♪ hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasawara. we begin this hour in japan, where authorities are racing to contain a surge in coronavirus infections ahead of upcoming summer holidays. tokyo remains a major hotspot. metropolitan government officials confirmed 258 new cases in the capital on monday.

it's the seventh consecutive day with more than 200 infections. across the country, the total number of infections has topped 40,000. the prime minister said in a meeting that the situationon ha been see-sawing for the past several days. abe shinzo said the number o of seriously ill patients is hovering at around 80 nationally. the government plans to convene an expert panel in the coming days to come up with further antivirus measures. it comes as the clock ticks down to the summer vacation period that starts next week. normally, that's the time when many people return to their hometowns, but this time, tokyo's governor is calling on residents to stay home as much as possible. nhk world spoke to one of the experts on the central government's coronavirus subcommittee about the recent developments. >> reporter: as president of the japanese association for

infectiousus diseases, t tateda kazuhiro has been on the frontline since the outbreak began. he says japan is in the middle of a second wave, but the situation is very different from earlier this year. >> translator: young people account for 60% or 70%.. anand the numberer of serious s is small. in fact, the number of deaths is very low at the moment, compared to the first wave. >> reporter: so far, the central government hasn't signalled it will declare another state of emergency. it's also refrained from measures that have been gradually lifted since may. tateda says, as of right now, the situation is manageable, but warns that could change. >> translator: if the e numbers continue o on this trajectctory

will eventually lead to an increase in the number of deaths. >> reporter: some local governments are taking precautions as infections surge in their prefectures. officials in okinawa are recommending people stay at home, and tokyo's metropolitita governrnnt is asng bars s d restaurants to shorten their hours. tateda says s these measures cod help.. >> translator: thehe virus is sprereading in areas where peoe dine. that's because you remove your masksk and voices become louded when people drink, causing more microdroplets s to be released. we need d to be careful. >> reporter: the rising numbers come at a bad time. next week is when people typically travel to their

hometowns for an extended holiday, known as obon. but if the upward trend continues, the coronavirus could upend summer plans for millions of people across the country. nakagawa saori, nhk world. and nhk has learned that tateda's association has drawn up guidelines for diagnosing seasonal influenza and covid-19. the association compiled the guguidelines to advivise hospit and clinics on how to deal with the diseases this fall and winter. the two illnesses are said to have similar symptoms, so physicians may find it difficult to distinguish between them in areas hit by outbreaks of both. the guidelines call for testing for bothth diseases simumultaney in such places to avoid overlooking coronavirus cases. for children, the guidelines strongly recommend they be

vaccinated against the flu this coming winter, as they are prone to catching the illness. the guidelines also say it is important for children to be tested for both the flu and the coronavirus at the same time. nhk has conducted a survey in japan and the united statese on attitudes towarard n nuclear weaponons. it comes ahead of the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki. around 2,000 people answered the online survey in japan and around 1,000 in the u.s., all ages 18 to 34. 85% of respondents in japan said nuclear weapons were not needed. the figure was around 70% for u.s. respondents. most cited the weapons kill and

injury huge numbers of people. others said it is better to settle international conflicts. the american respondents were asked about the bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki in 1945. 42% s said thehey re unforgivab, while 31% saidd they wewe necessary. is proromint atomic bomb survivorays shehe feels that young peoeoe in the u u.s. are chchanging theheir views. >> traranslato t the surveyy sh that peoplee are starting too rerethink whethther openly justifyiying the atomic bombing is righght. atat every event i goo to, i ca tetell people f feel the nuclea isise isn't j just a matter of she hiroshima and nagasaki, but it is global, and it had something to do with them. >> one expert says education has played an important role in changing public opinion in the u.s. in the u.s., the race to the

white house is gathering pace. polls indicate democrat joe biden is leading republican president donald trump with three months until voting. u.s. data website real clear politics looked up polls conducted as of sunday. biden's support stands at an average of 49.4%, about seven points clear of trump. the president is lagging biden in key battlegrounds, including the midwestern state of michigan, which supported trump in the 2016 election. real clear politics says biden now leads trump there by 7.8 points. the president is facing a backlash over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and protests against racial discrimination. but he has a rock solid support base among some republicans. biden plans to select a female running mate as he tries to broaden his appeal. he's due to announce his choice as early as this week.

a u.s. expert s says biden s s t toto win the support of working clclass voters. >> but i kind of get a a senses that thingngs are a little more baked in right now. given the president's approval ratings, it is not unexpected to find that he's lagging behind in the polls, in the trial polls with biden. >> both trump and biden are set to be officially nominated later in august. viewers got an exclusive peek inside a world war ii-era underground headquarters in okinawa prefecture. the off limit area used to be the command center of the now debunk japanese military during a fierce battle that killed 200,000 people, including many civilians. nhk was given access deeper

inside the headquarters. it's located under shuri castle in a trench, which had been closed due to fears of collapse. the trench is about 30 meters deep and one kilometer long. as many as 1,000 soldiers of the 32nd army stayed there during the battle of okinawa, 75 years ago. the film crew found rooms built along a path and military equipment, such as guns, a radio-like device, shoe soles, and helmets. about 100 meters from the entrance, the crew found what appeared to be a wooden cross tie for trucks. a dead end came 50 meters later. historians believe troops blew up the site before retreating south, as the u.s.-led allied forces expdeded thr atatta. the 32nd army cided to transfer i c comma to o th sout the numb o of cilian casualties re e folling g th retrea recos s kepty ththe inawa a prefectural vernmenthohow at

least 46,000 people, oabout halff the civilians, we killed within one month after the withdrawal. experts have been calling for the site to be preserved and made public toto convey the horrors of war. >> translator: i believe it is the most valuable site of all war relics in okinawa. it is essential to study both shuri castle above ground and the military headquarters underneath, to understand our history accurately. >> the prefectural government set up the committee in june to discuss ways to protect the site and open it to the public. the world famous vienna boys' choir is struggling with an enormous challenge. the choir is frequently on tour, but one concert after anonother

has been canceled as a resusultf the coronavirus pandndemic. its income is takining a hard h, and if the situation doesn't improve, the choir's 500 years of history could even come to an end. nhk world reports. ♪ >> reporter: recently, these an g angelic voices rang out in an unusual location. some members rehearsed together at the school's pool. this set-up is a marked improvement on recent months, as strictct stay at home orders we in place until may, and the choir couldn't rehearse at all. >> translator: i like singing more than anything. being able to sing again is very important to me. >> reporter: however, the choir is currently facing a financial crisis. 70% of its operating costs come

from its concerts. but lots of events have been canceled because of the pandemic. now, for the first time in history, the choir is making a flyer to appeal for donations. it shows how to send money directly to its organization's bank account. the choir's artistic director has been working hard to raise funds for the organization. >> we can handle with our measurements, with using our staff for a while, until about october, but then we will not have left any money to pay our employees. >> reporter: t the choir had hi hopes for a tour of japan scheduled for the autumn. one of the highlights of the planned program is shubert's "the go"

"the gone gondalier." >> translator: i'm on a gondali in venice.. this is the mood we have to get people in, and the atmosphere we have to create. >> reporter: one of the members, louis, sings the part of second sopra soprano. during the months he was unable to rehearse at school, he practiced diligently at home. >> translator: i would be so happy if we could go and sing for japanese people. >> reporter: but the virus continued to spread, and in july, the choir had to cancel its japanese tour to ensure the safety of its members and spectators. in an online video, wirth asked for contributions. >> whatever contribution, however small or large it is, is very important and helpful. thank you. >> reporter: the pandemic has plunged many people around the world into despair.

he hopes the choir's angelic voices will be able to lift spirits once again. nhnhk world, vienna. one small splash for man, one giant leap for space technology. two u.s. astronauts successfully parachuted back down to earth in the first water landing by nasa since 1975, and the first trip to orbit by a private company. >> splashdown. >> as you can see on your screen. >> the "crew dragon" capsule was developed by the u.s. company spacex with the support of nasa. the astronauts worked on the international space station for about two months. the splashdownwn near florida w a final l test of whether space craft can transport astronauts to and from orbit. the firm's officials hailed the accomplishment. >> the operations worked extremely well, so we certainly feel comfortable that we're on

the right path to carry commercial passengers not too long from now. >> the rocket company founded by u.s. bilillionairere elon musk s to use the same capsule model for a flight to the iss that will launch no earlier than september. japanese veteran astronaut noguchi soichi s says he's excid to be partrt of the fourur-memb crew. >> my small cocontribution to ts great team is experience, so we have dififferent views, differe backgrounds. so, diversity brings resilience to this group. >> the success of the mission is being hailed as a breakthrough in the race to turn the idea of commercial space travel from science fiction to reality. a typhoon is swirling near okina okinawa, bringing stormy weather. our meteorologist sayaka mori joins us now to explain where the storm is expected to make an impact next. sayaka? >> july was a quiet one.

we had, rather, zero tropical storms last month, the first time in recorded history. august is a different story. we have already two tropical storms, and one of them has intensified into a typhoon. now, the system has brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to the south of okinawa region. there was record heavy rainfall. over 100 millimeters fell in three hours. the next target is going to be the eastern areas of china. hagupit is packing gusts of 180 kilometers per hour. as a typhoon, it'll likely make landfall on the coast by tonight. it will likely move along the east coast of china towards the north, and it will likely transform to a low pressure system and will likely move over the korean peninsula and then northern japan as we go into the latter part of this week.

the yancey river basin has record heavy rainfall since june. additional rain will worsen the situation. across the korean peninsula, during the weekend, we saw heavy rainfall, too. take a look at this video from the capital city of south korea. torrential rain in most of south kor korea, leaving six people dead and several others missing over the weekend. seoul had more than 300 millimeters of rainfall. it is more than a montnth's wor of rain. nuke numerous landslides have occurred. roads and areas have been flooded, and some structures have been severely damaged. again, the system called hagupit will likely affect the korean peninsula into wednesday and the rest of the work week, as well. be careful. temperatures are going to be in the 20s because of the rainy weather, but look at this. we will see heavy rainfall in places like seoul, pyongyang, and also shanghai for the next several days. meanwhile, the rainy season has ended in many places of japan,

so we will see continued sunny weather into the next several days. tokyo will continue to see sunny weather and a high of 32 degrees for the next couple of days. osaka will be looking at very high temperatures, so watch out for heatstroke. we'll see rainy weather in aomori on friday and saturday due to the remnants of the f typhoon. another storm will likely make landfall on the coast of the carolinas tonight and into tuesday morning. please be careful. that's it for me. stay safe. ♪

♪ ♪ that's all for this edition

of nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasawara in tokyo. thanks for watching, and do stay with us for more. ♪ this is "newsline biz." i'm gene otani. the coronavirus pandemic has devastated the aviation industry. japan airlines has joined a growing list of global carriers posting poor earnings results. the jal group suffered a net loss of 93.7 billion yen, or about $880 million, for the

april to june quarter. the company posted a a net prof of nearly 13 billion yen for the same period last year. jal says the loss is due to travel restrictions put in place around the world, which have led to a sharp reduction in passengers. the company has suspended about 90% of its international flights and 20% of its domestic ones. >> translator: we cut the number of flights, as well as fixed and variable costs, but this wasn't able to cover the entire drop in our income. >> the company did not release its full earnings forecast for the business year through next march, saying the pandemic has made it difficult to make projections. jal isn't the only japanese carrier to post dismal earnings for the quarter. ana holdings announced a net loss of slightly more than $1 billion. experts are painting a dire picture of japan's economic health.

they say they expect the country's gdp to shrink by more than 20% in the april through june quarter due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. ten private research institutes have projected annualized contractions between 21.7% and 28.7% in real terms. this would mark the steepest fall since comparable data became available in 1980. official gdp figures will be announced in mid-august. analysts say the expected contractioion is due to a unung in personal consumption, driven by stay-at-home requests. they also cite a sharp decline in auto exports to the american and european markets. the u.s. and some eurozone countries have already announced historic declines in gdp for the same period. personal consumption and production activity are picking up in japan, but the country's economic outlook looks unclear due to the recent spike in infections. major japanese auw seven an

to buy speedway. speedway is the country's third largest convenient store operator. seven and i appears to be betting on the u.s. m market' x expansion amid poor growth in japan's retail business. it comes after seven and i scrapped the acquisition plan in march. that was apparently because the two sides failed to agree on a purchase price at the time. more people are working from home amid the covid-19 pandemic. many companies are adjusting to the uncertain business environment.

they are cutting expenses by moving into smaller offices. it's profoundly changing japan's commercial real estate market. nhk world reports. >> reporter: the tokyo-based production company is preparing to move out of its current office. but, first, it has to pay to have the space restored to the way it was when they first moved in. >> translator: this is our studio. we haven't changed carpeting or the walls, but we have to refurbish them because of the wear and tear over the years. >> reporter: tenants in japan are responsible for restoring renter office space to its original condition. this means reinstalling the gray carpeting and redoing the white walls. and it's not cheap. in central tokyo, the average restoration costs about $94,000.

this is a company that mediates between ventures and office space owners. it's been receiving a growing number of inquiries from companies that want to avoid paying the restoration fees. it says building owners have become more flexible. >> translator: owners are aware that many companies are seeking to cancel theirir leases, and t numberer of companies w wanting move out without having to restore their offices has been increasing. owners used to refuse to negotiate, but they're nothiw willing to do so on a case-by-case basis. >> reporter: the people at babel have no choice but to pay the restoration fee at the old office. however, they intend to minimize expensnses at their new office not changing the interior which the previous tenant spent $140,000 to customize.

the restoration fee isn't the only responsibility companies in japan face when they vacate an office. they also have to notify the owners 6 to 12 months in advance, and they are obliged to pay the rent during that period. now, there's a new service that helps mitigate issues such as this. yoshihiro is the ceo of venture property. he takes over the office space and furniture of tenants who want to move out quickly. he lists them as is to other companies with an agreement that those tenants can rent without reststoring the offices, and th they can break their lease on short notice. >> translator: i've developed a new system in the office rental market which offers companies an exit strategy from costly rental

contracts. >> reporter: the pandemic has created a new market for low-cost, high-turnover office space. in japan's commercial real estate and the world, a new normal is starting to take shape. tomura keiko, nhk world. let's have a look at the markets. ♪

♪ from the "newsline biz" team in tokyo, i'm gene otani. thanks very much for joining us.

♪ >> as global coronavirus infections surpass 18 million, authorities and the australian state of victoria brought new restrictions on movement to limit the spread of covid-19. a security operation still underway in afghanistan after islamic state militants storm a prison facility. and d two years after the bri