hope you have a safe day wherever you are. >>> that's all for now on this edition of nhk "newsline." m raja pradhan in tokyo. there's much more to come on nhk world japan, so please stay with us. >>> welcome to "newsline in depth," i'm aiko doden. today we are getting to know a rather unusual musical instrument. the theremin. it was invented in russia by a physicist about 100 years ago. you may have heard it in movies by alfred hitchcock in dozens of tv shows. ♪ the therememin doesn't exactly look like it can make music. performers move their hands to control the invisible electromagnetic waves that surround the masheep. last year, there was a performance in russia to mark the 100th adversary of the inch treatment instrument. among the performers was a group directed by a japanese man. how was the matryomin created? >> reporter: while the theremin has been around since the 19200, in japan it later merged with russian dolls. in september about 300 of them met to break a world record. thee challengege was from a a et and professssional player who introduced the ips straumt to japan over

stay safe, and have a nice weekend. >>> that's nhk "newsline" for this hour. i'm yamamoto miki in tokyo. thank you for staying with us on nhk world japan. >>> welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm marie yanaka. nine years ago this month, a massive earthquake and tsunami killed thousands of people. and devastated parts of northeast japan. today we take a look at the persisting environmental damage, both on land and in the sea, as well as how those in the affected area are still struggling to deal with the situation. first, we go to the coast in iwate prefecture. the waves that struck this area were up to 40 meters high and caused immense instruction. this footage was shot in the bay about 18 months after the disaster. piles of debris littered the ocean floor, a mess that took cleanup crews years to clear. eight years later, things appear to have returned to normal. but what's happening below the surface? diving into the water here in the bay, nhk world decided to find out. >> reporter: i'm about ten meters under water, off the c t coast of the city. take a look ov

>>> glad to have you with us on nhk "newsline." i'm yuko fukushima. a spokesperson for china's national people's congress says the body will discuss legislation to maintainn public order in hong kong. the comment came on the eve of the its opening sessision on friday. the agenda will include national security legislation for the territory. >> translator: the legislalatio to safeguard national security and an enforcement mechanism are entirely necessary to uphold and improve the institutional framework of one country-two systems principiple of hongg ko. >> analyst say beijing has decided national security cannot be guaranteed if it is left to hong kong. multiple hong kong media say the chinese government will likely press ahead with establishing national security legislation at the upcoming parliamentary session. pro-democracy lawmakers from hong kong's legislative cououns aree strongly protesting the introduction of the draft resolution. they say the one country-two systems role would be >>> and here in japan, the government has lifted the state of em

. >>> hello, and welcome to nhk "newsline." governors from across japan are calling on the abe mfrgs to continue to support their fight against the coronavirus. even if the local states of emergency are lifted. tokyo, osaka and several of the hardest hit free if he cantures are likely to continue under the state of emergency, at least until the end of the month. but the central government seems poised to lift the declaration for at least two-thirds of the country where fewer infections are being reported. the governors held an online meeting on tuesday. those from the most severely affected regions argued that lifting the declaration will send the wrong message to thee public. >> translatotor: it't's been wi reported that ththe statete of emergency will be partitially lifteded on thursday. i a am very much concernrned th will make p people too relaxed. >> translatotor: the second a thirdd waves are coming. we have to p prepare for that. >> the statete off emergency gi governors the power to ask people to limit social interactio

>>> hello and welcome to nhk newsline. we start in japan as the country comes out of two months of state of emergency over the coronavirus the government is working to minimize it's economic impact. they approved a second supplmentary draft with 117 trillion yen or $100 trillion. earlrlier at a meeting of coalition parties the prime minister said it will take considerable time to resume normal daily life while preveventing infection from spreading. we have to take advantage of the fact that tin fex hhe infection subsided. >> it includes cash handouts of 200,000 yen or $1,800 for health care workers and allocates funding to support the development of drugs and vaccines. other elements plan to help struggling businesses by covering 2-thirds of the rent for six months and increase subsidies for employers. the latest move comes as japan has confirmed more than 16,600 cases of the virus and nearly 870 deaths. so far, 27 new cases have been reported nationwide. a man in his 80s tested positive for the third time. moving to south

hope you have a good day wherever you are. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> and that concludes this edition of nhk "newslinepradhan in tokyo. there's much more to come on "nhk japan" so please stay with us. ♪ >>> welcome to "in depth." today we look at a project that brought a migrating bird back from brink of extinction. that bird is the illusion tackling goose. it lives on an island in rush that's shown on the screen behind me through the warmer months, and along with many other birds, flies south to my awe gee prefekture in japan. back in the 1970s, habitat loss and over hunting almost drove them to extinction. this week representatives of sk japan and russia will gather for their annual meeting on a treaty to protect the birds. one man in miagi has also been hard at work. for half a century he's been trying to save the beautiful creatures and has recently had success with the illusionn tackling goose. nhk world's catarina ma git ska went to miagi to report on his conservation efforts. >> it's morning, about 80,000 wild geese fill the sky. they migrate to japan from eastern siberia each winter. >> transl

have a nice day. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >>> and that's all for this hour on nhk "newsline." ning us and we'll have more for you soon. . ♪ >>> welcome to "newsline" in depth. japanese cuisine spreads around the world, demand has been growing for two of its best-known products including sake. this is leading to challenges. premium japanese beef from specific type of cattle, it has become famous for its rich flavor and for the high price it commands. one of the most exclusive brands is kobe beef. this beef must come from certified steer, where the city of kobe is located. it also must meet strict criteria. however, the cattle cross-bred with other cows in other countries is sometimes pass off as real from japan. we look at steps being taken to protect the kobe beef brand name in europe. >> if meat markets in germany is packed with products from around the world. import beef d directly from jap, he's been asked by the kobe beef association to keep an eye out for any fakes. >> kobe beef for us, for me, is a luxury product. very important that it's protected. we don't want it to be

stay safe and have a sfwrat day. >>> at t that's nhk "newsline" this hour, i'm miki yamamoto. thanks for joining us. >>> welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm aiko doden. reduce, reuse and repsych many. peop people are adopting that slogan. today we look at three businesses putting those words into action. sometimes for very personal reasons. let's start with recycling. in the past, this area has a dry and dusty image. no more. today people are proud to make a living repairing products once destined for the heap. in the case of new york, it's a connection with famous celebritie celebrities. >> reporter: sofas, and beds, in new york these are often among trash. the sidewalks oversfloe with all types of sgarge. >> big piles of sgarge. >> yes, that's very disturbing. >> reporter: but some efforts are under way to recycle responsibly. to date, this company has collected more than 4,000 tons of e-waste from stores and businesses which is repaired and resold. troy hannah is the team leader for repairs. he has extensive knowledge of the process of fixing electronics and computers. the c

this is nhk "newsline" bringing you the latest at this hour.e start here in tokyo where ththere are some encououraging s in the effort to keep the coronavirus from spreading. officials announced 23 new infections in the capital on thursday. that's the smallest increase since march 30th and the fifth day in a row the figure has fallen below 100. >> translator: we had a string of public holidays until wednesday. we will carefully analyze whether this figure accurately reflects the current situation. >> people across the country were asked to stay at home and refrain from nonessential travel during the holidays. officials say there has been a 70% to 80% drop in the number of visitors at sightseeing spots. a nationwide state of emergegen was originally due to expire on wednesday, but it has been exextended to may 31st. the central government wants tokyo and 12 other prefectures under a special coronanavirus alert to continue minimizing person-to-person contact. the tokyo government is asking shops, restaurants, and entertainment facilities to remai

this is nhk "newsline." businesses across japan are slowly reopening even before the government makes a final decision on lifting a nationwide state of emergency. more than half the country's prefectures are likely to ease restrictions put in place last month. department stores like this one are getting back to business but not back to normal. some areas remain closed, and customers are asked to maintain physical distance from one another. >> translator: i don't want to stay in the store too long. i'll leave as soon as i'm done shopping. >> translator: the state of emergency has not been lifted yeye but we'rere doing our besto help customers go about t their daily lives. >> some schools are also reopening. this elementary school in niigata prefecture has shortened its school days and students must wear face masks. >> translator: i'm happy to see all my friends. >> other parts of the country are unlikely to see measures lifted this week. that includes tokyo. but that hasn't stopped commuters from heading back

>>> hello, and thanks for tuning in nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogoswara. we begin here in tokyo where officials with the metropolitan government are speeding up the phase to reopening the city. they have decided to further ease restrictions put in place to contain the coronavirus after this weekend. >> translator: we are moving to the next step startiting june 1. >> the change will allow businesses like gyms, theaters and retail shops dealing in nonessential goods to reopen, but restaurants and cafes will still be asked to stop serving food and drinks by 10:00 p.m. the number of confirmed cases in tokyo has been rising in recent days. 22 new infections were reported on friday, but officials say they are also considering the impact on the economy and the condition of the local health care system. another part of the country is also seeing g an increase ofof cases. officialals are taking steps to reverse the trend. >> translator: our city is in the middle of a secondnd wave. we'll do our utmosost to contai the virus by asking everyone who hahad close contact

>>> hello and thank you for joining us on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. we start in tokyo where the new number of coronavirus cases remains low with officials reporting just five new cases in the capital on wednesday. this marks the 11th consecutive day the number of new cases has been below 30 in the city of about 14 mimillion. the latest f figure comes as too governor koike yuriko calls on her counteterparts to contain n virus. >> translator: clustered infections have appeared across japan. the nation must be united to dress th issue. >> the central government is set to decide on thursday whether it will lift the state of emergency for tokyo, osaka, and six other prefectures. last week the government canceled the nationwide declaration for the other 39 prefectures. it's likely to be lifted for osaka and its neighbors kyoto and hyogo. that's because the infection rate has fallen there in the past week. a benchmark set by the government for the emergency declaration to be lifted. officials plan to whether to lift

and that concludes this edition of nhk "newsline." thank you very much for staying with us. >>> welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm aiko doden. around the world many people may have welcomed the new year with a festive toast. today we look at ways in which tastes for alcoholic beverages are changing. first we go to china. it's the largest beer market in the world. although the amount of beer drunk there is not increasing much these days the amount people are spending on their favorite foods has increased by nearly 40% in the past five years. that's because young affluent consumers in urban areas are developing a taste for premium beer including craft beer made by microbreweries. >> craft beers come in a vast number of colors and tastes. each one reflects the individuality of the brewer. 90 breweries from home and abroad joined in this trade fair in shanghai. it attracted huge crowds. >> translator: this is fruity. i think we will like the taste. >> some taste sour, some are bitter and some taste like coffee or chocolaa. it's very inter

>>> hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." we begin here in japan where efforts to contain the coronavirus appear to be paying off. the prime minister has just announced he's lifting the government's emergency declaration for the five prefectures where it's still in place. >> translator: today the government will lift the state of emergency across the nation. we've set some of the most strict criteria to lift the declaration and we concluded that prefectures across the country have met that standard. >> the remaining prefectures are tokyo and three others in the surrounding area. as well as the northern most prefecture of hokkaido. the state of emergency once covered the entire country, but it was scaled back in recent weeks as the number of new infections declined. the prime minister says that business activities will restart in phases. professional baseball games will resume next month but without spectators in the stands. abe says he aims to create what he calls a new normal in the country. >> translator: our businesess a d

♪ >>> hello a and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo.e start here in tokyo where officials are once again reporting a relatively small number of new coronavirus infections. they announced 39 cases in the capital on friday. the figure has clocked in below the 100 mark now for six straight days. the latest announcement follows the string of public holidays which ended on wednesday. more than 4,800 people have now tested positive for the virus in the city of 14 million. the central government has started providing subsidies to small and medium-sized comompans affected by the antivirus measures. they condition receive up to 2 million yen, or about $19,000 if their monthly revenue has dropped more than 50% compared to last year. about half a million companies, business owners and freelancers had applied for the subsidy as of thursday. around 23,000 of them received the money on friday. >> translator: i really appreciate it because this gives me some time to think about what to do nenext. but i'm a afraid the money won' last long. if the curre

♪ >>> hello, you're watching nhk "newsline."e begin here in japan, a country emerging from the shadow of a weeks long state of emergency. tuesday marks the first day since the declaration was lifted. the move was widely anticipated but the continuing threat of infection means it's still not business as usual. mobile carrier nttdokomo found that foot traffic in tokyo's commercial centers was up on monday compared to a week earlier. the prime minister announced on monday evening that the state of ememergency w was being lififte the last five prefecturures. the change affected tokyo and three surrounding prefectures, as well as hokkaido in the north. abe noted the risk of infection cannot be brought down to zero, even after the lifting of the emergency. the government plans to reopen social and economic activities in phases. restrictions will be relaxed at approximately three-week intervals, with the government evaluating the extent of infection and the risk of virus spreading in each region. a zoo in tokyo that had been temporaril

. >>> hello, and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. we start here in tokyo where officials are reporting the lowest number of coronavirus infections in more than a month. they announced 23 new cases in the capital on thursday, that's the smallest increase since march 30th and the fifth day in a row that the number has fallen below 100. more than 4,700 people have tested positive for the virus in the city of 14 million. it was announced afterer a a st of holidays. people across the country were asked to stay home and refrain from non-essential travel during that period. officials say there has been a 70% to 80% decline in the number of visitors at sightseeing spots here in japan. a nationwide state of emergency was originally due to expire on wednesday, but it's been extended to may 31st. the governmentt wants companies in tokyo and other prefectures on a special coronavirus alert to continue allowing staff to work remotely as much as possible. >>>> translator: the number of cases in tokyo does not indicate any major change in the situa

. ♪ >>> welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo.e begin in beijing where china's congress has approved a resolution to press ahead with national security legislation for hong kong. the step has unleashed a fresh wave of protests in the territory and sparked a rebuke from other major countries. >> translator: the legislation is aimed at maintaining the one country/two systems framework while ensuring hong kong's long-term stability. >> officials in beijing say the plan would allow intelligence agencies from the mainland to set up in the territory if needed, b but many of the specifics remain unclear. the proposal has brought thousands of protesters into the streets of hong kong again after months of relative calm due to the coronavirus. concerns are spreading that the proposed legislation would undermine the territory's autonomy. on thursday, one of the leaders of the pro-democracy movement called on resints to statand up and fight back. >> i think now is the time we will continue our international advocacy and seek for bipartisan su

from our studio in tokyo, this is nhk "newsline."start here in japan where the country's government is considering lifting the state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak for osaka and surrounding areas on thursday. officials are closely watching the situation in tokyo to decide whether to end the emergency in the capital and neighboring areas as well. the government lifted the state of emergency for 39 of 47 prefectures last week. one target is that the number of infections should be down to around 0.5 or fewer per 100,000 people in the past week. authorities are set to decide what to do on the remaining eight prefectures, including tokyo. three prefectures in the kansai region -- osaka, kyoto, and hyogo -- have met the target. government sources say the situation is stabilizing in kansai. officials are considering lifting the state of emergency for the three prefectures unless mass infections occur. >> translator: i think osaka cleared the standard the central government has set. i believe that the state of emergency should be

stay safe. >>> and those were the top stories at this hour on nhk "newsline." thanks for joining us and we'll have more for you soon. >>> welcome to "newsline in-depth." i'm marie yanaka. today we explore how lifestyles are influencing food consumption trends. for one, that means more choice. we go to london to look at the booming vegan business. then we see how japanese people on the go are drinking meals. and in thailand, we discover a nation going mad for milk. now, the number of people identifying as vegan has been on the rise. in fact, veganism has entered the mainstream with many large companies offering plant-based foods and marketing animal-free products. let's look at how the trend is transforming london. >> across the uk, vegan markets are rising. these may look like regular cakes and tea, but they're both vegan. shoppers line up for samples and mushroom and barley burger topped with meatless bacon. >> this is fake bacon, yeah. we stick it in maple syrup and soy sauce. >> the meat is like -- i would say it's really close to normal meat. and it's with c

that's all for this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm yamamoto miki in tokyo. thanks for staying with us. >>> welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm mariri yanaka. 78 years a the pacic war broke out putting japan against the united states time. >> the diplomats and ambassadors and their suddenly had -- i think that constitutes abuse even if they weren't beaten. >> in detailed reports by the occupation forces there's one particularly horrific case. that of a lieutenant, an officer. he was taken to a p.o.w. hospital in tokyo suffering from sorosis of the liver. he became a human guinea pig. the japanese military doctor injected intravenously ordinary soya bean milk. he had three injections. this caused him to go into a coma with severe and repeated vomiting which lasted up to his death about 48 hours later. after the war the u.s. war crimes tribunals found the doctor guilty of conducting experiments on human beings. he was sentenced to death. the p.o.w. research network plans to publish a book in a couple of years on the p.o.w. and civilian detainee camps to make su

. ♪ >>> and that's a wrap for this hour on nhk newsline.hank you very much for joining us. >>> welcome to newsline index i'm aiko. reduce, reuse, recycle. people around the world are raising awareness about trash and our environment. today we look at three businesses putting those into action. sometimes for very personal reasons. let's start with recycling. in the past, this business had a dusty image. no more. today peoplple are happy to maka living. sometimes it's about a worthy cause. or in the case of new york. >>> in manhattan new york, even such unwanted items along the trash and destroyed. collection dates, they overflow with all types of garbage. >> big piles of garbage, yes, that's very disturbing. >> but some efforts are underway to deal with the city's trash more responsibly. this facility recycles. to date, it has collected more than 4,000 tons of e waste from residents and witnesses which they now repair and resell. troy is the team leader for repairs. he has extensive knowledge of the process of fixing electronics and computer

. ♪ ♪ >>> that's it for this hour on nhk "newsline," i'm yuko fukushima in tokyo.for joining us. ♪ >>> welcome to newsline "in depth." i'm aiko doden. we're getting to know an unusual instrument. the world's oldest electronic instrument, an inspiration for the synthesizer was invented about 100 years ago. you may have heard of movies by alfred hitchcock and dozens of tv shows. the theremin doesn't look like it can make music. performers move their hands to control the invisible waves that surround the machine. last year there was a performance in russia to mark the 100th anniversary of the instrument. among the performers was a japanese group led by masami tackayochi. it looks like the russian nesting doll, calling it the matryomin. how was it created? we went behind the scenes at a performance and found out more. >> while the thereremin h has b aroundnd the 19200s. it epermed with russian -- dolls. in september about 300 of them met to break a world record. the challenge was set by masami tatackayochi, a professional player who introduced the instrument to japan o

>>> hello and welcome to nhk newsline. around the world governments are trying to figure out how to deal with the pandemic destroyingg lives and livelihoods. the government is working on a plan to keep people safe even after restrictions are eased. all of japan has been under a state of emergency for about a month but they're forced to lift the declaration for 80% of prefectures. of those, 5 are likely to see a change. tokyo and neighboring prefectures were among the first to introduce stay at home measures and will almost certainly see those continue for the time being. an early draft of the governments plan suggests criteria for reopening that says they'll needd to have fewer tha 0.5 infections per 100,000 people in the recent week. that means tokokyo will need to see a drop of fewer than 17 new cases a week. the minister in charge of japan's coronavirus response says even prefectures need to keep some antivirus measures in place. >> there c could be further outbreaks if people begin to let down their guard. >> he says f

>>> hello and welcome to nhk newsline. people in many japanese prefectures have woken up to a new normal. the government announced thursday night it was lifting a nationwide state of emergency for 39 of japan's 47 prefectures. families were really to take a ride at a local theme park. staff ramped up antivirus precautions including extra cleaning and temperature checks at the entrance. >>> people lined up for a dip and the business opened for the first time since last month after emergency measures were eased. >> i'm glad it's open again. i wanted to relax. >> many regions are also expecting a spike in traffic on public transportation. flshl. >> they're trying to ensure that passengers protect themselves and others bypassing out masks to anyone not wearing one but some say they're not ready to get back in business. this traditional japanese hotel won't welcome guests until at least the end of june. since we don't expect many customers to come right away we have to remain closed and look to the future. >> the prime minister

>>> glad to have you with us up this edition of "newsline" nhk. i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. we begin here in tokyo where there are some encouraging signs that efforts to curb the spread of the coronavivirus are workin. officials reported just five new cases i i the ccapital on tuesd. it comes as ththe city remains under a state of emergency. the number of confirmed infections has been below 30 for the tenth consecutive day. in total more than 5,000 people have tested positive in the city of about 14 million. the central government is expected to decide on thursday whether to lift the state of emergency for tokyo, osaka and six other prefectures. last week, the government canceled the nationwide declaration for the other 39 prefectures. the governors of tokyo and three neighboring prefectures held a video conference on tuesdsday. they reiterated their call to stay alert and maintain social distancing. >> translator: more people are coming out of their homes. we need to remind residents to continue taking thorough preventative measure

from our studio in tokyo, this is nhk "newsline."t here in japan where the country's government is considering lifting the state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak for osaka and surrounding areas on thursday. officials are closely watching the situation in tokyo to decide whether to end the emergency in

from our studio in tokyo this is nhk "newsline". >>> the annual assembly of the world health organizationas started and been heleld by videocooferencee amid the coronavirus pandemic. represesentatives of the 194 member countries are taking part in t the two-day online meeting. key issues include developing a vaccine for the coronavirus and international coordination in

. ♪ >>> welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm gene otani in tokyo.gin in beijing where china's congress has approved a resolution to press ahead with national security legislation for hong kong. the step has unleashed a fresh wave of protests in the territory and sparked a rebuke from other major countries. >> translator: the legislation is aimed at maintaining thon

>>> glad to have you with us on nhk "newsline." i'm yuko fukushima.pokesperson for china's national people's congress says the body will discuss legislation to maintainn public order in hong kong. the comment came on the eve of the its opening sessision on friday. the agenda will include national security legislation for

this is nhk "newsline."esses across japan are slowly reopening even before the government makes a final decision on lifting a nationwide state of emergency. more than half the country's prefectures are likely to ease restrictions put in place last month. department stores like this one e

this is nhk "newsline" bringing you the latest at this hour.art here in tokyo where ththere are some encououraging s in the effort to keep the coronavirus from spreading. officials announced 23 new infections in the capital on thursday. that's the smallest increase since march 30th and the fifth

. >>> hello, and welcome to nhk "newsline."ernors from across japan are calling on the abe mfrgs to continue to support their fight against the coronavirus. even if the local states of emergency are lifted. tokyo, osaka and several of the

welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm yamamoto miki in tokyo.begin here in japan where the entire country has been under a state of emergency for about a month due to the coronavirus. that is expected to change with the governmenent set to decide lift that statuss for roughly 8% of japan's prefectures. an expert panel is present being

>>> hello, and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm yamamoto miki in tokyo.start here in japan where the government has lifted the state of emergency ahead of schedule in roughly 80% of the country's prefectures. >> translator: we've concluded that we were able to contain the spread of infection in the 39 prefectures to the level where

. >>> and that concludes this edition of "newsline" nhk. i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. thanks for joining us. >>> welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm marie yanaka. japan has many ceremonies commemorating life stages. on a day to pray for the well-being of girls, families display colorful dolls like these. guys have the warrior figures and for the ceremony, kids of those ages dress up in kimono and visit shrines or temples. another occasion to wear a kimono is the coming of age day. where 20-year-olds come of age, but some miss out on the treasured traditions. our first story is about how young people raised in children's homes are often deprived of these celebrations because of cost. but one woman is drawing on her own experience to bring joy to such new adults. >> reporter: a project launched four years ago has been giving people who grew up in care homes the opportunity to wear a kimono and have their photo taken free of charge. thanks to donated kimono, the project has helped more than 100 young adults. the project is run by yamamoto. she works for a community space i