hunt in the antarctic in 2014 after the international court of justice ordered it to stop. there's been a global moratorium on whaling since the '80s to protect the animal. but the country resumed research whaling last december. japanese delegates say japan has reduced its catch quota in line with conditions presented by the court. they say the country plan to catch a maximum of 333, about one-third of the previous plan. they argue that research whaling is only a temporary measure and that commercial whaling can be resumed once sustainable quotas are determined using scientific data. but australia and other anti-whaling countries are expected to maintain japan's argument lacks scientific evidence. >> it is regrettable that despite this, in the last summer, japan took 333 whales. >> the australian committee member submitted a resolution aiming to block japan's research hunt by making procedures involved more complex. the meeting will continue until friday. let's now take a look at the latest business news. there's a newcome other tokyo stock exchange this morning. ai uchida joins us from the business desk. tell us who's the new kid on the block? >> we are talking about kyushu railway, known as jr kyuskyushue of the country's big railway operators. its initial public offering is likely to be the second biggest this year in japan. kyushu railway was founded in 1987. that's when the government privatized the former japanese national railways and divided it into regional companies. the japan railway construction, transportation, and technology agency has since held all the shares in kyushu railway but it's decided to sell them off. kyushu railway provides services on the island of the same name in southwestern japan but most of its lines are operating in the red. the company's trying to create new services to attract tourists. it's also getting into developing real estate, including station buildings and condominiums. we will be following the share price action of kyushu railway. let's first check on overall trend in the markets. wall street ended high over optimism about earnings reports. the dow jones industrial average ending up .4%. and the tech-heavy nasdaq closing up 1%. now let's see what's happening here in tokyo this tuesday morning. for that we are going to ramin mellegard who's at the tokyo stock exchange. good morning, tell us what you're seeing over there this morning. >> thank you very much, ai. as you mentioned the big focus on kyushu railway, its initial public offering is expected to raise more than 400 billion yen, about $3.8 billion. and that would actually be japan's second-biggest ipo this year. a lot of focus, a lot of activity here this morning as well. but let's have a look how the nikkei and the topix are kicking off october 25th, tuesday. and we're seeing pretty decent gains there. the nikkei's up 0.64%. i can tell you it's up over 100 points. the nikkei was up .3% monday with many reversers of the mind the dollar is going to keep gaining ground given that the federal reserve is on a path of raising rates. which in turn, of course, bolsters the dollar. still with that said, the yen is still up around 16% against the dollar so far this year as investors tend to favor the yen during times of risk avoidance. thus, of course, pushing the currency higher against key pairs and hurting japanese exports. now earnings reports will be coming thick and fast this week in the u.s. and none so less than apple. a lot of focus on that, of course. of course suppliers and compone componentmakers here in japan will be a big focus here. japan display and auto manufacturing among some of the few names that will be in focus. the recent crisis which has hit samsung electronics may not show up until the fourth quarter, according to a lot of analysts, but still many will want to see apple sales figures, how they tally with the recent upheavals in the smartphone industry. >> ramin, looks like the latest u.s. manufacturing data also helped to boost the dollar. get is updated on what's going on there. >> yeah, definitely. just having a look at it right now, u.s. manufacturing data seem to have boosted the dollar. and ihs market manufacturing jumped to 53.2 in october from 51.5 in september. dollar/yen right now 104.31-36. also let's have a quick look at asian indexes which are currently open. south korea kospi is trading in the negative. and sydney's index is in the positive. now still a great deal of focus, of course, will be on the chinese yuan as it's trading at six-year lows. we'll keep track at that and of course all the other sectors a well.. back to you. >> all right ramin, thanks a lot for keeping us up to date from the tokyo stock exchange. the soothing hot spring waters and natural scenery in the town of yufuin attract about 4 million visit areas year. but a series of earthquakes in neighboring kumamoto prefecture in april scared tourists away even though ufuin didn't suffer major damage. the numbers plummeted about 80% from before. today the leading concern among ufuin's businesses is not the earthquake's physical damage but the economic one. nhk world's keiko tomora has more. >> reporter: the center of ufuin is busy these days. many tourists seem to have come back. all that so numbers returned to about 80% of the levels before the disaster. >> translator: i decided to come to see if i could support the town. but many people are already visiting. >> reporter: the town of yufu has apparently recovered. but local people think it won't last. their anxiety is growing. that's because the japanese government has been providing subsidies since july. the money is used to give steep discounts to tourists booking trips in areas affected by the earthquakes. but the funding will dry out by year end. kei shishono, an official of the tourism association, says he's worried about what lies ahead.s tourism association, says he's worried about what lies ahead.s tourism association, says he's worried about what lies ahead.h tourism association, says he's worried about what lies ahead.j tourism association, says he's worried about what lies ahead.i tourism association, says he's worried about what lies ahead. >> translator: many tourists are coming thanks to the assistance. we are afraid these visitors may stop coming. >> reporter: inn operators are also bor worried. this major hotel tends to get lots of repeat customers. but its high occupancy rates and reservations have started to taper off just as the tourist season gets under way. >> translator: as an inn and as a town, we must think of ways to bring more tourists back. >> reporter: shono and other local people have come up with a strategy to revive the town's past reputation as a place of music. ♪ for example, this hotel has resumed listening sessions featuring a gramophone. anyone can attend free of charge. many visitors now are day trippers. the local people believe such events are an added attraction that would encourage tourists to stay longer. local volunteers are also planning to resume a music festival for the first time in seven years. they are taking care of all the business from designing the posters to dealing with the performers to managing the venue. the event will kick off next month. >> translator: the music festival represents how people spend their time in yufuin. and i hope it will be an opportunity for visitors to discover the charm of this place. >> reporter: the visitors have joined hands with nearby hot spring resorts. they offer a discount for each other's guests during the summer. a workshop with area chefs is set for december. >> translator: we shouldn't simply blame the earthquakes for causing damage. i prefer to think the quakes will make yufuin a better place. >> reporter: people in yufuin think that they can boost their tourism industry by working with existing attractions. they're also giving people new reasons to choose their hotown r their next holiday. >> that is the latest for business for this hour. japan's ground self-defense force has invited media to a drill on new duties that government officials are considering for the force's peacekeeping unit in south sudan. the officials plan to send about 350 personnel next month to replace the current unit. the gsdf held a drill on monday at a training range in northeastern japan. the exercise was based on a scenario involving u.n. staff requesting a rescue unit after a mob gathered near their hotel. personnel arrived in an armored vehicle. >> the new duties are based on national security legislation enacted last year. it allows sdf personnel to use weapons to rescue people under armed attack, as well as for self-defense. gsdf units are taking part in u.n. peacekeeping operations in the south sudanese capital juba and surrounding areas. in july, the area was the site of heavy fighting between the nation's government forces and rebels. military clashes continue there. former vice president machar leads the rebel faction. he says a peace agreement with the government has completely broken down and the rebels plan to continue their armed struggle. >> if there is no political process to bring back the peace agreement, what choice do we have? the armed resistance -- we must protect ourselves. >> the drill was also based on a scenario involving the use of weapons. but the gsdf did not allow the media to cover this part of the exercise. the government plans to decide whether to assign the new duties by taking into account the local security situation and progress in training. the world meteorological organization says three major greenhouse gases hit record highs last year, including carbon dioxide. it says that gas has hit a critical limit the u.n. warns is permanent. it released the global averages of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide for 2015. the data came from weather authorities and research institutes across the globe. the organization says the average concentration of carbon dioxide in the world reached 400 parts per million. that's the highest level since 1984 when worldwide observation began. >> translator: we need to continue efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and implement measures to reduce the risk of natural disasters stemming from global warming. >> the world meteorological organization says the powerful el nino weather system last year led to high temperatures and less rain in tropical regions. it says these factors led to forest fires that drove up co2 emissions. it also reports that concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide reached new highs. it's time for our "eye on as asia." the top u.s. diplomat for asia says his country remains a steady and trusted partner of the philippines. the remark follows overtures to china by philippine president rodrigo duterte. duterte was in beijing last week when he announced his separation from washington in both military and economic sectors. the declaration prompted washington to dispatch its most senior diplomat for asia to manila. daniel russel met with philippine foreign secretary perfecto yasay on monday. >> if separation means that the government in manila makes its own foreign policy decisions based on its own assessment of the philippines' national interests, then there is no need for a change. >> it's very important that we continue also to talk to make sure that there will be no understanding about how our friendship and our strong relations would proceed. >> duterte's remarks were widely interpreted as puzzling. on saturday he said what he meant was not a severance of ties. he said he only wanted to say manila's foreign policy does not need to always dovetail with washington's. duterte is scheduled to arrive in tokyo this week for meetings, including with japan's prime minister shinzo abe. the country's top spokesperson says the two leaders will discuss regional tensions in the south china sea. chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga says disputes over territory in the sea directly affect peace and stability in the region. he says the issue is a matter of concern to the international community. >> translator: japan has been demanding that the rule of law be upheld in the south china sea. we will work toward a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the issue with the philippines and other countries. >> china claims almost all of the resource-rich south china sea. in july, an international arbitration tribunal ruled in favor of the philippines and rejected china's claims in the disputed waters. duterte is scheduled to meet abe on wednesday. it's his first trip to japan since becoming president. a powerful explosion at a northwest china has killed at least ten people and injured 140. the state-run xinhua news agency said the blast occurred monday afternoon in a town in xinmin province. the explosion deployed the housing unit and damaged nearby buildings. a hospital was hit. 147 people were injured. 11 of them seriously. the building is home to many people but the number affected by the blast is unclear. the cause of the explosion is unknown. some international news sites suggest explosives were stored illegally in the basement. a senior chinese diplomat is visiting north korea. the trip has raised speculation that he will meet leaders to discuss pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. north korea's state-run news agency reports china's vice foreign minister liu zhenmin and other officials arrived on monday. the agency says liu will join a meeting regarding the border between the two countries, but it's unclear who else will attend. he's the first high-ranking chinese official known to visit since north korea carried out its fifth nuclear test in september. china in the north's main ally. in february, china's chief envoy on north korean affairs, wu dawei, visited pyongyang to discuss the nuclear and missile programs. u.n. security council members are holding talks behind closed doors about additional sanctions against north korea in response to its recent nuclear test. the tokyo international film festival opens on tuesday and it kicked off with a trio of films about people migrating across asia. multi-award winning japanese director cure owe sawa chose to set his latest movie in malaysia. >> reporter: ukisawa shot his new movie entirely on the island of panan. it tells the story of michi, an elderly man, who leaves his company and family in japan to live the rest of his life on the island. his son suggested the move. he didn't think he could take care of his father anymore. he visits the old man once a month but never has anything kind to say. >> reporter: michi opens a cart only to pigeons. >> reporter: malaysia and other countries in the region have been encouraging wealthy foreigners to relocate for years. the director focused on the trend of japanese seen ons leaving for southeast asia to live out their days. >> translator: japan is going to have problems caring for its elderly. it's going to become a country of old sit zepps. i began to wonder about the feelings of these people beginning to emigrate from japan. that's what inspired this movie. >> reporter: jasmine appears as a nurse. she puts everything she has into a job to pay off a family debt. the old man gradually opens up to her. yasmine becomes the person he trusts the most. he even tries to protect her family from the debt collectors. >> translator: what made him change? >> translator: i have the impression that malaysian people lead they straightforward lifestyles. they live day to day. if you meet someone like yasmine, who is working hard to earn a paycheck, you feel sympathy. more than you do for young japanese people like michi's son. >> reporter: michi feels he's nearing the end of his life. he tells yasmine he wants to go to the sea. suddenly he begins to talk about his older brothers. is. >> reporter: it's a theme close to the director's heart. >> translator: my grandfather's much older brothers were drafted into the war. went to malaysia and died there. my grandfather wanted to go to malaysia to soothe the souls of his two dead brothers. but he never made it. i wanted to make my grandfather's wish come true through this movie. as i tried to work under the theme living together in asia, i first thought that pigeons would be the key figures. these days people want to believe in something. but it's not easy to do that. i wanted to make pigeons a symbol of belief and a messenger. if you believe in them, they'll come back to you, even from very far away. >> reporter: yukisada says he wants to film more in other parts of asia in the coming years. he hopes to expand his creative process and give a boost to the film making industries in the region. it's time for a check of the weather. it's a chilly morning in tokyo and commuters are wearing warm jacks. our meteorologist robert speta joins us with more. >> well, it does look like at least over the course of the next 24 hours we're actually going to see a little bit of a warm spell come across much of japan. it eventually will cool right back off even heading into the weekend, looking at some of the coolest temperatures yet this autumn. that's what we've seen, actually, today. some exemptional exceptionally cool temp us. . it should be cooler than that. across parts japan, record lows out there, including over towards parts of hokkaido, minus 7 there through the early morning hours, a record in the month of october. in the southwest, even in some areas northwest of tokyo, minus 5 was reported out there, also into the tokyo area. if you're flying in and out of narita airport, 5. they even had snowfall in some areas of hokkaido, pushing 20 centimeters of the white stuff on the ground right now. as i mentioned, we are going to be looking at a little bit of a warmup. the main reason for that is we have this area of low pressure coming in from the west. out ahead of that, southerly winds are going to be pumping in. that's going to warm these temperatures up. heading into wednesday, a little bit of a spike. tokyo looking at the mid-20s. as this pulls by, it would be bringing widespread rainfall towards the korean peninsula and most of japan looking for rainfall tuesday into wednesday. thursday that cold air starts to move back in and the temperature's going to drop off. tuesday's high. tokyo a high of 20. 21 in seoul. beijing at 17. ulaanbaatar minus 4, partly cloudy skies for you. let's talk about what's going on out here across the americas. high pressure back towards the east. i'll get to that in a second. in the west we do have this area of low pressure. that's been rather persistent. we've had this moisture flowing onshore for some time now, even triggering some thunderstorms around the l.a. area here on your monday evening. towards the north is where we have heaviest rain in parts of oregon, washington, british columbia. some areas could see 100 to 120 millimeters plus gusty winds. we have high wind warnings in place in a few of these locations, especially some higher elevations here for the next several hours. meanwhile, back towards the east, the high i was talking about is dropping in some cold air. temperatures in toronto dipping down to 8 just for the high. new york at 12. d.c. getting down to 16. plus i do want to mention later on this week, by thursday into friday, we'll be looking at pretty decent snowfalls for some of those areas as well. not new york city but upstate new york definitely coming into play. across europe, the weather out here is being dominated by two factors. one is an area in the west, an area of low pressure stretching all the way from the iberian peninsula, bringing some showers, thunderstorm warnings in france. back toward the north you're also looking at rainfall into parts of the baltic states, even gusty winds out there. plus maybe some snow into moscow. the reason why it's so cold there, in the east we have this big area of high pressure dominating, keeping things on the cold side. kiev a high of 6, partly cloudy skies. moscow at 1. you're looking at some snowfall there in your forecast. here's your extended outlook. that wraps up this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us. >> euromaxx highlights. and here's your host, carlos mcconnie. carlos: welcome, my friends. thanks for tuning in as usual. our week just wouldn't be the same without some highlights. so let's get this show on the road with a quick preview of today's subjects. success story. a russian animation series has won kids' hearts the world over. oktoberfest options. our own linda bethke dives headfirst into munich's famous beer festival. shark shots. a belgian photographer and his love affair with the ocean's predators. as the outdoorsman that i am, i used to think that bears were dangerous and scary, especially if you saw a grown bear nd