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July 16, 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.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2022
From housing to jobs to education, support grows for Ukrainians fleeing to Japan
Yokohama and Osaka Prefecture are among the local governments looking to help evacuees by providing housing and other services.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 8, 2022
Japan hits Russia and Belarus with more sanctions over Ukraine invasion
Relations between Japan and Russia — from diplomacy to business — are quickly growing fragile as Tokyo joins Western countries in putting pressure on Moscow.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2022
Kishida announces raising of daily arrival cap to 7,000
Considering there are about 150,000 foreign students waiting to enter Japan, Kishida said the government will create a program allowing them to come using vacant seats on weekday flights.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2022
Kishida announces that Japan will accept Ukrainian refugees at an early date
Around 660,000 refugees had fled Ukraine to neighboring countries in the six days since Russian soldiers invaded the country, according to the UNHCR.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 1, 2022
Japan opens borders for the first time in three months
It may be a while before airports such as Haneda, Narita and Kansai are flooded with new arrivals, as Japan still has a cap of 5,000 people allowed to enter the nation every day.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 28, 2022
Japan looks to extend quasi-emergencies in Tokyo and nine other prefectures
Areas where a high proportion of beds for COVID-19 patients are occupied could see the measure extended by about two weeks.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Feb 24, 2022
Japan relaxes its border restrictions
Japan's strict border policies are finally relaxing — at least a little bit — and from March, new entrants will be allowed to come to the country once again.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Explainer
Feb 21, 2022
What you need to know about Japan's upcoming eased border restrictions
March will bring sweeping changes to the country's border rules — covering quarantines to those eligible for entry — but navigating government websites for answers can be tricky.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 17, 2022
It's official: Japan eases entry restrictions for foreign students, business travelers and other nontourists
The move comes amid growing concerns over economic and reputational costs, and as Kishida indicates exiting the sixth wave.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 16, 2022
Japan to shorten or drop quarantine requirements for most arrivals from March
The government is also expected to raise the cap on daily new entrants from overseas to 5,000 from the current 3,500.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 15, 2022
COVID deaths a concern in Japan even as new cases appear to be peaking
Infections are beginning to decline nationally, but experts say it is still too early for people to let their guard down — and that other virus benchmarks will continue to rise.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2022
Kishida says Japan looking to ease entry restrictions on foreign workers and students
'We will take into account the scientific knowledge we've gained about the omicron variant and changes in the infection situation both at home and abroad,' the prime minister said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Feb 4, 2022
As COVID cases surge in Japan, is a state of emergency the way to go?
Record nationwide cases have moved the question to the top of the agenda, but some prefectures and experts are skeptical about what such a move really achieves.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Feb 2, 2022
What you need to know about recovering from COVID-19 at home
To lower the burden on health care systems, the rules for self-isolation are changing — here's a rundown of the latest from the health ministry.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Jan 31, 2022
Looking to get your booster in Japan? Here's what you need to know.
Efforts to increase the administration of boosters are ramping up, with a mass vaccination site run by the Self-Defense Forces having opened in Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 28, 2022
Japan to shorten isolation period to seven days for COVID close contacts
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases said that 94.5% of omicron patients tested positive within seven days of coming into contact with the virus and 99.2% within 10 days.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 27, 2022
Okinawa may be emerging from the omicron wave. Will the rest of Japan soon follow suit?
After a surge starting around New Year's that brought the prefecture's daily case count nearly 2,000, new infections have steadily dropped in recent days.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jan 27, 2022
Day cares struggle to stay open as COVID-19 surges across Japan
On Monday, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry announced that a record 327 licensed day care facilities nationwide were closed as of Jan. 20 due to the virus.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 25, 2022
Japan moves to focus resources on severe COVID-19 patients
Young, low-risk patients will no longer need a doctor's diagnosis to confirm an infection as fears grow over the strain the omicron variant is putting on Japan's health care system.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2022
As omicron spreads in Japan, business continuity plans come into focus
Companies and local governments are drawing up measures to keep business going even if many staffers can't work due to infection or being deemed a close contact.
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.
How to tweak your diet when temperatures spike
Most people think of hydration as a strictly liquid-based concept, but eating foods with high water content is an essential part of making it through a Japanese summer unscathed.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

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