author

 
Menu
Search
 
July 16, 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.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 5, 2021
Kiyotaka Sugiyama looks back on the glistening days of city pop
The Omega Tribe frontman celebrates the 40th anniversary of the city pop group's debut with remastered versions of past albums.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 28, 2021
Supergroup Skye’s debut, 53 years in the making
Rock heavyweights Shigeru Suzuki, Ray Ohara, Tatsuo Hayashi and Masataka Matsutoya pay tribute to the band's early days with an eponymous album.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Longform
Oct 11, 2021
Japan’s convenience stores look to the future
Domestic franchises are struggling to remain relevant as consumer habits change and global competition intensifies.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 2, 2021
The bike safety campaign that backfired
The Chiba Prefectural Police hoped an animated avatar would help with bicycle safety but wound up wading into a long-running debate over misogyny.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 25, 2021
Supersonic hits quiet mode on its summer party
The two-day music festival had crowds dancing at Zozo Marine Stadium with foreign and domestic acts despite pandemic-related obstacles.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 24, 2021
Buffalo Daughter emerges from the pandemic with a new sense of current affairs
The rock trio takes a political turn on their latest album, 'We Are the Times.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Sep 22, 2021
How do you deflect a controversy? Keigo Oyamada blames the media.
Musician Keigo Oyamada cries foul over how he was portrayed in a pair of magazine articles that ended up causing him a job at the Tokyo Olympics.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 10, 2021
Hip-hop is getting a bad rap this summer
After footage of unmasked, crowded rap fans at a festival spread online, mainstream news outlets zeroed in on hip-hop itself.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 3, 2021
Unsettling, unrelenting and confident: Ms. Machine's debut is one of the year's best
Ms. Machine's debut features Nordic-inspired lyrics and a sludgy sound that recalls witch house, industrial and metal, making it one of the best Japanese albums released this year.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 28, 2021
Fuji Rock tests the waters in a ‘return to normal’
The drama surrounding this year's Olympics plays out on a smaller level at Fuji Rock 2021.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 21, 2021
Could a Japanese influencer's comments about the homeless lead to hate crimes?
Whether it was an attempt to be funny, edgy or 'keep it real,' a YouTuber's remarks that insinuated the lives of homeless people are worthless did not go over well with his audience.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 19, 2021
Fuji Rock attempts an all-Japan experiment
Constrained by COVID-19, the music festival reimagines itself and leans into highlighting emerging artists.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 13, 2021
Theremins and gold medal wins: Farewell to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
We take a look back at the closing moments of the 2020 Olympic Games.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 6, 2021
Fuji Rock organizers remove Keigo Oyamada from festival lineup
Keigo Oyamada, also known as Cornelius, will not perform at the annual musical event due to the musician's past abuse of classmates with disabilities.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 6, 2021
Week 2 at the Tokyo Olympics: A marathon in the heat
We take a look back at the second week of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 5, 2021
Former AKB48 idol Miyu Takeuchi takes her musical career into her own hands
Singer Miyu Takeuchi got her start just shy of the spotlight in Japan's idol-pop group, but has taken her creative output into her own hands as a solo performer on YouTube.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 30, 2021
Week 1 at the Tokyo Olympics: Gold, Covid and Naomi Osaka
We take a look back at the first week of Olympic madness in Tokyo.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jul 26, 2021
Biracial representation, game soundtracks and shiny pecs: bright moments at a somber Olympic opening
The program lacked the over-the-top glitz originally planned, but still served some memorable scenes, with pantomime performers and Naomi Osaka stealing the show.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 24, 2021
Get into the Olympic spirit by curating your social media feeds
Looking to get some Olympic spirit into your social media feed? Try following a few Japanese athletes to remind yourself what the Games are really about.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 23, 2021
Episode 92: The long road to the Tokyo Olympics — Part 2
In Part 2 of this two-part look at the long and tumultuous road to the Olympics, we discuss heat, corruption and the endless run of scandals.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
Amid same-sex marriage ban, LGBTQ couples opt for 'photo weddings'
A lesbian couple, consisting of a 35-year-old woman (left) and 40-year-old woman, cover their faces with bouquets as they pose for wedding photos in Yokohama on Nov. 1.
China and Russia conduct joint Pacific military patrol
The Russian corvette Gromkiy enters the Chinese port of Zhanjiang as part of a joint China-Russia naval exercise on Saturday.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.
How to tweak your diet when temperatures spike
Most people think of hydration as a strictly liquid-based concept, but eating foods with high water content is an essential part of making it through a Japanese summer unscathed.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals
Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER