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April 29, 2025
 

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Kanako Takahara

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Kanako Takahara
Kanako Takahara is a staff writer who has covered national politics, diplomacy, business and the economy at The Japan Times. A graduate of Sophia University, she is currently a national news editor.
JAPAN
Jan 18, 2022
Japan plans to issue quasi-emergency status for 13 omicron-hit prefectures
With quasi-emergency measures already in place in Yamaguchi, Okinawa and Hiroshima prefectures, the expansion would bring the total to 16 out of 47 prefectures.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 17, 2022
Kishida vows to lay out road map for 'new capitalism' in the spring
Covering topics ranging from COVID-19 to climate change and diplomacy, the prime minister offered a comprehensive wrap-up of his policy agenda at the start of the parliamentary session.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2022
Japan shortens interval for COVID booster by a month amid omicron's spread
The gap for people under 65 has now been shifted to seven months, and the government has also cut the isolation time for close contacts to 10 days.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2021
Japan narrows definition of in-flight omicron close contacts
A policy that had considered all fellow passengers as close contacts was threatening to overwhelm quarantine facilities.
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2021
Community transmission of omicron spreads beyond Japan's major cities
Community infections of omicron have been reported in Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Aichi and Hiroshima prefectures.
JAPAN
Dec 24, 2021
Tokyo confirms first case of omicron community transmission
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said Friday a doctor with no recent history of overseas travel has been confirmed to have been infected.
JAPAN
Dec 22, 2021
As Japan braces for omicron, authorities prepare to quarantine close contacts
On Tuesday, the government instructed all omicron close contacts to be quarantined at a facility monitored by central or local government officials for 14 days.
JAPAN / Explainer
Dec 20, 2021
Japan has released its digital vaccine passport. Here's what you need to know.
The digital version of the proof of vaccination issued by municipalities is joined by a new online service intended to simplify entry procedures for travelers.
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2021
Land ministry overstated construction orders data for years, potentially inflating Japan's GDP
The land ministry was 'rewriting' monthly data from about 12,000 select companies since 2013, at a pace of about 10,000 entries per year.
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2021
'Kin' (gold) chosen as the kanji character of 2021
With references to Olympic medals, baseball legends and cash handouts, the 2021 selection highlighted 24-karat moments from a turbulent year.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Explainer
Nov 11, 2021
What travelers from Japan need to know ahead of the holiday season
The latest information on returning to Japan after end-of-year travel: COVID-19 tests, required documentation, quarantine updates and more.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 8, 2021
Bureaucracy blunts impact of Japan's eased border controls
While lauded by companies and students as a step towards access to Japan, the easing of travel rules may not be as good as it sounds.
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2021
Japan to reduce quarantine from 10 to three days for business travelers and students
The major policy change, which is likely to boost economic exchanges with other countries, could start as early as Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 28, 2021
Japan to open up COVID-19 booster shots to all residents
The policy differs from that of other nations, where the shots are mainly being limited to older people, health care workers and those with pre-existing conditions.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2021
The policies and political backgrounds of each of the LDP leadership contenders
The candidates will hold policy debates, outline their platforms and seek further support among LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members up until the Sept. 29 election.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 16, 2021
Seiko Noda makes last-minute bid for LDP presidency
Noda's candidacy is expected to split votes that could have gone to vaccine chief Taro Kono and make it harder for any candidate to win a majority in the first round of voting.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2021
Japan prioritized domestic trials of Pfizer before rollout, vaccine czar says
The nation's vaccine czar revealed that Pfizer trials included over 100 Japanese residents in the U.S., but said the health ministry needed domestic tests due to 'food and diet' differences.
JAPAN
Aug 25, 2021
More schools in Tokyo cancel Paralympic plans even as Games go on for some students
Over 20,000 students from across the capital are still expected to watch events in person, but most schools in Tokyo have canceled visits to competition venues.
Japan Times
JAPAN / First Person
Mar 5, 2020
Day 4 of Japan's Great Teleworking Experiment: Distractions aplenty but 'co-workers' are cute
Today is my fourth-straight day working from home and, consequently, the fourth day of my living nightmare.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 3, 2019
Through Keidanren role, Hiroaki Nakanishi looks to ditch dated aspects of Japan's corporate culture
At the same time, the 72-year-old organization reflects the most traditional — and at times outdated — aspects of corporate Japan.
China seizes disputed reef near key Philippine military outpost
China Coast Guard officers unfurl a national flag on Sandy Cay reef, near the Philippine-held Thitu Island, in disputed waters of the South China Sea this month in this screen shot taken from Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
California says it overtakes Japan to become world’s No. 4 economy
Vehicles travel along the 110 freeway in downtown Los Angeles. California's GDP has overtaken Japan's to become the world's fourth largest economy, according to the U.S. state.
Arunima Mazumdar: ‘Japanese literature has a niche but deeply engaged readership in India’
Arunima Mazumdar, a New Delhi-based communications professional, began sharing her love of Japanese literature online in 2022. The platform has grown into a robust community known as Dokusha Book Club.
Counting the reasons why there are so few American cars in Japan
Tesla's store in Tokyo's Shibuya district. While sales of American cars in Japan appear to be shrinking, Tesla's presence in the country is growing.
Counting the reasons why there are so few American cars in Japan
Tesla's store in Tokyo's Shibuya district. While sales of American cars in Japan appear to be shrinking, Tesla's presence in the country is growing.
Nearly half of workers in Japan engage in ‘quiet quitting’
"Quiet quitting" is most common among the younger generation, with 46.7% of respondents to a survey in their 20s identifying with the practice, reflecting a less-motivated workforce more focused on work-life balance.
U.S. secretary of the navy weighs ‘dual-use’ shipbuilding with Japan
John Phelan at a Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. secretary of the navy in Washington in February
Expo '25 gives the world a masterclass in mascots
2025 Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku dances on the stage during the event's official opening ceremony on April 12.
Japan struggles with gray zone of AI deepfakes exploiting children
AI-generated content — including those made using pictures of real people, which are known as “deepfakes” — is not explicitly covered under Japan's current legal framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami
By Alex K.T. Martin

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