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July 05, 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.
BUSINESS
May 2, 2006
Legal change seen giving entrepreneurs flexibility
When Keiji Okayasu founded his game software company, Studiofake, in 2000 he wanted it to be a limited liability company, a form of business popular with software developers in the West.
BUSINESS
May 2, 2006
New Corporate Law sets stage for LLCs, M&As
The new Corporate Law took effect Monday, setting a legal basis for business activities. The law eases restrictions on company management, aiming to give them a freer hand in decision-making and encouraging entrepreneurialism.
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2006
Matsushita, Toshiba show strong annual results
Major consumer electronics firms Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and Toshiba Corp. posted strong financial results Friday for fiscal 2005 despite a wide difference in the performances of their flat-panel display businesses.
BUSINESS
Apr 28, 2006
TVs twist electronics earnings
Sales of flat-screen TVs proved pivotal to the fortunes of major consumer electronics makers Sony Corp., Hitachi Ltd. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp. in 2005, according to their annual reports released Thursday.
BUSINESS
Apr 27, 2006
Sharp sees third straight year of record profit
Major electronics maker Sharp Corp. on Wednesday announced a record high group net profit of 88.67 billion yen for the year to March 31, up 15.4 percent from the previous year, thanks to brisk sales of flat-screen TVs.
BUSINESS
Apr 26, 2006
Nissan logs 872 billion yen record profit on global sales
Nissan Motor Co. said Tuesday it posted a record operating profit of 871.84 billion yen, up 1.2 percent from the previous year, in fiscal 2005 due to brisk global sales.
BUSINESS
Apr 21, 2006
TSE to reinstate normal trading hours Monday
The Tokyo Stock Exchange said Thursday it will resume regular trading hours Monday, three months after it began delaying its afternoon session to deal with surges in transactions caused by the Livedoor Co. scandal.
BUSINESS
Apr 21, 2006
Yahoo Japan sets another profit record
Yahoo Japan Corp. reported Thursday that it set an all-time high for earnings for the ninth consecutive year, helped by an increase in advertising and the popularity of its Internet auction and shopping businesses in 2005.
BUSINESS
Apr 15, 2006
Son to head up Vodafone unit
Softbank Corp. President Masayoshi Son announced Friday he will assume the presidency of the recently acquired Japanese unit of Vodafone Group PLC.
BUSINESS
Apr 15, 2006
FSA orders suspension at Aiful
The Financial Services Agency said Friday it has ordered consumer finance firm Aiful Corp. to suspend most operations at its 1,700 outlets for three to 25 days over the use of strong-arm collection tactics.
BUSINESS
Apr 15, 2006
Copyright revision helps one-coin DVDs become hit with movie collectors
It happens all the time: You run down to the video store to rent your favorite movie classic, only to find someone else has beaten you to it. But what if you could buy your very own DVD of the film for the same price as renting it?
BUSINESS
Apr 14, 2006
More companies opting for delisting
Scandal-tainted Livedoor Co. is to be expelled from the Mothers market for startup firms Friday amid allegations it falsified its financial statements. But while the Internet firm is not leaving willingly, over the past year a number of companies have walked away from the stock market on their own after...
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2006
Student athletes looking to win job-hunting race
Whether you are a university senior looking for your first "real job" or a company veteran looking for a change, the most important thing to include on your resume is a concise summary of specific skills you can provide, whether that be system engineering, knowledge of corporate law or a flair for foreign...
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2006
Convenience stores outshined stale supermarkets in 2005
Japan's major convenience stores on Wednesday posted rosy figures for the 2005 business year, while supermarket chains lagged despite signs that personal consumption is recovering.
BUSINESS
Apr 8, 2006
Yoshinoya halves loss, harbors high hopes
Yoshinoya D&C Co. President Shuji Abe on Friday painted a rosy picture for his company, one in which United States beef imports resume by September, sharply boosting profit at the restaurant chain famed for its beef-on-rice bowl dishes in time for the latter half of the business year.
BUSINESS
Apr 8, 2006
TSE could resume regular hours by month end: Nishimuro
The Tokyo Stock Exchange could resume regular market hours by the end of the month, TSE President Taizo Nishimuro said Friday, a move that would bring an end to some three months of curtailed trading.
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2006
TV programs go mobile as One Seg services begin
Starting Saturday, many cell phone users may find their beloved handsets even more indispensable. In addition to tapping out messages to their friends and surfing the Net, people will be able to see digital broadcasts of their favorite TV shows wherever they go, on their mobiles.
JAPAN
Mar 31, 2006
Accountants helped fake Livedoor figures: SESC
The Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission filed a criminal accusation with prosecutors Thursday against two accountants it alleges knowingly certified a falsified financial report by Internet firm Livedoor Co.
BUSINESS
Mar 23, 2006
TSE keeps Nishimuro at helm, fines Mizuho unit
Tokyo Stock Exchange President Taizo Nishimuro will retain his post to see through comprehensive organizational reforms at the bourse, the TSE announced Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Mar 21, 2006
Softbank may prove worthy rival
Softbank Corp.'s announcement last Friday it was buying Vodafone K.K., a Japanese unit of Vodafone Group PLC, may give the Internet company a competitive edge in the mobile phone industry.
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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