hello and welcome back to nhk "newsline" with the news from tokyo. monsoon rain triggered flooding and land slides in india and confirmed nearly 600 deaths. that number is expected to rise. swollen rivers swept away houses and roads. state government officials say they launched full-scale search operations on thursday. emergency workers found more than 400s on friday alone. the state officials confirmed 576 deaths.

landslides blocked roads and 60,000 tourists and hindu pilgrims are stranded in towns across the area. military helicopters are tearing people to safety. north korea's first vice foreign minster and china's foreign minster agreed to the effective of a multinational dialogue. they met in beijing on friday for lurch. the foreign ministry said they discussed in detail the stalled six-party talks on the north's nuclear program and the situation on the peninsula. the talks have been suspended for over 4 1/2 years. he reiterated the north's willingness to resolve issues peacefully through negotiations. later kim held meetings with officials, the government's central compound. he is expected to wrap up the five-day-trip to china on saturday.

the diplomat vying to be the ton envoy to est asia for barack obama's administration referred to the dispute between japan and china at his confirmation hearing. he said he will do everything in his power to ease tensions over highlands in the region. >> we had this discussion directly with the chinese and i think that the chinese similarly are in no doubt that america stands by the allies. >> russell spoke in washington at a senate confirmation hearing and he has been nominated for assistant secretary of state for east asian and pacific affairs. he stepped down in january. japanese and chinese leaders are at odds over the senkaku islands. they control the territory and china and taiwan claim it. six countries claim islands in the south china sea.

operators of an experimental fast breeder reactor were ordered to not restart operations last month after it was found as many as 10,000 check ups have been missed. the operator said it discovered 2300 more missed inspections. officials at the japan atomic energy energy said the new lly controlled rods. . >> translator: we are sorry to have under mined public trust by failing to check more equipment. >> the prototype reactor generates power using plutonium from spent nuclear fuel. the reactor reached criticality in 1994. it is out of operation for most of the time since then due to a series of troubles. a district badly contaminated by the fukushima nuclear accident

will soon be powering the community's recovery. it will be home to a solar electricity plant. no deal as the mayor of the village. noel leaders are joining hands with an equipment company in tokyo and they would build a mega solar power plant on 14 hectors of land that belong to the village. it used to be a ranch. the mayor said the plan will generate 10,000 kilowatts, enough to supply 3,000 households for a year. they plan to spend $40 million on construction. they will sell it for a profit and make about $7 million over 20 years. he said they will use that money to support recovery work in the village. >> translator: the solar plant will be a symbol of reconstruction. >> construction is due to start

next april. the plant is expected to start generating electricity in april of 2016. >> leaders in tokyo and washington have reconfirmed the plan to move u.s. marines to the american territory of guam in the pacific. the transfer is part of the u.s. military's realignment in japan's southern prefecture of okinawa. the defense minster med in tokyo with u.s. secretary of the navy. american military commanders plan to transfer 4,700 marines by 2020 on the condition that environmental surveys go through and facilities are constructed. the u.s. senate has only partially granted the obama administration's request to fund the transfer. >> we are aware of various continues on the plan in the

u.s. congress. we want to make sure that the government will implement the agreement. >> we consider this relationship both nation to nation, but particularly for me a navy and a marine corps relationship to be one of the closest in the world and most important. >> he said the transfer will begin once an environmental assessment is completed in 2015. he called for u.s. cooperation in boosting defense with remote islands in japan. they have been aware of increased activity at sea. they hope to continue offering its cooperation. the top united states representative in japan is preparing to participate in an event marking a brutal chapter in the history of the two countries. he will be the first american ambassador to attend a war memorial ceremony in okinawa in two decades. it recognizes the end of

organized military operations against u.s. forces in 1945. people will gather to honor the dead in the city, the location of the last major fight in the battle. officials from the u.s. consulate general and members of the american military usually attend. walter mondale is the only one to have participated. he went in 1995, the 50th anniversary, t anniversary of the end of world war ii. they want to continue to develop ties between americans and people in vietnam. soldieriers engaged in fierce the fighting during the battle of okinawa. they were outnumbered 5-1. 200,000 people died in three months. nearly half were civilians. they estimate that thousands of bodies haven't been recovered. volunteers have been trying to

find the remains, but they are facing new problems. he spent his free time searching in darkness. he is not looking for treasure, but the remains of the war victims. he works as a repairman, but his passion for more than 30 years has been uncovering the past. >> translator: i just want to do something for war victims. i hope to help the remains return to their families. >> in 1945 they delivered on the invation of mainland japan.

people sought to refuge in caves. soldiers and civilians died there. some were killed in fighting and others were forced to commit suicide rather than surrender. they find the bones of more than 100 people a year. some of them children. he is worried about future excavations. >> they are concerned the development will cover up the past. roads and buildings have been constructed before remains were recovered. he has his eyes on the site near the city. officials plan to develop the land. this area was once a battlefield where thousands of people died. >> we asked both local and national governments to

investigate and recover remains before starting the construction. >> the national government is ultimately responsible for uncovering remains. they rely on local governments. they often provide them with information, hoping to commemorate the victims and bring them to their aging relatives. he is worried memories of the war will fade. survivors die. he spent time teaching them about history. university students helped him with a dig. they came across remains. >> translator: it was surprising that the remains still exist near a road we usually pass. >> i feel our generation must tell the story of the battle in

okinawa. i would like to keep participating in this activity. >> sentiments like those make it worthwhile. >> i want the young to think about why people had to lose their lives this way. i want them to think about how to create a world without war. will will nearly seven decades have passed since they expressed the feelings about war. he hopes his work will preserve the past and highlight the importance of peace. nhk world, okinawa.

>> people in singapore are told to stay indoors as the haze hazard worsens. air quality reached dangerous levels on friday. from bangkok, we are following the story. >> smoke generated by fires blazing in indonesia covered singapore in a blanket of smoke for days. friday was bad. the main pollution hit a record high, profit prompting the government to hit a public health warning. singapore's national environmental agency said the pollution standards sored to a record 401 at midday on friday. that's far above the previous record on 226 back in 1997. inside the level five dangerous

zone. >> my eyes are kind of sore. when i woke up this morning my throat was sore. as an employer, i also asked my employees to take the day off. >> this is very bad. i can feel it in my house. i have to shut down everything and close the windows and doors. >> children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems are told to stay indoors and even healthy people have been advised to avoid going outside as much as possible. indonesia has been battling the fires on the ground and from the air. the government said they will intensify the efforts and it has another possible solution. it plans to seed clouds and create rain to put out the fires. not everybody is convinced the strategy will work. from jakarta, we have a report.

>> the national disaster management on friday said they are trying to put out the fires. they refused at this time of year to kill insects on the land. that often leads to forest fires. on friday, the government began additional efforts to try to create rain to extinguish the fires. they catch fire, making them hard to put out. it may take a long time before the situation resolved. >> translator: the fire goes into the ground. and once the fire spreads there, very difficult to extinguish. >> the foreign minsters are due to meet in a few weeks. they aim to convince people at

home and abroad that the result of the forest fire is causing problems for the neighbors. nhk world, jakarta. >> from hazardous haze to a breath of fresh air now. outdoor classrooms are creating new opportunities for under privileged children to discover that learning can be fun. it's a simple concept that encourages kids to reach for the stars. nhk world has a report. >> most of the residents of this district on the out skirts of manila are living in poverty. children in the philippines usually start a new school term in june. that's not the case for many of the children living here. the country is enjoying robust economic growth, but a gap divides the population. in three children don't go to

school. their parents cannot afford the fees. this kind of cart is used to sell merchandise around the country. but here it's being used for a different purpose. the cart is pushed into an open area and quickly transformed into a classroom. children gather around. this push cart contains all the colors like books and flash cards. volunteers from an ngo help children gain access to education. lessons are free. the classes meet once a week for six months. the children recite rhymes and draw pictures. the program has been running for years. they want to show children that studying can be fun.

they thought the best way was to go directly to where poor children live. they encouraged the children to join regular schools when they finished the open air curriculum. >> i believe this makes them realize the importance of learning and eventually we will help them choose. >> 7-year-old jailer has been studying at the open air classroom since december of last year. the curriculum is not limited. the children learn the importance of discipline and manners and receive instruction on basic hygiene. masters tasks as basic as washing their hands. meals are served after class. this is the time that they look forward to most. before joining the open air

classroom, he was restless. he spent his days playing outdoors. but he has changed his behavior. he now offers to help his mother collect water and look after his younger sister. >> translator: he's changed. he spokes mere politely now. i would like to send him to regular school as soon as possible. >> officials from the ngo are looking to expand the target audience. they want to teach parents the importance of sending children to school. thanks to their efforts, over 90% of children who have attended have gone on to attend regular schools. >> just one aspect to resolve the problem, but we are able to unite in this particular

problem. >> the group now holds over 100 open air classes a week in manila and nearby districts. the government started to provide assistance. it gives families $7 for a child each month to pay for the classes. they plan to take the school room carts on the road, spreading the joy of learning to children throughout the country. nhk world, manila. >> that wraps up the bulletin from bangkok. >> emerging economic powerers still struggling with poverty. emboldened citizens with democracy and the threat of violence and the push for peace. the shadow of conflict. get news and insight on and south southeast asia every weekday live from bangkok.

enl on nhk woronly on nhk world" >> beijing opera's roots go back hundreds of years. just as old are the masks that preserve the colorful make up. we have a report on efforts to conserve this traditional culture for future generations. >> for centuries, masks have been made to record the color make up worn by opera actors. some 5,000 varieties are said to exist. 49-year-old joe is a mask maker not far from the chinese capital. his participating techniques earned him designation of master. his family has been making masks

for six generations. since the early days of beijing opera. this 150-year-old tradition barely survived one of the darkest episodes of contemporary chinese history. the cultural revolution sed in motion by the chairman in 1966 banned beijing opera and mask making as occupations. >> translator: when i was a child, we had masks everywhere. all masks were destroyed during the cultural revolution. >> against his father's advice, he quit a stable position as a civil servant. he was determined not to let the tradition wither. he took over the family business at the age of 22.

his mask soon came to be admired as ornaments too. orders started pouring in from abroad. the situation encouraged him to innova innovate. until that time, masks were made of clay. painters had to wait three years until the moisture disappeared. a process that severely limited production. he started using paper, resin and plaster. the process now takes ten days at the shortest. new materials were available, making it possible, for example, to have the mask in class. he was free to unleash his creativity. >> i researched different materials to come up with new production techniques. if i adapt the work to the times, i will be in a better

position to convey the appeal of beijing opera to a wider audience. >> joe is committed to training the next generation of mask painters. he has been teaching his son and has another 20 apprentices under his wing. the workshop has grown overtime to produce an astounding 500,000 masks per year. about half are exported to the united states, japan, and other countries. his long-term project is to paint a scroll that records the 4,000 varieties of masks he produced so far. it's one way to ensure the survival of his trade. >> translator: it's our duty to hand over this tradition to

future generations. if we fail to preserve the culture, the tradition of opera mask making will be lost forever. >> he and his disciples managed to revive interest in their craft both in china and abroad. they hope their efforts will be enough to protect this tradition for many more years. nhk world, china. >> next let's take a brief look at the market figures.

. more to come here on "newsline," but first here's a three-day outlook on the weather around the globe.

>> japan's emperor and empress have been vying part of the cultural heritage. they saw ancient music scores that experts restored to their original beauty. the music was written for a kind of mood. they restored scores from more than 40 pieces of music and

instructions for players. they date from japan's eighth and 12th centuries. the paper is died in a range of colors and decorated with gold dust. they bought the scores 55 years ago from a branch of the imperial family. experts filled holes with paper and colored it with pigments from plants in the grounds of the imperial palace. they spent 20 years on the job. the emperor and empress met the experts and played their efforts. it was considered an essential skill for emperors back in the day. they said it will help people learn about the culture of the by gone err a. that's all for now on this edition of "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo and from all of us, thanks for watching and have a good day, wherever you are.

>> lucille clifton grew up in western new york, near buffalo, worked as a government clerk and office assistant. her first book, good times, was rated one of the best books of 1969 by the new york times. lucille clifton, who said, "one should wish to celebrate more

than wish to be celebrated." >> won't you celebrate with me what i have shaped into a kind of life? i had no model. born in babylon both nonwhite and woman what did i see to be except myself? i made it up here on this bridge between starshine and clay, my one hand holding tight my other hand; come celebrate with me that everyday something has tried to kill me and has failed. ( cheers and applause )

and this is mission san luis obispo. built back on the late 1700s, this is the 5th of 21 missions built all up and down the california coast by the spanish. today this mission is located right in the middle of downtown san luis obispo. now, this part of the state is called the central coast, and it's called that because it's located just about halfway between los angeles and san francisco. it's a beautiful part of the state. there's a lot of history here, too. and this is where for the next couple of days as we go in search of california's gold. hi, we're bob and wendy, and we live in san luis obispo.