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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 25, 2006
Pyongyang may hold secret info on missiles
Confidential data on a Defense Agency surface-to-air missile system may have been leaked to a group affiliated with the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryun) in 1995, the Defense Agency said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2006
Zoellick rues faulty beef shipment, new ban
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said Monday it was "an unacceptable mistake" that a shipment of U.S. beef that arrived in Japan contained bone parts in violation of an accord on preventing mad cow disease, prompting Tokyo to once again ban American beef.
JAPAN
Jan 21, 2006
Future more important than past: Aso to China
Japan hopes China will not be overly concerned about issues related to history and look at the broader bilateral relationship, Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Friday in a diplomatic policy speech.
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2006
New agency not needed to guide ODA policy: Aso
The government should set up a policy body under the prime minister to deliberate the use of official development assistance and not create a new agency, Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jan 20, 2006
Yasukuni 'nightmare' for ties: Seoul ambassador
South Korea's ambassador to Japan called Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to Yasukuni Shrine a "nightmare" -- the sole issue damaging what could have been more amicable ties between the two neighbors.
JAPAN
Dec 31, 2005
Overseas challenges attractive for JICA senior volunteers
When Setsuko Inoue was 57 years old, she quit her job as a principal at an elementary school in Tokyo's Suginami Ward and served as a volunteer worker for a day-care center for physically and mentally disabled children in Nepal.
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2005
New Pyongyang approach needed: summit architect
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's annual visits to Yasukuni Shrine and his surprise visit to Pyongyang in 2002 all reflect a diplomatic decision to defy "gaiatsu," or foreign pressure, a former top diplomat recently reckoned.
JAPAN
Dec 25, 2005
Missile shield project to proceed
The government formally decided Saturday to begin joint development of a next-generation interceptor missile with the United States in April -- a move critics say will create tension in East Asia.
JAPAN
Dec 23, 2005
China posing a threat: Aso
A Beijing spokesman Thursday called remarks by Foreign Minister Taro Aso on China posing a threat "highly irresponsible" and questioned his intentions. Now is the wrong time for a meeting between Aso and his Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang also a press briefing....
JAPAN
Dec 23, 2005
Pyongyang talks to push three topics
Tokyo will try to get Pyongyang to commit to "three-track talks" on the abductions, security and settlement of Japan's past harsh rule during their weekend bilateral meeting, Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Thursday.
JAPAN
Dec 22, 2005
Abductees' multinational kin unite
People from Thailand, Lebanon, South Korea and Japan whose kin were allegedly abducted to North Korea vowed Wednesday to join hands to seek the return of their loved-ones.
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2005
ODA outlay marks 3.4% fall
The Finance Ministry on Tuesday allocated 759 billion yen for official development assistance for fiscal 2006, down 3.4 percent from the previous year.
JAPAN
Dec 10, 2005
Host-nation support pact pared
Japan and the United States agreed Friday to extend a bilateral special accord on host-nation support for U.S. forces in Japan for two years and not the usual five due to the ongoing U.S. military realignment talks between the two nations.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2005
SDF mission in Iraq extended; June exit planned
The government formally endorsed a revised plan Thursday to extend the Ground Self-Defense Force's humanitarian mission in Samawah, southern Iraq, for another year while at the same time signaling the troops' withdrawal by next summer.
JAPAN
Dec 8, 2005
Panel OKs SDF's Iraq extension
A key policy panel of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved on Wednesday a one-year extension for the Ground Self-Defense Force's mission in Iraq.
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2005
Al-Jaafari urges mission extension
Protesters threw stones at a convoy of Japanese troop vehicles Sunday in Iraq, breaking a mirror on one of the vehicles, officials of the Ground Self-Defense Force said. The incident took place in Rumaythah near the GSDF's camp in Samawah as about 40 demonstrators, some apparently armed, surrounded a...
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2005
Zebari urges extension of GSDF deployment
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on Thursday urged his Japanese counterpart, Taro Aso, to keep the Self-Defense Forces troops deployed to Samawah, a Foreign Ministry official said.
JAPAN
Nov 22, 2005
Putin, Koizumi bolster economic ties, skip isles
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agreed Monday to increase security and economic cooperation despite the 60-year territorial row over the four Russian-held islands off northern Hokkaido.
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2005
Aso pitch for isles' joint development surprises bureaucrats
Foreign Minister Taro Aso's suggestion to undertake joint economic projects with Moscow on four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan completely caught some ministry officials off guard Friday.
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2005
Old-timer Kitty Hawk carries on
ABOARD THE USS KITTY HAWK -- With a deafening roar, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 approached the USS Kitty Hawk, but failing to hook one of the four trap wires, the fighter had to go around and try to land again.
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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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

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