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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
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Nov 3, 2018
This fall's family restaurant desserts are more than they ap-pear
Japan's always-reliable family restaurants are serving up solid pear-flavored desserts this season.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 27, 2018
Some YouTubers in Japan have taken going for a drive to the next level
Ever wanted to escape the stress of life in the big city, spend some time in the countryside and just … cook up a Philly cheesesteak and play video games?
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 27, 2018
Will 'hōjicha' be the next Japanese tea to take the world by storm?
Danielle Geva and Francois Mathieu are trying to spread hojicha (roasted green tea) to North America. Together, they founded Hojicha Co. in May 2018, the first company to specialize in selling premium hu014djicha on the continent, and they are betting it will be the next big Japanese drink abroad.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 27, 2018
Convenience store 2018 Halloween roundup: From blatantly bland to spectacularly spooky
Halloween is on the horizon and Japanese convenience stores are embracing the spookiest day of the year. But which chain is doing it best in 2018?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 21, 2018
Non-Japanese YouTubers tackle the art of vlogging in the vernacular
Meet the foreign creators using the local language to build a Japanese fan base.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Oct 20, 2018
Rock, luxury and retro pastries abound at Michalak Omotesando
French pastry chef Christophe Michalak is the latest sweetmaker to bring his brand of sweets to one of Tokyo's trendier neighborhoods. His Michalak Omotesando store, which opened for business on Oct. 5, is the first overseas opening for his patisserie.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Oct 18, 2018
Twitter speaks: That joke isn't funny anymore
An Aug. 16 episode of Tokyo MX's variety show "Hirukyun!" found comedian Ken Horiuchi (better known as Horiken) joining the hosts in the studio. Over the course of his stay, he launched the other TV talent and stage hands into a wall of cardboard boxes, before throwing some at people too (including staff...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 13, 2018
Kabaya Foods' sweet potato candy: Intriguing in both looks and flavor
Snack-maker Kabaya Foods Corporation has put out a sweet potato gummy that aims to capture the nostalgic taste of said root veggie, fried up.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 13, 2018
Kizuna AI's NHK appearance sparks debate on social media
Do virtual YouTubers dream of online controversy? Maybe not but they sure are good at courting it.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 10, 2018
Haru Nemuri's rapping and roaring speaks to the zeitgeist of 2018
Haruna Kimishima knew her music had found an audience overseas when her Twitter DMs began to fill up with English.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 6, 2018
Social media lambaste 2020 Olympic volunteer program
Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have started accepting applications from those hoping to volunteer at the games a little less from two years from now. As you might suspect, Japan’s online community had plenty to say about the issue from the second it went live.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Oct 6, 2018
Gin no Budo's Halloween lineup: Festive options for chocolate lovers
The Halloween desserts just keep on coming! Gin no Budo's October lineup features almost too-cute-to-eat cats and pumpkins.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 29, 2018
TV shows look to piggyback on the success of social media
A growing number of people in Japan are turning to the internet as their main destination for entertainment. Younger folk in particular opt for YouTube and Instagram as a first choice over TV. So how is traditional media adjusting to this new reality?
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Sep 29, 2018
Sweets of the people: The fall flavors of Meiji's classic Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato
It's been a big month for the venerable snack brands Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato. In September, the company behind both, Meiji, shared the results of its nationwide "general election," in which voters chose their favorite of the two sweets.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 26, 2018
Seiko Oomori: J-pop's reigning rule-breaker
Pop music often opts for positivity rather than confronting the uncomfortable, but Seiko Oomori has never really adhered to J-pop norms.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 22, 2018
Social media falls in love with Naomi Osaka as tennis star sparks debate
Naomi Osaka’s women’s singles final victory at the 2018 U.S. Open on Sept. 6 excited netizens in Japan, turning the young tennis superstar into one of the most popular figures online. Her trip to Japan last week only generated more buzz, with users being perpetually wowed by her and serious discussions...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Sep 22, 2018
Trick or treat(ment): Q-Pot's Obake-chan QQ Medical Treatment Plate is sweet, tart and cute
Q-Pot Cafe in Omotesando ushers in the Halloween season with a host of spooky treats.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Sep 15, 2018
Sometimes more is more: Seven-Eleven's layered parfait delivers the fall flavors
Seven-Eleven's fall parfait combines chestnut, roasted green tea and more into one cup.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 15, 2018
Japanese media face hostility in disaster coverage on social media
Typhoon Jebi caused all sorts of damage when the storm — the most powerful in 25 years to hit the country — tore through western Japan earlier this month.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 12, 2018
Namie Amuro: Celebrating J-pop's first queen
For millions of Japanese music fans in the 1990s, Namie Amuro wasn't just the Heisei Era's defining pop star, she was someone they grew up with.
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.
Russia fired experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine, Putin says
Ukrainian firefighters work on a spot following an airstrike in Dnipro on Thursday.
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.
'Tokyo Swindlers': Get deep into the minds of real estate con artists
In Ko Shinjo's "Tokyo Swindlers," a group of con artists manipulates real estate giants into falsified deals within the highly competitive, quick market.
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.

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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