Takakura
Summary
Takakura serves as the Chief Cabinet Secretary within the Kayabuki administration, functioning as the de facto power broker of the government. Described by Chief Aramaki as a pro-American neo-conservative, he holds significant influence despite having divergent ultimate goals from Kazundo Gouda, whose Cabinet Intelligence Service reports directly to him. Although their interests overlap, both men operated as independent agents during the events of 2nd Gig. Initially, Takakura acts as a liaison between Section 9 and Prime Minister Kayabuki, particularly during the assassination attempt on the Prime Minister by Hideo Kuze. Following a series of suicide bombings by refugees, Imperial America approaches Japan with a treaty aimed at reaffirming Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which restricts the Self-Defense Forces from offensive overseas operations. From the American perspective, the treaty seeks to co-opt the Japanese Miracle, a micro-machine technology capable of scrubbing radioactive fallout, thereby reducing the threat of nuclear attack. While Prime Minister Kayabuki prioritizes the refugee crisis in Dejima and sidelines the treaty, Takakura fully supports it as a means to secure Japan’s status as a global power. With the Cabinet divided on the refugee issue and Kayabuki lacking independent political leverage, Takakura, identified as part of the neo-conservative faction, maneuvers to shift authority from Public Security and the National Police Agency to the military. Utilizing manipulated data provided by Gouda, he secures a larger military role in the crisis, starting with the Coast Guard blockade of Dejima—a move ironically requested by Section 9—and later deploying the Self-Defense Army to Nagasaki to secure the city from a nuclear threat. As public dissatisfaction with the handling of the Dejima Crisis mounts, Takakura persuades the Cabinet to authorize a military invasion under the false pretense that Hideo Kuze possesses plutonium. When Kayabuki stalls the invasion by appealing to the UN, Takakura has both her and Aramaki placed under house arrest, allowing him to maintain control of the government for the remainder of the series. He is voiced by Eddie Jones in episodes 5, 7, and 16, and by William Bassett in episodes 23 and 26.
