Hello, glad to have you with us on NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.
RUSSIA HARDENS STANCE AFTER ALLEGED ATTACK ON PUTIN RESIDENCE
Russia has hardened its stance towards peace talk following President Vladimir Putin's claim that Ukrainian drones attacked one of his residences.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied the allegation and stressed collaboration with the West.
On Monday, Putin told US President Donald Trump over the phone that Ukraine had carried out a drone attack targeting their presidential residence in the northwestern region of Novgorod.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday it was a terrorist act aimed at disrupting peace talks.
He suggested Russia will toughen its negotiating position.
He also said its military knows when and how to respond.
Zelenskyy again denied the allegations when he spoke to NHK and other media outlets.
He said officials from a group of countries supporting Ukraine will meet on Saturday.
He added the leaders of these countries will then meet in France on Tuesday.
Zelenskyy also said Kyiv is discussing the possible deployment of US troops in Ukraine within the framework of security guarantees with Trump and representatives of these countries.
HUGE THEFT OF CASH, VALUABLES FROM GERMAN BANK
Thieves in western Germany broke into a bank during the year-end holiday period, stealing a large amount of money and valuables from safe deposit boxes.
Local media say the value of goods could be as high as 30 million euros, or around 35 million in dollars.
Police in the city of Gelsenkirhem say they discovered on Monday someone had broken into a bank vault by using a large drill to make a hole.
The police said the perpetrators took advantage of the year-end holiday quiet.
A German news agency reported that cash and valuables were stolen from over 3,000 safety deposit boxes in what may be one of the country's biggest heists in decade.
It said more than 25 clients were affected.
People gathered anxiously in front of the bank on Tuesday asking for information.
Police say they have confirmed footage showing a stolen car with masked men inside leaving a garage close to the bank on Monday. The details are being investigated.
CHINA CRITICIZES REMOVAL OF PANAMA CANAL MONUMENT
Beijing has criticized the decision by authorities in Panama to remove a monument to Chinese workers who helped build the Panama Canal.
This comes amid rising tensions over the key waterway with the United States.
The monument was built near the canal about 20 years ago.
The AFP news agency and others say it was torn down on Saturday.
The Panamanian authorities say the monument had structural damage and posed a risk.
But President Jose Raul Mulino has criticized the move, saying there was no justification for it and calling it unforgivable.
A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said the demolition goes against the friendship between the two countries.
The ports along the canal are operated by a company based in Hong Kong.
In March, it agreed to sell the business to a consortium that includes a US asset management firm.
But China opposes the sale and it's unclear how further negotiations will play out.
TRAIN COLLISION NEAR MACHU PICCHU KILLS 1, INJURES 36
In Peru, media reports say two trains running to and from Machu Picchu have collided, killing a driver and injuring 36.
Local media say the collision happened on Tuesday afternoon near a station about 30 kilometers away from the nearest station to Machu Picchu.
Footage shows injured people who appeared to be passengers being rescued and carried on stretchers.
Authorities say the trains may have collided head-on as they were heading in opposite directions on a single track.
The accident may disrupt holiday travel to the UNESCO World Heritage Site as trains are the main way to get there.
BEAR SHOT DEAD AT HOT-SPRING RESORT IN NORTHEASTERN JAPAN
Authorities in the northeastern Japanese city of Sendai have shot dead a bear cub on the premises of a hot spring inn.
Police say a worker at the inn reported on Tuesday that a bear was foraging in the inn's basement garbage storage area, which is open to the outside.
Firecrackers were thrown at the bear, but this failed to scare it away.
The intruder stayed for hours and was finally killed about five hours later after the municipality authorized the emergency use of rifles.
No people were reported injured in the incident.
00:05:18 (Osuga Jun/Sendai City official)
Almost all bears are hibernating by now, but those that are not hibernating react to the smell of garbage and end up in coming out to waste disposal sites since there is not enough food for them. People should try to contain the smell of their garbage.
00:05:35 (Yamamoto Miki)
The site is in an area that houses several hot spring inns.
Officials of an association of local inns are calling on visitors to be careful and in particular not to go out early in the morning or at night to avoid bear encounters.
TRADITIONAL SWEET SHOP CHURNS OUT NEW YEAR'S RICE CAKES
As 2025 draws to a close, staff at a sweet shop in central Japanese prefecture of Yamanashi have been hard at work preparing a traditional New Year's treat.
The shop in Kofu city started churning out mochi rice cakes on Saturday.
The rice was steamed and pounded before being flattened and sliced.
Workers can go through 700 kilograms of glutinous rice in a day.
The shop says surging rice prices mean the cost of the ingredient has increased around one-and-a-half times from last year.
And that has forced it to raise prices by about 20 percent.
00:06:41 (Ishizaka Kentaro/Shop owner)
As we welcome the new year, we make mochi, hoping it will taste good and give people energy.
00:06:47 (Yamamoto Miki)
Customers came to the shop early in the morning to buy their rice cakes.
00:06:55 (customer)
I hope to gain strength by eating mochi, and spend the coming year with the belief that health is wealth.
00:07:04 (Yamamoto Miki)
Cases of choking on rice cakes tend to surge during the new year holidays.
So people are advised to cut the cakes into small pieces and chew them thoroughly.
PEOPLE ACROSS JAPAN SLURP SOBA NOODLES ON NEW YEAR'S EVE
People across Japan are slurping up soba buckwheat noodles on New Year's Eve.
Eating the noodles while wishing for happiness and longevity is a national tradition on the final day of the year.
One restaurant with a history of over 140 years in Morioka City in the northeastern prefecture of Ibate prepared around 6,000 servings.
Diners occupied all the tables immediately after the restaurant opened.
Most customers ordered soba in hot soup after coming in from the winter cold and the falling snow.
00:07:59 (customer)
I'm here to have soba. I want to wrap up the year with it.
It will help me finish the year happily.
00:08:11 (Yamamoto Miki)
And many bought noodles to take away and eat at home.
And those were the headlines for this hour.
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WEATHER
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫And that is all for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.
Thanks for staying with us.
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Easy Japanese
00:10:09 話者 6
Hi there, it's time for NHK World Japan's Easy Japanese.
I'm Mary Kokojiba.
00:10:15 話者 7
And I'm Michael Reese.
Let's have fun learning Japanese together.
Today we bring you lesson 40, expressing a reason.
Tam, a student from Vietnam, and Mia, a Chinese photographer, were relaxing in the living room of Harusan House.
Just then, the sensors of Haru-san, robot landlady, detected something out of the ordinary.
00:10:41 話者 6
Listen to the skit for lesson 40.
Now let's look at the meaning line by line.
00:11:17 話者 7
Haru-san's cheeks flashed light blue as an earthquake shook the ground.
Miya felt it.
00:11:25 話者 6
Oh, the ground is shaking.
00:11:27 話者 7
Tam screamed.
00:11:31 話者 6
Earthquake! Help.
00:11:33 話者 7
Haru-san tried to put her at ease.
00:11:38 話者 6
Please calm down.
It's all right.
00:11:43 話者 7
The shaking subsided, and Miya said to Tam, See.
00:11:50 話者 6
It's already over.
00:11:52 話者 7
Feeling relieved, Tam replied.
00:11:58 話者 6
Since it was my first earthquake, I was startled.
00:12:02 話者 7
I think anyone would be taken back by experiencing an earthquake for the first time.
00:12:07 話者 6
Even a small jolt can be unnerving for people who come from countries where earthquakes are rare.
00:12:19 話者 7
Today's key phrase is, Since it was my first earthquake, I was startled.
If you memorize this pattern, you'll be able to express a reason.
00:12:33 話者 6
Here's the meaning part by part.
Hajimetedatta means it was my first time.
Bikkurishimashita is the polite past tense of the verb bikkurisuru, meaning to be startled.
Today's point.
To give a reason, use the particle kara.
00:12:56 話者 7
In the skit, Tam explained she was startled by the quake since it was her first time.
00:13:02 話者 6
That's right.
It was my first time is
Hajimete datta.
So add kara to say Hajimete datta kara, meaning since it was my first time.
00:13:16 話者 7
OK, so what's the difference between Hajimete datta and Hajimete deshita?
00:13:21 話者 6
Well, it's the same meaning.
Hajimete deshita is in what's called the polite style, while Hajimete datta is known as the plain style.
When giving a reason by adding kara,
The plain style is more natural than the polite style.
00:13:37 話者 7
And the plain style is...?
00:13:39 話者 6
It's a style that doesn't use desu or masu.
The past tense of desu is deshita, and the plain style of that is datta.
00:13:50 話者 7
Now, listen and repeat.
00:13:54 話者 8
Hajime te datta kara.
00:14:13 話者 7
Okay, got it?
Now listen to this conversation.
A woman is answering a man's question about a Japanese movie she's seen.
00:14:41 話者 6
Here's the meaning.
00:14:44 話者 7
Was that movie interesting?
00:14:50 話者 6
Means that movie and omoshiro katta is the past tense of the e-adjective omoshiroi meaning interesting.
Adding desuka
makes the question more polite.
00:15:05 話者 7
Since the story was difficult, I didn't understand it well.
00:15:14 話者 6
Hanashi means story.
Muzukashi katta is the past tense of i-adjective muzukashi, difficult.
The i-adjective becomes the plain style if you don't use this.
Kara is added to indicate the reason.
Yoku means well.
Wakarimasen deshita is the past tense of wakarimasen or I don't understand.
The original verb or the dictionary form is wakaru meaning to understand.
00:15:47 話者 7
All right then, listen and repeat.
00:15:53 話者 8
Hanashi ga muzukashikatta kara.
00:15:58 話者 6
Hanashi ga muzukashi katta kara yoku wa karimasen deshita.
00:16:07 話者 8
Hanashi ga muzukashi katta kara yoku wa karimasen deshita.
00:16:21 話者 6
Let's practice with some other examples.
Imagine you didn't go to the beach today because it rained.
Say, Since it rained, I didn't go.
00:16:32 話者 7
Rain is...
Ame.
And it rained in the plain style is...
00:16:38 話者 8
Ame datta.
Ame datta.
00:16:43 話者 7
I didn't go is...
00:16:45 話者 8
Ikimasen deshita.
Ikimasen deshita.
00:16:50 話者 7
Go ahead.
00:16:57 話者 9
Ame datta kara.
Ikimasen deshita.
00:17:09 話者 7
Okay, are you catching on?
Today's bonus phrase is this line by Tam.
Learn it by heart.
00:17:23 話者 6
Tasuke te means help.
It's the te form of the verb tasukiru, to help.
Using the te form by itself expresses a light instruction or an order.
00:17:36 話者 7
Use the phrase if you ever need to ask for help, whether it's a run-in with a thief or some sickness or injury that you need to be helped with.
Now this will get people's attention.
Have it ready for emergencies.
Now it's your turn.
Listen and repeat.
00:18:03 話者 6
OK, let's listen to the skit one more time.
00:18:40 話者 7
Now it's Haru-san's bag full of advice, and today we'll talk about what to do in an earthquake.
00:18:49 話者 6
Earthquakes are pretty common in Japan.
00:18:52 話者 7
Yes, the country is prone to quakes and minor jolts occur all the time.
00:18:57 話者 6
So what should we do when one hits?
00:19:00 話者 7
Well, if you're in a quake-proof building, don't go outside.
Instead, find a safe spot inside.
If the swaying is too strong that it makes it hard for you to move, wait until the shaking stops and then carefully make your way out.
Be sure to protect your head whenever you're outdoors or indoors.
Hold a cushion, a book, or a bag over your head.
And protecting yourself under a table can also be effective.
Hold the upper parts of the table's legs.
Be on the alert for aftershocks as well.
And if you're near the coast, you may also need to be concerned about tsunami.
Evacuate to somewhere high as soon as possible.
00:19:39 話者 6
That's important for everyone to remember.
Thanks for tuning in to Easy Japanese.
00:19:54 話者 7
Come back again next time.
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Fushimi Inari Shrine
00:20:19 話者 10
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 Heian-kyo, which means the capital of peace and tranquility.
The city was modeled after the Chinese Tang Dynasty capital of Chang'an 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 Fushiminari Shrine is the thousand torii gates.
Torii are the gate-like structures at shrines.
Although the size may vary, a 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.
Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto has long rows of vermilion torii 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.
