hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. the international olympic committee says preparations will continue for tokyo 2020 as scheduled although the new coronavirus pandemic is forcing qualifiers to be cancelled or postponed. the ico issued a statement after its board members held an emergency meeting on tuesday via telephone. the statement says with four months to go before the games, there's no need for drastic decisions at this stage. the statement welcomes support

from the group of seven leaders. it says japanese prime minister shinzo abe told the other leaderers i want to hold the olympics and paralympics perfectly as proof the human race will conquer the new coronavirus. the board members later held a teleconference with those approving the io 24 stance. the ico says roughly 11,000 athletes are due to take part in the olympics and 43% have not yet qualified. it says the possibility remains to use existing and scheduled qualified event where is they have fair access for all athletes and teams. but it s suggeststs qualificati could be b based on world rankis or r record. the ioc saysys all stakeholders will be nonotified of any

revisionons to t the qualificat systems by early april. the coronavirus pandemic continues to grow across the globe forcing borders to close, businesses to shut down and more and more people to stay at home. the world health organization says to contain the virus countries need to know how far it's spread. the agency's director general is urging all countries to test every suspected case. his comments come as the number of infections outside mainland china has surpassed those confirmed within that country. the w.h.o. says as of monday at least 167,000 people have contracted the virus worldwide. more t than 6,600 have died. as italy's outbreak continues to grow, more european countries are boosting efforts to isolate themselves. french president emmanuel macron said his country is at war against an invisible enemy. he's ordered people to stay home for the next 15 days only leaving when necessary.

anyone who violates the lockdown will face punishment. british prime minister boris johnson urged people to avoid nonessential travel. he's also pressing people to avoid public gatherings and crowded places, including pubs, restaurants and theaters. the european union is reportedly looking into a 30-day entry ban for anyone entering the region as member countries move to further tighten border controls. germany has barred people from five natations, includuding fra and switzerland frfrom crossing the border. the ban does not affect dailily commuters or trade.. elsewhere, russia has announced it will ban almost all foreigners from entering the nation from wednesday until the beginning of may. the czech republic, switzerland and spain are placing restrictions on neighboring countries. researchers in china say the anti-influenza drug avigan is proving effective in treats

patients infected with the coronavirus. the drug was developed in japan. director of the natational cent for bio technology development referred to the drug on tuesday at a news conference in beijing. he said the drug was found to be effective in clinical trials by two medical organizations in the country. the director noted the tests were conducted in the cities of wuhan and shenzhen and involved 240 patients and 80 patients respectively. he said those who o were given e medicine in shenzhen tested negative for the virus after four days after becoming positive while it took a median of 11 days for those w without t drdrug to recover. the trial also found x-ray photos confirmed improvements in lung conditions in about 91% of patients who took the medicine. the numbers s stood at 62% for those who didn't take ththe dru. the director said d the drug is safe and formally recocommendedt as a a way to talele the virusu.

nsk nrveg has learned japan is looking to expand entry restrictions to include travelers from coronavirus hot spots in europe. the new rules would bar entry to foreign nationals who recently visited parts of spain, italy, and switzerland as well as all of iceland. japan already restricts entry to foreigners who recently stayed in some parts of china, south korea, italy and iran. sources tell nhk the measures will be authorized shortly. the number of those confirmed with the virus here in japan has increased to over 850 according to data compiled by local governments and the health ministry. that does not include more than 700 people from the "diamond princess" cruise ship or over a dozen flown back to japan from china. 29 people have died as well as

7 from the cruise ship. nearly 700 people have left hospitals after recovering. the coronavirus pandndemic s also starting to affect the u.s. presidential election. four states were scheduled to hold primaries on tuesday. voting has started in all of them except for ohio after the state's governor decided to close the polls there. mike dewine said the event would put workers and voters at risk and suggested the vote should be postponed until june. >> we should not force them to make this choice, the choice between their health and their constitutional rights and their duties as american citizens. >> the governor doesn't have the authority to postpone an elelection on his own, s so he d the state court for approval. when the judge denied his request, dewine ordered the state's health director to shut

the polls citing a public health emergency. the decision is getting mixed reactions. >> we don't want our entire governmental system to be overthrown by the coronavirus even though it's affecting everything, right? like, we still need our representative government. >> with the crowds being the way it is, the virus spreading, it's a safety measure i can understand. >> florida, arizona, and illinois have started their primaries as scheduled. former vice president joe biden has been on a winning streak in the race for the democratic nomination since making major gains on super tuesday. biden is polling at around 56% nationally compared to arout 33% for senator bernie sanders. now more and more people are shopping online as travel restrxs are imposed across the world. amazon says it will hire 100,000

workers in the united states to deal with demand triggered by the coronavirus. the internet retailer said in a blog post getting a priority it tom the doorstep is vital, particularly for the elderly and others with underlying health issues. it welcomes applications for people suddenly out of work an amazon will spend $350 million to temporarily raise hourly wages in the u.s., europe and canada. online shopping is expected to increase globally as more people avoid physical contact. u.s. president donald trump has been calling for the use of home delivery services, while european governments are urging citizens to stay home.

a new medium dedicated to the indigenous people of japan's far north is set to open next month. but not everyone is happy with the plan. they say they should be returned to their hometown rather than placed together at the memorial. as nhk reports, part of the problem is figuring out exactly where those ancestors came from. >> reporter: the memorial was completed last summer as a part of the national museum and park that will open in april. in december, a ceremony was held to commemorate ancestors of the people. >> translator: i think m my ancestors are h happy now t tha theyey have a beautiful place t rest peacefully. >> reporte f from the mid9th toid 20th century, thehe reins

were dug up for research purpeses. more t tn 1,500 were stored at 12 u universitieies around the country. the community sued leading to a settlement under which the remains are being returned. >> translator: i would like to offer an apologygy for the suffering g and difficulty we he caused. >> r reporter:r: many of thehe s pertaining to the remains are here so only a few have been brought back to their original locations. more than 80% have been placed in the memorial facility. it's decorated with reliefs and images from gravestones. it has a facility where memorial services can be performed according to traditions.

>> translator: we hope japan will become a more symymbiotic society. >> reporter: the organization that led efforts to recover the remains is not satisfied with this effort. the group known as the association insists the bones should be brought back to their homeland. remain that is can be accurately identified are buried in an individual's hometown upon request by the family. the association object to consolidating the others at the memorial. the site itself is not connected to the original dwelling places. >> translator: i i want to tell the remains i'm glad you're home. >> translator: i think the remains should rest in their hometowns.

>> reporter: a specialist in indigenous peoples says the most important thing is acting respectfully. >> translator: universities, researchers and the government must not discontinue their support. it's a symbolic, symbiotic place. not just a place to put on dance shows for the public. i think it can become a setting that emphasizes inclusiveness. >> reporter: the removal of remains from gravesites wounded the ainu people. the scars remain deep. creaeators of the upopopo memor hope it can help with the healing. yohehei fukuda, nhk world, s sapporo.

nooerks here's the three-day outlook for the weather in selected cities around the globe.

that's all for now on this edition of nhk "newsline."

i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. thanks for joining us. welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm marie yanaka. manga and animation are japanese art forms most people regard as popular culture, not serious creation. today we look at two cases that are a bit different with manga and anime crossing over into fine arts and big business, finding wider audiences and new ways of expression. we start with the legendary anime suit gundam, set during a futuristic war fought by young

people in mobile suits. the show has become a social phenomenon for its realistic rendering of human emotions, especially the spiritual struggles of the teenage warriors. gundam last year celebrated its 40th anniversary, and the company that holds the rights to it went all out to cash in by signing up an unusual range of collaborators, the firm reached a wider audience both in japan and abroad. >> tourists stock up on gundam goods at a shop at a district in tokyo. >> maybe about 15 to 20? >> translator: i love gundam. >> the anniversary of the iconic series last year gave rise to a sprawling industry of new merchandise, including eye drops and hair dye. koje fujiwara oversees this side

of the gundam business empire, he calls himself cgogo or ief gundam officicer. >> translator: promoting gundam to as many people as possible is what we're all about here. we can do that by combining the strengths of individual companies with the charms of gundam. this is an ironware teapot inspired by a line of robots. >> translator: people will really buy that? >> translator: absolutely. it's really popular with foreigners. >> the company that makes plastic gundam models sells roughly half of them overseas. it's set up more assembly lines to meet growing demand, mainly coming from asia and north america. >> translator: 80% to 90% of our foreign clients are in asia. earnings in north america are rising. but there are more things we can do in europe. we're working hard to promote

gundam worldwide. >> gundam long ago cemented its reputation as a cultural icon. now it's become a business phenomenon, too. >> with sales for the anniversary year reaching almost $800 million, and the diverse collaborations certainly paid off. for example, the popular teapot was made by craftsmen of iron ware. it attracted fans of japanese traditional art. in our next story now, we visit kyoto to take a look at new projects mixing popular culture with ancient tradition. artists in manga, anime, and gaming are working with priests and kimono creators to break down preconceptions, raising tourist revenue, and shining a light on venerated industries.

>> shinyun nestled within the complex, the treasures here are the sliding doors painted hundreds of years ago. the problem is they're not just in need of some tlc but a full restoration. ♪ the head priesest started d thig about how toto raise the funds. a set of new doors, the first in four centuries, would create quite a buzz. he could then charge an admission fee to help bring the old ones back to their former glory. for the priest, it was time for a radical turn toward the contemporary. he asked six of japan's leading creative talents to take part. among them, hiroki, the man behind the hit genesis. and thanks to the work of a veteran manga artist, the temple's main hall was almost unrecognizable.

>> translator: i was told that this is me praying for everyone's happiness. >> it's titled "paradise." across 16 sliding doors, the dead and the living occupy the same world as if it is all just one big party. >> translator: some people objected to the new art because it's manga, but one of the charming things about kyoto is how people gathered from all over japan to innovate. we must remember, this is how things eventually become tradition. >> this man is most famous for designing the characters in fantasy, one of the most successful video game series of all time. the priest asked him to depict the goddess resididing in buddht heaven. >> translator: for creators, it's gratifying if our work exists longer than w we do. temples make that possible.

and i'm truly grateful >> translator: we are able to raise funds to protect and restore our cultural assets. i'm so grateful to everyone. we want more young people to visit our temple, to share our world. >> old meets new has really caught on here, too. every autumn, this shrine hosts the kyoto nippon festival fusing japanese tradition with the latest pop cultural wonders. last year, a remarkable 13th century national treasure took center stage. the scroll tells the story of the shrine's deity. things take a turn for the worse when he's reborn as a vengeful spirit. but it wasn't the only work bringing the "wow" factor. a number of up-and-coming manga artists also showed pieces.

all were inspired by the shrine's deity. >> translator: looking at the modern-day versions, i got a sense of how people in the past must have enjoyed art like we do. >> one of the best ways actually to introduce the traditional art, japanese art, to the younger generation, not only, you know, in japan but also around the world. >> manga and the divine, it might seem like an odd mix but, in fact, temples have long served as hubs for their communities. >> translator: manga can take something complex and make it easier to understand. our shrine used to be the starting point for many trends. we want to return to our roots and attract people in a way befitting of these modern times. >> kyoto's newfound taste for pop culture is gaining the attention of local artisans. shimya yamada is a kimono

painter. his family's studio was founded more than a century ago. he works in a certain style. everything is done by hand. the aesthetics stem from the local school of painting. he's concerned about the shrinking kimono market, now less than a third of what it was just 30 years ago. >> translator: the slump in the industry means there are fewer artisans. this makes the prices rise, pushing them even further out of reach. it's a vicious cycle. >> he sees manga as the perfect way to promote his studio's style of painting, ultimately helping to preserve its history and techniques. his search for collaborators draws in some of the biggest names in manga, including a legendary studio. yamada hopes to exhibit the works around kyoto.

>> translator: i'm working on astroboy. >> he says the kimono industry is faced with the same problem as templeses and shrinines, a glglaring need to reach people a deeper level. the most experienced painter in yamada's studio agrees. he's also fallen in love with the concept of collaboration. >> translator: i nevever dreame of getting involved with manga after working as a kimono painter for 50 years. at first, it was scary. i wondered if i could draw manga using my skills, but now i'm happy we're doing it. >> yamada now wants to take his ideas even further and give kyoto's monks and priests a boost at the same time. today he visits one of the most prestigious temples in the city.

he's keen to exhibit his works to attract more people and spread awareness about his studio's techniques, a true win-win situation. >> translator: our new work depicts a cherry tree planted in a garden right here at this temple. and we added astroboy y on top. >> translator:r: it's reallyly beautiful. beyond words. i believe yamada and temples like us can be mutually inspiring. >> yamada's idea is really gaining traction. he can now count this temple, a unesco world cultural heritage site, among his collaborators. in december, a special exhibition was held at the temple.

star billing was given to the temple's legendary goblins and ghosts, but also, the iconic characters from hit manga. the event was quite an honor for yamada, who became the first person in history to paint the temple's resident monsters. >> translator: in particular, i focused on fear. i think its form has evolved with the times, but the feeling will never change. >> the priest who organized the exhibition says it's been a real step in the right direction. >> translator: i'm afraid traditional japanese culture is losing its place in everyday life. i've been hoping to find a way forward that fits with the times. for usus, tradition is like passing a flame onto others. it's fragile.

i believe it can only be presererved with new oil every day. >> and for yamada, the faith he has in his hometown is only growing stronger. >> translator: i believe kyoto still has ththe soul to keep on creating, to c cause a buzz and get people excited. >> many people say the world of comics and high culture shouldn't mix, but the fact is manga has been influencing fine art for decades. and like the priest who brought pop art into his temple said, works being produced today could be hailed as classic if they stand the test of time. it's interesting to look at it the other way around, too. if we study ancient temple

scrolls and screen paintings, we can see elements that may have influenced manga in the art that was made for gods. that's all for today's "newsline in depth." thanks for tuning in.

an emergency package is announced in an effort to boost the u.s. economy. continuing extensive coverage of the outbreak, including a crackdown. how people are being kept off the streets in europe. iran, more people will die if a