here in japan it's a thursday evening. i'm james tengan in tokyo. glad you could join us on nhk "newsline." here are some stories we're following this hour. japan connection. an nhk investigation into the panama papers finds a link to a former head of an investment firm who previously made headlines for fraud. and details emerging.

japan's killing was planned months in advance. new information has surfaced linking for the first time a japanese citizen to the panama papers. the documents contained millions of files on world leaders, other high-profile people and firms using tax havens. now nhk has learned a former investment firm head who lost the pension funds of over 800,000 people in japan was involved in irregularities using shell companies. we obtained the papers through the international consortium of investigative journalists or icij. it contains 11.5 million files from a panama-based law firm that is one of the world's largest specializing in offshore business. >> reporter: nhk joined investigation of panama paper in

june. since then our reporters have investigated those who have connection with japan. and we identify 400 japanese nationals from data. and uncover one person who shocked the country four years ago. our findings reveal that asikawa is a former president of a tokyo-based aij investment advisers. the firm managed about 150 billion yen or $1.4 billion. for japanese funds and other clients for almost a decade. most of that money evaporated due to his poor management. asakawa was arrested in 2012. he was found guilty of fraud including falsifying reports to

conceal the massive losses. he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. nhk spoke to him three days before he was imprisoned. he later admitted to some illicit dealings to the offshore companies. >> translator: we were able to buy firms in hong kong at the time. we bought them for our clients. one was to avoid taxes. i felt that it was wrong even at the time. another aim was to manipulate share prices. though i can't say that openly. you don't want to directly issue an order on your own company's stocks in the japanese market. you want to use foreign capital as a foreign investor so it can go unnoticed in that way. >> reporter: asakawa claims the

papers had nothing to do with his company's management business. he has denied any illegal use or concealment of the fund money. regardless of intent, asakawa left hundreds of thousands of people without the pensions they'd been relying on. the worker on the case is still trying to determine if asakawa has any hidden assets. he was the first japanese citizen to admit to illicit deals in the panama papers. institutions have joined the panama papers investigation. the 11.5 million documents revealed leaders, politicians, and celebrities using offshore havens to avoid tax. one japanese expert said it's just the beginning. >> translator: since the panama papers emerged, the community recognized a need to have

regular tax havens and to promote information sharing. the scandal has also revealed that tax havens have been used not only for tax avoidance but also for criminal purposes. in japan, tax havens have been mainly seen as a way to reduce tax bills. but people here need to reconsider and reassess the problem. >> reporter: the panama papers reflect 40 years of work by the central american law firm helping the world's super rich avoid tax. our investigation with fellow journalists around the world will continue on the documents that have sent shock waves around the world. nhk world, tokyo. >> the investigation continues into japan's deadliest mass murder in decades. police believe the suspect planned the assault months in advance. details from tuesday's attack on

a care home for people with disabilities support that narrative. police say it all began shortly after 2:00 a.m. tuesday west of tokyo. they say 26-year-old satoshi uematsu broke a window to get inside the care facility in sagamihara city. he attacked 40 people through two buildings in under an hour. he killed 19 people and wounded 26 more. we now know of the eight staff on duty, five were tied up with zip ties. the three others managed to hide. similar details were all laid out in a letter uematsu wrote to the speaker of the diet in february. he said he would carry out an attack at night when there were fewer staff. he also satd he planned to use zip ties on the employee soo thy couldn't move or call for outside help. on the night of the attack, o o employee did m manage to call f help. a short message was sent through

a phone app to an offduty coworker saying, come quickly, it's bad. the offduty worker then called back and only heaeard a whispsp voice say something terrible was happening. the offduty worker then called police. uematsu was arrested after he turned himself in on tuesday. a day later, he was sent to prosecutors. charges are pending. a local governor says information that it wass forewarned was not shared with his office. despite the letter, there were more signs he posed a risk. he told colleagues at the facility that people with severe disabilities should be euthanized. those comments prompted officials to have him committed toto a hospital. but he was released 12 days later r when a d doctor decided was not a threat. following his discharge, the care home installed more than a dozen security cameras based on police advice.

kanagawa prefecture oversees the facility. the governor says his office was left in the dark and none of that information was shared with him. >> translator: we believe there have been problems in the way authorities share information. we will corporate with the authorities' concern so this kind of incident never happens again. we will verify the matter thoroughly to develop preventive measures. >> the governor said some are of the opinion the suspect's discharge came too early. but holding him longer would have created a human rights issue. he wants to consult with experts on how to best deal with a case. as details of the case continue to unfold, families of those with disabilities are making sure their voices are heard. tomoko kamata has their story. >> reporter: daisuke is 41 years

old. he is not able to speak and lives in a care facility. his mother says she was deeply hurt by whahat the suspect was saying. that people with disabilities should disappear. >> translator: not only is it unforgivable, it makes me sad. even though it might only be a limited number of people who think that way, it's the fact that anyone does. >> reporter: kubo has an organization of people with intellectual disabilities. it issued a statement on its website saying, each and every life is priceless regardless of its challenges. people across japan are expressing support for that through social media. one person wrote, wee have to make sure this kind of crime never happens again.

an organizer of this care facility has been trying to create more awareness of an intersection of people with disabilities. masahiro came up with the plan to open the building up to eliminate social stigma. >> translator: we are trying to live together with the community. >> reporter: and it seemed to be having an effect. more and more local residents are visiting the facility to celebrate the festival with people who live there. but he has a dilemma. after tuesday's stabbing, the prefecture authority rgeed him to tighten security. he used to close the building's gate at 10:00 p.m., but noww trtries to make sure it's close all day. >> translator: it's truly reregrettable and a severe situation that we have to limit access to the facility.

>> reporter: for kubo it's important to let others know that people with disabilities do have families who care about them. one small example of her love is this scarf she gave to daisuke two years ago. he's worn it ever since. she wants everyone to know a family bond is not affected even though there are challenges in communicates. >> translator: he is an essential part of our family. and brings us all closer together. >> reporter: support groups like kubo's say they're determined to keep promoting the rights of people with disabilities. and call on everyone in japan to recognize the importance of respecting each and every human being. tomoko kamata, nhk world, tokyo. you're watching nhk "newsline" coming to you live

from tokyo. staff at two japanese officials are teaming up in a bid to boost production. gene otani has more on that and other headlines. >> fanuc will work with ntt. they want to develop a manufacturing that works around the internet o of things. to allow physical objects to talk to each other over the worldwide web. the project will let robots and other factory equipment choose the most efficient by themselves. they'll also incorporate artificial intelligence. they plan to sell to manufacturers worldwide at the end of the year. executives at apple a celebrating a mile stone. they've sold 1 billion hand sesets. staff at the tech giant developed the smartphone under the leadership of late cofounder

steve jobs. they say they passed the billion mark last week. people in the u.s. were quick to embrace their original iphone and consumers worldwide turned subsequent releases into major events often forming long lines outside apple stores. but executives have recently struggled to fend off fierce competition from chinese rivals. they say sales in the first quarter of 2016 were down from the same period last year. the first-ever year on year decline. second quarter sales went the same way. falling 15%. many are questioning whether apple can seize back the momentum with the release of its next iphone which is expected in coming months. checking the markets. shares of tokyo stumbled on a stronger yen as investors awaited the results of the bank of japan policy meeting. giang nguyen reports from the stock exchange. >> the nikkei swung back into negative territory as investors fretted about what, if any,

business measures kuroda will announce on friday. the nikkei fell 1.1% to close at 16,476. the broader topix sank by about the same margin. the dollar lost ground against the yen sending below 105 5 yen. there were also a host of corporate earnings releases that moved share prices. fujifilm holdings tumbled after it reported a 50% drop i in net profit for the quarter. mitsubishi lost 2.7%. the company is still reeling from a mileage cheating scandal that's damaging sales. and nintendo reported a loss of more than $230 million from april to june as the sales off the riyuyu console disappointed.

expectations are running high for the bank of japan to provide substantial easing measures. some analysts are anticipating strong volatility to make a return to markets in the wake of the boj's decision. i'm giang nguyen reporting from the stock exchange. moving on to other markets in the asia pacific region. the shanghai composite finishing up at 2,994. others sold over restrictions on products. singapore declining by 0.78%. hong kong's hang seng index dropping by 0.2%. sydney meanwhile adding 0.3% as rising iron ore and other metal prices pushed up shares.

democratic candidate hillary clinton is facing tough questions on a matter that's sensitive to many u.s. workers. she says she opposes the push for the transpacific partnership. a free trade deal that would take in much of asia pacific region. but her political rivals are asking where she stands on the matter. jojohn podesta is tryining to dedeflect any doubts. he insists the democratitic candidate would neverr support deal t that threatens american jobs. >> she is against it before the election and after the election. >> as secretary of state, clinton was a supporter of the tpp but she reversed her position last year. her former boss barack obama continues to be a strong advocate. podesta says even though clinton opposes the deal, she won't necessarily try to block obama's efforts to get congressional approval for it. republican nominee donald trump is an outspoken critic of the tpp. he's predicting clinton will

flip-flop and give her backing to the deal if she makes it to the white house. here's a look at some of the other business stories we're following. japan's biggest automaker saw year an year decline in the half. together they produced 4.24 million units, down 3%. a major factor was the earthquakes that struck japan in april. they disrupted the supply of parts and caused some plants to halt production. people plan to spend less on their holidays than last year. the poll shows households expect to spend an average of about $800 on travel and shopping. that's down nearly $50 from last year. last summer, rather. officials at the firm say people appear to be tightening their belts possibly due to concerns over t the impact of the brexit

vote. while the locals become more careful with their holiday spending, foreign visitors to japan are becoming more selective about their lodgings. many aren't staying at western style hotels. instead they're seeking of inns known as ryokan businesses and inns themselves are evolving to take advantage of the trend. >> reporter: in an area of tokyo crowded with upscale hotels, this facility opened for business last week. from the outside, it looks like a western style hotel. inside, however, is a ryokan. >> translator: welcome. >> reporter: customers can enjoy the feel of tatami mats.

rooms are furnished with traditional japanese furniture rather than big sofas and beds. and of course there's a hot spring. a must at a good ryokan. the operator is promoting several inns and thinks they can attract new customers amid fifierce competition for the attention of visitors to the capital. >> ryokan can be successful in major cities like tokyo competing in international hotel chains. >> reporter: businesses are paying attention to ryokan. service of foreign tourists shows staying in a ryokan is high on their list of things to do in japan. 20 million people visited japan last year. many are to regional cities. and ryokan are often a way of

enjoying each region. a quarter of all foreign visitors want to stay in traditional inns. >> when you come to japan, you just want to experience the real japan. all tradition japan style. >> the service is wonderful. i definitely appreciated the hospitality. people are very kind and friendly to help show me where i needed to go. >> reporter: the world's largest online travel agency is tapping into this trend. the company is promoting ryokan worldwide on its website. atami is one of japan's top hot spring resorts. this ryokan just signed a contract with the agency this month. travel agency staff don't just locate the ryokan. they advise owners on the preferences of foreign guests as well.

>> translator: in tokyo, this kind of retro style game center is increasingly popular with vivisitors. so i suggest this should be a point of appeal. >> translator: really? i wouldn't of expected that. > reporter: the owner of the ryokan changed his mind after receiving the agency's advice. now he's considering how better to cater to his foreign guests. >> translator: foreign guests will definitely become the main target. so we have to be prepared. even if it's by trial and error. we want to do our best to k kee up with the times. >> translator: even though some ryokan are doing fine, they will start to struggle if they only rely on japanese guests. we want to use our expertise to attract guests from all over the world.

>> reporter: people in the industry are hoping that ryokan will soon be a key feature in the country's tourism. nhk world. that's a look at business news. i'm going to leave you with the markets. it's time now to bring

sayaka mori in as she tells us what's happening in weather. sayaka? >> yes, it seem this rainy season has ended in the tokyo area. that's actually seven days later than normal and 18 days later than last year. and it's actually fourth longest rainy season on record for the tokyo area. but the end of rainy season means we will see scorching hot conditions for the next couple of months so please take care of your health. the risk of heatstroke will go up. then across western japan it looks like it's going to be quite hot into august. watch out for heatstroke. now, temperatures are expected as follows for the next five days. osaka and fukuoka will see highs in the mid-30s. osaka, 34 degrees on your sunday. opposed to that tokyo will not see quite high temperatures. staying in theow 30s as we go into the next four days and down to the 20s on tuesday. now, across the north of

hokkaido, it has been quite stormy since yesterday. there's a slslow-moving low pressusure system papassing thr the area.. now, in just 24 hoururs, 2700 millllimeters of rain fell in t southh of hokkaido. that's more ththan the monthly rainfall for july and more rain is expecected at leaeast into y saturday. additional 200 m millimetersrr more are expecteted into t the weekend. so the risk for flooding, lalandslideses, and strong w wi will likely continue for the next threeee days att least. now, across china there is a heavy rain area across the tibetan area. we have some impressive visit owe coming out. rain-triggered floods have washed away sections of the highway tuesday. the rain has battered villages and more than 50,000 residents were impacted. while no casualties have been reported, the high-speed water flow has led to traffic disruptions and transportation. emergency repairs for 65 damaged

sections of the road are now underway. traffic is expected to resume en abouout a week. now more rain is expecteted for tibet and also yunnan province. the risk of landslides will get higher. a tropical storm made landfall in vietnam wednesday night. the system dropped heavy rain and strong winds battered the trees. the storm system is still packing strong winds. it's still a tropical storm. it's still packing rain and strongng winds across vietntnam parts of laos. more rain expected into the next couple of days. now, temperatures are going to be quite high in the south. 33 degrees in hong kong and hanoi you'll see heavy rainfall with the high of 30 degrees on your friday. now, up towards the north, ulaanbaatar will see a chance for thunderstorms. beijing seasonally hot 32 degrees with the high and rainy

weather for seoul with 30 degrees. and tokyo in the 30s for you. that's it for me now. up next is your three-day forecast around the globe.

before we go, one more story for you. we take you to southwestern japan where efforts to protect a sea creature are paying off. miyazaki prefecture is a spawning ground for sea turtles. and workers there have been collecting eggs from the beach to prevent them from being washed away. this year they've gathered nearly 3,000. and this week some of them hatched and were released into the sea. >> translator: they're so cute. i want them to come back when grown up. >> the turtleses will continue hatch through early october.

let's hope they can buck the low survival rate. i'm james tengan. thanks for watching this edition of

>> welcome back to the newsroom. these are the top stories we are covering. the second man involved in tuesday's charge attack in -- charge attack in normandy has been identified. he had reportedly tried to reach syria. russia says c corners are t to e opopened to allolow civilians ad rebels to leave the besieged syrian city of aleppo. attemptey's post to