author

 
 
 Kanako Takahara

Meta

Twitter

@jt_takahara

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
Apr 25, 2023
58 Japanese citizens and family members evacuated from Sudan
Forty-five of them were flown out on a Self-Defense Forces aircraft to neighboring Djibouti.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 21, 2023
Kishida on demographics, defense and disparity
In an exclusive interview, Prime Minister Kishida addresses the foreign and domestic issues that loom large, from the war in Ukraine to his promotion of “new capitalism” in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 21, 2023
Immigration bill set to pass Japan's parliament as two opposition parties join revision discussions
A controversial bill to curb long-term detentions of illegal overstayers at immigration facilities is set to clear parliament by the end of its session in June.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 19, 2023
Japan grants refugee status to woman from Uganda fearing LGBTQ persecution
The woman came to Japan in 2020 after claiming she was beaten by police in Uganda for being a lesbian.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 17, 2023
In wake of attack, Kishida thought of bystanders, election and G7 summit
In an exclusive interview, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that he did not feel his life was threatened in the immediate aftermath of an attack on Saturday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 16, 2023
Kishida incident shows protecting VIPs from lone wolves remains a tall order
Campaigning often sees politicians looking to shake hands and deliver speeches in front of sometimes large audiences in settings without security checkpoints.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 15, 2023
Police probe explosives attack as Kishida returns to election rallies
A suspect is in custody after a cylindrical object landed 1 meter from the prime minister, who was evacuated before the device exploded.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 7, 2023
Search for crew from missing SDF helicopter continues as debris is recovered
The coast guard retrieved 10 pieces of debris, including a lifeboat, but there has been no sign so far of the 10 personnel who were were on board.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Mar 24, 2023
Iwao Hakamata: The former pro-boxer fighting for exoneration, with help from his sister
The day of his arrest forever changed the course of Hakamata's life, but it was also the beginning of a long, drawn out fight for exoneration.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 20, 2023
Tokyo prosecutors decide not to appeal Iwao Hakamata retrial decision
The case will now be sent to the Shizuoka District Court, with a high possibility that Hakamata will be exonerated over murders in 1966.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Mar 17, 2023
Why Kishida and Yoon moved to improve frosty bilateral ties
Beyond good food and drinks, North Korea’s repeated missile launches and the need for the two countries to cooperate over economic security brought the two leaders together.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 16, 2023
Kishida and Yoon to resume ‘shuttle diplomacy’ as frosty ties warm
The visit to Japan by Yoon is the first by a South Korean president for a bilateral summit since Lee Myung-bak traveled to Tokyo more than 11 years ago.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 16, 2023
Police secure arrest warrant for expelled lawmaker GaaSyy
The former lawmaker is being sought for allegedly intimidating and defaming celebrities in videos he posted on social media.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 14, 2023
Upper House committee votes to expel GaaSyy from Japan's parliament
The decision, made unanimously among ruling and opposition lawmakers, will almost certainly be finalized during an Upper House plenary session on Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 13, 2023
Tokyo High Court orders retrial in 1966 Iwao Hakamata murder case
After nearly six decades, 10 court decisions and more than 30 years on death row, the court on Monday ordered a retrial for the 87-year-old convicted murderer and former pro-boxer.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to visit Japan on March 16
The meeting is expected to help mend bilateral ties, which have been impacted for years by a dispute over wartime labor.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2023
Japan's Cabinet OKs overhaul of immigration system
Proposed revisions to the immigration law would increase reviews of detentions, ease deportation rules and add a status of quasi-refugees.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Feb 22, 2023
Japan accepted over 2,300 Ukrainians last year. Is its refugee policy finally changing?
Many were surprised with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's decision to accept Ukrainians into the country given Tokyo has long held a strict definition of who is eligible for asylum.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 14, 2023
Policy path in focus as Kazuo Ueda nominated to be Bank of Japan chief
An academic, author and former BOJ board member, Ueda will be tasked with leading the BOJ through a challenging period.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 6, 2023
What could Japan do about foreign spy balloons over its territory?
The nation may have already seen Chinese spy balloons over its skies, including two instances of remarkably similar design to the alleged spy balloon shot down by the U.S.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?