here in japan it's 7:00 p.m. on a thursday. i'm james tengan. welcome to nhk "newsline." members of japan's largest opposition party have chosen a new leader. renho is the first woman to take on the role. she had pledged to revitalize the party to meet the expectations of people who want to see it change.

tomoko kamata reports. >> reporter: even before lawmakers and some party members filed thursday, it was clear renho was the favorite set to revitalize the party. she has been asking sense 2015 and during the run-up to this vote, she enjoyed a wide margin. >> translator: we will build a strong party that can challenge the current administration that is enjoying popularity. let's build our party together to one voters want to choose. we should accomplish this by not just criticism but through presenting constructive and creative policy for the country. >> reporter: renho doesn't fit the mold of other japanese lawmakers. she turns to politics after working as a model and a news

anchor. and her half taiwanese background sparked fear debate over her citizenship status. but she has already taken on a high profile portfolio. when the former party of the d.p., the democratic party of japan became the ruling party in 2009. she attracted a lot of attendance as she spearheaded the -- >> translator: what is the reason you want to be world number one? isn't second place good enough? >> reporter: but the party failed to revitalize the sluggish economy. it lost even more public trust over its handling of the earthquake and tsunami. and it suffered a crashing defeat to the liberal democratic party in 2012. the party merged with another smaller opposition in march in

an effort to gain ground. but nhk polls suggest its latest support grade is still around 8%. while the ldp has 40%. renho's top priority is to change all of that. during her three-year term, members of the lower house will have a key national election. and she wants to regain public trust in the party. at the news conference, she was asked about her views on amending the constitution. prime minister abe has said he wants to start debating the issue in the diet. >> translator: we have taken part in past debates and committees in the upper house. we will keep doing so once the panels are resumed. >> reporter: renho will soon face her first real battle as party leader. she will confront the ldp and the komeito during the diet

later this month. and their debate on key issues facing the country are expected to be intense. tomoko kamata, nhk world, tokyo. now to the growing fallout of the planned relocation of tokyo's iconic tsukiji fish market. government officials knew of the dangers that could arise from the way the new market was built. but they went ahead anyway. the new market site in toyosu is where a coal plant stood decades ago. benzene and other toxic substances were found in the soil. experts posed a safety measure to contain the hazardous materials. they recommended replacing the top two meters of soil then adding another two and a half meters of clean soil over that. but tokyo government officials

did not follow that advice and created an open space instead. now revelations show they warned of a rusk of such space. toxic substances rising from the ground could seep inside. water is currently covering the ground under the new site. officials say it appears to have accumulated over three months up to august. it's not yet known whether the water is rain water or toxic ground water. governor koike says she plans to analyze the water with them. >> translator: i have asked them to reconvene to discuss what needs to be m done in the current situation and assess the safety of the market. >> the governor came into office last month. one of her first big moves was announcing a delay in the opening of e market until safety is concerned. one of japan's biggest rail operators is planning to go

public in a share sale that's expected to raise billions of dollars. let's go to gene otani for the details on that and all the other top business stories. >> kyushu railway company has got approval from the tokyo stock exchange to go public. the ipo is likely to be the second biggest of the year in japan after the launch by smartphone app operator line. the rail operator also known as jr kyushu offers services across the third biggest island in the southwest of the country. the listing is planned for october 25th and market valuation would be about $3.8 billion. the company has recorded a big increase. it's hoping to capitalize the momentum with the ipo. investigators looking into a fuel economy scandal at mitsubishi motors have announced their findings. they believe employees knew they were breaking the rules when they used the wrong methods to

determine mileage. the scandal came to light in april. even after that, mitsubishi continued to cherry pick favorable data to determine mileage for some models. the company claimed it didn't know it was going against proper procedures. but transport ministry investigators disagree. they say front line engineers at mitsubishi knew exactly what they were doing. the investigators also say the firm didn't conduct any fuel efficiency tests on some models. the findings follow an inspection by government officials on the company's headquarters and the research facility. t demanded the firm come up with measures to ensure the problem doesn't happen again and report them by the end of this month. >> translator: we take t the mininistry's observation very seriously and will handle the matter accordingly.

this problem stetems from weaknesses in the development division and also from the closed nature of the firm. >> it's the second time the government has given the head of mitsubishi administrative guidance over the scandal. executives at toshiba are trying to fight their way back from a scandal that's dogged the firm for more than a year. to not delist their stock over a series of accounting irregulariti irregularities. the executive submitted a 3,000 page report to the tokyo stock exchange. it contains a list of internal forms that they have put in place. officials designated toshiba as a security on alert last year after the firm admitted inflating its pre-tax profit by more than $2 billion. the officials warning toshiba in order to stay listed the firm would have to improve its management. toshiba's report says pressure

from the former president was to blame for the a accounting irregularities. they have strengthened their whistle blowing system and check that communications are sufficient.. the vice president says toshiba is serious about makingg change. >> translator: we want to implement ththese preventiveve memeasures in a thorough way wi the support of everyone in the group. by doing that, we hope to regain trust in the company. >> officials at the tsc are to decide whether or not to let them continue trading. the yen gained strength. that's as upcoming central bank decisions continue to loom over the markets. giang nguyen reports from the tokyo stock exchange with the details. >> risk appetite just was not

there. seen as a safe haven asset for investors and they remain certain about the outcomes of the bank of japan and the federal reserve's meeting next week. the nikkei 225 is down 1.3% closing at 16,405. a three-week low. the broader topix fell 1% continuing its losing streak for a seventh day. switching over to currency markets, the dollar lost ground against the yen with the pair going below 102 yen at one stage. on wednesday it climbed above 103 yen on speculation the boj would cut interest rates further into negative territory. now onto some of the news makers we've been talking about here on nhk "newsline." toshiba fell more than 2% after the scandal-hit company released progress on the reform. meanwhile shares of lawson jumped 7% following news that trading house mitsubishi corporation plans to become its

majoririty shareheholder. mitsubishi, however, ended slightly lower. so we have a few clouds hanging over markets this thursday. analysts say we're likely to see investors remain subdued until they get a better handle on what central banks will decide. giang nguyen reporting from the tokyo stock exchange. sydney's s&p asx200 finishing at 5,239. gains in final and resource-related stocks supported the benchmark. but shares of energy companies dropped on lower oil prices. stocks in indonesia out-performed the region. indonesia jumped by 2% finishing at 5,265. that's the biggest one-day gain in more than a month. hong kong's hang seng index also gaining today led by casino operators. singapore was a touch lower down

by 0.14%. china was closed for holiday. tech lovers at an annual fair in japan are donning head gear and switching on and entering new worlds. many have come to the game show to test out the advances in virtual reality. about 600 exhibiters are displaying the latest in fun and games just outside the capital. this year the biggest buzz is around products that incorporate vr technology. sony has set up dozens of vr game consoles it will release to the market in october. players merely have to don the headset to go swimming in computer generated oceans or carry on conversations with digital characters. taiwanese smartphone maker htc is demonstrating a virtual reality device it launched in april. many analysts expect vr technology will play a big role

in a range of fields. the products will hit $8 billion by 2025. triple what it's worth in 2015. here's a look at some of the other business stories we're following. trading house mitsubishi corporation is aiming to take a controlling stake in japan's third biggest convenience store operator lawson. mitsubishi already has a one-third stake making it the largest shareholder. it plans to spend around $1.5 billion making lawson a subsidiary by the end of the year. hundreds of visitors to yokohama chinatown near tokyo have enjoyed a giant cake as part of an annual celebration. chefs m make the 60 kilogram mo cake every year for the festival. they use the yolk of 700 duck eggs. chinese tradition says people who eat the pastry during the

festival will enjoy happiness. from all you can eat to all you can read, the flat price offer is a common way for japanese companies to attract customers. now with consumers tightening their pursestrings, the market strategy is spreading to markets of a more personal nature. >> reporter: customers at this nail salon can choose from a wide variety of colors and designs. manicures and pedicures at other salons can go for $50. but here they can get as many services as they like for a monthly price of about $34. >> translator: there are no extra charges even if i ask for something super fancy. so i have nothing to worry about. >> reporter: the salon targets fashion conscious young women with limited budgets. it now has about 1,000 customers. the managers say they've cut

costs and boosted profits by eliminating the receptionist position and keeping it to a bare minimum. subscription fashion services can also be enjoyed in the comfort of one's own home. togashi works for an i.t. consulting firm. he's picky about what he wears to the office. >> translator: here it is. >> reporter: each month a fresh supply of dress shirts is delivered right to his door. togashi pays about $125 per month. he thinks that's reasonable considering the money and time it takes to buy shirts and have them laundered. >> translator: this is really good. the shirts are new, and they're well pressed. >> reporter: customers can choose from a wide range of colors, patterns, and collar shapes.

the ample assortment satisfies even fashion conscious customers like togashi. a small start-up company in tokyo provides the service. the company cuts costs by purchasing shirts in bulk from manufacturers. but it also focuses on small details. for example, each shirt comes with a number that corresponds to a specific customer. the company assigns each garment to one person exclusively foror the length of its contract. that way the customer doesn't feel he's wearing someone else's clothes. >> translator: we emphasize direct communication with our clients and reflect their views in our service. we want to be as responsive to their needs as we can. >> reporter: the companies behind these subscription services hope that the ease and

convenience they offffer will reassure shoppers they don't need to shop around to get a good deal. all right. you can catch our report again online together with a full transcript. look for nhk world and business wrap. that's a look at business news. i'm going leave you with the markets. the physical conditions of the candidates has become a crucial issue in the presidential race in the united states. hillary clinton has released a letter from her doctor saying she's healthy and fit to run for

commander in chief of the united states. clinton is on a break from campaigning after falling ill during a 9/11 memorial service. her doctor says that she became overheated and dehydrated during the ceremony on sunday. clinton had been treated two days earlier for a non-contagious case of pneumonia. but the candidate is recocoveri well with antibiotics and rest. the letter also says the lab test results show that everything is normal including her blood pressure and cholesterol levels. on the same day, republican rival donald trump presented a summary of a recent checkup. he said on a tv talk show that he was in good health. adding that he feels as good as he did when he was 30. japan's u.n. envoy to afghanistan is calling for urgent measures to help the country's displaced citizens. yamamoto briefed the security council on wednesday. he warned that the country's

health and social systems could be strained further as more people are displalaced by the conflict and otherss return fro pakistan. >> if current t trends continin afghanisistan will have to meet the needs of at least 1 million people on the move. >> yamamoto added that t thousas ofof families could suffer i in winter unlesess urgent measures are taken. more than 10,000 civilians were killed or wounded last year because e of fighting between t governmement and taliban forcess well as terror attacks. many people in southern china are without power and water as a powerful storm lashes the region. typhoon meranti made landfall in fujin province. meranti struck in the morning. officials say the storm is weakening but they're keeping their warning in place. the powerful winds and downpours have uprooted trees and knocked out power and water. some highways have been shut

down. trains and planes have been canceled affecting travelers during the chinese mid-autumn holiday. in taiwan, authorities have confirmed that one man died and 38 people were injured when meranti struck on wednesday. strong winds sent objects and debris flying. students from around asia have been conducting experiments in zero gravity with a little help from astronaut onishi. an indonesian student suggested putting three balls of the same size but different mass into a bag of water. onishi shook the bag and with the leez density moved the

least. >> when the astronaut performed my experiment, it's a lot more interesting than i expected. >> a student from thailand came up with an experiment using syringes to test how zero gravity changes the thickness of oil and water. >> it's a good experience for me. i think is the best experience in my life. >> i hope that our work on the international space station will encoura encourage young people like you around the world, around asia to become more interested in science. >> japan aerospace exploration agency organized the extra terrestrial research. they invited students to submit experiments and picked five for onishi to perform. we want to show you images that are out of this world.

in partnership with nhk will release over 600 video clips captured by japanese lunar probe kaguya. taken above the moon's south pole. it shows earth setting on the horizon. these aim js were taken by a high definition video camera mounted on ka gu ya. the probe was launched in 2007 and collected data for about two years. scientists have been using the videos for research. but officials have jaxsa and nhk have now decided to release them all to the public. they'll be put online starting from september 21st. it'll take about a month to mach the entire set available. okay. speaking of lunar topics, today is the day of the harvest moon. the time of the year when people in asia not only enjoy viewing the moon but going on holiday.

tokyo's weather jut look is cloudy, partly fair. if we're lucky we'll get a glimpse of the full moon. jonathan oh joins us now with the world weather report starting with southern china. >> well, we are looking at a much weaker system called meranti. the pressure has now lefted to 990 hectopopascals.. a cry of what it was when the pressure was down to 890. a powerful storm. at this point it's weakened to the point it's a big g rainmake which is a problem.m. just becauause the winds have backed off and it's been downgraded doesn't mean it's not posing a threat. it will continue to be in the area as we go throughout t the evening period into the day on friday. it is expecteted to become a tropical depression by the time we go into the overnightt hours and friday morning. but look at this. we're looking at some places

evenen north of shanghai where some areas could see up to 250 mimillimeters of rarain. this is important to keep in mind. when you have a lot of rain in the area,, flolooding becomes a issusue and landslides are a possibility asas well as. so both of thohose things you'l need to keep an eye on as you go throughohout the next few daysy. meanwhile you may notice a second line of heavy rain. that's from a different system. this is from mal kas moving to the west northwest at 20 kilometers per hour. we are expecting it to intensify into a very strong typhoon as we go throughout the next 24 hours. and so this is something we have to watch closely. once again, notice where it's headed. moving toward the northern portions of taiwan as we go into the weekend. so we're concerned here because already portions of the island have been drenched with all of that rain. more rain is on the way, so we'll keep an eye on that. by the time we go into the first

part of next week, we expect it to set its sights for the western portions of japan. very wet forecast ahead. okinawa islands as well, you're going start with rain on friday into the weekend. those are the two systems we're keeping an eye on. and we have a stationary front bringing showers into japan. cloudy skies with some showers on friday for tokyo with a high of 27. rain from shanghai down toward hong kong. speaking of rain, we're dealing with rain in the southeastern portions of australia. let me show you pictures coming out from adelaide hills. both locations being inundated after torrential rains have caused many rivers to swell. so these hills remain under threat because flood waters continue to rise. local mediaia reports o one per is missing after his car was swept away in flood waters. and the peak of the heavy rain

is wrapping up but still flooding in some spaces. some areas may be dealing with precipitation amounts. behind it high pressure will come into the picture. that will start to dry things up. but we have another developing system moving through the territory as we go into the weekend. so more rain is on the way. so wet for brisbane and through melbourne. looking for wet weather through the weekend. wrapping things up with a look at north america. tropical storm julia continues to stall over the coast or southeast of the carolinas. then a cold front through the central plain wills bring some thunderstorms. some may be strong. so be on the lookout for that. hope you have a good day wherever you are. here's your extended outlook.

be sure to watch "newsroom tokyo" at the top of the hour. for all of us here on nhk "newsline," thanks for watchin >> you are watching "france 24."

time for 60 minutes live around the world. here are the headlines. convoys ofwo much-needed aid are still waiting to get into a level -- into aleppo. the extent of the cease-fire for days to make sure civilians get the supplies. strike season starts again in france. people are back in the streets again today to protest labor reforms that have already been pushed through the parliament.