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November 21, 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 / Digital / Japan Pulse
Mar 23, 2023
Tokyo gets on board the virtual YouTuber hype train
The local government's move to recruit Gawr Gura, Mori Calliope and Miko Sakura to help promote tourism speaks to just how big the VTuber industry has become in Japan.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 15, 2023
Haruki Murakami’s new novel. Plus, allegations resurface in J-pop.
Celebrated author Haruki Murakami reveals the title to a new novel, “The City and its Uncertain Walls.” Also, the BBC puts out a documentary on J-pop titan Johnny Kitagawa.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Mar 4, 2023
'Aggretsuko' swansong urges youth to rage
The Netflix show's fifth and final season turns its attention from workday dilemmas to death-metal outbursts aimed at the political state of modern Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Feb 25, 2023
Festival organizers hope to woo tourists with Lizzo, Blur and Kendrick
With Japan's borders back open, major concerts have once again become a staple of the live ecosystem, and Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic are courting tourists to boost the festival industry.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 23, 2023
Math rock act Jyocho provides a cheerfully chilling soundtrack to new Junji Ito series
The quartet brings its unique blend of frenzy and sweetness to horror artist Junji Ito's new macabre Netflix series.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 11, 2023
Minami Minegishi: AKB48’s tear-stained pioneer
One J-pop idol’s shocking show of penance in 2013 foreshadowed the price of fame on the internet.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 10, 2023
Shin-Okubo's Bacon serves up DJs and design
As the owner, interior designer and event organizer of the new music venue, Jae Won Koo brings a taste of Seoul and his family business to Tokyo's nightclub scene.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 6, 2023
‘Sakura’ musician Masa Takumi wins Grammy for best global music album
The 44-year-old creator, who won for his fifth full-length solo album, is the first Japanese artist to ever win the category.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 3, 2023
Lizzo, Foo Fighters and The Strokes top Fuji Rock’s 2023 lineup
The premier summer festival will also feature names such as Weezer, Yo La Tengo and Denzel Curry, underlining the event’s return to showcasing non-Japanese acts.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 2, 2023
‘Sushi terrorism’ chips away at Japan’s harmonious reputation
It may have taken longer than other countries, but it turns out Japan is just as susceptible to the spread of social media-induced clout-chasing behavior as anywhere else.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 28, 2023
Why Kyoto's 8-bit music artists call this humble cafe 'home'
It may look like any other retro arcade bar, but Cafe La Siesta means so much more to the artists who got their starts there.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 26, 2023
What does 2023 look like for J-pop?
As virtual YouTubers give music a go, Japanese artists will seek out fresh inspiration from burgeoning music scenes in Asia as well as popular beats from farther afield.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 15, 2023
Electronic music pioneer Yukihiro Takahashi of YMO dies at 70
Yukihiro Takahashi's output for Yellow Magic Orchestra would go on to influence early New York rappers and techno acts from Detroit and the U.K.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 6, 2023
J-pop vocalist Chara is ready to bloom again
Taking her cue from an ancient blossom, the singer returns with her new single, “Au00b7Ou00b7U.”
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / 2022 in Review
Dec 29, 2022
Kizuna AI's departure marked a new era for virtual stars in 2022
Fans were shocked when the pioneering digital character stepped down in February, but virtual YouTubers are still proving to be one of Japan's strongest pop culture exports.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 2022 in Review
Dec 24, 2022
Everything old became new again on streaming platforms in 2022
This year, programming typically associated with traditional broadcasting — variety shows, dramas and anime — flourished on streaming platforms.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / 2022 in Review
Dec 23, 2022
The big J-pop hits of 2022? They came from TikTok and anime.
Acts such as Kaze Fujii and Sekai No Owari found success via viral trends, while artists like Ado and Aimer topped the charts thanks to anime collaborations.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 15, 2022
Phung Khanh Linh and artists abroad get creative with city pop palette
In 2022, the world tuned in to the glitzy sounds of Japan's bubble era more than ever before. For musicians outside of Japan, their appreciation of the genre goes beyond nostalgia.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Dec 10, 2022
YouTubers eye online success with renewed Japan travels
As incoming influencers revisit tried and true topics now that the government has eased border restrictions, some are taking this inclination to cater to viewers to extremes.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 5, 2022
Forget 'Cool Japan,' just make it your Japan
'Cool Japan' ambassador and critic Benjamin Boas reimagines efforts to promote the nation's brand abroad in his new book, “From u2018Cool Japan' to u2018Your Japan.'”
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

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