welcome to nhk "newsline" on this national holiday. the mu nay your of one of the most powerful cities in the world is just hours away from starting his first full day on the job. bill de blasio is the first democrat to lead new york in two decades. he's promising to narrow the income gap that widened under his predecessor, michael bloomberg. difficult blass i don't was sworn in on wednesday as the

109th mayor of new york. voters elected the 52-year-old last november. former president bill clinton and former secretary of state hillary clinton attended the event. >> new york has faced fiscal collapse in the crime epidemic, terrorist attacks and natural disasters. but now in our time we face a different crisis, an inequality crisis. >> de blasio noted desparts and race. he promised to implement a tax hike on the wealthy. he said we'll conform the practical police tactic of stop and frisk that critics say leads to racial profiling. analysts say new york is more secure than it has been in years. the number of murders has declined to one-fifth over the last two decades. people are focusing on how mayor

de blasio's policies will affect the economy. people in the u.s. state of colorado have been lining up to be among the first to buy a newly legal product. they're purchasing marijuana at stores for recreational use. the state is the first in the nation to allow the sales. licensed shops began selling pot on new year's day. scores of customers waited in line and bought pacts of weed or other products once retailers opened doors. colorado voters approved the sale in 2012 referendum in a bid to increase tax revenues. adults 21 are older are allowed to possess 28 grams of cannabis for private consumption. marijuana advocacy groups say smuggling of cannabis for medicinal use is already prevalent. they say that could lead people to start smoking pot at a young age. they insist authorities could

properly control the distribution of marijuana if it is legalized. anti-marijuana groups point out potential risks to human health and the possibility of a spike in impaired driving. even in colorado some local governments do not approve the sales. the state of washington is expected to begin sales of marijuana later this year. people in iraq have suffered through the deadliest year there in five years. members of a british non-governmental organization say the number of civilians killed rose to more than 9,400. that's twice as many as were killed a year ago. the people at iraq body count outlined a scale of violence from bombings and other attacks. u.s. troops pulled out of iraq two years ago and iraqi forces have failed to control security. analysts with iraq body count point to a greater divide between the sunni muslim sect and their shia rivals.

they say sunnis have become frustrated with the shia-led government and have fought reportedly with security forces. they say the civil war in neighboring syria has made things worse. many sunni extremists have slipped into iraq and carried out attacks against shia citizens and police officers. international forces in afghanistan are entering a crucial year. they're monitoring security as afghans prepare to vote in a presidential election and they're scheduled to pull out by the end of the year. multinational forces led by u.s. troops moved in after the september 11 terror attacks in 2001. they drove out the taliban government but have been caught up in fights ever since. more than 80,000 foreign personnel is still in the country to help maintain security. they continue to engage remnants of the tell ban. some fear the security situation will disrupt the election in

april to replace president hom mid karzai. many wonder whether afghan military and police forces will be able to maintain security after international forces withdraw. north koreans have tried out the country's newest tourist attraction. they took to the slopes of a ski resort as dozens of officials celebrated the project in a more formal way. the ma chic pass resort is near the eastern city of wonsan. the korean central news agency says ruling party officials attended the event. leader kim jong-un paid a separate visit. he took a test ride on a ski lift. state media says he issued an order that the resort had to be opened before the new year. thousands of military personnel were mobilized to get the job done. north korean leaders have been calling for more economic development. they're hoping the ski resort will serve as a model.

the emperor of japan has called for peace and happiness around the world in his new year greeting. emperor akihito and 'em pregs michiko, crown prince naruhito, princess masako and others joined the imperial couple.

more than 80,000 people visited the palace during the day for five greeting sessions. survivors of the atomic bombing of nagasaki and some of their neighbors have staged a sit-in. they used the annual new year's day protest to call for the limb names of nuclear arms. the form more mayor of nagasaki says people have a duty to. the pris pats galtherred in front of the peace statue and offered a minute of silent prayer at 11:02 a.m. t time the bomb was dropped. >> the atomic bomb viral to call

for peace and elimination of nuclear weapons. >> a high school student says she wants to help convey the survivors' messages to younger generations. she said she and her contemporaries will be the last people to hear the survivors accounts firsthand. japanese government officials say they plan to revise their policy for disposing of nuclear waste. they want to play a more active role in selecting disposal sites. the officials plan to store highly radioactive waste from nuclear plants deep under ground. they're drawing on a law that came into effect in the year 2000. they've been asking their local counterparts to suggest possible sites. local officials have not offered up any locations. experts made some suggestions and industry ministry officials say early this year they'll start acting on those proposals. government officials plan to draw up a list of sites that are

deemed scientifically suitable. then they'll ask local authorities to agree to the projects. >> translator: lit it will take time for the government to regain public trust and support for the use of nuclear power. the government should listen closely to people's opinions and change the policy if necessary. >> some experts are concerned that proceeding with the new policy in a haphazard way could cause doubts among the public and make the issue harder to resolve. >> four crippled reactors. a constant buildup of contaminated water. radioactive leaks threaten the environment. the people in charge of fukushima daiichi are struggling to control the plant. how will they stop the leaks and decommission the facilities? get the latest on the aftermaths of the nuclear accident with in depth reports and special

features. "nuclear watch" only on "newsline." members of the japan coast guard started their year off doing something out of the ordinary. they rescued a chinese man after his balloon fell into the east china saw. he splashed down near the senkaku islands. japan controls the islands, china and taiwan claim them. the japanese government maintains the islands are its inherent territory in terms of both history and international law. ghost card officers say they were informed on wednesday a balloon had been missing in the area. crew members found it floating and found a man drifting nearby. he's 35 years old. he told them he left his home in china on his own to fly to the islands. diplomats negotiated over what to do with him. then the japanese handed him over to the crew of a chinese patrol ship.

japanese ship builders are going the way of people who make cars and airplanes. they're making ships that are more fuel efficient. the international maritime organization will require vessels to emit less carbon dioxide starting in 2015. the ship builders hope to profit from an expected growth in demand for energy efficient vessels. engineers with mitsubishi heavy industries have made innovations on tankers used to transport liquefied natural gas. they fitted four tanks with a cover to reduce wind resistance. they say improved fuel efficiency -- that improved fuel efficiency by 25%. engineers with mitsui ship building are turning to the wind in their efforts to save fuel. they're dwoching metal sails so they can use wind power to help propel large ships. >> translator: it's very important for us to survive in

the global market. by making in advances in technology, we're putting a lot of effort especially into researching co2 reductions and energy savings. >> the japanese are in for some competition. south korean ship builders are making similar efforts. women in saudi arabia have made some important gains in recent years. driving cars is still out and head-to-toe clothing is still mandatory. but 30 women have taken seats in the national assembly. public campaigns promote giving women the right to drive. in the country's film scene boasts one more first, a female director. her name is hyphae l. ma sewer. nhk's is a tory ar yam ma talked with her about rights in her groundbreaking movie during her recent visit to japan.

>> reporter: the main character in the film is wajda, an ordinary saudi ar rake gan girl. it pursues a simple freedom, one elsewhere taken for granted. it starts while she is teased by a local boy. wajta wants to ride a bicycle and prove she can go faster than the boy. in saudi arabia it is unacceptable for women to ride bicycles, but wajta is a competitive girl and she doesn't care about the rules of society.

>> i think girls in saudi they understand it's a very different world and there's so much that they cannot do and that situation makes them, they want to challenge it a little bit more and make them want to prove themselves, so they want better lives, they want better options. yes, a lot of girls are like wajta who have dreams or who want to be part of the bigger picture and they want to assert themselves. >> reporter: mansui says there are many obstacles to making the film that deals with empowering women. >> casting was an issue, also. it was difficult to cast, especially the young girl. we found so many amazing girls, and we thought we had them and they were called and they say

we -- they just hesitate and they cannot come. that was very sad to see that they cannot pursue a dream because the society was very conservative. whenever i was out filming, they had a monitor for me and a walkie-talkie where i communicate with the ad and the actors outside. >> reporter: in her film mansui also raises awareness about polygamy. strong tension is depicted between wajta's parents over whether the father takes a second wife. >> reporter: wajta is trying to earn enough money to buy a bicycle. she decides to join the annual coral reciting competition at her school, hoping to win the

first prize of a thousand reals. will she win the money she needs? will she ride a bicycle? the audience is kept in suspense until the final scene. >> i think it's about time now to come up with films and art that empowers women and give them examples of a difference of people who are willing not to be angry, but to be assertive and follow a dream like wajta. she doesn't want to be like everybody else. it's very important to seek that individuality and give examples and to inspire girls, hopefully we'll see more strong women. >> reporter: saudi arabia presents special challenges that man sewer says the message in the film is universal.

believe in yourself and pursue your dream. sat tourry ar yam ma, nhk world, tokyo. soccer fans in brazil and elsewhere can't wait to watch the world cup. the games kickoff in june. some people are so excited that they've turned a construction site in sao paulo into a tur rift destination. crews are still working on the stadium. brazil play escrow asia in the opening match. visitors have taken to watching the construction work and snapping pictures from outside. >> translator: i expect the host country brazil will do well in the world cup. >> translator: i'm afraid that anti-government demonstrations could take place over brazil hosting the event and lead to troubles with security. >> in nova crane collapsed at the building site killing two workers and there have been accidents at other stadiums, too. some fear crews will still be working right up until the games

begin. people have been making the pilgrim midge to queue manna, site of japan's most holy places for hundreds of years, but it hasn't been easy. the only way to get there was by following a series of trails known as the queue man know codo that cut across the mountainous key peninsula. now a foreigner has taking on the role of introducing the world heritage site to people around the world. nhk world's sach i don't sakita reports. >> reporter: pilgrims have followed the route in the hallowed site for the past thousand years. recently more western visitors have been walking the trail.

a new tourist information center was opened specially for them. brad tool from canada used to teach english at local schools. attracted by kumano's natural beauty and unique culture, he decided to take the job of promoting the ka man know code toe. >> we've been working on letting guests have access to the real japan countryside and get close to the people, the place, the culture. >> reporter: here he gives a tour to a spanish couple on their honeymoon. they wed on the san diego world heritage route in northern spain. now they've come to experience this one. >> basically there's the end of the valley. there's mountains up the site. the shrine is on this side and the waterfall is over here. this section is a very nice walk. it's short, but it's very beautiful.

>> reporter: towie says they believe gods live in the three grand shrines of kamano. first the couple head to the gateway of the mountain. as they hike on the ancient trail, the two relax and enjoy the experience. eventually they arrive at a spot with a spectacular view. the two prayed just like people did in ancient times. >> we wanted to be more natural and authentic and isolated place that you could feel like the real japan. >> reporter: towie has also been

invited overseas journalists so more people will learn about this holy area. he took sally mclaren, a popular uk travel writer to a gigantic camphor tree that's over 1,000 years old. the tree has been enshrined as a god. >> that's called a shim nah wah around it. that marks the tree off as sacred. >> reporter: he explained how japanese culture values nature. >> it's a very important part of this kamano pilgrimage is these natural spots. >> when you're in key ota, you have modern japan at you on both sides. when you're in this kind of setting it's easier to imagine what it must have been like a thousand years ago. i think it's one of the special spots of kamano kodo and something i'd like to introduce to international visitors.

>> kumano pilgrimage the quite nice because it goes beyond religious dogma. it touches the essence of all human beings with ancient nature worship and the mixture of the buddhist traditions. so it goes to the core of what people are. >> reporter: with the tokyo olympics coming in 2020, he has big plans to promote kumano codo to a worldwide audience. sach i don't sug geet toe, nhk world. japanese have long seen calligraphy as one of their most traditional art forms. international audiences are less enthusiastic. one artist is trying to change that by reinventing it as a contemporary art form.

>> this arlt tift goes by the name of tisu. her work has appeared in adverts, in packaging and in art galleries, and she doesn't limit herself to the page. she's known for integrating the latest technology into her work. >> if we incorporate the strengths of other visual arts into calligraphy, i think more people around the world will begin to appreciate this traditional art and understand japanese thinking and culture better. >> sisyu began her calligraphy career in 2001. four years later xi took part in a show a but she saw her work wasn't recognized as an art form overseas. she said the audience applauded but she thought they were celebrating the existence of this culture rather than her work. >> translator: that was when i

realized i wanted calligraphy to accepted around the world. thought of ways to convey the appeal to people who don't know about our traditions, culture or langua language. >> reporter: she came up with a radical new idea, turn her 2d compositions into 3d installations. shine a light on these steel mobiles and they'll create a calligraphy silhouette. she also combines her characters with other forms of art. she says she wants to liberate her genre from the restrictions of ink and paper. >> translator: my instincts tell me that my work is much better when i combine the strengths of calligraphy with those of other visual arts. >> reporter: sisyu created this piece just after the earthquake in 2011. the word? the center means majestic confidence and the dragon in the

background represents the god of water. >> translator: the earthquake and tsunami left a deep wound, and many people are still suffering from it. the god of water appears in front of us, and i hope this god will give us the power to be majestic, brave and dignified. >> reporter: she's visited the devastated tohoku region many times and what she saw had a profound affect on her. she began teaching calligraphy to the local children. she say it is art form is especially relevant when people are going through difficult times. she says it helps them to reflect. >> translator: i believe first and foremost an artist's heart must be filled with deep emotions if they want to communicate with the viewer.

if we can achieve i believe we can create works that convey warmth to people. >> sisyu says she'll keep breaking through the boundaries of calligraphy. she's hoping to create title sequences for hollywood movies and convey the power and emotion of calligraphy to international audiences. and now here is the weather forecast.

that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo. a7guc

>> fighting continues on the ground. government and rebels have sent representatives to ethiopia to find a political solution. in critical condition. his family is expecting a turn for the worst. john kerry is back in the middle east to broker a deal between israel.stinians and he is expected to meet both signs in the best sides in the coming days.