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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
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 Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 16, 2018
Summer Sonic's helter-skelter lineup provides a lot of chances for younger Japanese acts
When it comes to music festivals in Japan, Fuji Rock is the pretty one, Rock in Japan is the domestic one and Summer Sonic is the crowd pleaser. Past headliners have included acts as diverse as Metallica, Beyonce, Green Day and Stevie Wonder.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 11, 2018
Social media takes a dim view of the daylight saving proposal for the 2020 Olympics
People in Japan have been complaining about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics since Japan’s capital was awarded the games. Netizens have railed against everything from the apparent insensitivity of hosting the two-week competition while the Tohoku region continues to recover from the Great Eastern...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Aug 11, 2018
Cebada: Kirin's new 'coffee-like' beverage tastes like dirt
Kirin's attempt to tap into demand for decaf coffee misses the mark.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 9, 2018
Towa Tei goes deep on death and puns
Towa Tei has mortality on his mind.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 4, 2018
There's nothing new about Japan's online backlash against tourists
The internet loves a clapback, so when writer Melissa Martin shared a few snappy responses from a monk named Daniel Kimura to less-than-positive reviews of a temple doubling as lodging on Mount Koya, Twitter embraced it. The tweet garnered more than 17,000 retweets and 38,000 likes, with many digitally...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Aug 4, 2018
Pablo teams up with Mister Donut for a cheesy collaboration
Mister Donut stores across Japan have partnered with the Osaka-based Pablo to create six rare cheese-flavored doughnuts and tarts.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 28, 2018
Soaring temperatures force Japan to confront entrenched ideas on handling the heat
A  heat wave has gripped Japan over the past week or so, peaking with the highest temperature ever recorded in the country on Monday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 28, 2018
Tokyo barbecue joints to get summer sizzling
Grabbing your own grill and heading out to your preferred park or public space is the traditional way to approach barbecuing but in recent years, new spaces to barbecue in Tokyo and its surrounding areas have popped up for people of all grilling levels.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jul 28, 2018
Calbee's edamame and cheese-flavored chips: Hardly unique, but good with a drink
On their own, edamame already make for a solid snack, especially when paired with a glass of beer. But snack manufacturer Calbee sees opportunities to experiment everywhere.
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.
The slow-burn success of ‘A Samurai in Time’
A 19th-century warrior gets struck by lightning and wakes to find himself in 21st-century Kyoto in Junichi Yasuda’s surprise hit “A Samurai in Time.”
Around a quarter of Japan married couples in their 20s met through dating apps
A survey released by an organization promoting “Good Couples Day” shows that 24% of couples in their 20s met their marriage partner through a dating app.
'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.

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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