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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
Jun 22, 2017
Overseas pop acts need a funny bone
The first half of 2017 hasn't produced much in the way of compelling music stories in Japan. By this time last year, we were coming down from the Enon Kawatani-Becky affair, and behind-the-scenes intrigue was bubbling up around SMAP (who broke up at the end of the year). These past six months have been...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 22, 2017
One year after changes to the 'anti-dancing' law, clubbers are hopeful
Around two dozen people shuffle about the dark interior of Alzar, a recently opened nightclub on the eighth floor of a building in Osaka's Chuo Ward that also features a capsule hotel and sauna. Most hover near the concrete wall, watching a European DJ play house music. A group orders Champagne, taking...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jun 17, 2017
Le Pain Quotidien's lemon tart: Solving the sweetness equation
International bakery Le Pain Quotidien opened up its third shop in Tokyo recently, right near the main entrance to Tokyo Midtown. The hook with this latest location is that it's the first to serve dinner, offering a variety of hearty meat-centered dishes pushing the ¥10,000 barrier. It's also one of...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jun 10, 2017
Frozen Mango drink: Somewhere between too sweet and just right
Lawson's Machi Cafe brand is getting serious for the summer. Recently, they've introduced a new "caffeine-less ice coffee" alongside a "mega" ice coffee, covering all their bases when it comes to answering the question "How badly do you want to fidget today?" Their newest offering is a pair of sweet...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jun 8, 2017
Tilt toward domestic acts risks watering down uniqueness of Japan's big music fests
Japan's 2017 summer music festival landscape has mostly settled into place. The Fuji Rock Festival, after an upbeat 20th anniversary last year, kicked up excitement thanks to a top-heavy bill headlined by Gorillaz, Aphex Twin and Bjork, along with the promise of more left-field fare down in the smaller...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jun 3, 2017
Panbo's pancake on a stick: tricky to eat, worth the effort
Turns out Tokyo isn't the only place with eyebrow-raising food trends. One of the more buzzed-about treats in Osaka this year has been from Panbo, a small store in the city's America-mura neighborhood. It is basically a pancake on a stick.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 1, 2017
AI celebrates East, West identity on new album
There was a time when Japanese music labels were concerned that Ai Carina Uemura's music sounded too American due to her R&B style.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 27, 2017
Pineapple potato chips push flavor envelope
A few years back, Japanese snack maker Koikeya released a series of fruit-flavored chips. They were billed as a "breakfast snack," but mostly got attention for their novelty blend of potato and peach. It was interesting but made for a weird flavor combination. Was that the end of fruit-flavored crisps?...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 23, 2017
Tofubeats: the art of reality in an era of 'post-truth'
The final months of 2016 left Yusuke Kawai feeling confused. The electronic artist who records under the name tofubeats came across a BBC news segment touching on the concept of "post-truth" — the Oxford Dictionary named it word of the year and defines it as "relating to or denoting circumstances in...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
May 20, 2017
Garrett Popcorn's Stripes & Stars: Sweet patriotism in a tin
A few years ago, Garrett Popcorn in Harajuku boasted one of the longer lines in that ever-trendy neighborhood. Yet walking by it recently there was barely any wait to get a bag or tin of the Chicago-born snack.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 13, 2017
Chocomint Frappe: The cure for Japan's mint condition
At long last, the winter has thawed out and the warmer months have arrived in Japan. Accordingly, the convenience store shelves are filled with mint-flavored products, ranging from an assortment of chocolates infused with the herb to one of the most celebrated desserts around, Crunky's chocolate chip...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 12, 2017
Deep dive into the 1980s with the music of Satellite Young
Synthesizers, drum machines and Vocoder-filtered vocals in the style of pop star Chisato Moritaka — this was 1980s Japan, and it's the sound of Satellite Young.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 6, 2017
Gold Master: Strong craft beer just in time for the heat
Whither craft beer? Possibly on convenience store shelves, though in small numbers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
May 4, 2017
Politics and pop: a perfect pairing
It's official: You can't escape politics in America. On a recent trip to Seattle, everyone I spoke to wanted to talk about President Donald Trump. Fittingly, the 2017 edition of the Museum of Pop Culture's Pop Conference, which I was invited to speak at, took on a political theme with "Sign O' The Times:...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Apr 29, 2017
Honmido Sand: Quality through simplicity at the new Ginza Six
One of the year's first big openings in Tokyo has been Ginza Six, a large shopping center located in the heart of the capital. It's a huge space featuring fancy fashion stores, wallet-emptying designer bag retailers and a noh theater. It's not exactly geared toward the average Tokyoite, save for fanciful...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 25, 2017
Pop music catches up to De De Mouse
Daisuke Endo made peace with EDM thanks to Mister Donut. The electronic artist, better known by his stage name De De Mouse, eats at the snack chain frequently. Recently, he says he has been enjoying the American pop music they pipe into the store.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Apr 22, 2017
Yuzu Kosho Chicken flavor chips: A tasty boon amid the potato shortage
Japan is experiencing a potato shortage. Caused by typhoons that hit Hokkaido last summer, the result is that potato chips have become scarce across the country. Well, at least some varieties. Though a handful of styles and flavors remain relatively plentiful, other fan favorites have vanished from shelves....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Apr 20, 2017
Japan, take pride in 'Your Name.'
Two weeks ago, the United States' box office saw a surprising animated feature take the top spot and generate large amounts of discussion — and memes — on social media.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 15, 2017
Noz by T.Y. Farm brings 'seed to table' ethos to Tokyo
Futoshi Ota has lofty goals for Noz, a new restaurant that brings the grand vision of his company one step closer to reality.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Apr 15, 2017
American Cherry Pie Frappuccino: Crust crumbs distract from otherwise tasty treat
We all can use a little indulgence from time to time, especially in such exhausting times. Thankfully, there's always an eye-grabbing dessert being wheeled out by a chain restaurant in Japan to focus on.
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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