Patrick St. Michel - The Japan Times

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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

Feb 16, 2019

Understanding how social media can land you in hot water

Only seven weeks into the year and Japan already has a new buzzword to worry about. In the past few weeks, baito tero (part-timer terrorism) has become a major talking point on social media following a string of incidents featuring workers at various chain establishments behaving badly. If you’re...

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Feb 9, 2019

Loft under fire for its outdated portrayal of women in advertising campaign

Retailers typically strive to promote their products by creating ad campaigns that attract consumers’ attention.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Feb 9, 2019

Say 'I love you' a different way with Kourakuen's chocolate ramen

This Valentine's Day offering from ramen chain Kourakuen features a soy sauce-based ramen with a hefty dose of chocolate.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Feb 8, 2019

Rapper Chanmina is blurring the lines of genre and nationality

Everyone has moments where they have to choose between two paths that will lead to drastically different lives. For Mina Otomonai, it came during her second year of high school when she strongly considered moving to South Korea to pursue a career in music. Her friends convinced her to stay in Japan.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / Sound Off

Feb 7, 2019

Where will fans go after Arashi?

Fans of Arashi still haven't come to terms with the news that the J-pop group will go on a hiatus at the end of 2020, bringing a close, at least temporarily, to one of the 21st century's most popular Japanese acts.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / Sound Off

Feb 3, 2019

An idol's fans have the power to make change in Japan

Being a fan of any entertainer in 2019 can be a challenge, as scandals both old and new make blindly supporting artists an impossible task. That might be doubly true for Japanese idol-pop acts, who inhabit a corner of the country's entertainment industry made up predominantly of young women, which has...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Feb 2, 2019

FamilyMart's popular melon bread ice cream doesn't skip on the melon or the butter

FamilyMart has brought a new and improved version of its immensely popular melonpan (melon bread) ice cream back to store shelves — get one while they're still in stock!

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Feb 2, 2019

Tiramisu copyright furor highlights the internet's importance

Allegations of copyright infringement have undermined a high-profile attempt to sell a renowned coffee-flavored Italian dessert in Tokyo.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle

Jan 31, 2019

'Bohemian Rhapsody': Queen film won't bite the dust just yet

The Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" is still doing big business in Japan, long after its November release. The movie recently crossed the ¥10 billion mark here, and its impact stretches well beyond box-office stats. Songs from the British band have taken up residence on streaming charts, while affection...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jan 29, 2019

Arashi's hiatus spurs heartbreak, but hopes for a 2020 Olympic farewell

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics creep ever closer and one of the biggest arguments that remains is which musical performers will feature in the event's opening ceremony. Up until now, debate over who should represent Japan on the international stage has been raging.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Jan 26, 2019

Mister Donut takes a stab at classy with its decadent Chocolate Collection

In its new range, Mister Donut collaborates with pastry chef Toshihiko Yoroizuka to develop fancy takes on the chain's ring doughnuts, and a pair of decadent cake-like creations.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Jan 26, 2019

Clamor grows for Heisei Era memories online as abdication approaches

A lot of people online appear to be feeling anxious ahead of the Emperor’s abdication. Some simply don’t like change, and this upcoming transition represents the biggest change their lives have ever known.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jan 23, 2019

88rising's quest to find a Japanese hip-hop sensation

Japanese music hasn't made many inroads into Western markets this decade. Save for some brief viral flashes and niche success, the country's artists have mostly been overlooked. However, Sean Miyashiro, founder of media company 88rising, thinks Japan still holds one big advantage.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Jan 19, 2019

This winter's convenience store steam buns are anything but boring

Nothing can make a cold winter day feel a little better than a piping-hot steam bun from the convenience store, and two recent offerings from Lawson and FamilyMart have delivered on both novelty and taste.

Japan Times

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle

Jan 17, 2019

Marie Kondo's new TV series cleans up

Marie Kondo is the type of person you wouldn't initially expect lots of people to go crazy over. In the cleaning consultant and best-selling author's new Netflix show, "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo," she simply lays out the basics of her "KonMari" method of organizing homes — guided by the idea of finding...

Japan Times

COMMUNITY

Jan 13, 2019

Sort out your digital diet and keep your sanity in 2019

Judging by the New Year's resolutions I'm hearing so far this year, the internet was a real source of frustration for a lot of people in 2018.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Jan 12, 2019

Maezawa's offer of prize money for retweets sets Twitter abuzz

Yusaku Maezawa has accomplished an awful lot in his life. He has founded a number of successful companies, including online fashion retailer Zozotown. He’s worth billions of dollars. He’s secured a trip to space to address one of humanity’s biggest problems — a lack of art inspired by being...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Jan 12, 2019

Simplicity rules in Starbucks' seasonal sesame creations

Starbucks Japan's "Japan Wonder Project" offers a nice snapshot of the nation's soft-power campaigns in general. This campaign, which has been going on for over a year now, celebrates Japanese flavors. The range is mostly consumed, though, by Japanese people, already familiar with the local tastes. It's...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jan 10, 2019

Perfume goes back to dance basics ahead of Coachella debut

Perfume keeps finding new opportunities more than 15 years into its career. This spring, the electro-pop trio embarks on its latest international tour, with stops in Asia and North America, but the real development comes at the very end of that jaunt when the group plays the Coachella Valley Music and...

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Jan 5, 2019

Survey on commuting gripes in Japan spurs wider societal complaints

Nothing unites Tokyoites together quite like complaining about daily commuting by train. And it’s a worthy gripe — morning and evening rides practically dispose of the idea of personal space altogether. Being packed tightly with other people also exposes us to all sorts of oddball and annoying behavior,...

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

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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