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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
BUSINESS / CABINET INTERVIEW
Sep 30, 2006
Single rate cap needs five years, FSA chief says
A transition period of about five years in introducing a lowered, single interest-rate ceiling for consumer loans is necessary to meet potential demands from customers who want to borrow money for a short period, Financial Services Agency chief Yuji Yamamoto reckons.
BUSINESS
Sep 26, 2006
Nissan to sell off stake in truck maker to Volvo
AB Volvo said Monday it will acquire 34.5 billion yen of Nissan Diesel Motor Co.'s preferred stock and purchase 6 percent of Nissan Diesel's outstanding shares from Nissan Motor Co. -- a move that will push Volvo's stake in the truck manufacturer closer to 50 percent by April 2014.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 23, 2006
Sony takes center stage at Tokyo Game Show
CHIBA -- The nation's biggest game exhibition kicked off at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba on Friday as industry officials and media reporters took a peek at the next-generation video-game consoles before they hit the stores later this year.
BUSINESS
Sep 20, 2006
Top Lexus model glides into showrooms
Toyota Motor Corp. unleashed the Lexus LS, its flagship model, on Japan on Tuesday in hopes of improving flagging sales of the internationally known brand, which has not lived up to expectations here since debuting in August 2005.
JAPAN
Sep 19, 2006
'Gyudon' return sets off stampede to Yoshinoya
Fans of Yoshinoya's beef bowls thronged the fast-food chain Monday to get their first taste of the popular dish in more than 2 1/2 years since it was scratched from the menu due to the ban on U.S. beef.
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2006
Lenders to get five years until 20% rate cap: LDP
A key Liberal Democratic Party panel agreed Friday to shorten a transition period for the creation of a single interest-rate ceiling for consumer loans to five years instead of the original nine proposed by the Finance Services Agency, panel members said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 16, 2006
Government says deflation still not beaten
The government on Friday stopped short of declaring the death of deflation in its September economic report, but dropped the dreaded word for the first time since April 2001.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2006
M.crew offers work in the day, cheap bed at night
Three years ago, a 19-year-old man arrived in Tokyo from Kyushu to work at a security company.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2006
Motorcyclists to get some help from government on parking
Hideo Sakata remembers the time of "lawlessness" when it was easy to find a place in Tokyo's Roppongi district to park his motorcycle.
BUSINESS
Aug 23, 2006
Seiyu cuts first-half loss to 1.36 billion yen
Seiyu Ltd. said Tuesday its first-half group operating loss narrowed to 1.36 billion yen from 2.48 billion yen for the same period last year, thanks to higher sales of household goods.
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2006
Rakuten enjoys 37% surge in profit
Rakuten Inc. reported Friday that its group net profit rose 37.1 percent to 7.1 billion yen in the first half of the year, thanks to strong sales at its online brokerage.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 16, 2006
Despite Oji's likely failure, M&As catching on
Japan appears to have entered a new era of mergers and acquisitions with Oji Paper Co.'s recent takeover bid for Hokuetsu Paper Mills Ltd.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 15, 2006
Affiliate marketing now coming of age
"Half my advertising budget is wasted, but I don't know which half," goes the old retailer's quip, but this dilemma may someday be a thing of the past. If so, affiliate marketing, a type of pay-for-performance advertising, will get some of the credit.
BUSINESS
Aug 12, 2006
BOJ Policy Board talks net no changes
The Bank of Japan decided Friday to maintain its 0.25 percent short-term interest rate as the central bank's assessment of economic and financial condition in the past month remained unchanged.
JAPAN
Aug 11, 2006
Advanced star projector is life's work for creator
head from the Southern Hemisphere. You can't see it that high up in Japan," he said. At the time, Ohira never dreamed he would re-create that spectacle with his own high-tech projector, but that's what happened. Soon after starting college, he began making star projectors and his enthusiasm for his hobby...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 5, 2006
Toyota shrugs off safety woes; logs record profit
Toyota Motor Corp., unscathed by an investigation over its failure to promptly recall faulty vehicles, announced record group sales and profits for the April-June quarter Friday, thanks to strong sales in North America and Europe.
BUSINESS
Aug 1, 2006
Flash-memory sales fuel turnaround for Toshiba
Toshiba Corp. on Monday posted a group net profit of 4.0 billion yen for the April-June period, improving from a group net loss of 8.9 billion yen the previous year thanks to brisk sales in flash-memory products.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 1, 2006
Staffing companies find market in helping retired athletes
When international midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata recently announced his retirement from soccer, people wondered what he would do in the next stage of his life -- business, sports, or a combination of both?
BUSINESS
Jul 29, 2006
Mitsubishi Electric profit doubles
Mitsubishi Electric Corp. said Friday its group net profit jumped more than twofold from a year before to a record high 24.9 billion yen in the three months ending in June, thanks to vigorous sales of mobile phone handsets.
BUSINESS
Jul 28, 2006
'Safe' U.S. beef gets green light to enter Japan
The government on Thursday approved the resumption of U.S. beef imports, saying it will check all incoming shipments "for the time being" to make sure high-risk materials are being properly removed.
South Korea couple beat same-sex barriers to parenthood
South Korean lesbian couple Kim Kyu-jin (left) and her wife, Kim Sae-yeon, pose with a "pregnant woman" badge during an interview in Seoul last month.
Japan unveils new overtourism countermeasures
The majority of tourists in Japan tend to stay in Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto, resulting in overcrowding in popular tourist spots and a strain on transportation systems.
Opportunities await the bold in the Year of the Wood Dragon
2024 marks the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, with the year predicted to be a good time for fresh starts.
Japan pharma startup developing world-first drug to grow new teeth
A new tooth is seen in a ferret's mouth after it was administered a drug to stimulate the growth of tooth buds.
Don’t worry about global population collapse
Most projections show the world will hit peak humanity in the 21st century as people choose to have smaller families and women gain power over their own reproduction.
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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