> powering the future. japan's debate over atomic energy plays out on a number of levels as a new poll suggests more people want to go nuclear-free. welcome to nhk world "newsline." they know risks posed by radiation, and they don't like it. nearly half of japanese surveyed by the government say nuclear power generation should stop by the year 2030. government researchers close about 280 people at random for talks on japan's energy dependence. afterwards, they asked participants how much of the power supply should be nuclear in 2030. almost half said nuclear energy should be completely eliminated.

15% said it should make up a fraction of electricity needs, 13% said nuclear was acceptable for up to a quarter of requirements. the researchers also asked the most important factor authorities should consider in drafting the new energy policy, 3/4 of respondents said safety. 40% said a stable power supply. 16% said cost. nhk world is covering this story. so, we've seen a lot of polls done on nuclear power in japan in recent days. how is this one different? >> well, researchers used something called deliberative polling. they chose participants randomly and asked questions before and after the debate. the method is designed to show how discussions can change people's opinions. the deliberative polling is said to allow participants to address an issue more than ordinary poll

which require people to express views based on insufficient information. the japanese government introduced the method with a view of reflecting what the so-called silent majority thinks about the nuclear energy. >> what kind of change did researchers see before and after the debates? >> well, as you mentioned, almost after of respondents or 46.7% ended up saying japan should completely get rid of nuclear power. before the debates that number was 32.6%. that's a difference of 14 percentage points. on the other hand, the percentages who supported two other options for reliance on nuclear power didn't change that much. in short, the poll suggests the number of people who put priority on safety increased after the debate. >> i guess the more important question that's going to be coming forward is, how will the government incorporate the poll results into crafting its new energy policy?

>> okay. the government solicited public opinions in two other ways. officials organized hearings in 11 locations nationwide including fukushima, asking people about the three options for nuclear supply. the government also invited citizens to send in their views via fax and the internet. it collected more than 80,000 comments. it's assigning a panel of experts to analyze all of the opinions. the government plans to finalize the energy policy by the end of this month based on the panel's analysis. business leaders are voicing skepticism. they say the government didn't give much thoughts to the impact on the three options could have on the economy. on top of that, prime minister yoshihiko noda's cabinet remains divided on how to reflect public opinions on this issue. some ministers say working out the details of the energy policy could drag on into september.

prime minister noda isn't just listening to ministers, experts, and opinion poll data, he's also meeting face to face with some opponents of atomic energy. noda sat down with rep i was of citizens groups that are against nuclear power generation. they criticized the government for reactivating two reactors at the plant in japan. they said leaders did not learn from the accident at fukushima-daiichi nuclear plant and did not listen to citizens' opinions. they urged the prime minister to halt the reactors and scrap all of the country's nuclear plans. noda would confirm the start after confirming the safety. he argued he made the decision for the sake of people's lives, not to benefit certain business groups. >> translator: our basic policy is to reduce our dependence on nuclear energy. in the medium to long term, we're aiming to shift the

nation's structure which relies on nuclear power. >> citizens groups have been organizing anti-nuclear rallies near the prime minister's office every friday. former prime minister kan helped them arrange their meeting with noda. people against nuclear power are taking a new approach. a nobel prize-winning author and composer are looking at legal ways to eliminate nuclear plants. others in the 21-member association include the mayor in fukushima prefecture. the national network for legislation to abolish nuclear power unveiled their proposals in tokyo. they're calling for restricting existing nuclear plants to 40 years of operation. they also want to ban the construction of new plants. the measures say all plants should be scrapped between fiscal 2020 and 2025 at the latest.

>> translator: we must not disrupt the lives of people in the next world, next century, and next era. these are our ethics as people of today. >> group members will lobby lawmakers and political parties to submit their proposals as a bill during the current diet session. south korea has decided to send back to japan a letter calling for a peaceful settlement. sending back such a letter is an unusual step in terms of protocol. noda sent the letter last friday expressing regret over the recent viz skpt remarks on bilateral ties. south kree aa cla-- korea claim

the islets. he urged south korea to act cautiously. the south korean government official told nhk that the letter has got the facts wrong. asked about south korea's decision to return the letter noda only said he learned about it in the news. the plane belonging to the top u.s. military officer has been damaged in an attack in afghanistan. our reporter is in bangkok with the details. a daring attack on the largest u.s. air base in afghanistan shows just how delicate the security situation there remains. during the raid late monday night, shrapnel hit the plane used by the chairman of the joint chiefs, general martin dempsey. the general wasn't on board at the time.

the taliban has claimed responsibility, but the united states denies the strike was specifically targeting the plane. >> last night two rounds hit bagram air fields. actually they caused damage to a helicopter and c-17 transport airplane of general dempsey. he was already in his room by that time, so he was not affected at all. >> reporter: bagram air base is located north of the capital, kabul. dempsey was on a short visit to talk with nato and afghan commanders. the main topic was a string of recent killings of personnel by men who appeared to be from afghan security forces. now concern is mounting over security in afghanistan as foreign troops begin to withdraw by 2014. and here in thailand, armed men have set fire to an auto

showroom in a western-southern province. it's the latest in a string of attacks against muslim militants. police say it's intended to cause harm to the local economy. the attack in the district targeted a showroom for vehicles made by japan's honda motor. police say ten armed men wearing mask entered the showroom early wednesday and threatened three security guards. they spread a liquid resembling gasoline, set fire to it, and ran away. none of the guards was injured. and 50 new cars were burned out. southern thailand has been racked by attacks. next to india where the government is putting pressure on social media web sites including facebook and twitter to remove content it accuses of inflaming communal violence. the government says rumors helped cause panic among my

-- migrants from northeast india. thousands of them fled urban areas fearing they'd be attacked. the government announced on tuesday that it blocked access to 245 web pages it says contained doctored videos and images. it said international social networking sites indicated much of the content was uploaded from pakistan. >> translator: i don't want to block anyone because it's not the government's job to do censorship. we want the internet to be free and fair. but to spread terror, to spread rumors, to threaten people and to do this by creating fake accounts, to put up doctored photos on the internet, that is to mess with normalcy in the country. >> reporter: thousands of students and workers fled mumbai, bangalore, and other cities last week. the exodus was prompted by a

series of threatening online images and text messages. they suggested the migrants would be targeted. in retaliation for violence against muslims. reuters says clashes between the indigenous border community and muslim settlers from bangladesh have killed nearly 80 people and have displaced some 300,000 since july. the government earlier placed limits on the use of text messages. the crackdown will likely rekindle the debate on freedom of speech and internet in the world's largest democracy. and that will wrap up our bulletin for today. i'm reporting from bangkok. ailing japanese electronics maker sharp may get more money from its banks to boost its financial condition.

the loan amount could reach $2.9 billion. officials at mizuho corporate bank and the bank of tokyo mitsubishi are considering lending over $1.6 billion at the end of this month and over $1.2 billion in september. the banks have already lent about $830 million to sharp without collateral. but sources close to the bank say this time they're considering loans with security. in march, sharp executives agreed to each receive about $830 million in investment from their taiwanese business partner, but the management is seeking a review of investment terms sharp's stock price plunged. under such a situation, sharp may face difficulties in raising money by issuing commercial paper if investors downgrade their assessment of the firm. the worst drought in half a a half century in the united

states will start to affect japanese consumers. japan's agriculture ministry decided to raise the selling price of wheat imports. that means about 3% higher prices which wholesalers will need to pay starting in october. the japanese government imports nearly 90% of the wheat that the nation consumes. it then sells it to domestic millers to ensure a stable supply. the government reviews its selling price twice a year in april and october. prices of five types of imported wheat including crops from the united states and australia will be raised to about $635 per ton on average. the selling prices of corn and soybean have also been surging to record high levels due to the serious drought. in line with this, wheat prices have been on the rise since the end of june. this will be the first hike in japan for wheat prices since last october. concerns over syria beginning to affect japanese consumers. gasoline prices at pump in japan have risen for a second straight week.

that's due to an advance in crude oil prices. officials at the research institute say, as of monday, the average retail price of regular gasoline was 143.8 yen per liter that's about $1.80 and utabout 4 cents from the previous week. analysts at the institute says impact of higher crude i'll prices on retail gasoline prices needs to be watched closely. and international gift fair is held in new york. japanese household goods are drawing attention. american consumers are looking for ways to decorate their living quarters as they spend more time at home during the economic slump. 2800 firms showcasing home improvement products at the annual event. among those taking part 36 small companies from japan's quake-hit northeast and other area. popular japanese items include stylish kitchenware, storage good for food and clothing and

glass ornaments. >> translator: japanese products are high in quality and very functional. many are not yet available in the u.s. so there are a lot of business opportunities. >> many americans are choosing to buy smaller homes due to economic uncertainties. she says the trend could provide more opportunities for makers of the items that use space efficiently. people use smartphones to do everything, go online, play games. they also snap photos with devices and upload picture to the internet. that function has proven to be a problem for japan's compact digital camera makers. sales are suffering. but one company has found a way to give convenience and quality.

>> reporter: taking photos with smartphones, something people do every day, everywhere. good enough for these folks. >> translator: the smartphone's quality satisfies me. >> translator: it's convenient because i can upload pictures to facebook. i don't think i need a digital camera anymore. >> reporter: the rise of the smartphone has caused sales of compact digital cameras to decline. slow economic growth and high penetration in developed countries are also having an impact. one of japan's biggest camera makers, nikon, is trying to reverse the trend with its new invention. >> translator: we've created this camera to invigorate a new market. this should be an eye-opener. >> reporter: it has all the distinctive characteristics of a high-quality japanese digital camera.

powerful zoom lens, continuous shooting mode, high sensitivity. people can also use it to edit photos. but it has one key difference. it runs on google's android software. many amateur photographers don't like having to connect cables when uploading photos to their p.c. you can upload pictures to facebook, twitter, and other social networking sites. >> you'll find popular -- >> translator: i think many people expect the new product to have the functions of a smart phone. this product will be convenient for digital camera users just like a smartphone. >> reporter: nikon executives

emphasize only camera makers could create something like this which offers the best of both worlds. it's part of the effort to rejuvenate japan's electronics industry. the country's been lagging behind competitors in home appliances and mobile phones. digital cameras are seen as the last stronghold. other japanese camera makers are now rushing to produce models with new functions, hoping it will change the picture of what people do every day. nhk world, tokyo. here are the latest market figures.

in the united states a significant new immigration program has just kicked off. it could offer a way for over 800,000 young illegal or undocumented immigrants to stay in the country and work legally corrine schneider has the story. >> reporter: new york city home to diverse population of immigrants, at this church in lower manhattan over 1,000 youth gathered last week. these young people were brought here to the united states as children of illegal immigrant parents. they lined up for free legal advice and guidance. they are preparing to apply under the deferred act for childhood initiative which would grant a two-year reprieve from deportation. >> i feel like this is definitely made my dream and

reality come true, that i wanted to pursue a field in energy in the united states. >> i do support the president by all means. this is not a whole package but at least it's something. >> reporter: eligible applicants must be 30 year of age or younger. they must have been 16 upon arrival in the u.s. and have lived here for at least five years. they must also be enrolled in high school or possess a graduate diploma. those with a criminal record are not eligible. applicants who win approval will be allowed to stay in the u.s. for a renewable period of two years. they can also obtain a work permit, apply for a driver's license, and receive financial aid for college. this past june, president obama announced the ambitious deferred action policy. an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants reside in the united states.

over 70% of them come from mexico and central and south american countries. four years ago obama promised to create a pathway for undocumented youth to secure permanent residency in america. since elected president, has pushed for the dream act which would enable him to do just that. first introduced in 2001 and repeatedly in the years following the dream act failed to pass in congress in 2011. republicans opposed it on grounds it would encourage more illegal immigration to the country. today, the dream act still remains a dream for many undocumented youth. in a bid to keep elements of the dream act alive, obama announced the deferred action policy in a sweeping exercise of executive order. bypassing the congress. jessica martinez, 19, is a deferred action applicant.

today, she's come to consult with a lawyer about her application requirements. she was brought to america illegally ten years ago. her parents decided to leave their home in colombia, which was rife with gang violence and ongoing civil conflict. they wanted to provide a better future for their children. immediately after arriving in new york, jessica enrolled in the public school system and began studying english for the first time. this fall, she will begin her second year at a prestigious ivy league university. yet, jessica remains undocumented in america and could be deported at any time. this has been one of her biggest fears, despite all that she's accomplished here. >> in terms of being able to access jobs i never thought i could access, i think it gives you a sense of security, too just because there's always that

threat of deportation, lingering behind. >> reporter: obama's new policy has renewed hope among young, undocumented immigrants for eventual perm residency. but immigration policy is a contentious issue in the was is likely to be a focal point in the run-up to current elections. corinne schneider. for an update on the weather forecast, mai shoji. mai? one is the typhoon moving suddenly closer toward the southern okinawa islands. it will be maintaining its strength as a typhoon as it

makes landfall over taiwan. the rainfall amounts, could be staggering amounts when they accumulate. 300 to 350 millimeters could be possibly in and around the regions. it will be engulfing much of the country. do be aware of coastal flooding and land slides. it will be affecting okinawa by the weekend with intense weather conditions. this will be intensifying into a very strong typhoon status by friday. however, it is even bigger and stronger than the afffore mentioned one. another round of very rough sea conditions. coastal flooding will actually

be at higher risks due to this approaching the islands. not only these two storm systems are affecting directly the land masses but also feeding ample amounts of moisture towards south korea as well as western japan. there is going to be unstable weather across much of northwestern japan frequent lightning as well as hail and gusty conditions. even tornadic activity cannot be ruled out. we may find 50 millimeters in an hour which could trigger flash flooding. this will be into thursday evening. much of the rest of the country in japan will be looking at temperatures digits roaring into the 30s again. tokyo 34 degrees. let's move over to the atlantic.

you can see another cloud formation. and that will be hitting those caribbean islands and intensifying into a hurricane as it moves closer towards puerto rico. it looks like this one will not be missing land masses and moving towards the florida peninsula and affecting much of the caribbean islands. this is tropical storm isaac. it will be intensifying and the storm surges plus the high waves will definitely be key makers to cause some kind of flooding situation. now, across europe things are pretty self-explanatory with with persisting heat and the cooler air from the north clashing here the deferring air masses generating the severe weather conditions. temperatures, things will be in towards the average range in

madrid. things are all above ten degrees your average range. here is your exteneded forecast. we'll be back with more updates in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo.

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