Welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Kanako Sachno.
Heavy Rain Pounding Parts of Japan
Heavy rain is pounding parts of Japan and is expected to spread to other areas through Monday.
Officials are advising people to check the latest information to decide whether to evacuate as the risk of disasters could grow.
A seasonal rain front is forecast to remain near the southern coasts of Japan's main island of Honshu.
Tropical Storm Krovanh is also likely to stay close to the Nansei Islands in the southwest.
Japan Meteorological Agency officials say the pressure pattern is a typical one that increases the chances of heavy rainfall.
A band of dense rain clouds could develop over the prefectures of Kagoshima, Miyazaki
Oita and Kochi through Friday night, heightening the risk of rain-related disasters.
70 millimetres of heavy rain fell in Miyazaki City over an hour from 2pm on Friday.
Authorities are urging people in rain-stricken areas to stay vigilant for landslides, floods in low-lying areas and swollen or overflowing rivers.
UN: El Nino-Linked Extreme Weather May Continue into 2027
The UN's weather agency is forecasting a near 100% likelihood that the current El Nino phenomenon will last until February.
It says that raises the risk of extreme weather events continuing well into 2027.
World Meteorological Organization Secretary General Celeste Saulo said this El Nino is expected to strengthen in the coming months, fueled by exceptionally warm ocean conditions across the tropical Pacific Ocean.
00:01:46 話者 11/Celeste Saulo/WMO Secretary-General
In this trajectory continues, it may be stronger than anything since our monitoring began.
00:01:55 話者 1
The organization says the climate cycle is predicted to peak toward the end of this year.
El Nino refers to above average sea surface temperatures around the equator in the eastern Pacific off the coast of Peru.
It's known to cause aberrant weather conditions globally.
The WMO warned that a stronger El Nino could lead to major changes in rainfall and temperature patterns, increasing the risk of floods, drought and extreme heat.
Search Continues at Nepal Hydro Plants
Rescue teams in Nepal are still racing to find survivors more than a week after massive flash floods along the border with China.
They're searching for workers trapped inside power plants and have rescued two people.
Nepal's disaster agency says 1,259 people have died since the disaster struck and more than 5,000 others, including five Japanese nationals, remain unaccounted for.
China's state media says 21 people were killed and more than 540 are missing on the Chinese side.
Rescuers are being hampered by widespread disruptions to roads, power and communications.
Reuters says at least 900 people are believed to be trapped in various hydropower plants.
A Nepali army rescue team used boats to enter a flooded tunnel linked to one facility, and other crews drilled into a boulder to place explosives.
They're trying to clear a path through the tunnel.
A Nepali official told NHK that two people have been rescued from a tunnel at a hydropower plant. This comes nine days after the disaster.
Japan is sending five police officers to Nepal to help identify victims.
The team is set to start work on Friday.
IFRC Calls for Adoption Of International Disaster Treaty
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is calling for the adoption of a comprehensive treaty to coordinate international assistance for disasters.
The IFRC launched its campaign for what it calls Earth's Missing Treaty at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday.
00:04:01 話者 21/Dylan Winder/IFRC Global Humanitarian Diplomacy Director
For major disasters like the one we're seeing in Nepal, a global treaty would set clear rules for international disaster assistance and help governments and humanitarian actors cut through the red tape and act faster, ensuring assistances reach people faster.
00:04:17 話者 1
International assistance for disasters is currently provided on a regional level or based on bilateral and sectoral treaties.
But such efforts are often hampered by red tape such as customs clearance that delays the delivery of relief supplies.
The need for a comprehensive global treaty has been discussed since the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, which claimed the lives of over 220,000 people.
IFRC officials said negotiations on a draft text began in April and UN member states have agreed to conclude their talks by the end of next year.
Japan's Crown Prince, Princess To Attend Funeral Of King Harald V
Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Akishino will travel to Norway to attend the funeral of King Harald V.
They're scheduled to depart for Oslo from Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday.
They'll join heads of state and dignitaries from around the world for the service on Wednesday before returning home on Thursday.
The Imperial Household Agency says the two sides have a long history of close ties.
In 2005, Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko made an official visit to Norway at Harald's Invitation.
The former king died on August 28 at the age of 89.
Tens of thousands of Norwegians travelled to the royal palace to pay their respects.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako sent a telegram conveying their condolences.
Upon receiving an invitation to the funeral, it was decided that Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Akishino would attend.
US Program to Train Workers In AI-Based Manufacturing
The US government will launch a program to train workers to support domestic manufacturing through the application of AI and other advanced technologies.
Vice President JD Vance said the plan addresses the need to reduce America's reliance on other countries for its manufacturing needs.
00:06:20 話者 31/JD Vance
That if America doesn't have enough self-sufficiency in industry and manufacturing, our enemies are able to exploit it and it makes our country much weaker.
00:06:30 話者 1
The aim is to train the next generation of entrepreneurs and engineers for American manufacturing.
Eight educational institutions, including Stanford University, are involved in the program.
Representatives from advanced manufacturing enterprises will also participate.
The US State Department is a partner in the programme.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke at the event.
00:06:55 話者 32/Marco Rubio
We are suddenly as a nation dangerously dependent, dangerously dependent on other nations for all sorts of things that we need.
00:07:05 話者 1
The programme is to focus on sectors including robotics, artificial intelligence and 3D printing.
Late Japanese Nose-Blowing Researcher Wins Ig Nobel
The new Ig Nobel Prize winners have been announced at a ceremony in Zurich.
The award recognizes research that first makes people laugh and then makes them think.
And a late Japanese researcher has been honored.
Unno Tokuji won the award for his 1977 study, How to Blow the Nose, an aerodynamic study of the nose blowing.
He was a professor at Asahikawa Medical University in northern Japan's Hokkaido region.
And he follows in the footsteps of many others from Japan, which has produced winners 20 years in a row.
The late professor studied various data like velocity, volume, and time.
He found that it's more effective to blow your nose on one side at a time.
That's because the blows are faster and stronger, so more productive.
And the pressure change in the ears doesn't usually lead to acute ear infections.
The look concluded that a big and long nose blow is good for preventing respiratory illnesses.
Other winners look at things like when does a snake bite and lovably vicious friends.
One group, which included a Japanese researcher, analysed a benefit of cockroach milk.
It's the first time the event has taken place in Europe after 35 years in the US.
The organiser said it's unsafe for the guests to visit the US this year.
Business
Now for more business stories, here's Ramin Mellegard.
00:08:50 話者 4/Ramin Mellegard
Thank you very much indeed.
Yen Hits One Month High vs. Dollar
Now, the Japanese currency further strengthened against the dollar in Tokyo on Friday.
Traders speculated that the Bank of Japan will raise policy rates at a faster pace.
Now, the yen appreciated to about a month high, moving in the lower 155 range at one stage.
Despite the end's newfound strength, market sources say Forex traders are cautious ahead of a US employment report due out Friday.
The jobs data is a key gauge for the direction of US monetary policy and interest rates.
Budget Requests For FY2027 Hit Record High ¥143 Tril.
Japan's finance ministry says total requests from government ministries and agencies for the fiscal 2027 general account budget have hit a record high of more than 143 trillion yen, or around $915 billion.
The government removed a cap on budget requests under its newly launched investment framework.
They also decided to integrate spending plans for a given fiscal year into one budget plan, rather than supplementary budgets later.
This apparently helped drive up the total to a record high for the fourth straight year.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry asked for $234 billion to cope with rising Social Security expenses.
finance ministry requested almost the same amount due to an uptick in long-term interest rates, which could push up debt servicing costs.
Budget requests for outlays under the new investment framework totaled about $77 billion.
However, since some requests to not specify concrete amounts, the overall total could rise further.
00:10:49 話者 43/Katayama Satsuki/Japanese Finance Minister
The government will continue efforts to reform expenditures and properly control the issuance of new government bonds to gain the market trust.
It will create a budget that realizes a strong economy and fiscal sustainability under responsible and proactive fiscal policy.
00:11:09 話者 4
But Katayama also said the amount of total requests had not risen significantly.
Japan Household Spending Fell for 8th Month in July
Japan's household spending in July fell for the eighth straight month government officials cited a continued trend of consumers being thrifty.
Figures from the Internal Affairs Ministry show that outlays by households of two or more people dropped 3.6 percent from a year earlier, adjusted for inflation.
The drop was the largest since January 2024.
The average spending stood at over 300,000 yen, or about $1,930.
Expenditures on food fell 1.3 percent.
Consumers apparently held back on buying high-priced meal kits and prepared foods.
Now, electricity bills dropped 12 percent as the use of air conditioners fell, with temperatures in July lower than a year earlier.
Now, in contrast, expenditures on culture and recreation rose 4.8 percent because consumers spent more on accommodation fees and on dining out.
Ministry officials said they would closely monitor if this trend of consumers varying their spending marketing continues.
Japan Average Minimum Wage Marks 2nd Largest Yearly Hike
Japan's average hourly minimum wage for fiscal 2026 has marked its second highest hike in history, reflecting rising commodity prices.
All 47 prefectures have raised their minimum wage levels.
The national average hourly minimum wage will be 1,177 yen, or about $7.50, starting next month.
That's up 56 yen, or 5 percent, and slightly above the benchmark the government panel suggested.
Surging commodity prices, correcting regional disparities and a sense of crisis regarding population outflow are believed to be among the factors pushing up minimum wages.
But, inflation driven by surging food prices and a weaker yen is outpacing pay raises.
Inflation-adjusted real wages have fallen for four straight years since 2022.
An expert says Japan's minimum wage levels are low by international standards.
00:13:38 話者 52/Yamada Hisashi/Professor, Hosei University
Wages have yet to rise compared to price increases. It is necessary to raise wages in order to secure human resources amid a labor shortage. This is a necessary cost.
00:13:51 話者 4
Yamada says the government should keep up its efforts to convince employers that pay hikes are a necessary cost.
Biz Picks
OK, next, NHK World's Gene Otani is here with Bispix.
00:14:08 話者 5
Let's take a look at the key business and economic stories for the week ahead.
Japan's labor ministry will release its pay data for July on Tuesday.
Real wages refers to the value of goods and services people can actually afford with their salaries.
The real wage growth rate had been mostly stuck in negative territory for several years through 2025. That's because inflation stayed ahead of pay increases.
However, it turned positive at the start of this year and has stayed that way for six consecutive months.
Expert: Wage Growth Vital to Japan's Economic Health
Economics professor Shuto Wakana of Rikyo University says the short-term outlook for real wages is favorable.
00:14:56 話者 63/Shuto Wakana
It's because nominal wages have been rising while the inflation rate has been slowing down.
In the July report, nominal cash wages are expected to surge as bonus payments are included.
And what we need to pay close attention to is that base pay grew 3.5 percent year on year in June.
This shows that the rising trend has been reflected not only in bonuses and other lump sum payments, but also through base salaries.
00:15:24 話者 5
But Shuto says she cannot feel optimistic about the bid to long-term outlook.
00:15:32 話者 63
Japan's producer price index saw a significant year-on-year increase of 7.2 percent in July.
The figure has been moving higher.
The import price index was also up 29.1 percent in yen terms.
This indicates that the prices of raw materials, energy and other items that companies have to pay for are rising considrably.
There is a high possibility firms will pass cost increases on, and this will eventually exert upward pressure on consumer prices.
00:16:03 話者 5
Shuto says Japan is at a critical juncture when it comes to seeing if the economy can exit from three decades of stagnant wages and prices.
00:16:17 話者 63
Japan has had an economy in which companies could operate without raising wages.
This is now changing, and firms cannot hire people without pay increases.
That's a big shift. But that's not enough.
Companies need improved productivity and appropriate pricing to absorb the cost of those higher wages.
It's necessary for firms to enter a cycle in which they can raise wages continuously for years to come.
I see this as a transition period, but it's not clear if such a cycle can be established.
00:16:51 話者 5
Shuto emphasizes that at this point, paying workers better wages is much more important to Japan's economy than protecting consumers from higher prices.
I'm Gene Otani, and that's this week's Biz Picks.
00:17:07 話者 4
Great stuff.
Markets
Okay, let's get a check on the markets.
♪
And that is it for business news.
NY Tour Uncovers Women's Hidden Histories
00:17:45 話者 1
New York is known for its famous landmarks, but behind many of them are stories of women whose names have largely been forgotten.
Now a walking tour is drawing attention to some of them, including Japanese American and Asian women who helped shape the city and the country.
NHK World's Inoue Yuki joins the tour to discover these hidden histories.
00:18:07 話者 2/Inoue Yuki
Walking through the streets of Manhattan, there's no shortage of statues and monuments like this one here.
But look a little closer and you'll notice something missing. Real women.
00:18:20 話者 6/Nikki Padilla Rivera/Co-Owner, She Was Here NYC
So this route we've actually rided past actual statues because less than 6% of statues in all the United States are of women.
Which means there are so many historical statues of men all over.
00:18:34 話者 2
That's where the She Was Here in NYC walking tour comes in.
Over 90 minutes, you walk through streets where women opened doors, changed laws, and held their communities together, and visit the places where pivotal protests took place.
Its mission to uncover those who played an important role in New York's history, but are rarely recognized on plaques or in stone.
And this summer, they're testing a new tour highlighting women of Japanese descent.
Here in Manhattan's theater district, we're learning about a Japanese American ballet dancer.
During World War II, her career was severely disrupted because of her heritage.
00:19:17 話者 6
Sona was born in 1919 in Nebraska.
to a Japanese father, an Irish French Canadian mother.
She becomes the youngest dancer and the first American and the first dancer of Japanese descent to join Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo out of Monaco.
00:19:32 話者 73/Tour participant
I felt dancing was something I could do naturally, something that made me feel totally satisfied with myself without fear or self-consciousness.
00:19:39 話者 6
So she's a very talented dancer. Then comes Pearl Harbor.
Okay, so across the country we have internment camps, we have 100,000 Japanese Americans being forced into internment camps.
Her own father is arrested, held as an enemy alien.
And at this point, she was at the American Ballet Theater here in New York City, and they pressured her to perform under her mother's maiden name, Fitzpatrick.
So, you know, most people have no idea that while Sono plays this all-American girl, it was like the pinup all-American girl in this show, Japanese Americans were actually no longer welcome in their own country.
So it is an incredible backstory to such a famous role.
00:20:19 話者 2
Nikki Padilla Rivera, She Was Here NYC is a lifelong New Yorker and one of the tour guides.
She was struck by how many women who made their mark on the city have faded from public memory.
That inspired her to research their stories and bring them back into the spotlight.
When you started researching these women, what struck you most, or what surprised you?
00:20:40 話者 6
That this information is so accessible, and yet we don't know these women at all.
That felt really crazy to me.
People come on this tour and they think, I can't believe I have never heard of this woman.
And I do want people to like, it makes me want to go and find out more.
Like I'm constantly thinking, what else don't I know?
And who else have I never heard about?
So my hope is that people go out and find more information and search for more stories.
00:21:12 話者 2
The tourist highlight is here in Central Park.
I'm at one of the most popular areas in the park, and it's filled with statues of famous men like William Shakespeare and to the right, Christopher Columbus.
But in 2020, a new one was added.
This monument honors three women who fought for women's and civil rights.
It was the first statue in Central Park dedicated to real women.
But the tour also looks beyond the people represented here.
00:21:44 話者 6
Yuri Kochiyama, she was born in California to Japanese immigrant parents, so she's first generation. Her father's detained by the FBI after Pearl Harbor, so similar to Sono.
He dies the day after his release. So there's a lot of anger and a lot of trauma from this.
She moves to New York City in 1948 and spends 12 years in public housing, ending up in Harlem in the 1960s.
And by all accounts, her apartment is like a meeting point for all activists.
So she spends the next five decades organizing black liberation, Puerto Rican Asian American movements, reparations, as I said, which makes her a really special person in all of these. And I want to finish on one last line from her.
00:22:26 話者 74
Tomorrow's world is yours to build.
00:22:30 話者 6
So we'll end on that.
Thank you very much for joining me today and your task always is now like to go and share these stories.
00:22:39 話者 2
What would be your recommendation to other people?
00:22:42 話者 75
Oh, I think this is a great tour. I'd love to see young girls.
I'd love to see this like high school girls to take it to learn more about the history of New York.
I think they don't and the history of women. I don't think kids, they think about it.
They think about how years ago women didn't get the credit for things.
You know, I think they appreciate what's going on today a little bit better.
00:23:03 話者 2
Anything that stayed with you regarding the Japanese Americans that she introduced today.
00:23:08 話者 76/Tour participant
I was really surprised about that.
I'm really happy that there's so many Asian Americans making history here.
And of course, it's obscured and never talked about because the history lens in America is very narrow and not broad.
And so I would love to talk about this with my friends and have others join me on a She Was Here tour and learn more.
about the diverse history, women's history included here in New York.
00:23:36 話者 2
Nikki, what are your bigger hopes? Is it more about the statue or more talks?
00:23:43 話者 6
I mean, I really feel like the ultimate is that women get inspired.
People, not even women.We get men all the time.
We get teenage boys, which is the best.
We get young girls.
And I like for them to get from this, like, Oh, I could actually do this.
Right?
They hear these stories and, Oh, someone has actually done this before.
This isn't impossible for them to go out and make their own history.
00:24:05 話者 2
An old movie line about New York goes, There are 8 million stories in the naked city.
But this tour reminds you that there's still so much hiding in plain sight.
History isn't just about the names carved in stone.
It's also about the people whose contributions are still waiting to be remembered.
Inoue Yuki, NHK World, New York.
♪
World Weather
00:24:54 話者 1
As we've reported, torrential rain has been hitting parts of Japan.
Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the details.
00:25:02 話者 7/Yumi Hirano
A combination of a frontal system and a tropical storm has been bringing downpours to many parts of western Japan and the Amami region.
The tropical storm is expected to stay around Okinawa and Amami into next week, bringing more downpours.
And moisture around the storm will also intensify downpours in western Japan, especially in Kyushu and Shikoku. Flats and landslides could be a major concern.
Widespread showers are also likely for a while in many cities.
The frontal system will intensify from Sunday to Monday, so the rain could be heavier along the Pacific side. Please check out the latest information.
Now moving to North America.
Back-to-back storms have hit the Great Lakes region this week.
People there experienced many transportation disruptions.
Severe storm hit eastern Canada, US Midwest this week.
According to Reuters, CBC reports fire services received 1,500 calls in 24 hours in the Greater Toronto Area.65,000 were left without power at the height of the storm.
There were power outages in the Detroit metro area as well.
Workers cleaned downed power lines and trees from homes.
A frontal system that brought heavy rains is still expected to stay static on Friday.
It will bring not only downpours but also strong gusts and lightning.
Showers are still expected in Chicago, Toronto, New York and Washington.
For the south, heat is still a concern in Atlanta with a high of 35 and 37 in Oklahoma City.
That's it for now. Have a nice weekend.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:40 話者 1
That wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline.
I'm Kanako Sachno in Tokyo. Thanks very much for joining us.
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NHK World
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