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May 19, 2024
 

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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.
For Kanako Takahara's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 17, 2022
Unification Church could be stripped of special status after Kishida probe
The group could lose its “religious corporation” status, which makes donations and other revenue made from religious activities exempt from taxation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 13, 2022
Japan updates advice on clinic visits for COVID patients amid 'twindemic' fears
People between the ages of 12 and 64 with a low risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms have been asked to refrain from going to so-called fever clinics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 12, 2022
Confusing mix of policies sours start of domestic travel discount campaign
Prefectures have chosen differing kickoff dates and COVID-19 protocols, resulting in a baffling array of eligibility requirements.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 5, 2022
The church, the economy and the funeral: CDP leader grills Kishida
The opposition took the prime minister to task over his party's ties to the Unification Church, the state funeral for ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and soaring inflation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2022
North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan for first time since 2017
The missile, which was estimated to have traveled 4,600 km, prompted Tokyo to issue a rare alert calling for residents to take cover.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 3, 2022
Kishida tries to put focus on economy after Unification Church controversy
The prime minister used his speech at the opening of the new parliamentary session to emphasize economic measures, such as those on inflation and raising wages.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2022
Japan bids farewell to former PM Shinzo Abe with controversial state funeral
Scores of foreign dignitaries, including U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, attended the ceremony, while rallies protesting the controversial funeral were also held.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 23, 2022
Japan to reopen to independent travelers and lift daily arrival cap, Kishida says
The move marks a major policy shift after nearly 2u00bd years of strict COVID-19 restrictions.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Sep 22, 2022
Why Japan has been taking incremental steps to reopen its borders
The Group of Seven's strictest border rules have been eased in slow, incremental steps, much to the chagrin of foreign nationals waiting to enter.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 21, 2022
Even as Japan’s border creaks open, unmarried couples still struggle to reunite
The categories of people allowed entry has been slowly expanded, but those in uncertified relationships have been left out, prompting some to tie the knot.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 12, 2022
Japan plans to reopen to independent travelers in major shift, report says
Tourists, who will need to have been vaccinated three times or submit a negative test result under the new policy, may be able to enter without a visa.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 8, 2022
LDP survey shows 121 lawmakers had substantial ties with the Unification Church
The degree of ties varied, with some lawmakers having been interviewed in a publication linked to the religious group, while two were found to have received organizational election support.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 7, 2022
Japan opens borders to foreign travelers on ‘self-guided tours’
The country also raised the daily arrival cap to 50,000 and dropped a requirement that visitors test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departing for Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 6, 2022
Japan to shorten COVID-19 isolation period to seven days
For asymptomatic people with the virus, the self-quarantine period will be shortened from seven days to five, so long as they get a negative result from an antigen test.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 1, 2022
Japan clarifies new border rules as it moves to allow most individual tourists to enter
Under the eased restrictions, only tourists who wish to book their travel independently, rather than through agencies, will be denied entry.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2022
Japan to ease tourism restrictions and raise daily arrival cap to 50,000
Starting Sept. 7, entry will be allowed for nonescorted visitors on package tours and the daily arrival cap will be raised to 50,000.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 30, 2022
Border restrictions causing shift away from Japan studies, survey finds
According to the survey of about 300 foreign academics and students of Japanese studies, 186 respondents said there was less scholarly interest in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 29, 2022
4chan owner under fire for sexual violence remarks in wake of scandal
2channel founder Hiroyuki Nishimura said that hostesses who entertain men at bars receive high pay in exchange for tolerating sexual violence, triggering harsh criticism.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 26, 2022
Actor Teruyuki Kagawa apologizes after report alleges he groped hostess
The report also said the kabuki performer took off the hostess' bra and passed it around to colleagues in an incident in 2019.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2022
Japan to drop pre-arrival testing for vaccinated travelers next month
To ease the burden on medical institutions, paperwork will also be simplified for doctors in areas with large COVID-19 numbers.
Japanese stripper bids to have her porn movies taken off internet
Plaintiff Miyuki Ariga (left) speaks at a news conference along with her lawyer, Yoshitomo Morohashi, after filing a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on Monday.
America wasn’t made for walking, and it’s killing them
A 2010 study found that U.S. adults averaged 5,117 steps daily and that this was lower than the averages found in similar studies in Switzerland, western Australia and Japan.
U.S. envoy to Japan makes landmark visit to front-line island near Taiwan
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel meets with members of the Self-Defense Forces stationed on Yonaguni, Okinawa Prefecture, on Friday.
Japan passes bill to introduce 'blue ticket' fines for cyclists
A new system under which bicycle riders pay fines for minor traffic violations to escape criminal punishment is expected to be introduced in Japan no later than 2026.
Japan survey finds 30% of student interns experience sexual harassment
The proportion of recent graduates in Japan who have worked as interns have experienced sexual harassment during their internship was 30.1%, according to a labor ministry survey, up 4.6 percentage points from the previous survey in fiscal 2020.
Can AI-generated inventions be patented? A Tokyo court says no.
The Tokyo court's ruling comes amid ongoing debates on how to regulate generative AI and is part of a transnational class action lawsuit.
A new initiative rethinks old Tohoku crafts
The colored patterns of Tsuguru "nuri," made in Aomori Prefecture, are achieved by applying multiple coatings of lacquer, which are later polished down to reveal layers of colors beneath.
Xi and Putin mark ‘new era’ amid efforts to counter U.S. ‘containment’
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend an event in Beijing on Thursday. During Putin's visit, the leaders showed off their growing alignment amid efforts to push back against the U.S.-led world order.
Unraveling the Japanese prose of Yukio Mishima
Author Yukio Mishima accepts the Arts Festival Award in the drama category at the 20th Arts Festival Award Ceremony on Jan. 22, 1966.
New Taiwan president to set tone for ties with China at inauguration
Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te arrives at the CyberSec 2024 Exhibition in Taipei on Wednesday.

Podcast

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