Kanako Takahara - The Japan Times

July 16, 2024

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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

Nov 14, 2003

Taiwan's spas bubbling over with popularity

TAIPEI -- Chu Chien-huei stretches her arms in a hot tub full of orchid petals on a sunny day at Spring City Resort, a hot spring hotel in Peitou, with her 5-year-old daughter at her side.

JAPAN

Nov 13, 2003

Bilateral talks must include abductions: Fukuda

Bilateral talks over compensating North Korea for Japan's colonial rule of the peninsula must also include the abduction issue, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Wednesday.

JAPAN

Nov 8, 2003

Baghdad embassy staff to stay despite Spain exit

Japan has no intention of withdrawing its embassy officials in Baghdad despite Spain's decision to do so in the wake of continuous rebel attacks in Iraq, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday.

JAPAN

Nov 6, 2003

U.S. has proposed peace accord to North

The United States has proposed to North Korea a multinational peace agreement on the Korean Peninsula on condition that Pyongyang abandon its nuclear arms program.

JAPAN

Oct 29, 2003

Japanese woman bids for asylum in North Korea

A Japanese woman has sought asylum in North Korea after entering the country illegally during a trip to China in August, Foreign Ministry officials said Tuesday.

COMMENTARY / World

Oct 24, 2003

Taiwan power rivals must win or perish

TAIPEI -- With five months to go before Taiwan's presidential election, the campaign is heating up between the incumbent, President Chen Shui-bian, leader of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, and the opposition Kuomintang's (KMT) Lien Chan.

JAPAN

Oct 9, 2003

Ex-envoy spills beans on slush fund, Iraq war

The Foreign Ministry funnels 2 billion yen a year into a discretionary fund handled by the Cabinet Secretariat, it was alleged Wednesday.

JAPAN

Sep 29, 2003

Motegi says he will address Okinawa-SOFA issue

Toshimitsu Motegi, the new minister in charge of Okinawa and affairs related to the Northern Territories, says he will review what Japan can do to improve implementation of the accord that governs U.S. military activities in the country.

JAPAN / CABINET INTERVIEW

Sep 24, 2003

Kawaguchi eyes bigger SDF role

The government should pursue a more flexible interpretation of the Constitution's war-renouncing Article 9 and allow the Self-Defense Forces to make a greater contribution to global peacekeeping efforts, according to Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi.

JAPAN

Sep 19, 2003

Panel calls for reinterpretation of the antiwar Constitution

In light of the nuclear threat posed by North Korea, the government should alter its interpretation of the Constitution and allow Japan to exercise the right of collective defense, according to a report compiled Thursday by an advisory panel to Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi.

JAPAN

Sep 18, 2003

Pyongyang given ultimatum on anniversary of summit

The government's top spokesman reiterated Wednesday that Japan will not resume normalization talks with North Korea unless it allows the family members of abductees who returned last year to also come to Japan.

JAPAN

Sep 13, 2003

Japan opposes latest Israeli decision

Japan on Friday came out against Israel's decision to oust Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, saying the move will only escalate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

JAPAN

Sep 13, 2003

Defector describes childhood of pain

A North Korean who was once detained in the notorious Yodeok concentration camp called on South Korea, Japan and other nations to join hands to pressure the Kim Jong Il regime.

JAPAN

Sep 6, 2003

Japan vows 'sincere' response to China gas leak

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told China's No. 2 leader Friday that Japan will deal "sincerely" with last month's poison gas leak from barrels abandoned by the Imperial Japanese Army in China at the end of World War II.

JAPAN / AFTER 2 1/2 YEARS

Sep 5, 2003

Koizumi support of U.S. a double-edged sword?

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was offered two scripts by the Foreign Ministry ahead of the March invasion of Iraq by the United States.

JAPAN

Jul 20, 2003

Koizumi backs Blair's decision to attack Iraq as 'courageous'

HAKONE, Kanagawa Pref. -- Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi agreed Saturday with his British counterpart, Tony Blair, that there were justifiable grounds to launch the war against Iraq.

JAPAN

Jul 19, 2003

U.S. to give back idle Yokohama land

Japan and the United States agreed in principle Friday to the return of idle land at four sites in Yokohama currently overseen by U.S. forces, Foreign Ministry officials said.

JAPAN

Jul 17, 2003

Koizumi, Howard stress pressuring North Korea and liberalizing trade

The leaders of Japan and Australia agreed Wednesday on the necessity of five-nation talks on the North Korean nuclear issue and the importance of liberalizing bilateral trade.

JAPAN

Jul 16, 2003

Government seeks SOFA deals with three Mideast hosts

The government plans to conclude status of forces agreements with Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan, a senior official of the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

JAPAN

Jul 16, 2003

UNSC may be brought in on North Korea

Japan, South Korea and the United States have agreed that the U.N. Security Council should adopt a statement denouncing North Korea for its suspected nuclear weapons development if it does not agree to conduct multilateral talks, a senior Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday.

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

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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals

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