nhk world, hokkaido. >>> there seems to be no end to the downtrend. japan's supermarket sales in september fell for 22 straight months. the japan chain stores association says sales of more than 7800 supermarkets across the country totaled about $12 billion, that's down 0.3% from a year earlier. sales of autumn clothes dropped sharply as the summer's heat wave lingered into september. the scorching heat did some good, though, pushing up beverage sales. food sales increased due to higher vegetable prices and those of tobacco were brisk as consumers rushed to buy cigarettes before the tobacco tax was raised on october 1st. the latest data showing the association said that japanese people remain reluctant to spend because of the weak economic recovery. >>> toyota motor said on thursday it will recall more than 930,000 vehicles overseas due to a problem in the brakes system. the recall affects ten models sold in the u.s., europe and china including the 2005 and 2006 avalon, 2004 through 2006 highlander and lexus rx 330. toyota says the vehicles have a def

thanks for joining us on nhk world. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

nhk world. >> he joins us now in the studio. you just mentioned khan is the go-to person in japan's muslim community. how busy do you think is he dealing with problems? >> he says he gets 20 to 30 inquiries each month to burials and there are issues, for example, the construction of a mosque in western japan last year pitted local residents against muslims. the locals associate islam as a terrifying religion. in an effort to eliminate this misconception, muslims organize events to help local residents understand their culture and customs. the muslims also do up a statement promising they will not cause noise or any other problems. after rounds of discussion, the locals and muslims came to understand each other. eventually the mosque was built. >> and what kind of issues do the muslim children face here in japan? >> one major one happens in education. khan told me how school lunches at elementary and junior high schools sometimes contain pork. since islam prohibits pork consumption, muslim children can't eat the lunches. a number

nhk world's yu kobayashi has more. >> reporter: lake victoria lies in eastern africa.t is the continent's largest lake, bordering on three countries -- uganda, kenya, and tanzania. a large variety of wild animals lives in the surrounding area. but the lake has become badly polluted. the uganda portion suffers the most. the number of fish has dropped, and the fishermen earn 1/6 of what they used to. >> translator: recently, i haven't caught any fish and lost so much income i can't fish anymore. >> reporter: many brave the pollution or rapid industrialization. uganda's economy has been growing by about 7% a year. factories are springing up in the area around lake victoria. many don't have a wastewater disposal system. research shows that 10 tons of untreated waste water runs into the lake every day. but when we visited the factory, the people we spoke to denied dumping toxic chemicals into the lake. >> okay. so what goes there is just water. just pure water. it's not supposed to go straight there. it's supposed to continue with the drainage water. >> okay. >> to some ext

thanks for joining us on nhk world.

the unhcr deputy chief in iraq told nhk that less than 10,000 displaced people have returned home per month since january. the number's about half or two-thirds compared to last year. he said that in a unhcr survey of 4,000 displaced people, 44% said they can't go home because the government is unstable. he pointed out that the inability to launch a new government after parliamentary elections in march is causing safety concerns and discouraging people from returning home. >> this situation, tsacuu has created a look of confidence in the refugees and in the idps. >> kurdy said it's important to establish a new administration and provide stable security in the country. >>> a deported environmental activist says that after his protest boat was damaged in a collision with a japanese whaling vessel, the leader of the anti-whaling group sea shepherd ordered him to scuttle the craft in order to raise public sympathy. peter bethune's high-speed boat, the "ady gil," collided with a japanese research whaler in the antarctic ocean in january. the sea shepherd conservation group insisted that th

thanks for watching nhk world.

nhk world's nahoko yamada has more. >> reporter: kenji omada attends a vocational school in tokyo. he studied mechanical engineering at university and graduated in 2008. he looked for a job in his senior year but could only find part-time work. so he decided to attend a vocational school to expand his skill set. >> translator: in this tight job market i've learned that it's hard to find a job without any practical skills. by attending a vocational school where i could take technical courses, i thought i'd be able to learn the job. >> reporter: with more graduates competing for fewer jobs and fewer companies hiring workers for life, more people are acquiring skills on their own initiative. more college graduates like kenji are choosing to enroll in vocational schools. the number of those registered here at this school alone has gone up by 30% since april. >> translator: people used to come to our school in hope of a career change. but now college graduates come straight after graduation because they cannot find jobs. that's a new trend and reflects the recent sluggish economy and to

nhk world's igor rogelia has the story. >> reporter: in front of st.l's kalth dral in central london business people from the financial district loosen up after work. >> it's a lot better than sitting at one's desk. i can definitely say that. >> you don't have to be really good at other sports to play. it's quite accessible for lots of people. >> reporter: cheap, fun, and a good way to unwind, ping-pong has come back in style following the recent financial crisis. fedja saric works for an i.t. company. dealing with difficult projects every day can be very stressful. >> what time is it, guys? >> 12:30. >> time to play some table tennis. >> reporter: he started playing three months ago after his office installed a ping-pong table. a cheap and easy way to improve the workplace. it didn't take long for saric to become hooked. he and his colleagues formed a team and practiced every day for a tournament, which they went on to win. >> work long hours you just say like let's just play and it just breaks up even that 20 minutes. if you have a gym sponsorships f

thanks for joining us on nhk world. jj

nhk world's rakesh inagar reports from new delhi. >> reporter: throngs of shoppers are flocking this mall on the outskirts of india's capital, new delhi. it's packed with people buying groceries and daily goods. >> we buy a lot of things. earlier they used to carry handbags. now they carry big trolleys. >> reporter: this man is the general manager of sales and marketing here. he says customer numbers have been growing 25% annually. since the mall opened three years ago. >> more people have jobs in india. the disposable incomes are higher. the indian economy is booming. and that is why they are doing more and more shopping. >> reporter: he is now gearing up for the sales for the diwali shopping season. large festivals are being held in various parts of the country from september through november. consumption typically surges during this time because of the traditional belief that those who spend money during the festivals will reap a fortune in the future. what's particularly grabbed the attention is the construction boom in and around new delhi. apartments building where the families

a draft statement acquired by nhk says east asia recovered from the global economic crisis faster than any other part of the world. it emphasizes the contributions made by asean members and china to the world economy. the document says the nations will work closely together to build a dynamic, thriving economy. it also says these countries will promote domestic demand and create more jobs on a collaborative basis. regarding next month's general election in myanmar, the statement insists on the importance of a free and fair election. it does not mention pro-democracy leader awn sang suu kyi, who has been essentially barred from the process. asean members are maintaining the principle of nonintervention and are concerned about how china would react because of its strengthening political ties with myanmar. >>> a new u.n. survey says a majority of iraqis who return to their country after living in exile say they regret doing so. on tuesday the u.n. high commissioner for refugees released their survey of nearly 2,400 people who returned to baghdad in 2007 and 2008. 61% of the respondents sa

. >> reporter: japanese tv network nhk has been covering the world series for about ten years. >> they don't watch the show because of the players here. they watch this world series and the postseason because it's baseball. >> reporter: and since japan has its own version of the giants, tokyo giants, nhk believes ratings will be a hit. watching someone paint is almost as exciting as watching paint dry but it's all part of the preparation for the ball classic. watching the giants and the rangers won't be boring but it will be a challenge to see in person. the game is sold out. the only authorized to sell tickets had some. >> the most expensive we've seen purchased so far is $6,000. it's certainly a high priced, it's not $20,000. it's very unlikely we'll see the 20-grand ticket go off the shelves. >> reporter: and the average fan is paying $800 a ticket. that gets you and outfield ticket. someone on hubstub is asking $30,000 for club level seats. i talked to one person with tickets and he said sometimes people put prices up there because they want to know they've done that. he said there

the u.n.hcr deputy chief in iraq tariq kurdi told nhk that less than 10,000 displaced people have returned home per month since january. the number is about half, or 2/3 compared to last year. kurdi said that in a u.n.h.c.r. survey of 4,000 displaced people 44% said they can't go home because the government is unstable. he pointed out that the inability to launch a new government after parliamentary elections in march is causing safety concerns and discouraging people from returning home. >> this situation, this vacuum has created a level of lack of confidence in the refugees, in the idps. >> kurdi said it's important to establish a new administration and to provide stable security in the country. >>> a deported environmental activist says that after his protest boat was damaged in a collision with a japanese whaling vessel the leader of the anti-whaling group sea shepherd ordered him to scuttle the craft in order to raise public sympathy. peter bethune's high-speed boat the "ady gil" collided with a japanese research whaler in the antarctic ocean in january. the sea shepherd conservation

. >> nhk world's senior reporter joins us with more details on the arrest. the alleged tampering of possible evidence has led to the unprecedented arrest of two of the country's highest prosecutors. so it will certainly erode the public trust in the justice system. >> it sure will. the public prosecutor's office is the most powerful of japan's administrative organizations, along with the treasury ministry. the two officers who were arrested were members of a special investigation unit considered to be the country's elite investigative body. not only did it have the power to indict suspects, it also had full independence to investigate major political flaws and corporate crimes. only the tokyo, and osaka have special investigatives units. >> what led to the arrests? >> they are linked to the acquittal of a senior health ministry official. she was accused of falsifying documents that entitled and qualified organizations to claim postal discounts. but was found in the guilty. the plead prosecutor in her case mida was later arrested on suspicion of destroying ev

an nhk survey shows more than 2100 bears have been captured and over 1800 killed during that time. officials say the unusually cold spring weather resulted in fewer mountain acorns, forcing bears to search for food in areas with people. resident living in these areas are urged to remain on alert as bears are expected to continue coming down from mountains for food before hibernating. >>> today more than 2 million foreigners live in japan. here on "newsline" we're going to introduce you to some members of the country's population in the next couple days, starting with chinese students. they account for 60% of all foreign students in japan. >> reporter: this japanese language school in tokyo specializes in classes for people from china. it is setting itself as a gateway to prestigious. it says 60 alumni each year -- sends 60 alumni each year to places such as the university of tokyo. it even offers mathematics class es as japanese language schools expand their role to become preparatory schools for universities. jean hails from shanghai. she studied for two yearst college at home but

nhk world's reporter takes us there. >> reporter: this water is flowing from 20 meters underground. residents in shiga prefecture have been using spring water in many aspects of their lives for hundreds of years. this shop has used the water since it opened 110 years ago. >> translator: tofu made with spring water retains the flavor of spring beans. >> reporter: the district is located on the shores of japan's largest lake. the lake has given life to a wide range of plants and animals for 4 million years. the lake has more than 60 native species. but in the latter part of the 20th century, waste water containing detergents and cooking oil started to have an impact on the lake. that, along with shore line development and the arrival of alien species, damaged the lake's inhabitants. about 30 years ago 5,000 tons of fish were caught in the lake. today the catch has plunged to one-quarter of that. >> translator: domestic waste water is flowing into the lake and damaging its ecosystem. people need to reduce household waste water. >> reporter: he says people need to be aware of the entire

nhk world's yasushi kudo is there. >> reporter: japan's ministry of agriculture forestry and fisheriespened the conference with a call for international interference. >> translator: biological diversity is around the world as the climate changes. we have a responsibility to pass on environmentally compatible lifestyles and rich biological diversity to the next generation. >> reporter: the representatives have started discussing what should be done if genetically modified organisms from one country damage another country's ecosystem. the convention on biological diversity was launched in 1992. it's appeal for international efforts to protect the global environment along with the u.n. framework convention on climate change. the countries at the conference will set new goals for saving fauna and flora for 2020 and 2050. they will also discuss adopting the protocol on the use of biological resources that could yield new medicines. developing countries that have such resources are increasingly reluctant to let industrialized countries keep taking them without giving them a bigger share of t

earlier, nhk world gave us some insights. >> first of all, what can you tell us looking at the footage of this parade? >> a few things, actually. first, north korea was trying to show that the transition of power from kim jong il to his son, kim jong un, has been proceeding successfully. in 2012 north korea aims to build a great, prosperous, and powerful nation. kim jong il, however, is still dealing with the aftereffects of a stroke that hit him two years ago. so he seems to be trying to accelerate succession. also noteworthy is that the chinese guest stood side by side with kim jong il and his son. he is a member of a chinese communist party's politboro standing committee. this implies kim jong un now controls the -- and china approves this succession. the third thing is he appeared to send some sort of signal to the united states. it may delay a decision to let american tv stations such as cnn and fox tv, which is a critic of the north, cover the parade. during the event, new types of missiles were shown off. one of the new missiles appeared to be the saddam. which could reach groun

nhk world's rob mcbride reports. >> reporter: just in the property market and just in time. at home in a satellite town about an hour by train from central hong kong teddy hoi in the small apartment he bought for himself and his wife with help from his mother. 50 square meters in size and costing the equivalent of 245,000 u.s. dollars, it's already gone up 10% in the eight weeks since he bought. >> right after i bought this flat for two weeks, and then the property agent called me and asked me, do you want to sell it? i haven't -- i haven't moved in yet at that time. >> reporter: hong kong's legendary high-rise property market, with sky-high prices to match, measured in the millions of hong kong dollars. now it's surpassed even its own legend with a 40% increase in the past 18 months. it's the hot topic at investor conferences like this one in hong kong. with no sectors anywhere in asia able to match such a return. and a lot of the rise has been thanks to investment from mainland chinese buyers looking for a relatively safe investment and the chance of hong kong residency. >

nhk world's davit savino has more. >> reporter: this summer, president obama signed the financial reformackage into law. former federal reserve chairman paul volker was a key proponent of reform. at a meeting of senior executives of the services industry in chicago, mr. volker insisted that strong and meaningful legislation is absolutely crucial to protect consumers from banks acting irresponsibly. >> commercial banks can go out and do the same speculation and proprietary activity anybody else can do that you don't want to protect. >> reporter: but ironically, the new legislation may unexpectedly impact mid and small-sized banks disproportionately. community banks like kalamazoo county state bank in michigan play an important role in supporting their regional economy by making loans to local consumers and small businesses. miss schaffer is an assistant vice president in charge of compliance at the bank. every day she struggles to keep up to date with all the new reports and procedures. >> i do quarterly reports, monthly reports, and i submit policies to the board monthly for them to revi

an nhk survey shows more than 2,100 bears have been captured and over 1,800 killed during that time.ials say the unusually cold spring weather resulted in fewer mountain acorns, forcing bears to search for food in areas with people. residents living in these areas are urged to remain on alert as bears are expected to continue coming down from mountains for food before hibernating. >>> hi there, and welcome to your world weather update. now, in east asia we are keeping an eye on the south pacific here. see a cluster of clouds at the bottom of the screen. this will be our tropical storm system really starting to show signs of organizing and it is strengthening right now. it's a severe tropical storm system packing winds of over 100 kilometers per hour now, and likely going to continue on that strengthening trend over the next few days, attaining typhoon status as we head into the weekend. much stronger winds and plenty of rainfall could start affecting those of you across northern philippines later on this week. we will keep a close eye on its progress as well as developments. now, hea

reporting for nhk world, sao paulo. >>> earlier hideshi ha got insight on brazilian politics. >> what do you make of the election result? >> it's clear that the brazilian public wants continuity of government because they are very happy with the economic condition of the country and president lula's social policies. given that dilma rousseff is close to lula, it looks very likely that she will be elected. the fact that she's a woman has not been an issue in the election, but it could present challenges for her if she becomes president. one reason she got less than 50% of the vote is that she was implicated in corruption scandals. another factory that she lost support from after making comments about abortion. >> nonetheless, do you think that rousseff will win the runoff election? >> i think it's very likely mainly because she's so close to president lula, whose popularity is almost 90% of the brazilian electorate. a public opinion poll during the election campaign showed that nearly half the electorate was planning to vote for someone who would carry on lula's policies. for the brazi

ichigo kataoka, nhk world, japan. >>> hi there. welcome back to your world weather update. keeping a close eye on typhoon megi that continues to move very slowly over the south china sea. it is steadily approaching the southeastern corner of china, due to make landfall here by the end of the week. further intensification is likely during the day but maintaining that strength generally over the next few days. now, you can see the strong winds still impacting the northern end of the philippines. we'll start to feel the effect of the storm in taiwan. fujian as well as guangdong later today starting with strong winds. could potentially see dangerous high waves as well. and of course there's going to be torrential rains, looking at over 100 millimeters to accumulate in parts of taiwan in the next 24 hours. and the weather is, of course, going to be going downhill this week. and so do brace yourselves if you are in the area. one fortunate thing is it is going to stay away from hainan island and the indo-china peninsula where people have been dealing with severe flooding since las

nhk world's kengo suzuki has more. >> reporter: kiyomitsu omaru was born in a family of fisherman. he has been suffering most of his life from symptoms his doctors say is associated with mercury poisoning. he has numbness in his fingers, but he was never officially recognized as a minamata patient. >> translator: my hand begins to feel numb when i grasp something. then the other hand starts to go numb. >> reporter: omaru is entitled to his long awaited compensation. he is relieved but has mixed feelings. he won't feel completely satisfied until all sufferers have passed their screening. >> translator: i guess most residents in this town have eaten locally caught fish. i wonder so many applications are being turned down. >> reporter: yoshiharu himoda wasn't as lucky as omaru. >> translator: i opened the letter, expecting i had qualified this time. but i was disappointed to find i was rejected again. >> reporter: shimoda had eaten locally caught fish since his childhood. he's had health issues since in his 30s. his condition got worse 15 years ago. thinking he could be suffering from

they say it's the driest place on earth and can you see, this is nhk japan, they set up a tent next to a pile of rocks. there's a fire burning because i've got to tell you, it's very cold here. and that fire really does feel awfully nice. it's an extreme climate in the anacama desert. it gets very hot during the day and bitterly cold at night. i guess it's not surprising that there's a mix here of both celebration and anxiety. the balloons adding a bit of a festive atmosphere during the day, there's often a clown around here to entertain the children of the miners. it's late, though, so the clown is gone, but people right now, as can you see, glued to the television sets. there's a sign up there, i don't think most people even see it. it says, it means essentially, together we have a safe workplace and that faded sign emblematic of the safety standards of this mine. the san jose mine owned by a company called the st. esteban mining company is one of the oldest mines in this area, begun in 1889. it's had a very shoddy record for safety. in many ways, people around here were not surprise

nhk, japan, set up a tent next to a pile of rocks. a fire burning, i have got to tell you it is very, very cold here. and that fire really does feel awfully nice. it is an extreme climate in the desert. it gets very hot here during the day the and bitterly cold at night. and a sign up there i don't think most people see it. it means, essentially, together we have a safe work place. and that faded sign, kind of emblematic of the safety standards of this mine. the san jose mine, owned by a company called saint esteban mining company one of the oldest mines in this area. begun in 1889. it has had a shoddy record for safety. in many ways people around here were not surprised to hear that the mine collapsed. there have been accidents here before. it is certain now that this mine will never reopen. i guess it is not surprising there is a mix here of both celebrations and anxiety. the balloons adding a bit of festive atmosphere. during the day, often a clown around to entertain the children of the miners. it's late, the clown is gone. people

they say it's the driest place on earth and can you see, this is nhk japan, they set up a tent next toile of rocks. there's a fire burning because i've got to tell you, it's very cold here. and that fire really does feel awfully nice. it's an extreme climate in the anacama desert. it gets very hot during the day and bitterly cold at night. i guess it's not surprising that there's a mix here of both celebration and anxiety. the balloons adding a bit of a festive atmosphere during the day, there's often a clown around here to entertain the children of the miners. it's late, though, so the clown is gone, but people right now, as can you see, glued to the television sets. there's a sign up there, i don't think most people even see it. it says, it means essentially, together we have a safe workplace and that faded sign emblematic of the safety standards of this mine. the san jose mine owned by a company called the st. esteban mining company is one of the oldest mines in this area, begun in 1889. it's had a very shoddy record for safety. in many ways, people around here were not surprised to