Kanako Takahara - The Japan Times

November 22, 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

Dec 9, 2005

SDF mission in Iraq extended; June exit planned

The government formally endorsed a revised plan Thursday to extend the Ground Self-Defense Force's humanitarian mission in Samawah, southern Iraq, for another year while at the same time signaling the troops' withdrawal by next summer.

JAPAN

Dec 8, 2005

Panel OKs SDF's Iraq extension

A key policy panel of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved on Wednesday a one-year extension for the Ground Self-Defense Force's mission in Iraq.

JAPAN

Dec 6, 2005

Al-Jaafari urges mission extension

Protesters threw stones at a convoy of Japanese troop vehicles Sunday in Iraq, breaking a mirror on one of the vehicles, officials of the Ground Self-Defense Force said. The incident took place in Rumaythah near the GSDF's camp in Samawah as about 40 demonstrators, some apparently armed, surrounded a...

Japan Times

JAPAN

Nov 25, 2005

Zebari urges extension of GSDF deployment

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on Thursday urged his Japanese counterpart, Taro Aso, to keep the Self-Defense Forces troops deployed to Samawah, a Foreign Ministry official said.

JAPAN

Nov 22, 2005

Putin, Koizumi bolster economic ties, skip isles

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agreed Monday to increase security and economic cooperation despite the 60-year territorial row over the four Russian-held islands off northern Hokkaido.

JAPAN

Nov 19, 2005

Aso pitch for isles' joint development surprises bureaucrats

Foreign Minister Taro Aso's suggestion to undertake joint economic projects with Moscow on four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan completely caught some ministry officials off guard Friday.

Japan Times

JAPAN

Nov 19, 2005

Old-timer Kitty Hawk carries on

ABOARD THE USS KITTY HAWK -- With a deafening roar, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 approached the USS Kitty Hawk, but failing to hook one of the four trap wires, the fighter had to go around and try to land again.

JAPAN

Nov 16, 2005

Japan boosts U.S. ties at own risk

The United States has been Japan's most important ally since World War II and the U.S. nuclear umbrella of the Cold War came to define their security alliance.

Japan Times

BUSINESS

Nov 10, 2005

'68 tax treaty needs revision: Belgian leader

Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt on Wednesday proposed that Tokyo and Brussels revise their tax treaty to boost Japanese investment in Belgium.

Japan Times

JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW

Nov 3, 2005

Aso planning to run for LDP president

Foreign Minister Taro Aso, a potential successor to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, said he will run for president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party next September if he can get the required 20 party members to nominate him.

Japan Times

JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW

Nov 2, 2005

New defense chief promises less local burden from U.S. bases

The government will reduce the burden on communities with U.S. military bases by facilitating cooperation between the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military, Defense Agency chief Fukushiro Nukaga said Tuesday.

JAPAN

Oct 31, 2005

Force realignment plan criticized

Top Japanese and U.S. officials boasted that Saturday's interim report on U.S. military realignment in Japan will realize the two principles they set out to achieve -- maintaining a deterrent force in the Asia-Pacific region and reducing the burden of host communities.

JAPAN

Oct 29, 2005

Nuclear carrier to replace Kitty Hawk

, said if the nuclear-powered carrier collides with other vessels, a possible scenario in Tokyo Bay where a great number of ships come and go, it could cause a great disaster.

JAPAN

Oct 29, 2005

Ban urges Koizumi to end visits to Yasukuni

South Korea's foreign affairs and trade minister on Friday urged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi not to visit contentious Yasukuni Shrine again, according to a Japanese official.

JAPAN

Oct 28, 2005

Ban slams shrine visit, casts doubt on summit

shakes hands with his South Korean counterpart Ban Ki Moon before their meeting in Tokyo.

JAPAN

Oct 28, 2005

Vow to 'fully execute' leaves Tokyo in Futenma dilemma

, head of the Naha Defense Facilities Administration Bureau, sits with Okinawan Gov. Keiichi Inamine at the start of their meeting to discuss the new plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station.

JAPAN

Oct 27, 2005

Japan, U.S. agree on new Futenma site

relocation (plan) because of a lot of opposition," Koizumi said. "We need to carry out (the new plan) as soon as possible." The defense chief called for cooperation from Okinawans, saying Japan had done its best to protect the environment.

JAPAN

Oct 25, 2005

Issues involved in U.S.-Japan base talks

The following questions and answers deal with the deadlock between Japan and the United States over the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture -- the main topic of bilateral working-level talks that began Monday in Tokyo.

JAPAN

Oct 22, 2005

U.S. realignment talks in danger

Defense Agency chief Yoshinori Ono said Friday that Japan and the United States might not hold realignment talks next week if the two sides fail to agree on where to move the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa.

JAPAN

Oct 20, 2005

Suzuki spars with Foreign Ministry

cases," he said. At the time, Suzuki was said to wield considerable influence over the Foreign Ministry's policymaking process. He was also attacked for allegedly manipulating bids for government-backed construction projects on Kunashiri, on of the Russian-held islands.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.

A boom for business tourism in Japan?

By Kathryn Wortley

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

mission sustainability vol.12 : Kose Corp.Kose takes pride in creating beauty in the world

mission sustainability vol.12 : Kose Corp.Kose takes pride in creating beauty in the world

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