hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm yamamoto miki in tokyo. we begin in japan where the summer spread of the coronavirus has local officials worried ahead of next week's holiday kick-off. it is typically a time to return to home towns and visit family but could bump up virus numbers already on the rise in some areas.

>> translator: we may have no choice but to call on people to reframe from taking action and traveling. >> translator: we want to ask students and relatives to hold back from visitining home towns and also from visiting friends and acquaintances this summer. >> some local leaders are concerned that people living in cities may spread the virus when visiting smaller locales for family reunions and others say correct precautions must be followed. >> translator: i don't think it is a problem for people to return to home towns after properly taking measures against infectious diseases and communicating with their families. >> the chief cabinet secretary said on monday that the central government is not discouraging people from visiting other prefectures during the holidays. but like governments around the world, controllingng the coronavirus will gradually reopening t the economy i is prg to be a tricky balance. officials plan to hold an expert

panel meeting this week to discuss what measures people should take during hometown visits. 960 new cases of infection were confirmed monday including 258 in tokyo and 125 in aichi prefecture. a survey by a japanese credit research firm has found that more than 400 companies in the country have gone under during the pandemic. the data bank study includedes cocompanies that have gone babankrupt orr s started bankru proceedings as of monday. businesses in the dining industry including bars and restaurants make up the largest share. hotels and clothing and food wholesalers have also been hit hard. so far the bankruptcies have been largely limited to companies in the service sector. but the researchers say the recent spike in infections could see the troubles spread into manufacturing. a separate research firm surveyed more than 6600 firms on

outlooks for the future. over 400 small and medium sized companies said they will have to consider shutting their businesses and nearly half of these firms say they may have to close within one year. globally coronavirus cases continue to rise with more than 18 million people having been infected. the largest number comes from the united states with over 4.7 million cases. specific communities are being especially hard hit. we look at a native american nation struggling with the highest infection rate in the country. >> reporter: the navajo nation is the largest native american reservation in the u.s. it is spread out over 27,000 square miles in the western states of utah, arizona, and new mexico. the navajo nation like many other native american tribes is recognized as a sovereign nation. it has its own president,

attorney general, and eveven it owown e environmental protectio agency. the pandemic has ravaged the community. around 9,000 people have been infected. 1 out of every 20 residents of the navajo nation, more than 450 have died. one issue is the lack of sanitation. 30% of households don't have running water. this family of eight runs a farm. when they come home, they have to take turns washing their hands in a bowl of water. shirley blue eyes has lost two family members to the virus in recent weeks. she says the situation is critical. >> what we need is just a water source, which is really, you know, for us and then the animals that we have here. >> this w water is really -- it our life, yes.

>> reporter: another problem is access to health care. there are only five emergency hospitals in the vast navajo territory. the nearest is 40 miles from here. so people are forced to transport the sick inn makeshif ambulances. >> a couple weeks ago he was dying. if i would have waited there for the ambulance, 45 minutes later he would have been gone. >> people are dying ever day in their houses.s. we need help. >> reporter: in the 19th century, white settlers forced the navajo people off their traditional lands. the u.s. government returned some of the land in 1868 and promised to rebuild its infrastructure. but the president of the navajo nation says the help never came. >> a lot of broken promises. it is unacceptable that 30% to

40% of indigenous people, navajo people, don't have running water in the most powerful country in the world. >> reporter: for some navajo people the pandemic is reaffirming their community spirit. this woman completed a master's degree in public health at john hopkins university. she came back to the reservation to help her neighbors. she joined an ngo that distributes water and other essential goods. she says the same values have driven her to participate in the black lives matterer movement. >> natives are affected in theh same way that black p people ar affected t that they're fightin for, like for police brutality, and that is definitely that people w will pin it is a a socl and behavioraral heaealth issu thatat it is an individual behavior issue and either we're too lazy, we're dirty, or

unsanitary that's just because of other systemic problems that have long existed here. >> reporter: at the start of the pandemic, the trump administration initially failed to authorize federal aid for the residents of navajo nation. the tribe is dealing with the legacy of discrimination that's been continuing for more than 150 years. andrew beale, nhk world, navajo nation. a war time labor lawsuit in south korea against a japanese firm appears to be entering a new phahase. a south k korean court has deem the japanese entity has been notified of an asset seizure order as of tuesday. the process of selling off the assets is expected to start soon. the issue stems from a ruling by

south korea's supreme court in october, 2018. it orderered nippon steel to compensate four south koreaeans whwho say they were forced to wk in the company's steel mills during world warar ii. butt the japanese government sas any right to claims was settled completely and finally in 1965 when japan and south korea normalized ties. tokyo has been urging seoul to rectify what it calls a situation in which international law is being violated. at the plaintiffs' request, a south korean court in june posted online documents ordering the seizure of nippon steel's assets in south korea. the court regards the documents received after two months. nippon steel says they will immediately appeal the assets seizure procedures. south korean media report it will likely take at least several months to appraise and sell off the assets. japanese officials say they will closely watch the moves by the south korean side while considering possible

countermeasures or damage claims. nhk has conducted a survey in japan and the united states on attitudes toward nuclear weapons. it comes ahead of the 75th anniversary off the atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki. around 2,000 people answered the online survey in japan and around 1,000 in the united states. all were aged 18 to 34. about 85% of respondents in japan said nuclear weapons are not needed. that figure was around 70% for u.s. respondents. most cited the power of the weapons to kill and injure huge numbers of people. others said there are better ways to settle international conflicts. the american respondents were also asked about the bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki in 1945. 42% said they were unforgiveable while 31% s said they were necessssary. this prorominent atomic bomb

surviviv says sheeels youou peoplen the u.s. arehangingg their views. >> traranslator: the survey sho thth people a are starting to rethink whether openly jujustifying t atomicc bombings isis right. atat every event i go to, i can tetell people feeeel the nuclea issue isnsn't just a matatter o hiroshima and nagasaki but it is global and had something to do with them. >> one expert says education has played an important role in changing public opinion in the u.s. people in southwestern japan are still recovering a month after a torrential rain devastated parts of the region. the extreme weather left 65 people dead and two missing and the pandemic is overshadowing efforts to rebuild. in the town of ashikita people paused cleanup work to hold a moment of silence for the 11

people who died there. at a nursing home in the village of kuma residents and care workers offered flowers to remember 14 hours who died. this man who lost his mother brought something she used to enjoy. >> translator: one month has gone by fast. my mother loved beer and distilled spirits so i left them on the altar. i hope that she rests in peace. >> the threat of coronavirus infections is delaying reconstruction work in the affected areas. despite the severe damage, local authorities are only accepting volunteers from inside a prefecture to prevent transmission. more than 500 people are staying in their damaged homes out of concern they might contract the virus at emergency shelters. let's check out the world weather with our meteorologist. yoko, a typhoon has made

landfall in eastern china this tuesday morning. what are the concerns now? >> so it is likely to affect during the day o on tuesday wit destructive windsds and heavy downpours that could impact commuters and structures. this storm system will pass through shanghai as we go into tuesday bringing heavy downpours. people in the high populated areas could see up to 150 millimeters. flooding can be possible. then it will head toward the korean peninsula on wednesday as a tropical storm and will gain a lot of moisture over the yellow sea and produce downpours in north korea and south korea with up to 300 millimeters possible through the next 48 hours. stormy weather is expected in shanghai as we go into tuesday with a high of 31 degrees. heavy rain and winds will pick up in seoul as we go into overnight tuesday.

we have another tropical storm over the atlantic that has alreadyy caused some problems i the sosoutheastern u u.s. tropical stormrm isaias brought heavavy rain and strong winds t thee coast of f florida on sund. the storm caused power cuts affecting about 27,400 residents in the area. further damage is expected as the storm will bring winds of up to 120 kilometers per hour. dangerous storm surge could reach 1.2 meters above ground level at the peak of the storm. isaias will make landfall in south carolina in a few hours and will move north along the atlantic coast as it keeps its strength. expected drenching rain and destructive winds along the coastal areas, including in washington, d.c. and new york. people in the coastal areas could see dangerous storm surges as well. heavy rain and strong winds will be seen in washington, d.c. and

new york on tuesday and a few showers will appear in miami as we go into tuesday. that is it for now. stay safe. ♪ ♪

and that is all for this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm yamamoto miki in tokyo. thank you for joining us on nhk world japan. xxxx welcome to "newsline in depth." the pandemic is not just spreading a virus. it is also spreading fear. people fret about their health, livelihoods, and their future. social distancing may keep us safe from infection but it also leads to emotional isolation. across the globe, that isolation is taking a growing toll on

people's mental health. those already struggling with mental health disorders are especially vulnerable. and that includes people in the group of drug addictions. in the united states the problem has health officials sounding a new coronavirus alarm. >> this is chandler cook from the state of florida. he died in april at just 28 years of age. his mother has fond memorieies her son.n. >> i i think that's thehe b beg to d describe chandndler is h h such a great sense off humor. he loved people. he loved to be the comedian. >> reporter: she says chandler got sidetracked when he was 19. he suffered a shoulder injury. during his recovery he became addicted to pain killers. his family helped him get through it. he was drug free for more than

he and his mother shot a video to tell people about what they went through. >> why are you willing to speak out today? >> i'm excited now. i have a great relationship with my family again. i have a great job again. i'm healthy. i'm happy. >> reporter: but the pandemic threw chandlerr into a spiral. he was working at a restatauran and lost his job. that forced him to spend days at home alone. a month later he was found dead in his apartment from an apparent overdose. >> i t thought we were o over t point t of the h hard drugg use. it was the hardest day of my life. i couldn't believe it. >> reporter: patients in treatment centers around the country are facing similar

issues. this facility treats about 40 people recovering from addiction. ththe pandemic has prevented th from meetiting face to face.e. coununseling sesessions are hel online. counsellors hope the sessions will ease anxiety but participantsts say they arere s feeling the stress of isolation. >> but i also desperately desire human contact and being in the presence of other people in the same room. so i'm definitely looking forward to getting back to normal. >> reporter: one study warns that if the pandemic gets worse more than 150,000 people could get at risk from so-called deaths of despair. some experts s say the w wst efeffects may be i in sociallll disadvantaged communities..

>> wee are particularly concernd about t those who were vulnerab to begin with. we're working very hard to mamaintain accessibility and quality of treatment, you know, for people with mental health conditionsns as well as issues around substance use and substance use disorders during this time. >> reporter: the u.s. is already battling a r rising coronavirus infection. at the same time, health officials must help those who are fighting addictions make it through the pandemic alive. nhk world. >> before covid-19 arrived on the scene, the u.s. was fighting an epidemic of opioid abuse. in 2017 deaths from drug overdoses exceedd 70,000, the highest figure on record.

public awareness campaigns and medical treatments helped improve that situation. there were almost 3,000 fewer deaths in 2018. but then the novel coronavirus came along and erased the progress. now with the country bracing for a second wave of the epidemic, the risks facing mentally vulnerable people in the population are greater than ever. moving to japan which has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking support for mental health problems, the reasons may differ but the symptoms are familiar. life is in turmoil and people are under stress. >> reporter: for this woman the feeling of anxiety became too overwhelming in late may. >> translator: before the pandemic, how did you relieve stress? >> translator: i used to exercise outside and meet up with friends. now i realize how important that

was. at 5 58 shee had a love of trav and taking long walks but the thought of getting infected and then giving the virus to someone else made her afraid to leave the house.. soon, she developed insomnia and was eventually diagnosed with depression. i know we can't say when the pandemic will end, but if we lift restrictions, everyone will go outside, and i'm scared that could make the virus spread. >> reporter: she is not alone in that fear.r. her psychiatrist says many of his patieients are scared of th virus, itself. some now worry more about sococl isolatioion and losing their jo. for many, the s symptoms start with a general feeling o of impending doom and a loss of

appetite. >> translator: when stress piles up, you are more likely to become depressed. people don't always need psychiatric treatment. they can relieve stress just by talking to someone. >> translator: here we hold socialal media counseling sessis for people across japan. >> repororter: japanese health linenes havee been flooded with stressed out callers. at this center, the number of clients jumped by 50% starting in march. now averaging 1500 cases per month. some are so overcome with money worries they don't know where to start. so counsellors are taking on a new and time consuming job -- helping them navigate government bureaucracy to apply for subsidies and loans. >> translator: we have to search for the right application for each person, because it is difficult to find it among dozens of coronavirus aid programs.

our clients are panicked and can't do the search themselves. >> reporter: when counsellors get a really difficult call, they usually rely on co-workers, but that is not as easy as it used to be. about half now work from home exposing them to the flood of loneliness their clients struggle with. now the center holds an online meeting every few weeks so o stf can shshare theieir own feeling. >> translatotor: i used to talk with o oer counsellors, which was a a way to decomompress aft sessions. but nowow that i i work from hoi need to findd a way to get peac of mind. >> reporter: the intensity of calls has also increased with more clients expressing suicidal thoughts. the center's director is now looking for more counsellors, both to keep up with the growing demand for services and to protect those trying to help. >> we need to give them a time

and place to relieve stress. we need to continue supporting one another a and look for new ways to maintain their mental health. >> reporter: with the future no more certain today than at the start of the pandemic, this mental health crisis will soon be resolved. nhk world. >> the doctor says more recently anxiety over jobs and money are adding to people's fears of the virus, itself. so even if a vaccine is developed soon, the mental health issues could be plaguing us for much longer. to be sure, there are no easy fixes when fighting a global crisis like this. perhaps we could try laughing. i am pretty serious, believe it or not. experts tell us there are powerful health benefits. [ laughter ] >> reporter: laughter yoga. according to experts, it reduces

stress and boosts immunity. originating in india, the method gets people laughing without any particular reason. over the past decade, its popularity in japan has been growing steadily. there is sumo laughter. there is airplane laughter. this man is a psychiatrist and hospital director. noting its therapeutic uses, he introduced laughter yoga in patient treatment a decade ago. the results were so good that he began offering free monthly lessons five years ago to the local community.. due to the coronavirus, he had to rethink the lessons. he turned to an online video

conferencing app to continue helping people. > translator: m many donon't how to cope witith being unableo go out and being stuck at home. i want to show them h how to relieve stress with laughter. >> reporter: on one of his twice a dayay sessions, 21 people fro around japan, many who found out about them on social media, joined in. this form of yoga is quite simple. one makes a funny gesture. the others copy it. and then they all laugh together. >> i'm going to try s static electricity laughter where my fingers will touch. i feel t the shock and can't he laughing >> reporter: and there's fishing and even swimmining.

somehow w watching oththers crag up makes it all the funnier. >> translator: when i stay at home, i feel alone. but this way i connect with others and share laughs. i feel it's very good for me. >> translatotor: takining actio helps youou feel p positive. just tryry laughing. when f feeling down, first give laughing a go. >> a famous japanese said, start with your appearance, and your heart will follow. why not try laughing even if you don't quite feel like it? it could offer some peace of mind. best of all, it is contagious. who needs a punch line? the battle against the coronavirus is playing out not just in hospitals but in our hearts and minds, making human

connections, while it can be harder to do online we do have another powerful weapon -- human creativity. thank you for watching and see you again next time. kpkd xxxx

>> vaccines and treatments inin development, but no quick fix. the world hethth organizization warns ththat for now, other methods are our best defense againsnst the coronavirus. >> there isn't a cure at the moment, and there might never be. lauren: i am lauren taylor. this is al j jazeera. coming up, coronavirus infections spike in the philippines. millions of people return to lockdown. medical workers say more must be

done.