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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
May 29, 2015
Yes, you can eat high-quality melon in Tokyo this summer without taking out a bank loan
Melons don't come easy in Japan. Just a single muskmelon can set you back thousands of yen — if not much, much more. But there are, thankfully, cheaper ways to enjoy the treat.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 22, 2015
Only one of Suntory's two craft beer offerings manages to capture that small brewer vibe
Suntory's new Craft Select series isn't craft beer. It's not from a charming neighborhood brewery, but a beverage conglomerate that bought up Jim Beam.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 15, 2015
J-pop singer-songwriter miwa absorbs the right elements of Western pop
miwa "Oneness" (Sony Records)
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 15, 2015
Parupunte's 'Primitive' surprises with complicated twists
Parupunte "Primitive" (Tanukineiri Records)
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
May 15, 2015
Ben & Jerry's get in on the Mexican food boom with the Brrr-ito
Last time I checked, the line for Tokyo's new Taco Bell stretched around the block. So seeking out alternatives for your Mexican cravings may be the best course of action. Ice cream shop Ben & Jerry's, of all places, offers an intriguing option with the Brrr-ito (¥650).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 8, 2015
The quirky sounds of indie music find a voice in Boys Age
Around 50 people are watching Kaznary Mutow of the band Boys Age thrash his guitar on a Friday night at Shimokitazawa club Three. He's in the middle of a 10-minute-plus psychedelic freakout, locked into an intense slow-burning session with drummer Takamasa Kobayashi.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 8, 2015
Two Indian dishes get the royal treatment from Doritos
The Doritos Royal line of chips in Japan has always tried to offer a premium snack experience for those craving something more decadent than "cheese" or "taco." Frito Lay's newest offerings in this regal line try to re-create two flavors from India.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / EXPO MILANO 2015
May 3, 2015
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu brings 'kawaii' in Italian debut
Japanese pop star Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's image of Italy is of a luxurious country, loaded with world-famous clothing brands and other items. Yet, she said when she travels to the country for the first time in July, she's most excited about the chance to eat lots of Italian food.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
May 1, 2015
Cartoon racoon receives the highest honor a woodland creature can get — its own cake
Rascal the Racoon, the Japanese cartoon character created in 1977, has received one of the highest honors an animated woodland creature can get — his own cake.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 24, 2015
Natsume Mito gets a few choice cuts for a song about her hair
Sometimes all it takes to jump-start a music career is one viral video. Japanese acts such as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Babymetal attracted attention domestically and abroad thanks to memorable clips uploaded to YouTube, earning millions of views in the process.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 24, 2015
The Taco Bell is ringing, but will Tokyo come to the party?
It's 8 a.m. on an overcast Tuesday and a line of people are queuing along a cramped street in Shibuya's Dogenzaka area.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Apr 24, 2015
FamilyMart's nuggets may be a gamechanger in the convenience store fried-chicken war
Nuggets have long been an afterthought in the greasy trenches of Japan's convenience-store fried-chicken battles. "Nugget" options in the past have resembled sad, microwave-ready snacks pulled from the freezer.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 17, 2015
Southern All Stars "Budou"
Southern All Stars "Budou" (Victor / Taishita)
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Apr 17, 2015
Sweet cream between soft buns at Omotesando's Anovan bakery
The quaint Anovan bakery, which opened last week, offers several varieties of fluffy French pasty bouchee — a custard-like flavored cream sandwiched between two soft buns.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 17, 2015
Tenkiame "So Sad About Us"
Tenkiame "So Sad About Us" (Independent)
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 12, 2015
Record Store Day promises some hits
It has taken a few years to catch on in Japan, but Record Store Day (RSD) is now well-known among music fans. This year's edition falls on April 18, so look out for limited-edition items and a few shows to celebrate.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Apr 10, 2015
Kirin courts lightweight drinkers with 1 percent alcohol
Always looking to court a new demographic of drinkers, Kirin seems to have listened to market research indicating that not everyone likes going overboard with booze.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 9, 2015
Britain's bo en finds a musical family in Tokyo's electronic scene
Calum Bowen's music career under the moniker bo en started thanks to a Tokyo label, and the 24-year-old English producer has collaborated with many Japanese electronic musicians since 2013. In the past year, he has worked on songs for rising J-pop singers, and is currently on a mini-tour in the country,...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Apr 3, 2015
Kobeya Kitchen hops into Easter
The Kobeya Kitchen chain of bakeries found mostly around major train stations is celebrating Easter with a limited-edition treat in the form of a dessert shaped like a rabbit (¥238).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 24, 2015
SXSW's Japan Nite celebrates 20 lively years
For the past two decades, the Japan Nite showcase has been one of the most celebrated events at the South By Southwest (SXSW) music conference and festival, a gathering where industry types, everyday music fans and performers from all over the world descend on Texas' capital. The music component of this...
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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