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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
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jun 2, 2018
The Fresh Mint Chocolate Pizza promises two things: mint and sugar
This Max Brenner creation is a punchy blend of mint, chocolate, ice cream, marshmallow and almonds.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jun 2, 2018
Smartphones leading charge to shame troublemakers online
Everyone in Tokyo has a commuting horror story, but sometimes you need to see an example of some really rough behavior on the trains with your own eyes to understand just how bad some people have it.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 26, 2018
'Westworld' slays fans with re-creation of Edo in Shogun World
With its story of life-like robots in a Wild West-themed amusement park becoming sentient, and the complications that arise as a result, the television show “Westworld” has attracted a dedicated following over the past couple of years.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 26, 2018
Stay clear away from Asahi's Clear Latte
Picture this: the milky, coffee flavor of a latte, transformed into what looks like a bottle of water. That's the driving idea behind Asahi's Clear Latte.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
May 19, 2018
Shiseido's 'Higashi wo Dori Parfait' is a cornucopia of fruit and flavor
The Salon de Cafe in Ginza has a limited-edition fruit and green tea parfait that hits all the right summery notes.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 12, 2018
Family Mart's frozen, Technicolor frappes: drink them for the gram
Instagram-friendly food has made it to the final frontier — convenience stores. Plenty of konbini offerings in the last couple of years have looked good enough to share on social media, but Family Mart appears to be the first to sell something explicitly designed for the selfie-loving set.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
May 10, 2018
Can Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic give U.S. hip-hop a boost in Japan?
This summer's slate of music festivals are putting more of a spotlight on American hip-hop. Fuji Rock Festival announced Kendrick Lamar and the group N.E.R.D as headliners, while Summer Sonic features Chance the Rapper on its main stage. It's a considerable showcasing moment for a genre having an up-and-down...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 5, 2018
Coca-Cola Frozen Lemon: What's Coke without the fizz?
It's hot out. Accordingly, everyone is seeking out cooler treats to get them through a summer that hasn't even fully settled in yet. Coca-Cola Japan is betting that people need a fix of cool in 2018, and have introduced a new product that takes their signature soda once more into uncharted territory....
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 5, 2018
Susaki otter Chiitan leads a new generation of mascots with personality
Registration for this year’s Yuru-kyara Grand Prix opens on May 7, with eyes nationwide turning to see which cute and cuddly mascot will snap up the prestigious award in 2018.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 3, 2018
Nariaki Obukuro comes out of left field
Nariaki Obukuro bristles at the suggestion he makes J-pop. He prefers his music being described as J-pop-adjacent.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Apr 28, 2018
Pop-up Haagen-Daaz Sabo delivers with tea, ice cream and twists on the traditional
Treat yourself this Golden Week to ice cream with a little Japanese flair.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 25, 2018
NHK pushes to define culture ahead of 2020 with some help from Perfume
With the Pyeongchang Olympics wrapped up, the spotlight has shifted to Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Games. The build up to the sporting spectacular is already well under way.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Apr 21, 2018
Baskin Robbins' 'Popping Shower' ice cream promises more pop
Baskin Robbins' ongoing tie-up with confectionery maker Fujiya has produced a bumper crop of tasty sweets available at convenience stores across the country. But so far, none of them have been particularly daring. The candies tend to highlight a pretty basic palette of flavors — chocolate, strawberry,...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Apr 19, 2018
BTS is big, let's hope the hype helps other Asian acts
Earlier this month, an album sung mainly in Japanese landed on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart at No. 43. That's a rare accomplishment for any Japanese artist — and an even less frequent one for a non-Japanese outfit to pull off.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Apr 14, 2018
Koikeya's 'strong' potato chips scream flavor, but do they deliver?
It takes a lot to stand out in the crowded Japanese chip market in 2018. The safest ways to catch a consumer's eye is to either embrace some sort of novelty flavor, or to go flat out on the hyperbole. With its new line of "strong" (all caps, that is) potato chips that promise a "punch" of flavor with...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Apr 14, 2018
Handbag hashtag turns tables on misogynist social media conversation
When does posting a photo on social media of something you use on a daily basis represent more than simply sharing a slice of your life with your followers?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 10, 2018
'I can only speak my own truth': Otoboke Beaver rocks tunes not politics
More than 100,000 people are expected to attend this month's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the Southern California desert. While heavyweight North American pop stars such as Beyonce and The Weeknd are grabbing the most attention, the lineup also features dozens of noteworthy names — including...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Apr 7, 2018
Sarabeth's PBJ French Toast is a twist on the classic brown-paper-bag lunch
More and more non-Japanese foods that were once impossible to find in Tokyo have become available in recent years. The quality can be hit or miss, but it is out there, waiting to be devoured. But what do you do when you get a craving for a comfort food that doesn't fit on a trendy menu, say for a peanut...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Mar 31, 2018
Kirin's 'Grapefruit Dog' is a refreshingly tasty take on the classic Salty Dog
Kirin has been going global recently. In 2017, the drink maker introduced an international-themed line of drinks to their main line of chūhai (shōchū and soda) beverages, featuring flavors inspired by far flung locations such as Havana, Barcelona and Texas.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Mar 24, 2018
Blog post sparks a constructive debate on office culture in Japan
One person’s cultural observations can be another’s daily gripes but, with any luck, they can lead to an enlightening debate. That was the case last week when a blog post about one non-Japanese individual’s experience working in the country’s information technology sector proved popular with...
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.
Tokyo Metro’s overseas efforts begin in earnest with London deal
Tokyo Metro will soon have a role in the running of London's Elizabeth Line, a major train route serving the U.K.’s capital city and environs.
Russia fired experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine, Putin says
Ukrainian firefighters work on a spot following an airstrike in Dnipro on Thursday.
Ex-yokozuna Kitanofuji dies at 82
Yokozuna Kitanofuji enters the ring during the May 1970 grand sumo tournament in Tokyo.
Man charged with murder allegedly made victim date other men for money
A car carrying suspect Ryotaro Masuda, who was indicted for allegedly beating his 25-year-old girlfriend to death, leaves the Shibuya Police Station in Tokyo on Thursday.
Shohei Ohtani wins National League MVP award
Shohei Ohtani celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Padres during the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles last month.
The slow-burn success of ‘A Samurai in Time’
A 19th-century warrior gets struck by lightning and wakes to find himself in 21st-century Kyoto in Junichi Yasuda’s surprise hit “A Samurai in Time.”
Around a quarter of Japan married couples in their 20s met through dating apps
A survey released by an organization promoting “Good Couples Day” shows that 24% of couples in their 20s met their marriage partner through a dating app.
'Tokyo Swindlers': Get deep into the minds of real estate con artists
In Ko Shinjo's "Tokyo Swindlers," a group of con artists manipulates real estate giants into falsified deals within the highly competitive, quick market.
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.

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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