national holiday here in japan. i'm catherine kobayashi. german auto giant volkswagen says the scandal over falsified vehicle emission tests could affect 11 million cars worldwide. this figure is more than 20 times the original estimate. the u.s. environmental protection agency revealed that volkswagen installed software to deceive regulators. officials say the software is designed to detect when a car is being tested for emissions and to fully control them during the test. they say those vehicles could emit up to 40 times the level of

nitrogen oxide allowed in the u.s. >> translator: many people in the world trust the volkswagen brand and our automobile technology. i sincerely apologize for ruining their belief. >> volkswagen says it will set aside 6.5 billion euros, about $7.3 billion to resolve the problem. the company is under increasing pressure. officials with the german transport ministry say they'll study whether vw cars complied with german and european emission guidelines. the u.s. justice department has reportedly opened a criminal inquiry into the matter. chinese president xi jinping has begun his first state visit to the united states. xi arrived in seattle on tuesday. he's scheduled to attend a forum that invites heads of major american firms, including general motors and apple. xi is expected to call for further economic cooperation by stressing his confidence in china's stable growth.

he'll meet with president barack obama on friday. the two exchanged views over china's increased presence in the south china sea. leaders in beijing have reclaimed land in the disputed spratly islands in an apparent attempt to build three runways. xi is expected to tell obama their activities in the area are a matter of sovereignty. it's believed the hacking attacks on u.s. companies where china's involvement is suspected will also be discussed. attention is focused on how the nations can agree on bilateral cooperative ties at a time when china's economy is slowing down. officials in beijing say the authorities have arrested an american woman for spying. the news of the arrest comes just days before the u.s./china summit. a web site operated by her supporters says sandy phan gillis visited china as part of a business group from houston. she was detained by security officials about six months ago

when she tried to leave and move to macaw. she was arrested this month. analysts believe this arrest was made to maximize publicity. a spokesperson said she's suspected of activities harmful to china's security. >> translator: phan gillis is being interrogated on chinese authorities in suspicion of engaging in activities that threaten national security. >> the spokesperson says china would like others to respect its legal procedures as the case is processed. russia's foreign minister says japan's acceptance of the post-war reality is a pre-requisite for accelerating stalled talks on signing a bilateral peace treaty. sergei lavrov met his japanese count part fumio kishida in moscow. lavrov suggested russia, then the soviet union, made japan's northern territory its territory as a consequence of world war

ii. russia controls the four islands. japan claims them. japan maintains the islands are an inherent part of its territory. it says they were illegally occupied after the war. the two agreed to resume vice ministerial level talks on a peace treaty on october 8. >> translator: japan would like to resolve the territorial issue with the four islands and we'd like to keep negotiating to find a solution that can satisfy both sides under basic policy which is a conclusion of the peace treaty. >> lavrov referred to kishida's use of the term "northern territories." >> translator: first of all, as far as the russian delegation is concerned, we did not discuss the northern territories. neither the northern territories of japan nor those of russia are the subject of our dialogue. >> lavrov says the issue under discussion was the signing of a peace treaty.

on the economic front, kishida and russia's first deputy prime minister have agreed to strengthen relations in this field. they held an intergovernmental committee on trade and economic issues. kishida says japanese companies are eager to do business with russia, even under difficult circumstances and the japanese government is committed to providing support. he said they would like to steadily develop cooperative ties in major areas. shivalov says moscow places priority ones a relationship with japan in the far east and other regions. he hopes the meeting will achieve productive results. kishida also asked russia to improve its trade and investment environment. about 20,000 japanese lived as immigrants in the southern

philippines in world war ii. many got caught up in ground battles between japan and the united states and lost their lives. nhk world followed one person who visited a city to pay respects to her father. >> reporter: a memorial service this summer in d avao 70 years after the end of the war. as many as 15,000 japanese are believed to have died in battles here. >> translator: we can never forget what about in davao. it feels like a nightmare from just last night. >> reporter: this woman came from okinawa to attend the ceremony. it was her first visit to the place where her father worked and lived. >> translator: they must have had terrible regrets.

they lost everything, including their lives. my father was among them. >> reporter: her father had been a farmer in okinawa. in 1937, he settled for davao in hopes of better supporting his wife and children back home. fs it was a central production for jute used to make rope for ships. during the war, more japanese immigrants lived there than any other place in southeast asia. she was born seven months after her father left so she never met him. as she got older, her feelings for him deepened. in davao, she visited the

japanese museum and stopped in front of the jute display. >> translator: my father moved here to grow jute before i was born. i wanted to see the place where he lived and died. >> reporter: the american military landed on the island in march of 1945. davo turned into a battleground. her father duied that june. 70 years later, his daughter set out to find his final resting place. all she had to guide her was a notice listing his place of death. so she went there along with descendents of other japanese

who died and met with locals. japanese military units had been stationed in the area. >> translator: a prison camp was here, most of the soldiers died. >> reporter: she felt her father must be resting in the burial site for soldiers. >> translator: daddy, it's miwako, i'm here. if your soul is here, return with me to okinawa. let's go home together.

>> translator: he was only 35 when he died. i'm more than twice that age now so he may be wondering who i am. but he can probably tell because he's my parent. >> reporter: decades divide the parent and child, but for miwako, love never died. nhk world, davao. chrome, and artistic flair. decoration trunks adorn japan's highways. the drivers are usually viewed as maverick road warriors, but

as nhk world reports, they're also uniting to support those affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. >> reporter: truck after truck arrives. more than 500 rumble into an open space in the city of ishinomaki in northeastern japan, a place devastated by the tsunami in 2011. the culture stretches back decades. truckers customize their rigs for the long lonely journey. neon lights mixed with the traditional pictures and whether you consider it gaudy, it doesn't come cheap. drivers spend around $100,000 on average adding bling to their

wheels. some paint their beloved family. >> translator: the girl in the center is my eldest daughter. my truck, my daughter, they're both dear to me. it makes me feel like i'm always driving with her and it encourages me to work hard. >> reporter: and they are also encouraged by helping the needy. when disaster strikes, they converge and dedicate themselves to the cause. this man heads the group. he's been at the wheel for a half century and keeps on trucking. he called on his fellow truckers to gather for a festival honoring the souls of the dead. >> translator: coming to the disaster area makes me feel so driven to do something. >> tajima's team has been supporting disaster victims for three decades.

four and a half years ago, they delivered supplies and cooked hot meals for survivors of the earthquake and tsunami. and every month since they've visited temporary housing complexes to encourage the survivors. >> translator: i always finish what i start. that's my motto. and i never forget. for many people, the memory of the disaster is gradually fading, but i believe the rebuilding process has just begun. >> reporter: this man is one of those benefited from tajima's group. >> translator: this is the tsunami line. it came up here. it was the first time i learned how terrify ago tsunami is. >> reporter: his restaurant was damaged. but he felt encouraged by the lights of the trucks.

today he works theawith the tea build nationwide support to rebuild the region. >> translator: after four and a half years, i don't think anything has changed in my hometown. i want people to know the disaster not yet over. >> reporter: more than 10,000 people came to pray for those who lost their lives, including those still living in the temporary shelters. two of them came looking for tajima. they wanted to thank him for organizing a soup kitchen in may. >> translator: it was more than a soup kitchen. you treated us with such heart felt hospitality. we always talk about you and wonder when you'll come back. >> translator: we truckers often

have checkered pasts so when people say we make them happy just like you do that helps us get back on our feet. >> reporter: at the end of the event, the trucks lit up, creating a symbolic path to the road ahead. [ horns honk ] >> translator: i like to shine the light on as many people in the region as i possibly can. especially those living in the temporary shelters. >> reporter: tajima says he'll continue to lead the convoy until not a single temporary shelter remains.

nhk world, ishinomaki. >> great work there. the designs of a couple graphic designers are in the spotlight again. the international olympic committee has begun fighting allegations of plagiarism over the former emblem of the 2020 games. a belgian graphic designer says his design was copied. lawyers for both sides met in belgium on tuesday to discuss procedures for the trial. olivier debie says the original emblem for the tokyo olympics resembles the logo for a theater he designed in liege. last month he and the theater demanded an injunction against the emblem produced by the japanese designer kenjiro sano. the committee has since scrapped the logo and the theater withdrew its lawsuit but debie says he will continue his lawsuit until the ioc admits it

infringed his copyright. >> translator: the ioc says the unauthorized use of photos is the main reason for scrapping the emblem. they did not admit the plagiarism. i cannot accept this. >> the counsel for the ioc says the detailed compositions of the two designs are different and there's no copyright violation. the two sides will exchange their claims on paper. the oral proceedings are set to begin in february next year. saudi arabia accestepped up security for hajj rites to protect people from attack. all abled bodied muslims are required to visit mecca at least once in their lifetime to perform the imagine. islamic state militants said they're targeting the government of saudi arabia. >> part of our responsibility is to security hajj and make sure that we monitor the situation.

this includes, of course, the holy mosque and every location where hajj is performed. >> believers gather at the holy site of kabbah and head mo mount arafat. the location is believed to be where the prophet mohammed delivered his fair welser mono. some people perform the rites for up to six days. about two million people around the globe are expected to visit mecca this year. tokyo has no shortage of entertainment venues so competition for customers is fierce. now it may become even more so as some places rethink their business model in an effort to lure new visitors. here's the story. >> reporter: the horses at this tokyo track run until nearly

9:00 p.m. spectators can follow the action in the cool evening breeze. for people who are more interested in eating than racing, the complex offers about 50 restaurants where they can spend their time and money. there's even a family barbecue area but the number of visitors has decreased in recent years. about ten years ago, more than 10,000 people a day came to this track. that number has dwindled to fewer than 6,000. so the track's operator is moving beyond its normal customer base and trying to attract increasing numbers of foreign tourists. since april, promotional brochures have been published in korean, chinese, and english.

the company has even begun offering korean and english language classes for security guards. it's teamed up with a bus company to arrange tours for chinese people who make up the largest share of foreign visitors. >> translator: in china, we don't have places like this. it's a real treat. >> translator: the racetrack is only 20 minutes from tokyo international airport. our strategy is to combine the excitement of horse racing with japanese dining and colorful lighting displays. we want to make the place more enjoyable for foreign visitors. . >> reporter: here in central tokyo, office buildings have

been erect sod the number of corporate workers in the area is on the rise. that's pressed a new business opportunity for one local entertainment venue. this aquariumm reopened in july with a revamped business strategy. the managers are hoping people on their way home from work will stop by for some afterhours socializing. at 5:00 p.m., the colorful indoor lighting scheme takes on a more relaxed tone to create a suitably adult atmosphere. the dolphin show changes, too. the cheerful child-focused commentary is gone. there's even a bar for thirsty

patron patrons. >> translator: it's great to be able to have a drink while you're looking at the fish. >> translator: we're open until 10:00 p.m. the age group changes from day to night. we're trying different approaches at different times to attract more people. >> reporter: the operators of these venues believe the key to success is attracting new kinds of customers day or night and they're hoping to give more typical destinations a run for their money. nhk world, tokyo. well, the weather in tokyo is certainly cooperating for people who are out enjoying this national holiday. meteorologist robert speta joins us now. robert, good morning. many residents will be going back to work tomorrow. will conditions continue to be nice for us? >> well, it does at least look like through the rest of wednesday into thursday. tokyo you'll be seeing decent

weather but we are looking at a little bit of a change in the forecast for western areas of japan. we have going on this area of low pressure which is now coming out of eastern china. it's starting to move into the korean peninsula, looking at showers across this area. as we go ahead into wednesday evening, parts of kyushu will be working into the region and this whole low pressure area will work its what i to the northeast. and then on top of, that we have our latest tropical system. this named storm system of 2015 here in the western pacific and it is continuing to track off here towards the northwest. winds right now 65 kilometers per hour so it's on the low end of the spectrum here as far as tropical systems go. but it's expected to continue to intensify up to a typhoon status by the weekend. really the thing with this one, it depends on its interaction with that low pressure area i just mentioned that will be working its way across japan if this interact with the southern

islands of japan or it could recurve and even impact tokyo by early next week. we'll keep a close eye on that here over the coming days. in the mean tile, down towards the south i want to mention monsoonal rains impact the philippines. manila a high 3061. still a possibility going into wednesday. speaking of flooding earlier this week i want to mention the north island of new zealand we had a fairly strong system system. you can still see in the the satellite picture. that cloud cover moving in from the north has been bringing these showers. recovery is still in place for these locations but for a few of you, especially on the north island, you're looking at more rainfall. look at wellington towards christchurch, showers out through your friday, at least into queenstown. temperatures warming up there 15, for your high by your thursday. overnight lows still pushing around the freezing point. let's see what's going on in europe as well. here into western europe we have a low pressure area which is continuing to work its way

towards the east. several funnel clouds reported there in the netherlands. it's still bringing the threat of snowfall into the higher elevations across the alps but we are looking at the severe weather threat not just over towards italy but parts of turkey. some areas could see as much as a hundred millimeters of rainfall. the big issue is the ongoing refugee crisis so any time we're talking about severe weather, you have to add that into the mix with the potential people being outdoors and in unsheltered areas. here in the americas i want to mention some travel delays for those of you across the eastern sea board. we have some showers out there for you from a low pressure area which could bring some semi tropical weather to parts of the carolinas. behind it, though, things are cooling off into the northeast and overnight lows you're looking at the threat of frost for a few of you. showers into the west just pulling in the moisture. flash flood threat really the

biggest issue here. but i want to talk about temperatures because it's currently the autumn equinox today so you would think with that temperatures would be cooling off but look at this. for some of you into california, fresno up to 36 there. i'll leave you with the extended outlook.

one more story to share with you before we go. visitors to a russian art gallery have taken part in a japanese tradition. the pushkin state museum of fine arts in moscow was the venue for a japanese tea ceremony. the tea master explained the basics of making and drinking tea. he also showed how to eat the sweets that are served as part of the ritual. the russian visitors sampled the tea. one woman said she was pleased to attend such a rare event. >> translator: the tea ceremony gives me peace of mind. >> a pottery exhibition at the gallery features japanese ceramics. the exhibits include a tea bowl that was made more than 400 years ago. about 170 items by the current head of a japanese family are also on display. that's all for this edition of newsline. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for staying with us.

>> total eradication of the one deadly disease. it is an astounding fee, but humanity has managed it before. smallpox was first and it took the polio will follow. that, however, is now in jeopardy. find out why on this edition of global 3000. polio in pakistan, fear and mistrust putback nation teens at risk. loud and proud in egypt, women take to their scooters in a bid for freedom. and, sun, sea and sponges, zanzibar's inhabitants read an unusual harvest.