at 18:00 (JST), August 07

20250807180000_english_1.mp3

 Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Morissa Daarika in Tokyo. 

TOKYO POLICE HEAD APOLOGIZES AFTER CHARGES DISMISSED

The head of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police has apologized after three men were wrongfully charged. They were later declared innocent after it came to light proper procedures were not followed.
We deeply apologize to the three people who were arrested, as well as those involved in the spray dryer company that was subject to this investigation. We greatly inconvenienced and burdened you.
The three men were all in high positions at the chemical machinery manufacturer Okawara Kakoki. They were arrested in 2020 for allegedly illegally exporting machinery that could be converted for military use.
Although they were indicted in a rare move, prosecutors later dropped the charges. All three were declared innocent. They then sued the central and Tokyo metropolitan governments. In May, the Tokyo High Court ordered the governments to pay about $1.1 million in damages.
The Metropolitan Police also set up a team to examine what went wrong.
The group looked back over the case and published a report on its findings.
It found the investigation was reportedly led by two officials from the Public Security Bureau. The report says they didn't listen to their colleagues' concerns... and failed to reconsider their approach. It also found their updates to senior officials were a mere formality and there was no substantive oversight on the operation. In response, the department announced disciplinary measures for 19 current and former officials. 

A NECKLACE AND 'A NOBODY': THE GROWING S.KOREAN SCANDAL

Now to Korea. A special counsel investigating the white hope ousted South Korean President Yoon Song-il has requested an arrest warrant. Kim Gon-hee faces multiple charges, including bribery and a violation of the Political Funds Act. Kim appeared for questioning at the special prosecutor's office in Seoul on Wednesday. She's embroiled in several corruption scandals that undermined her husband before he was removed from office earlier this year.
I am truly sorry that a nobody like me has caused concern to the people.
I will fully cooperate with the investigation.

MORE ON THE SCANDAL OBSESSING SOUTH KOREA

Earlier, I spoke with NHK Ward Kim Chan-joo, who was in front of the Seoul building housing the Special Counsel Office, for more.
Chan-joo, this issue has definitely captured the national interest. Tell us more. The special counsel summons of former First Lady Kim has set off an intense response.
Her photo is featured in most major newspapers and her remark to reporters I'm a nobody was played up. Public reaction was divided. Many citizens strongly believed Kim should definitely be investigated and supported her public summons. Some were frustrated by protests against the investigation, asking why people are defending somebody who has so obviously done wrong.
But a group of supporters held rallies with signs such as Protect First Lady Kim Kun-hee's rights as a woman. The scene turned chaotic at times.
Chan-joo, what did prosecutors question Kim about? Kim faces about 16 allegations total, but on Wednesday, the special prosecutors looked into five, according to the summons. It was reported prosecutors had 100 pages of questions.
First is alleged stock manipulation involving a car importer. Kim is suspected of having played the role of a funding source for officials there who allegedly manipulated stock prices between 2009 and 2012.
Kim is also accused of meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and the 2024 general elections. as well as receiving luxury handbags and jewelry from a former unification church executive.
Prosecutors are also investigating suspicions that Kim failed to report a necklace she wore when she visited Spain in 2022. This would be a potential violation asset disclosure rules, which require South Korean politicians and public servants to declare assets exceeding 5 million wonor approximately $6,000. Kim is said to have consistently denied the allegations.
She reportedly insisted that she was unaware of any stock manipulation. Kim also said the necklace was not an authentic piece, but a replica gifted by her mother around 15 years ago. She borrowed it for the overseas trip. Chan-joo, this special counsel has a legally limited amount of time for the investigation, correct? Time is the greatest enemy. The special counsel has a total of 110 days, including a 20-day preparation period. They may request two 30-day extensions.
Since investigations were officially launched on July 2, everything must wrap up by December at the latest.
This isn't a lot of time given the number of allegations. Now the investigation team has requested an arrest warrant. Analysts suggest the team may be worried about potential destruction of evidence.

BUSINESS

Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Ramin Mellegard from the business. 
Thank you very much indeed. 

TRUMP'S 15% TARIFF ON JAPANESE IMPORTS TAKES EFFECT

Now the US, the new US tariff rate on imports came into effect just after 1:00 PM on Thursday in Japan. That means imports from Japan face a 15% baseline tariff, but some issues in the agreement require further clarification.
Japan's government says items that had a lower tariff will now face the higher rate, while items with tariffs of 15% or more would remain the same. However, there's no mention of this detail in the executive order President Donald Trump signed on July 31st or in related documents released by the White House. In the case of the agreement with the European Union, the 15% rule is spelled out. Trump's order also didn't include a separate 15 percent import levy agreed by Tokyo and Washington on Japanese automobiles, so it remains unclear when the auto tariff will be lowered from the current 26.5 percent. Japan's trade negotiator Akazawa Ryose met US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Wednesday in Washington to see clarity on these issues.
And Trump also announced that semiconductors imported into the United States will face tariffs of about 100%.
We'll be putting a tariff on of approximately 100% on chips and semiconductors.
But if you're building in the United States of America, there's no charge, even though you're building. and you're not producing yet in terms of the big numbers of jobs and all of the things that you're building, if you're building, there will be no charge. The president also indicated that chip makers who do not follow through with plans to manufacture in the US would face retroactive levies. In April this year, the Trump administration said it is investigating whether a reliance on imported chips is a threat to national security.

TRUMP TARIFFS
TOYOTA CUTS FORECAST FOR FULL-YEAR PROFIT

Toyota Motor said US tariff increases would shave almost $10 billion off operating profit for the current fiscal year.
Japan's biggest automaker also said operating profit will probably be 3.2 trillion yen, or about $22 billion, in the year ending March, compared with the previous projection for 3.8 trillion yen, or $26 billion.
Toyota announced the worsening outlook after reporting profit fell in the April to June quarter. Operating profit dropped nearly 11% in the period from a year earlier. Sales jumped a record of more than 12 trillion yen, or $83 billion for the quarter.

HONDA'S NET PROFIT TUMBLES 50% AS TRUMP TARIFFS BITE

And Japan's second largest automaker, Honda Motor, says its first quarter net profit tumbled 50 percent as a result of the levies. Honda on Wednesday reported April to June net profit halved to about 196 billion yen, or $1.3 billion from a year earlier. Sales slipped 1.2 percent in yen terms to around $36 billion. The company says operating income fell by about $840 million due to the Trump tariffs. However, Honda raised its full-year profit forecast based on expectations a lower US tariff on Japanese auto imports will kick in from September.
For our company, a lowered tariff rate would obviously have a positive effect, and we welcome the clarification it brings.
But Fujimura noted that questions remain on when the lower order tariff will come into effect. He called on Japan's government to confirm those details with Washington as soon as possible.

TRUMP TARIFFS
APPLE TO INVEST MORE IN US OUTPUT

Apple has said it plans to spend $100 billion more in the US to boost production, as tariffs have raised costs for importing products and components made offshore. US President Donald Trump has sought to pressure companies, including Apple, to move factories to the US The iPhone maker's CEO, Tim Cook, unveiled the increase at a news conference on Wednesday with Trump.
It will spur even more production right here in America for critical components used in Apple products all around the world. We're going to keep working with our suppliers to move even more of this incredibly advanced work to America. Apple's investment plan includes bringing glass production for iPhones to an existing supplier in Kentucky. Production of chips for Apple at Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company's US plants would grow under the plan. The plan brings Apple's investment in the US to 600 billion dollars over the next four years, including that announced in February this year.

Okay, let's get a check on the markets.

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And that is it for business news.

TSMC SCANDAL ACCUSED USED TO WORK FOR JAPAN FIRM SUBSIDIARY

A Japanese company says one of the people accused of stealing trade secrets from a Taiwanese chip maker is a former employee. Three have been detained for allegedly stealing information from the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC.
It's the world's largest contract chip maker. Taiwanese media say they are suspected of leaking information about TSMC's advanced 2 nanometer chip technology. Mass production is not yet underway.
Tokyo Electron, a machinery company that makes equipment for producing the chips, says one of them used to work for his Taiwan. subsidiary. The firm said the person had been dismissed for breaching the company's legal compliance and ethical conduct. Tokyo Electron says there was an internal investigation.
It didn't find anything to suggest confidential information had been leaked.
The company says it is fully cooperating with the Taiwanese investigation.

PARTS OF ANNUAL US-S.KOREAN MILITARY DRILL PUSHED BACK

The South Korean and US militaries are shelving parts of a large-scale annual drill until next month. Officials cite extreme temperatures. But local reports say the move may really be in light of Seoul's attempts to ease tensions with Pyongyang.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise will run from August 18 to 28. South Korean military officials said on Thursday about half of the field training exercises will be moved to September after a comprehensive assessment, including the weather and defense environment.
High-ranking North Korean official Kim Yo-jong, who is also leader Kim Jong-un's sister, denounced the joint duels last month. South Korean President Lee Jae-yong wants to resume dialogue with Pyongyang. He suspended anti-North Korea loudspeaker broadcasts over the border shortly after taking office in June.

NOH PLAY OF 'OPPENHEIMER' MARKS 80TH YEAR OF HIROSHIMA BOMBING

In Tokyo, an English-language 'No Play' has had its Japanese debut to mark the 80th year of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. It is based on J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who directed the development of the US atomic bomb.
Theater no Gaku, a group of Noh artists from around the world, performed a play at Kita-no Theater on Wednesday. It depicts Oppenheimer's regret and anguish over the bomb's development during World War II. In an instant, destroy the city of Hiroshima.
incinerating its people and unleashing centuries of grave.
On stage, Oppenheimer's ghost conveys his agony as he talks about the tragedy caused by the atomic bomb in Hiroshima.
The ghost then pledges to take responsibility for the pain inflicted on humankind and to saving sufferers by performing a dance with a sword and a rope.
The play touched my heart so deeply.
I'm grateful that they've created a no piece in English that addresses a theme that not only we, but everyone around the world, needs to think about again.
The actor who portrays Oppenheimer, John Ogilvy, spoke about the play's importance. History doesn't repeat, it echoes.
And so we are just seeing more echoes of people forgetting what horrible things happened in the past.
Creating this piece or sharing this piece is painful for everyone. but we have to have the pain to remember.
The Noh Play will be performed again on Saturday, on the 18th year of the August 9th atomic bombing in Nagasaki.

NAGASAKI SURVIVOR RECALLS LOVE CUT SHORT

One survivor is sharing her experience of pain, heartbreak, and trying to conceal the past. She has written a memoir that recounts a romance torn apart years after the bombing.
During my university days, I began dating a man. As talk of marriage became more concrete, I began to feel uncertain. I am an atomic bomb survivor. Can I marry and have children? Mori Kimiko, who is 85, has submitted her memoir to the Memorial Hall for Atomic Bomb Victims in Nagasaki, where it can be viewed by members of the public. Mori had kept her experience as secret for 80 years, until now.

When the bomb fell, Mori was at home, about four and a half kilometers away from the hypocenter. She was unharmed, but she lost her younger sister.

After the war, Mori became involved in a romantic relationship, but when the couple's talk turned to marriage, she began to hesitate.

(Japanese)

Mori never intended to share her personal experiences with anyone, but about 60 years after the couple's breakup, her attitude changed, prompted by a vascular disease that put her life in danger.

I realized that I didn't know how much time I had left.
There was a huge lump in my heart, and I didn't want to die with it inside of me.

A leaflet arrived at Mori's home in Guma Prefecture, north of Tokyo. It asked people to donate artifacts of the atomic bombings or share their experiences.

It was now or never. If I was going to write, if I didn't start writing now, after seeing this, I'd never do it.

Mori visited Nagasaki in July, eager to see her memoir with her own eyes.

The Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Home for the Atomic Bomb Victims holds about 120,000 testimonies.

(Japanese)

Mori hopes for a world where a person's past experiences need not deprive them of choices in life.

(Japanese)

Here's a correction. In the story of Trump's 15 percent tariff on Japanese imports, we earlier said it remains unclear when the auto tariff will be lowered from the current 26.5 percent. But the correct figure is 27.5 percent.

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WEATHER

Now to world weather. Record-breaking heavy rains have been battering parts of Japan, bringing flooding. Our meteorologist Sayaka Mori joins us now for the latest. Sayaka

Hello there. After a record hit, Japan is now experiencing record heavy rainfall.

The Hokurika region has been experiencing the brunt of it. More than 300 millimeters of rain has fallen in just a half day. That's the all-time record for the area, and it's nearly double the entire month that we usually see during the entire month of August. And heavy rain is also hitting the north and the south. Take a look at this video from two locations of Japan. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are hitting Hokkaido. In the east, train services, including limited express trains, have been suspended on a dozen local lines. In Nagasaki Prefecture, nearly 70 millimeters of rain fell at Nagasaki Airport in just one hour on Thursday afternoon. The airport temporarily closed its runway, possibly due to lightning damage. So what's the reason for the record rain?One of the causes is the unusually warm sea surface temperatures.

So this is Japan and this is Sea of Japan. As you can see, the oceans are about 3 to 5 degrees higher than normal, so the excess heat is feeding ample moisture to the atmosphere. It looks like rain will ease a bit across the northern areas, but intense rain will linger across Kyushu. In fact, the frontal system will likely move up towards the north into the weekend. That could affect Nagasaki on August 9. It could be heavy rain possible on Saturday with a high of 31 degrees. For Tokyo, 36. It's going to be another hot day on Friday. Across Europe, a couple of highs are pushing temperatures up. That's also bringing another risk for wildfires across the western areas of the continent. And temperatures are going to be as follows. 40 degrees expected in Bordeaux on your Friday. That's 13 degrees higher than average for this time of year. Sunny weather will continue at least for the next several days, at least into next week. So the danger of wildfires will remain in place for a while. That's it for me. Have a nice day.

♫～　3-DAY FORECAST　～♫

TANABATA LANTERNS LIGHT UP AKITA'S STREETS

We have one more story to go. Residents of Akita Prefecture in northern Japan were treated to the sight of beautiful paper lanterns for the Tanabata Edoro Summer Festival.
About 170 lanterns were illuminated for the start of the three-day festival in Yuzawa City on Tuesday. They feature stylized drawings of women and other designs, and were displayed along the city's shopping streets. The street lights were turned off for maximum effect.
I like that there are different sized lanterns, and they all have different designs.
The festival is set to date back around 300 years to the Edo period.

So that's all for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Morissa Erica in Tokyo.

Thank you for joining us on NHK World Japan.