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July 06, 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 Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Jan 31, 2022
Looking to get your booster in Japan? Here's what you need to know.
Efforts to increase the administration of boosters are ramping up, with a mass vaccination site run by the Self-Defense Forces having opened in Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 28, 2022
Japan to shorten isolation period to seven days for COVID close contacts
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases said that 94.5% of omicron patients tested positive within seven days of coming into contact with the virus and 99.2% within 10 days.
JAPAN
Jan 27, 2022
Okinawa may be emerging from the omicron wave. Will the rest of Japan soon follow suit?
After a surge starting around New Year's that brought the prefecture's daily case count nearly 2,000, new infections have steadily dropped in recent days.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jan 27, 2022
Day cares struggle to stay open as COVID-19 surges across Japan
On Monday, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry announced that a record 327 licensed day care facilities nationwide were closed as of Jan. 20 due to the virus.
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2022
Japan moves to focus resources on severe COVID-19 patients
Young, low-risk patients will no longer need a doctor's diagnosis to confirm an infection as fears grow over the strain the omicron variant is putting on Japan's health care system.
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2022
As omicron spreads in Japan, business continuity plans come into focus
Companies and local governments are drawing up measures to keep business going even if many staffers can't work due to infection or being deemed a close contact.
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2022
Anti-COVID steps far from uniform for Japan prefectures under quasi-emergency
Of the 16 prefectures to be under a quasi-emergency from Friday, some will halt alcohol sales at restaurants completely, while others will impose limits on when booze can be served.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 19, 2022
Japan's weather agency to monitor long-term effects of Tonga eruption
Saturday's disaster reminded some in Japan of an eruption in 1991 — one that may have led to a colder summer and poor crop yields two years later.
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 braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Col. Neil Owens (right), chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, bows in apology at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

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

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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