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July 17, 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.
BUSINESS
Dec 16, 2006
'Tankan' rise fuels rate hike talk
Business confidence at large manufacturers rose slightly in the three months to December, according to the Bank of Japan's quarterly "tankan" survey released Friday, fueling speculation the central bank's second interest rate hike in about six years could come next month.
BUSINESS
Dec 4, 2006
Doubts hamper hydrogen's spread
Despite the BMW Group's assurance that it has taken every precaution and covered the worst-case scenarios, many people still doubt the wisdom of using highly flammable hydrogen as a fuel.
BUSINESS
Dec 4, 2006
BMW's hydrogen statement
It was a sunny day in Berlin in November when this reporter anxiously got into BMW's newest car for a test drive. Which was appropriate, as the fuel inside the star was basically the same one running the car.
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2006
Console name no laughing matter
When it comes to product names, Japanese companies sometimes come up with ideas that draw snickers from English speakers.
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2006
Nintendo's Wii game console debuts to long lines nationwide
Enthusiastic fans formed long lines outside electronics stores nationwide early Saturday to be the first in Japan to get their hands on Nintendo Co.'s new Wii video game console.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2006
Nintendo's Wii game console debuts to long lines nationwide
Enthusiastic fans formed long lines outside electronics stores nationwide early Saturday to be the first in Japan to get their hands on Nintendo Co.'s new Wii video game console.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 25, 2006
German potter carries on raku tradition
BERLIN -- Despite a tradition of more than 400 years, raku ceramics are now not well-known in Japan beyond the tea ceremony.
BUSINESS
Nov 23, 2006
Big banks see high profits in first half
Most major banks posted big profits in the April-September first half as brighter business activities led to a reduction in bad loans, allowing them to shift money from loan-loss reserves to the profit section.
BUSINESS
Nov 16, 2006
Nissin's Myojo tender may stir instant-ramen bidding battle
Nissin Food Products Co. announced Wednesday it will launch a public tender offer for Myojo Foods Co. to help the rival instant-noodle maker stop a hostile takeover by a U.S. investment fund.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 15, 2006
Aozora lists on Tokyo Stock Exchange
The formerly government-controlled Aozora Bank went public Tuesday -- eight years after its predecessor, Nippon Credit Bank, was delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange -- fetching an initial quote of 495 yen, or 13 percent less than its public offering price of 570 yen.
BUSINESS
Nov 3, 2006
FSA soliciting bids for Ashikaga bank
The Financial Services Agency began soliciting bids Thursday for the sale of state-owned Ashikaga Bank Ltd., publishing the conditions that buyers must satisfy to purchase the Tochigi Prefecture-based bank.
BUSINESS
Oct 28, 2006
Matsushita scores huge in flat-panel TV market
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., maker of the Panasonic brand, said Friday that its group net profit jumped 78.7 percent to 115.1 billion yen in the April-September period, thanks to brisk sales of its flat-panel plasma televisions and air conditioners.
BUSINESS
Oct 27, 2006
Sony profit dives 94% in quarter
Sony Corp.'s group net profit for the July-September quarter took a 94.1 percent nosedive from the previous year due the massive global recalls of its defective lithium-ion batteries and sluggish sales in its gaming division, the company announced Thursday.
BUSINESS
Oct 25, 2006
Sony apologizes for defective batteries
Sony Corp. Vice President Yutaka Nakagawa apologized Tuesday for causing concern among customers over problems with its lithium-ion batteries that have led to a massive worldwide recall.
BUSINESS
Oct 21, 2006
Daiei operating profit up, net profit down
Daiei Inc. said Friday its operating profit for its March-August half was 25.45 billion yen, up 41.9 percent from the previous year, on sales of 672.1 billion yen, due to strong sales in its credit card subsidiary OMC Card Inc.
BUSINESS
Oct 19, 2006
Inpex to drill for Indonesian gas
Inpex Holdings Inc. said Wednesday it plans to develop a gas field in southern Indonesia to produce about 3 million tons annually beginning as early as 2014 in a bid to ensure Japan has a steady supply of liquefied natural gas.
BUSINESS
Oct 14, 2006
Nuke test casts cloud over markets: Fukui
The nuclear test North Korea claimed it conducted Monday will negatively effect Japan's economy, Bank of Japan Gov. Toshihiko Fukui said Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 12, 2006
Sony's battery fiasco a symptom of bigger woes at legendary firm
It was a fine day at Los Angeles International Airport on Sept. 16 when a passenger's ThinkPad laptop, containing a Sony Corp. battery already recalled by other companies, was suddenly wreathed in smoke and started emitting sparks.
BUSINESS
Oct 3, 2006
Business sentiment hits two-year high
Business confidence at large manufacturers rose to a two-year high in the three months through September, according to the Bank of Japan's latest "tankan" survey, despite forecasts by economists it would either remain flat or slightly decline.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / CABINET INTERVIEW
Oct 3, 2006
Transport minister wants road taxes to be spent on more than just roads
Gas and vehicle taxes should not be spent only on road construction but also on protecting the environment, including maintaining the nation's forests, according to the new minister of land, infrastructure and transport.
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.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
China’s economic growth comes in worse than expected
Pedestrians in the Wangfujing shopping area in Beijing on July 11, 2024. China's economic growth in the second quarter was lower than forecast, adding pressure on Chinese leaders to lift confidence at the Chinese Communist Party's third plenum this week.
Kansai airports to increase takeoff and landing slots ahead of Osaka Expo
Kansai International Airport in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture. The upper limit on the number of takeoff and landing slots at the airport as well as Kobe Airport in Hyogo Prefecture will be raised in spring next year ahead of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.
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.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
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.

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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