tomoko kamata, nhk world. >> thanks, tomoko, for the update. japan's prime minister has offered his view on the situation. shinzo abe says the alliance between japan and the u.s. would be effective in deterring provocations by north korea. abe was speaking in the upper house at japanese diet during a special committee meeting on national security legislation. he was responding to a comment by a fellow liberal democratic party legislator. he referred to recent events on the korean peninsula. he said the situation may settle down this time, but should tensions escalate, japanese nationals in south korea might need to be evacuated. he stressed that legislation must be in place for such a contingency. abe said that dozens of north korean submarines had left their ports. he said the situation could be very dangerous. >> translator: no one knows what could happen in such a situation. we have to make preparations in advance in order to protect the lives and livelihoods of japanese people. a well-functioning alliance between japan and the united states

tomoko kamata, nhk world. >>> people in hiroshima have not forgotten deadly mud slides that hit close to the city center a year ago. heavy rains triggered the disaster. 75 people were killed. some relatives of the victims began visiting disaster sites from the early morning. this man visited the place where his house stood. a clock marks the moments when the disaster struck, and he lost his wife. >> translator: she had a cheerful character. i want to comfort her by showing her i'm okay now. >> this woman is mourning three family members m. >> translator: i really want to see my daughter and her husband. i wanted to see their baby come into this world. >> reporter: on august 20th within a span of two hours over 200 millimeters of rain fell in hiroshima city. it's home to more than 1 million people. landslides swept through nearly 170 areas. city officials say they affected more than 10,000 residents. nhk asked 100 of them whether they would return to their former homes. the percentages of those hoping to return has decreased 11 points since a similar survey six months ago. and there's