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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.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2004
Jenkins meets with U.S. military lawyer
A U.S. military lawyer met with accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins at a Tokyo hospital on Thursday to offer advice on his options in facing the charges against him, government sources said.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2004
Japan insists China protect soccer team
Japan has asked China on three occasions to urge authorities to take steps to ensure the safety of Japanese soccer team members and fans at the ongoing Asian Cup soccer tournament, Masatoshi Abe, senior vice foreign minister, said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jul 29, 2004
Accused deserter Jenkins reassigned to the U.S. forces based in Japan
The United States has reassigned accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins to the U.S. forces based in Japan from South Korea, where he was posted when he apparently defected to North Korea in 1965, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jul 29, 2004
Accused deserter Jenkins reassigned to the U.S. forces based in Japan
The United States has reassigned accused U.S. Army deserter Charles Jenkins to the U.S. forces based in Japan from South Korea, where he was posted when he apparently defected to North Korea in 1965, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2004
Iraqi judoka arrives for Olympic warmup
An Iraqi judoka who will represent his country in the Athens Olympics next month began two weeks of training in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2004
Bolton talks tough on North's ambitions
U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton reiterated Friday that North Korea must completely abandon its nuclear program, which he maintained is exclusively for military use.
JAPAN
Jul 23, 2004
BSE report set to please beef exporters in U.S.
Japan and the United States compiled a report Thursday stating that blanket testing for mad cow disease has limitations in terms of detecting whether young cows have been infected with the brain-wasting illness.
JAPAN
Jul 22, 2004
Japan in 'no rush' to resume normalization talks with North
Japan is in "no rush" to resume normalization talks with North Korea, even though the conditions for returning to the negotiating table have been met, government sources said Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jul 17, 2004
Jenkins should confess, plea-bargain: Baker
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker suggested to senior lawmakers of the ruling coalition Friday that Charles Jenkins, an alleged U.S. Army deserter to North Korea, should seek a plea bargain, officials said.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2004
Jenkins coming to Japan this weekend for treatment
Charles Jenkins, an alleged U.S. Army deserter to North Korea who reunited with his Japanese wife, former abductee Hitomi Soga, last week in Jakarta, will come to Japan over this extended weekend and be hospitalized, government sources said Thursday.
JAPAN
Jul 15, 2004
Ministry breathes sigh of relief on Soga reunion costs
Foreign Ministry officials are breathing easier now that it appears that arranging repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga's family reunion in Jakarta may not be as costly as initially thought.
JAPAN
Jul 14, 2004
Jenkins sounded out on Japan checkup
The government has sounded out Charles Robert Jenkins, the American husband of repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga, on the possibility of his coming to Japan for a medical checkup, government sources said Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jul 13, 2004
'No time' to explain Iraq decision: official
The government did not have enough time to explain the decision to join the U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq, one reason behind the Liberal Democratic Party's poor showing in the House of Councilors election, a top Foreign Ministry official said Monday.
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2004
Is Pyongyang trying to win the election for the coalition?
North Korea's surprise live broadcast Friday of Hitomi Soga's kin at Pyongyang airport may constitute another indication that the country is apparently trying to back Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's administration ahead of Sunday's House of Councilors election, government officials claimed.
JAPAN
Jul 8, 2004
Government paints rosy picture to lure Jenkins
Charles Robert Jenkins, the American husband of repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga, would not necessarily be imprisoned if he came to Japan, even though he will probably face a U.S. court-martial for desertion, government sources claimed Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2004
Soga reunion may open door to fresh normalization talks
Japan might be able to resume normalization talks with North Korea this month now that they have organized a family reunion for repatriated abductee Hitomi Soga, a senior Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2004
Soga, family to reunite Friday in Jakarta
Hitomi Soga, one of five Japanese repatriated to Japan in October 2002 after being abducted to North Korea, will be reunited with her American husband and their two daughters this week in Jakarta, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Monday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ELECTION '04
Jul 2, 2004
Abductions are candidate's cause celebre
Independent candidate Teruaki Masumoto, 48, hoped to keep a fire alive as he tried to get the attention of passersby outside Tokyo's Iidabashi Station on June 24, the day campaigning for July 11 House of Councilors election kicked off.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 8, 2004
Power of LDP support groups waning
About 5,000 people gathered in Sapporo on May 23 to attend a convention of the national association of special post office chiefs, a longtime supporter of and the biggest vote-gathering machine for the Liberal Democratic Party.
JAPAN
May 29, 2004
Two Japanese reported killed south of Baghdad
Two Japanese freelance journalists died after their vehicle was attacked by unidentified assailants in the city of Mahmudiyah, about 30 km south of Baghdad, a Foreign Ministry official in Tokyo quoted Iraqi hospital officials as saying Friday.
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.

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