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August 15, 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
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.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 12, 2018
Revisit the biggest albums of Namie Amuro's career
From 'Sweet 19 Blues' to '_genic,' Namie Amuro covered a lot of musical ground.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Sep 8, 2018
Cafe Morozoff ushers in the season with a chestnut-focused menu
Get your chestnut fix at Cafe Morozoff with a chestnut parfait or Mont Blanc dessert waffle.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Sep 7, 2018
Manga artist Momoko Sakura was also a champion of Japanese music
Following manga artist Momoko Sakura's death last week, fans and media personalities celebrated her work. Most highlighted the influence her series "Chibi Maruko-chan" had on the nation's comic and animation industries. That's a fitting tribute, as her creations not only inspired a generation of artists...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 1, 2018
Japan's celebrities are using social media to turn criticism on its head
Social media present a tightrope for celebrities in Japan. An increasing number of high-profile people are becoming savvy with platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, helping them to develop an online fan base. However, the internet also opens them up to criticism, and the past couple of weeks have...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Sep 1, 2018
A buzz too strong? Sangaria's Super Strong Lemon and Sapporo's Chuhai 99.99
Following the success of Suntory's venerable Strong Zero range, more and more companies are rolling out concoctions that see how far they can push the canned booze content.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Aug 30, 2018
It'll take more than Ayumi Hamasaki to help streaming services in Japan
Ayumi Hamasaki has seen better days as a J-pop superstar, but she still carries some clout. So it should have been noteworthy that her newest release, the five-song "Trouble," would arrive on streaming services a bit earlier than in stores. That's a win for fledgling in-Japan operations such as Spotify...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Aug 25, 2018
Sega's logo-shaped taiyaki: Classic flavor with a vanilla twist
Video game-maker Sega is offering a tasty vanilla bean-infused taiyaki shaped like its company logo.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 25, 2018
TikTok video app has become a petri dish for youth culture
It’s a question that haunts almost everyone over the age of 30 as they grow older: What exactly are the kids into today?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 21, 2018
Western acts take note: Joy and enthusiasm are the key to winning over Summer Sonic crowds
British rocker Noel Gallagher has developed a reputation in recent years for delivering biting, hilarious one-liners, both in interviews and at concerts. In front of the crowd as the Saturday night headliner for Tokyo's leg of Summer Sonic, however, the former Oasis brain trust was mostly quiet.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Aug 18, 2018
'Koguma no Cake-ya San' hits the mainstream with cute Lawson treats
The story of a young bear operating a sweets store has earned its own real-world merchandise, pop-up cafe and limited-edition desserts.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 18, 2018
Debate over Fukushima statue takes on a life of its own online
Few topics have proven to be more sensitive online than the present state of Fukushima Prefecture. Years after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster wreaked havoc in the region, the topic of radiation continues to spark intense debate from all corners. A statue that was unveiled in the prefecture...
Japan to revise consumption tax exemption for overseas tourists
Tourists walk through Nakamise shopping street near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo in April
Japan's tourism industry hit by cancellations after megaquake alert
A beach closed due to a megaquake alert in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, from Friday to Thursday.
Focus shifts to incoming typhoon as Tropical Storm Maria dissipates
Newly formed Tropical Storm Ampil, which is forecast to approach eastern Japan this weekend, is seen on the left side of this satellite image.
Kishida to step down in September in bid to show ‘LDP has changed’
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
Publisher finds surprise audience after translating history textbooks
Yamakawa Shuppansha president Takeshi Nozawa holds the publisher's textbook on Japanese history — used in high schools across Japan — alongside the new English version in Tokyo on May 23.
Economic security is about strengthening and sustaining growth, former minister says
Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi says changes in the international balance of power, along with deepening economic interdependence, have led some countries to attempt to use their economic power to impose their will on others.
Ice bandanas, convenience store breaks: Running under Japan’s summer sun
Blistering heat is becoming a fixture of summer in Japan, but a few tweaks to your routine can make your outdoor runs bearable — if not enjoyable — until cooler temperatures return.
Japan issued its first-ever megaquake alert. What does that mean?
Naoshi Hirata (center), chairman of a committee tasked with evaluating the risk of a Nankai Trough earthquake, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
France brings down the curtain on its Olympic party with Tom Cruise and Leon Marchand
Fireworks are set off during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday.
Japan fuels U.S. LNG boom even as climate targets and impacts loom
Flaring at the Cameron LNG export terminal in Hackberry, Louisiana. Flaring, a common sight at LNG plants, is a controlled burning of gas for reasons ranging from depressurizing equipment to disposing of gas that can’t be used. The practice is a "waste of money" and negatively impacts climate change and human health, says the International Energy Agency.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’
By Thu-Huong Ha

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