NHK WORLD RADIO JAPAN - English News at 03:00 (JST), September 24

Typhoon Duane Strikes Eastern Japan — Levee Breaks, 100,000 Koi Swept Away

Typhoon Duane brought record rainfall to eastern Japan, killing 10 people and leaving 4 others missing. A levee near Lake Inba in Chiba Prefecture collapsed, inundating the surrounding area. At a fish farm that breeds ornamental koi, 100,000 fish were swept away; the owner said, "Nothing like this has ever happened before — I have no idea how to keep the business going."

In Sakura City, firefighters continued pumping water out of flooded zones, with some areas still under 40 to 50 centimeters of water. On Tuesday, a man who had escaped from a submerged vehicle was reported missing; he was later taken to hospital, where his death was confirmed. Prolonged rainfall in mountainous areas triggered landslides that accounted for many of the fatalities. Even after the storm passed, roughly 20,000 households in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures remained without power as of 6:00 p.m., and traffic signals were also out in some areas.

Takaichi and Trump Discuss AI, North Korea, and the ICC at the UN

Prime Minister Takaichi and President Trump held an approximately 30-minute bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, pledging to continue cooperation on defense and economic security. They confirmed plans to deepen collaboration in AI, semiconductors, and critical minerals, and reaffirmed the need for a coordinated response to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) also came up in a frank exchange of views. The Trump administration has been running a pressure campaign against the ICC that includes sanctions targeting ICC President Tomoko Akane (アカネ・トモコ), and Takaichi spoke from Japan's commitment to the rule of law. At her post-meeting press conference, the prime minister noted that the summit was a timely opportunity to discuss China-related issues ahead of Thursday's Trump-Xi meeting, and expressed the view that stable U.S.-China relations would be beneficial to the international community.

Takaichi Calls for Removal of Enemy Clauses and Expansion of the Security Council

In her address to the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Takaichi reaffirmed Japan's commitment to a free and open international order based on the rule of law. She voiced concern over deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia, condemned the North's nuclear and missile programs as a clear violation of Security Council resolutions, and stated that Japan is prepared for dialogue aimed at the immediate resolution of the abduction issue.

On UN reform, Takaichi called for the deletion of the so-called enemy clauses in the UN Charter — provisions that designate World War II-era defeated states such as Japan and Germany as "enemy" nations — and advocated for expanding both the permanent and non-permanent membership of the Security Council.

South Korean President Hopeful on North Korea Talks; Zelensky Pushes for Patriot Production

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung expressed cautious optimism at the UN General Assembly about resuming dialogue with North Korea. Noting that President Trump has indicated his intention to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before the end of the year, Lee said he hopes to see an early resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks and that he would like those talks to lead to broader multilateral dialogue aimed at ending the Korean War and establishing a peace regime. He also renewed his call for the phased denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Following his own meeting with President Trump, Ukrainian President Zelensky revealed that Trump is open to the licensed production of Patriot interceptor missiles inside Ukraine. "We need a license and security guarantees for Ukraine," Zelensky said, acknowledging that it could take more than a year to make that happen. He also indicated that he would be willing to participate in a trilateral meeting if Trump were to arrange one that included President Vladimir Putin.

400-Year-Old Tug-of-War Festival in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima

The annual tug-of-war festival was held in Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima Prefecture. Roughly 3,000 participants split into two teams to pull on a massive rope measuring 365 meters long, 35 centimeters in diameter, and weighing 7 tons. In addition to pulling, competitors try to impede the opposing side by pushing — a role known as the "oshi-te" — making for an intensely contested event. The festival is said to have been started by a local feudal lord to boost the morale of his soldiers, and with more than 400 years of history it has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.