It's a Friday evening here in Japan. I'm James Tengan in Tokyo. Welcome to NHK Newsline.
Utility Finalizing Withdrawal of Application to Restart Nuclear Reactors
NHK has learned that Chubu Electric Power Company is finalizing details to withdraw an application for review required to restart two nuclear reactors at the Hamaoka power plant in central Japan.
It was revealed in January that Chubu Electric had falsified data for a review carried out by the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
The utility provided data that underestimated the maximum possible jolt of earthquakes in the region. The utility then gave the regulator false explanations for the data.
Following the scandal, the nuclear authority suspended review of the Hamaoka power plant.
It conducted an on-site probe at the utility's headquarters to look into the matter.
Sources say the application's withdrawal is not intended to decommission the reactors.
According to sources, the utility will finalize details about withdrawing the application in the near future. The regulator had been conducting reviews for more than ten years.
The utility hopes to restart the reactors.
When the application is withdrawn, the restart of the Hamaoka power plant will be even more uncertain.
Shadows Fall on Japan's Energy Policy
The data tampering at the Hamaoka power plant could create a cloud over Japan's strategic energy policy.
The government has laid out a roadmap for power generation.
It wants to increase the ratio of nuclear energy to around 20 percent in fiscal 2040.
Achieving that goal will require maintaining and operating the existing 33 nuclear reactors in the country.
That includes the Hamaoka power plant's number three to number five reactors with output of around 3.6 million kilowatts.
But if those reactors are not restarted, some government officials are concerned the long-term energy goal may not be feasible.
Researchers Say Ryugu Asteroid Came from Early Celestial Body
Researchers at Japan's Hokkaido University and other institutes say the Ryugu asteroid explored by a Japanese probe appears to be a remnant of an early celestial body in the solar system from more than 4.5 billion years ago.
The group analyzed mineral samples from Ryugu collected by the probe Hayabusa-2.
The researchers say their analysis indicates the parent body of the asteroid was formed earlier than 4.5653 billion years ago.
They say this dates back to the period less than two million years after the beginning of the formation of the solar system.
Previous studies found that Ryugu emerged from a collection of fragments after its parent body broke apart, but it was not clear when the body was created.
The group says the latest findings could provide a clue to the formation of celestial bodies in the solar system.
00:03:17 話者 12/Kawasaki Noriyuki/Associate Professor, Hokkaido University
We would also like to examine the time of formation of another asteroid, samples of which were brought back by the US space agency NASA.
We hope to understand how those early celestial objects were made.
US Marks 25 Years Since 9/11 Attacks
00:03:36 話者 1
People in the US are marking the anniversary of an event that changed their country and the world. They're commemorating 25 years since the 9/11 terror attacks.
Memorial services will be held at the scenes of the tragedy.
A total of 2,977 people died after terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon and a field in rural Pennsylvania.
About 40% of those who died at the trade center are still unidentified.
But last month, authorities in New York City identified a victim for the first time by using new technology to extract DNA from remains recovered from the site of the attacks.
In 2011, the US military killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
He was suspected of masterminding the attacks.
Since then, US involvement in the Middle East has gradually receded.
But the administration of US President Donald Trump launched military operations against Iran about six months ago.
There have been no terrorist attacks on a similar scale since 2001.
But younger generations are being encouraged to reexamine the impact of the incident on politics and society.
Passing on the Lessons of 9/11 to Younger Generations
According to the Pew Research Center, 10% of US adults were born after 2001.
In a survey conducted in August, respondents aged 18 to 24 were asked how they first learned about the attacks.
16% said they heard about them from family members or friends, while 8% said they learned through their own research.
By contrast, 60% said they learned about the attacks through school lessons or assignments.
Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher is a Pakistani-born Muslim and a lecturer in education and other fields at the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania.
She says young people are not being taught enough about the attacks.
00:05:39 話者 23/Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher/Advanced Senior Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania
Because we don't talk about it. We don't learn about it. We don't teach about our young.
And now we have a generation of teachers for whom this wasn't their lived experience.
The thing about the 9/11 wars is they feel so far away.
Most people don't know where Afghanistan is. They can't find it on a map or where Iraq is.
And they don't feel the costs of those wars.
00:06:03 話者 1
Ghaffar-Kucher notes that the 25 years since the attacks accounts for about 10% of the nation's 250-year history since the US was founded in 1776.
She believes that such an important period has not been adequately covered in textbooks and educational materials.
And says she wants to continue encouraging younger generations to think more deeply about its significance.
Republicans Wrap Up Two-Day Convention in Texas
In his closing speech at a Republican Party convention, US President Donald Trump once again took aim at the opposition Democrats calling them the radical left.
He also doubled down on a $5,000 payout to Americans if the Republicans win both chambers of Congress in November.
The unprecedented two-day convention took place in Dallas, Texas and was meant to bolster support ahead of the crucial midterm elections.
Vice President JD Vance also took to the podium on Thursday and urged people to vote Republican.
00:07:10 話者 32/JD Vance
We got to send a message this November that the country does not belong to the radicals.
We can never, we will never let them win. We're going to beat them back in November.
00:07:22 話者 1
Trump gave a much shorter speech than he did the previous day, but criticism of his financial incentive to voters did not sway him from repeating the promise.
00:07:33 話者 33/Donald Trump
If we win the midterms, we will, on the other hand, provide a
Let's call it Trump dividend, $5,000 for every adult citizen in our country.
00:07:48 話者 1
Meanwhile, Democratic Party officials and lawmakers held their own rally near the venue.
With less than two months to go before the midterm elections, the political tension between the two sides is expected to amplify.
Business
Now for the latest on business and financial fronts with Yuko Fukushima.
JGB Bond Yield Retests 3-Decade Highs
00:08:09 話者 4/Yuko Fukushima
The yield on Japan's benchmark government bond was retesting 30-year highs on Friday.
The latest surge in long-term rates comes as investors worry about rising energy costs and inflation. The ten-year yield briefly topped three percent.
Brokerage firm Japan Bond Trading says it's the second time this month the key psychological level has been breached.
It followed a bond market sell-off in Europe and the United States overnight, triggered by soaring oil futures.
The WTI benchmark crossed above 100 dollars a barrel amid the escalating conflict between the US and Iran.
That's fueling speculation that a renewed energy crisis will reignite inflation.
Nikkei 225 Tumbles on Surge in Oil Prices
The jump in oil prices also hit Tokyo stocks on Friday.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index ended the day nearly two percent lower at 64,011.
AI and semiconductor-related stocks faced heavy selling.
Investors are concerned higher energy costs will erode corporate earnings in Japan.
Japan's Wholesale Prices Remain Above 7% in Aug.
Japan's wholesale inflation remained high in August, reflecting rising prices of oil products due to the Middle East situation.
The producer price index rose 7.6 percent from a year earlier.
The Bank of Japan's preliminary figures show that the pace of the increase slowed by point-one percentage point from July, but it came in above 7 percent for the third month in a row. The PPI gauges prices of goods traded among businesses.
Prices of petroleum and coal products, including gasoline and diesel, jumped 14.7 percent. Chemical goods such as synthetic rubber were up almost 14 percent as much thanks to the higher cost of naphtha.
Plastic products climbed more than 11 percent.
The central bank says the prices of electronic devices also increased due to growing demand in the AI sector.
China's Vehicle Exports Top 1 Mil. for 3rd Month in Aug.
China exported more than one million new vehicles for the third straight month in August.
The number includes gasoline, electric and hybrid models.
The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers says shipments jumped more than 65 percent from last year to 1.01 million units.
China has now exported 7.15 million vehicles from January through August or more than all of last year.
Chinese automakers are benefiting from higher demand for EVs as the Middle East conflict drives up oil and gasoline prices. However, it's a different picture in China.
Domestic new car sales in August fell 24% on year to about 1.7 million.
That marks the fifth straight month of declines above 20%.
The slump in domestic demand follows a cut in tax breaks for EV purchases.
Markets
Now let's get you a look at the markets.
♪
And they're upset for biz for this hour.
In Focus
A Helping Hand to Single-Parent Households
00:11:52 話者 1
Single mothers face a host of challenges in their everyday lives.
Securing housing and finding stable employment are just two issues that take on new urgency when raising children alone.
An organization in central Japan has been turning heads with a range of support services aimed at the unique needs of single parent families.
Empowering Single Mothers
00:12:15 話者 5
Located in central Nagoya, this apartment is home to a single mother and her two children.
Offering a three-bedroom layout, the rent is 53,000 yen or $330 a month, which is 30% below the going market rate.
This housing is provided by a locally based organization headed by Okomoto Takuya.
He launched an affordable housing program for single mothers back in 2021.
00:12:49 話者 6/Okamoto Takuya/LivEQuality Ooya-san
About 30% of landlords admit they have turned applicants away simply because they were single mothers.
If there's no one willing to rent to these women, they can get trapped in a terrible cycle.
00:13:01 話者 5
Okamoto's organization purchases older apartment buildings in central locations that offer an easy commute to work or school.
They then clean and update each unit and prepare them for rent.
The program rents out 70% of the units to general tenants at the going market rate, while offering the remaining 30% as discounted housing for single mothers.
Okamoto reached out to individual investors and companies to secure funding for his 1.2 billion yen goal. He even went as far as to issue corporate bonds.
00:13:42 話者 6
To be honest, the return was so low on our bonds.
You'd look at them and think, who on earth would invest in this?
But fortunately, there are people and companies out there that are willing to put some of their capital into impact-driven projects like ours.
00:13:57 話者 5
The organization also places heavy emphasis on providing tenants with support for issues they may encounter in everyday life.
Sakakibara Yuumi, who is a single mother herself, oversees this side of the program.
(Japanese)
Sakakibara offers guidance on everything from work issues to family matters.
If necessary, she also connects these families with specialized support services.
00:14:41 話者 7/Sakakibara Yuumi/LivEQuality HUB
At first, some of the children won't say a single word, and their faces are completely expressionless.
But once they get settled, you see their faces brighten and they become a lot more talkative and friendly.
It provides a level of connection you don't find in a regular apartment.
That sense of security and peace of mind is everything.
00:15:05 話者 5
Initiatives that bring smiles back to single parent families, like this affordable housing program, are now spreading across the country.
Chinese Ships Enter Japan's Waters Off Senkaku Islands
00:15:29 話者 1
In other news, four Chinese Coast Guard ships entered Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands on Thursday.
Japan's Coast Guard reports that the vessels entered the waters off Uotsuri Island one after another over about 15 minutes. The island belongs to Okinawa Prefecture.
Japan controls the islands and maintains they are an inherent part of Japan's territory.
China and Taiwan claim them.
The ships are reportedly all equipped with guns.
They sailed in Japanese waters for about two hours before leaving.
It's the first time since August 14 that entry by Chinese government ships into Japanese waters off the Senkaku Islands has been confirmed.
Report: August Ties as Hottest Month Recorded
The European Union's climate change monitoring agency says August tied the record for the hottest month ever recorded globally.
In a report released on Thursday, the organization said that the global average surface air temperature in August was 16.96 degrees Celsius, matching the record high set in July 2023.
The Paris Agreement on Fighting Climate Change has pledged efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees above the pre-industrial levels.
But the global average rose 1.65 degrees last month.
The three-month average for Western Europe from June to August this year was 2.54 degrees above the average between 1991 and 2020.
This surpassed the previous record set in the summer of 2003.
An official of the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast noted that climate change is increasingly being felt by communities, economies and ecosystems across the world.
Survey: Fewer Than 80% of Single Japanese Desire Marriage
A survey shows the percentage of single people in Japan who want to marry has dropped below 80% for the first time.
The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research conducts the National Fertility Survey about every five years. It released the latest results on Friday.
The data was gathered in June last year.
More than 11,000 single and married people responded.
Unmarried people between the ages of 18 and 34 were asked whether they see some benefit to marriage.
Nearly 43% of men said they see no benefit, up from the previous surveys 35.3%, while 36% of women said the same, up from 28.3%.
The percentage of men who said they plan to marry someday fell to 75.1% from 81.4 in the previous survey. It also fell for women to 77.8% from 84.3.
It was the first time the figures dipped below 80% for both men and women.
Japan's birth rate has been declining. The survey shows the average number of children married couples believe is ideal was 2.18.
But the number of children they actually planned to have was 1.95, below 2 for the first time since 1977.
The survey asked these people why they didn't plan to have the number of children they wanted.
52.9% cited the high costs of child rearing and education, followed by 35% who said they don't want to be older parents.
World War II's Legacy of Separation
During World War II, about 1.5 million Japanese people lived in northeastern China.
In the chaotic end of the war, thousands, especially children, were separated from their families. Many were raised by Chinese foster parents.
Decades later, 6,731 returned to Japan, where many faced poverty and discrimination.
Now one descendant is speaking about the war's lasting impact on his family.
00:19:42 話者 8/Reporter: Sumino Hiroshi/Narrator: Yoshino Mika
At last month's national memorial ceremony for the war dead in Tokyo, children and grandchildren of Japanese left behind in China came to remember and honor their relatives.
Yamazaki Satoru was one of them.
His grandmother was separated from her parents in northeastern China when she was 15.
00:20:07 話者 59/Yamazaki Satoru
She was kind, but there was always sadness in her expression.
It was the face of someone who had carried history with her throughout her life.
00:20:18 話者 8
Footage recorded in 2018 shows his grandmother recalling the moment she was separated from her family.
00:20:28 話者 57/Yamazaki Satoru's grandmother
I hate war. I still don't know where or how my father died.
00:20:39 話者 8
Yamazaki's grandmother was taken in and raised by Chinese foster parents.
At the age of 53, she moved to Japan with her son and his Chinese wife.
But the family spoke hardly any Japanese and struggled to build a new life.
They relied on welfare and factory jobs that required little conversation.
Satoru was born into these circumstances.
00:21:07 話者 59
My parents struggled financially, so I tried to be a child who wouldn't cost them money.
I think I spent my childhood holding back my own feelings.
00:21:20 話者 8
He was also afraid to tell people about his family background.
00:21:26 話者 59
I thought if I said I had Chinese roots or that my parents came from China, I might be bullied or face discrimination.
00:21:36 話者 8
That struggle over identity became too difficult that for a time he stopped attending school. Eventually, he entered university and studied Chinese history and society.
Later, while studying in China, he found he could finally speak openly about being a third generation descendant of a Japanese left behind there.
00:22:04 話者 59
The more I hid my background, the more it felt like I was denying my own family.
I desperately wanted someone to listen.
00:22:16 話者 8
Yamasaki launched a website in the hope that people in similar circumstances could share their thoughts and feelings.
He is also trying to educate the public about the story of the Japanese left behind in China.
00:22:34 話者 59
If another war breaks out, many people could once again be separated from their families.
That would be deeply sad.
00:22:43 話者 58
I wouldn't be very sad if I couldn't see my family.
00:22:48 話者 8
Yamazaki hopes that by telling his story, he can help prevent others from going through the same suffering.
♫～
00:24:21 話者 1
For details on those stories and more, do visit the NHK World Japan website and app.
World Weather
It's time to check on the weather.
It's been a challenging week in Japan due to the heavy rain.
Our meteorologist Yuumi Hirano will tell us about what we can expect this weekend.
00:24:46 話者 10/Yuumi Hirano
A frontal system is moving northward bringing intense rain to the Tokai and Kanto-Koshin regions on Friday. Showers are also bringing cooler conditions.
Cool temperatures and rain have continued in the Kanto region.
On Friday, rain became heavier in Chiba City, which was hit by record heavy rainfall last month.
The rain kept temperatures cool with a high more typical of late October.
The cool conditions were felt in central Tokyo as well, with people wearing long sleeves.
The high was almost 21 degrees, about 7 degrees below normal for this time of year.
The rain is expected to get heavier again in Kanto on Friday night.
Due to the constant downpours this week, even a small amount of rain could trigger landslides.
But the frontal system is expected to weaken on Saturday, so the rain in Tokyo will taper off gradually.
The next round of heavy rain is expected to arrive Monday in the Hokuriku region, including Niigata. Please check out the latest informatin.
In the bigger picture across Asia, we can see a circulating system over the South China Sea. The storm is intensifying monsoon rain along the western Philippines.
The system is likely to move northward toward southern China and Vietnam, so up to 180mm rain is possible in Hainan from Saturday to Sunday.
Flooding could be a major concern.
On Saturday, showers are possible in Manila and Denam, but sunny skies are expected in Beijing and Seoul.
That's it for now. Have a nice weekend.
♫～ 3-Day Forecast ～♫
00:27:45 話者 1
More to come here on NHK World Japan so stay with us.
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NHK World
00:28:01 話者 99
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