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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 13, 2011
Kan to reveal new Cabinet lineup Friday
Prime Minister Naoto Kan is preparing to reshuffle his Cabinet and the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's executive lineup Friday, DPJ sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 8, 2011
Online, Kan commiserates with short-lived predecessors
During a live Internet interview Friday, Prime Minister Naoto Kan lamented over little his tireless efforts are appreciated by the public.
JAPAN
Jan 7, 2011
Sengoku thrust into reshuffle speculation spotlight
All eyes were fixed Thursday on the fate of Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku after Prime Minister Naoto Kan hinted that his right-hand man might have to leave the Cabinet to break an impasse with the opposition camp.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2011
Seniors' wisdom recorded
Surrounded by record players and speakers that he designed and built on his own, Takeshi Teragaki, 86, a renowned sound system engineer, began to talk about how he first became intrigued by audio players.
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2011
Sengoku tries to get opposition to back off
Opposition parties shouldn't boycott Diet deliberations attended by two key ministers targeted by nonbinding censure motions in the Upper House in November, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, one of those singled out, said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 1, 2011
Even tougher year may lie ahead for Kan
In the seven months Prime Minister Naoto Kan has been in office he has defeated Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa in the party's presidential election, dealt with an aggressive and confrontational China over the Senkaku Islands row and repaired ties with the United States that were damaged...
JAPAN
Dec 25, 2010
Kan taps Tachiagare as an ally
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has unofficially asked Tachiagare Nippon (Sunrise Party of Japan), a minor opposition force, to join the ruling bloc, a Tachiagare Nippon executive said Friday.
JAPAN
Dec 16, 2010
Kan will let stand ruling to open Isahaya floodgates
Reversing the government's stance on a decades-old reclamation project, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Wednesday he won't appeal a court order to open two floodgates in the Isahaya Bay dike in Nagasaki Prefecture for five years.
JAPAN / Q&A
Dec 15, 2010
Testimony at ethics panel not under oath
The Democratic Party of Japan's internal rift is widening by the day on whether DPJ heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa should be summoned to give unsworn testimony before the Lower House Council on Political Ethics about the money scandal for which he faces indictment.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2010
Kan won't rule out LDP option
Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Monday left open the possibility of a grand coalition with the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, although he added that the idea won't easily be accepted without good reason.
JAPAN
Dec 4, 2010
Sengoku backtracks on exit hint
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, considered the most influential politician in Prime Minister Naoto Kan's administration, created a stir Friday when he hinted he may step down.
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2010
Nakaima presses Kan to move U.S. Marine base out of Okinawa
Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima, who was re-elected Sunday, urged Prime Minister Naoto Kan Thursday to relocate the U.S. Marine base at Futenma outside the prefecture, rather than to the Henoko district of Nago as agreed upon by the U.S. and Japan in May.
JAPAN
Nov 27, 2010
Stimulus budget wins Diet passage
The Diet late Friday enacted the supplementary budget to fund a ¥5.1 trillion stimulus package even though the opposition rejected the package in the Upper House.
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2010
Kan confers with Lee on North threat
Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his Seoul counterpart, Lee Myung Bak, agreed Wednesday their countries and the United States must work closely to confront any provocations by North Korea, which the previous day shelled a South Korean island in the Yellow Sea, causing four confirmed deaths.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 17, 2010
Kindergartens, day care centers may merge
When it comes to finding a place to park the kiddies for the day, working parents generally have two options: kindergartens and day care facilities.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 14, 2010
TPP signals commitment to Asia: Obama
YOKOHAMA — The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement will give Washington a strong presence in Asia and an opportunity to increase trade, U.S. President Barack Obama said Saturday in Yokohama.
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2010
Ministers unite against new trade barriers
YOKOHAMA — Foreign and trade ministers meeting in Yokohama on Wednesday agreed to fend off protectionism by extending an existing ban on new trade barriers among member states by at least three years, until 2013.
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2010
Diet panels view Senkaku run-in video, fault trawler
Lawmakers who saw video footage Monday of the collisions between a Chinese trawler and two Japan Coast Guard cutters near the Senkaku Islands in early September said it proved the fishing boat rammed the Japanese vessels.
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2010
Cabinet OKs ¥5.1 trillion extra budget
Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Cabinet on Tuesday endorsed an extra budget for this fiscal year to fund a ¥5.1 trillion emergency stimulus package aimed at fighting deflation and the surging yen.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 25, 2010
Eda urges stronger ties with China to handle disputes
Fresh from a four-day trip to China that ended Thursday, Satsuki Eda, former president of the House of Councilors, said the Democratic Party of Japan needs to work harder to create stronger lines of communication with China to avoid future diplomatic spats with the neighboring giant.
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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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