♪ thank you for joining us. from our studio in tokyo, this is nhk "newsline." european leaders who have been in recent contact with emmanuel macron are self-isolating after he tested positive for the coronavirus. france's presidential office said the president has started a seven-day period of self-isolation and will continue to perform his duties remotely. macron took part in an event via

video link after the announcement. european leaders who are self-isolating include the prime minister of spain, the prime minister of portugal, and the european council president. macron held a dinner meeting on wednesday with more than a dozen people, including the prime minister of france. he has also started a seven-day quarantine. local media have quoted sources as saying safe social distancing and other precautionary measures were in place at the dinner. however, questions are being raised whether it was prudent to hold the gathering. it came at a time when the government is calling on the public to avoidne dining in gros of seven or more people. another record-breaking day for coronavirus infections here in japan. authorities reported more than 3,200 cases on thursday, the most ever. more than 191,000 people have now tested positive in the country.

over 2,800 people have died. a record 822 cases were reported in tokyo on thursday. 66 are in serious condition. in light of that growing number, the tokyo government raised its alert for the health care system to the highest level for the first time. >> translator: it has become difficult to balance caring for coronavirus patients with regular medical work. we have exhausted all reserved resources. we must curb the number of new cases at any cost. >> officials asked hospitals in tokyo to increase the number of beds for seriously ill coronavirus patients from 200 to 250. the tokyo governor called on residents to be more careful ahead of the holiday season. >> translator: the virus won't heed the calendar. so i'm issuing a special alert for the year end and new year

holiday in order to halt the spread of infection during that period. >> koike called for annual streetlighting display events to be canceled or have shorter hours. experts are concerned the virus may be spreading from metropolitan areas to major cities throughout japan. hiroshima prefecture saw 138 new cases on thursday. >> translator: i was worried because i saw more and more people coming out to town. >> translator: i hope the virus won't spread any more in this city and prefecture. >> about half of the infection clusters that occurred in the prefecture over the past few weeks were at bars and restaurants. officials asked some of those businesses to close early from thursday to early january.

japanese foreign minister and the u.s. secretary of state mike pompeo spoke by phone on thursday. they reaffirmed their country's commitment to coordinate on a series of global issues, including the coronavirus pandemic and promoting a free and open indo-pacific. they also agreed to develop closer ties with australia and india. top diplomats from the four countries met in person in october and agreed to meet regularly to discuss issues like maritime security. thursday's meeting was held at washington's request. japan's foreign ministry says there was no enmention of the u. presidential election or joe biden. the court of arbitration for sport upheld a decision banning russian athletes from competing under their country's flag in the tokyo olympic and pair ralyc games next year.

the world's anti-doping agency determined that drug test data for russian athletes had been altered. they decided to ban russia from the olympics and other major competitions for four years. russia filed an appeal with the arbitration body. the head of the agency says they are pleased to have won the case but disappointed all of their recommendations were not endorsed. >> in the face of denial from russia, we clearly proved our case in accordance with the process. in that regard, there's an important moment for clean sport and athletes all over the world. >> the russian side can appeal again. this time to the supreme court. although russian team also be excluded from international sporting events until december 2022, athletes who meet strict conditions can take part as individually qualified neutral

competitors. unesco decided to add traditional japanese techniques used in wooden architecture with intangible culture heritage list. the committee discussed nominations for the list and reached a decision in an online panel meeting thursday. the new listing comprises 17 traditional craftsmanship techniques and skills crucial for preserving important cultural structures. they include plastering, to finish walls with layers of mud or plaster. other skills cited are thatching, which is widely used for roofs of traditional structures, and lacquer painting. all the techniques have been handed down and developed since ancient times.

they enable natural materials to be used to build and maintain structures that are resistant to earthquakes and typhoons. the structural craftsmanship becomes japan's 22nd listing, joining japanese washi paper and japanese cuisine in attaining intangible cultural heritage status. some of the brightest minds in design are turning dubai into an architectural playground one year later than expected. the delay 2020 expo is an opportunity to show how design can bring people together in a pandemic world. we caught up with one young japanese architect after she toured her dubai creation. >> reporter: it took a year and three months to come this far. she competed against more than a thousand up and coming japanese architects to realize this

vision. the 45-year-old made a name for herself designing details. but the dubai 2020 expo is a career turning point. her creation is a seamless blend of japanese design. the structure resembles a pattern used in japan since ancient types. viewed at different angles, a motif emerges. >> translator: i want to design buildings that change when they interact with people or with the surrounding environment. because that provides people with the new and interesting experience. >> reporter: this desire to create interactive buildings is what fuels her. it's a hallmark of the commercial spaces she began designing in her 20s. one of her most well-known

creations is this high-end boutique in kyoto. it combines traditional lattice work with modern materials. instead of the usual wood, she used a film common in mobile phone screens, wedged between two layers of glass. in her creation, she draws from japanese tradition that plays with light and shadows. >> translator: it's not just a firm wall. the kind of spin filter you get in japanese culture. like paper screens or bamboo blinds. >> reporter: starting next october, visitors to the middle east first 12 expo will get to experience this for themselves. organizers hope to welcome 25 million people. the pandemic is an unexpected roadblock.

the coronavirus outbreak upended lives and changed how we interact with famous architectural wonders. she says it's also challenged designers to rethink the status quo. more and more experiences are going online. but she says the joy of stepping into a new building cannot be replicated. >> translator: humans will never let that go. so i would like to create attractive spaces that are worth visiting. no matter what. >> reporter: her designs, which often blur the line between indoor and outdoor experiences, could be part of the pandemic solution. outdoor walkways and open structures create a free flow of light and air. but tackling the unique challenges posed by this

situation is not her main goal. >> translator: rather than designing buildings based on how i think the world will looin 20 years, i would like to design buildings based on the future i want to see. i hope the buildings i create will help shape the future. ♪ for world weather, we turn to our meteorologist yoko k kumagata. let's start with the intense winter storm impacting the northeast u.s. what are the main concerns? >> the storm is moving away from the coast areas thursday.

winds and showers are winding down. snow with freezing temperatures may create dangerous driving conditions friday. that could affect morning commuters in new york city. the winter storm has brought more than one meter of snowfall in parts of new england, leading to some destructive situations. look at this video. the first major snowstorm blanketed new york city thursday. the snow recorded from wednesday into thursday was more than the total amounts of the whole season last year. central park had 27 centimeters of snowfall, the heaviest sie 2016. many cars and buildings were covered in white. sunny skies into the northeastern u.s. as the high pressure system moves in friday. more wet weather will occur in the pacific northwest as we go through the weekend. snowfall will increase in the cascades as much as 100 centimeters with avalanches.

blue skies will be back to new york and washington, d.c. on friday. freezing temperatures are expected in the morning hours. that could create icy road conditions. we are also looking at heavy mountain snow in northern japan friday. a winter weather pattern has created persistent snow since earlier this week. ski resorts had 150 centimeters and over 200 in the last three days. more snowfall is expected as we go through the weekend. up to 120 centimeters of snowfall is expected in the region by sunday morning. blowing snow is possible along with strong winds. dry conditions across the pacific side of japan over the weekend. tokyo will have a warmer temperature on friday. the high will be 12 degrees.

that's it for now. have a nice weekend. that concludes this edition

of nhk "newsline." thank you for watching and hope you will join us again. ♪ john lennon, the music he jebld and former beatles star would have been 80 this year. december 8 marks 40 years since he was gunned down outside his new york apartment by a deranged fan. a current exhibition in tokyo called double fantasy, john and yoko, explores the life and work

of one of the most iconic couples in history. it features more than 100 items, including artwork, music and film the two collaborated on. john's sleeveless t-shirt, their signature eyewear, and john's illustrations from when he studied japanese. >> translator: i learned so much about them that i never knew. >> translator: i was fascinated that john and yoko tried to change the world through art and music. >> today we meet john and yoko's only son, john ono lennon. he is in upstate new york riding out the pandemic with his mother yoko ono, and shares with us memories of his dad, his parents' great love story and

his passion for keeping john's message alive. >> my faly has been affect in the same way as everyone, in a way,hat we had to stay home. especially my mother is a bit i had to me sure she's safe. it's been many years since i have breakfast with r every morning. it's st of a nice silver lining. >> it has been a busy year for sean. on oober 9th, he lit up new york's empire state building with a peace sign in honor of his father's milestone. sean, who shares the same birthday as his dad, covered john's 1970 solo debut, "isolation." ♪

>> i thought the lyrics, if you didn't know, you could think maybe it was written about covid-19. the whe world is really living alone and isolated. so just thought it w an appropriate so for the world we live in. >> now 45, he is a musician in his own right and a prominent voice in the alternative scene. when he lost his father, he was just 5 years old. what inspired him to take up music? >> i think my relationship to music is maybe different from most musicians. i rely did it because it gave me a feeli of connecting with my father. it came from wanting to that's the truth.her. >> the pressure that comes with being a child of a music icon is something sean knows all too well. >> i think for a long time, i

felt a little bit unhappy, because i thought it was unfair that when people look at me or people listen to my music, they are only thinking about my parents. it's just -- i have let go of hoping that is gng to stop. i don't think it's going to stop. that's just the way my life is. it's never going to change. it's okay. that's how i feel. >> liver poolborn musician john lennon and artist yoko ono. they met in a london gallery. one of her pieces caught his eye. a ladder leading to a canvas in the ceiling. john, who scoffed at conceptual art, was delighted to find the word "yes" for its positive messag thetimeisreativ scope was mong beyonthe beats.

jo and yo connecd, embarkg on ahirlwind romanclesshan threyears later, march 20, 1969, they were married. john was 28. yoko was 36. ing about how my mom and kable dad -- they loved each other in a way th is almost like something from a fairytale. something from ahakespeare play. i think, growing up knowing how mu john and yoko loved each other is why i have strength in my life. >> unrest and upheaval, in the late '60s the vietm war rad on.fuelng prosts and e ti-war memt. in 196 john anyoko head into a decade of activism through their music and art. the honeymoon staged their famous two week long bed-ins to

protest war and promote peace. in montreal, they ended up recording "give peace a chance," widely regarding as the anti-vietnam war anthem. ♪ >> he became political with my mom. people wonder if my mom got my dad into politics or my dad got my mom. i think they were on the same page together. i think they found their activism tether. >> in 1970, just a year afr john and yoko's wedding, the fab four broke up. yoko was roundly blamed. john and yoko both cited race and gender in the blame game. >> it's important we remember how radical it was at the time.

now you can be a white guy married to a japanese and not everyone will be upset aut it. maybe some people are, but not like in the '60s. my mom and dad were hated in england fothat. >> in 1971, they turned their back on the uk for new york to escape the hate among fans and the constant media attention. they wanted people to stand up, protest and take action. inspired by yoko's poem, john created one of his most defining pieces. he described it this way. the song was a strong political message, but sugarcoated in a beautiful melody. he wanted to reach a wide audience. ♪ imagine all the people ♪ living life in peace

♪ you may say i a dreamer >> after sean's bih in 1975, john took a hiatus from the music world and became a stay-at-home dad preparing meals and playing with his baby son. he delighted in fatherhood. it was during this period that the family spent a lot of time in japan. >> i remember being on my dad's bicycle. he would ride me around in the summer. there's something very in me from my early childhood, a lot of beautiful memories. it was probably the nicest time i had with my dad was in japan. it was really fun. >> through yoko, john developed an interest in japanese culture, becoming fascinated with haiku, a form of poetry that is short, simple, yet highly visual. >> i think haiku is the most beautiful poetry i have ever read.

i would like to find my lyrics as beautiful as haiku. in the album i just made, the lyrics are very simple and the music is very simple. i feel as though it has a zen spirit to it. >> he even took up japanese. john's drawing of family, father, mother, son and daughter. he used his whimsical sketches to help him memorize the language. sean has memories of his dad trying hard. >> what i do remember is that i walearningapanese etty fast. i would speak with my mom a lot. i think he felt a little bit left out. >> in 1980, five years later, john returned to music and with yoko started over, creating a musical touchstone. double fantasy, their most

autobiographical album. it was to be john's big comeback. there was buzz about a tour. it was never to be. three weeks after the album's release, on december 8, 1980, john was senselessly murdered. >> there were thousands of people outside of our apartment singing and sleeping in the park outside the dakota building for what seemed like at least a year, singing every night. ♪ all we are saying >> i will say, there was something very beautiful about it for me to sort of mourn my dad with so many peoe. but there was also something very lonely about it. because it felt like i had to sharmy dad wh so many

people. >> 40 years after john's death, sean delved into his father's work musically and emotionally, remixing 36 of his tracks as a producer, along with yoko. >> it fe like i was processing some emoon that maybe i didn't want to face. in the end, it was really beautiful and nice. i would say it was like -- it was like a real life experience therapy. >> sean believes that while the music may have lost some of its power over time, he has a core reason to keep putting it out. >> his message of peace and uth is very important for everne. i fe like it'sur job to make forgten.t message is not therare some yng generation z and millennials who don't really know.

yeah, i think it's our responsibility to get my dad's music out there for the young people especially. and love, i think it'se of peace dangerous, honestly, for the world. >> nearly half a century since "imagine's" release, john's message continues to inspire people around the world. humanity remains seriously divided and inequality has only deepened. >> "imagine" is always a reminder we can do better. frankly, that maybe we are limited in our undstandingf at is poible. that we should dream, you know, big and have a very, very ambitious plan for humanity that are as good as possible. that's what it means. were making a lot of progress. and i think the song "imagine"

makes me believe in the potential, t potential for humankind. >> we owe a big thanks to sean for his reminder of what john and yoko have given us. their undying belief in peace. their love andai>úog >> nigerie

than through hundred schoolboys who were kidnapped have been freed. we will be live with the latest. ♪ this is al jazeera, also coming up. the u.s. medical of -- panel of medical experts, paving the way for the fda to approve a vaccine for emergencies. a backhanded apology from the u.s. company blamed for fueling the opioid crisis.