hello there. welcome to nhk "newsline." it's friday, september 2nd, 9:00 a.m. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. japanese prime minister shinzo abe is heading to russia's far east in hopes of achieving a long-held political goal. he'll sit down with president vladimir putin to discuss resolving a territorial dispute. he'll propose that japan and russia strengthen economic relations. abe and putin will meet in vladivostok on the sidelines of an economic forum. they'll focus on an eight-point economic cooperation plan he proposed in may. it includes energy development and industrial cooperation in russia's far east.

abe will also discuss how to conclude a peace treaty. the countries haven't signed one since the end of world war ii because of a dispute over four russian-controlled islands. the japanese government maintains the northern territories are an inherent part of japan. it says the islands were illegally occupied after world war ii. abe hopes the meetings strengthen mutual trust with putin and make progress on the territorial issue. observers are keen to see if abe can lay the groundwork for putin's december visit to japan. russian government officials say the territorial dispute with japan will not be high on friday's agenda. they say the goal instead will be economic cooperation. alexander galuschka says the new role demonstrates the desire to boost economic ties with russia.

here o sheegy seko will attend friday's meeting. putin has been stressing such ties to develop the russian far east. he met with students thursday in vladivostok. he stressed the importance of cooperating with neighboring countries with great technological competence such as japan to achieve that goal. human remains found on an island in russia's far east have been departmentfied as those of a member of the former imperial japanese military. in 1945 on shumshu island, japanese soldiers had a fierce battle with then-soviet forces. this is the first time that any japanese soldier's remains from the island have been returned to family members. dna analysis conducted by japan's welfare ministry identified the soldier from the northern prefecture of hokkaido.

on thursday four officials from the prefectural office visited the home of his younger sister in otaru. they expressed gratitude and placed the remains on an altar. during world war ii he belonged to a military unit defending shumshu island in the northern kuril islands. the island was part of japanese territory at the time. he died in fierce fighting at the age of 23 following a sudden invasion by the soviet forces on august 18th, 1945. that was three days after japan's then-emperor made a public announcement accepting the potsdam declaration which stipulated the country's surrender. >> i am very glad to say that this has finally come with the support of many people. i hope other remains will be returned to family members as soon as possible. otherwise they may never feel that the war is really over.

>> welfare ministry officials say that as of last year the remains of 43 imperial japanese military personnel have been found on shumshu island. however, this is the first time any of the remains from shumshu had been identified and were returned. ministry officials say it is difficult to identify soldiers who died on that battlefield. all right. as we reported earlier, japanese prime minister shinzo abe is heading to russia's far east. one thing on this agenda is an economic forum. he and putin, that's president vladimir putin, will attend theent on saturday, an event on saturday in vladivostok. ai uchida joins from us the business desk. what's the aim of this forum. >> the russian president wants more investors to come to the region and that's why he's opening this international event. the eastern economic forum was launched last year.

about 2,500 people from 30 countries are schedule to attend the gathering that just opened. shinzo abe, park guen-hye and corporate representatives from asian countries will be among the participants. government officials and corporate executives from japan and russia will attend a session on the first day on bolstering economic cooperation. day two will see putin give a speech pitching the russian far east as an investment destination. western sanctions over ukraine and other issues have put a squeeze on russia's economy. putin is hoping to use the forum to highlight abe's cooperation plan. let's get a check on prices. shares rose marginally ahead of the key u.s. jobs report that's due out later friday. but the dow jones industrial average managing to end up 0.1%. the tech-heavy nasdaq rising just about a quarter percent. let's see what is happening here in tokyo this friday morning.

good morning, ramin. ramin mellegard join us from the tokyo stock exchange. >> very good morning to you. you touched on the markets in the positive. however, the slightly lower dollar and energy prices and anticipation for the nonfarm payrolls and unemployment data out of the u.s. may just put the brakes on any major moves here in tokyo this morning. in fact, let's have a look at the opening levels. slightly into the negatives, down 0.2 and 0.1% for the broader topix. now, yesterday just a quick reminder the nikkei rose 2% kicking off september on a bit of a positive note. a weaker yen helping major ek porters. the dollar was higher before as many were speculating about an early rate hike in the u.s. of course, the jobs data later will paint a fuller picture regarding that. the banking sector also has seen some gains on the back of the same sentiment of possibly

higher rates in the u.s. some are also speculating the bank of japan may take extra measures when it meets on september 21st, the federal reserve also meets later this month, too. >> absolutely. and you notice a slight fall in the dollar, ramin. tell us what's happening with currencies this morning? >> just a slight pullback, if you will. 113.19 to 24 -- to 23. the dollar actually fell just a touch as the manufacturing index fell to 49.4 in august from 52.6. now following that key piece of data, also a rate hike this month worsened partially. according to currency analyst i spoke to, if the u.s. jobs data disappoints even slightly, there could be a marked downshift in the greenback as investors may put off their best rates rising, too. across the pond, i'm talking about the uk, of course, the

british pound jumped against the dollar, euro and the yen as uk factory activity data, pmi data, rose 5 points. its highest level since october. commodity training, zinc and copper also rose. china's pmi data beat expectations. traders assume that these industrial metals could be boosted in china. one of the biggest consumers of industrial metals. china markets open in 1 1/2 hours. we'll have full reaction there as well. let's get a quick look at the ones that are open now. seoul's kospi in the positive, sydney is just trading in the negative. ai, that's all for me. back to you. >> thanks a lot. we'll touch base with you in a few hours' time. one of the world's largest trade shows for consumer appliances will kick off in germany. 1,800 manufacturers from around the world are taking part. the spotlight is on artificial intelligence.

starting in june, it started selling a seafood dish with hot pepper and a large mug of chili oil. managers say the new dish is

doing well and may soon be on a regular menu. >> this porridge is hot but easy to eat. i think it's good for my health, too. >> it's great to eat this for stress up at work. >> reporter: the food industry's move into spicy food is linked to the economy, and it's happened before. the asian currency tried this years ago and triggered a hot noodle boom. and the financial crisis eight years ago boosted sales of spicy snacks. >> translator: because the economy is sluggish more people are seeking to aleleviate their stress by eating spicy food at reasonable prices. >> reporter: fried chicken stores are among those adjusting their menus. meet the volcano chicken.

a fast food bomb smothered in south korea traditional paste. they took their old spicy chicken and doubled the amount of red pepper. >> translator: by eating spicy food, i sweat a lot and feel refreshed and cooler. it's hot but delicious, too. >> reporter: of course, there is more than one way to tinkle the tastebuds. this saucemaker works for a competing restaurant chain. her latest creation draws on ingredients from across the region. south korea's hot pepper to light the fire. sichuan pepper from china to numb the tongue. pepper seeds for extra heat. and red chili peppers from vietnam said to be the hot es in southeast asia. this sauce was inspired by a

sichuan hot sauce. it is characterized by its fiery taste. >> the results sauce is an eye-watering concoction even for koreans. and a smash hit. the company has sold 1 million pieces of its chicken in just three months. >> translator: we're now focusing on young customers. our research shows they want an even hotter taste. we'll be striving to develop new menus that satisfy them. >> reporter: south korea's economy may be feeling the pinch this summer but people are willing to sweat it out. and spicy foodmakers are only too happy to help. reporting for nhk world from seoul. hot just looking at it. that's the latest in business for this hour. i'll leave you with a check on markets.

♪ south korea has confirmed that japan has contributed about $10 million to a south korean foundation aimed at supporting those referred to as wartime comfort women. a south korean foreign ministry spokesperson says the foundation now has a financial basis for

its activities. he says it will look at the opinions of the women and provide them with the help they need. the governments of japan and south korea agreed in december to settle the comfort women issue finally and irreversibly. japan agreed to supply the funding to support the women. but not all former comfort women approve of the move. this week 12 people filed a lawsuit against the south korean government. they say the agreement has caused them psychical distress because it does not acknowledge japan's legal responsibility. south korean prosecutors are questioning a prominent member of a retail giant on suspicion of embezzling funds. he had been removed as vice chairman of lotte holdings last year. he is the eldest son of the founder of lotte group. he was summoned to a prosecutor's office in seoul on thursday. prosecutors are questioning him on a range of charges. they claim he received large

salaries from affiliates despite not actually working for them. a family feud over control of the group surfaced last year. it led to criticisms of the conglomerate for what was widely viewed as an opaque management style. allegations followed that the group had created slush funds by transferring assets among its affiliates. and in june, south korean prosecutors raided lotte holdings headquarters. then late last month the group's vice charm was fouirman was fou an apparent suicide. south korean media say a younger son of the founder who is also the group's chairman may also be summoned for questioning. the death of a 5-year-old girl in the philippines is fueling criticism of president rodrigo duterte's war on drugs. danica garcia died of a gunshot wound to the head. an unidentified gunman stormed

her family's home last week while they were eating lunch. they say the intended target was the girl's grandfather who was allegedly involved in the drug trade. >> translator: i still can't believe that this is what happened to her, but i leave it all to god. >> translator: all i'm hoping for is that we can get justice for her. nothing else. our family is in pain now. but my grandchild is gone. she was xheelt innocent. >> following the death of the youngest victim reported so far, human rights groups have intensified their criticism. >> translator: all of us want to eradicate illegal drugs, but it should be done through due process. the president should understand that and should address the root of the problem, which is why so many people in the country become victims of drugs.

>> at least 900 drug suspects have been killed in police operations since duterte took office in june. another 1,000 have been shot dead by vigilantes. in our series "women of vision," we meet some of the inspirational figures who are influencing society and challenging prevailing norms. today australian expat catherine jane fish ser leading a campaign that seeks justice for women of sexual assault by u.s. servicemen and base workers.er campaign that seeks justice for women of sexual assault by u.s. servicemen and base workers. se campaign that seeks justice for women of sexual assault by u.s. servicemen and base workers.i s campaign that seeks justice for women of sexual assault by u.s. servicemen and base workers.s s campaign that seeks justice for women of sexual assault by u.s. servicemen and base workers.ser campaign that seeks justice for women of sexual assault by u.s. servicemen and base workers. le campaign that seeks justice for women of sexual assault by u.s. servicemen and base workers. >> reporter: tense of thousands

of people gathered in june to protest a crime that shocked the nation. weeks earlier police arrested a u.s. marine who was working at a military base. they believe he assaulted and murdered a 20-year-old japanese woman. catherine jane fisher traveled from tokyo to join the rally. years ago she endured a similar attack. >> i'm not afraid. i'm not ashamed. because i'm a survivor of u.s. military rape. >> reporter: fisher came to japan with her family as a teenager. she worked as a model and english teacher and raised three children. in 2002, everything changed when she was the victim of a horrific attack. she was visiting yokosuka south of tokyo where the u.s. has a military base. in the parking lot she was raped by an american serviceman. a self-portrait she drew shortly afterward depicts her terror. for years she suffered from insomnia, flashbacks and other symptoms of post-traumatic

stress disorder. >> i couldn't sleep at night. not even the slightest noise, the slightest noise would scare me. it would be very difficult for me to explain how a rape victim feels. what does ptsd feel like? you know. and how it destroys your life. >> reporter: the suspect was not indicted. so fisher filed a suit seeking compensation. during the trial, the serviceman returned to the u.s. and disappeared. fisher was furious that her attacker was able to leave the country without facing up to what he did. she spent ten years tracking him down. later she filed a suit in the u.s. and won. during that trial she learned of shocking testimony by the rapist. he claimed he was told by a u.s. navy lawyer to leave japan. fisher began talking to groups in okinawa prefecture that

support female victims. she discovered that violence against women by u.s. servicemen and base workers was widespread. >> nothing has changed. they're still gang raping women in japan. >> reporter: she started recording the cases. fisher is convinced the situation won't change until the status of forces agreement changes. the u.s./japan status of forces agreement applies to u.s. military personnel and base workers in japan. it says if u.s. authorities detain a suspect first, they have the primary right to investigate. >> anybody who is thinking about doing a crime in japan knows that they don't have to obey the laws of japan. it only says respect. so they can walk out of this country freely. so we have to set certain rules which says not only do you have to respect the laws of japan,

you have to obey them. >> reporter: u.s. military officials reject the idea that the status of forces agreement causes criminal activity. they say the u.s. military does not tolerate sexual assault and has a policy that reinforces efforts to prevent it. recently, fisher launched a new campaign to end the scourge of violence against women. she went to a university in okinawa to discuss the problem with students. fisher wants to set up a 24-hour rape crisis center that victims can visit regardless of their gender or nationality. she asks the students for their help. >> i've painful experience and made it into something very beautiful and powerful which will actually save people's lives. >> reporter: fisher believes that only by speaking out together can the victims of

violence tear down the wall of silence that surrounds these awful crimes. it's time for a check of the weather. people in western japan are bracing for an intense storm. people in parts of the region are trying to recover from a powerful earthquake that hit in april. meteorologist sayaka mori has the latest. >> it's a very busy typhoon season for much of japan. a new system has formed this time near okinawa. this is a small system, but because it's small, it can hold its intensity and it can develop easily. it was a tropical depression yesterday but it's now a severe tropical storm and is expected to intensify to a typhoon within the next several hours. the center will likely move up to the north and likely hit the kyushu island including kumamato

prefecture by tomorrow as a typhoon and then after that it's going to move up towards the north and it may affect the main island of japan as we go into next week. this system could be the first system to hit western japan of the year because the last four systems made landfall in the eastern portions of japan. now the system will likely cause some heavy rainfall probably up to 150 millimeters into the next 24 hours and more rain will likely follow. then waves are going to be up to 7 meters, coastal inundation is likely. gusts could be up to 26 kilometers. structural damage will likely happen. kyushu will have stormy conditions on saturday. but tokyo may see some painful, heavy at times, as we go into the weekend. but tomorrow or today it's going to be sunny with a high of 32 degrees. across hawaii, a couple of systems to mention. one here madeline is now pulling away from the big island but

this storm lester is approaching hawaii. it has been downgraded. but as a hurricane it will pass to the north of hawaii as we go into the weekend. we have hurricane watches in place for hawaii and also maui counties. strong winds are anticipated and heavy rainfall as well and waves will be gigantic. stay away from the coastal locations. tropical storm force winds or even hurricane force winds are expected saturday and rain will likely continue into sunday in many areas. finally over towards the mainland u.s. a very powerful system approaching florida. this was a tropical storm yesterday but now a hurricane. hurricane hermine is packing winds of 120 kilometers and moving to the north-northeast at 22 kilometers per hour. there are warnings in the coast. a state of emergency was declared for much of florida. it will be the first hurricane to hit florida in 11 years.

it is going to cause some heavy rainfall probably up to 400 millimeters which is significant to cause some life-threatening flooding and mud slides. swells will be gigantic. the combination of high tide could cause life-threatening inundation for beaches. after affecting florida into friday, it will head for the mid-atlantic states as we go into labor day weekend. the temperatures elsewhere as follows. 28 degrees for the high. washington, d.c. with abundance of sunshine on friday. 27 degrees in new york city. sunny weather will continue across eastern portions of canada where rainy weather will continue across the west. vancouver, the high will be only 15 degrees with rainfall on friday. all right. here's the extended forecast.

and that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us. óóññ

>> on this edition of "native report," we'll learn about the rare lac la croix indian pony, we'll look at the night sky for a lesson in native astronomy... >> tribes and families need to step up and make sure children are taken care of early. >> and we'll learn about the indian child welfare act. we also learn something new about indian country and hear from our elders on this "native report." >> production of "native report" is made possible by grants from the shakopee mdewakanton sioux community and the blandin foundation.