author

 
Menu
Search
 
July 16, 2024
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Twitter

@mbmelodies

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 / KONBINI WATCH
Jun 19, 2015
Pokka Sapporo's vanilla-flavored cola may float your boat
Pepsi's Strong Zero soda — a zero-calorie cola boasting increased amounts of caffeine — was the biggest soft-drink release of the week. But it's really a tasteless beverage that will give you a bellyache. So let's focus on a pleasant alternative, available only at FamilyMart.
Japan Times
CULTURE
Jun 18, 2015
A festival for every weekend of your summer
Festivals (matsuri) of all kinds are a staple of Japanese culture and summer is the premier season to experience them. In recent years, the country has seen a bit of a boom in cultural festivals, to the point that it's possible to book every weekend of your summer around them. We're here to help by highlighting...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jun 12, 2015
Krispy Kreme attempts to knock the Cronut from its doughy throne with "Waffnuts"
Move over Cronut, there's a new, wacky hybrid sweet in town. Krispy Kreme Japan has begun selling its new "Waffnuts" creations, which blend the venerable waffle together with the doughnut.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 7, 2015
Rush hour with bangin' bass: My night on ageHa's EDM train
A woman with purple hair sits in the waiting room on the platform at Nerima Station, surrounded by salarymen who look exhausted from their workday. Nearby, a private security guard herds four friends wearing matching floral-print pants and light-up shoes toward a line. An assortment of middle-aged workers...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jun 5, 2015
Fruit-flavored potato chips you can eat for breakfast
It's an idea that could only come from a truly desperate board meeting: "What if we sold potato chips for people to eat at breakfast?" The Koikeya snack company has taken this proposition and turned it into a terrifying reality with its new banana-and-peach-flavored chips, which are marketed as breakfast...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
May 29, 2015
Yes, you can eat high-quality melon in Tokyo this summer without taking out a bank loan
Melons don't come easy in Japan. Just a single muskmelon can set you back thousands of yen — if not much, much more. But there are, thankfully, cheaper ways to enjoy the treat.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 22, 2015
Only one of Suntory's two craft beer offerings manages to capture that small brewer vibe
Suntory's new Craft Select series isn't craft beer. It's not from a charming neighborhood brewery, but a beverage conglomerate that bought up Jim Beam.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 15, 2015
J-pop singer-songwriter miwa absorbs the right elements of Western pop
miwa "Oneness" (Sony Records)
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 15, 2015
Parupunte's 'Primitive' surprises with complicated twists
Parupunte "Primitive" (Tanukineiri Records)
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
May 15, 2015
Ben & Jerry's get in on the Mexican food boom with the Brrr-ito
Last time I checked, the line for Tokyo's new Taco Bell stretched around the block. So seeking out alternatives for your Mexican cravings may be the best course of action. Ice cream shop Ben & Jerry's, of all places, offers an intriguing option with the Brrr-ito (¥650).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 8, 2015
The quirky sounds of indie music find a voice in Boys Age
Around 50 people are watching Kaznary Mutow of the band Boys Age thrash his guitar on a Friday night at Shimokitazawa club Three. He's in the middle of a 10-minute-plus psychedelic freakout, locked into an intense slow-burning session with drummer Takamasa Kobayashi.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 8, 2015
Two Indian dishes get the royal treatment from Doritos
The Doritos Royal line of chips in Japan has always tried to offer a premium snack experience for those craving something more decadent than "cheese" or "taco." Frito Lay's newest offerings in this regal line try to re-create two flavors from India.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / EXPO MILANO 2015
May 3, 2015
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu brings 'kawaii' in Italian debut
Japanese pop star Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's image of Italy is of a luxurious country, loaded with world-famous clothing brands and other items. Yet, she said when she travels to the country for the first time in July, she's most excited about the chance to eat lots of Italian food.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
May 1, 2015
Cartoon racoon receives the highest honor a woodland creature can get — its own cake
Rascal the Racoon, the Japanese cartoon character created in 1977, has received one of the highest honors an animated woodland creature can get — his own cake.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 24, 2015
Natsume Mito gets a few choice cuts for a song about her hair
Sometimes all it takes to jump-start a music career is one viral video. Japanese acts such as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Babymetal attracted attention domestically and abroad thanks to memorable clips uploaded to YouTube, earning millions of views in the process.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 24, 2015
The Taco Bell is ringing, but will Tokyo come to the party?
It's 8 a.m. on an overcast Tuesday and a line of people are queuing along a cramped street in Shibuya's Dogenzaka area.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Apr 24, 2015
FamilyMart's nuggets may be a gamechanger in the convenience store fried-chicken war
Nuggets have long been an afterthought in the greasy trenches of Japan's convenience-store fried-chicken battles. "Nugget" options in the past have resembled sad, microwave-ready snacks pulled from the freezer.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 17, 2015
Southern All Stars "Budou"
Southern All Stars "Budou" (Victor / Taishita)
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Apr 17, 2015
Sweet cream between soft buns at Omotesando's Anovan bakery
The quaint Anovan bakery, which opened last week, offers several varieties of fluffy French pasty bouchee — a custard-like flavored cream sandwiched between two soft buns.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 17, 2015
Tenkiame "So Sad About Us"
Tenkiame "So Sad About Us" (Independent)
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.
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.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
Amid same-sex marriage ban, LGBTQ couples opt for 'photo weddings'
A lesbian couple, consisting of a 35-year-old woman (left) and 40-year-old woman, cover their faces with bouquets as they pose for wedding photos in Yokohama on Nov. 1.
China and Russia conduct joint Pacific military patrol
The Russian corvette Gromkiy enters the Chinese port of Zhanjiang as part of a joint China-Russia naval exercise on Saturday.
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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals
Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER