Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.
Trump Says N.Korea's Kim 'Very Positive' Toward Talks
US President Donald Trump says North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has responded positively to his call for talks.
Trump made the remark at a meeting with reporters at the White House on Monday.
He did not disclose any details.
00:00:32 話者 11
Why hasn't Kim Jong-un responded to your request to have a conversation?
00:00:35 話者 10
How do you know he hasn't responded?
00:00:37 話者 11
Has he?
00:00:40 話者 10
Yes, he has.
00:00:44 話者 11
Where are you in conversation?
00:00:45 話者 10
Very positive.
00:00:47 話者 1
Trump also expressed discontent with South Korea, saying it refused to help the US in its conflict with Iran. He recalled telling Seoul the US is guarding them from Kim Jong-un.
He called it strange that South Korea isn't helping with Iran.
Trump said on Sunday he had ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea set to begin the following day.
He said they send a signal that is totally inappropriate
and hostile to Pyongyang.
Trump was asked about criticism.
He is prioritizing the interests of adversaries over longtime partners.
He said he was actually making things safer.
Japan Ambassador Summoned After Putin Visits Northern Territories
Russia has summoned Japan's ambassador following President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the Northern Territories.
Russia controls the islands. Japan claims them.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to reporters on Monday.
He says he summoned Japan's envoy following unacceptable statements from Tokyo implying the Russian president cannot visit Russian territory.
Lavrov also suggested Japan did not give a clear response after he issued the summons.
But Japanese diplomatic sources say Ambassador Muto Akira will respond on Tuesday.
They say Japan did not initially respond out of concerns Russia would dominate discussions and make a balanced exchange difficult.
Putin's first ever visit to Japan's northern territories took place on Thursday.
He inspected a seafood processing facility on Etorofu Island.
Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae responded that day.
She said the northern territories are an inherent territory of Japan in light of historical facts and based on international law.
She also described Putin's visit as incompatible with the Japanese government's consistent position.
Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu lodged a protest with Russia's ambassador Nikolai Nozdrev.
The Japanese government maintains that the four islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory.
It says the islands were illegally occupied after World War II.
Russian Anti-War Politician Sentenced to 11 Years
A prominent critic of Russia's invasion of Ukraine is facing more than a decade behind bars.
Lev Schrozberg is accused of discrediting and spreading false information about the military.
Schlossberg is the deputy chair of the Yabloko party.
A court in the northwestern city of Vskov sentenced him on Monday to 11 years in one month. Schlossberg says he is innocent and he calls the trial politically motivated.
Moscow made it illegal to discredit the Russian military after invading Ukraine.
Independent media outlet Mediazona says Schlossberg was put on trial after calling for an immediate cease-fire on YouTube in January 2025.
Russia is scheduled to hold a lower house election in September.
The Russian Supreme Court recently banned Yabloko from taking part.
Colombian President: Quake Losses Estimated at $9.6 Bil.
Colombia's president says the losses from the huge earthquake that struck the country last week have been estimated at approximately $9.6 billion.
Avelaro de la Esperia said on Monday that 289 people were killed and over 4,100 injured in the magnitude 7.4 quake
that struck the country's west on August 10. Another 143 are still unaccounted for.
He said nearly 27,000 homes were destroyed, and the estimate relates to damage to buildings and infrastructure.
In the hard-hit city of Pereira, people gathered to pray at a church on Monday, one week after the quake.
One woman said she was still shaking with fear and does not want any more tragedies to happen.
Local media report say Colombian singer Shakira has visited severely affected areas and pledged to help build 10 new schools.
Kumamoto Quake: Evacuees at Risk Three Weeks On
A powerful earthquake struck Japan's southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto three weeks ago.
Over 3,000 residents are still in evacuation shelters, while others are living in their cars or damaged homes.
The quake on July 28 registered the highest level of seven on Japan's seismic scale.
As of 8 am on Tuesday, the death toll was 39, including deaths believed to be linked to the disaster. 70 designated evacuation shelters still house 3,050 people.
It is difficult to track the number of residents taking shelter elsewhere and that is raising concerns that a lack of aid could lead to further fatalities.
A support group in Kumamoto City is checking if people are inside vehicles.
Some residents have chosen not to go to shelters but are spending the night in their cars or other places. The group delivers supplies and other aid every evening.
00:06:37 話者 21
I'm exhausted.
My house was not completely destroyed, but I'm worried that it could collapse again.
00:06:46 話者 1
Others remain in their damaged homes.
The support group says assessing the situation is crucial, as residents are increasingly showing signs of fatigue.
00:07:00 話者 22/
We want to step in to help, but it's sometimes difficult for us to reach them.
And the people often find it hard to ask for help.
There is a risk that they will be overlooked.
00:07:11 話者 1
The prefecture has asked cities and towns to report the number of such evacuees and the type of support they are providing.
Children Hone Ninja Skills by Dashing Across Pond on Mats
Now, children at a park near Mount Fuji are honing their ninja skills by dashing across a pond on floating straw mats called goza.
The event is hosted every summer by Mt. Fuji Children's World in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Participants run about 25 meters to the other side of the pond, across plywood covered with mats as the path sinks beneath them.
(Japanese)
00:08:06 話者 31/Kuwabara Jun/Director, Mt. Fuji Children's World
I hope people enjoy the summer holiday experience of taking on such an exciting adventure while feeling the coldness of the water.
00:08:15 話者 1
And most of the children made it across successfully, but some of the adults were not so lucky.
And those are the top stories for this hour.
World Weather
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
And that is a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline.
I'm Ramin Mellegard. Thank you very much for joining us.
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.
00:10:14 話者 3
And I'm Michael Reese.
Let's have fun learning Japanese together.
Now today we'll be bringing you lesson 25 on saying you're not feeling well.
The main character in our skit is Tam, a student from Vietnam who lives in Haru-san House.
She's been relaxing in the living room, but something seems to be wrong.
00:10:40 話者 2
Listen to the skit for lesson 25.
Tam-san, how are you?
Doors tan desk, huh?
Nodoga, itain desk.
Now let's go over the skit line by line.
00:11:16 話者 3
Haru-san is on the living room table.
She's equipped with a sensor that detects problems, so her cheeks start to glow pale blue.
00:11:28 話者 2
Tam, you look pale.
What's wrong?
Tam coughs and says, My throat hurts.
00:11:41 話者 3
Haru-san says, Oh yeah, oh yeah.
00:11:44 話者 2
Oh dear.
00:11:46 話者 3
Haru-san gives her some advice.
00:11:52 話者 2
In times like these, ginger honey tea may help.
Mia says, Kaito is making you some now.
00:12:03 話者 3
Then Kaito brings Tam the ginger honey.
00:12:08 話者 2
Tea.
All ready, Tam.
Here you go.
Mia says to Tam, Take care.
Now, ginger honey tea is made by pouring hot water over grated ginger and honey.
It's set to work on sore throats and coughs.
00:12:28 話者 3
Poor Tam.
Let's hope she gets better soon.
Today's key phrase is My throat hurts.
If you learn this pattern, you'll be able to say what's wrong with you when you're not feeling well.
00:12:49 話者 2
First, look at the meaning of the key phrase.
Nodo is throat.
The ga that follows is a particle that indicates the part where you're feeling pain.
Itaindesu means it hurts.
Today's point is contained within itaindesu.
That is n-desu.
When you want to explain to someone that you're not feeling well, you add 'ndesu' to the end of the sentence.
'Itaindesu' is made-up of the 'i' adjective 'itai', which means 'hurt', followed by 'ndesu'.
In today's kit, Tam used it to explain her condition to Haru-san.
00:13:34 話者 3
Now listen and repeat.
00:13:42 話者 2
OK, got it.
00:13:58 話者 3
Listen to a conversation about other health problems.
00:14:15 話者 2
Let's review the conversation.
00:14:18 話者 3
What's wrong?
00:14:22 話者 2
This is a phrase used to ask about someone's condition.
Do is an interrogative meaning how or what.
Try to memorize the whole phrase.
00:14:33 話者 4
Atama ga itai in desu.
00:14:35 話者 3
My head hurts.
00:14:37 話者 2
Atama means head.
Atama ga itai means my head hurts.
00:14:43 話者 4
Netsuga arun desu.
00:14:45 話者 3
I have a fever.
00:14:47 話者 2
Netsu means fever.
And aru is a verb meaning to have.
Netsuga aru means to have a fever.
As you can see in this case, not only adjectives, but verbs can also come before ndesu.
00:15:05 話者 3
Repeat the answer after listening to the conversation.
Now, what would you say if your stomach hurts?
Stomach is...
00:15:32 話者 2
Onaka.
Onaka.
00:15:35 話者 3
And hurts is...
00:15:37 話者 2
Itai.
Itai.
00:15:39 話者 3
Right?
Go ahead.
00:15:46 話者 2
Onakaga itai desu.
Onakaga itai desu.
How about if you were feeling sick from motion sickness?
Feeling sick is Kimochi gawarui.
Kimochi gawarui.
Now give it a try.
00:16:13 話者 4
Kimochi gawaru in desu.
Kimochi gawaru in desu.
00:16:22 話者 3
OK, now you can explain what's wrong when you're feeling sick.
Today's bonus phrase is this line by Mia.
She said it to Tam who was not feeling well.
Memorise it and make it yours.
00:16:43 話者 2
Odaishini means take care.
It's a phrase you use with someone who's ill or has been injured, hoping that person will get some rest and feel better soon.
00:16:54 話者 3
Listen to how various people say it.
Now it's your turn.
Listen and repeat.
00:17:14 話者 2
Now let's listen to today's skit one more time.
00:17:51 話者 3
Next up, Haru-san's bag full of advice.
Today, what to do if you get sick in Japan?
00:18:01 話者 2
Michael, how about you?
What would you do if you got sick here?
00:18:06 話者 3
Well, it would depend really on the symptoms.
If it's not too serious, I'd probably buy something at a drugstore.
00:18:13 話者 2
When the symptoms are not too serious, drugstores are convenient.
If you describe your symptoms, such as my stomach hurts or I have a fever, the pharmacist will show you some over-the-counter medicines.
00:18:27 話者 3
What if you have to go see a doctor?
00:18:29 話者 2
Well, you should find a clinic or a hospital that has the right kind of doctors who can treat your symptoms.
After an examination, the doctor will give you a prescription.
You can take that to the drugstore to be filled.
The website of the Japan National Tourism Organization has a list of medical institutions that are prepared to accept international tourists, such as by offering information in various languages.
00:18:54 話者 3
To access the site, search for safe travels in Japan JNTO.
You might want to bookmark it for reference.
And you can also find nearby institutions by asking at the tourist information centers and hotel reception desks.
In case of emergencies, however, dial 119 on the phone and ask for an ambulance.
00:19:16 話者 2
Yes, that's 119.
Please remember that number, although I do hope you never need it.
We hope you enjoyed today's Easy Japanese.
00:19:36 話者 3
Please join us again.
the Great Buddha of Kamakura.
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.
What led to their creation and what were the challenges involved?
The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks brings you the stories behind these amazing places.
In this episode of The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks, we feature the Great Buddha of Kamakura.
Kamakura is a popular tourist destination located near Tokyo.
It's about a one-hour train ride from the capital.
One of Kamakura's landmarks is the Great Buddha.
As its name suggests, the Great Buddha is a colossal copper statue of Amitabha Buddha.
It was built as the principal deity of Jodo Sect Temple Kotokuin.
The Buddha is nicknamed Brozano Daibutsu, meaning the great Buddha sitting out in the open.
It's a national treasure of Japan.
From central Kamakura, the train ride and walk to Kotoku-in Temple takes about 15 minutes.
After passing through the temple's gate, the grand statue of Buddha comes into view.
The Buddha sits in a Zen meditation posture and is over 11 meters tall.
Kamakura was the seat of Japan's feudal government from the end of the 12th century to the early 14th century.
The construction of the Great Buddha began during this period in 1252, almost 800 years ago.
Today, the statue is covered with verde gris, a bright green substance that forms on oxidized copper.
A closer look reveals slight traces of gold leaf, indicating that the statue was originally gilded.
The Great Buddha was made by copper casting.
It's a manufacturing method of melting copper and pouring it into a mold.
But creating a statue that's over 11 meters high wasn't easy at the time.
and it wasn't possible to melt over 120 tons of copper in one go.
So the metal was cast in 40 sections.
This is why joints can be seen on the statue's surface.
The Buddha is hollow.
The statue has two windows on its back.
After the statue was completed, the inner mold was removed through these openings.
Today, the windows let in light and air.
The Buddha was enshrined when it was first built, but over time the hall was damaged by earthquakes and typhoons.
A tsunami at the end of the 15th century swept it away, leaving the Buddha exposed to the open air.
The temple was also abandoned for a certain period, but was restored in the early 18th century.
After a period in which Japan secluded itself from the rest of the world, the Yokohama Port near Kamakura was opened for foreign trade in 1859.
Following this, many foreigners are said to have visited the Great Buddha of Kamakura.
Built nearly eight centuries ago, the Great Buddha of Kamakura has a magnificence that continues to captivate people.
Thank you for tuning into 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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