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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
CULTURE / Music
Sep 29, 2016
Yasutaka Nakata crafts a music festival in his own digi-pop image
Yasutaka Nakata's schedule tonight is packed. He's being photographed by a Japanese magazine in a basement studio after 10 p.m. on a Friday, and it's taking a little longer than expected. After this he'll have a (very) late dinner before heading to Tokyo's east end to do an early-morning DJ set at club...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Sep 23, 2016
Mister Donut dresses doughnuts as Snoopy for Halloween
...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 18, 2016
Kana Nishino's 'Just Love' may drive cynics mad, but her pop formula is working
Kana Nishino has been a marquee name since debuting in 2008, but this July she finally owned the spotlight with "Just Love."
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 18, 2016
Latest release from Snail's House is a love story for the 'kawaii' bass scene
Over the past year, an online-centric style of music dubbed "kawaii bass" ("cute bass") has grown in popularity among Japanese producers. Inspired by the playroom bops of Tomggg and the colorful sounds of Yoshino Yoshikawa, artists embracing this microgenre overload on the sugar, loading high-energy...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Sep 16, 2016
Lawson's new Apple Custard Pie hits the spot when you are on the go
Ever wanted to munch on a apple pie while you're on the go? Well, Lawson has come closest to solving the problem — for now, at least — with its new Apple Custard Pie. It's sweet, full of apples, easy to eat and arrives just in time for the start of autumn. The Apple Custard Pie (¥150) boasts a flaky...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Sep 9, 2016
Seven-Eleven Japan unites a pudding and a roll cake in holy matrimony
Few things in life can top the joy of two desserts coming together to form an super-treat. Seven-Eleven's new Perfect Circle Pudding Roll Cake does just that, plunking the former right into the center of the latter.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 4, 2016
Kento Yamada from yahyel has an eye for music
Music in 2016 is every bit as focused on the eyes as it is the ears. Videos play a pivotal role in helping artists stand out in the digital age. One viral clip can break a previously unknown name, or bling up existing acts.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Sep 2, 2016
Classic New York brownies lurk underneath Shinjuku
Another week, another New York eatery opens up a Tokyo location. The newest comer is Baked — a bakery that specializes in brownies and cakes — which opened in the basement of Shinjuku's Isetan department store.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 26, 2016
Radiohead triumphs at Summer Sonic
Few bands can draw a massive round of applause for 15 minutes of ambient music, but that's just what Radiohead received at the start of its Sunday night headlining set at this year's Tokyo leg of Summer Sonic.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Aug 26, 2016
Look! Chocolates are getting the jump on autumn
In the same way that shops jump the gun on Christmas by getting the Santa decorations out on Nov. 1, konbini (convenience store) shelves begin stocking autumn-themed treats while the mercury is still well above the 30 degrees Celsius mark.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Aug 19, 2016
Classic summer treat gets a granola makeover from Kellogg's
Wa Kitchen Kanna (2-43-11 Shimouma, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo) gives its tastiest offering, kakigōri (shaved ice), a breakfast-ready makeover in cooperation with cereal maker Kellogg's. The limited-edition dessert takes the store's original kakigori, adds a hearty amount of condensed milk to the top and...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 18, 2016
From Hiromi Uehara to Radiohead and Sakanaction, here's how to plan your weekend at Summer Sonic
Summer Sonic offers something for fans of every music genre — it's practically the festival's calling card. Fans of a specific style still have it easy, though — just hang around the stage catering to your preferred sound, whether that be EDM blasting from the Beach Stage or Top 40 pop on the Mountain...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 14, 2016
Summer Sonic founder Naoki Shimizu explains the search for the perfect music festival lineup
Creativeman President Naoki Shimizu says he had the perfect idea for this year's Sonicmania. The event, an all-night party that comes ahead of Creativeman's Summer Sonic music festival, would feature EDM heavyweight Skrillex and long-running synthpop outfit New Order as the headliners, bringing out young...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Aug 12, 2016
Calbee goes for a home run with Koshien-themed potato chips
The Olympics aren't the only sports competition going on just now, the extremely popular Summer Koshien high school baseball tournament is also happening. To celebrate it, snack maker Calbee has rolled out a limited-edition "Koshien Curry" flavor of potato chips. Based off the most famous concession...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Aug 5, 2016
We gather here today to wed ice cream to french fries
Pretty much anything with ice cream sounds good when you're a kid, but not so much when you're all grown up. However, that's not stopping Belgian-style fries restaurant And The Friet from teaming up with Ben & Jerry's for a limited-edition "Ice And Friet" (¥500). Available at the restaurant's outposts...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jul 29, 2016
Tokyu Hands goes diving for its new range of summertime desserts
Tokyu Hands' Ikebukuro outpost is offering some deep-sea desserts until Aug. 23. Its "Aquarium Sweets" series features 16 unique cakes, each shaped to look like a different sea critter, ranging from a cuddly otter to a sea slug. The cakes (ranging in price from ¥500 to ¥650) each has a different flavor,...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jul 22, 2016
Asahi's highly caffeinated companion to the Rio Olympics
Want to watch the Rio Olympics live, but are worried about having 
to stay up until the wee hours of the morning? Asahi’s solution is the new Dodekamin Brazilian Energy drink, advertised as being able to give you the extra energy needed to watch the games as they happen. The beverage (¥140) boasts...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 17, 2016
Babymetal is having a really good year
In the run-up to Fuji Rock Festival, the event's digital team will post video messages on YouTube from performers that are slated to play at the three-day gathering in the mountains of Niigata Prefecture. They tend to get, on average, around 1,000 views. This fact has held true for this year's batch...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jul 17, 2016
Slot Machine plans to show Fuji fans how Thailand rocks
Thailand has been a destination for Asian artists looking to expand their markets. From J-rock to K-pop, fans in Bangkok have been able to listen to their fill. Rock band Slot Machine wants this to be a two-way conversation and the members say they'll begin it this year by being the first Thai band to...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jul 15, 2016
French toast gets a summer makeover with 'Melon The Rocks'
Fukuoka's Ivorish excels at french toast, but this summer it has put a fruity spin on their savory desserts. The awkwardly named "Melon The Rocks" (¥2,000) includes french toast inside half of a honeydew melon, with chunks of green melon and jelly to drive home the seasonal theme. It's a big treat —...
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.
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.
How to tweak your diet when temperatures spike
Most people think of hydration as a strictly liquid-based concept, but eating foods with high water content is an essential part of making it through a Japanese summer unscathed.

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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