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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
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 27, 2018
Shukan Bunshun shoots itself in the foot with Komuro scandal
Another month, another celebrity controversy in Japan. This time, however, the commotion over J-pop producer Tetsuya Komuro’s alleged affair and subsequent retirement might mark the moment that netizens rejected the country’s obsession with scandals. It also allowed those who might fall under the...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jan 20, 2018
First Kitchen's Dessert Potatoes: An overpowering addition to the chocolate fries scene
We're currently living through a race by fast food chains to see who can best transform French fries into a dessert. Is First Kitchen up to the challenge?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 20, 2018
Stranded Niigata train incident highlights flaws in social media
Thanks to social media, anyone can log in to Twitter these days and comment on the fate of people who are stuck inside a stranded train from the comfort of their own homes. Is this what the world has become?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Sound Off
Jan 18, 2018
Will 2018 herald a return to the 1990s?
Prognosticating something as unpredictable as the domestic music industry might appear to be a fool's errand. But what's the fun in playing it safe? Here are some predictions for 2018.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jan 13, 2018
Lawson's strawberry and cream cheesecake: 'Tis the season to celebrate the berry
If you only have space for one strawberry-centric treat this month, go for this one.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 6, 2018
Blackface, suicide and celebrity abuse: Welcome to 2018!
We're one week into 2018 and it seems Japan has an image problem.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jan 6, 2018
Fairycake Fair's Mocha-chan and Milky-chan: Dog-shaped cupcakes worth picking up while you can
Meet coffee-and-hazelnut-flavored Mocha-chan and white-chocolate-heavy Milky-chan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Dec 30, 2017
Komeda's Coffee ice cream from FamilyMart: Added sweetness makes this blend well worth a try
FamilyMart has paired with popular coffee shop chain Komeda's Coffee for a special ice cream.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Dec 28, 2017
Namie Amuro saves 'Kohaku' ... for now
The weekly Shukan Bunshun released a survey in early November highlighting the acts its readers wanted to see perform on NHK's yearend "Kohaku Uta Gassen" music program. They chose Namie Amuro as the artist they wanted to see the most, likely because she announced her plans to retire from the entertainment...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Dec 23, 2017
Tokyo Banana Panda: Ticks the 'aww' box but otherwise bear-ly worth writing home about
Souvenir mainstay Tokyo Banana hasn't missed its chance to honor Xiang Xiang's big moment.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Dec 16, 2017
7-Eleven's Mint Crunky: A winning bet on mint working in winter
This take on a classic Japanese confection comprises a fluffy chocolate exterior filled with a whipped mint filling studded with chocolate chips.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Dec 16, 2017
Getting to the bottom of a slippery game show gone viral
No aspect of Japanese pop culture titillates the world more than the country's game shows. From references on "The Simpson's" to inspiring Western riffs on subjects such as "Banzai" and "I Survived A Japanese Game Show," the idea of wacky creations bordering on torture have played a central place in...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 13, 2017
Music acts found new ways to get noticed in 2017, but nothing beats an established brand
The path to J-pop stardom used to be pretty simple: Align yourself with the right talent agency and label — they'll do all the work.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 13, 2017
Whether you're Japanese or not, results are what count in music
There are many factors to keep in mind when trying to break into the Japanese music industry as a non-Japanese person. One that might be easy to overlook but ultimately rings true: You're going to have to work hard.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 13, 2017
Japanese rap and anime themes are among the best tracks of 2017
J-pop in 2017 felt more fragmented than ever, but the year's biggest songs tell the story of the past 12 months quite well. From YouTube rappers to television hearthrobs, here are four tunes that sum it all up.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Dec 9, 2017
Mister Donut's Christmas Big Donut: A Christmas cake that won't break the bank
Mister Donut's clunkily titled Christmas Big Donut is available until Dec. 25.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Dec 2, 2017
Pepsi Christmas Cola: If you're going to leave a snack out for Santa, stick to milk and cookies
Happy holidays, here's a novelty soda to celebrate! Pepsi Japan trails only KitKat when it comes to out-there flavor ideas for its signature item, with the past few years featuring cucumber and baobab among others. Now comes a slightly sweeter special — Pepsi Christmas Cola, which aims to capture the...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 30, 2017
Basking in afterglow of solid sophomore album, Suchmos reflects on a stellar year
Picking one highlight from 2017 proves a tough task for Suchmos vocalist Yosuke Kasai. The past 11 months have been good for him and his six-member band. They've gone from a Jamiroquai-inspired outfit playing late-night sets at small Shinjuku venues to a national phenomenon, their music moving tens of...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Nov 25, 2017
Allpress Espresso's Tokyo Roastery offers coffee with a Cream Kiss
Until New Year's Day, the store offers a special Christmas Blend flat white paired with chocolate from Summerbird Organic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Nov 23, 2017
B.J. Fox navigates life in Japan as a stay-at-home dad in the sitcom 'Home Sweet Tokyo'
There are many ways to learn about a country's culture, but B.J. Fox thinks comedy is one of the best. After being relocated to Singapore from his home country of England for work, he found that sharing a few laughs with others who were in similar situations helped him connect with his new surroundings....
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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