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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.
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2007
Fujiya may seek Morinaga's help to regain its lost footing
Fujiya Co.'s product safety blunder is likely to make the confectioner financially vulnerable, prompting market speculation Tuesday it may seek deeper ties or a merger with candy maker Morinaga & Co.
BUSINESS
Jan 13, 2007
Fukui hints at rate hike at next BOJ meeting
BOJ Gov. Toshihiko Fukui said Friday that private consumption is "on the increase," fueling speculation the central bank may raise interest rates at its meeting next week.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 6, 2007
2% economic growth seen in '07
Leaders of Japan's three major business lobbies were upbeat Friday about the country's economic prospects for 2007, saying the economy is likely to grow 2 percent this year on the back of a strong recovery in the business sector.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 28, 2006
Murakami's influence will linger
Yoshiaki Murakami's arrest was one of the biggest financial scandals of 2006, but the nation's best-known shareholder activist has played a pivotal role in persuading Japanese managers to be more attentive to shareholder interests, according to Marc Goldstein, head of Institutional Shareholder Services...
BUSINESS
Dec 21, 2006
Tax yield lifts '07 budget
The Finance Ministry on Wednesday handed the Cabinet the fiscal 2007 draft budget, which, due to projected increased tax revenues, reflects the first spending rise in two years but also slashes the issuance of new government bonds.
BUSINESS
Dec 20, 2006
BOJ, noting weak data, leaves interest rates alone
The Bank of Japan wrapped up its two-day Policy Board meeting Tuesday by saying the benchmark short-term interest rate will remain unchanged, causing market watchers to look for any clue from Gov. Toshihiko Fukui's remarks to gauge when the next rate hike may occur.
BUSINESS
Dec 16, 2006
'Tankan' rise fuels rate hike talk
Business confidence at large manufacturers rose slightly in the three months to December, according to the Bank of Japan's quarterly "tankan" survey released Friday, fueling speculation the central bank's second interest rate hike in about six years could come next month.
BUSINESS
Dec 4, 2006
Doubts hamper hydrogen's spread
Despite the BMW Group's assurance that it has taken every precaution and covered the worst-case scenarios, many people still doubt the wisdom of using highly flammable hydrogen as a fuel.
BUSINESS
Dec 4, 2006
BMW's hydrogen statement
It was a sunny day in Berlin in November when this reporter anxiously got into BMW's newest car for a test drive. Which was appropriate, as the fuel inside the star was basically the same one running the car.
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2006
Console name no laughing matter
When it comes to product names, Japanese companies sometimes come up with ideas that draw snickers from English speakers.
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2006
Nintendo's Wii game console debuts to long lines nationwide
Enthusiastic fans formed long lines outside electronics stores nationwide early Saturday to be the first in Japan to get their hands on Nintendo Co.'s new Wii video game console.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2006
Nintendo's Wii game console debuts to long lines nationwide
Enthusiastic fans formed long lines outside electronics stores nationwide early Saturday to be the first in Japan to get their hands on Nintendo Co.'s new Wii video game console.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2006
German potter carries on raku tradition
BERLIN -- Despite a tradition of more than 400 years, raku ceramics are now not well-known in Japan beyond the tea ceremony.
BUSINESS
Nov 23, 2006
Big banks see high profits in first half
Most major banks posted big profits in the April-September first half as brighter business activities led to a reduction in bad loans, allowing them to shift money from loan-loss reserves to the profit section.
BUSINESS
Nov 16, 2006
Nissin's Myojo tender may stir instant-ramen bidding battle
Nissin Food Products Co. announced Wednesday it will launch a public tender offer for Myojo Foods Co. to help the rival instant-noodle maker stop a hostile takeover by a U.S. investment fund.
BUSINESS
Nov 15, 2006
Aozora lists on Tokyo Stock Exchange
The formerly government-controlled Aozora Bank went public Tuesday -- eight years after its predecessor, Nippon Credit Bank, was delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange -- fetching an initial quote of 495 yen, or 13 percent less than its public offering price of 570 yen.
BUSINESS
Nov 3, 2006
FSA soliciting bids for Ashikaga bank
The Financial Services Agency began soliciting bids Thursday for the sale of state-owned Ashikaga Bank Ltd., publishing the conditions that buyers must satisfy to purchase the Tochigi Prefecture-based bank.
BUSINESS
Oct 28, 2006
Matsushita scores huge in flat-panel TV market
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., maker of the Panasonic brand, said Friday that its group net profit jumped 78.7 percent to 115.1 billion yen in the April-September period, thanks to brisk sales of its flat-panel plasma televisions and air conditioners.
BUSINESS
Oct 27, 2006
Sony profit dives 94% in quarter
Sony Corp.'s group net profit for the July-September quarter took a 94.1 percent nosedive from the previous year due the massive global recalls of its defective lithium-ion batteries and sluggish sales in its gaming division, the company announced Thursday.
BUSINESS
Oct 25, 2006
Sony apologizes for defective batteries
Sony Corp. Vice President Yutaka Nakagawa apologized Tuesday for causing concern among customers over problems with its lithium-ion batteries that have led to a massive worldwide recall.
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. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
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."
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.
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’

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What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
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