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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
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 2, 2019
Halloween festivities in Tokyo appear to embrace a softer side
Domestic news outlets and social media users love a good scare. Ever since a horde of rowdy Saitama-types turned Shibuya into something akin to “The Purge” last year, many Tokyoites have viewed this year’s Halloween festivities with trepidation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Oct 31, 2019
'Produce 101 Japan' marks the spread of K-pop diplomacy and offers a journey for J-pop
As the action on talent competition show 'Produce 101 Japan' hots up, we look at its origins in Korean pop music and the original 'Produce 101' franchise
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 26, 2019
Seven-Eleven's Koku Mune onion soy sauce ramen: Almost as good as the real thing
Seven-Eleven's Koku Mune onion soy sauce ramen has been an online hit since its debut. Konbini Watch reviews whether it holds up to the hype.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Oct 19, 2019
Don't dread the red of Starbucks's new Halloween Masquerade Party lineup
Starbucks Coffee Japan's new trio of treats brings the Halloween spirit with blood-red berries.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 19, 2019
Typhoon Hagibis highlights the value of social media in a disaster
There has been plenty wrong with conversations on social media over the past decade and yet it’s hard to argue that online platforms are anything other than essential in an emergency.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 12, 2019
Simple works best for FamilyMart's Earl Grey-themed collab
FamilyMart's new lineup of elegant Earl Grey-flavored desserts aim to spruce up your post-lunch snacking.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 12, 2019
Social media conversation on ID checks in Japan reflects shifting awareness
It’s not unusual for foreign residents in Japan to be asked for identification. 
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 8, 2019
Hiromi Uehara drops the band and steps out alone
The pianist returns to solo work for her latest album, 'Spectrum,' 10 years after her last solo release
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Oct 5, 2019
Floresta's doughnuts get a (sort of) spooky spin for Halloween
'Nature doughnuts' chain Floresta is getting into the spooky Halloween spirit with a corporate tie-up with Sanrio's kawaii My Melody characters.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 28, 2019
Social media conversation on Rugby World Cup reflects concern about 2020 Olympics
Netizens have been anticipating the start of the Rugby World Cup in Japan for months now and not just because of the action on the field. While the online masses closely followed and reacted to the Japanese team’s opening match win over Russia — not to mention anything related to the All Blacks’...
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Sep 26, 2019
Escape the usual TV snoozefest with season three of 'The Bachelor Japan'
The latest season of The Bachelor has dropped on Amazon Prime Video, bringing with it all the drama and absurdity of a Western reality show
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 14, 2019
Frustrated travelers at Narita Airport in wake of Typhoon Faxai spark joy on social media
Choirs full of Swedish children typically don’t break into song at Narita Airport. That’s precisely what happened last Monday night, however, when a youth group called Nova Cantica found itself stranded at the transport hub and decided to pass the time by singing in front of some empty check-in counters....
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 28, 2019
Episode 21: The death of Johnny Kitagawa, J-pop's puppet master
On this week's episode we discuss the life and recent death of Johnny Kitagawa, the secretive mega mogul behind some of Japan's biggest music acts.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Aug 24, 2019
A people-pleasing panda pudding platter
If variety's the key to pleasing your sweet tooth, then Chateraise's new panda-themed dessert tray is the one for you.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Aug 21, 2019
The odd blunder is OK at your local dad-to-be class
Future fathers in Japan get lessons in caring for a baby at their local ward or city office. Yes, pregnancy suits are involved.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Aug 17, 2019
Cantaloupe frappes and chocolate parfaits to cool the summer
Chocolate and fruit-flavored desserts dominate convenience store shelves, at this time of year, so Konbini Watch has collected highlights from both sides for those waffling between flavors.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 15, 2019
Choose your acts wisely at this year's Summer Sonic
The 2019 edition of the Summer Sonic music festival, held concurrently in Tokyo and Osaka from Aug. 16 to 18, marks the 20th anniversary of the gathering. Though that's not the only special twist gracing an event offering the experiences of a big musical outing in the comfort of a metropolis.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 14, 2019
Trade spat sees K-pop caught in the middle
The Japanese debut performance of Korean pop group Stray Kids planned for next month should be an unquestionably good thing. The fledgling male outfit has been gaining steam since emerging in 2017, with its nine members having already played shows in Southeast Asia, Australia, the United States and Europe....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 10, 2019
Doing doughnuts right in Tokyo: An indulgence for all occasions
Tokyo's top-notch doughnut shops are pushing the boundaries of flavor, or taking classics to the next-level.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Aug 10, 2019
This summer, Pokemon get even cooler with themed ice creams and cakes
This summer, the Pokemon Co. and Baskin-Robbins are bringing fans a variety of cool Pokemon-themed sweets.
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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