hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'i'm raja pradhan with the new from tokyo. public officials and private companies across japan are working on ways to prepare for and try to prevent a second wave of coronavirus ininfections. here in tokyo that includes turning attention to the problem of bars and nightclubs. officials worry the virus could spread through these businesses unchecked and undetected. >> translator: many of ththe recent cases are linked tonighttime activities and downtown clulub districts.

we will patrol those areas and ask people to be cautious. >> officials reported 20 new cases on friday. residents are under a special tokyo alert meant to urge caution following a recent spike in cases. as the nation tries to boost testing numbers, japanese companies are working together to speed up the manufacturing process for test kits. two firms will help expand capacity to create its coronavirus antigen tests. the kits can identify an infection much faster than a pcr test delivering results in about 30 minutes. toshiba will provide space and assistance to make the kits whilee hitachi will help make te process more efficient. at the same time the government is trying to reopen the economy, but it says it may declare a new state of emergency if there's a sudden surge of infections. >> translator: just like when we declared thehe state of emergen

in april, we'll consider a comprehensive set of factors before making our decision. that includes the number of infections, how longg it took fr cases to double, and the cases where infection are unknown. >> jpds lawmakers will start debating a new budget next week to support the coronavirus fight. it's set to include a reserve fund worth about $91.5 billion. opposition lawmakers said the government should not be given a blank check for an amount that large. the main rululing party says at least half the money would go towardrds protecting jobs, supporting people in need, and helping local governments boost medical systems. >> translator: we want the extra budget enacted swiftly because thesee matters are of the utmos urgency. >> translator: we will thoroughly check how the money is being spent. >> the pandemic is also

affecting other cultural event. the fuji rock festival will not be held this year. there was just too much risk for spectatators. across japan, more than 17,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus. over 900 people have died. now, japan is accelerating its development of a coronavirus vaccine. authorities say they aim to have one ready by the first half of next year. >> translator: instead of the usual process of moving to mass manufacturing after completing development, we'd like to do these at the same time to make a vaccine available as soon as possible. >> the health minister told reporters he informed the governing coalition bodies of this goal to push this forward. pharmaceutical giants as well as universities and other research institutions are now working on vaccine development. in a second supplementary draft budget for the current fiscal

year, the ministry has earmarked $1.28 billion for building vaccine production facilities. japan's household spending suffered a record drop in april as families spent more time at home. the internal affairs ministry says households of two or more people spent about $2,450 that month. that's a one year tumble of 11.1% in real terms and the largest drop on record. tourism took a heavy hit spending on package tours plunged 97% and people spent nearly 95% less on accommodation. when it comes to dining out, spend i spending dropped by more than 60% and people spent less than half on what they prereviously d on clothing and shoes. the economic impact is hitting

police in western japan have arrested a man on suspicion of attacking members of his family with a cross bow. three of them died. police arrested 23-year-old university student nozu hideaki at his home. the three killed were his grandmother, mother, and younger brother. investigators say the victims were shot in the head with arrows while in the house. the suspect's aunt was also injured in the attack. japan's top spokesperson says the government will take another look at how crossbows are regulated. >> translator: the government will consider whether more restrictions are needed on crossbows and other types of bows and arrows. we will continue to monitor how they are being used. >> carrying a concealed cross bow is now banned by law, but it's punishable only as a minor offense. an unarmed black man who

died last week in the u.s. state of minnesota has been laid to rest. the death of george floyd sparked protests across the country and worldwide against racial injustice. hundreds of people attended thursday's ceremony. floyd died after a police officer pinned him to the ground and kneeled on his neck despite calls that he couldn't breathe. senators observed a moment of silence on capitol hill. >> today we gather here in solemn reverence to not just mark his tragic death but to give honor to his life. >> people also took part outside. it lasted 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time the officer kneeled on floyd's neck. now, across the globe, people continue to protest and pay respects to floyd. dozens of people joined a vigil in beirut holding candles and calling for the end of racism

not only in the united states but in their country as well. >> this kind of oppression and power, abuse of power by people is not only in the united states, it goes well beyond that. >> now, the u.s. attorney general says he has evidence the antifascist movement antifa and other extremist groups started violence during the protests that swept the country. >> at some demonstrations, there are extremist agitators who are hijacking the protests to pursue their own separate and violent agenda. >> barr also said foreign actors have been making the situation worse. he did not share any evidence. fbi director christopher wray spoke at the same news conference. he said the fbi is investigating what it calls anarchist extremists who are trying to commit violent activity and who subscribe to an antifa-like ideology. the antifa movement is made up

of individuals and groups who oppose fascism and white supremacy. they've been stepping up activities as white supremacist groups be stepped up activity. during donald trump's presidency. they're known for using violence against their opponents. they've frequently clashed with white supremacists. trump has indicated he could designate antifa as a terrorist group, but the movement is not a unified organization and it's unclear if such a designation is possible. next, protests have reignited in hong kong in response to beijing's plan to impose national security legislation on the territory. critics fear if approved, the new laws will erode the city's autonomy as stipulated under the one country/two systems framework. our next report looks at how the recent developments have put two young locals at a crossroads. >> reporter: it's become a

familiar rallying call and a message that protesters are hoping will resonate at home and abroad. among them is jason su. >> translator: i try to participate as much as i can. >> reporter: he's been involved since last year when the government first introduced an extradition bill that sparked massive protests. while the bill was withdrawn, tensions returned after beijing announced its plan to impose a new set of national security laws. opposition to the plan has prompted people to return to the streets. but this time it's different. the coronavirus has led to a crack down on large public gatherings with police arresting protesters for violating social distancing measures. despite the setbacks, protesters like siu remain defiant.

>> translator: i'll do whatever i can to take hong kong back. i am prepared to be arrested. or even go to prison. >> reporter: but other protesters are finding it increasingly difficult to forge on. this man has a popular advertising channel on youtube. but his life was turned upside down when he was arrested on suspicion of rioting in november. >> translator: my life went off the rails after i was indicted. it affects not only my work but also my future. >> reporter: during the trial, yick must report his whereabouts to police once a week. if found guilty, he could face up to ten years in prison. with the stakes so high, he

decided to stop taking part in the protests at least for the time being. >> translator: no matter how hard we fight, we can't change anything. i don't know what to do. hong kong has been pushed into a corner. >> reporter: as the city braces for more turbulence, anger and frustration are being replaced with despair and heart break. and while some protesters are taking divergent paths, they know the hong kong they once know will likely never be the same. now moving to a check of world weather with our meteorologist jonathan oh. people in the southern part of the united states are watching a tropical system heading their way. does that mean stormy conditions for them throughout the week? >> it does look like that. we are talking about some heavy rain and strong winds and possibly some storm surge concerns with those along the gulf coast of the united states

as we go into saturday and sunday. now, cristobal is still stuck in the yucatan peninsula but it is expected to lift towards the north. as it does so, it's going to pick up on the warm waters in the gulf of mexico. that's fuel for the storm to become strong once again. becoming a tropical storm as we go through friday. and as we go toward the weekend, we're expecting the system to be moving its way up to the north. the cone of concern when it comes to the central point of the system, likely to be close to mississippi to louisiana and texas. but the impact of the system is a bit wider. we're having rain associated with this near florida through the next couple of days. you need to make sure you keep that in mind. now, over the next 24 hours, we're looking at mainly the rain being over the open waters once it departs from the yucatan peninsula. as it heads to the north, it

will be shifting towards the other areas of the northern united states. as we look up north, cold front moving through the high river valleys. but that's going to spark off thunderstorms through friday. and a couple areas of low pressure back toward the west. a big concern that these could lead to some stronger thunderstorms by saturday. some of them may be severe. be on the lookout for that. heat still baking the southwestern areas of the united states with highs in the mid-30s through friday. meanwhile we're talking about the rainy season still impacting the southern areas of china extending into western areas of japan. more rain associated with this as we go into saturday. and for those looking in tokyo, we're going to see clouds picking up and rain coming into the picture late saturday, afternoon hours or so going into sunday as well. 29 in tokyo. showers through saturday. that's your forecast. hope you have a good day wherever you are.

and we have news just in. the father of a junior high school student who was abducted by north korea in the 1970s has died. he was 87 years old. he had been trying to rescue his daughter for more than 40 years. once again, breaking news. he died at the age of 87. he was the father of megumi who was a junior high school student abducted by north korea in the 1970s. he had been trying to rescue his daughter for more than 40 years. and that concludes this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. we'll be back at the top of the hour with more, so please do stay with us.

welcome to "newsline in-depth." i'm aiko doden. many countries in southeast asia are undergoing economic and social change and some degree of uncertainty. however, the region remains a thriving tourist draw and one reason for this is the rich culture of each country. in three stories today, we see how people are responding to changing times and how maintaining tradition doesn't have to mean clinging to the past. we start with a story on

thailand's national sport muay thai also known as thai boxing. muay thai has become a component of mixed martial arts contests all over the world. but the income from tourism making up more than 12% of thailand's gdp, let's see how they're now pushing the sport in thailand's tourism industry. >> muay thai using many parts of the body. here at this stadium, the main target audience is foreign visitors. in addition to the matches, the program includes a show as well. large crowds come out almost every night. >> first time we've been here and first time experiencing something like this which is really good. >> the tourism authority of

thailand is looking to increase the popularity of muay thai even further. it recently launched a digital guide on how to experience it. including information on nearly 100 training facilities. this gym is one of those on the list. the ring is located on a high floor of a five-star hotel. it was set up two years ago. a couple lessons are booked every day. >> translator: we have a ring and staff who specialize in muay thai so we can provide the full muay thai experience. >> twoourism is big in the country. muay thai is an important element of that. the tourism authority says muay thai brings over $2 billion of revenue last year. those with a passion for health and fitness especially enjoy.

and many members look for new experiences coming out to the facility. >> i was riding elephants and i wanted to do something new. >> this gym has been operating for more than 40 years. it has adapted to changes in society. it used to turn out professional fighters including some champions. but now it's mainly for visitors. the owner renovated the facility two years ago to accommodate tourists. giving lessons to hotel guests is more lucrative than hosting fighters. >> translator: we used to recruit, nurture, and train them and put them up for fights. now we focus on providing muay thai lessons for exercise, weight loss, and so on. >> the purpose of the training may have changed, but the

methods have not. this woman is from hong kong. this is her first muay thai experience. thanks to the careful authentic coaching. it was her daughter who got her into muay thai. the sport has become a passion. >> translator: it's a fun way for me to diet. >> we try to sell muay thai as activity for all. not only for man, not only for woman, but can be for kids, can be for family, can be for everyone. >> muay thai is making itself accessible to people of all walks of life, but it isn't just for training the body. it's a way to cultivate your mind-set as well. the bell rings and the thai spirit is high.

sho yamada, nhk, bangkok. >> muay thai may be good for business, but let's look at another form of unarmed combat that's playing out in bangkok. in the city's old chinatown, traditional makers of paper ornaments for festivals are in the fight for survival. as speculators ramp up the pressure on the central neighborhood. >> the streets in bangkok's chinatown took on a festive air as people showed up for a yearly festival at a buddhist temple. offerings to the gods are an important part of worship for chinese thais. the offerings serve as symbolist money and people use them in the hope that people will be wealthy

in the afterlife. shops along this street in the community sell paper decorations used during special occasions in the chinese cultural calendar. the owner of this store. >> translator: we offer folded paper representing money to the gods. and they will give us what we wish for. the folded paper is important for us like food or clothing. >> but the future of this old part of bangkok is uncertain in the phase of gentrification. the community has been supporting the city's chinese festivals and celebrations for

more than a hundred years. >> translator: we inherited the old cultural from our ancestors, but i cannot pass it on if i close the shop. >> local college students called on citizens to participate in a pauper fo paper folding seminar in hopes of passing on the age old tradition. wandee took part as an instructor. >> translator: we fold the paper this way to make an offering to the gods. without this knowledge, people will fold the paper the wrong way. >> she explained to the participants about the meaning each fold carries. >> translator: at first i thought it would be easy, but i can't do it like wandee. >> translator: i think we should protect all communities after learning about the traditional

culture. that's because we can find the country's beauty and originality there. >> translator: it would be my pleasure if people could learn about paper folding and pass on the rules for worship to the next generation. >> the custom of paper folding has been nurtured and loved by people in bangkok's chinatown for generations. now as survival hinges on the efforts of a few dedicated people working to save this old community. nhk world, bangkok. our final story takes us to a small village in laos where a local distiller hopes that by upgrading his liquor and production process, he might attract more foreign tourists. he's getting some hints from a japanese brewery showing that

people's passion to preserve their tradition is borderless. >> people in laos have long enjoyed the distilled liquor called laolao. the drink is made from fermented rice. >> translator: the rice is fermented in this pot. >> this is an experienced distiller known for laolao production. he offers free samples to tourists almost daily, but the response is often less than satisfactory. laolao has a 50% alcohol content. >> it is strong. zplt it's really strong. it feels like a fire in.

>> it's really strong. it feels like a fire in my mouth. near the community, a world heritage site. the local authorities along with japan corporation agency began a project to make the liquor a tourist specialty. this japanese brewery owner has been dispatched to the community. he's from a popular tourist spot in japan and has experience in promoting local products. he proposes making new products. >> translator: the fruit could be an interesting local ingredient and might be tasting in laolao. >> the idea to add fruit to laolao is inspired from one of his own products. sake with citrus juice.

>> translator: the fruit makes it taste milder. >> translator: it should be healthier too. >> the idea is to show this process to tourists. he runs tours at his brewery in japan. he is shown around their workshop, but he notices a problem. he says the traditional method of producing laolao in an open area may turn foreign tourists away. after having received inspiration from him, they are determined to come up with new products and upgrade the workshop. >> translator: i want to make a superb quality laolao so many tourists will come to our

village. i'll keep working on it not just for ourselves but also for our children and grandchildren. >> somboun's dream has become to turn laolao into a drink the whole world can enjoy. nhk world, laos. >> some of the liquor makers in this village visited japan last october where they toured the sake brewery. sake is different from the laotian distilled spirit, but its production shared similarities and the brewery was able to pass on some tips for marketing. between traditions and progress, there will always be tension, but as we saw today, the old and new can happily coexist. the muay thai lessons in a five-star hotel highlight an appealing contrast between ancient and modern. in the case of the laotian distille distillery, we hope modernization inspired by

commercial methods takes into account the authenticity that makes the local fire water so charming. that's it for today. thank you for watching.