
Welcome to "Learn Japanese from the News." In this program we learn Japanese and more about Japan from news stories presented in simple Japanese. Today's headline is ""Cooling Shelters" Provide Relief from Heat” which was published on NEWS WEB EASY's website on July 18, 2023. Keywords include「クーリングシェルター kuuring-sherutaa」"cooling shelter" and「協力する(きょうりょくする)kyooryoku-suru」"cooperate, join forces with."

[Transcript]
""Cooling Shelters" Provide Relief from Heat"
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Welcome to "Learn Japanese from the News."
Join us as we learn Japanese and about the country through Japanese news stories.
Today's headline is…
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「クーリングシェルター」冷房(れいぼう)がある場所(ばしょ)で休(やす)むことができる
""Cooling Shelters" Provide Relief from Heat"
This news story was published on NEWS WEB EASY's website on July 18th.
Now let's go over some vocab words that will help us understand what's going on.
クーリングシェルター
cooling shelter or cooling center
薬局(やっきょく)
pharmacy
協力(きょうりょく)する
cooperate or join forces with
Let's keep these words in mind as we listen.
「暑(あつ)い日(ひ)が続(つづ)いています。多(おお)くの市(し)や町(まち)などは、冷房(れいぼう)がある店(みせ)などを「クーリングシェルター」にして、誰(だれ)でも利用(りよう)できるようにしています。
東京(とうきょう)の墨田区(すみだく)では、31の薬局(やっきょく)が協力(きょうりょく)して「クーリングシェルター」になっています。薬局(やっきょく)に用事(ようじ)がなくても、誰(だれ)でも中(なか)に入(はい)って、休(やす)むことができます。熱中症(ねっちゅうしょう)にならないように、飲(の)み物(もの)や塩(しお)が入(はい)ったあめなどを無料(むりょう)でもらうこともできます。
薬局(やっきょく)の人(ひと)は「薬(くすり)を買(か)う用事(ようじ)がなくても、散歩(さんぽ)や買(か)い物(もの)の途中(とちゅう)などに休(やす)みに来(き)てほしいです」と話(はな)していました。
環境省(かんきょうしょう)によると、125の市(し)や町(まち)などが「クーリングシェルター」を始(はじ)めていて、図書館(としょかん)や協力(きょうりょく)している薬局(やっきょく)やコンビニなどで休(やす)むことができます。」
To deal with the danger of heat waves, more local governments are setting up so-called "cooling shelters", making public and private air-conditioned spaces available to people looking for a place to cool down. The story specifically mentions the group of pharmacies in Tokyo Sumida ward that are singed up for this initiative.
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Now we'll break down a few sentences from the story that contain helpful expressions and keywords.
Let's start with the following sentence:
多(おお)くの市(し)や町(まち)などは、冷房(れいぼう)がある店(みせ)などを「クーリングシェルター」にして、誰(だれ)でも利用(りよう)できるようにしています。
"Many cities and towns are turning air-conditioned shops into "cooling shelters" that anyone can use."
クーリングシェルター are facilities that are being set up in municipalities across Japan to provide local residents and passersby with a cool place to shelter from the heat.
We heard the phrase 多(おお)くの. 多(おお)い is an adjective that means "many." But it's different from other adjectives in that in most cases we can't use it as is to modify a noun.
Let's compare it to 高(たか)い "expensive." The phrase この本(ほん)は高(たか)い "this book is expensive" can be rephrased as 高(たか)い本(ほん)"an expensive book."
But the phrase 人(ひと)が多(おお)い "there are many people" cannot be rephrased as 多(おお)い人(ひと). We have to use 多(おお)くの, so it becomes 多(おお)くの人(ひと).
All right, let’s move on to the following sentence.
31の薬局(やっきょく)が協力(きょうりょく)して「クーリングシェルター」になっています。
"31 pharmacies have joined forces with the ward to become cooling shelters."
So we just heard the phrase クーリングシェルターになっています. Earlier in our first sentence it was クーリングシェルターにして.
「なって」is the te-form of the verb「なる」. And「して」is the te-form of the verb「する」.
Both する and なる indicate change, but we use one or the other depending on the circumstances of how that change came about.
If you want to say that somebody changed something intentionally, use する. If you want to say that the change came about naturally, or if you want to describe a resulting state, use なる.
OK, and that's all for today.
With higher temperatures becoming more common around the world, I think cooling centers could be lifesavers for when you're out and about and need a place to cool off.
For sure.
All right, be sure to tune in next time for more!
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