It's a Friday evening here in Japan. I'm James Tengan in Tokyo.
Welcome to NHK Newsline.
Record Rainfall In Chiba Leaves 8 Dead
Chiba Prefecture in Japan has been hit by record heavy rain.
Eight people have been confirmed dead so far.
Weather officials say further downpours are possible and are urging caution.
Images taken Friday morning by an NHK helicopter above Oami Shirasato City show flooded parking lots, roads and residential areas.
The Japan Meteorological Agency had earlier issued a level 5 emergency warning for heavy rain and landslides in parts of Chiba Prefecture.
This is the highest on the JMA's scale of 1 to 5.
Weather officials urge people to remain on alert for possible landslides, floods in low-lying areas and swollen rivers.
That's not only in Chiba, but also throughout the Kanto region, including Tokyo.
According to local police and fire authorities, a total of eight people have died.
They say the fatalities include people who were found along flooded roads.
Others were trapped inside vehicles.
The prefectural government held a meeting of its disaster response headquarters on Friday morning.
00:01:28 話者 11/
I offer my deepest condolences to those who have lost their lives and my heartfelt sympathies to all those affected by the disaster.
We will continue to prioritize saving lives, minimizing damage, and will work to share information and explore measures to facilitate a swift recovery.
00:01:46 話者 1
The extent of the damage is yet to be confirmed, so local authorities are working together to assess the situation.
The heavy rain has also affected a major airport serving the Tokyo area.
The operator of Narita Airport said around 7,000 people were stranded overnight.
Train and bus services were suspended.
00:02:09 話者 12
You know, I never thought we'd be spending a night in the airport, but it is what it is.
And we're learning. We're never going to forget this trip.
00:02:18 話者 1
Tokyo Electric Power Company said as of 4:30 p.m. on Friday, about 20,000 households in Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures were without power.
UN Reacts To Putin's Visit To Northern Territories
A UN spokesperson has encouraged all concerned parties to exercise restraint following Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the Northern Territories on Thursday.
Putin visited Etorofu Island, which is one of the four islands controlled by Russia. Japan claims them. The Japanese government maintains that the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. It says the islands were illegally occupied after World War II.
Speaking on Thursday, the UN spokesperson described the issue as a bilateral one between member states.
She added the UN encourages all concerned to exercise restraint, to act responsibly and to avoid any actions that may escalate tensions further.
A US State Department spokesperson has conveyed to NHK that the US government has long recognized Japan's sovereignty over the northern territories.
The spokesperson noted that the US government strongly opposes any action that seeks to undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Chinese and Russian ambassadors to Japan issued a joint statement through the Chinese embassy in Tokyo.
The statement said China and Russia firmly oppose any actions that distort and deny the results of the victory in World War II.
The document did not mention Putin's visit to Etorofu Island.
But the move apparently reflects China's intention to put pressure on Japan.
Japanese Foreign Minister Motigi Toshimitsu summoned the Russian ambassador to Japan to deliver Tokyo's protest against Putin's visit.
Iran Conflict Hegseth: US Can Maintain Blockade On Ports 'Indefinitely'
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the country's navy can maintain a blockade of Iranian ports indefinitely.
His comment comes as Tehran demands the siege be lifted as a condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Hegseth said on Thursday the US will rotate ships in and out and continue the blockade.
A US media report quoted officials in Washington as saying that the US is preparing to send the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the Middle East.
It'll replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Iran has set six conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
They include ending all sanctions on the country and paying compensation for war-related damage.
Iran is insisting the strait remains under Iran's full management and control.
It says no commercial vessel or oil tanker can safely transit the waterway without its authorization.
With negotiations stalled, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea off Yemen is serving as an alternative shipping route for crude oil.
But Iran-back Houthi rebels in Yemen have declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.
The rebels reportedly attacked an oil refinery in southern Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
Japan Crown Prince Talks To Media Before Paraguay Visit
Japanese Crown Prince and Princess Akishino have held a news conference ahead of a planned trip to Paraguay.
The official visit will mark 90 years since the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the South American country.
The crown prince referred to this history in his remarks about the contributions of Japanese nationals in their adopted home.
(Japanese)
Crown Princess Kiko noted that people in Japan and Paraguay have been conducting exchanges through Paraguayan music and traditional craftwork and Japan's manga, anime and martial arts.
(Japanese)
Their nine-day trip to Paraguay will start next Tuesday.
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We invite you to visit our website or app, and while you're at it, leave your thoughts and comments. Those were this hour's main stories.
World Weather
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
And that was this hour's news and weather from Tokyo.
I'm James Tengan. Thanks for watching.
checked.
Easy Japanese
00:10:09 話者 2
Hi there.
It's time for NHK World Japan's Easy Japanese.
I'm Erico Kojima.
00:10:15 話者 3
And I'm Michael Reese.
Let's have fun studying Japanese together.
Today we bring you lesson 24 on explaining what you can't eat.
The main character of our skit is Tam, a student from Vietnam who lives in Harusan House.
Today, her housemate, Kaito, has made a typical Japanese breakfast.
Kaito loves to cook.
00:10:41 話者 2
Listen to the skit for Lesson 24.
Itadakimasu! Nihon shokua kenko niin desuyo.
Kore, namatama go desu ka?
Hi.
Sumimasen.
Watashi, namatama go taberare masen.
Now let's go over the skit line by line.
00:11:20 話者 3
The table is filled with breakfast dishes, things like steamed rice, miso soup and grilled fish.
Kaito and Tam say something that people in Japan usually say before a meal.
00:11:32 話者 2
Itadakimasu.
Let's eat.
00:11:35 話者 3
The robot landlady, Haru-san, on the dining table, says.
00:11:42 話者 2
Japanese food is very healthy.
00:11:45 話者 3
Tam asks Haru-san.
00:11:50 話者 2
Is this raw egg?
00:11:52 話者 3
Haru-san replies.
00:11:55 話者 2
Yes, it is.
00:11:57 話者 3
Tam apologizes.
00:12:01 話者 2
I'm sorry.
I can't eat raw eggs.
Kaito says, I see.
So you don't like natto either?
00:12:18 話者 3
Tam happily answers.
00:12:22 話者 2
Natto! I love it! Natto is made of fermented soybeans.
It's usually flavored with soy sauce and eaten on steamed rice.
Natto is sticky and has a distinct smell.
Not everybody finds it appealing.
00:12:36 話者 3
But Tam seems to like it.
Today's key phrase is I can't eat raw eggs.
If you remember this pattern, you'll be able to say what you can't eat.
00:12:57 話者 2
Let's break down the phrase.
Nama tamago is raw egg, and taberare masen means can't eat.
Today's point is how to say what you cannot do, such as can't eat .
The verb taberu, to eat, in its potential form is taberareru, meaning can eat.
Taberareru in the polite negative form is taberare masen.
For now, just memorise the whole word, taberare masen.
00:13:33 話者 3
OK, so can't eat is taberare masen?
00:13:37 話者 2
That's right.
When you can't eat something, you can say so by placing the particle wa after the name of the food, followed by taberare masen.
00:13:47 話者 3
OK, got it.
So listen and repeat out loud.
00:13:53 話者 2
Taberare masen.
00:14:09 話者 3
So how did you do?
Listen now to a conversation in which a woman says she can't eat something when she's about to eat a Japanese meal.
00:14:37 話者 2
Now let's examine what was said.
00:14:44 話者 3
Please eat a lot.
00:14:46 話者 2
Douzo means please, and it's used when you want to invite someone to do something.
Takusan means a lot.
Tabetekudasai means please eat.
It's the verb taberu in the te form, followed by kudasai.
00:15:09 話者 3
I'm sorry.
I can't eat raw fish.
00:15:13 話者 2
Sumimasen in this situation means I'm sorry.
Watashi is I.
Sashimi is raw fish.
00:15:23 話者 3
Now your turn.
Listen and repeat out loud.
00:15:29 話者 2
Sashimi wa taberare masen.
Watashi sashimi wa taberare masen.
Sumimasen.
Watashi sashimi wa taberare masen.
00:15:53 話者 3
All right, let's try saying other food you can't eat.
What if you have an allergy to shrimp?
Shrimp is Ebi.
00:16:03 話者 2
Ebi.
00:16:04 話者 3
Try explaining yourself by starting with sumimasen.
00:16:13 話者 2
Sumimasen watashi ebi wataberaremasen.
Sumimasen watashi ebi wataberaremasen.
Now change the food to pork.
Pork is
Botaniku.
Botaniku.
Go ahead.
00:16:42 話者 4
Semimasen.
Watashi.
Botaniku wa taberaremasen.
Semimasen.
Watashi.
Botaniku wa taberaremasen.
00:16:58 話者 3
All right, I think you're getting the hang of it.
Today's bonus phrase is what Tam and Kaito said in the skit.
Memorize it and make it yours.
00:17:12 話者 2
Itadakimasu! Itadakimasu is what people say before eating.
It expresses thanks to those who prepared the meal and respect for the food.
And once the meal is over, it's customary to say, Gochisousamadeshita.
So, remember them as a set.
Itadakimasu to start and gochisousama deshita to finish.
00:17:35 話者 3
Now you say them.
Listen and repeat.
00:17:41 話者 2
Itadakimasu.
Gochisousama deshita.
Listen to the skit one more time.
Itadakimasu.
Nihon Shokua Kenko ni-in desu-yo...
Kuishinbo Kaito-nyu Makafe.
00:18:26 話者 3
Now onto Kaito is your food guide.
Today the subject is Japanese breakfast.
00:18:35 話者 2
Michael, what comes to your mind when you think of a Japanese breakfast?
00:18:40 話者 3
Oh, I suppose a bowl of rice, miso soup and of course grilled fish, really just like in the skit.
00:18:47 話者 2
That would be the typical Japanese breakfast.
Sometimes you might have natto, dried seaweed, pickled plums or eggs to go with your rice.
In the skit, it was raw eggs, but Japanese-style omelets are also very common.
00:19:01 話者 3
What about Western-style breakfast?
00:19:03 話者 2
Well, it's quite common to have bread, eggs like sunny-side ups, fruit juice, and coffee.
Actually, that's more my typical breakfast.
00:19:12 話者 3
How about in hotels and inns?
00:19:15 話者 2
Well, inns usually offer a Japanese-style breakfast, but most hotels give their customers a choice.
All-you-can-eat buffets with both kinds of dishes are quite common too.
00:19:26 話者 3
It's nice to be able to have anything you want, really as much as you want.
You know, I'd like to try everything.
00:19:33 話者 2
Me too.
I always end up eating too much and then regret it later.
We hope you enjoyed today's Easy Japanese.
00:19:49 話者 3
Join us next time.
Don't miss it.
00:20:19 話者 4
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 Ksatsu Hot Springs.
The first thing a visitor notices upon entering the town of Ksatsu is what appears to be a giant pond of hot water.
Some 4,000 liters of hot spring water gushes up every minute at this yubatake, or literally hot water field.
It's 60 meters across and 20 meters wide.
The area is filled with the sound of flowing water, steam rising from the yubatake, and a sulfurous odor typical of hot spring resorts.
It all adds up to create an atmosphere that helps visitors step away from their everyday mind state.
Kusatsu Hot Springs is in Guma Prefecture in the central part of Japan.
You can get there by the Shinkansen bullet train or buses from Tokyo.
Kusatsu has been a renowned hot spring resort for many centuries.
Emperors and shoguns, as well as regular people, have long taken a dip in its baths.
The natural hot springs are said to ease fatigue from long travels and supposedly have curative effects for illnesses, bruises, and sprains.
Kusatsu is ranked as one of the top three hot springs in Japan.
Bathing is a well-loved part of life in Japan, but bathing in hot springs is not the same as taking a bath at home.
Under Japan's hot spring law, in order to be officially considered a hot spring, the water, steam and gas must well up from the ground and contain certain natural elements, and the temperature must be at least 25 degrees Celsius.
One of the main features of Kusatsu Hot Springs is the sheer amount of water that wells up from the ground in the area.
In terms of volume, it's the top hot spring in Japan with more than 32,000 liters gushing out a minute.
That's enough to fill 230,000 oil drums a day.
The Yubatake hot water pond at the center of the town is where visitors can get a sense of the vast amount of water flowing out from the ground.
Seven wooden conduits line the oval shaped yubatake.
Hot water of around 50 degrees Celsius cools as it flows through the conduits before being distributed for bathing to some baths.
The conduits also accumulate what are known as yunohana, or literally hot spring flowers.
They're crystalline compounds that form from the elements in the water as it's cooled by the air.
The crystals are gathered and dried and made into a powder.
The powder is a popular souvenir as it can be used as a natural bath salt.
But the most famous of the attractions at Kusetsu is a water stirring event called Yumomi.
With a temperature of around 50 degrees Celsius, the hot spring water must be cooled down to a temperature suitable for bathing.
One way to do this is yumomi stirring the water using wooden paddles.
Locals stir the water while singing traditional folk songs to keep rhythm.
The most famous of these are the ksetsu folk songs.
Visitors can enjoy yumomi performances and even try their own hand at stirring the water.
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.
NHK World
00:25:01 話者 99
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