welcome to nhk news line. i'm ramin melegard in tokyo. in the week to sunday, japan recorded more covid-19 cases than any other country in the world. japan has topped the list for three weeks runnin >> officials with the world health organization say that from august 1 through 7th,

there were nearly 7 new mill coronavirus cases. japan's caseload climbed sharply to more than 17.4 million accounting for mo than 20% of all cases worldwide. japan recorded around 1000 deaths, up more than 50%. only three other country has more covid-19 fatalities, the u.s. followed by brazil and then italy. the actual number of covid-19 cases and deaths in many countries is likely higher because government changed their testing strategies which has led to a decline in tests. they say, as of july, descendants of the ba 5 variant is responsible. north korean leader kim

jung un says that his country prevailed against coronavirus. the declaration is aimed at highlighting his country's achievements. kim said that no new infection has been reported for 12 straight days and north korea achieved its goal of being infection free. no coronavirus vaccines have been administered in the country, he says. kim's younger system also gave a speech at the meeting calling for an extremely strong retaliation against balloons flown from south korea. north korean defectors in south korea have flown balloons into

the north, carrying 1 u.s. dollar leaf notes: north korea says that they are a source of infection. and north korea the fever case topped 390,000 at one point but pyongyang says that the figure has been zero since july 29th. ahead of ukraine's nuclear power plant occupied by russia, they are trying to divert the electricity to crimea. shelling has began. russia plans to damage power lines to the ukrainian energy system and then connect the plant to the crimean grid. russia invaded crimea and annexed the region om

ukraine. the institute for war, a u.s. think tank says that russia is exploiting the fear of a nuclear problem to stop sending weapons. this significantly raises the risk of a nuclear stent and endangers ukraine, its neighbors and the international community. and a russian journalist known for beingity tall of the ukrainian war has been charged. she protested her country's invasion of ukraine during a live broadcast in march. russian media quoted her lawyer saying she was charged after posting a photo on social media last month. it shows her near the kremlin with a sign that says russian

president putin is a killer. the lawyer reportedly said that she may face up to ten years in prison. she has also been fined several times for opposing russia's military campaign in and criticizing putin. ♪ ♪ >> now, chins have been ever since u.s. house speaker nancy pelosi's visit to taiwan. she is responding now. >> we have a strong relationship built on status

quo. i think what we saw with china was that they were trying to establish sort of a new normal. and we just can't let that happen. >> pelosi was speaking at her first news conference since returning to washington. she says that china did not hold large scale military drills when other u.s. lawmakers visited taiwan and says that u.s. is still committed to the one china policy but will not allow beijing to isolate taiwan. the chinese military launched the drills right after pelosi left taipei. the initiatives ended on moay after ying they will run through sunday and they were likely not to be the last with the unit operating in the east china sea saying they will carry more training and patrols in the area. the you had has charged a member of iran's islamic revolutionary it guard to

to murder john bolton, a former member of the president trump's cabinet. >> he attempted to pay people in the united states $300,000 to carry out the killing. bolton is known for hihard line stance against iran. the justice department says thatlot was likely in retaliation for the death of top iranian general solaimani in january of 2020. the 25-year-old man has not been taken into custody and is likely outside of the u.s. the u.s. has put him on the wanted list. the administration of joe biden is committed to protecting all americans from violence and terrorism.

>> iran's foreign ministry denies the charges and warns against any action under the pretext of the accusations. and new figures from the united states show that inflation remain high in july but there are signs that the pressure might be easing. consumer prices were up 8.5% from a year earlier, the fifth consecutive month that the figure was above 8%. drivers may be feeling some relief as gasoliline prices fel 7.7% from june but they are still paying 44% more than they were a year earlier. electricity was up more than 15% year on year and food prices rose nearly 11% as the largest 12-month increase since 1979. acute labor wages mean that wages are soaring and prices. the federal reserve will raise interest rates again in

september to try to curb inflation. a stationary front lingering around northern japan has brought record rainfall to the prefectures of alnori and akita. some areas have seen floodings. the weather pattern is expected to remain for about a week. prolonged rain can cause damage through a wide area. more than double the average for the entire month of august has fallen. other areas experienced above average rainfall this month. elsewhere, in aomori prefecture, rice fields flooded. a road collapsed in the town of uakrar. 31 people in-house holds were stranded. downpours of more than 30-

millimeter as en sure has occurred in japan. a tropical depression has formed south of japan. it is expected to move north ward and may come close eastern japan on saturday. >> since ancient time, many asian cultures have used soft shell turtle as a luxury food ingredient and a supplement. but a young man has taken on the challenge of farming them

in the snow country. nhk world reports. >> one of the largest producers of rice in japan. but he is busy breeding turtles there. he purchased around 300 soft shell turtles and founded an agriculture company. he studied fishery science in school and returned to his hometown so he could apply his expertise to help the local community. i've chores en soft shell turtles because the high unit price would enable me to prosper. >> reporter: however, soft shell turtles are sensitive to water temperature and quality. when the water temperature drops below 15 degrees celsius,

they stop growing and start hibernating, making them unable to be harvested. a hot spring he dug up 30 years ago, the water temperature stays around 30 grease throughout the year. as a result, the time it takes for them to grow to a shippable size can be shortened from 3 to 4 years to months n adishes some location sake brewer have supported him, providing him a byproduct of the green process to be used as feet. this is rich in protein. he applies the result of a stuffedy that found they develop umami component when

they were fed the leaves. >> i can get sake leaves because i was in unama. i can provide for my community by creating a new speciality. in the beginning, his coany ced a cris when turtles died. and he adjusted by changing the water. >> i think creating appealing employment opportunity is a big factor in attracting people back into our community. i would like to be the president of a soft shell turtle company that can serve as a role model for local high school student considering their future. this winter, the turtles will be put on the market for the first time and will be served at local restaurants. and those the top stories for this hour.

>> and that's a wrap for this edition of nhk live. thank you very much for joining us. hi. i'm shaula vogue. on this special edition of "biz stream" we'll be featuring some of the most interesting businesses we've covered in our signature on-site reports. our commentator today is murakami yumiko, general partner at venture capital fund mpower partners. great to have you back. >> thank you very much for having me. >> let's jump into today's story. >> a small japanese manufacturer has released an ultra high-end turntable that costs as much as

a compact car. it's made with the same manufacturing methods used to fabricate components for rocket engines. cassette tapes and vintage tape decks from the end of the 20th century are also making a comeback. and are finding new fans among a younger generation of listeners. today's on-site report shows how a resurge in demand for analog audio is leading to new business opportunities. >> today we're talking about vinyl record players and cassette players. i do have a small record collection at home, but i've mainly switched to streaming services. what about you, yumiko? >> save with me. but it's an interest questioning because last christmas guess what my teenager, teenage daughter wanted. turntables.

i never thought this was a big deal among young people. and like you i have a lot of cassette tapes which i did not keep and now i wish i had them. >> i know, right? if only we kept them. >> we didn't know. >> what's interesting is vinyl record sales have been increasing every year in the u.s. for more than i adecade now. and actually in japan it's will go seeing a huge vinyl revival of its own. if we look at last year's production value it reached $33 million. nearly doubling that of 2020. and 23 times more than the lowest point in 2010. that's something. >> so it's not just my family in japan but it's happening all around the world. >> yes. your daughter's a trendsetter. >> exactly. >> well, a small manufacturer in

japan has launched itself into the analog music industry by making use of their precise machining skills. let's take a look. ♪ >> released in 2020 the ap-0 is a built to order turntable that sells for nearly $20,000. it's made by yuki precision, a small japanese manufacturer that's primary business is making oem components used in aerospace applications. it specializes in circular milling and is able to fabricate metal parts with micron-level accuracy. with this high level of precision their products are used in rocket engines and other extremely sensitive equipment. but now it's being used to create a turntable with out of this world sound quality. in 2017 company president nagamatsu jun decided his company should have a flagship product of its own, despite having no previous experience

with audio devices he asked a team of engineers to design and build a high-end turntable. why choose an analog audio device? with over 500 records in his collection, nakamatsu is a bit of an audiophile. >> translator: prernlsly, i just love the sound of vinyl. and beyond that, because of the advance machining my company is capable of i was confident we cod create quality product. >> reporter: he was particularly interested in trying to eliminate undesired sounds and vibrations that are known for affecting sound quality. a turntable spins records on a platter that's held in place by a vertically positioned shaft in the center. in most turntables friction generated between the rotating shaft and the components that hold it in place results in minute sounds and vibrations that can be detrimental to sound quality. the ap-0, however, offers a unique design that drastically reduces the friction points between the shaft and the rest of the turntable. this was achieved by making use of the repulsive force generated

between magnets and by having a single finely machined narrow contact point at the base of the shaft. at the top two strategically placed magnets located around the shaft create a nearly frictionless support system. >> translator: in the past they didn't have ultra strong magnets like the neodymium ones we have today. so part of the reason we were able to be successful is because of the access we now have to such stable, powerful magnets. >> differing greatly from standard turntables, the unique technical features and striking design have helped the ap-0 to catch the eye of audiophiles as well as the media. so far the company has only sold the turntable domestically but has already received lots of inquiries from europe. looking to expand into foreign markets, nagamatsu displayed the ap-0 at an internationally

renowned audio exhibition in munich, germany that was held in may of 2022. >> translator: we are confident that we've created a product that makes full use of our advanced manufacturing capabilities. although the european market is very competitive, we hope some audiophiles with discerning ears will take a liking to what we are bringing to the table. >> so to give an update on the video we just saw, after attending the exhibition they have now formed agreements with retailers in north america, europe, india and hong kong and they're finalizing all the details needed to make the turntables ready for export. so it seems that showing off their products in germany has really paid off. >> good for them. you know, there are quite a few companies with technology or manufacturing ability that can be potentially used in a completely different industry. but what's really important is just not only the technology itself but also the vision, out of the box thinking that's required. it's not very easy to do.

so this company is pretty impressive because they were component make yez for aero industry. and now turntable? >> who would have thought? >> so my question is how good is the sound quality? does it make you feel like you're moving to the moon? i don't know. >> out of this world. >> out of this world. that's a good phrase, yes. >> well, cassette tapes have been making a comeback as well. an entrepreneur with a passion for analog music has opened a shop where customers come for both the shopping and the camaraderie. ♪ >> this specialty shop sells refurbished tape decks and boom boxes from the '70s, '80s and '90s.

owner matsuzaki junichi started his business in 2003. >> translator: i definitely think analog is superior to digital because of its pleasant sound and tone. >> attracted to the wide variety of makes and models that were produced over several decades, matsuzaki has been collecting used tape decks and boomboxes for nearly two decades. during that time he's amassed a collection of over 3,000 pieces. it's from this stockpile that he selects the items he'll put up for sale in his shop. depending on the quality, specs and rarity, prices can range from 100 to over $1,000. >> translator: there are so many different designs and features that i never get tired of collecting. it's also a lot of fun for me to be able to share this passion

with other enthusiasts. and because i have so much knowledge i can give them advice and help them to find the perfect model to suit their needs. >> matsuzaki's shop also draws in a lot of younger customers. like 28-year-old rakasuki hiroaki. he visits at least once a week to check out any new additions and to talk about the hobby with matsuzaki and other enthusiasts. although he just recently discovered the charm of cassette players, rakasuki has already added more than 20 pieces to his collection in just over a year. >> translator: i prefer the experience you get with analog music. with digital all you need to do is make a playlist. but with cassette tapes you have to record the music first and then write the song titles down. it's a lot more work, but i think that's what makes it so fun. >> in addition to selling used tape decks matsuzaki also

offered his own brand of blank cassette tapes. he started selling them six years ago after hearing many fellow enthusiasts complain about noting having many quality options available to them. the products themselves are truly global. the exterior shell, reels and other hardware are imported from china. the tape itself comes from the united states. and the cassettes are assembled and packaged at a factory here in japan. selling for between $2 and $3 each, matsuzaki sells nearly 10,000 cassettes per year. he's also in the process of developing his own original brand of radio cassette player. rather than making them for enthusiasts, he's designed a model that he hopes will resonate with a much larger audience. he chose a fun, bright orange color and it's only 20 centimeters in length.

it's built for convenience and port bilt. he's formed a partnership with a chinese manufacturer capable of mass production and is hoping to soon have the product available globally. >> translator: i want the whole world to know how wonderful cassette players and boomboxes can be. by producing my own original products i hope to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to enjoy them too. >> you know, this brought ba so many memories. i remember calling my favorite radio station, requesting a song and patiently waiting for them to play the song. meanwhile, i had to be ready with my finger on the record button so i could make my mix tape. >> we spent so much teem trying to edit these tapes. if you look at the generation today, they have digital technology. they have smartphones. and you know, they take as many pictures as they want to and delete them if they don't like. we didn't have that luxury. >> no, we didn't. >> but i think that makes the analog audio so much more special because it involves more time and energy and it makes it

very personal and very special. >> yeah. i feel the same way. we feel like something's missing almost. you know? >> i totally agree with you. yeah. >> you know, when this analog revival first started i thought this was going to be kind of a temporary trend but it seems like it's not going anywhere anytime soon. >> i actually don't think it's going to disappear. because if you think about it there's something special that cannot be replaced by digital technology. so when cds came out people said oh, there are no more analog audio, there are no more, you know, vinyl records or cassette tapes. when the e-books came out, people said oh, no more paper books. but i think there are people who appreciate the analog aspects of reading and listening to music, and so therefore i think these two analog and digital technologies, they can co-exist i think in the world of reading, in the world of music. so i think it's going to stay here. >> yeah, i think so too. and actually, i'm still a fan of having a paperback book.

>> i'm with you. there is something special about paper versus e-books. >> definitely. thank you so much for being with us today. that's it for today. i'm shaula vogue, and this is "biz stream." we'll see you next time. xxxx ú/ú/ú/ú/ú/ú/ñcñcñcñc