In western scotland and Northern Ireland today, frequent blustery showers, even rumbles of thunder and strong winds around the coast, costing up to 50 miles an hour. For the vast majority of the uk, it is a lot better than i was yesterday. The weather front is moving off. Lot better than i was yesterday. The weatherfront is moving off. We still have a scattering of showers and clouds. Most of the showers will be in the north west. Top temperature today in the low 20s. This evening, clear skies across england and wales, but later tonight there will be more rain in the south of the country. It may end up a wet night in the extreme south east of england. Still a breezy day in the north tomorrow with further showers, but once again across england and wales the weather is not looking bad at all with the top temperature tomorrow around 21. Hello this is bbc news with shaun ley. The headlines ten men, aged between 13 and 30, are being questioned on suspicion of murdering pc Andrew Harper in berkshire. Pro democracy protesters take to the streets of hong kong once more theyve been supported by thousands of teachers. Meanwhile, chinese troops have put on a show of military strength in the border city of shenzhen. The new chancellor, sajid javid, says he wants to simplify the tax system and will consider changes to stamp duty in his first budget. Actor peter fonda, best remembered for the cult classic film easy rider, has died aged 79. Now on bbc news, its time for the travel show. This is japans most northerly main island of hokkaido. For decades, travellers have been drawn here by its stark contrast to the rest of the country. Its anotherjapan, one that is wild, challenging and remote. Its an incredible experience with distinctive communities. Ive come to meet them and to find out more about the countrys northern frontier. So, if you look out to where im heading, that is japans most northerly point. But on the other side, just a0 kilometres from the japanese coastline is the great landmass russia. Now that is important because it was russia expanding eastwards that led to japan 150 years ago to annex that island and give it the name, hokkaido. The island isnt small. Its around one fifth of japans total landmass but nearly a century and a half after the move to fully populate hokkaido, still only around 4 of japans people live here. Hello, hokkaido but because of this relatively recent migration, the island that was developed by those first japanese settlers took on its own distinct characteristics, making it markedly different from the mainland. One of the immediate issues was how to live alongside what many agree to be the islands indigenous inhabitants, the ainu. Id come to meet this man who recently returned to his heritage following in the footsteps of the ainu. For his ancestors, hunting animals was key to survival. Today, this means a fusion of modern and traditional hunting techniques like making use of every part of the hunted animal. When the japanese settled here, the ainu were made to assimilate into japanese society. Their traditional lifestyle was banned and so today, little of their old way of life remains. So, were going hunting . Hunting. Excellent, lets do it. There are bears in this forest, im sticking close to him. So tell me, you go hunting every day . Until recently, those who openly showed their ainu status have faced discrimination. But with the ainu nowjust starting to get recognition injapanese law as Indigenous People with their own distinct language and culture, things are beginning to change. So this is where the deer trap is, yeah . He is clearly disappointed that there isnt a deer in his trap here, so hes adjusting a little bit. Between you and me, im a bit relieved. Look around you and you can see what attracts travellers here. Stunning landscapes, but for young people seeking opportunities, this island doesnt make things easy. Over the years japan has wrestled with economic challenges. Hokkaido has been one of the areas hardest hit. In the previously thriving mining city of yubari, 90 of their population have moved away in 50 years. Demographically, yubari is the oldest city injapan. Probably the oldest city in the world and quite possibly the oldest city, ever. And at 80 years old, one of its residents has achieved celebrity status around japan. Mascots are big business in this country and they dont get much bigger, or frankly, scarier, than yubaris very own melon bear. A nod to the citys famed and prized fruit. Why do you do it . But there is a much more serious side to melon bear to entice tourists to yubari. And maybe in one sense it has worked, because travellers are now coming in. Ruins left by economic turbulence litter japans landscapes and here it has sprung up the hobby called haikyo, exploring the abandoned buildings. Look at this, this is industrial history, isnt it . Just over a decade ago, yubari was declared bankrupt. Those who remained a made to move into a central area of the city living Everything Else abandoned. At places is like the old powerpla nt, sato san, hosts art projects and helps people to explore. Walking around, im left with mixed feelings because it so powerfully symbolises the decline of a once prosperous place, but i can also see why people love exploring here. There is a mysterious beauty to what is left behind. And making the most of disused buildings isnt just confined to the city. In nearby nayoro, ive arranged to stay in a unique guesthouse. This man worked on trains most of his life. When stopped working on the trains, he restored an old disused station house back to its former glory. So this used to be a railway line here . In contrast to the japanese mainland, much of the urban life in hokkaido first developed around the rail infrastructure. Some of the old train routes closed with the loss of industry but for some people, this is not the end of the line. This is an incredible experience. On an old disused railway line, very shuddery, but exhilarating absolutely exhilarating its great, pretty good its a world away from this countrys high speed bullet trains, but what a way to experience the nature this is famous for. I have got my sleeper carriage berth, so lets see where the night train takes me. Good night. When the japanese came to colonise hokkaido, they sent former samurai, with a mission to cultivate this island. That is one of the distinct way its developed miles upon miles of suitable landscapes. Now one way to get close to nature as a traveller would obviously be to hike. But there is another uniquely japanese way. This is mochi pounding. What might look to the untrained eye as hitting rice as hard you can with a mallet until it turns squidgy, is in fact a highly skilled and refined process done to create a sweet delicacy known as mochi. I am about to have a lesson from the real expert as to how to be a proper pounder. Ive got to be honest, this is extremely heavy. Stomp, stomp, stomp. Hokkaidos climate is perfectly suited to cultivating the sweet, sticky rice needed for mochi. The region around nayoro has become japans biggest producer. Every year here, local farmers hold a competition to find the best mochi pounders. How do you become a good mochi pounder like you . Here we go. How does hokkaido rate in terms of its mochi . Now then, this is where he risks the use of his hands for the rest of his life. Laughs. Grunts. It takes 100 strikes of the mochi to make itjust right. And its notjust about speed. I am told how you hit it will affect that all importa nt final taste. Now im obviously holding back here for fear of outshining my hosts. Applause. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. And the tasting. So lets see what the judges think. Laughs. That was not in the script laughs. I reckon that was a fix. And after all that exertion, it is time for a well earned rest. Im heading south, where my trip comes to an end in hokkaidos main city of sapporo. Its a fitting place to finish the trip around hokkaido, because here in sapporo, they are hosting a Dance Festival that pays homage to the whole islands connection to the sea. Its the fifth largest city in japan, sapporo, and hokkaidos biggest by some distance. And just down there is where the festival is taking place. Yosakoi soran is one of the regions Biggest International dancing competitions. Teams dance to music which is all inspired by the hokkaido folk song soran. Traditionally, this folk song was about hokkaido fishermen. Its come an awful long way since then all soran and one of the teams here with their own take on this dance is. The russians interesting, considering the history between the two nations. Singing in own language. Hats off to them, really good. I had arranged to meet someone who had taken part in this festival many, many times, since she was a child. But finding one dancer amongst 30,000 others was proving a little trickier than i had expected. Hi konichiwa so you are a veteran of soran, of this Dance Festival, you are going to teach me about all of this . 0k. Fantastic. So tell me, what makes this festival unique in japan . This Yosakoi Soran festival in hokkaido, you have two rules. First one, every team, every dancer, have this, naruko. The second rule is that, do you know. Yaren soran, soran. Soran music. Ok, so what youre saying is, even though all the music might sound a bit different, and there is dancing and. Inside each one you have the same melody. How does the melody go . Yaren soran, soran. And while its something that clearly takes a lot of practice, im told that in my case, one hour should do it. Thats what i have to wear . Yes, yes very happy. Ah, 0k. soran bushi plays. A very public Training Session for newbies like me will be followed by a chance to take part in the main festival parade around the streets of the city. Tell me about the first time that you entered the festival, tell me about how it felt for you and what you did . soran bushi plays. Yeah a bit of attitude. Attitude is really important. Ok, from the top. From the top its just dance move, on dance move, on dance move. So complicated many of these dance moves are based on the tasks fishermen performed like dragging nets, pulling ropes and lifting luggage over their shoulders. Cant you tell . 0k. Laughs. That is only the practice. We havent even started the real thing yet i have just had a rigourous workout and lesson, i supposedly know my moves, and now to cap it all off, were going to do the whole dance around the square in front of the crowds. Help thank you to your wonderful teaching, ifeel quite confident now that. Oh, lets go soran bashi plays. The nerves have all gone. Who cares how good you are this is about community. Festival im getting it now are you tired . No yes, because exciting upbeat soran bashi plays. As the festival comes to a dramatic close, my time in hokkaido finishes in what feels like a world away from where it started. I have found a place that has in a short time adopted so much of japanese culture, but within that has found its own way of expressing itself. Who knows what the next 150 years might bring to this unique japanese island. Check that out, that is an act. soran bushi plays. Hello, not a bad day for most of us across england and wales before scotla nd across england and wales before scotland and Northern Ireland, blustery showers are the order of the day. Those showers will continue for the week ahead. This is the weather front that brought the war out to the day across the country yesterday. The weather front is moved out of the way on the skies have cleared, but low pressure is still with us. There are a lot of isobars there and that is an indication that the winds will be quite strong, particularly around the coast of Northern Ireland in western scotland. Elsewhere, a case of scattered showers carried by the south westerly winds. The winds around the coast will be around 30 oi around the coast will be around 30 or a0 miles around the coast will be around 30 or40 miles an around the coast will be around 30 or a0 miles an hour and gusts, possibly 50 miles an hour later in the afternoon in the north west of the afternoon in the north west of the country. Top temperatures today 23 degrees in the south, in the north closer to 18. The showers will become quite frequent this evening on the far north west of the country, the winds will be strong, guilt around the coast. For much of england and wales, it is looking dry. Notice that there is some rain by the end of the night across the south east, possibly east anglia as well. This weather front will be skirting the south east of the country so for the early birds sunday morning in the south may start of grey with bits and pieces of rain, but it shouldnt last very long. In the north west of the country, showers continue. You can see the low pressure to the north of scotland. No change. 17 the top temperature on sunday in glasgow, 22 degrees in london. No real change on monday in the far north of the country. The low pressure is still quite close by. It is Still Standing showers to scotland and the piece are making their way into Northern Ireland, the lake district, lancashire and the odd light one for the site. The further south and east you are at the drier and sunnier the weather will be on monday. So, the outlook. It looks reasonably settled in the south of the country by the odd shower. The north will continue with the showers for the week ahead. This is bbc news. The headlines at 11. 00am. Ten men, aged between 13 and 30, are being questioned on suspicion of murdering pc Andrew Harper in berkshire. He is clearly a man who, in his short period of time, has touched many lives and has been an Exemplary Police officer. Pro democracy protesters take to the streets of hong kong once more theyve been supported by thousands of teachers. Meanwhile, chinese troops have put on a show of military strength in the border city of shenzhen. The new chancellor sajid javid says he wants to simplify the tax system, and will consider changes to stamp duty, in his first budget. Actor peter fonda, best remembered for the cult classic film easy rider, has died aged 79