You're watching NHK Newsline. I'm Kanako Sachno.
Severe Tropical Storm Approaches Ogasawara Islands
Severe tropical storm Dujuan is expected to approach Japan's Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific through Saturday.
Weather officials are calling on people to be on the alert for high waves and violent winds.
The storm may also trigger mudslides and flooding in low-lying areas.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says Dujuan was about 170 kilometers off Chichijima Island as of 3 p.m. Friday. It was moving west-northwest at about 35 kilometers per hour.
The agency says it's expected to approach the islands with wind gusts of up to 126 kilometers per hour. Rough seas are expected, with waves reaching 7 meters high.
Heavy rain with thunder is also forecast. Up to 250 millimetres of rain could fall on the islands in the 24 hours until noon on Saturday.
People are being advised to be on the alert for lightning strikes and wind gusts.
The storm is then expected to move north, nearing the Izu Islands on Sunday.
It's then forecast to approach the Kanto region around Monday, possibly bringing heavy rain. The agency says rain clouds will form to the north of the storm.
People on the Pacific side of the Tokai to Tohoku regions could expect alert-level heavy rains from Sunday through Monday.
Weather officials are urging residents to be cautious even before the storm approaches.
It comes during a five-day holiday and may affect transportation.
Officials are urging people to stay up to date with the latest weather information.
Business
Now for some business stories, here's Ramin Mellegard.
00:01:53 話者 2/Ramin Mellegard
Thank you very much indeed.
Breaking News: BOJ Raises Key Interest Rate to 1.25%
And a big focus on business news.
The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 1.25%, the highest in 31 years.
Now, it made the announcement after concluding a two day policy meeting on Friday.
The move suggests the central bank is upping the pace of its rate hikes.
It last raised rates in June and prior to that acted roughly every six months.
Now the central bank's decision was widely expected.
It was approved by a majority of seven board members in favor and two against.
The central bank is concerned about inflation moving above its 2% target.
This includes pressure from higher oil prices, exchange rate movements, and strong AI-related demand.
The ongoing tensions in the Middle East have the bank mindful of the risks of an economic downturn and price fluctuations.
The cost of everyday goods in Japan continues to rise due to higher commodity prices and the weak yen.
Breaking News: BOJ Governor Speaks on Policy Outlook
BOJ Governor Ueda Kazuo said the bank's policy stance has entered a new phase because the underlying inflation rate had previously been viewed as below 2%.
He talked about the BOJ's outlook.
00:03:23 話者 13/Ueda Kazuo
Given that financial conditions remain accommodative, the Bank will continue to raise the rate and adjust the degree of monetary easing in response to developments in economic activity, prices and financial conditions.
00:03:39 話者 2
The Governor did not mention the specific timing for future rate hikes.
Expert: BOJ Rate Hike Outlook
So where does the BOJ go from here?
My colleague Yuko Fukushima talked to an economist who's been watching the bank for decades.
00:03:55 話者 4/Yuko Fukushima
Some analysts expect the central bank to raise rates again in December, not Okubo Takuji.
He sees the bank hiking rates later, possibly in March.
He says pushing up rates too fast could hit the economy.
He says he already sees that happening in the construction and real estate sector.
00:04:14 話者 22/Okubo Takuji
Doing a huge project when interest rate were near zero was so easy to raise money.
But now that the government interest rate, 10-year interest rate is 3%, they will probably have to use 5%, 6% interest rate to pay for their project.
So for those big developers, I think it is already having a negative impact on their business.
00:04:40 話者 4
It seems certain the bank will raise rates again, but before it does, it needs to take into account the various risks involved that will not be an easy task and one the world will be watching closely.
Japan Stocks Up, Yen Dips After BOJ Rate Hike
00:04:55 話者 2
Now. Investors in Tokyo bought stocks and sold the yen on Friday after the BOJ raised its benchmark interest rate.
The Nikkei 225 stock index at one stage gained 2 percent. The benchmark finished nearly 1.4 percent higher at 65,018, extending its winning streak to three days.
Analysts say investors were encouraged because the BOJ's decision was in line with expectations.
However, the yen weakened against the dollar to the mid 157 yen level at one point.
Markets
Okay, let's have a look at the markets.
♪
And that is it for business news.
Iran Conflict: UN Finds 'Reasonable Grounds' US Committed War Crime
00:06:13 話者 1
A United Nations mission says there are reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed a war crime by launching a fatal missile attack on a school in southern Iran earlier this year.
A UN Human Rights Council fact-finding mission on Iran released a report on Thursday.
The strike on an elementary school in Minab, Kormozgan province in February left at least 160 people dead, most of them children.
The New York Times had reported that the US military mistakenly set its target based on outdated information.
The UN team noted that the school had been operating in a converted structure of Iran's elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
It said the US failed in its obligation to do everything feasible to verify that the school was a military objective.
It said the US launched the airstrike while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object.
The report also covered attacks on a gymnasium and an elementary school in the southern Iranian town of Lamed in February. At least 20 people were killed.
It said the US military fired a missile that scattered small metal pellets in residential areas.
It said that strike too could amount to a war crime.
A US State Department representative commented on the report.
The official said the Trump administration formally withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council as it pushes anti-American rhetoric and anti-Semitism.
The official added that the US does not give credibility to the findings of the UN report.
The official said the protection of civilians is of utmost importance to the US.
US Marine Colonel Calls Iranian Forces 'Very Creative'
The commanding officer of a US Marine unit that deployed to the Middle East has called Iranian forces very creative and innovative.
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, based in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture, assisted US operations against Iran from the region in March.
This included supporting a US blockade on vessels entering or departing Iranian ports.
The 31st MEU returned to Okinawa in July.
Colonel Chris Nitioka commanded that unit and spoke to media at the Pentagon on Wednesday. The colonel said that Iranian forces have embraced unmanned systems.
He added that this enabled them to closely monitor the US military.
Nitioka described the Iranian forces as degraded but adaptable when his unit had arrived.
He said US troops needed to exercise caution and regard the Iranians with the utmost respect.
The colonel stated, If you make it easy for them, they're going to take advantage of it.
Carney: Canada to Step Up Cooperation with EU
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his country will strengthen cooperation with the European Union, including on the economy and defense.
The remarks came amid Canada's worsening relations with the United States over tariffs.
Carney gave an address to the European Parliament on Thursday in Strasbourg, France.
00:09:21 話者 33/Mark Carney
Together, Canada and the European Union can anchor our ground to hold our values while forming a protective canopy under which our citizens can thrive.
00:09:35 話者 1
He mentioned deepening cooperation in a range of areas, including critical minerals, defence industrial capacity, AI and energy security.
He made the remarks after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Wednesday opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU.
Carney said at a news conference that Canada's potential status as an EU associate member is a question for Europe. He added that what matters is the substance.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has commented on the deepening cooperation between the EU and Canada.
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that if he thinks the EU is committing a hostile act, he will enact very serious tariffs or cut off many aspects of trade with Europe.
Russia Holds First Election Since Invasion
Russia is holding its first parliamentary election since its invasion of Ukraine.
The vote comes as the Kremlin wants to demonstrate public support for the ongoing military campaign, and an opposition party that's criticised the conflict has been kept off the ballot.
The election takes place every five years and the voting will last three days.
Candidates are competing for 450 seats in the lower house, known as the State Duma.
Half are filled by party lists and the other half are single-seat races.
Officials will start counting ballots on Sunday.
Russian media is reporting that political parties, including the ruling United Russia Party, have put forward more than 180 candidates who've served in Ukraine.
But the Supreme Court removed the opposition party Yabloko from the nationwide party list last month.
The head of its Moscow branch told NHK that Russian President Vladimir Putin fears anti-war groups.
00:11:26 話者 45/Kirill Goncharov/Head of Yabloko Moscow branch
We expected this would happen sooner or later.
That's because we are the only party in Russia that opposes the war and calls for a ceasefire.
00:11:39 話者 1
He says that Yabloko candidates are still running in district races and he vowed to keep campaigning against the Putin administration.
♪
Ukrainian in Japan Using Business Chops to Help Home Country Rebuild
Ukraine has spent over four years beset by the Russian invasion.
But amid the ongoing conflict, some see opportunities for growth and innovation.
In our next report, we'll meet a Ukrainian woman who's part of a push for stronger business ties with Japan in an effort to help her home country recover.
00:12:26 話者 6
Kateryna Yavorska is no stranger to doing business. She moved to Japan eight years ago, got married, and settled in, and now runs a popular Ukrainian restaurant.
But while she flourishes in Japan, her home country is being torn apart by war.
And rather than watch from afar, she's using her business skills to help Ukraine rebuild.
Yavorska co-founded the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce in Japan two years ago, a way to cement the economic ties between the two countries.
Now she's leveraging those ties to help both countries benefit.
00:13:10 話者 3/Kateryna Yavorska/President, Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce in Japan
Japan has amazing industrial lines, the robotic lines, the quality control lines.
So this equipment really needed in Ukraine.
New businesses opening, they supply with new workplaces.
So it's giving opportunity to bring back some people.
It's not just about the after war recovery, it's needs like right now.
00:13:36 話者 6
This Tokyo-based company may have a solution to a problem plaguing homes across Ukraine.
Yavorska is meeting with representatives to gauge whether its technology could help Ukrainians survive ongoing power outages during its frigid winters.
The company has created a technology that uses solar power to store heat, which can then be used to create both hot air and hot water.
But one challenge remain. Finding reliable partners in the conflict-torn country.
Yavorska's group introduced the solar company to a poultry farm in Kyiv.
They're hoping the technology will help regulate the temperature inside chicken coops.
00:14:21 話者 56/Hamamoto Shinpei/Representative Director, Blossom Energy Inc.
Operating in such difficult conditions would allow us to demonstrate to the world what our equipment is capable of.
Normally, there can be uncertainty about whether a potential partner is trustworthy.
But having this introduction gives us a certain level of confidence.
We count on them and have high expectations.
00:14:44 話者 6
Earlier this year, Yavorska returned to Ukraine for the first time in eight years, making contacts with local companies at a business conference.
She says the trip confirmed she's on the right track.
00:14:58 話者 3
They have high interest in Japanese market and cooperation with Japan as well.
We could get really practical insights from the Ukrainian like resilience economy and rebuilding and such kind of reconstructions as well and human resources.
So we will bring back this information to Japan.
It's totally worth it to come here and I will come more often.
00:15:25 話者 1
Akiyoshi Kana is the reporter who covered this story, and she joins us now from our auto bureau to tell us a bit more.
Kana, what did you learn about the kinds of things Ukrainians want from Japan?
00:15:36 話者 53/Akiyoshi Kana
Well, it's not all recovery and risk construction goods.
There's also a lot of demand for high quality Japanese consumer products and cosmetics, for example, especially from wealthier consumers.
Jetro is a government-affiliated trade promotion agency, but its officials have described Ukraine as a growth market within battlefield, and dozens of businesses seem to have noticed that.
There are currently 42 Japanese companies, conducting business in Ukraine, and seven of those actually entered the market after Russia's invasion in 2022.
So the market is not slowing down.
00:16:26 話者 1
Could we also see more Ukrainian products and technologies entering the Japanese market?
00:16:32 話者 53
Yes, and that's Yavorska's goal.
When the Ukrainian technology sees focusing on its drones, which she believes can help with disaster response in Japan.
And she is seeing some interest already from several Japanese companies.
00:16:53 話者 1
It seems like these partnerships are doing quite well despite the conflict.
Do you expect that to continue?
00:17:00 話者 53
Economic conditions in Ukraine are unpredictable, but there is still an array of business opportunities for both countries.
The key is people like Yavorska who understand the world of business and have one foot in both countries.
They can act as a bridge between Ukraine and Japan and promote these kinds of exchanges, which in turn will hopefully aid the country's reconstruction efforts as the world drags on.
00:17:35 話者 1
Thank you, Kana. That was Akiyoshi Kana.
Taiwan Donates Over US$9 Mil. for Quake Recovery
Taiwan has given Japan more than $9 million for recovery work in the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto, struck by a powerful earthquake in July.
A total of 300 million new Taiwan dollars, or over 9.4 million US dollars, was raised through donations by businesses and private individuals.
The funds were presented to Katayama Kazuyuki, head of the Taipei office of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, by Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung on Thursday.
00:18:18 話者 63/Lin Chia-lung
Once the recovery and reconstruction efforts in Kumamoto have reached a certain stage, the people of Taiwan will definitely visit Kumamoto with our families and friends to offer our full support.
00:18:32 話者 1
Lin said he hopes Taiwan and Japan will join hands and deepen cooperation in disaster prevention and mitigation in the future.
Taiwan has previously sent large donations to Japan following other natural disasters, such as after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and the major quake that jolted the Noto Peninsula in 2024.
Bullet Train Service Fully Resumes After Kumamoto Quake
The Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train has fully resumed operations following the massive Kumamoto earthquake in July.
Restoration work was completed between Kumamoto and Shin Minamata stations, the last section of the line where service was suspended.
Full service on the Kyushu Shinkansen resumed on Friday morning for the first time in 52 days.
00:19:20 話者 73
It was tough commuting to school with a different, unfamiliar route.
I'm really grateful because using this bullet train saves me time.
00:19:31 話者 1
The Kyushu Shinkansen had been partially operating.
The section that resumed service Friday remained closed due to damage found in over 1,000 locations, including tracks and facilities.
Kyushu Railway Company will run about 90 percent of the normal number of bullet trains connecting directly to the Sanyo Shinkansen line, since trains need to slow down near Shin-Yatsushiro Station, where quake damage was severe.
Biz Picks
Next, NHK World's Gene Otani is here with Biz picks.
00:20:10 話者 7/Gene Otani
Let's take a look at the key business and economic stories for the week ahead.
Three major economies are releasing their latest purchasing managers indices.
The figures measure the health of manufacturing and services in the private sector.
We'll look at US business sentiment in this edition of Biz Picks
The manufacturing PMI was at 53.9 in August marking the 13th straight month of positive sentiment.
A reading above 50 indicates expansion while below 50 points to contraction.
The figure for the services sector surged to 56.5 that was the highest since December 2024.
Analyst: Inflation Spike May Test Strong US Business Mood
Yasaku Daisuke is a senior researcher at Daiwa Institute of Research.
He sees a virtuous cycle based on AI-related investments behind the strong activity.
00:21:01 話者 5/Yasaku Daisuke
What is remarkable is the robust manufacturing sector.
It continues to expand despite soaring costs, including higher tariffs and rising energy prices.
The reason is that businesses are boosting investments in AI fields on the back of high expectations for the increasing use of AI. Stock prices are also rising on that.
This is adding to assets held by high-income earners who hold shares and bolstering private spending. This is where the current US economy stands.
And, when personal spending remains firm, it pushes up the sentiment of the service industry, which is closely linked to consumption.
00:21:41 話者 7
The rise in consumer prices has again accelerated to above 3% in the US.
But Yasaku notes wholesale prices are rising even faster.
That's pressuring corporate profitability.
00:21:55 話者 5
To consumers, CPI represents the prices they pay, but to businesses that means the money they receive.
So rising CPI means companies have been able to pass on cost increases to their sales prices. But the key is the balance between cost and sales prices.
For example, let us consider the PPI, or producer price index, as showing wholesale prices.
The latest PPI growth was over 5% compared with a year earlier, but sales prices, or CPI,
grew roughly 3%. The growth of purchase prices is thus faster than that of sales prices.
00:22:30 話者 7
Yasaku is also concerned about the direction of private spending.
00:22:37 話者 5
The pace of wage increase is slowing down, so real wages are in fact decreasing from a year earlier when considering inflation.
Due to this, personal spending by low and middle income earners is rather weak.
Moreover, share price increases have been a bit sluggish lately, so high income earners are not seeing their assets increase as much, potentially reducing their sentiment in the short term. Given these fundamentals, private consumption is not expected to grow much.
00:23:09 話者 7
A lack of momentum for consumer spending and private investment could slow the economy, but Yasaku sees that as a potential positive as it may also curb demand and stem inflation.
He says finding the right balance between the two is crucial.
I'm Gene Otani, and that's this week's Biz Picks.
♪
World Weather
00:24:01 話者 1
Now it's time to check the world weather.
As we've reported, Storm Dujuan is affecting parts of Japan into the holiday weekend.
Our meteorologist Yuumi Hirano has the latest updates.
00:24:12 話者 4/Yuumi Hirano
Severe tropical storm Dujuan is now approaching the Ogasawara Islands, bringing high waves of up to 7 meters and gusts of over 120 kilometers per hour.
The system is expected to approach the Kanto and Tohoku regions from Sunday to Monday. Heavy rain and strong rains could be a major issue.
But even before the storm approaches, heavy rain is expected along the Pacific side, including Tokyo.
As the storm moves north, it will push a front up toward Kanto and Tohoku.
So up to 200 mm of rain is possible in Kanto by Sunday evening and another 200 mm by Monday. so people there should get ready for the storm by Saturday.
Please check out your emergency plans and supplies.
Now moving to Europe.
Severe downpours have hit parts of Spain this week, causing many disruptions.
Parts of Valencia were severely flooded on Thursday after heavy rain hit the city the night before.
Many roads looked more like rivers, making them difficult to navigate.
Many cars were flooded in parking lots, while some streets were blocked by falling trees.
Residents cleaned their homes and vehicles while emergency crews towed some stranded cars away.
A low pressure system is now over Italy and is expected to move towards the Balkans on Friday. There is a risk of thundershowers, wind gusts, and even tornadoes.
Showers are also likely in Rome, but sunny skies are expected in Vienna, Paris, and Lisbon, with highs around 25 degrees.
That's all for now. Have a nice weekend.
♫～ 3-Day Forecast ～♫
00:27:45 話者 1
That wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline.
I'm Kanako Sachno Tokyo. Thanks for watching.
checked.
NHK World
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