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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
Oct 23, 2010
Sengoku's growing influence causes a stir
On the first day of the Lower House Budget Committee session last week, Nobuteru Ishihara, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party, chose to deride the growing power of Yoshito Sengoku, chief Cabinet secretary of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan.
JAPAN
Oct 19, 2010
Keep companies, citizens safe, Kan tells Beijing
The demonstrations against Japan staged over the weekend in China were very unfortunate and both sides must exercise calm, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Monday as the protests dragged on for a third consecutive day.
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2010
Ozawa sues government over indictment process
Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa sued the government Friday, claiming a judicial panel's move to indict him for falsifying political funds reports is illegal and invalid.
BUSINESS
Oct 9, 2010
Cabinet endorses ¥5 trillion stimulus
The Cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan endorsed a ¥5.05 trillion stimulus package Friday aimed at propping up an economy hampered by deflation and the surging yen.
JAPAN
Oct 7, 2010
LDP pressures Kan for Ozawa Diet testimony
Prime Minister Naoto Kan should make every effort to persuade Democratic Party of Japan bigwig Ichiro Ozawa, who is facing indictment over alleged political funding improprieties, to give sworn testimony before the Diet, Liberal Democratic Party leader Sadakazu Tanigaki said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2010
Panel's decision on Ozawa flawed: professor
The decision by an independent judicial panel to indict Democratic Party of Japan kingpin Ichiro Ozawa has crucial procedural flaws that could damage its credibility, Meiji University professor Nobuo Gohara said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2010
New center provides day care for Diet mothers
On a sunny September day, a nurse held a 3-month-old baby while another fed a hungry 7-month-old. Outside, two boys played in a sandbox in a spacious yard, where in the summer a wading pool will be set up so the children can splash about.
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2010
Ozawa's long career over, experts say
The political career of Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa, who has been at the center stage of politics for more than 20 years, was effectively crushed Monday when the Tokyo No. 5 Inquest Committee decided to indict him over falsified political funds reports, political observers said....
JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW
Sep 30, 2010
Katayama: Empowering local governments is key
From the time he started his career as an official at the old Home Affairs Ministry, and then as governor of Tottori Prefecture, Yoshihiro Katayama has been pushing for decentralization of government power.
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2010
Kan hopes to meet with Wen in Europe
Reversing a decision to skip next week's Asia-Europe Meeting, Prime Minister Naoto Kan will make a three-day trip to Brussels starting Sunday, where Tokyo is exploring the possibility of organizing talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Sep 17, 2010
No China talks next week in U.S. amid tension
Amid rising tension over Japan's detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain, the leaders of Japan and China have no plans to meet when they fly to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly next week, a top government spokesman said Thursday.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Sep 15, 2010
Race may be over but plenty of daunting challenges remain
Despite his re-election as president of the ruling party, Prime Minister Naoto Kan maintained a serious face immediately following his victory Tuesday afternoon over Ichiro Ozawa.
JAPAN
Sep 11, 2010
Okinawa stimulus talks aim to kick-start Futenma plan
In an effort to get the relocation plan moving for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, the government and the prefecture began talks Friday on economic stimulus measures and ways to lighten the burden of hosting U.S. bases there.
BUSINESS
Sep 11, 2010
Kan mulls extra budget, drawing criticism from Ozawa
Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Friday he will consider drafting a supplementary budget over the next few months to cope with the rising yen and pump up the economy.
JAPAN
Sep 10, 2010
Rookies hold crucial DPJ votes
Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Katsuhito Yokokume gets at least 10 calls on his cell phone every day from the Naoto Kan and Ichiro Ozawa camps, asking for his support in Tuesday's party presidential election.
JAPAN
Sep 9, 2010
Ozawa, if he wins poll, promises Kan key post
Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa said Wednesday he will offer Prime Minister Naoto Kan a key Cabinet post if he is elected party leader and thus the next prime minister.
JAPAN
Sep 3, 2010
Futenma plan OK: Ozawa
Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa on Thursday backpedaled from his claim the previous day that he had a new, specific plan for relocating U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and basically said the pact reached in May to move the base to Nago, Okinawa, stands.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 23, 2009
Fans make troupe phenomenon it is
Takarazuka Revue Co., Japan's all-female musical troupe, is a love-it or hate-it theatrical landmark.
JAPAN
May 1, 2009
'Swine flu' e-mails spread PC virus
E-mails containing a virus and falsely identifying the sender as the National Institute of Infectious Diseases have been sent out amid the swine flu epidemic, the institute said Thursday.
BUSINESS / Q&A
Feb 4, 2009
Postal hotel 'fire sale' draws flak
Orix Corp.'s purchase of 70 Kampo no Yado hotels from Japan Post Holdings Co. for the fire sale price of ¥10.9 billion has been making headlines for the past month and drawing the scorn of internal affairs minister Kunio Hatoyama.
Japan unveils new overtourism countermeasures
The majority of tourists in Japan tend to stay in Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto, resulting in overcrowding in popular tourist spots and a strain on transportation systems.
South Korea couple beat same-sex barriers to parenthood
South Korean lesbian couple Kim Kyu-jin (left) and her wife, Kim Sae-yeon, pose with a "pregnant woman" badge during an interview in Seoul last month.
Toyoko Kids: The lonely street children of Tokyo
Many young people who feel neglected at home flock to the Toyoko area to find a community where they can fit in.
Rising sex tourism exposes loopholes in Japan's anti-prostitution law
While financial misfortunes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have driven some women to work the streets, others simply want more money to spend — or want to pay off their debts — at host clubs.
Opportunities await the bold in the Year of the Wood Dragon
2024 marks the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, with the year predicted to be a good time for fresh starts.
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.
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