team, comprising police, defense ministry officials and a special anti-corruption body, says the warrant is valid until January 6. Yoon's legal team has said that the warrant is unlawful, and it is planning to file a suit to seek its cancellation.
Earlier, one of the impeached president's lawyers insisted that the authority issuing the warrant lacked the right to investigate Yoon. Yoon's authorities are prioritizing the impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court, which will decide whether he should be reinstated or permanently removed from office.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has repeated his support for Russia's war against Ukraine in his New Year greeting to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, Rodon Shimbun, reported on Tuesday that Kim sent a congratulatory letter to Putin the previous day. The newspaper said that Kim called Putin his dearest friend. It reported that he expressed his willingness to further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
Their bilateral partnership treaty, signed earlier this year, stipulates mutual military and other assistance if either country is attacked or in a state of war. Kim reportedly said that he hopes that 2025 will be recorded as the year in which the Russian army and people achieve a great victory in war.
Based on the reported content of the letter, there was no mention of North Korea's dispatch of troops to Russia or provision of weapons.

More than 300 prisoners of war have been freed in the latest such exchange between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media on Monday that his team managed to bring 189 former detainees back home. He said they included troops who had defended the Mariupol steelworks in eastern Ukraine.
That was the scene of a fierce battle in the first phase of Russia's invasion.
Also freed were soldiers who defended the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and two civilians. Zelenskyy said his administration is working to free everyone held in Russian captivity. He thanked the United Arab Emirates and others involved in mediating the swap.
Russia's defense ministry also announced on social media on Monday that Ukraine had handed over 150 Russian servicemen.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha has expressed his wish to end Russia's influence in Syria during a visit to the country. Sibiha led a delegation from Ukraine that met top Syrian officials in the capital Damascus on Monday. They included Abu Mohammed al-Ghulani, the head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, leading the interim government. The Ukrainian official said 500 tons of wheat flour are scheduled to arrive in Syria on Tuesday as relief supplies. They also said they're ready to cooperate with Syria in investigating war crimes. Sibiha said at a news conference that the removal of Russia's presence in Syria would contribute to the stabilityof the entire Middle East and Africa, as well as Syria itself. Syria's interim Foreign Minister Assad Hassan al-Shibani said that his country would have what he called strategic partnerships with Ukraine.
But the interim government has also signaled its willingness to maintain relations with Russia, saying the two countries share deep strategic interests.

The U.S. Treasury Department says hackers backed by the Chinese government likely breached some of its systems. Officials call it a major incident. The department says no confidential documents were compromised by the unauthorized access, and it's working to determine the impact with the FBI and other agencies.
U.S. media say Congress was informed of the cyberattack in a letter on Monday.
This comes after a Chinese hacking group reportedly targeted the mobile phone of President-elect Donald Trump while he was on the campaign trail. Trump's pick for national security adviser Mike Waltz is known as a hardliner against China.
Waltz has said it is necessary to impose higher costs on private and nation-state actors that continue to steal data and spy on the US.

Well, there won't be a New Year's countdown again at Shibuya Station in Tokyo. Shibuya Ward officials have called it off for the fifth straight year over public safety concerns. The ward stopped the countdown at the station after 2019. Officials say they want to prevent alcohol fueled rowdiness and crowd related injuries. Despite the cancellation, revelers are expected to gather anyway at the scramble crossing for the countdown. So officials plan to deploy security in the area. In another move to keep the crowd at bay, the iconic statue of Hachiko, the dog, will be covered up until 1:00 AM Wednesday. Shibuya's mayor has also called on the public to cooperate in creating a safe environment around the station.

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Those were the main stories for this hour. This is NHK Newsline.

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A makeshift morning market is buzzing with life in Wajima a year after the massive Noto Peninsula quake devastated the town on New Year's Day. In the aftermath, vendors from the Wajima morning market were forced to set up shop all around town. This temporary market opened for business in July. About 40 vendors are selling a range of merchandise in preparation for the New Year's celebrations. Among them are rice cakes or mochi, dried seafood, and plants used for seasonal decorations.

It's a completely different New Year and I have mixed emotions, but I hope we can all make it through the New Year safely.

It's been a tough year, but we're glad to see another day like this. We wanted to work together to rebuild.

A memorial service is planned for Wednesday for victims of the quake and the heavy rains that fell in September.

That's it for this hour on NHK Newsline. I'm Yuko Fukushima. Thanks for joining us.

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's 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, or 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.
 

at 18:00 (JST), December 30 / the Great Buddha of Kamakura

 

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Glad to have you with us on NHK Newsline. I'm Yuko Fukushima.

We start with the deadliest ever plane accident in South Korea. The country's government says it plans to team up with U.S. authorities to investigate the crash that took place on Sunday at a Southwestern airport.
Government officials say staff from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will join the probe. They'll help analyze the flight data and cockpit voice recorders retrieved from the jet. The Boeing 737 crashed at Muon International Airport on its way from Bangkok. The plane, operated by South Korean low-cost carrier Jeju Air, was carrying 181 people. Only two survived. Officials say the flight data recorder found at the site is partially damaged. Yonhap News Agency quoted a South Korean investigation board member as saying that decoding the recorder could take a month.
A memorial has been set up at a gymnasium near the airport. Many people are paying respects to the victims there, including Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister Chae Sammok, the National Assembly speaker, and other lawmakers.
A man whose daughter was on the plane spoke to reporters.

It was a horrible and shocking accident. I never imagined something like this could happen to my daughter. I just can't believe it.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has already been impeached for a short-lived attempt to impose martial law. But authorities are not stopping there. They want him detained on charges of insurrection. Officials from the police, defense ministry, and a special anti-corruption body filed the request to a court, which must now decide whether to issue a warrant. The Joint Team has issued a summons for Yoon three times, but he did not comply. The Constitutional Court began hearings on Friday to decide whether Yoon should be reinstated or permanently removed from office. The embedded leader declared martial law on December 3.
Lawmakers reversed the measure just hours later, and they've since voted to have him impeached. Yun's legal team is prioritizing the impeachment trial. His defense lawyer said on Monday that they've submitted a court document insisting authorities have no right to investigate him for insurrection.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died at the age of 100. He had won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring peaceful solutions to conflicts and provide humanitarian assistance. Carter was a peanut farmer in the southern state of Georgia before he turned to politics.
He was elected as president in 1976 and served until 1981.
Carter brokered the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and longtime archrival Egypt and contributed to peace in the Middle East. He also established diplomatic ties with China and normalized bilateral relations. But he lost the 1980 presidential race to Republican challenger Ronald Reagan. Carter continued to work for solutions to conflicts around the world and for human rights improvements in developing nations. In 1994, he met with North Korea's then-leader Kim Il-sun and Pyongyang amid rising tensions over the country's nuclear development. The two agreed that the North would freeze its nuclear ambitions and receive international inspectors.
Carter is the oldest person to have served as U.S. president. He spent his last day at his home in Georgia.
He reportedly died on Sunday surrounded by his family. President Joe Biden offered his condolences.

Today, America and the world, in my view, lost a remarkable leader. He was a statesman and humanitarian. And Jill and I lost a dear friend.

President-elect Donald Trump said Carter presided at a pivotal time for the United States and did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans who owe him a debt of gratitude.

A hardline critic of the West has been sworn in as president of Georgia, as citizens of the country continue to demonstrate for EU membership.
An inauguration ceremony was held in the former Soviet Republic on Sunday for new president Mihai Kavilashvili, a former pro soccer player.
Kavilashvili was elected in a parliamentary vote earlier this month with support from the ruling Georgian Dream Party, which gained a majority in the parliamentary election in October.
Pro-Western opposition parties and former President Salam Zurabishvili have not recognized Kavilashvili as a legitimate president. They say there were violations in the October election. Mass protests have continued in the capital, Tbilisi, since the government announced in November its decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union.
Zarish Vili spoke to her supporters before leaving the presidential palace.

Legitimacy comes from one source, and that source is you. And where there is no trust of the people, There will be no legitimacy.

The former president and the opposition is poised to seek a rerun of the parliamentary election. But with the new anti-EU president in office, the ruling party is expected to consolidate power.

A Shinkansen bullet train that had been stranded for 12 hours in Akita Prefecture due to a power failure has resumed operation.
The East Japan Railway Company says the Komachi No. 43 train that runs through northeastern Japan hit about 260 passengers on board. It stopped when heating and power sources went down at around 10:35 p.m. on Sunday.
Jr. East arranged to have taxis transport the passengers to local stations. There have been no reports of health problems.

The heater was working at first, but it gradually became cold. The toilets were unusable. It's the first time something like this has happened, so I'm surprised.

The subsequent Shinkansen, Komachi No. 45, had also stopped in Akita Prefecture, but the train was not affected by a power outage. Electricity and heating was working, and passengers remained inside.

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Those were the main stories for this hour. This is NHK Newsline.

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That's it for this hour on NHK Newsline. I'm Yuko Fukushima. Stay with us on NHK Live.

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 Great Buddha of Kamakura.
Kamakura is a popular tourist destination located near Tokyo. It's about a one-hour train ride from the capital. One of Kamakura's landmarks is the Great Buddha.
As its name suggests, the Great Buddha is a colossal copper statue of Amitaba Buddha. It was built as the principal deity of Jodo-sak Temple, Kotokuin. The Buddha is nicknamed Rozano Daibutsu, meaning the Great Buddha sitting out in the open.
It's a national treasure of Japan.
From central Kamakura, the train ride and walk to Kotoku-in Temple takes about 15 minutes. After passing through the temple's gate, the grand statue of Buddha comes into view.
The Buddha sits in a Zen meditation posture and is over 11 meters tall.
Kamakura was the seat of Japan's feudal government from the end of the 12th century to the early 14th century.
The construction of the Great Buddha began during this period in 1252, almost 800 years ago.
Today, the statue is covered with verdigris, a bright green substance that forms on oxidized copper.
A closer look reveals slight traces of gold leaf,indicating that the statue was originally gilded. The great Buddha was made by copper casting.
It's a manufacturing method of melting copper and pouring it into a mold.
But creating a statue that's over 11 meters high wasn't easy at the time, and it wasn't possible to melt over 120 tons of copper in one go. So the metal was cast in 40 sections.
This is why joints can be seen on the statue's surface. The Buddha is hollow. The statue has two windows on its back. After the statue was completed, the inner mold was removed through these openings. Today, the windows let in light and air.
The Buddha was enshrined when it was first built, but over time, the hall was damaged by earthquakes and typhoons. A tsunami at the end of the 15th century swept it away, leaving the Buddha exposed to the open air. The temple was also abandoned for a certain period, but was restored in the early 18th century. After a period in which Japan secluded itself from the rest of the world, the Yokohama port near Kamakura was opened for foreign trade in 1859. Following this, many foreigners are said to have visited the Great Buddha of Kamakura.
Built nearly eight centuries ago, the Great Buddha of Kamakura has a magnificencethat continues to captivate people.
Thank you for tuning in to the back story of Japanese landmarks. We hope you have a chance to visit these landmarks and see for yourself what makes them so special.

at 18:00 (JST), December 29

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Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.

South Korean fire authorities say 120 people have been confirmed dead in a plane crash at an airport in the country's southwest. Fire department officials said they presume almost everyone aboard except two who were rescued have perished.
Footage shows the aircraft skidding on his belly and veering off a runway before crashing into a structure and bursting into flames. A South Korean low-cost carrier Jeju airplane crashed at Won International Airport shortly after 9:00 AM on Sunday. Government officials say the plane was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members. The passengers include 173 South Koreans and two Thai nationals. The company's CEO held a news conference to apologize for the deadly plane crash.

It's difficult to speculate on the cause of the crash at this point. We need to wait for the findings of the government's investigation, regardless of the cause of the accident. I feel full responsibility as the CEO.

Kim said his company will make the utmost efforts to support the bereaved families and to cooperate with the government on finding the cause of the crash. Yonhap News Agency reported that the accident occurred during the plane's second attempt to land. Fire department officials say the aircraft's landing gear didn't work properly and the pilots tried to make a belly landing.
And we're now joined by NHK World's Kim Chan-joo, who's been covering the story at the Muan Airport. Chan-joo, can you tell us more about the crash?

Local media say it's the worst plane accident by a domestic airline in South Korea's history. As you can see behind me, a blue sheet is covering the area so that rescue work is not exposed to the media. Also further away, you can see the tail of the aircraft has been completely burnt.
Firefighters and police officers are constantly coming and going, sometimes carrying stretchers. All domestic and international flights here have been canceled since the crash.
Government officials say the airport's control tower warned of a bird strike to the airplane when it attempted to make a landing, but the accident occurred just a couple of minutes after the pilot declared a mayday. The area around this airport has many rice fields and wetlands, making it a haven for birds.
A collision with the bird during take-off or landing could cause critical damage to engines and landing gear. At the airport, there is a team that chases away wild animals or birds using blank or live ammunition when they appear near the runway. But migratory birds move in flocks in the winter, so the risk of collisions is higher. 

And how is the government responding to the incident?

The government has set up a headquarters to coordinate its response. The accident happened as the country is embroiled in political turmoil. The government is now led by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance Minister Choe Sang-mok. He is serving as the acting president as the Prime Minister was suspended from his duties on Friday. Choi arrived at the site several hours after the crash and ordered related ministries and agencies to make all out efforts for rescue operations and to support the victims families. Jeju Air started flights between Bangkok and Muan just a few weeks ago. Local media say residents in this area have found it easier to travel abroad as they don't need to use bigger airports. But now people across the whole country are in deep sorrow over this horrible accident.

Thank you very much. That was NHK World's Kim Jang-ju.

And South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has yet to respond to the latest summons related to his brief imposition of martial law earlier this month.
Now, local media report that a joint investigation team may seek a warrant to detain him if he continues to ignore their requests.
The team, which includes police investigators aims to question Yoon on suspicion of insurrection and other offenses. They had requested Yoon to appear at 10:00 AM Sunday, but the scheduled time has already passed.
The investigators reportedly plan to continue waiting for a while longer. Now this is the third time the joint team has summoned Yoon. He did not comply with the two earlier requests. Yoon's legal team pointed to issues such as multiple authorities conducting simultaneous investigations. His lawyers expressed concerns about Yoon appearing for questioning, saying it is not clear which organization has the right to investigate.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court opened a trial on Friday to decide whether to uphold the motion passed by Parliament to impeach Yoon. The Yoon's lawyers have indicated that they will give priority to their response to the impeachment trial.

Japan Coast Guard officials say Chinese government ships have been appearing near Japanese territorial waters more often than ever. They say vessels were spotted in the contiguous zone off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on a record 353 days this year.
The officials say 4 Chinese government ships were navigating in the contiguous zone. As of 12:00 AM on Sunday, the number of days when Chinese ships were spotted in the zone is the highest since 2008, when vessels were first confirmed to be navigating there. The officials say that confirmed 39 cases as of Saturday, where Chinese government vessels had entered Japan's territorial waters around the Senkakus. That's almost the same number as in the past few years. They say in 18 of these cases.
Vessels tried to approach Japanese fishing boats. This ties the record marked in 2021. Japan controls the Senkaku Islands. China and Taiwan claimed them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory in terms of history and international law. It says there's no issue of sovereignty to be resolved over them.
Senior Japan Coast Guard official Sakamoto Seishiro said the situation remains grave, but he vowed to ramp up monitoring and vigilance to safeguard Japan's territorial waters.

Israelis have staged the last rally of the year to call for the prompt release of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. More than 1,000 people, including relatives of the hostages, took part in the rally. in the commercial city of Tel Aviv on the last Saturday of 2024. Israelis hold such a rally every Saturday. The government says 100 hostages remain in the Gaza Strip after the surprise attack by Hamas in October 2023.
But ceasefire and hostage release negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain stalled. Rally participants urged the government to advance negotiations to secure the release of the hostages. They also made a call for the release of all remaining hostages simultaneously, not in phases.
A male participant said four relatives, including his brother, were killed, while another brother in his 50s was held captive.

We continue to do the best struggle that we can, and we are not give up for all the hostages.

Of the 100 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been confirmed dead, but Israel is demanding all of them be released.

And those are the top stories for this hour.

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And that is a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard. Thank you very much for joining us.
 

at 18:00 (JST), December 28

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Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.

The New York Times says Israel eased the rules of engagement for its military when fighting began with Hamas last year, allowing for the risk of killing up to 20 civilians in a strike.
The U.S. newspaper cited Israeli military sources on Thursday about the order issued in October 2023 following the surprise attack by Hamas. The report gave an example that the order enabled the targeting of Hamas fighters when they were at home, surrounded by relatives and neighbors. It said Israeli strikes were rarely approved in previous conflicts with Hamas if it was concluded that 10 or more civilians could be killed. The newspaper quoted a senior military officer as saying that the rules of engagement were changed because it was believed that Israel faced an existential threat. The report added that Israel began to tighten some of its rules of engagement from November 2023 amid a global outcry, but they are now far from far more permissive than before the fighting started. Health authorities in Gaza announced that the death toll from Israeli attacks has surpassed 45,000  including many women and children.

Azerbaijan Airlines says physical and technical external interference may have caused the crash of one of its planes in Kazakhstan that left 38 people dead.
67 people were on board the passenger jet. It went down near an airport in Aktau, a city in western Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. It had departed from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, for Grozny in the southern Russian Republic of Chechnya. And Azerbaijani media outlet cites government sources as blaming the crash on Russian air defense systems. Russian aviation authorities say in a statement that Ukrainian drones were conducting attacks in Grozny when the plane was trying to land, but the statement makes no mention of Russian air defense systems. Reuters news agency quotes people who were on the plane as saying they heard at least one loud bang as it approached Grozny. One person said it was obvious that the plane had been damaged in some way.
Now, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby commented on the crash on Friday,He said the U.S. government has seen some early indications that point to the possibility that the jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems. Kirby added that the U.S. has offered its assistance to the investigation, which is being jointly conducted by Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to delay the implementation of a law aimed at banning the social media platform TikTok in the country. The legislation was approved under the current administration of President Joe Biden. It states that TikTok will be outlawed unless it's China-based parent company ByteDance sells its U.S. operations. The law is slated to take effect on January 19th, one day before Trump takes office.
The TikTok side has asked the Supreme Court to pause the ban. It says the law violates the right to free expression and is unconstitutional. Trump's request, submitted on Friday, said he took no position on the underlying merits of the dispute, but he urged the court to delay the law's implementation so that his incoming administration can pursue a negotiated resolution to prevent a nationwide shutdown of TikTok, thereby preserving the right to free speech while addressing national security concerns.
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments from the government and TikTok 
on the matter on January 10.

And China has launched a new amphibious assault ship designed to improve the country's long range operational capabilities. The Sichuan was put into water at a ceremony in Shanghai on Friday. The Chinese military says the vessel has a full load displacement of over 40,000 tons and can carry helicopters and amphibious equipment. It is to be used to defend remote islands and landing operations.
The Sichuan also has an electromagnetic catapult and can carry fixed wing aircraft. The last amphibious assault ship that its Navy launched was the Hainan three years ago. China is quickly building up its naval capability in recent years. it has been stepping up military pressure on Taiwan. China also apparently intends to hold the Philippines in check amid their intensifying confrontations over sovereignty in the South China Sea.

And a court in China has sentenced a man to death for plowing a car into a crowd. The attack on November 11 killed 35 people.
Authorities detained the driver, who's in his 60s,At the scene of the incident in Chuhai, Guangdong province, the court said on Friday that he was dissatisfied with his divorce and wanted to vent his anger. The judge added that the attack has had a severe impact on society. A marathon event initially scheduled for December 8 in Chuhai was postponed and later canceled, and authorities in Jiangsu and Hunan provinces have also canceled events in large cities. During the New Year holiday season, a string of attacks on citizens that resulted in deaths and injuries prompted them to act.

And prosecutors in South Korea have indicted former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun for his role in President Yoon Suk-yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law earlier this month. Kim is charged with insurrection and abuse of power.
The prosecutor said on Friday that Kim ordered troops to block lawmakers from entering the National Assembly. They also accused him of ordering troops to detain officials, including the ruling People Power Party's leader at the time and the head of the largest opposition party.
The prosecutors say Kim ordered troops to take control of the National Election Commission. They say Yoon, Kim and other officials had discussed martial law multiple times since at least March this year. They added they add that Kim was involved in preparing for the declaration and wrote a draft to the text to be read by Yoon. The prosecutors say Yoon ordered a military commander to continue deploying troops around parliament even after lawmakers voted to overturn martial law.

Now, heavy snow is forecast for Japan through Sunday, mainly in mountainous areas along the Sea of Japan coast.
Authorities say traffic disruptions are possible during the year and peak travel period.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says a winter pressure pattern and cold air mass have brought snowy weather to many areas.
The agency says about 330 centimeters of snow had piled up in Sukayo in Aomori Prefecture and about 200 centimeters in Tsunan in Niigata Prefecture as of 11:00 AM on Saturday.
Weather officials are advising holiday travelers to keep updated on weather and traffic conditions. Drivers should fit winter tires and snow chains to their vehicles when they travel on icy roads.

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And those were the top stories for this hour.

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And that is a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard. Thank you very much for joining us.
 

at 18:00 (JST), December 27 / Mount Takao

 

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Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo, and we have breaking news from South Korea, where the National Assembly has approved the impeachment motion of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.
The motion was filed on Thursday after Han refused to appoint new justices. to the Constitutional Court.
Han has served as acting president since President Yoon Suk-yeol was suspended from his duties after his own impeachment.

Now to breaking news from Japan. Suzuki Osamu, who led Suzuki Motor for more than 40 years as president and chairman, has died. He was 94.
Suzuki joined the automaker in 1958 as the son-in-law of the company's second president, he was appointed president in 1978. The following year, he scored a major hit with a mini vehicle sold at less than half a million yen.

And Japan's government has approved the country's largest ever draft budget for fiscal 2025. It totals about 115.5 trillion yen, or $732 billion, and includes large outlays for Social Security.
Prime Minister Ishibashiguro's cabinet approved the bill on Friday. It's the third consecutive year that the draft budget has exceeded 110 trillion yen. It includes expenditures for social security and defense that are higher than the initial budget for this fiscal year. About $242 billion has been earmarked for social security costs. The country is expecting growing medical and pension expenses as society ages. About $55 billion goes to drastically strengthening Japan's defense capabilities. The draft budget estimates tax revenue of about $497 billion. The figure is the largest ever and has been boosted by strong corporate performance. However, the figure still comes up short. The government plans to issue about $181 billion worth of bonds to cover the revenue shortfall. Japan's fiscal condition is expected to remain tough. with a heavy reliance on government bonds. Officials plan to submit the draft budget to the regular session of the Diet, scheduled to open next month.

Now, sources say authorities in China have indicted suspects in two stabbing attacks that took place this summer. The victims included children attending Japanese schools. The first incident happened in June in the eastern city of Suzhou. A man with a knife attacked students of a Japanese school at a bus stop. A Chinese bus attendant was killed and a Japanese woman and her child were wounded. A man in his 50s was detained on the spot.
Sources say he had been indicted as a Friday. Now, in September, a man fatally stabbed a boy on his way to a Japanese school in the southern city of Shenzhen. A man in his 40s was detained on the spot. Sources say he had also been indicted as of Friday. It is not known what charges the two suspects face.
The Japanese government has been asking China to clarify the motives and other details of the incidents, but the authorities have so far not disclosed such information. Following the attacks, Japanese schools across China ramped up security with the help of local governments. But Japanese residents say they continue to worry about their safety.

A former head of Japanese precision equipment maker Olympus has been found guilty of obtaining illegal drugs at his trial in Tokyo. The District Court on Friday sentenced Stefan Kaufmann to a 10 month prison term, suspended for three years. The 56-year-old former president and CEO was charged with violating Japan's narcotics law. He had been accused of acquiring what is believed to be cocaine and the synthetic drug MDMA multiple times in June and November of last year.
Presiding Judge Komada Hidekazu noted Kaufman's argument that he used illegal drugs to shake off work fatigue and drowsiness and had been threatened by the dealers. But the judge said that ultimately there are no extenuating circumstances, as the defendant sought out the drugs on his own. The judge also noted that Kaufman has resigned his executive posts and has faced social sanctions.

Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has died at the age of 92. He served as the country's leader for 10 years. Singh was originally an economist. He led India's economic liberalization push as finance minister in the 1990s. He became Prime Minister when the Indian National Congress Party won the general election in 2004. He also worked to strengthen ties between India and Japan in economic security and other areas. India's economy grew significantly during Singh's two terms in office, but his second term was clouded by allegations of corruption against his ministers. In 2014, his party was defeated by the Bharatiya Janata Party, led by the current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Modi posted a message on social media. It praised Singh for making efforts to improve people's lives during his time as Prime Minister.

Multiple media outlets say an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday was downed by a Russian air defense system.
Reuters and other news organizations issued reports on Thursday. They quoted sources in Azerbaijan. The airliner departed from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku. It was headed for Grozny in the southern Russian Republic of Chechnya. The plane was carrying 67 people. It went down in western Kazakhstan. Authorities say 38 individuals were killed. A media outlet says shrapnel from a Russian surface-to-air missile hit the aircraft as it was flying over Grozny. The missile had reportedly exploded nearby.
The outlet notes the plane headed toward Kazakhstan as after it was forbidden from making an emergency landing at Russian airports. An Azerbaijani news organization released a report about the incident. It cited Russian sources as saying Russia's air defense forces were trying to shoot down Ukrainian drones while the plane was flying over Chechnya, the media outlet added. Russia left the airspace open to civilians. aircraft at that time.
Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov spoke about the crash on Thursday.
He said it would be wrong to build hypotheses before a panel of investigators presents its conclusions.
Russian authorities released some preliminary information on Wednesday.
They said the plane hit a flock of birds.

And those were the top stories for this hour.

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But before we go, Japan is getting ready for New Year's, including the country's Shinto shrines. Crowds of people are expected to go to the sites at the start of the year. One shrine in western Japan is training young women as Miko attendants to welcome the visitors.
O Asahiko Jinja is located in Naruto City in western Japan's Tokushima Prefecture. It offers a training program annually around this time of year, mainly for high school and university students.
More than 30 people joined a session on Thursday. They wore traditional Hakama clothing and rehearsed Shinto practices.
Now that includes the prayer custom of bowing twice, clapping the hands twice, then bowing again. The trainees were also taught the proper etiquette for handing out amulets and other items to visitors.

This is the first time for me to be a miko, and it's not easy, but I will try to help people have a pleasant visit.

The shrine is expected to get about 150,000 visitors during the first three days of the new year.

And that is a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Malegaard. Thank you very much for joining us.

♬

Japan has various kinds of landmarks that fascinate visitors. They range from cultural and historic locations to modern buildings created with cutting-edge technologies. The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks brings you the stories behind these amazing places. In this episode of The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks, we featureMount Takao.
Mount Takao has long been a popular hiking destination, as it's perfect for day trips. In recent years, many tourists from overseas have climbed its slopes as well. One reason for its popularity is its easy access from central Tokyo, less than an hour's train ride away.
But Mount Takao has much more to offer.
At the foot of Mount Takao, people are dressed in various styles. Some are wearing trekking shoes and backpacks ready to go hiking. Others are dressed in a more casual style better suited for cities. The reason? Mount Takao has seven hiking trails. One is a full ascent to the summit. Another course includes a cable car and a lift ride and winds around the halfway point up the mountain. Visitors can choose from several options depending on the season, the size of the group, who's climbing, and what they're in the mood for.
The cable car lift route is not only fast, it's also exciting. At one point, the cable car's ascent is at an angle of just over 31 degrees, the steepest in Japan. Riders ooh and ah as the cable car climbs the steepest part. Meanwhile, the two-seater chairlift leaves riders' legs dangling in the air, which means it can be a bit of a thrill for some. But with the feel of the breeze, it makes for a great ride, and many kids ride with their parents. Just be aware that the cable car and the chairlift may not be running when there's bad weather, and visitors should check ahead.
The hiking courses offer various sights each season. Come spring, there are canopies of cherry blossoms in full bloom, while violets cover the ground.
In the summer, visitors can splash around in rivers or explore what's upstream.
Gorgeous foliage of reds, yellows, and oranges welcome visitors in the fall. On New Year's Day, many people flock to Mount Takao to enjoy the first sunrise of the year.
Mount Takao has long been associated with a strict practice of mountain asceticism called shugendo. A traditional form of aesthetic training called suigyo involves standing under a waterfall to cleanse oneself. Mount Takao has two waterfalls, Jataki and Biwataki, where this is practiced.
During the winter months, visitors can watch people training in the ice-cold water. For those willing to give it a shot, Yakuo-in Temple offers a suigo tryout experience at its dojo.
For hikers, Mount Takao offers gorgeous views. From an observation deck midway up the mountain, they can see Tokyo and its vicinity, including the iconic Tokyo Tower and Yokohama Landmark Tower.
It's a spectacular view of the metropolis while being surrounded by the great outdoors. When weather conditions are good, the summit of Mount Takao offers a view of Mount Fuji. In fact, the top of Mount Takao has been selected as one of the 100 best places in the Kanto region to view Japan's most famous peak.
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.

at 18:00 (JST), December 26 / Kusatsu Hot Springs

 

20241226180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.

Now Japan Airlines says it has resolved a system failure that began on Thursday morning. The company says it was caused by a cyber attack, but no customer data was leaked.
The attack began shortly before 7:30 Thursday morning. The airline says the issue caused delays in more than 70 domestic flights. Now the company suspended ticket sales for Thursday's flights, but has now resumed them. Jal says it deeply apologizes to customers and others affected by the inconvenience. It also says there's no impact on flight safety. Officials say this could be a DDOS attack in which attackers  send massive amounts of data to websites to make them crash.

We turn now to Syria. The interim authorities there say 14 security personnel have been killed in an attack by supporters of the ousted government.
Officials say the attack came near the western city of Tartuz. They say 14 people were killed and 10 wounded.
Meanwhile, Muslim minorities that supported the ousted government of Bashar al-Assad are staging protests in places including Tartus and the city of Latakia.
The protests were triggered by an online video purportedly showing an attack on a shrine in the northern city of Aleppo.
The shrine belongs to a minority sect called the Alawites. They supported the Assad government. The interim authorities say the video was old. They say it dated from the time of Aleppo's liberation.
They believe it was used to stir up strife among the Syrian people.
The interim authorities are acting on international calls to rebuild Syria in ways that respect minorities, but the country is experiencing turmoil, and the authorities face challenges in achieving reconciliation among citizens.

And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned a major Christmas Day attack by Russia on the country's energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy denounced the strikes in a social media post on Wednesday. He said Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack and asked what could be more inhumane. The mayor of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine said Moscow hit thermal power plants, boiler houses and other facilities. He added that four people were injured and a large part of the city was left without heating.
Russia's Defense Ministry said it carried out a massive strike on critical power infrastructure facilities. Authorities in the southern Russian Republic of North Ossetia said on Wednesday the debris from a downed Ukrainian drone caused a fire at a shopping center in the city of Vladik Kavkaz. Russian media reported that one person died and two others were injured.

And meanwhile, the Japanese and Ukrainian leaders held talks by phone. Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru told President Zelensky that Japan will continue working with his country to realize a just and lasting peace as soon as possible.
During a conversation on Wednesday lasting over half an hour, Ishiba expressed his respect for Zelensky, saying he's fighting for his country.
Ishiba noted that Japan has consistently supported Ukraine and has imposed sanctions on Russia.
Zelensky expressed his appreciation for Japan's support. He explained the current war situation and the efforts Ukraine is planning for the future. The two leaders also exchanged views on the participation of North Korean troops fighting in the fighting and military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. They agreed to continue working closely together.

And Pope Francis has delivered a Christmas message where he called for an immediate halt for fighting around the world. He encouraged all people and nations to silence the sound of arms and overcome divisions.
The Pope gave his traditional address to people gathered in Vatican's Saint Peter's Square on Wednesday. The Pope spoke about the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. He said may there be a ceasefire, may the hostages be released and aid be given to the people worn out by hunger and by war.
Regarding Ukraine, the Pope said, may there be the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation and to gestures of dialogue and encounter in order to achieve a just and lasting peace. Now the phrase is a metaphor for the opening of the holy door of Saint Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve this year. The holy door is only opened during special periods.

Authorities in Brazil say they rescued more than 160 workers from slavery-like conditions at a factory construction site for the Chinese electric car maker BYD.
Footage released by investigators shows beds in the workers' dormitory with no mattresses, only sheets.
The plant was being built in Bahia State in northeastern Brazil. It was to have a production capacity of 150,000 cars per year. Local media say the workers are Chinese nationals hired by a contractor with BYD. The company says it will terminate the contract and promises to comply with Brazilian law on workers rights. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry told reporters that China attaches great importance to workers rights and interests. She said it asks companies to do business in accordance with laws and regulations.

The president of Japan's Nippon Steel is sounding an upbeat note on his company's bid to buy US Steel. The matter is now in the hands of President Joe Biden.
Imai Tadashi spoke to reporters after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States failed to reach a consensus on the takeover by Monday's deadline. The panel had examined the security risks of the acquisition, but Biden must now make the decision.

I believe if President Biden recognizes the fundamental value of the buyout, it will be approved. The acquisition will protect U.S. steelworkers' jobs and help strengthen the American steel and manufacturing industries. It will ultimately bolster U.S. national security.

Imai said he feels support for the buyout has risen significantly in steelmaking communities. Biden is due to announce his conclusion within 15 days ofreceiving the committee's report. He has expressed negative views on the takeover.

And Thursday marks 20 years since the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami. The disaster left more than 220,000 people dead or missing and caused extensive destruction. The focus in the region has now turned to preserving the memories of the disaster.
The tsunami was triggered by a massive earthquake that struck off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on December 26, 2004.
The wave inundated vast areas from Southeast Asia to East Africa. More than 160,000 people were killed in Indonesia's Aceh province, near the quake's epicenter. In the years since, houses, roads and other infrastructure have been rebuilt in the area with international assistance. The province's capital, Banda Aceh, has also seen a significant recovery. An increasing number of people have been born there or moved to the city in the years since. Its population in 2023 stood at about 260,000, which marks a return to pre-disaster levels.
The capital now faces the challenge of passing on the memories and lessons of the disaster to younger generations.

And those are the top stories for this hour.

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And that is a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard. Thank you very much for joining us.

♬

Japan has various kinds of landmarks that fascinate visitors. They range from cultural and historic locations to modern buildings created with cutting-edge technologies. The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks brings you the stories behind these amazing places.
In this episode of The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks, we feature Kusatsu Hot Springs.
The first thing a visitor notices upon entering the town of Kusatsu what appears to be a giant pond of hot water.
Some 4,000 liters of hot spring water gushes up every minute at this yubatake, or literally hot water field. It's 60 meters across and 20 meters wide.
The area is filled with the sound of flowing water, steam rising from the yubatake, and a sulfurous odor typical of hot spring resorts. It all adds up to create an atmosphere that helps visitors step away from their everyday mind state.

Kusatsu Hot Springs is in Guma Prefecture in the central part of Japan. You can get there by the Shinkansen bullet train or buses from Tokyo. Kusatsu has been a renowned hot spring resort for many centuries. Emperors and shoguns, as well as regular people, have long taken a dip in its maths. The natural hot springs are said to ease fatigue from long travels. And supposedly have curative effects for illnesses, bruises and sprains. Kusatsu is ranked as one of the top three hot springs in Japan.
Bathing is a well loved part of life in Japan, but bathing in Hot Springs is not the same as taking a bath at home. Under Japan's hot spring law in order to be officially considered a hot spring. The water, steam, and gas must well up from the ground and contain certain natural elements, and the temperature must be at least 25 degrees Celsius.
One of the main features of Kasatsu Hot Springs is the sheer amount of water that wells up from the ground in the area. In terms of volume, it's the top hot spring in Japan, with more than 32,000 liters gushing out a minute. That's enough to fill 230,000 oil drums a day. The Yubatake hot water pond at the center of the town is where visitors can get a sense of the vast amount of water flowing out from the ground. Seven wooden conduits line the oval-shaped Yubatake.
Hot water of around 50 degrees Celsius cools as it flows through the conduits before being distributed for bathing to some baths. The conduits also accumulate what are known as yunohana, or literally hot spring flowers.
They're crystalline compounds that form from the elements in the water as it's cooled by the air. The crystals are gathered and dried and made into a powder. The powder is a popular souvenir as it can be used as a natural bath salt.
But the most famous of the attractions at Kusetsu is a water stirring event called Yumomi.
With a temperature of around 50 degrees Celsius, the hot spring water must be cooled down to a temperature suitable for bathing. One way to do this is yumomi stirring the water using wooden paddles. Locals stir the water while singing traditional folk songs to keep rhythm. The most famous of these are the kusatsu folk songs. Visitors can enjoy yumomi performances and even try their own hand at stirring the water.

♪（Japanese）♪
Thank you for tuning in to the back story of Japanese landmarks. We hope you have a chance to visit these landmarks and see for yourself what makes them so special.

at 18:00 (JST), December 25 (Ai-CC by Clipchamp)

 

20241225180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.

Japan's Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi has met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in person for the first time.
Iwaya and Wang held talks for about three hours in Beijing on Wednesday. The Japanese foreign minister is the first to visit China since April last year. At the start of the talks, Iwaya expressed hope to build a bilateral relationship in which pending issues between the two countries are reduced and efforts begin to boost cooperation and coordination.

I would like to build a relationship that makes people in both countries feel happy that Japan, China ties have made progress.

Iwaya said it is important that both countries fulfill their responsibilities toward peace and prosperity of the regional and international communities.
He added that the idea is the core of strategic and mutually beneficial relations. Iwaya and Wang likely exchanged views on how to build constructive, stable bilateral ties, as well as the timing of a possible visit to Japan by Wang. Iwaya likely expressed Japan's position on issues between the two countries. They include China's possibly soon resuming imports of Japanese marine products and ensuring security for Japanese nationals in China.
The ministers also apparently discussed North Korea's ongoing military cooperation with Russia.

Now, police in Hong Kong on Tuesday added to a wanted list six people deemed to have violated the national security law aiming at cracking down on anti-government activities.
The six include Chung Kim-hua, the former executive of a thinktank, the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute. Chung was known as a pro-democracy advocate, a critical of the government. He moved to Britain in 2022 to seek freedom of speech.
The police accused Chung of advocating for Hong Kong independence and inciting secession through social media posts without specifying what remarks and actions were suspected to be illegal.
Now the national security law, which took effect four years ago, covers activities outside Hong Kong. Many pro democracy activists have moved overseas since the introduction of the law. Aside from the six people, more than 10 activists living abroad have already been put on the wanted list. Agnes Chow is among them. She's a prominent figure in Hong Kong's pro democracy movement and has also urged support for the movement in Japanese. She currently resides in Canada.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has so far failed to appear for questioning as requested for a for the second time. A joint investigation team, including police, is seeking to question Yoon on suspicion of insurrection and other offenses related to his declaration of martial law early this month.
Yoon was summoned to appear for questioning at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, but he hasn't appeared. The president also skipped a first summons, asking him to appear last week. A lawyer close to Yoon said he's prioritizing the Constitutional Court proceedings of his impeachment trial, which starts on Friday. South Korea's Yonhap news agency quotes a legal expert as saying the joint investigation team may issue a third summons to Yoon if he fails to comply with this second summons.
The expert says the team may consider a filing for a court warrant to detain Yoon if he fails to comply a third time.

Bangladesh's interim government has asked India to extradite its former prime minister. After 15 years in office, Sheikh Hassina fled to India in August as crackdowns on student protesters were set to result in more than 1,000 deaths. Her regime collapsed and she was ousted after student LED demonstrations spread nationwide this summer. A court in Bangladesh has issued an arrest warrant for Hassina on charges she committed crimes against humanity in her responses to the protests.
Bangladesh has an extradition treaty with India. New Delhi hasn't announced whether it will agree to the request.
Tensions between the neighboring countries have flared amid the turmoil.
India denounced a series of violent incidents against Hindu minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh earlier this year.

And Japan will remain the third largest financial contributor to the United Nations. It is set to shoulder over 6.9% of the total contributions by member countries from 2025 to 2027. Every three years, the UN reviews each member's contributions by assessing its economy and capacity to pay.
In the resolution adopted at the UN General Assembly, the top three contributors for the period will remain the US, China, and Japan. Japan's share shrank by 1.1 percentage point from the last review to 6.93%.
The US's share is unchanged at 22%, but by contrast, China's share rose by nearly five points to just over 20%, almost on par withthe U.S. This is expected to boost the country's clout at the U.N.

Groups of Palestinians called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Christmas Eve in Bethlehem. The city in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank is said to be the birthplace of JesusChrist.
Children marched through the streets, carrying signs. Hundreds of people, including Palestinian Christians, gathered at a square for a mass presided by the top Roman Catholic cleric of the region. He said he had visited Gaza the day before and saw the destruction.

Christmas in Bethlehem is always nice, but this time is the second year. We have a set Christmas in Bethlehem.

But he added that he also saw life and called on people not to give up.
Attacks by the Israeli military continued on Christmas Eve in Gaza. Local health authorities say the death toll now exceeds 45,300 since October 7 of 2023. The health ministry says more than 800 Palestinians have died across the West Bank in that time.

Syria's state-run news agency says the group leading the country's interim government and other rebel organizations have agreed to join forces. The entities plan to disband and merge under the nation's defense ministry.
The Hayat Tahrir Al Sham group, or HTS, is led by Abu Mohammad Al Jolani. The state media outlet reported on Tuesday Jolani met with senior members of various organizations. The report did not mention whether the Kurdish forces are among the groups that will disband.
The Kurdish rebels are based in the northeastern part of the country.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says heavy clashes between Kurdish forces and Turkish backed groups occurred in the north on Tuesday. The interim government has been trying to reorganize the country's military since President Bashar al-Assad's regime was overthrown. But Syria's new leaders are facing a difficult task. They're striving to build a stable nation that includes various groups with different interests.

♪

And those were the top stories for this hour.

♫

And that is a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard. Thank you very much for joining us.

♬

Japan has various kinds of landmarks that fascinate visitors. They range from cultural and historic locations to modern buildings created with cutting edge technologies. The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks brings you the stories behind these amazing places.
In this episode of The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks, we feature Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Kyoto served as the capital of Japan for more than a thousand years until 1868, when the capital was moved to then Edo, now Tokyo. When the imperial capital was moved from Nara to Kyoto in the year 794,It went by the name Heiankyo, which means the capital of peace and tranquility. The city was modeled after the Chinese Tang Dynasty capital of Changwang, and built on a grid pattern system. In fact, the streets of Kyoto today continue to follow this well-arranged grid. The Fushimi Inari Shrine, famous for its seemingly endless rows of vermilion torii gates, is popular among tourists from both Japan and abroad. It's less than 10 minutes by train or bus from Kyoto Station, or about a 35-minute walk. The shrine has a history of more than 1,300 years. It serves as the headquarters for over 30,000 Inari shrines across Japan. As legend goes, more than 1,300 years ago, a deity was enshrined at Mount Inari. The mountain has since been considered sacred.
People express their belief by dedicating torii of various sizes. Another practice is engraving the deity's various names onto stones called otsuka and placing them on the mountain. The most famous part of Shiminari Shrine is the thousand torii gates.
Torii are the gate-like structures at shrines. Although the size may vary, the torii is generally made of two pillars and a beam.
It stands on the boundary of the shrine's precincts and indicates that the area inside is sacred.
Fushiminari Shrine in Kyoto has long rows of vermilion tori that seem to stretch on without end.
Inari shrines are dedicated to a deity popular among common people, representing good harvest, prosperous business, safety for the family, and the accomplishment of ambitions. The Edo period from the 17th century to the end of the 19th century was when much of the popular culture leading up to the present age took shape. It was during this period that people started offering torii to Inari shrines. hoping that their wishes would be fulfilled, or to give thanks when their wishes came true.
As the headquarters shrine, Shiminari Shrine, received the most of these offerings, this is why there are nearly 10,000 Torii gates in various sizes in the precincts. Particularly famous are the rows of Torii called Sembom Torii, or Thousand Torii, which lead to the main shrine building.
The endless torii make for a great photo background for tourists.
Fox statues are a common sight at Inari shrines. The foxes are believed to be messengers for the Inari deity.
Unlike actual foxes, these are imaginary creatures considered sacred and invisible. There are many scary stories about Inari shrines and foxes across Japan. Also, the sushi wrapped with deep-fried tofu is called inari sushi. This is because fried tofu is believed to be a favorite food of the sacred foxes. Inari shrines and foxes have long been a part of Japanese people's lives.
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.

at 18:00 (JST), December 24 (Ai-CC by Clipchamp)

 

20241224180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.
Japan's leaders are tightening regulations on tap water. They've decided to set legal limits for a group of potentially hazardous substances and implement mandatory tests.
The Environment Ministry says the new measures will cover organic fluorine compounds known as PFAS. Officials say a survey showed higher concentrations of two such chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, in dozens of locations nationwide. A panel of experts later approved a plan to establish new legal standards. The limit for PFOS and PFOA will remain the same as the current provisional threshold of 50 nanogramsper liter.
Local governments and utilities will be required to regularly test their tap water and ensure it meets safety standards. Now, the measures are expected to take effect from April 2026. Officials also tested a Self-Defense Forces facility in the western prefecture of Fukuoka. They say PFAS levels were more than 30 times higher than the provisional threshold.

Japanese police say a group of northern North Korean hackers likely used a message offering a job to steal assets from cryptocurrency exchange DMM Bitcoin in May. The Japanese company lost Bitcoin valued at about 308 million U.S. dollars at the time of the security breach. The firm said earlier this month it is closing its business and handing over its customers accounts and assets to another exchange. The police announced on Tuesday that the theft was carried out by the Lazarus hacking group, which is believed to be controlled by the North Korean authorities. The police said an employee of a company that manages cryptocurrency for DMM Bitcoin received a job offer by social media in March. The message is believed to have planted a computer virus when it was clicked on. That allowed the group to steal information about access authority, and to rewrite amounts of transactions and beneficiaries. The police say the account that sent the message and the server it was connected with were related to North Korea. Authorities in Japan and the United States have condemned the hackers and North Korea for being behind them. They're urging people to beware of suspicious text messages or emails.

Japan's Nippon Steel says the U.S. government panel has decided to let President Joe Biden decide whether it can buy U.S. steel. Biden has repeatedly expressed his opposition to the deal.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has been examining the security risks of an acquisition by the Japanese company. The two major steelmakers agreed on the deal in December 2023. The Japanese steelmaker has been notified by the committee that it was unable to reach a consensus by Monday's deadline.
Biden is expected to announce his decision within 15 days after receiving the committee's report. US media say some committee members suggested domestic output could fall if US Steel were purchased, but other members reportedly said Nippon Steel had proposed measures, including appointing US citizens.
To the majority of executive posts of US Steel. However, the committee was apparently divided over whether such moves would be sufficient. Nippon Steel says it strongly wants the president to weigh the merits of the deal. It says both firms strongly believe that if the benefits are evaluated fairly, the deal will be approved.

And Toyota Motor is planning a new factory in China to build electric vehicles with a focus on its upscale Lexus line.
Sources close to the matter say the automaker is working to acquire land in Shanghai. The new factory is expected to become operational as early as 2027. Toyota plans to update all Lexus models worldwide to electric vehicles by 2035. Japanese automakers have largely stuck with traditional combustion engine vehicles and are struggling amid the fierce EV price war in the Chinese market. Mitsubishi Motors decided in October last year to withdraw from China, and this year Nissan Motor and Honda Motor closed some factories in the country. Toyota saw sales in China fall 9.3% from January to October from the same period last year, down to about 1.41 million units. Experts say Toyota wants to make up lost ground in China's expanding EV market.

♪

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded in fighting in the western Russian region of Kursk.
Zelenskyy said in a social media post on Monday that the figure was reported by the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's military. The president also criticized the international community for doing almost nothing to counter the collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang. Ukraine is waging a cross-border offensive in the Kursk region. About 11,000 North Korean soldiers are set to be deployed alongside Russian troops in the area. The number of North Korean casualties cited by Zelenskyy far exceeds the figure given by South Korea's intelligence agency last week. It estimated that at least 100 North Korean soldiers have been killed in Kursk. It said around 1,000 more have been wounded.

Now, health authorities in the Gaza Strip said on Monday Israeli attacks had killed 58 people in the past 24 hours. They said the death toll in Gaza now exceeds 45,300 since October 7 of last year.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas still looks distant. Israeli media outlets reported progress has been made on a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, but sticking points remain. These include how many hostages Hamas will release. Meanwhile, Israel has come under repeated attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels who claimed solidarity with Hamas. The rebels launched A ballistic missile toward Israel's largest business city, Tel Aviv, on Saturday.
Local media say 16 people were wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted at retaliation.
He said on Sunday. Just as we acted forcefully against the terrorist arms of Iran's axis of evil, so we will act against the Houthis.

And freed anti-whaling activist Paul Watson is vowed to continue his campaign.
He also warned Japanese whalers against returning to the Antarctic Ocean.
The former head of the Sea Shepherd group is back in France, where his family lives. Following his attention in the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland since July, Danish authorities decided last week not to extradite Watson to Japan to face a charge of organizing forcible obstruction of the country's research whaling. Watson made his comments at an event in Paris on Saturday.

We will continue our campaigns. We'll close Iceland next year to stop whaling there. And if Japan intends to return to the southern ocean.

Watson also pledged to try to end whaling worldwide. He said humans need to learn to live in harmony with other species and share this world.

And those were the top stories for this hour.

♫

And that is a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard. Thank you very much for joining us.

♬

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 featurethe 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, or 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.

at 18:00 (JST), December 23 (Ai-CC by Clipchamp)

 

20241223180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.

Honda Motor and Nissan Motor have decided to hold talks on management integration. Mitsubishi Motors is also expected to join the negotiations.
Now, sources say the Japanese firms are aiming to finalize a deal in June. The president of the new holding company is likely to be appointed by Honda. Honda and Nissan each held board meetings about the merger. The Integrated Auto Group would be the world's third largest in terms of vehicle units sold. Nissan is the biggest shareholder in Mitsubishi Motors. The head of Mitsubishi is also expected to join the talks. Honda and Nissan hope a merger will allow them to streamline operations and share huge development costs in EVs and autonomous driving. Software development is another sector considered key to gaining a competitive edge. Innovation in those areas has been driven by new entrants such as Tesla in the United States and BYD in China. They've drastically changed the dynamics of the auto industry.

Now, former Olympus head Stefan Kaufmann has admitted in court to buying illegal drugs. He says he used them to cope with tiredness and long hours.
Authorities charged the 56 year old of violating Japan's narcotics law. They accused him of obtaining what are believed to be cocaine and the synthetic drug MDMA multiple times in June and November last year. Kaufman stepped down as CEO and president of the Precision Optics Maker in October.
Kaufman appeared at the Tokyo District Court on Monday for the opening day of his trial. He says he started using the drugs on the recommendation of a friend.
Adding that he wanted to conceal his fatigue from working 16 to 18 hours a day. Prosecutors are demanding 10 months in prison. Kaufman's defense team are calling for leniency.

Now, the South Korean military says North Korea may launch a ballistic missile around the time of an important year-end meeting of the ruling Workers' Party. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff say an assessment released on Monday confirmed signs of North Korea producing and moving solid fuel ballistic missiles. They add Pyongyang may launch an intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile before or after a meeting of the ruling party Central Committee. The Joint Chiefs say the North will take domestic and foreign political events into consideration ahead of the launch. This includes the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump in January.
They also say North Korea is unlikely to go through with the planned launch of military reconnaissance satellites this year due to slow preparations.
But they warn the North will carry out various provocations to build bargaining power against the US. These could include intercontinental ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests.
The Joint Chiefs also say the military has confirmed that about 1,100 North Korean soldiers sent to Russia have died or been wounded. They say Pyongyang is planning to rotate personnel or increase its deployment. They add the military has also confirmed that North Korea is trying to produce suicide drones to support Russia.

US President-elect Donald Trump has warned Panama that his administration could demand the return of the Panama Canal. Trump said the country has been charging US ships exorbitant rates to pass through the waterway. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, highly unfair.
This complete ripoff of our country will immediately stop. Trump made the remarks at a conservative conference in Arizona on Sunday. He said the US is the number one user of the waterway. The Panama Canal was built by the US in the early 20th century. It became a vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The US ceded control of it to Panama in 1999. Trump also said that the handover was meant solely for Panama to manage the canal, not China or any other country. Beijing in recent years has been seeking to bolster ties with Central and South American nations.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino responded on social media that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belong to Panama and will continue to be. He added that Panama's sovereignty and independence are not negotiable.

A Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says 2025 will be a decisive year for bringing peace to his country.
The president also stressed his resolve to continue negotiations on Ukraine joining NATO in an address to high-ranking government officials and diplomats in Kyiv on Sunday.
Zelenskyy told them that everyone understands that there will be changes in international affairs after the transition to the Trump administration in January. He also touched on the upcoming federal election in Germany and the presidential election in Poland, both scheduled for next year. Ukraine maintains that NATO membership is crucial for it to enter into peace negotiations with Russia.

Alliance for Ukraine is achievable. But only if we fight for this decision at every necessary level.

Zelensky also indicated his intention to increase friendly ties with more countries. He said it is crucial to advance Ukraine's interests in relations with China and India. He said the country needs to develop a genuine partnership with Japan and establish deeper, more meaningful ties with South Korea.

And Turkey's top lipmat has traveled to Syria to build ties with the country's interim government. Ankara has long supported some of the groups that ousted President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks with Abu Mohammad al-Jolani in Damascus on Sunday.
Jolani is the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that heads the interim government. Fidan said that Turkey will support Syria's reconstruction and the return of its refugees. He urged governments around the world to lift all economic sanctions imposed on Syria under the Assad government. Fidan also called for the protection of minority groups in Syria to create a nation where all religions coexist. However, he said the Syrian interim government should take a hard line against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria. Turkey has long opposed them.
Ankara appears to be trying to increase increase its influence in the country.
Turkey dispatched the head of its intelligence agency to Damascus 2 weeks ago.

And turning to Germany now, where people are. Still coming to terms with a deadly car attack on a Christmas market, Investigators believe the suspect spent weeks planning his attack. Five people were killed and more than 200 others injured when a car drove at speed into crowds at the Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg on Friday. Police detained a 50 year old Saudi Arabian man at the scene. Now local media cited investigators are saying. The suspect stayed at a hotel near the market multiple times in November and December.
The area around the Christmas market was closed to traffic with bollards, but the suspect used an emergency vehicle access lane to drive in.
German media also reported the Saudi Arabia Secret Service had alerted its German counterpart about the suspect's online threats three times since 2023. Interior Minister Nancy Feza said the suspect came to Germany in 2006 and worked as a doctor. She also said he held anti-Islamic views. Investigators indicated the suspect could have been disgruntled with the way Saudi Arabian refugees are treated in Germany.

And those were the top stories for this hour.

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And that's a wrap for this edition of NHV Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard. Thank you very much for joining us.

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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 Great Buddha of Kamakura.
Kamakura is a popular tourist destination located near Tokyo. It's about a one-hour train ride from the capital. One of Kamakura's landmarks is the Great Buddha.
As its name suggests, the Great Buddha is a colossal copper statue of Amitaba Buddha. It was built as the principal deity of Jodo-sek Temple, Kotoku-in. The Buddha is nicknamed Brozano Daibutsu, meaning the great Buddha sitting out in the open. It's a national treasure of Japan.
From central Kamakura, the train ride and walk to Kotoku-in Temple takes about 15 minutes. After passing through the temple's gate, the grand statue of Buddha comes into view.
The Buddha sits in a Zen meditation posture and is over 11 meters tall.
Kamakura was the seat of Japan's feudal government from the end of the 12th century to the early 14th century.
The construction of the Great Buddha began during this period in 1252, almost 800 years ago.
Today, the statue is covered with verdigris,A bright green substance that forms on oxidized copper.
A closer look reveals slight traces of gold leaf, indicating that the statue was originally gilded. The great Buddha was made by copper casting.
It's a manufacturing method of melting copper and pouring it into a mold.
But creating a statue that's over 11 meters high wasn't easy at the time, and it wasn't possible to melt over 120 tons of copper in one go. So, the metal was cast in 40 sections. This is why joints can be seen on the statue's surface. The Buddha is hollow. The statue has two windows on its back. After the statue was completed, the inner mold was removed through these openings. Today, the windows let in light and air. The Buddha was enshrined when it was first built, but over time, the hall was damaged by earthquakes and typhoons. A tsunami at the end of the 15th century swept it away, leaving the Buddha exposed to the open air. The temple was also abandoned for a certain period, but was restored in the early 18th century.
After a period in which Japan secluded itself from the rest of the world, the Yokohama port near Kamakura was opened for foreign trade in 1859.
Following this, many foreigners are said to have visited the Great Buddha of Kamakura. Built nearly eight centuries ago, the great Buddha of Kamakura has a magnificence that continues to captivate people.

Thank you for tuning in to the back story of Japanese landmarks. We hope you have a chance to visit these landmarks and see for yourself what makes them so special.

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at 18:00 (JST), December 22 (Ai-CC by Clipchamp)

20241222180000_english_1.mp3

 Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Gene Otani in Tokyo.

A nuclear power company in France says it has connected an advanced pressurized water reactor to the national grid. The country relies on nuclear power for about 65% of its energy mix. The firm says its Flamanville No. 3 reactor in the northwest of the country began operating in September and is now on the grid for the first time. The AFP news agency says this is 12 years behind schedule due to design flaws and defects during construction. The news agency also says the total construction costs came to an estimated $13.76 billion, or about four times the original budget. French President Emmanuel Macron is promoting construction of nuclear reactors in pursuit of decarbonization. He has ordered six advanced pressurized reactors and is considering adding eight more.

Iceland has both a female president and a female prime minister for the first time.
Kristram Frostadotur was appointed prime minister on Saturday. She is the head of the center-left Social Democratic Alliance. At the age of 36, she is the youngest prime minister in the country's history. In a general election last month, her party edged out the ruling coalition and agreed to form a new government with two other parties. The current heads of all three parties are women. Also, of the 11 new cabinet ministers, seven are women, as is the current president. Iceland has topped the World Economic Forum's Global Report on Gender Equality for 15 years in a row.
Foster daughter attended an assembly session in April with her child. She told NHK at that time that the assembly should be family friendly.

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Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles attacked the central Russian city of Kazan, about 800 kilometers east of Moscow, on Saturday.
Russian state-run media quoted the city mayor's office as saying several districts of Kazan were attacked by drones. They also reported a suspension of flights at the Kazan airport and a fire in a residential complex. No casualties were reported. Kazan hosted the BRICS summit of Russia, China and other emerging economies in October.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova released a statement on the attacks on Saturday. The statement says the strike on Kazan is a kind of revenge for the successful BRICS summit, as well as an attempt to intimidate the population of one of the dynamically developing regions of the country. The incident occurred as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been promoting the development and manufacture of long-range unmanned drones. Western media have reported the strike happened deep inside Russian territory, over 1,000 kilometers from the front line.
Ukrainian President Zelensky says he has chosen a new ambassador to Japan.
The successor has yet to be announced.
On Friday, Zelensky approved the appointments of more than 30 new ambassadors, including the envoys to China and Lithuania. The current ambassador to Japan, Sergey Korsunsky, took his post in 2020. Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he has been actively campaigning across Japan to garner support for his country. In March 2022, immediately after the invasion, Korsanski spoke of his deep gratitude for monetary donations and flowers delivered to the embassy in Tokyo by Japanese people.
Korsanski told NHK that he will stay in Japan at least until around February.
Speaking partially in Japanese, he thanked the Japanese public for their support.

Police in Brazil say at least 37 people are feared dead after a crash involving a bus and a truck in the southeastern part of the country. The crash occurred on a highway in the state of Minas Gis on Saturday morning. A passenger vehicle was also involved. The bus reportedly burst into flames. Photos taken by the local fire department. Show what appears to be the charred bus with seats and baggage scattered nearby. Police said the fire may have started after a large rock the truck was carrying fell onto the road, hitting the bus, which was traveling in the opposite direction. Local media reports said the bus was heading to. to the northeastern state of Bahia from Sao Paulo.

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Japanese high school students working for the abolition of nuclear weapons have collected signatures in Hiroshima, the city that suffered an atomic bombing in 1945 The 12 peace ambassadors were campaigning for the first time since the Hidankyo group of atomic bomb survivors received. The Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month, the students told people the power of individuals adds up and can change the world.

Memories of the bombings are easily forgotten. It's good to hand them down to the next generation.

It's meaningful to collect signatures in Hiroshima after Hidanki was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. I believe people's thinking has changed as we are getting more visitors now. I hope our activities will boost this momentum.

Three of the 23 peace ambassadors are working in Hiroshima, and their representative attended the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

The Japanese government is stepping up efforts to recruit caregivers from abroad as the country faces increasingly severe labor shortages. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry estimates that the number of caregivers in Japan stood at about 2.15 million people in fiscal 2022. It says 2.72 million workers will be needed by fiscal 2040. which means a shortfall of around 570,000 people is likely under the current conditions. The ministry had expected to secure more than 50,000 caregivers from abroad through the specified skilled worker program by last fiscal year, but the Immigration Services Agency said that over 39,000 people were permitted into Japan with that status as of August 2024. To address the shortages, the ministry has begun A subsidy program to help private firms recruit caregivers overseas. The ministry earmarked 270 million yen, or about $1.7 million for these efforts in the current year's supplementary budget. They include providing up to 500,000 yen, or about. $3,200 to each firm to assist in building relations with foreign schools and organizing recruitment campaigns such as job fairs.

Those were the main stories for this hour.

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And that's the news this hour. I'm Gene Otani. From all of us here at NHK Newsline to all around the world, thanks very much for joining us.