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July 16, 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
Apr 6, 2019
Getting to the bottom of Chicano subculture coverage on Japan
Over the past month and a half, a number of Western media outlets have revisited a topic that has long been a hit for online publications.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 2, 2019
Emamouse: Unmasking an experimental cult favorite
It's surprising to see emamouse without their signature mask. The Tokyo artist never plays live or appears in photos on Twitter without the handmade felt headwear, which features green hair with a single blue fish. Yet here it is, in emamouse's hands inside a Shinjuku Showa Era cafe.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Mar 30, 2019
Shake up your usual konbini purchase with these not-to-be-skipped sweets
This week, Konbini Watch turns the spotlight on a few assorted convenience store highlights that shouldn't be missed.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Mar 30, 2019
With resellers, fans must take matters into their own hands
Few groups in Japan respond to a slight quite like Disney devotees. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the conglomerate's Tokyo Disneyland park, and to celebrate and rack up some more revenue, earlier this year it unveiled a line of limited-edition goods tied to the occasion.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Mar 23, 2019
Fujiya's Yume-iro Rainbow Cake is an Instagram feed's dream come true
Fujiya's Instagram-friendly Yume-iro ('dream-colored') Rainbow Cake is made up of five fruit- (and one ramune lemon soda) flavored layers each separated by a line of cream.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Mar 23, 2019
Denki Groove campaign reveals what Japan truly thinks of celebrities embroiled in drug scandals
It doesn’t take much for a celebrity drug scandal to be picked up by domestic news outlets in Japan, so when TV personality Pierre Taki was arrested on suspicion of cocaine use on March 12, it’s perhaps not surprising that TV and print media jumped on the story. Segments featured on morning shows...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Mar 21, 2019
Tower Records goes all in on the vinyl trend with its new store, Tower Vinyl
Last year proved to be a pivotal one for streaming music in Japan. According to a report by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, 2018 saw plays via platforms such as YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify overtake digital downloads.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 18, 2019
Review: Sid at Yokohama Arena
Passionate fandom has become the domain of pop music. Or, at least, that's the image that has developed globally over the past decade, as intense groups of diverse people throw their support behind a wide range of mainstream acts, from Beyonce to BTS. Rock, once the hub for this type of devotion, doesn't...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Mar 16, 2019
Get your fill of green tea with Seven-Eleven's mile-high matcha dorayaki
The latest edition in Seven-Eleven's line of dorayaki (sweet pancake sandwiches) is a massive matcha cream-filled creation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE NOTES
Mar 14, 2019
Marie Kondo and Momo: The new faces of Japanese culture
Japanese soft power has seen two faces in 2019. One is that of tidying guru Marie Kondo. The other is the horrifying visage of Momo, an unsettling sculpture turned viral hoax.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Mar 9, 2019
Roll right into spring with Roll Ice Cream Factory's festive cherry blossom-flavored concoctions
Roll Ice Cream Factory has become the go-to Harajuku spot to indulge in the popular rolled ice cream dessert trend with its new trio of sakura flavored sweets.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Mar 9, 2019
Spotify has one eye on untapped podcast market in Japan
Spotify paid nearly $340 million to acquire podcast producer Gimlet Media and services provider Anchor in deals disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, prompting analysts to start considering what this all meant for the industry.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Mar 2, 2019
Reaction to Niigata bullying video reflects changing attitudes in Japan
A video of a first-year high school student in Niigata being bullied appeared online in mid-February and quickly became a topic of discussion. The clip shows a group of male students pushing, kicking and eventually striking the victim with a stick, all while throwing insults the victim’s way, too....
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Mar 2, 2019
Nissin's lasagna-flavored cup noodle's design catches the eye, but tastes surprisingly normal
The new lasagna-flavored, 'big-sized' pot noodle hopes to pack the taste of the hearty Italian dish into a single cup, promising a mix of cheese and meat sauce.
Japan Times
CULTURE / CULTURE NOTES
Feb 28, 2019
Will 'Queer Eye' show a different view of Japanese culture?
...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
Feb 27, 2019
Dogen: Humor that's not lost in translation
Living in Japan can, from time to time, present a fair amount of frustration for non-Japanese, especially if they can't speak the language well. Long-term resident Kevin O'Donnell, who creates YouTube videos about Japan under the name "Dogen," isn't afraid to vent but avoids any vitriol.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Feb 23, 2019
Cafe de Paris: A Seoul favorite, now in Tokyo
Cafe de Paris has been a hit back in Seoul, particularly thanks to its Bon Bon series of sweets, which loads up on fresh fruit, layers of whipped cream and powdered sugar.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Feb 23, 2019
Japanese teen's aborted bid to hitchhike across the United States divides social media
Twitter user @REIbahobahoanta had an ambitious dream: The 15-year-old junior high school student wanted to hitchhike across the United States.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 21, 2019
Telling the musical story of Japan's ambient era
At the time, the Japanese music scene of the 1970s felt pretty flat to Daisuke Hinata. "But (then) Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) and Plastics came out, and we thought the market would open up for more new sounds," the Los Angeles-based musician tells The Japan Times. Along with three Japanese classmates...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Feb 16, 2019
Temptation from the fried-foods section
...
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
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.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
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.
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.

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

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