welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo. workers are busy with recovery efforts in central japan, where a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck on saturday night. the workers are fixing roads and a rail line, even as aftershocks rattle the region. the quake left 41 people injured in nagano prefecture. seven suffered serious injuries. nearly 60 houses were destroyed or partially collapsed. more than 300 people spent sunday night at an evacuation --

at evacuation centers. the water is up bligh to over 700 houses has been disrupted. experts have been studying the effects of the quake on the ground surface in hakuba village near the epicenter. >> translator: you see the bump there? the ground surface slipped about one meter. >> the linear shaped bulges are roughly two kilometers long and run north to south. they jut out of the ground by up to 90 centimeters. >> translator: the displacement above the ground surface seems to be big for the scale of earthquake. one of the reasons could be that the focus of the quake was shallow. >> landslides have cut off roads and a railway. japan railways has sent engineers to the site. weather agency officials are warning aftershocks will continue for about a week. they also point to a risk of mudslides if it rains as the ground has been loosened by the seismic shaking.

officials at japan's defense ministry have chosen u.s.-made aircraft to be the country's first large-scale reconnaissance drones. they want to better monitor the military activities of neighboring countries. the ministry plans to deploy three global hawks. the drone has a wing span of about 40 meters. it can monitor the ground from an altitude of 22,000 meters with an advanced infrared sensor. the drone also has a mechanism to avoid collisions with other aircraft. defense officials plan to start introducing the global hawk in fiscal 2019. they'll request funds to purchase the drone next miss cal year's draft budget. they're considering deploying the aircraft at the air self-defense force misawa base. the ministry has also decided to buy four u.s.-made e-2d early warning aircraft. the plane's radar has a wider range than the earlier model

e-2c. japan is currently operating 17 of the older aircraft. japanese coast guard patrollers have escorted a chinese fishing boat to yokohama port near tokyo after it was suspected of poaching coral. the chinese vessel was carrying nets allegedly used to haul up coral which fetches high prices in china. coast guard officials say they spotted the boat on friday in japanese territorial waters. about 15 kilometers off one of the ogasawara islands. the patrollers caught the boat as it was releasing nets under the cover of darkness early friday. coast guard officers earlier arrested its captain and have already sent him to prosecutors. the officers plan to search the boat and question ten crew members. a large number of chinese coral boats has been spotted since october in japanese waters and the surrounding exclusive economic zone. they have been reported off the ogasawara islands in the far south of the japanese archipelago. nine chinese captains have been

arrested on charges of illegal fishing or defying orders to halt their vessels. japan is one of the world's most economically developed countries. but the percentage of its children living in poverty is the fourth worst among 20 industrialized nations. the figure is based on the proportion of people younger than 18 in households where income is below half the median. in japan, that means less than 10,600 dollars per person in the family per year. one in every six children in japan lives in such a situation. nhk world's raja pradhan reports. >> reporter: a single mother in her 40s, with two sons to care for. she took the children with her a year ago to escape from domestic violence.

in cold weather the family puts cardboard boxes near the curtains and windows at night to keep the warm air inside. it's a way of avoiding having to pay for heating. aid groups help with necessities such as food and clothing but other expenses add up to about $1,000 a month, including meals and school fees. rent by itself accounts for more than half of that. >> translator: i have to look for a job soon. >> reporter: the family has exhausted its savings, and the mother is out of work. they subsist on welfare benefits paid to single-mother households. and they're not the only ones. in japan companies started cutting back on permanent employment with the bursting of the bubble economy in the 1990s. instead, they created short or fixed-term positions with lower pay. more than a third of the country's workforce now falls in

that category, and their jobs can easily vanish. >> translator: many working parents are paid wages that are so low they can be categorized as working poor. the situation has become especially serious with parents who are in their 20s and 30s. >> translator: this woman works with a group in osaka that supports destitute families. they include people like this single mother in her 40s, who has three children. >> translator: i can't help but feel i'm responsible for my children descending to the lower levels of this society. >> translator: i don't think you're to blame. >> reporter: the woman said she

divorced her husband because he wasn't working. and the family became financially strapped. she suffers from mild depression. her doctor advised refraining from work so her family lives on welfare. >> translator: try to give yourself some love and appreciation. >> reporter: the group offers quick help to families in need. sometimes it's buying food and other necessities, but it also can involve counseling on how to apply for welfare benefits, and lending a sympathetic ear to their concerns. >> translator: we receive many calls, and strive to do our best. but often, all we can do is treat the symptoms. we're not able to get to the cause. it's like putting a bandage on a cut. >> reporter: a series of events nearby led her to set up the group. last year, a 28-year-old mother

and her 3-year-old child were found dead in a condo near her previous workplace. they were presumed to have died three months earlier from starvation. a memo left by the mother apologized to the child for not being able to provide good food. a year before her death the mother had visited a local government office to ask for welfare benefits. but she was unsuccessful. >> translator: administrative offices won't provide aid to those who don't meet their try year yeah. many are left without assistance. the more destitute someone is, the more likely they'll need individual attention. >> reporter: once a month she distributes cards in a shopping area. they carry the group's contact information and a message that says, you can call for help any time you're in need. >> translator: we provide consultations for those who are financially strapped.

we also would appreciate you handing this card to anyone around you who is in need. >> reporter: isolation request exacerbate the difficulties of destitute parents. many have no one to listen to their story and console them. tokomaru and their group have the assignment of reaching out to such folks. in another part of the country, a group is providing aid directly to young people in need. keiko set up the organization five years ago. it supports impoverished people in their late teens to early 20s. one of the group's activities is making sure they have something decent to eat.

this high school student is living on her own, holding down a part-time job after school. four nights a week, the organization serves her a good meal. but an endless hand-to-mouth existence may destroy hope and ambition. >> translator: when we asked them did you eat the meal, they may say they ate the ice cream or drank the tea. we said that could affect a baby if they get pregnant. one girl said, though, i won't live long enough for that. >> reporter: her group also believes in helping people acquire the means of pulling themselves out of poverty with education. it conducts tutorial sessions for grown-ups who could not afford to finish high school. a 23-year-old husband and wife hope they can make enough money to send their young daughter to high school in the future.

the man does manual labor to support the family. but he wants to acquire a stable job with better pay. >> translator: i have no idea how long my body can take physical labor. if i can obtain some sort of trade license, my employment prospects will become much better. >> reporter: the husband currently brings in about $2200 a month. he also receives a child rearing allowance of $130. but that will go down as his daughter gets older. industrialized countries that actively redistribute wealth tend to have less of a problem with child poverty. japan, however, is spreading money around in a different way. the professor says wealth distribution in japan primarily favors older people through pensions and medical care. >> translator: unfortunately, japan doesn't spend much on children. but they are the ones who will be supporting the society in the future.

the lack of effective measures now to keep them out of poverty may create grave danger one or two decades in the future. >> reporter: the national government has put together an outline of measures to reduce child poverty. it includes the possibility of some additional support, but many details remain undecided. demographics complicate the search for solutions, as the percentage of older people in japan increases, they require more and more public support. but if that leaves children impoverished, the country's next generation will have much to overcome as adults. child poverty is not just their problem. it belongs to the entire society. raja pradhan, nhk world. japanese scientists are reporting success in an experiment aimed at increasing survival rates following cardiac arrest. they say inhaling hydrogen gas may not only help the patients live longer, but could reduce

brain damage, as well. the researchers at keio university in tokyo had rats inhale the gas immediately after they were resuscitated. they say about 70% of the animals were alive a week after the experiment. they say the survival rate for those that did not inhale the gas was under 40%. the researchers say the rats that inhaled hydrogen also had less damage to nerve cells in the brain. emergency medical workers usually try to lower the body temperatures of patients without heartbeat to prevent brain damage. the keio scientists say it's much easier to use hydrogen gas. they want to conduct clinical tests on humans to confirm these effects. >> translator: we expect that the brain damage will be decreased from inhaling hydrogen gas. >> the associate professor says it is important to protect the brain so that its functions can return to normal after the patient's heart starts beating again.

tourism officials in china are hoping to turn the site of the apec summit into a vacation hot spot. they're seeing people from around the country coming to stay at yen ki lake and they now looking to land even more visitors from abroad. nhk world's evening ji ham nishi has the story. >> reporter: the leaders of 21 countries and territories gathered at the apec summit. since china's prestige was at stake, its government undertook major preparations for the event. the meeting was held about 60 kilometers north of beijing. the summit took place on an island. authorities lifted the tight security for the apec summit and opened up the island's tourist spots.

>> translator: it's a beautiful place, and the air is clean. i really want to go on the island. >> reporter: not many people visit during this season. the weather is too cold. but this year, a flood of tourists gathered at the island's entrance. i am standing in front of the conference center where the apec leaders summit took place. now, this area is opened. but only for a limited number of tourists. among those allowed on site are people with reservations at hotels. the china national tourism administration rates the scenery there as a four out of a possible five. with five being the most scenic. island facilities were significantly upgraded ahead of the apec meeting. hotels and pagodas were built,

as well as a meeting venue. this new hotel on the lake front is still being built. but it's famous because of its unique design, so tourists want to see it. china wants to work with a foreign hotel company to develop the location. the firm is to turn the lake and its surroundings into a tourism spot that's a cut above the rest. s firm that manages this facility is using the apec summit as a tourist attraction. >> we benefit. the local government benefits. the surrounding benefits. so it's a corporation. and that's what it needs to be. it's not just, we do, or they do. no. we work together, and that's probably what will bring the success. >> reporter: there is another business opportunity. this tableware set has the same design as the one used by summit

leaders at the banquet. people admire its chinese traditional elements. >> translator: we received numerous inquiries after the conference. five-star hotels would like to use the tableware, and many people want to add the set to their private collections. >> reporter: an expert says apec left a legacy, but industries that benefit it should increase it. >> translator: duz stris need to create a business plan in order to maintain the existing markets' popularity. >> reporter: the lake is now a candidate to hold future events such as the g-20 and other international meetings. it seems that the apec summit has brought many new business

opportunities to the area. nhk world, beijing. a japanese artisan has a unique take on the classic picture book. she crafts each one by hand from fabrics, adding a personal touch that seems to connect with readers. and now her creations are reaching children around the world. nhk world's mikiko suzuki has the story. >> reporter: this is a classroom at a school for disabled children and their parents in tokyo. students with disabilities get the chance to experience something new here. junko watanabe created the special books they are exploring. she has been making them for 35 years as a way to give disabled children opportunities to learn.

>> reporter: watanabe uses felt, kimono material, and other fabrics. details include embroidery, buttons, and string. children can practice tying and untying, buttoning and unbuttoning, while touching the books. these exercises can foster independen independence. >> translator: sometimes a mother calls me to let me know a cloth book inspired her child's first words. that makes me so happy it brings tears to my eyes. >> reporter: watanabe has asemled a group of volunteers who help make the books and donate them to libraries around japan. so far the group has given more than 20,000 books to around 500 libraries. this library in a tokyo suburb

has 300 of them. aiko and her 8-year-old son daisuke live nearby. daisuke was diagnosed with down syndrome at birth. when he was a year and a half old, he started coming to the library with his mother to borrow cloth books. a book introducing musical notes really caught his eye. >> translator: we also borrow regular books but he's really drawn to the cloth ones. if i bring a big bag of them home he'll say, i want one of those. >> reporter: now, daisuke can play the piano. it's a simple song. but it requires both hands. >> translator: the cloth books have broadened his world.

he learned how to read from them. and he got interested in knowing more about the things around him. >> reporter: it's tough for daisuke to interpret the notes, move his fingers and listen to the music all at the same time. but he keeps trying. now, watanabe and her team are sending the cloth books to children around the world. especially those living in poverty, or without access to education. some books were sent to an orphanage in myanmar that takes care of 200 kids. many had lost their parents in ethnic conflicts, or were abandoned due to poverty. other books were sent to students in africa. they reflected cultural differences like the way people there count with their fingers.

>> translator: people learn their own country's language and think and act in that language. just one cloth picture book is something people can explore and learn from. that's why i want to pass them on to future generations around the world. >> reporter: watanabe believes all children, regardless of their circumstances, can learn something from her picture books. and she hopes this seed of an idea takes root around the world. mikiko suzuki, nhk world, tokyo. wet weather is heading for japan as residents try to catch a glimpse of the changing colors of fall foliage. our meteorologist jonathan oh is here with a look at the forecast. jonathan? >> hello, gene. yes, we are seeing this rain moving in from the west. over into the eastern portions of china and the korean peninsula we are seeing some rain and some clouds now because of a low pressure system that's now slipping toward the east, and so coming up on tuesday,

japan will be seeing a lot of rainfall. but during the weekend, a very nice forecast took place. as the temperatures continue to cool off we see beautiful pictures like this out over one of the parks in tokyo. seeing the leaves streaming down into the water there. you can see the vibrant colors. this is the time of year that many residents in japan try to go out and see the changing colors. but, if you didn't get a chance to do it this weekend, unless you want to get wet, you're probably going to have to wait till later this week. because on tuesday and wednesday, as i mentioned, that frontal system will be moving through and that's going to give us a decent chance for some rain. now by thursday, we should start to dry out. even warm up just a bit into the upper teens. and so we should see a better weather pattern, if you want to go out and enjoy taking a look at foliage. so there's that low pressure system. that's going to be pushing toward the east, and drying toward the north and west for the korean peninsula, going throughout tuesday. so until then, wet forecast for eastern portions of china all the way into japan. now i am keeping an eye out on a

low pressure system east of the philippines. this is something that we'll be keeping an eye on because it may become something that we'll be concerned about later on this week. we'll just keep an eye out on that. in the mean time manila you're still seeing the rainy season pattern. rain and thunderstorms, high of 33. bangkok with hazy conditions, a high of 35. rain in shanghai also into tokyo and morning hours for seoul, you'll see some showers on tuesday and then eventually you'll be drying out and a little bit more sunshine. now lots of wet weather to talk about in europe. first, down toward the south. we have a low pressure system that moved onshore into the iberian peninsula. that's tapping into the mediterranean sea and bringing some rain, especially for the southern portions of france. look out for that as we go throughout monday. also, another low pressure system up toward the scandinavian peninsula bringing in some of that colder air so the northern portions will be seeing the possibility of some snow. otherwise you'll see a lot of rain from stockholm into berlin and down to vienna. that secondary low down towards the iberian peninsula. we have the remnants of a low pressure system over into eastern europe. and so that's bringing some

showers as far south as athens, but some snow into moscow and kiev, as we go through monday. now, as we take a look at north america, a couple of areas to keep in mind. we are seeing another low that continues to batter the western coast of canada and the pacific northwest. this is also a concern because not only are we seeing rain, temperatures are dropping off to where we may be seeing some freezing rain. and that's going to be dangerous on the roadways. now on the eastern side of the united states, and into canada, we have this massive low pressure system. some snow possibilities into the western side of the great lakes. but over in buffalo, upstate new york, you're going to be seeing the possibility of some rain/snow mix with the melting taking place. all that snow may lead to some flooding possibilities. the cold front draped along with this may be leading to the possibility of some severe weather. so look out for that as we go throughout monday. again, very wet conditions for the eastern seaboard. now, as we go through this week, americans are getting ready for thanksgiving, and as we take a look at the forecast, some

cities named turkey. relatively wet for north carolina, as i mentioned. but dry conditions elsewhere. all locations, though, looking a little bit drier by thanksgiving day. hope you have a good day wherever you are. here's your extended outlook. people in a japanese city hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami have created some

christmas cheer for the local kids. they set up a towering decoration in the shape of a christmas tree. unicef and local shops set up the eight meter high structure in a shopping mall in kiss numa in northeastern japan. it is made from a pole and ropes that suspend a variety of ornaments. about 350 children made the decorations including ones that look like houses and christmas stockings. one of the children says his wish is to move out of temporary housing as soon as possible. the tree will be lit up until late next month. and that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo. ññ

x -- collect for 12 years, there has been a standoff between the west and iran over its nuclear program, a standoff that was meant to be settled by a deadline tonight. biggestooking like the chance in years to resolve this crisis, but reports coming out throughout the day seem to say it is another extension and not a deal that would come out of the talks. to get a little bit