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November 22, 2024
 

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Patrick St. Michel
Patrick St. Michel is a Tokyo-based writer with a focus on Japanese music. He runs the blog Make Believe Melodies, which has focused on Japanese independent music since 2009. Besides The Japan Times, he also contributes to MTV 81 and The Atlantic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 4, 2020
‘Aggretsuko’ brings her rage to the world of idol pop
The third season of Netflix's “Aggretsuko” shifts its focus from everyday drudgery to the music industry and offers a nuanced take on idol fandoms.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Aug 29, 2020
Sweet, fruit-filled and ... vegan?! This shortcake is a dream come true
Satisfying your sweet tooth as a vegan can be a challenge in Tokyo. Hal Okada Vegan Sweets Lab is a welcome arrival.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 28, 2020
Chelmico breezes through 2020 with optimistic music for somber times
The rap duo's upbeat new album, “Maze,” kicks off with a topsy-turvy track that's the opening theme of a popular anime and has inspired a dance meme.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 22, 2020
Global furor over TikTok security alarms users in Japan
TikTok's rise represents something of a divide in how people use the internet in Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Aug 22, 2020
Classic izakaya pub dishes, now in crunchy snack form
To cure any urges to dine out, several snack makers have come up with new flavors inspired by dishes you could order during a night on the town.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Aug 15, 2020
Stay peachy keen and cool with Starbucks’ Juicy Peach Frappuccino
Trying to enjoy an icy treat before it melts during summer can be tricky. But sometimes a little melting is actually a good thing.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 13, 2020
Local Visions web label creates a digital oasis for pop
Masayuki Funo, founder of the music label Local Visions, gives burgeoning artists the freedom to explore their own sound.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 11, 2020
Supersonic 2020 postponed due to COVID-19 concerns
Event company Creativeman announced that this year's replacement for Summer Sonic will be postponed until 2021.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Aug 8, 2020
Add some sparkle to your summer with Sake Tonic
The best new sake arrival of the season is FamilyMart's limited-edition Sake Tonic — smooth, citrusy and alarmingly easy to drink.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 6, 2020
City Pop on Vinyl brings back the glitzed-out sounds of Japan's bubble
Soak up the sounds of city pop with five albums that highlight old-school heavyweights or showcase newer artists' takes on the bubble era genre.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Aug 1, 2020
Sweet dessert discoveries in Koenji
Kichiraku specializes in amazake (sweet, low-alcohol sake) yogurt and smoothies, which you can customize with plenty of toppings.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jul 31, 2020
YouTube traveler John Daub faces a new online landscape
John Daub's travel-centric Only In Japan channel is finding a new path amid difficulties stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 25, 2020
Reading time isn’t quiet time with ‘My Moon, Your Moon’
Aishah Levine and Nick Ashley's bilingual book encourages parents to strike up conversations with kids while reading to build self-confidence.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jul 25, 2020
Frozen melon desserts: The best way to survive the summer?
It's peak melon season in Japan, and thanks to convenience store desserts featuring the fruit, you don't have to shell out a lot of money to enjoy it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 18, 2020
Japan's Go To Travel campaign could have been better re-imagined on social media
Criticism is mounting about the rationale behind launching a domestic tourism drive amid a pandemic.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jul 18, 2020
It’s a clash of creamy and crunchy at Beard Papa’s
With two new takes on its signature sweet, cream puff specialist Beard Papa's isn't holding back for summer 2020.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 16, 2020
Celer’s musical diary offers an escape into his personal experiences
To satisfy his fans' hunger for hard-to-find releases, ambient musician Will Long, aka Celer, has remastered and re-released his two earliest works.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 11, 2020
Social media finds itself in a new role as businesses reopen
Many residents of Japan are still a long way from feeling remotely like they did before the COVID-19 pandemic began, but that hasn’t stopped a number of nonessential businesses from starting up again after months of being closed.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jul 11, 2020
Losing its cool? Korean-style cheese dogs hit Lawson shelves
Lawson has been selling its own take on the popular Korean street food as part of the 'Nice Cheese Grand Prix' campaign.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 9, 2020
Downer pop and TikTok-ready bangers: the year in Japanese music so far
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of modern life — including music. Here are five Japanese songs that reflect the major trends of 2020.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

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

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