edition of nohk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. we start here in japan where a top talent agency has admitted for the first time its late founder sexually abused possibly hundreds of young boys for decades. they were represented by johnny & associates. the agency is promising new measures to prevent this from happening again, and its president announced her

resignation. >> translator: on behalf of johnny & associates and myself as an individual, we acknowledge that johnny kitagawa sexually abused the victims. i would like to extend my heartfelt apology to those who have been victimized. >> the agency setup a news conference thursday. it's working on compensation for the victims. it also said it'll invite experts to ensure human rights are respected. fujishima julie is johnny kitagawa's niece. >> translator: we saw mr. kitagawa and his sister as supreme figures. looking back i'm ashamed of myself. that way of thinking contributed to the problem allowing for more victims. >> kitagawa died in 2019. he was once hailed as japan's

biggest male j-pop producer. more than 20 men have accused him of sexual misconduct. last week an independent team of experts released its report on the allegations, and it concluded kitagawa repeatedly sexually abused minors represented by the agency for decades. it recommended the president be replaced to allow a new start for the agency. nine people who say they were abused by kitagawa watched the news conference together. they've been speaking out about what they allegedly suffered. >> translator: i'm glad the agency admitted what happened and apologized. a path to relief has finally opened up. >> translator: what i appreciate most is that ms. fujishima took part in the news conference. she barely looked down. she appeared to be speaking in her own words, not those from a

script someone prepared for her. >> hiramoto says he still can't feel completely happy because he still doesn't know how the agency will proceed with the proposed measures. we urges johnny & associates to hear out the victims. moving now to southwestern japan where a rocket carrying a lunar lander has blasted off successfully. japan is hoping to become the fifth nation to send a probe to the moon and land it. the h2a rocket was launched from the space center on thursday morning. the take off had been canceled last week due to bad weather. one payload is the smart lander for investigating moon known as slim. it was developed by the japan aero space agency or jaxa.

it's also carrying the image satellite. the space observation device was jointly developed by nasa and others. slim and the satellite were separated from the rocket and put into orbit as planned. it was the first launch of a large japanese rocket since the dedebut blast off of the h3 rocket failed in march. japanese prosecutors have arrested a lawmaker over allegations he received bribes from a tokyo based renewable energy firm. this is the first time in three years an incumbent lawmaker has been arrested in the country. last month prosecutors raided the offices of lower house member akimoto masatoshi on suspicion he received large sums of money from japan's wind development's former president. japan wind development has been trying to win contracts for offshore wind power generation projects. akimoto allegedly received

multiple requests since 2019 to ask questions in diet sessions that would help the firm in the bidding process. in return akimoto is suspected of receiving 60 million yen, roughly $406,000 from him for a horse racing registration and jointly establishing a racehorse owners union. during diet sessions akimoto had made statements aligning with the company's interests. for example, in 2019 he advocated against excessive restrictions on a wind power generation project off aomori prefecture citing concerns about their affects on defense related facilities. in february last year after the company had failed to secure a contract for a project off akita prefecture akimoto called for a reevaluation of the bidding criteria. he's admitted to giving him bribe money in return for favors in the diet. on the other hand, akimoto reportedly said he does not

understand why expenses related to the horse owner's union would be considered bribes when he paid for part of them. akimoto rezaned from his post as the parliamentary vice prime minister for foreign affairs on august 4th. he subsequently left the main ruling liberal democratic party. we turn now to the treated and diluted water being discharged from the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean. japanese prime minister kishida fumio told leaders from the association of southeast asian nations why the water release is safe. they gave him a calm and understanding response. kishida was talking in jakarta at a summit of asean plus japan, china, and south korea. china's state run agency said the prupleer asked japan to handle the water release

responsibly. indonesian trade minister said he sees no problem with the water release as japan says it's ensuring safety. a thai official told nhk japan had given a clear explanation based on internationally recognized scientific standards. prime minister kishida separately explained the safety of the water release to the malaysian prime minister. japanese officials say anwar expressed understanding for japan's position. the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant suffered a triple melt down in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. water used to cool molten fuel mixes with rain and ground water. the accumulated water is treated today remove most radioactive substances but still contains tritium. before releasing the treated water into the ocean, the plant's operator dilutes it to reduce tritium levels to about one seventh of the world health organization's guidelines for drinking water. reported instances of child

abuse have reach an all-time high here in japan. child consultation centers handled over 219,000 cases in the last fiscal year through march. the children and families agency released its preliminary figure for people under the age of 18 on thursday. about 60% of cases involved psychological abuse. such cases are on the rise. there were over 4,700 more than in the year before. the agency also reported on deaths due to abuse in fiscal 2021 excluding instances when the victim was coerced into suicide. of 50 child deaths 21 were due to physical abuse. 24 of the victims were under 1 year of age. >> translator: of course it's important to protect those who have been seriously harmed, but that alone won't solve the problem. it's also important to take

preventive steps before it reaches that stage. >> the agency said it plans to provide more support including in the area of prenatal care. next, june through august has been declared the hottest three-month period on record. the eu's copernicus climate change service and the u.n.'s world meteorological organization made the announcement wednesday. they say the global average temperature hit 16.77 degrees celsius in that period. that's the highest since comparable data became available in 1940. july 2023 was the hottest month

averaging almost 17 degrees. that beats the previous record of 16.63 degrees set in july 2019. global sea surface temperatures averaged nearly 21 degrees in august this year, another record. the previous record was logged in 2016 in plafrp, which is the time of year when temperatures usually reach their peak. the agency says more intense and frequent extreme weather events are expected unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut. this month marks 100 years since the great kanto earthquake. tokyo and its surrounding areas were hit by violent tremors, tsunami, mud slides, and fires. experts say the region which is now a sprawling metropolis could be devastated by another megaquake sometime in the next three decades. nhk world's john ladue went to an exhibition in tokyo that

showcases disaster preparedness products that make sense in a modern urban household. >> reporter: i'm at a convention center hosting the tokyo international gift show. there's a whole range of products on display, but we're focusing on tools to help japanese city dwellers stay prepared for any kind of contingency. and the name of the game is dual purpose. since many disaster preparedness products can be pricey and take up a lot of space, so to make them make sense to the average household, companies are making their products be useful day to day then transform when disaster strikes. right here what we have is looks like a backpack a kid could take to school or an office worker take to their office, a laptop space. if it's something you'll likely have on you outside your house and you're caught, for example, in a flash flood or tsunami

even. now, if that happens, it can transform into a life vest which comes equipped with a whistle to call for help. now, over here what we have is a normal pillow you have around your house, maybe on your couch, but if something happens and you have to flee your home, this can help you keep you warm and safe and wherever you're taking shelter. take a look at this. there's a sleeping back on the inside of the pillow. let me take it out for you. so this is the sleeping bag on the inside. now, this sleeping bag has artificial -- has anti-bacterial coating rather. and there is a pillow. so it's a pillow within a pillow. i spoke with the organizer of this booth about why they're focusing on dual purpose disaster preparedness. >> translator: people are searching for tools they can use

in their daily lives. i think many are realizing products that can only be used in a disaster are not as useful. >> now, as i mentioned before space is another big issue for families trying to stay prepared. one often overlooked problem when disaster strikes is where to go to the bathroom. now, japan estimates that less than a third of people will have access to backup toilets in the event of a disaster. human waste can cause serious problems and spread disease if not safely disposed of. now, this company has developed a way for families to basically have access to a toilet wherever they are. okay, let me demonstrate. so you do your business, you can do it in this toilet that's actually a folded up cardboard box, or you can use a plastic bag that has waterproof lining.

then you pour in their powder. this is green tea, by the way. you can use your imagination. you pour the powder in which treats the waste and deodorizes it. it solidified really quickly. this you can dispose of, safely dispose of it, and problem solved. these pacts are 70 cents u.s., so it's affordable to stock up on. the company says they hope these portable tools like this, they're dual purpose products will provide a realistic solution for people trying to live their lives but also be safe and prepared should the need arise. back to you. all right, next in weather people in the greater tokyo area are keeping an eye on the storm that's inching closer to land. our meteorologist has the system's path in our world weather report. >> a tropical storm is likely to move into central japan during

the day friday and then affect the weather in northern japan over the weekend. stormy conditions make it hard, however the biggest concern is heavy downpours. up to 400 millimeters of rainfall is expected in 48 hours in tokai, and 200 millimeters in kanto including tokyo. so please watch out for landslides or floods. in addition, you should plan for traffic disruptions and make reparations now ahead of the system. the high temperature in tokyo will drop down to 28, and the bigger picture of asia then showers still possible in hong kong and in taipei due to moisture. meanwhile in europe people in london saw over 31, and almost 34 in paris on wednesday.

we have some video from france. people in parts of southern france are dealing with the heat wave just days before the world cup. temperatures in leon hit 32 on wednesday. taking shelter under trees and consuming drinks to cool down. unfortunately, the situation will not change into the weekend, and cities here are facing scorching temperatures which are about 10 degrees above average. friday and saturday and even in berlin it will hit 30 on saturday. it's already september, however, it's still way too hot. so please stay hydrated as much as you can. that's all for me. have a nice day.

and that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. coming up next is "newsline biz" with ramin mellegard, so don't

go away. ♪ this is "newsline biz." i'm ramin mellegard. china's latest trade numbers are out, and they show a drop in both imports and exports, but it wasn't all doom and gloom as the decreases beat most forecasts. the figures released thursday show exports down 8.8% last month in dollar term from a year ago. that's a far smaller drop than we saw in july, but it's the

fourth consecutive month of decrease. imports are down 7.3%. the country's economic rebound has been losing steam recently, hampered by a slump in the property margin. now, japan's toyota motors unveiled the first ever suv version of its most luxurious model, the century. in recent years rival auto makers have added suvs to their high end line-up such as the mer mercedes mabach. it is intended for japanese imperial members and corporate executives. it's had several updates since its 1960s debut but has always been a sedan until now. the new model has a ride height typical of suvs and a spacious interior typical of a plug in

system. he says the new model will meet the needs of the modern era such as company executives who need to hold online meetings while on the road. humphreys says the new model is a bold addition to the century legacy. >> wow, a completely new direction but still very much a is century. and together with the sedan, the new vehicle was worthy to stand at the apex of toyota, the two wings of the phoenix. >> now, prices start at 25 million yen or about $170,000. toyota started taking orders on wednesday, and the first cars will be delivered later this year. and japan and britain have agreed to enhance ties for economic security in a move seen as countering china's increasing assertiveness. japan's economy trade and industry minister met with his u.k. counterpart in london on wednesday. they agreed to setup a bilateral

dialogue of economy ministers to address economic coercion. that's the practice of restricting trade with the aim of putting pressure on other countries. in july nato accused china of coercive policies and said beijing strives to subvert the international order. >> translator: japan and the united kingdom share basic values and work together in the fields of both securing the economy to build a truly just international economic order. the u.k. is an important partner for japan. >> also discussed enhancing supply chain resilience. they agreed to steady cooperation in procuring rare earth minerals that are essential for electric vehicle batteries. now, the european union has listed six tech giants as so-called gate keepers under a new law designed to ensure fair

competition in digital markets. the eu says the companies are google's parent firm, alphabet, amazon, apple, tiktok operator bitedance, meta and microsoft. under the digital markets act tighter regulations will be imposed from early next year on 22 core platform services run by the companies. they will no longer be able to give preferences to their own products and services when displaying them on their platforms. the firms will be prohibited from forcing app developers to use their payments systems. operators will also be required to give advance notice to eu regulators when acquiring rival firms. violators could face fines of up to 10% of their annual worldwide revenues. now, the eu hopes the new regulations will prevent tech giants from abusing their dominant market positions to impose unfair conditions on consumers. a closely watched survey by

the u.s. federal reserve shows many businesses in the country believe that wage growth will soon start to slow down. the latest beige book is based on companies from the central bank's 12 districts. managers in most of the places believe wages will grow at a slower pace in the near-term. if that happens then inflation would also slow down, and that could stir speculation that the fed will hold off on further hikes in interest rates. analysts have argued u.s. inflation is caused by higher labor costs passed onto the prices of end products. economists largely agree that the central bank will decide against a rate hike at its policy meeting this month. they're waiting to hear what fed chair jerome powell will say about rate levels around the end of the year. the beige book also notes that businesses believe the u.s. economy expanded at a modest rate in july and august. it states that job growth was subdued nationwide and shortages of skilled workers persisted.

now, japan has a reputation for its low cost of eating out. one clear example is so-called the big mac index where in terms of the cost of the burger, japan ranks 44th behind the u.s. and some major asian countries, but that may be changing with a new mcdonald's pricing strategy spurred by rising costs. >> reporter: at this mcdonald's in the central area of shin joku. 500 yen or about 3.5. you can get the same burger for over 10% less. it's part of a new mcdonald's

strategy. the prices are divided into three groups, urban, semiurban, and standard. the company has used a system to implement price hikes at 184 restaurants since july. the move is a new for chain restaurants in japan which normally have uniform prices nationwide. >> translator: i didn't realize it was more expensive in tokyo. >> translator: i'll go to the cheaper one from now on. >> reporter: behind the difference in hamburger prices is a serious labor shortage. rising labor costs in urban areas are affecting restaurant pricing strategies. mcdonald's has hiked prices across the board several times in the past two years amid the soaring costs of materials and weaker yen. but recent increases in labor costs and less in urban areas

have required further measures. this year wages have been rising significantly in japan. they include major cities such as tokyo and osaka are particularly steep. one expert says the move by mcdonald's to implement urban price hikes was inevitable. >> translator: it is difficult to secure people in the city center, so businesses have no choice but to raise hourly wages. this will eat into profits, so restaurants will need to make their offerings more expensive in urban areas. >> reporter: in japan some conveyer belt sushi chains have also rolled out regional menus with unique pricing because eating out may change even more amid an influx of foreign tourists. >> translator: the number of inbound tourists will continue to increase, so i think the

situation will change considerably. it has become known through social media that ramen in japan is only about 5.$.50 but in the u.s. it costs three times more. >> reporter: japan has been gaining popularity with foreign visitors, but as prices continue people may have to start looking harder to find a deal. nhk world. okay, let's get a check on the markets.

that's it for "newsline biz" from tokyo. i'm ramin mellegard. thank you very much for watching.

♪ imran: africa is holding its first climate summit. the aim is to decide how to tackle the continent's climate change challenges. but although african countries are ambitious about rain -- green development, can they go it alone, and do they have the money? this is "inside story." ♪ hello, and welcome to the program. i'm imran khan. african nations are demanding a climate justice, and their continent suffers the most among