welcome to nhk world "newsline." the south korean government has rejected a proposal from japan to jointly refer a territorial disfut the international court of justice. japanese officials want the court to settle their claims to the takeshima islands in the sea of japan. japanese embassy staff in seoul received a document notifying them of the rejection. japanese officials made the proposal last week. they were responding to a visit to the islands earlier this month by south korean president lee myung-bak. a spokesperson for the foreign ministry in seoul said the document stated the islands are

south korean territory. he said his government will never go to the international court of justice even if japan files a petition on its own. >> translator: japan should immediately abandon its illegitimate thought, claim and behavior over the issue. >> foreign minister koichiro gemba said they'll take property measures, including bringing the disfut the court on their own. however, judges will not hear the case without the consent of south korean officials. the chinese embassy in tokyo says it thinks a radical japanese group was responsible for a recent incident. a japanese flag was ripped from a vehicle carrying japan's ambassador china.

>> embassy spokes-mile-an-hour yang yu made no comment on the progress of the police investigation. he said the japanese embassy in beijing will be swiftly notified. on monday, two cars stopped a vehicle carrying ambassador uchiro niwa. a man got out of one of the cars, grabbed a small japanese flag from the embassy vehicle and fled. the cars reported the harassed the ambassador for three kilometers by blaring horns and flashing headline lites. they kwoetd a chinese academic as saying the plate had a fake license plate but the embassy spokesman said the scholar did not have access to police information. japanese diplomats spent their day looking across at some unfamiliar faces. they are holding their first talks with north korean officials in four years. they've sat down together for two days and will return friday for another. the foreign ministry officials met for two hours at the north

korean embassy in beijing. the officials are believed to have discussed dates and agendas for talks between more senior diplomats. the japanese demanded on wednesday that north korea's abductions of japanese citizens should be taken up in future talks. struggling japanese electronicsmaker sharp may soon know where it stands in the tie-up with hon hai precision industry. their negotiations are now at the final stage hon hai's chairman are visiting japan to conclude the deal with sharp. they agreed on the capital tie-up in march but they are stoat renegotiate the terms due to a recent plunge in sharp's stock price triggered by the company's poor earnings. sharp still intends to receive an investment from hon hai amounting to a 9.9% stake as both firms had agreed earlier. the taiwanese firm says its capital contribution would be smaller based on sharp's current

stock price. the final agreement on the amount hon hai agrees to invest will be a key to rebuilding the japanese company. another item on the agenda is the sale of sharp's tv assembly plants in china and mexico to hon hai. the two sides did not reach an agreement on thursday. >> translator: we believe that sharp is a first rate company with excellent technologies. we would like to announce the outcome of our negotiations soon. >> sharp and hon hai will continue their negotiations on friday. paul ryan has taken his message of a smaller u.s. government to primetime. the republican nominee for vice president addressed delegates at the party's national convention in tampa, florida. and television viewers across the country. he told them he and mitt romney would oversee an economic recovery. >> we can get this country working again. we can get this economy growing again. we can make the safety net safe

again. we can do this, whatever your political party. let's come together for the sake of our country. join mitt romney and me. let's give this effort everything we have. let's see it all the way through. let's get this done! >> ryan promised to tackle unemployment, entitlement programs and the mounting debt. he said republicans would take direct aim at president obama's signature legislation, health care. ryan is known as a fiscal conservative and is a favorite of the conservative republicans in the tea party. romney brought many conservatives on side when he named ryan to the republican ticket. the party platform is a blueprint of many of the values they embrace. nhk world's matt field has more from tampa. >> reporter: the republican's titled their defining document "we believe in america." their beliefs shine through the

planks of the platform. it's punctuated with words such as "family, faith, and god-given." >> a lot of the delegates are conservatives, and that's the type of platform that we want. we want to show america that we're the party of reagan, the party that can bring the economy back and bring the country back. >> reporter: the platform reflects paul ryan's calls for smaller government, lower taxes, budget discipline. the republicans criticized president obama's health care plan as an expansion of government control. they say it's unworkable. budget busting. the platform promises a republican president would repeal obama care on the first day in office. >> this explosion of debt is unconscionable and unsustainable. mr. president, we will not let you bankrupt this great nation.

>> reporter: the platform makes a shift to the right on social issues. same-sex marriage is now legal in six states and the district of columbia. the republicans would ban it. they would cut funding for illegal immigrants, and they would ban abortion in all cases. >> i think most republicans believe the country is really headed in the wrong direction, and we absolutely need really bold decision-making at federal level and that's going to require really conservative solutions in order to help us get out of the mess we're in. >> reporter: republicans say they would reverse cuts to the military and call themselves the party of peace through strength. they promote what's called american exceptionalism, the conviction that the united states holds a unique place and role in human history. mitt romney will step to the stage at the end of this convention. he'll try to reassure people here and convince those elsewhere that his vision for america is the right one. matt field, nhk world, tampa, florida.

>> the convention gives voters and others an opportunity to examine the nominees more closely. earlier, my colleague yuko aotani spoke with a professor of american politics and foreign policy. >> so, professor, you've been listening to paul ryan. what struck you most there? >> i think it was a good speech. the crowd was very excited. and there's two things about paul ryan. he's, one, an expert on fiscal and economic policy. and second, his message always very dire. but he always optimistic and energetic. but i don't know whether this was undercalculation or he was just stiff, but we didn't see that side of paul ryan on today's speech. and vice president always has sort of a role of an attack dog. and i think he did that quite effectively criticizing president obama's policies and,

to a certain degree, his personal character. so i think he was very effective in playing the attack dog role that he was expected to play. >> we heard a lot about economic policy, but we didn't hear much about foreign policy. why was that, and what are the plans for the republican team in mind in that field? >> often republicans are relied upon as a -- a reliable party on foreign policy and national security. but this time around, both governor romney and congressman ryan lacks the experience of foreign policy and national security. it's understandable because american public is totally looking inward. and this year's election, the discussion or debate on foreign policy is lacking. but there is a difference between republicans and the democrats, i think, although it's not quite clear yet. i think this notion that america is exceptional is strongly held by the republican party, that

you have to establish peace, not through shaking hands, but through strength. and i think the difference will be played out in the case of, for example, how they will deal with china or countries like russia. i think there will be a difference in tone between the democrats and the republicans. >> and one very quick question. republican candidates have just a little more than two months before voting day. >> yes. >> what will they be doing then? >> there will be a speech tomorrow by candidate romney, and i think he has to humanize himself. and there are three debates in october. and i think obama team will try to change the subject other than economy, so i think romney has to stick with the economy, because that's his strong point. economies across the asia pacific region aim to conclude a pact in 2015 with a final goal of setting up a free trade zone. they say their targets will be

more ambitious than those of the existing free trade agreements signed among them. ten asean member nations and six other countries -- japan, china, south korea, india, australia, and new zealand -- reached agreement at a meeting in cambodia. the countries say they aim to cut or abolish tariff, a range of products giving special consideration to farm produce and other sensitive items. they will seek to free up trade and services and investments and also relax rules on protecting intellectual property. talks on launching the free trade zone are scheduled to start early next year. brazil's central bank has lowered its key rate to a record low, a move supporting the nation economy which has been suffering from the ongoing european debt crisis. policymakers decided on wednesday to cut the benchmark rate to 7.5%.

that is down from 8%. the move marks the ninth consecutive rate cut and is down sharply from the recent peak of 12.5% in august of last year. the global economic slowdown is dampening demand for brazilian iron ore. cheap textile goods are also weighing down on the domestic industry. looking ahead, the central bank expects the nation's economic growth to slow to 2.5% for the year. uncertainties over the economic outlook are prompting the bank's policymakers to take further monetary easing measures. the world's carmakers are gearing up for the russian market. new car sales in russia are steadily rebounding from the slump that followed the global financial crisis. more than 100 carmakers from around the world are showcasing their latest models at the moscow motor show. some firms are planning to produce locally to expand their business in the fast growing market. japan's mazda is showing its new mazda six. the company will start producing the model in the far eastern

city of vladivostok. the outlander will be rolling out of a plant near moscow with production starting in november. mitsubishi is also showing a new pajero sports model for production next year. the auto industry expects the russian market to grow over the next three years to one of the largest in europe with annual sales of more than 3 million units. germany's green energy policy is going through growing pains. the country uses what's called a feed in tariff system. it requireses utilities to pay companies and other clients a set price for power generated by solar and other renewables. but problems have cropped up for consumers, utilities and clean energy producers. nhk world's yusuki kimura explains. >> reporter: they are living near berlin. the german government introduced

the feeding tariff 12 years ago. back then it accounted for less than 1% of the couple's electricity bill. as of last year, it increased to 15%. >> translator: electricity is essential for our daily lives. it's just like water. so it's wrong to impose a heavy burden on users like us. >> reporter: germany is now moving to abolish nuclear power generation turning to renewable energy instead. renewable energy accounted for some 20% of electricity generated in the country last year, topping nuclear power's 18% for the first time. and that leading to the feed-in tariff system. it requires utilities to purchase at a fixed rate,

creating energy created by clients like business corporations. the use of high-priced solar power quickly spread. and power companies passed the costs of buying clean energy on to electricity users. the greater the amount of energy the utilities bought, the heavier the burden on consumers became. drexel runs a fiber processing company with 140 workers on the payroll. he has doubts about germany's energy policy that heavily depends today on solar power. his company uses a lot of electricity. ten years ago, its power bill came to around $13,000 a year. this year, the cost is about 12 times that. it accounts for a third of the

firm's revenue. >> translator: we're already nearing our limits. if our electricity bill goes up any higher, we'd have to slash our workforce. >> reporter: to ease public concerns, the german government has slashed the utilities energy purchase prices. but the move sparked opposition from businesses that profit from power generation. thousands of people staged a demonstration in berlin last spring. german solar panelmakers had hoped to benefit from the feed-in tariff system but they are now facing problems of their own. chinese-made solar panels are cheaper than those produced in germany, and their market share

is growing. >> translator: chinese-made panels now make up for 60% of supply. the rest comes from south korea and taiwan so there's little demand for panels made in germany. >> reporter: it's not clear whether the feed-in tariff system will survive in germany. the government, industries and consumers need to join hands and address the challenges they face. ryusuke kimura, nhk world, berlin. japan introduced a system similar to germany's in july. experts warn it could face similar problems unless it tailors the rules to match the nation's needs. here are the latest market figures.

childhood dreams are too often just that, fleeting passions that are forgotten with time. but here's one man who never let go. his achievement is a dream that began 80 years ago, and today stokes the imaginations of thousands. nhk world's rina nikano has the story. >> reporter: it looks and sounds like a train chugging through the european countryside. but it's actually a much smaller version of the real thing. one of many miniatures on display at the hara model

railway museum. it opened in july in yokohama, the birthplace of japan's railways. visitors can see japanese, european and american models. all are faithful to original designs. for example, electric powered trolley cars with detailed leather hand straps. rare models with intricate stained glass windows. and carved handrails. and the oriental express with perfectly placed dining sets. all of this is the work of one man, world-renowned model train craftsman nobutara hara. >> translator: i am thrilled. i hope people can enjoy everything in this museum

forever. >> reporter: the 93-year-old's love for trains began eight decades ago. hara created his first model from scratch at 13. using steel plates, empty cans and other household items. he's been hooked ever since. the museum's biggest crowd pleaser is this. a 310-square-meter display with tracks and trains running through miniature city. it's one of the largest indoor diaramas in the world. the display features six different railway lines, 450 meters in all. trains scaled down to 1/32 of the original size run at the same time. hara doesn't just amaze people with the grandeur of his handmade models. he also wows them with his attention to detail for the diarama. trains stop at each station.

and their headlights turn on during the night setting. sight, sound, touch, hara's goal is to give people a complete train experience. >> translator: yeah, i want these. i want them all! >> translator: everything looks so real. i can't help but just stare. >> reporter: the public is now benefiting from nobutaro hara's life-long passion for trains, marveling at what he builds with his hands and his heart. what will you do with your childhood dreams? rina nakano, nhk world, yokohama, japan. clear skies and hot weather continues in tokyo. the storm, however, looms over south korea. meteorologist robert speta has

more. robert? >> yes, very foul weather across much of the korean peninsula here. now, this is -- was tropical storm tembin. now it's downgraded to a low pressure area moving away from the korean peninsula. but still bringing some heavy rain showers around north korea. then it's going to be expected in towards northeastern china. a very heavy precipitation here. but not just across the korean peninsula is where you'll be seeing this. portions of western japan. you have this moisture inflow coming in from the south along the western periphery of this high pressure off towards the east. some areas in nagano, upwards of 44 millimeters in just a one-hour period. still could be seeing up to 100 and 150 millimeters in some of these strong storms within the next 24 hours. definitely a very foul weather here. then we look over towards central china. there's a developing front here that's bringing exceptionally unfavorable weather. it's mainly due to this cool air sinking in from the north. warm air in the south. clashing and that is going to be provide something very gusty

winds. heavy rainfall up to about 100 to 150 millimeters and even a large hail. take a look at some of these temperatures. beijing, high of 32. ulaanbaatar behind this front, 14 only for your high. if you remember back a few days, you saw highs into about the mid-20s. now going into sunday, it's actually going to be expected to get to -- down to 2 here in ulaanbaatar for your low. now in the americas, tropical storm isaac is continuing to be the main topic here. see all these feeder bands? these are still bringing heavy rain showers near the coastlines here. especially around new orleans where you are still recovering from the floods. want to show you a video coming out of new orleans here. hurricane isaac was downgraded to a tropical storm but continued to pound southeastern louisiana with destructive winds and heavy rain. and also caused extensive flooding in the outskirts of new orleans where residents, cattle and pets were rescued by boat. some people were trapped in their homes with their -- as they refused to actually leave their pets and possessions

behind when evacuation orders were issued. now up to about 765,000 households are without power across this entire area. and definitely still looking at recovery efforts in place here as this storm starts to work its way off there towards the north. heavy rain showers still expected around missouri over towards arkansas and even into illinois as it does work its way toward the north. eventually begins to pull toward the east as a remnant low bringing those showers into places like indiana and also ohio. you have to remember, very dry conditions across much of this region here. so its soil will not be able to soak up that rain. definitely a lot of run-off is going to be bringing the rink of some flash flooding. farther towards the north, across the dakotas toward the northern rockies. very dry weather is in place and also a little cooler behind a front moving in from the west. winnipeg with a high of 24. vancouver and seattle, low 20s for a high. chicago, 34 on your thursday. now over towards europe, frontal

areas pushing across the scandinavian peninsula. extending down towards northern italy. some very hefty weather in place here. actually going to be seeing some widespread rain showers. even winds up to about 60 kilometers per hour. behind it, though, high is ridging in. this will bring fair weather toward the iberian peninsula. the british isles by the end of the weekend, expect another shot of rain showers from another atlantic system. but look at these temperatures. london with a high of 18. paris at 20. even expect that to cool down going through the weekend as well. now here's a look at your extended forecast.

a violin made from debris left by last year's tsunami has been winning over classical music fans in tokyo. french musician gerald pole played the instrument for disaster survivors at a special concert in the capital on thursday. ♪ the violin was made by a japanese craftsman using pine and maplewood found among wreckage in takata prefecture. it also marked the 150th anniversary of a french composure's birth. the program included a sanata for violin and piano that

debusie is said to have played for wounded soldiers. pole told the audience his thoughts are with the tsunami victims in tohoku. ♪ his father gustan pole gave the first performance of the sonata on the comb poser's own piano. many from disaster-hit areas attended thursday's concert. >> translator: i am moved and feel healed, despite the worry of life as an evacuee. >> translator: i remember the huge tsunami, and that makes me crew. i am really touched by the movement of the music. we'll be back with more updates in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo.

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