for people in western japatalasm a couple of weeks ago, triggering major flooding and landslides, now they're getting ready to take another hit. tropical storm roke is churning out into the pacific ocean. the meteorological agency says the system is about 190 east of naha, okinawa. it said the storm is almost stationary. roke is packing winds of almost 80 kilometers per hour near its center. heavy rain has started falling in western japan. this video is from the shikoku region. roke is expected to bring up to five centimeters of rain per hour to western and central japan. the worry is, downpours could hit areas such as the kii peninsula. tropical storm talas brought record rainfall there earlier this month. it left nearly 100 people dead or missing. we turn to rachel ferguson for more details. rachel? >> as we take a look at the

predicted path, you can see as we were mentioning there, it is stationary, moving west-northwest very slowly. the winds are at 83 kilometers per hour currently and the gusts at 126. now the problem with a system like this that just wants to hover and rotate in the same place, it means that the rain comes down in the same place. and that can really cause a problem for flash floods as well as mudslides and landslides. and it's not just the focus down here we need to worry about. we're seeing lots of heavy rain off the system coming down across the pacific edge of japan. you'll remember this was the area that was hit by talas, the typhoon that came through two weeks ago, it led to mudslides and fatalities. actually a cross the region. so this is not good news, in kochi and miyazaki prefecture we've seen some places picking up about 300 millimeters of rain just in the last 24 hours. into the next 24, this is what we're looking at. into saturday evening, anywhere you're seeing in the red,

another 300 millimeters of rain is likely. it's going to be a very wet weekend. and there is great cause for concern here. back to you, i'll be back with more weather news later on. tropical storm roke has people living on the kii peninsula on high alert. they're especially concerned, because some rivers remain dammed up with debris following the landslides that happened earlier this month. it started raining on friday morning in tanabe city, wakayama prefecture. officials say a total of 54 millimeters had fallen by 6:00 p.m. local time. authorities are using a camera to keep an eye on this river. the landslides dammed it up and it created a lake. the clearance between the surface of the water and the edge of a built-up debris is more than 2.5 meters. the water level has stabilized for now. but officials describe the situation as dangerous. tanabe city has cordoned off a downstream district as a precaution. dammed-up rivers are threatening

to overflow in nara prefecture. local authorities have restricted access to some of the surrounding areas. a number of residents have left their homes. >> translator: we set up the evacuation zone to protect residents. because the dammed-up rivers could break with just a little amount of rain. devastating floods and a flood of criticism will be keeping pakistan's prime minister from attending a key international event next week. yusuf raza gilani says he won't travel to new york for the meeting of the u.n. general assembly. instead, gilani said he'll visit flooded areas and lead aid in recovery work. heavy rain has been falling in pakistan since last month. drenching the south. the disaster has killed 240 people. floodwater has inundated 920,000 houses and the crisis has affected more than 5.5 million

people. pakistan's government is calling for international assistance. prime minister gilani's decision to skip the united nations meeting is apparently aimed at deflecting criticism over the cost of his trip. local media reported he would spend at least $40,000 of taxpayers' money every day. that would have paid for among other things, hotel charges for 80-person entourage that included family and staff. the president of the philippines is trying to get japan to support his country on an issue that puts it in conflict with china. ba nino aquino is trying to secure safe navigation of the south china sea. aquino spoke to japanese reporters on friday in manila. he is visiting japan later this month. the president argued that china's claim for almost all of the south china sea is unacceptable. >> it imports all of its oil

from elsewhere. and it has to pass through this body of water. and so there is a need for, for freedom of navigation. >> aquino has already taken up this issue with china. he met with chinese president, hu jintao a couple of weeks ago in bay engine. huh says the dispute over access to the south china sea should be resolved through consultations and negotiations. the south korean governments has apologized for a massive power blacut on thursday that left much of the country sweltering in the summer heat. knowledge economy minister, choi joong-kyung, told a parliament committee on friday that the government could not predict a surge in power demand and had to cut off a supply without prior warning.

>> nationwide electricity consumption surged thursday, due to lingering summer heat exceeding the projected demand. korea electric power corporation cut off electricity supplies without issuing a public warning. the blackout left households and businesses in more than 200 districts without power for five hours. choi said the government will ask the public and private sectors to conservative electricity to help stabilize power supplies. next we go to our bureau in bangkok, pachari raksawong has the latest on what's going on in the region. pakistan is under heavy pressure to deal with militants hiding in the country as criticism intensifies from its neighbors and united states. i had-ranking american officials have accused the pakistani government of not doing enough for regional security.

u.s. defense secretary leon panetta on wednesday said pakistani forces had made little progress tackling militants. he said the u.s. would do everything possible to defend its forces. pakistan replied on thursday that panetta's comments would likely fuel tensions between the uneasy allies. >> these remarks seem to be out of line with the type of cooperation and the extent of cooperation that exists between the two sites on counterterrorism. in afghanistan where heavy fighting was throughout the capital, authorities said they had found evidence on the bodies of insurgents, that they had been in contact with militants outside of afghanistan during the battle. >> translator: all of the evidence we have received shows that their attack was planned on the other side of the afghanistan border. >> criticism also came from another of pakistan's neighbors.

india's home minister said thursday pakistan was tolerating several terrorists groups that continue to target india. the comment follows a blast at a new delhi courthouse that killed 11 people earlier this month amid continuous violence in and around pakistan, the country finds itself increasingly isolated. and thailand's newly elected prime minister, yingluck shinawatra, visited cambodia on thursday and held talks with her counterpart, both plan to diffuse their long conflict but despite the diplomatic talk, how much progress was really made? nhk world reports from. >> reporter: tension was focused on whether the two leaders could

find a way to ease their strained military relationship. the countries remain at odds over a territorial dispute involving a site near the border. both continue to deploy military forces in the area despite an order from the international court of justice. cambodian prime minister did establish trust with his brother thaksin, when he was prime minister. but relations soured after he was ousted from power in 2003. on thursday, both thailand and cambodia agreed to solve the territorial issue. >> i believe that from the good better environment of the

relationships, we think we can talk in a peaceful way. so that's why we have become -- some of the cooperation and some bilateral. >> translator: on the border issue, the prime minister has agreed with prime minister yingluck that we do everything to have the two armies meet and keep in good contact with each other. >> reporter: but the summit failed to deliver a concrete road map to the withdrawal of troops or the hot button issue of finalizing the border between the two nations. both sides have bitter feelings from their long conflict. and mistrust. whether they can overcome those hurdles remains to be seen. for nhk news. if you're a dog owner you might be proud of your puppy, if it obeys orders like sit, lay down or wait.

but that's not nearly enough here in thailand where household pets are getting some serious job training. nhk world's saitomi aso explains. >> reporter: these dogs are trying hard to learn new discipline. giving directions and the dogs get it okay one by one. the goal of this intensive training is to sniff out illegal drugs. it's a hassle, and some trainees look like they would rather be somewhere else. these dogs are being trained to sniff out illegal dogs. but when they are home, they are cute, household pets. how are you? their owners sent the dogs to

boot camp after an appeal by the thai police. thailand is a point for smuggling drugs such as methamphetamine. and also, a large drug market. the problem is so widespread, that the police have a shortage for sniffer dogs. so last year they started training household pets to help out. >> translator: as drugs remain a rampant problem, all agencies have to help eradicate illegal narcotics, not just the police. a cooperation of citizens is needed, too. >> reporter: more than 200 dogs were put forward for training. the police chose only the bravest animals with the most sensitive noses. >> come on.

>> reporter: after three months' work, the dogs have mastered how to sniff out illegal drugs hidden in a vehicle. their owners are also satisfied with their puppies' progress. >> translator: i wanted him to get healthier and then become a nicer dog. at home he only ate and slept and did nothing much. >> reporter: 2-year-old, this is one of the canine candidates. he learned some top skills during training. he lives in bangkok with his owner. she is an university lecturer. she says the dog loves to play, but used to be disobedient.

>> reporter: after training, though, he knows how to follow commands. >> translator: the training made a big difference. now he's more obedient and listens to me more. i hope he'll be of help to the authorities when we need it. >> reporter: 50 dogs have graduated from the training so far. their owners have to keep them so they do not forget their duty and can sniff out drugs when called.

saitomi aso, nhk world, bangkok. always a man's best friend. we thought we'd wrap up our bulletin. i'm pachari raksawong in bangkok. back to you. "newsline" is the place to turn to for the latest on japan post-march 11th. we have two segments offering two unique perspectives on the fallout from the earthquake and tsunami. "nuclear watch" brings you insight and information on the impact of the fukushima daiichi crisis. "the road ahead" examines japan's efforts to recover and rebuild don't miss them on "newsline." more than six months after the march 1179 earthquake and tsunami, some 90,000 people are still waiting for life to return to normal. for now, they must be content with basic accommodation and basic food. in this edition "the road ahead"

we meet a chef who uses his skills and experience to make life for the survivors more palatable. nhk world's yuko fukuyama has the story. >> meet katsuyana ito, he's a chef in iwate prefecture. since the march 11th catastrophe, he has been cooking and handing out food to stricken people nonstop. >> today he and two chefs from outside the prefecture are cooking meals for 170 people. the menu, features a nutritious variety of marinated vegetables, a rich soup, roast beef and pumpkin pudding. on any given day, it's normal for ito to travel for as long as three hours or more to get to a shelter. then, he cooks a meal that is heartier, tastier and more nutritious than the usual diet. >> translator: oh, sure, lunch boxes were being handed out.

but they were all the same. and didn't offer any real choice. in the end, people just lose the pleasure of eating. so i thought it would be nice to try and bring some of that pleasure back to them. >> reporter: even before the disaster, ito was involved in compassionate activities. for several years, he traveled across the prefecture to cook for families. he developed deep ties with many. several of his clients lost their homes on march 11th. others vanished. on this day, ito journeys to a city leveled by the tsunami. the majority of survivors now live in about 2,000 temporary housing units. the local government's food distribution program has finished.

now it's up to the locals to feed themselves. but with few opportunities to earn a living, many save money by spending less on food. >> translator: cooking takes time and it's quite a hassle. so this is a real treat. >> reporter: most victims of the disaster say that without the clear idea of the future, they don't feel like cooking. on top of that, the elderly find it difficult to buy groceries. they may not have transportation or they simply don't have the stamina. >> reporter: ito tries his best to give balanced meals centered on vegetables. he also wants to serve the kind of food people ate before the catastrophe.

>> translator: dishes like these are really hard to get around here. so we're very grateful. my kids really seem to love it. and it picks up my spirits when i hear them say that the food is so delicious. >> translator: it really perks me up when i hear that people look forward to our meals. in the end, it encourages me to keep on doing this. >> reporter: ito feels that his efforts are not just about feeding people, but also about helping them reconstruct their lives. today he visits a port city all but wiped out by the tsunami and a huge fire. >> translator: people who live here didn't see the waves coming. their houses were still

standing, but when they turned around, the tsunami was carrying off buildings. on this shopping street alone, some 30 people died. others saved themselves by hanging on to electric power cables. >> reporter: for the past three months, ito has been helping some women set up an eatery where locals can gather casually. before march 11th, most of these women were involved in growing and processing seaweeds and scallops. but the whole industry was sidelined by the giant wave. ito brought a grill that he ordered especially for the project. it should be ideal for cooking seafood and other local products that will be on the menu. >> reporter: they try their hand

at noodles and salmon and roll. only one single convenience store remains in the community. the shopping street in most restaurants were wiped out. so the idea behind the project is not just to provide a place that serves good food. it's also a base where locals can restart their lives. >> translator: i've been giving a lot of thought about how we could try to make people happier. i also made it through the tsunami. and i think we need to be able to move forward. >> translator: the stores and restaurants are gone. people have no place to meet. since the disaster, maybe some locals even pass by others without a word of greeting. that's why i think it's so important for us to provide a central place where people can mingle.

>> translator: this kind of eatery bears a great responsibility, because it's a place where people get together. that's why i really want them to work hard. at the same time, i'm also taking part. and i'm glad to be able to support them. >> reporter: and so food, necessary for survival, and a place to eat and mix with others provides people with strength and the will to work together for a better future. yuko fukuyama, nhk world, in iwate prefecture. nearly 100 other chefs have joined ito in bringing quality food to the disaster zones. others donate meat and some other foods. but it costs a lot of money to operate this project. its survival will depend on getting proper funding.

here's rachel ferguson again, with weather. time for your weather round-up as we head into the weekend. first to eastern asia. we were talking about roke, this one might cause quite a problem as we head through the weekend. but there is yet another storm to think about this. this one is songka. quite far off at the moment, but as it comes closer to the eastern edge of japan, if we still have roke sitting there vicinity, then the two storms combined could mean a continued amount of heavy rain coming down across parts of western and up into eastern japan. so we'll be watching for that as we head into the beginning of next week. heavy rains also moving through parts of the sea of japan side of the country and up into the north, northern tohoku could see about 120 millimeters of rain, this is coming off of a front being exacerbated by our tropical storm down here further towards the south. and then another area of heavy

rain will be found in central china. this is going to get a little bit worse before it gets better. but by the end of the weekend it should start to settle down a bit. out towards the north is where we'll find the fairer weather, but it is going to be a little bit on the chilly side, 9 degrees in ulan bator, lows down around freezing. 20 in beijing. 29 in seoul and 30 in tokyo and fairly warm as we head further towards the south. especially in chongqing at 35. maria, the hurricane that we've been tracking for the past several days is now headed for newfoundland. we have warnings, tropical storm warnings, hurricane warnings posted across eastern locations. it's a very fast-moving system. moving at 7 2 kilometers per hour. it is going to be heading straight up through and then should start to lose steam after it makes landfall. it's currently giving us winds of 130 kilometers per hour. stronger gusts with that, too. so we're talking about some heavy rain, as well as winds that could cause some structural damage. high waves and certainly some coastal flooding.

now as we head back to look at what's happening across the rest of the u.s. and canada, for most of you in the east, you're going to be noticing some considerably cooler temperatures. across parts of the north, across the great lakes and heading in towards the northeast here, that's going to mean some freeze problems for many of you. down towards the south, just a bit of respite from those very hot temperatures you've been seeing for much of the summer. should really take the edge off some of that heat. we do have quite a lot of instability across the west and the south. this is going to be showers, maybe some thunderstorms as well. some early-season mountain snow up in the elevations of the rockies. and in terms of the temperatures, then to show you, 17 in winnipeg, 15 in chicago, 22 in oklahoma city and 24 in denver. this is an improvement over yesterday. i think the temperatures are going to recover. keeping the heat very far down towards the south in houston, 34 for you. and we have 32 in miami. all right. heading to europe then, lastly.

most of the continent is looking pretty good out towards the east. and indeed central locations as well. high pressure is in place. finally seeing things ease off across the north here, too. we have yet another land front rolling in across the british isles, it will be wet and windy for most of the weekend for you. and then a line of storms from germany down into northern iberia. and nothing too much to worry about in northern iberia, it will be a little unsettled and showery for you. temperatures fairly moderate into the west and central locations. the south still looking at the mid-summer heat and in the northeast, 15 in moscow and a cool 15 also for you in stockholm. here's your extended forecast.

that's our broadcast for this hour on "newsline," we'll be back with more news in half an hour. i'm michio kijima in tokyo. thank you for watching. bye-bye.

>> "california's gold" is produced in association with kcet, los angeles and is seen statewide on california public television. this series is endorsed by: >> is it possible to drive a car and still have a clean environment? to refine a cleaner gasoline? to build a bridge from oil to renewable energy?