Kanako Takahara - The Japan Times

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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.

For Kanako Takahara's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

JAPAN

Jun 21, 2000

Novice Yuko Obuchi is Gunma's heir apparent

SHIBUKAWA, Gunma Pref. — Upon entering Yuko Obuchi's election headquarters here, one notices a poster of her beaming father, the late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, hanging at the entrance.

JAPAN

Jun 20, 2000

Vision seen eluding campaign

The main problem voters face in Sunday's Lower House poll is that no party has presented a clear vision to address public concerns about the future, according to journalist Soichiro Tawara.

JAPAN

Jun 13, 2000

DPJ offers bitter medicine as poll strategy

Yukio Hatoyama, head of the Democratic Party of Japan In campaigning for the Lower House election, the Democratic Party of Japan will push policies that may seem to voters like "bitter medicine," such as lowering the minimum taxable income level, to show the party is thinking seriously about the nation's future, DPJ leader Yukio Hatoyama said.

JAPAN

Jun 6, 2000

Swing voters, blacklist loom large for poll

Swing voters are increasing, posing a threat to the ruling camp — the Liberal Democratic Party, New Komeito and New Conservative Party — because many of them are critical of the current administration, pundits say.

JAPAN

May 5, 2000

Self-brewing helps to combat Japan's indistinguishable ales

It's warm and sunny -- a nice day to have a cold glass of beer. At supermarkets and convenience stores, beers with a variety of colorful labels, tempting names and intriguing catch phrases line the shelves.

LIFE / Food & Drink

Apr 23, 2000

New York-style soup bars offer tasty stock options

New York-style coffee and bagel shops have been on the scene for years now, but another Manhattan staple is just beginning to spill into Tokyo's streets: soup cafes.

JAPAN

Mar 22, 2000

More female politicians key to gender equality, Swedish politician says

Increasing the number of female politicians may be the key to encouraging Japanese women to continue working after marriage and creating a gender-equal society in Japan, Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Lena Hjelm-Wallen said.

JAPAN

Mar 21, 2000

Long road back from mind control

Akira Sawaki was just another high school student when he joined Aum Shinrikyo in the winter of 1991, believing the world was full of corruption and wanting to be the one to change it.

JAPAN

Jan 31, 2000

Analysis: Aum's survival in doubt as watch begins

Staff writer Monday's decision by the Public Security Examination Commission to invoke a law to monitor Aum Shinrikyo will inevitably deal a major blow to the cult -- possibly even leading to its breakup. According to the law, enacted in December, Aum must submit a list of its current members as well as financial reports of affiliated companies. It also allows Public Security Agency officials to enter Aum's facilities to carry out further inspections. Authorities hope to be able to determine the flow of money both to and from the cult -- long a keen point of interest for clamping down on the group -- by inspecting the books of firms said to have links to Aum. "But the fact is, Aum no longer has the power to act as one entity," said Tatsuo Suzuki, who defended the cult when the agency attempted to apply the Antisubversive Activities Law to it in 1996. In recent weeks, there have been various signs indicating that senior Aum members are in conflict with each other and unable to organize the cult or exert leadership. Last month, police issued warrants for half a dozen Aum members, including two of cult founder Shoko Asahara's daughters, for allegedly assaulting fellow cultists when they abducted Asahara's eldest son from another facility. The cult was struck another blow with the arrest of key figure Naruhito Noda, 33, who was in charge of the cult's finances, for threatening a banker when the bank refused to open an account in Aum's new name, Aleph, on the grounds of insufficient documentation. However, Saturday's announcement by senior cult member Fumihiro Joyu seemed to be an indication that the cult is making efforts to regroup as the surveillance noose tightens. Joyu said Aum will resume its activities and create new companies from the computer shops that closed at the end of last month in Nagoya and Tokyo's Akihabara district. The profits from those companies will be used to compensate the victims of the crimes Aum members stand accused of, he said. Nonetheless, lawyer Suzuki predicted that agency officials will try to use their power to the fullest extent, while cultists are likely to cooperate and offer information so as to avoid giving authorities an excuse to take further steps to corral the cult. If the commission concludes that Aum interfered with its investigation or is engaged in heinous crimes, Aum will have to give up land and facilities it currently uses for its activities and will be banned from purchasing new sites -- effectively forcing an end to the cult. Aum leaders express concern that agency officials will abuse their power under the law, since the limit of "inspections" officials may conduct has not been clearly spelled out. During a hearing last month before the commission, lawyers for the cult argued that the agency should provide guidelines to specify what officials could do and how cult members should cooperate. However, agency officials only responded by saying that they did not need to do so since the significance of the hearing was to solely grant Aum an opportunity to state its opinion of the law. Although it may be difficult in the current circumstances, lawyer Takeshi Ono said, he hopes agency officials will not abuse their power and start arresting Aum followers under the new law, which stipulates that cultists may face imprisonment or a fine if they interfere with the investigations. "With the law's application, many will decide to leave the cult," said Ono, who provides support to former Aum members and their families in the belief that their return to normal society is more constructive than isolating the cultists and placing them under constant surveillance. "Authorities should leave such cultists alone and give them a chance to come back to society, at least for the time being."

JAPAN

Jan 30, 2000

Disaster dictated Ginza make-overs

JR Yurakucho Station is a well-known gateway to the shopping paradise of Tokyo's Ginza district, whose very name invokes images of luxury and big-name brands.

JAPAN

Dec 28, 1999

Joyu might disband Aum in order duck new law: expert

Staff writer After he is freed today from a Hiroshima prison, senior Aum Shinrikyo member Fumihiro Joyu will probably announce the voluntary dissolution of the cult, according to a freelance journalist who has extensively covered the sect. It would be a move to avoid a new law designed to curb the cult's activities, Yoshifu Arita said in an interview with The Japan Times. "The last thing that Joyu would want is the law to be applied to the cult, which is equivalent to the death penalty (for the cult)," he said. "Once the organization ceases to exist, there will be no target to invoke the law on." Famous for his adept speeches, Joyu, 37, the charismatic former Aum mouthpiece, was acting leader of the cult from May 1995, when guru Shoko Asahara was arrested, until his own arrest in October the same year. Many observers believe he will be the key figure if Aum is to emerge again. Arita, who recently published the book "A Man of Darkness -- Fumihiro Joyu," predicts Joyu may instruct the cult to break up, urging followers to live in small groups and keep up their religious training at home. Such an announcement will probably come before the end of January, the journalist said. This is before the Public Security Examination Commission, an extraministerial board of the Justice Ministry, orders that Aum's activities be monitored, which is allowed under the new law that went into effect Monday. The legislation does not specifically name Aum but states its purpose is to crack down on any group whose members have carried out or attempted indiscriminate mass murder in the past 10 years and whose leaders still hold sway over its followers. The commission is to announce its decision on Aum as early as the beginning of February, because the legislation states that a decision must be made within 30 days whether to place the group in question under surveillance. The legislation will allow the Public Security Investigation Agency to regularly supervise or restrict Aum's activities if the law is invoked against the cult. Arita said Joyu earlier proposed the dissolution of Aum when the cult faced the possible invocation of the 1952 Antisubversive Activities Law. When Arita met with Joyu at the cult's Aoyama headquarters a few days before his arrest in 1995, Joyu said he would announce the "voluntary dissolution" within two weeks. However, the plan ended with his arrest. "I believe Joyu offered the idea just to avoid the invocation of the (1952) law and to keep a low profile until the public outrage against Aum (over the Tokyo subway nerve gas attack) eased," Arita said. The same could be said of two announcements the cult made in the past three months, he noted. Aum announced in September that it will suspend external activities such as recruiting followers and holding seminars. Earlier this month, senior members admitted the cult was involved in the crimes its key figures stand accused of and apologized to the victims. They also promised to compensate victims. But Arita said it is wrong to believe Aum has changed unless it admits the guru's involvement in the crimes and abandons its doctrine that justifies murder. The journalist believes Joyu has a much more sinister character than most people think. Although Joyu was only convicted for forging public documents, testimony by Aum figures implicates him in the cult's mass murder plots, Arita said. In June 1993, local residents complained of a foul smell from an Aum facility in Tokyo's Kameido district. Joyu explained at the time that the cult failed to decoct some Chinese medicine, causing the awful smell. But according to prosecutors, Asahara ordered Joyu and other members to produce anthrax to commit mass murder. Former cultist Yoshihiro Inoue testified that Joyu was in charge of that scheme. "The strong possibility that Joyu was involved in attempted mass murder has not been covered much by the media," Arita said. Joyu will return to the cult as a "seitaishi," the highest rank an Aum follower can reach, and will strongly affect the cult's decision-making process, Arita said. "As it is now, it is believed that Aum is unlikely to commit heinous crimes in the immediate future," Arita said. "But with the return of Joyu, the threat of Aum might begin to resurface."

JAPAN

Dec 20, 1999

Calls for overhaul of judge system mount

First of three parts Staff writer Discontent with the judicial system among lawyers, politicians and businesspeople has prompted a Cabinet advisory panel to launch discussions aimed at giving the system its first overhaul of the postwar era. Hiroshi Saito of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations judicial reform promotion office said a typical judge lives a life far different from the average salaried worker. Judges usually live in a government apartment house designated for them, and commute to and from work without stopping for a drink or engaging in any other activity typical of Japanese salaried men, he said. "They fear committing unethical acts or misdeeds, or simply don't have enough time because they handle 200 to 400 cases a year on average," Saito said. Judges in Japan occasionally hand down rulings that defy common sense because they lack contact with the general public, Saito said. He stressed the need to promote the appointment of judges who have backgrounds as lawyers as part of a broader judicial reform movement. Saito's opinions are shared by many lawyers, politicians and business leaders, which has prompted the government to take steps. In July, an advisory panel to the Cabinet launched discussions aimed at giving the judicial system its first postwar overhaul. The 13-member panel, consisting of academics, legal professionals, businesspeople and labor unionists, is to meet over the next two years to debate several issues, including encouraging practicing lawyers to become judges and establishing the participation of laypeople in the judicial system, such as via a jury system, which was used for a short time before being suspended during the war. Under the current system, law students who pass the bar exam go through 18 months of training to become a judge, prosecutor or lawyer. After the training, they must decide which path to pursue. Of the 729 trainees who completed the training this year, 549 chose to be lawyers, 97 opted to become judges and 72 to become prosecutors. Those choosing careers as judges serve their first 10 years as assistant judges, then they go through the promotion process and also face transfer to courts throughout the country. It is difficult for lawyers or prosecutors to change their field of expertise and become judges. Even under the current system, however, there is one avenue available for such change. In 1992, the national bar federation introduced a system in which they make recommendations to the Supreme Court regarding lawyers seeking judgeships. Although 37 lawyers have made the change to the bench since the system was introduced, enthusiasm for the opportunity has been minimal. The change usually involves accepting a lower salary, giving up established clients and often a transfer to courts in remote areas. Kazuyuki Tagawa, one of the few who made the change, said he believes judges who served as lawyers are more in touch with the public because they have had more experience dealing with people. "I just believe more experience in a different field allows a broader perspective," said Tagawa, 65, who served as a judge in Nara Prefecture for six years after a 31-year career as a lawyer. He has now retired from the bench and is working as a lawyer again. But Takao Suami, a law professor at Waseda University, said the real problem with the system lies elsewhere. "Lessen the authority of the Supreme Court, abolish assistant judges and ensure more freedom for judges as citizens. (That) is what this movement is all about," said Suami, who once worked as a lawyer. "The problem is that the Supreme Court monopolizes power over personnel administration," Suami said. "If anyone attempts to contradict its view, then he or she could be denied pay raises or promotion, or simply be transferred to courts in a remote area." The top court also retains the power to approve the renewal of a judge's status, which has to be made every 10 years. To combat this situation, Suami proposed that authority over personnel matters be decentralized. Wakayama District and Family Court Judge Toshihiko Morino said judges should have more freedom to voice opinions in public. Although the Court Organization Law prohibits judges from actively participating in political movements to maintain their neutrality, they are not banned from joining nonpolitical groups. But Morino -- who recently made an unprecedented move to publish with his colleagues a book titled "Judges Speak Out!" -- said there is tacit pressure from the Supreme Court. "It takes a lot of courage for a judge to speak up in front of the public," Morino said in a speech during a symposium in October to promote judicial reform. "Judges in general fear that the Supreme Court might discriminate against them over working conditions." But Tagawa is reluctant to place the blame solely on the Supreme Court. "Judges have a deep-rooted desire to stay in line with others rather than to stick out," Tagawa said. "This way of thinking is an obstacle to being independent and developing their individuality." Lawyers say judges were more outspoken before the early 1970s, when the Supreme Court's general secretariat began to feel threatened by "radical" rulings handed down in lower courts that contradicted the central government's position. One historic ruling came in March 1959, when the Tokyo District Court said stationing of the U.S. military in Japan was unconstitutional. The ruling, however, was reversed by the Supreme Court. Many lawyers say the Supreme Court apparently grew concerned that these rulings could breed public discontent with the government, and began to place the blame on a group formed by left-leaning judges opposing the 1952 Antisubversive Activities Law. In January 1971, the Supreme Court's judicial administration committee agreed in a majority vote that membership to this organization was not preferable for judges. In March 1971, the Supreme Court refused to renew the assistant judge status of Yasuaki Miyamoto, who was a member of the the organization. This decision caused the bar federation to launch a protest claiming he was discharged due to his political beliefs. In a recent move, the Sendai District Court issued a reprimand to Assistant Judge Kazushi Teranishi for addressing a public rally in April 1998 to protest legislation targeting organized crime, including the wiretapping bill. Lawyer Saito also said assistant judges should be abolished, saying he doubts whether such inexperienced young judges can make sound judgments in a trial. "My clients are surprised to see their trials examined by such young judges," Saito said. An official at the Supreme Court said lawyers are basing their criticism on their prejudice toward the court. "I believe the whole judicial reform movement by lawyers is politically motivated," said Hiroshi Koike, commissioner at the Supreme Court's secretariat, noting lawyers are calling for a new system to allow more lawyers to become judges "merely to upgrade their social status." "It does not matter whether someone with lawyer experience is appointed as a judge as long as they hand down fair and just rulings," he said. "It is far more important to consider how to speed up court proceedings and increase the number of judges who specialize in laws on bankruptcy and patents." Japan is notorious for trials that drag on for years before even a district court decision is handed down. Many lay the blame on the shortage of legal professionals. There are 2,919 judges and 16,853 lawyers in Japan, compared with 20,999 judges and 91,517 lawyers in Germany and 3,215 judges and 77,527 lawyers in Britain. Professor Suami said he agrees with Koike on this point, but noted that court authorities alone cannot accomplish judicial reform because it has to involve a review of the Supreme Court's power.

JAPAN

Dec 3, 1999

Cult feeling the heat as crackdown laws debut

Staff writer Friday's enactment of two laws specifically targeting Aum Shinrikyo may give investigative authorities new ammunition with which to battle the cult, and Aum's leadership will have to perform a balancing act between self-preservation and public acceptance. The swiftness with which the Diet passed the two bills aimed specifically, but not nominally, at Aum was triggered by the escalation of disputes across the nation between residents and the cultists in their midst. Public support for quick steps to restrict the activities of a cult branded as a threat to society led to speedy Diet deliberation during a session in which most other key bills are facing fierce objections from the opposition camp. But despite the accelerated deliberations, some lawyers and scholars continue to voice concern over the new laws, warning they may be unconstitutional. Mizuho Fukushima, a lawyer and Upper House member of the Social Democratic Party, said law enforcement bodies will be able to apply the new laws to illegal activities that were committed before their enactment -- something forbidden under the Constitution. "In addition, investigative bodies can make pre-emptive crackdowns on a group," although the Constitution allows state powers to take action only after a crime is committed, she added. However, the creation of anti-Aum legislation was to some extent inevitable to put an end to the situation communities were facing, where many local governments refused to accept residency applications of Aum members while residents launched campaigns demanding that the followers move out. In addition, supporters say, if law enforcement bodies continued to restrict the cult's activities by applying existing laws alone, they would have to keep arresting followers on minor charges such as trespassing -- a move that could be criticized as abuse of state power. Aum itself has not been blind to the mounting public criticism. Over the past few months its leaders have been trying to keep a low profile while plotting a course of action. As the laws were poised for final Diet deliberations, Aum offered long-awaited apologies Wednesday and promised to compensate by the end of January those victimized by the heinous crimes that its members stand accused of. These include the March 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system, in which 12 people died. It was the first time the cult apologized for the series of crimes blamed on its followers, and coupled with the enactment of the anti-Aum laws, these latest moves will most likely ease public anxiety to a certain extent. But skeptics say the statement is yet another one of Aum's ploys to avert anticipated moves by investigative authorities to invoke the new laws. Some also say the cult is buying time until the release of charismatic senior cultist Fumihiro Joyu later this month, hoping he can chart a new course for Aum. "It is a step forward that the cult offered apologies," said Shoko Egawa, a journalist who has extensively covered Aum. "But we'll have to wait until the end of January to see what (Aum's) real intention was (in making these remarks)."

JAPAN

Oct 14, 1999

Professor calls for legal panel to aid media victims

Staff writer

JAPAN

Sep 17, 1999

Nail salons ringing up cell phone profits

Staff writer

JAPAN

Apr 19, 1999

Hokuriku Special: Illegal immigrants find new gateway

Staff writer

JAPAN

Jan 12, 1999

Voice-mail dating proves to be risky proposition

Sex, drugs and violence often combine as the ingredients of a sensational crime, and voice-mail dating services can provide them all.

JAPAN

Oct 30, 1998

Global satellite phone systems prepare to power up

Staff writerA new global satellite phone system that promises to release users from the fetters of conventional, bulky and cumbersome mobile phones currently in use begins service Sunday amid mixed expectations regarding its success.Nippon Iridium Corp.'s new Iridium service will provide customers with a global mobile phone service with direct satellite links using a much smaller receiver.The company said earlier this week that its worldwide service is being launched on a trial basis until the end of the year to confirm its transmission quality abroad.Nippon Iridium will soon be joined in this potentially lucrative market by Satellite Phone Japan's ICO, or Intermediate Circular Orbit -- a similar service that will start in August 2000 -- and Globalstar Japan K.K., which will launch its service by the end of next year. "I think the new (global satellite phone) service will be a growing market," said Hironobu Sawake, a senior analyst at ABN Amro Securities Japan. "The fact that one can make a call from any place around the world should strongly appeal to people."But some are skeptical about the new service, saying the satellite industry itself is a high-risk business because of the huge sum of money it takes to launch a satellite and the problems that can occur if one malfunctions.Takeshi Kawamoto, an official of Satellite Phone Japan, said he has heard that some firms have had problems getting their satellites into orbit. "I'm concerned that people might get a negative image of the business itself," he said.Despite his concerns, Kawamoto said there is a growing need for new satellite phone services not only in industrial countries but in developing countries as well. "It costs less for countries that do not currently have fixed telecommunications services to use this new service than to build infrastructure in the country," Kawamoto said."Companies in India and China are among the top 10 shareholders of the U.S.-based ICO Global Communications, which serves as the (worldwide) promoter of the ICO service," he said.Investors with a stake in Iridium LLC, the promoter of the Iridium service, also include firms from developing nations.The advantage of the Iridium service is that users can place calls to and from anywhere around the globe with a much smaller unit than those required for current satellite phone services.Existing mobile phones offer services only in a limited radius from base stations, which means the phones cannot be used outside Japan, in the mountains or out in the ocean where such stations cannot be built.

JAPAN

Oct 12, 1998

Heart expert favors alternatives to transplants

Staff writerInstead of organ transplants, more thought should be given to alternatives such as use of artificial organs, cardiology expert Hiroshi Yamaguchi says.He opposes making transplants from brain-dead donors standard treatment. "Organ transplants are not something almighty. I think the demerits of the procedure have been understated," said Yamaguchi, a professor of cardiology at Juntendo University in Tokyo. "It is more important to search for alternative treatment methods. Organ transplants involving brain-dead donors should be utilized as a provisional choice until alternative ones are developed," said Yamaguchi, 64, who is also deputy director of the university's hospital.As a reason for his view, Yamaguchi described the difficulty of saying with certainty that a patient needs a transplant, citing the case of someone surviving without any problems for more than 10 years after being diagnosed as in need of a heart transplant. "There is a lingering fear that patients who have no need of organ transplants may be talked into having the surgery, because they usually do not have sufficient knowledge to find out if they really need a transplant," he said."In addition, organ recipients often suffer from postoperative complications, including severe infections, malignant lymphoma and rejection, which may claim their lives."He referred to a male patient who went to the United States to receive a heart in 1994 but died three years later from organ rejection. During the three years, he was hospitalized as many as eight times. "I wonder if the transplant was really good for him, considering his quality of life," Yamaguchi said. "If he had not gone through the transplant, he might have enjoyed his last days of life without suffering that much."Yamaguchi said many patients have suffered serious side effects from organ transplants and died within a few years, after being hospitalized many times. Those patients had transplants in respected hospitals abroad, each institution having massive experience in organ transplants from brain-dead donors, doing about 100 such operations a year, Yamaguchi said."If patients suffer like that despite receiving organs at such experienced hospitals abroad," he asked, "how could hospitals in Japan that have no experience in organ transplants produce better results?"

JAPAN

Sep 14, 1998

Seniors say key to longevity is singing heavenly joys

Staff writer

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.

The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces

By Stephen Mansfield

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Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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