author

 
Menu
Search
 
November 21, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Twitter

@mbmelodies

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.
The Gacha Pop playlist on Spotify offers a wonderfully scattered collection of J-pop chart-toppers, long-running favorites and next-generation names, reflecting the global ambitions of homegrown artists.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Aug 11, 2023
The summer of Gacha Pop
Spotify’s curated playlist encapsulates J-pop’s diverse range, but more than that, it shows how Japanese music travels in the world today.
This year’s Fuji Rock Festival, which took place last weekend and featured The Strokes, Foo Fighters and Lizzo as headliners, brought a cumulative total of 114,000 attendees to the mountains of Niigata Prefecture.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 4, 2023
Fuji Rock’s diversity is back — and it feels great
Millennial rock, Gen Z rap and a Sinead O’Connor tribute fill a stellar weekend of music.
Cameron Lew, the 27-year-old behind the California-based music project Ginger Root, crafted a detailed city-pop-inspired universe with a 1980s idol storyline for last year’s “Nisemono” album.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 28, 2023
Ginger Root's modern spin on Showa nostalgia
The California-based project is set to bring its distinct interpretation of city pop to Fuji Rock Festival this weekend.
Photo: Mount Fuji is shot from above so that you can see the trails leading to its summit.
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 26, 2023
A tale of two Fujis: Bullet climbs, crowds and Lizzo
With the borders fully open, Mount Fuji is all booked up and Fuji Rock is back in full force. Drew Damron and Patrick St. Michel join us on the podcast to discuss Japan’s two favorite Fujis.
At this year’s Fuji Rock Festival, big-name acts The Strokes, Foo Fighters and Lizzo will serve as headliners at the main Green Stage.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 25, 2023
Rap acts stand out in Fuji Rock’s diverse lineup
Kanagawa rap crew Bad Hop’s final hurrah and Lizzo’s Sunday night swagger are set to deliver some of the most memorable moments of the three-day music extravaganza.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jul 12, 2023
TV personality and LGBTQ advocate ryuchell dies at 27
Harajuku fashion influencer Ryuji Higa, better known as ryuchell, was found unconscious in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 30, 2023
With ‘Idol,’ Yoasobi pens a new chapter in J-pop's story
In creating the theme song to the popular anime 'Oshi no Ko,' one of Japan’s most interesting groups wins new fans overseas.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jun 24, 2023
A Japanese song on the South Korean charts is more than just a viral moment
As Japan’s imase celebrates the success of his track “Night Dancer” in South Korea, it could be a further sign that relations between the two countries are getting better.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 18, 2023
Meet the YouTubers and streamers revamping Japan’s online culinary scene
A new crop of post-pandemic channels and streams are being helmed by innovative creators hoping to offer a fresh take on the country’s culinary content.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 9, 2023
Summer music festivals aim to bring the good times back
The return of summer festivals means live music is back, with events featuring overseas acts alongside K-pop and pool parties.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
May 27, 2023
Netflix's answer to finding love in the time of an aging population
Dating show “Love Village” and its cast of singles 35 years old and above offer the perfect bait to millennial audiences and show that entertainment can age up without losing its edge.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
May 15, 2023
Johnny’s takes steps toward overdue reckoning with its past
Allegations of sexual abuse by founder Johnny Kitagawa have long dogged the talent agency, but times are changing and the company seems to be facing the music.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Apr 28, 2023
New audio platform gives virtual YouTubers the Japanese fan experience
The VTuber market is booming, and Oshi founder Leni Andronicos wants to help creators build closer relationships with devoted supporters in the spirit of “oshikatsu.”
Japan Times
CULTURE
Apr 14, 2023
Disney super fans keep the magic alive in Japan
As Tokyo Disneyland marks its 40th anniversary, influencers such as Christopher Nilghe and Yoshika Yoshida celebrate on social media.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 11, 2023
Babymetal loses its edge on ‘The Other One’
In striving for lyrical maturity and leaving behind its quirky energy, Babymetal’s fourth full-length is well crafted but lacks anything that makes the heavy metal J-pop group stand out.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 4, 2023
Artists worldwide join J-pop luminaries in mourning Ryuichi Sakamoto
Artists such as Towa Tei, 'Suga' from BTS and Flying Lotus take to social media to express sadness and recount fond memories of the late musician.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 3, 2023
Ryuichi Sakamoto, trailblazing musician and film composer, dies at 71
Ryuichi Sakamoto, an award-winning composer and member of pioneering electronic act Yellow Magic Orchestra, has died. He was 71 years old.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 2, 2023
Lucky Pierrot’s anti-McDonald's approach makes it a Hakodate treasure
With an eclectic menu, eccentric decor and 35 years under its belt, Lucky Pierrot is a fixture of southern Hokkaido comfort food.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 1, 2023
Planck Stars take their shenanigans on the road
The joke's on the naysayers: The idol-pop band of pranksters goes global with a world tour.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 24, 2023
Le Makeup gives himself a sonic glow up on 'Odorata'
The Kansai-based artist digs deep on his latest album, using sensory details as the backdrop for his self-reflection and exploring new sounds through rap collaborations.
Ishiba delays meeting with Trump, citing legal restrictions
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba waves upon arrival for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, in Callao, Peru, on Friday.
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.
Rising sex tourism exposes loopholes in Japan's anti-prostitution law
While financial misfortunes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have driven some women to work the streets, others simply want more money to spend — or want to pay off their debts — at host clubs.
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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’
Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER