♪ hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ross mihara with the stories at this hour. we start in japan. tokyo 2020 is postponed till next year, but the olympic chief sees the games as a light of hope in the fight against the coronavirus. >> we feell with the entire word population, all together, humanity is going through a very dark tunnel. and there we are wanted and we want to make the olympic flame

very light at the end of this dark tunnel. >> thomas bach spoke to nhk after an ioc board meeting confirmed a delay until 2021 for the olympics and paralympics. bach said travel restrictions imposed across the world were behind the decision. >> we saw the worldwide spreading of this virus. then the question was not anymore so much what are the conditions in japan, but the question was more, can the rest of the world participate? >> the delay was agreed in a teleconference between bach and japanese prime minister shinzo abe. >> translator: we are committed to holding the games in a complete form when we can prove that human beings have overcome illness caused by the new coronavirus. >> abe is expected to tell u.s.

president donald trump of the postponement by phohone o on wednesday, and inform other g 20 leaders later this week. the governor of the host city had this to say. >> translator: it's significant, but the span of poststponement the goal is set at the summer of 2021. it's especially importanant for athletes because they now have a concrete target. >> the head of the organizing committee, i d don't shero mori said the name of the games will continue to be tokyo 2020. he added the olympic flame will remain in japan and the torch relay scheduled to start thursday will be suspended. it's the first time in olympic history a public health emergency has caused the games to be put off. people in tokyo have mixed reactions. >> translator: i think it's a good idea to postpone.

we can't really enjoy the games if we have fears. >> translator: i agree the games should be delayed for one year. we still need to prepare some infrastructure such as public toilets. >> translator: i have some tickets, so i'm worried at what's going to happen. >> meanwhile the world health organization says the united states could become the papandemic's new epicent..> mea organization says the united states could become the pandemic's new epicenter. in a news confererence on n tue, a w.h.o.o. spokesperson said europe is still focus of the disease, but pointed to a very large acceleration of cases in the u.s. she said about half the new cases over the past 24 hours were from europe, while 40% were reported in america. more than 44,000 cases have been confirmed across the u.s., the third-largest number after china and italy.

over a dozen states hatch now issued state at home-orders. in new york where more than half the country's cases have emerged, the governor said there's no telling when infections will peak. >> we had projected the apex at about 110,000 hospital beds and that's the number i've been talking about. the new projection suggests that the number of hospitals -- hospital beds needed could be as high as 140,000 hospital beds. >> the u.s. president has expressed concern over how virus countermeasures are hurting the economomy, but in an interervie wiwith fox nenews, donald trump struck an upbeat note saying he wants the country opened up by easter, april 12th. >> we've never closed the country before and we've had some pretty bad flus and we've had some pretty bad viruses and i think it's absolutely possible. now people are going to have to practice all of the social distancing and don't shake hands and wash your hands and all of

the things that we're doing now. in the uk, the government has ordered the public to stay at home except for shopping trips or to exercise once a day. it's urging people to stay two meters apapart. many people are still using public transport, including the london underground. the government plans to grant police the power to fine those who flout the rules. the w.h.o. says more than 370,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide. in italy, the hardest-hit european country,. asian countries are introducing a raft of measures aimed at containing the virus. india's prime minister has declared a three-week lockdown of the whole nation >> translalator: health experts say that the period of at least

21 days is m most crucial to brk the cycycle of coronavirus infection. >> narendra modi said the lockdown is the only way to save the country's 1.3 billion people. more than 500 cases have been confirmed in the world's second most populous nation. train travel, long-distance bus journeys, and international flight arrivals have already been suspended. the announcement comes a day after the w.h.o. warned india to take aggressive action against the virus. in thailand, the government has declareded a one-month s state emergency. ththe decree to take effect t ththursday empowers the authorities to impose curfews, ban travel, and close down buildings. authorities have already been strengthening antivirus steps including shutting commercial premesis and schools. traditional thai new year's celebrations set for next month have been postponed. in neighboring m myanmar, the

country's first two infections have been confirmed. the announcementt caused panic buying in supermarkets. those infected are myanmar nationals who recently returned from the u.s. and britain. meanwhile, the city where the disease was first reported may have reason for optimism. officials in china's hubei provovince say they will lift travavel restrictions on wuhan residents starting april 8th. the announcement comes after the province reported no new cases for the fifth straight day. wuhan has been locked down for two months. new york stocks bounced back with a vengeance on tuesday, notching up their biggest one-day gain in almost 90 years. the benchmark dow jones industrial average soared over 2,100 points, or more than 11%, from monday. the recovery comes as the u.s. congress is reportedly close to

agreeing on an economic package worth nearly $2 trillion aimed at cushioning the impact of the coronavirus. analysts say investors were relieved by rises in tokyo and european markets, but it's unclear whether the index will stabilize. whether it's delivering a burger or driving for a ride-hailing service, so-called gig workers are becoming a bigger part of economies around the world. but who do they actually work for? that question looms large as the coronavirus outbreak leaves them scrambling. in california, a long-running court battle has been raging over the issue. and as nhk world's reporter says, there's no end in sight. >> reporter: booking an uber over a smartphone app. it's an everyday choice in the united states and many parts of the world. drivers vary from people who sign up to earn a little extra on the side to those who make it their full-time job.

setting your own schedule and driving your own car is a big part of the appeal. it's thought there are more than 300,000 such drivers in california alone. but the fact that they're classified as independent contractors has led many to worry about job insecurity and the lack of benefits. >> when you add up all the expenses, they are making less than the minimum wages. and that's a shame for a multimillionaire company like uber and lyft. >> reporter: in january, california introduced a law that makes it harder for companies to classify their drivers as independent contractors. it attempts to protect workers 8 rights, including a guaranteed minimum wage andnd paid leleave. but uber and other operators hit back, filing a lawsuit to attempt to overturn the legislation. the additional cost of covering taxes and benefits could add up

to half a billion dollars a year. opinions among drivers are also divided. ♪ this musician who drives only as a side job is concerned that if he becomes a de facto employee, his flexible would get in the way of his music. >> if you were a w-2 employee, an employee, they have set schedules that you have to be there. and trying to get off, not everybody's the same. that's why you can't put everything in the bag. >> reporter: how gig workers are to be defined is becoming a hot topic everywhere in the world where the concept has taken off. and people like uber drivers are trying to balance flexibility and stability while the workplace changes around them. nhk world, los angeleles. as rural japan continues to struggle with an aging and declining population, local

communities are trying to attract visitors from abroad. in akita prefecture, one town has set up a language school to help foreigners adapt. and it's also providing learning opportunities beyond the classroom. >> reporter: a birthday is part of the curriculum at a new japanese learning school in aki akita. there are 23 students from 10 countries, including indonesia, mexico, and the uk. the school gives the students one month of experiencing alien culture. the aim is to encourage them to come back someday and spread the word, getting more people interested in akita. the students learn japanese in the morning, then in the afternoon they take part in a

variety of activities. such as playing with akita dogs and cooking traditional dishes. >> you guys are good, you gotot it. >> because it was both language and culture, i wanted to learn both. i wanted to interact with locals and this is exactly what i was looking for. >> reporter: this is a camera operator living in los angeles. she came to japan six years ago to shoot a movie. wanting to learn japanese, she decided to study at the school.. >> i wanted to come to akita school because it is beautiful countryside, which is m much different from los angeles, it's much more peaceful here, and i really enjoy being here. >> reporter: brown is particularly swayed by the many opportunities to interact with people here.

every day, neighbor michiko brings locally grown vegetables and some of her home cocooking. at night the students learn the language naturally through conversation. >> spending time with kuri-san has been great to help me with my japanese studies. i am trying very hard to understand her, and so trying to communicate and speak with her has been very helpful. >> translator: even though she's from another country, she connected with us naturally as if she's been living here for many years. ♪ >> reporter: the climax of the course, brown and other starts wear traditional jackets and join in the local bon festival dance. by introducing local culture as

well as the japanese language, the course could even become a catalyst to revitalize this region. ryo isojima, nhk world, kosaka. here's a quick look at the world weather. i'm ross mihara in tokyo, and that's all for now on nhk

newsline. ♪ welcome to "direct talk," interviews with leaders, visionaries, and pioneers who are shaping asia and the rest of the world. today's guest is easy life advocate john jandai from thailand. he was a law student in bangkok. he left the capital behind to be a farmer and led a traditional, self-reliant way of life. as bangkok experiences rapid development, more people are feeling the stress to make ends meet. now jong's way of life is inspiring city dwellers, not

only in dialed, but also overseas. he says a life can be easier and happier if we choose the simple path. >> translator:r: by farmrm's al about learning. that's the main purpose. the purpose off learning is how to understand your life, and how to make it simple. how can we make food easily? what's the easiest way to build a house? how will we make necessities like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, sauces, food? how do we do that easily? also, if we're sick, what's the easiest way to look after ourselves? therefore, our main goal is to find a way to live the easiest life. >> jon is an organic farmer and self-reliance promoter. his eight-acre farm is located

in the north of thailand. he grows more than 300 varieties of edible plants, enough for his family and the people who live in his community. using local materials, he makes almost everything, from daily necessities like soap and shampoo to the home he lives in. jon is determined toto only wor for a cerertain amount of time each day. he suspendpend spends the rest doing what he really enjoys,s, relaxing and meeting visitors. >> translator: i work on my farm for about one hour a day. and i have vegegetables and foo to feed the whole familyly. why do i have to work for eight hours for this? it showsws that thihis way is a shortcut. easier, more comomfortable. when you're gardening, you touch the soil, the grass.

you plant the seeds in the soil. we watch it grow. we eat it, and it becomes our flesh and blood. you s see the whole cycle of li. so gardening is a very good way to look after your life. and be with yourself in the deepest way. because living with the soil is life. soil is my life. plants are my life. thus, this is a way to look after myself. when your life is easy, you enjoy it more. you want to live longer. and this way is more fun. >> jon was born to a poor farming family in northeastern thailand. his parents had no money for school, so he became a novice monk in order to get a basic education. at the age of 19, jon left the monkhood and moved to bangkok where he studied law while working three jobs to support

himself. >> translator: when i moved to the city, i worked so hard with no holidays, no free time. i had nearly nothing to eat and only a hardd place to sleep. who was i doing this for? why was i doing it? this made me think. who was the city built for? why do we come to the towns and study a lot? i remember feeling that studying and development made us work harder. life is more difficult and more complicated. and i worked harder, harder, and harder and harder. finally i decided to quit studying. bebecause i didn'n't want to be machine, a robot, a good slave. working in the city was harder. working in the city means staying in a small box all day. i want to be a normal human like an animal, a mouse, or a bird that can go anywhere it wants, do anything it wants. i want to be free. >> as jon searched for a solution, he came across a book

that would change his life, written by japanese farmer and philosopher masanobu fukuoka, it talks about traditional agricultural communities living sustainable lives. it reminded him of his childhood, when his life was simple and happy. in 1994, jon finally returned to his hometown. and at the age of 30 started on the path of self-reliance. >> traranslator: the easiest wa to survive is to go back, learn how to rely on ourselves. self-reliance is not relying on the financial system, but helping each other more. the difference is, people who do nonot use much money have a ver high-capacity for self-reliance. they can find food, cooook food buildd their own house, make their necessityies, andnd look

after their own health. no matter what happens, they are able to help themselves. >> in 1995, jon moved to the united states after marrying a american woman. during his time in the u.s., jon visited a native american community. he saw the earth homes they had built using local, inexpensive materials. impressed with the durability and comfort, he decided to study how they were constructed. >> translator: for an ordinary man to get a house, i think it takes at least 30 years of earning money. but when you build an earth home, it takes no more than three months and not much h mon. anyone can do it, even a 9-year-old child. so nowow we have 29 years that can spend doing whatever we want.

that is the difference. that is the beauty of living. that is how you choose to have a simple life. >> when jon returned home, he learned there were a few earth homes in parts of thailand too. so he began helping people build different styles. after five years, he had developed his own technique and started sharing the know-how. by that time, word of mouth had spread and jon became nationally famous for his earth home efforts. >> translator: when i started to build an earth home, people called me crazy. how can you use soil to build a house? they were laughing at me. today earth homes are being built all over thailand. some say to build a house you need to mix clay and sand together in the right proportions. so i think these standards make earth home buildining too complicated. but when we built it our way, the results were the same.

it was just as strong. we can see that western theories make it difficult and complicated so the buildings look professional and nice. but we want people to see you can do it yourself. anyone can do it, it's not complicated. we teach people to be self-reliant and not rely on the experts. we want anyone to be able to do it, so we found easier and easier ways. >> as jon continues his self-reliant lifestyle, his focus has shifted to indigenous seeds. he says that crops grown from local seeds are tastier and hardier becauause thehahave com from the local environment. but those seeds are disappearing every day as more farmers buy the seeds of high-yield crops from large corporations.

>> translator: seeds are in crisis because 50 years ago we had more than 20,000 types of rice. but today we have only 200. having that variety of rice provided stewa ed security for . for example, one family like mine grows more than five varieties of r rice. so when i it floodsds, some bre can grow more than one meter in two to three days. so even when it floods we have rice to eat. when there is no rain or a drought for two months, we also have rice to eat. when there is a disease outbreak, some breeds are able to resist it. so when there is a disaster, they can still survive. this is food security. some seeds may die, but one or two will survive. they will provide us with the food we eat. >> to protect the variety of indigenous seeds, jon is building a seed bank on his farm. he saves his own seeds and also

collects them from villagers who are still growing native crops. jon also gives seeds to other farmers for free and teaches them how important seed preservation is for their own benefit. >> translator: savingg seeds w l make it much easier for us, because at the moment seeds are very expensive. varieties like watermelon cost over $300 a kilo. but papaya that we use in a common dish like thai papaya salad is also over $300 a pe ki. people who are not farmers do not know seeds are nearly as expensive as gold. so in agriculture you have to spend lots of money. apart from buying expensive seeds, you still have to buy chemical fertilizers, medicines, and hormones. this i is where the phrase "farmers' debts" comes from.

with our own seeds, we can plant them whenever we want. if they're damaged, we don't care. as we have our own seeds. this is an easy and a peaceful way of living. >> jon is now actively speaking in thailand and abroad about how he enjoys his self-reliant and simple life. he also holds seminars at the farm where people from around the globe visit him to learn how to take care of themselves and to live like him. >> we can have a much beautiful life and be connected to the nature. he showed to me, to everyone, to every volunteer here, to the world, that this kind of life is possible. and we can do it. >> some even decided to live in his community. >> translator: people from all walks of life come here.

unemployed, students, people who have left their jobs, retirees, or stressed-out working people. most of them want to find a solution for their lives. becausee most people's lives ar full of stress and woworries, wh no room to breathe. their lives are hectic. when they look at life here, they see we have time for a nap. we have time to play and enjoy ourselves. people then want to learn how to have a simple life. >> it has been 25 years since jon started his simple life. he says he's happy with no regrets. but as his way of living gains more support from the public, jon has come to understand the challenges facing a world hooked on materialism. >> translator: the current education system is learning without morality. it's not used for building

sustaiainability, lolove, and sharing. they don't use this knowledge to build anything sustainable.

citizens as a lockdown goes into effect to stop the -- india citizens are on a lockdown as the policy goes into effect to stop the coronavirus. ahead, the infection rate continues to c climb in spain. keeping the flame burning. olympic aimsed the to next year. france's new