the federal reserve kept its rates near zero. now to see how markets here are reacting, let's go to ai uchida who is standing by at the tokyo

stock exchange. mayu, how is it kicking off today? >> no change in rates was widely expected but the fed did upgradets assessment on the labor market. that prompted many on wall street to buy stocks. here in toky markets are tracking the rally. shares are losing the four-day losing streak. the nikkei is up to 20,456. and the topix is opening higher as well up .82%. now, basically the focus is still on whether the fed will raise rates in september or possibly december. >> but many market watchers are saying that the fed gave no clues about the timing of rate hikes this time. and they're calling it another poker face statement. one analyst said that's probably because the feds don't want to rattle the markets. wall street finished higher following the fed's decision the dow closed up neil .7 of a percent. earnings here in the u.s. are playing into the markets as well. yelp sharings are taking a pounding.

they slashed their outlook and shares nose dived 25%. facebook's second quarter earnings topped estimates, but expenses soared. shares showed choppy trading after the closing bell. and here in japan, some key ones nomura's profit more than tripled to $550 million. nintendo swung back to quarterly profit on growing sales, but it doesn't mention anything about its new president. group net profit of nissan and tech from hitachi jumped over 30% from the latest quarter. this just keeps on going. so i'll stop it right here. but to sum up japanese earnings are, so far, so good ramin. >> looking pretty positive so far, mayu. switching to currencies now and the fed's decision how is that playing into the dollar/yen and some of the other pairs? >> the feds upgrade of the u.s. labor market is something that many market players may take as a sign that the rate move is

near. so dealers started buying back the dollars. the dollar is gaining around around 123.99 almost 124. with the feds making just tiny changes to his july statement. the fed watchers will rely on economic reports to catch signals for the timing of the rate hikes. so to start off, they'll be monitoring the flash gdp numbers. and the readise in the dollar pushed the euro lower. and that's it for me. we're seeing a positive start of the day. back to you. >> let's see how it all ends up today. thanks for that. may yoshida from the stokio stock exchange. japanese people have a soft spot for certain types of food in the summer months. and one of them is soman, which is fin noodles. it's a great way to beat the summer heat, but not so great for companies looking for steady revenue. one producer is testing ways to attract customers year round. >> reporter: soma noodles have a long history and so do some of the companies that make them.

somin producer has been in business for 380 years. soman usually comes in one color, white. but makers in this area offer customers other options. soman consumption is declining, as people's eating habits change. and being a seasonal business creates another problem. >> translator: demand for soma peaks in summer, but slows in winter. so we hope to develop products that appeal to consumers in winter, too. >> reporter: looking for new product ideas, a company official has come to talk to a group of homemakers. these women run a consulting business focusing on a mother's point of view. >> translator: we want to create dishes that help people enjoy their meals. and spur their appetite with colors. >> reporter: the mothers are not short of ideas on reworking the humble noodle. the first relates to their size and shape. >> translator: we chop up noodles we give to babies, so

they won't choke on them. the preparation is a little tiresome. >> reporter: the team has a child-friendly solution. make the noodles wider and just a few centimeters long. the group also looked at ingredients. traditionally, soumen makers use eggs to make yellow noodles. to create brown noodles, they add buckwheat. but these can cause allergic reactions. the mothers looked for alternatives. to replace eggs, they recommend yocom, a citrus fruit and a local specialty. it gives the noodles a vivid yellow color. as for brown noodles, the development team opts for a change of color. it uses gardenia flowers to create blue somen. the flowers were used for making somen from the 17th to 19th

centuries in the edo period. somen is usually eaten by dipping the needles in cold soup. but the consulting team proposes novel ways to serve them. using their short noodles, the mothers cook up some new creations. this vinegar seasoned dish features red noodles. it brings a refreshing taste. the team also whips up a sweet dish using green tea-flavored noodles. >> translator: sticking to old things protects traditions. but i believe that companies should evolve to meet the needs of the times. >> reporter: a traditional delicacy, somen is now moving with the times, and the seasons. >> that's it for business news for this hour. i'll leave you with a check on the markets. ♪ ♪

>> economic growth in east africa means people are spending more. in kenya, an affluent middle class is emerging. this offers new opportunities for foreign businesses and now some japanese companies are looking to push their products and services there. nhk world has the story from nairobi. >> reporter: kenyans are enjoying increased spending power, especially in nairobi. the economic hub of east africa. a trade fair was held there in early july. about 150 chinese companies took part. the appeal of these companies is a wide range of merchandise they offer, ranging from sandals to electrical appliances such as light and radios. and even small cars. this company sells solar panels. it sees east africa as an important market as there are

frequent power outages. >> some countries in africa they have electricity as a problem. so we can provide our solar goods for them. >> reporter: japanese farms are also keen to enter this market. their approach is to provide products and services that appeal to individual customers. in march, a japanese food service chain opened a restaurant in the center of nairobi. so this is teriyaki. the meat is flavored with soy sauce. people here tell me teriyaki has become favorite food in kenya. a meal here costs about $5. that's a bit more than you'd pay in the local food chains but this japanese restaurant has become very popular with middle

class kenyans. >> it's the spices inside here the ingredients, how you've cooked the chicken, it's really unique and tasty. >> reporter: the general manager says the restaurant is getting rave reviews from local people. >> translator: we are going to open our second restaurant by the end of this year. and more after that. we want to establish our brand throughout the africa. >> reporter: another japanese firm is offering products and services, aimed at women. the cosmetic company had sent a staff member out to kenya. she's working hard to promote the company's products such as anti-acne facial foam. this woman says she's had fewer

pimples since she started using the project. >> the product is really working on my face. i want to be more beautiful, yeah. >> translator: kenyan women want to luke beautiful, just like we all do. i'm here to give advice about skin care so that people understand our products and we can grow together with kenyan society. >> reporter: greater spending power in east africa means increased opportunity for companies from japan. focusing on their own areas of expertise, they are looking ahead to further growth in other parts of africa. nhk world, nairobi. executive members of the international olympic committee have given the go-ahead to change plans for the centerpiece of the 2020 summer games. they have approved a design change for a new national

stadium in tokyo. the members met in kuala lumpur ahead of the ioc general session. the head of the tokyo organizing committee of the olympic and paralympic games explained the government's decision to scrap the plan. he says it was due to the ballooning costs. >> translator: i told the ioc members that i want to apologize for the change from the original plan. they replied that i do not need to apologize at all. >> the original design by a london-based architect had come under criticism in japan. the facility would have been built at a price tag of about $2 billion. that's almost double the original estimate. ioc president says he acknowledged the rise in the construction costs compared to two years ago when tokyo was named the host. >> these are circumstances which are beyond the control of the organizing committee and of the government. this is why we are respecting

this decision. >> he asked the stadium be completed in time and promised the ioc's support. tokyo olympics officials are facing another challenge. they're getting flack from a belgian-based graphic designer over the logo for the summer games. it's said the emblem looks like one he designed for theater. he posted the two logos on twitter, and he noted they shared a striking resemblance in composition and form. [ speaking foreign language ] >> he says he is consulting the theater and a lawyer to decide whether to take legal action. the organizers of the game say they took up the matter with the japanese designer.

and they say there seems to be no problem. they've been checking registered trademarks worldwide since november when they chose the design. they revealed the logos for the tokyo olympics and paralympics last friday. turtles have long been popular among japanese children. nearly 2 million of them are kept as pets around the country. but officials plan to impose restrictions on keeping some types, because they're -- in order to protect the eco-system. nhk world has the report. >> reporter: slider turtles originally from the united states are less than 3 centimeters long as babies. they sell in japan for about $4. but they grow much more than some owners expect. to nearly 30 centimeters.

many of them are abandoned in rivers and ponds. and they live amid japanese nature. the slider is known to reproduce well in the wild, and is taking away much of the food and habitat of native turtles. a professor fears the effects. >> translator: it's extremely worrying that no matter how many times we've tried to get rid of the turtles, their number just continues to increase. >> reporter: the overpopulation of the slider is also taking a toll on agricultural products. in the western prefecture of ki owingo, people cannot harvest roots in some farm ponds. researchers believe that the animals have been eating the stalks. local officials say they have

confirmed the presence of slider turtles in over 200 farm ponds, more than three times the figure of ten years ago. residents are shocked at how quickly their numbers grow. >> translator: it's such a sudden, drastic change. something must be done. >> reporter: environment ministry officials are trying to curb the problem by imposing restrictions. but they say it's not an easy task. >> translator: if we label the turtle as a pet, which requires government approval, what's going to happen is people may start releasing them. the adverse effects are most worrying. >> reporter: officials are seeking more involvement of local residents. they are working together to build a trap for the slider. they hope these efforts will

help contain the slider's numbers and change the minds of turtle owners. >> translator: we must control the overpopulation, and convince people not to release the turtles into the environment. we must do both at the same time. >> reporter: officials think tighter controls will be needed in the long run. but they want to do it in phases. they're considering import restrictions, and possibly a licensed system within five years. it's time now for a check of the weather. people in many areas of pakistan are dealing with monsoonal rains and severe flooding. hundreds of villages have been

inundated. robert speta joins us with the latest. >> what we're seeing now, many people have been displaced. we have relief set up in pakistan and western india, but the rain is still ongoing. dfrl rough for a lot of people out here. the satellite still shows monsoonal rains kicking up, typical for this time of year. the farmers depend on these rains. some areas, it's been vital for the south, and to the west a low right there, and then another low over the bay. both of these have been bringing all sorts of precipitation for these areas. some video out of pakistan take a look at the flooding. it looks like a lake, but this village, the death toll continues to climb out here from this month's past rain. it's rose to 86 as of wednesday. flood waters have inundated hundreds of villages leaving people homeless affecting over

500,000 people, displacing them. medical camps and food distribution units have been launched. so people are getting some help across this region. good news as far as the forecast, to the west, we have a low tracking inland. it's getting a little bit away from its moisture source. so we still have precipitation here, but it's starting to weaken out. back towards the east hundreds of villages inundated here as well. unfortunately, this low is not going anywhere very fast. we are still seeing that moisture drag in from the bay of bengal, it is bringing the threat of additional flooding. definitely an ongoing story, back to the northeast, heavy rainfall in the southwestern portions of china. you'll still seeing additional precipitation on top of what you've seen. and flooding in vietnam, over 14 casualties, due to landslides as well. the monsoon definitely very active. north of that, it starts to get

hot and dry. actually across eastern portions of china and western japan, this high pressure is dominating. that's going to continue to bring, well, basically muggy conditions. there's a chance of afternoon rain showers and thunderstorms in tokyo, but for the most part it's hot. we have a low for northeastern china, it's brought reports of hail, east of beijing and now it's moving into the korean peninsula. take a look at your three-day forecast. this is not including the humidity. bus an in the mid 30s. keetio high 30s. fukushima, mid to high 30s, definitely remaining on the hot and muggy side out here. how about up and down the u.s. southeast and up to the east coast, what we have going on this area of low pressure earlier this week there was a large tornado in manitoba. now it's drifting to the east. we have a front off of this. this is moving through the great lakes. it will bring severe weather, hail and damaging winds, not so

much tornadoes. but it will cause travel disturbances, as it drifts to the east. ahead of that surging in that warm air, a lot of buildings out here especially in the northeast do not have air conditioning. so we're talking about boston new york, philadelphia into the 30s. heat stroke is going to be an issue out here. definitely stay cool i know you hear that a lot, but it's something to keep in mind. also in the west look at that mid 30s for you in seattle. los angeles, 31. thunderstorms actually there in your forecast across the southwest. talking about precipitation there with the north american monsoon. i'll leave you now with your three-day outlook. ♪ ♪

>> and that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thank you very much for staying with us. >> hello and a warm welcome to in good shape.

are you happy with your body your weight, or would you like to lose a few pounds? we will talk about dieting later on in the show. how intermittent fasting can help you drop kilos. and how