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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
Aug 11, 2006
Advanced star projector is life's work for creator
head from the Southern Hemisphere. You can't see it that high up in Japan," he said. At the time, Ohira never dreamed he would re-create that spectacle with his own high-tech projector, but that's what happened. Soon after starting college, he began making star projectors and his enthusiasm for his hobby...
BUSINESS
Aug 5, 2006
Toyota shrugs off safety woes; logs record profit
Toyota Motor Corp., unscathed by an investigation over its failure to promptly recall faulty vehicles, announced record group sales and profits for the April-June quarter Friday, thanks to strong sales in North America and Europe.
BUSINESS
Aug 1, 2006
Flash-memory sales fuel turnaround for Toshiba
Toshiba Corp. on Monday posted a group net profit of 4.0 billion yen for the April-June period, improving from a group net loss of 8.9 billion yen the previous year thanks to brisk sales in flash-memory products.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 1, 2006
Staffing companies find market in helping retired athletes
When international midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata recently announced his retirement from soccer, people wondered what he would do in the next stage of his life -- business, sports, or a combination of both?
BUSINESS
Jul 29, 2006
Mitsubishi Electric profit doubles
Mitsubishi Electric Corp. said Friday its group net profit jumped more than twofold from a year before to a record high 24.9 billion yen in the three months ending in June, thanks to vigorous sales of mobile phone handsets.
BUSINESS
Jul 28, 2006
'Safe' U.S. beef gets green light to enter Japan
The government on Thursday approved the resumption of U.S. beef imports, saying it will check all incoming shipments "for the time being" to make sure high-risk materials are being properly removed.
BUSINESS
Jul 27, 2006
U.S. beef ban on its way to being lifted Thursday; first batch already on ice
A Liberal Democratic Party policy panel gave the go-ahead Wednesday to lift the import ban on U.S. beef, with official government approval expected the following day.
BUSINESS
Jul 26, 2006
Nissan's net profit down 25.7% in first quarter
Nissan Motor Co. said Tuesday its net operating profit fell 25.7 percent to 153.35 billion yen on sales of 2.21 trillion yen, up 3.1 percent, in the April-June quarter as there were no new model launches to boost global sales.
BUSINESS
Jul 22, 2006
Ghosn denies yearning to merge with, rule over GM
Nissan Motor Co. President Carlos Ghosn denied speculation Friday that he intends to become General Motors Corp.'s chief executive officer but did not rule out the possibility of joining its board of directors if and when Nissan, GM and Renault agree to form an alliance.
BUSINESS
Jul 22, 2006
Yahoo has record quarterly profit on strong ad sales
Yahoo Japan Corp. said Friday its group net profit hit a record 13.2 billion yen, up 28.1 percent, on sales of 49.3 billion yen in the April-June quarter thanks to strong advertising sales.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 21, 2006
Toyota not looking to block GM tieup talks
Toyota Motor Corp. President Katsuaki Watanabe said Thursday his firm has no plan to block alliance talks involving General Motors Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA.
Japan Times
LIFE / WEEK 3
Jul 16, 2006
Up close . . . and virtually personal
When the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan characters fell in love via the virtual world of Web chat in the 1998 movie "You've Got Mail," it seemed a classic case of something that could only happen in the movies, not in the real world.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 15, 2006
Matchmaker looks to cash in on population woes
For the government, the declining birthrate and delayed marriages are its biggest headaches as the graying of Japan accelerates.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2006
Skeptics abound that alliance is worth the effort
Despite earlier reports that General Motors Corp. Chairman Rick Wagoner and other executives were opposed to forming an alliance with Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA, GM's board of directors on Friday gave the green light to start negotiations that could lead to the world's biggest automaker alliance....
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2006
Foreign carmakers cash in as the rich get richer
One Sunday in June, a man in his 30s visited the spacious BMW showroom in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward.
BUSINESS
Jul 6, 2006
Stock market analysts unfazed by missile tests
The benchmark Nikkei stock index fell Wednesday as investors were temporarily spooked by North Korean missile tests over the Sea of Japan earlier in the morning. Stocks closed at 15,523.94, down 114.56 points from Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Jul 1, 2006
TSE chief Nishimuro aims for public share offering by 2009
Tokyo Stock Exchange President Taizo Nishimuro said Friday the bourse hopes to publicly list its own shares in fiscal 2009 in the face of intensifying competition among exchanges around the world.
BUSINESS
Jun 28, 2006
Ghosn asks shareholders to be patient
YOKOHAMA -- Nissan Motor Co. President and CEO Carlos Ghosn asked shareholders for patience Tuesday, promising to overcome "head winds" in the domestic market and produce better results in 2006.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 27, 2006
Warner Japan taking greater interest in local movie scene
Warner Entertainment Japan Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. media giant Time Warner Inc., plans to acquire more Japanese films and increase local production of movies in response to the growing popularity of domestic films, said William Ireton, who was named president of the company in May.
BUSINESS
Jun 24, 2006
Investors get more vocal on management decisions
Over the past several weeks, company executives have been beating a path to Pension Fund Association's door, trying to get the investment manager to agree with proposals they plan to submit at their shareholder meetings.
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’

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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