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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
Apr 12, 2015
Record Store Day promises some hits
It has taken a few years to catch on in Japan, but Record Store Day (RSD) is now well-known among music fans. This year's edition falls on April 18, so look out for limited-edition items and a few shows to celebrate.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Apr 10, 2015
Kirin courts lightweight drinkers with 1 percent alcohol
Always looking to court a new demographic of drinkers, Kirin seems to have listened to market research indicating that not everyone likes going overboard with booze.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 9, 2015
Britain's bo en finds a musical family in Tokyo's electronic scene
Calum Bowen's music career under the moniker bo en started thanks to a Tokyo label, and the 24-year-old English producer has collaborated with many Japanese electronic musicians since 2013. In the past year, he has worked on songs for rising J-pop singers, and is currently on a mini-tour in the country,...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Apr 3, 2015
Kobeya Kitchen hops into Easter
The Kobeya Kitchen chain of bakeries found mostly around major train stations is celebrating Easter with a limited-edition treat in the form of a dessert shaped like a rabbit (¥238).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 24, 2015
SXSW's Japan Nite celebrates 20 lively years
For the past two decades, the Japan Nite showcase has been one of the most celebrated events at the South By Southwest (SXSW) music conference and festival, a gathering where industry types, everyday music fans and performers from all over the world descend on Texas' capital. The music component of this...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Mar 24, 2015
Coca-Cola adds life to latest release
Coca-Cola Co's latest carbonated creation, Coca-Cola Life, launched in Japan earlier this month with the promise of fewer calories and less sugar via the use of stevia leaf extract, a sweetener that's apparently better for the body.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Mar 17, 2015
A healthier approach to doughnuts at Floresta
Offering delicious organic desserts across Japan since 2002, including at several Tokyo stores, Floresta is perhaps best known for its "animal doughnuts."
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Mar 15, 2015
First impressions count for ALTs meeting their new Japanese colleagues
Fostering a good vibe early in the new school year can pay huge dividends, making the next 12 months easier for the both of you.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 10, 2015
Monkey ski, monkey brew as Shiga Kogen hosts annual beer-and-bands festival
Two of the bigger booms of the last few years in Japan seem like they would be a great match. But nobody thought to merge the worlds of craft beer and music festivals until Eigo Sato did so in 2012.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Mar 10, 2015
Yamayoshi beefs up its range of chips
Potato chips might not ever be able to fully take the place of a night grilling up juicy meat, but the Yamayoshi snack companies' limited-edition "salty green onion and beef tongue" flavor comes close.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Mar 3, 2015
Untouchable Toffee opens second branch in Harajuku
Untouchable Toffee opened its first store in Hamamatsu back in 2013, but the candy company didn't launch a second branch until late last year when it settled in the hipper neighborhood of Harajuku.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Feb 24, 2015
Seven-Eleven rolls out new line of donuts
Coffee has become big bucks for convenience stores as customers have embraced a cheap brews.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 17, 2015
AKB48 "Koko ga Rhodes da, Koko de Tobe!"
Idol group AKB48 elicits extreme reactions from people. The unit has nurtured a rabid fanbase who are willing to buy multiple copies of a single CD to show their devotion. On the other hand, critics despise the group's brand of by-the-book pop and the sideshow shenanigans the members engage in (or are...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Feb 17, 2015
Monarch Cupcake makes regal entrance to Tokyo
The neighborhood of Omotesando already has a surplus of trendy pancake, chocolate and sugared-up popcorn shops.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Feb 10, 2015
Fujiya Co. adds fizz and sparkle with macaron set
Confectionary chain Fujiya Co. has added a little pop to their macaron selection with the introduction of a Sparkling Macaron set (¥500) featuring three soda-flavored sweets.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 3, 2015
Negicco's new album turns the onion idols into Shibuya-kei's new hope
The crowd at the sold-out Liquidroom show furiously pumps glowsticks shaped like green onions in time with the beat coming out of the venue's sound system. They scream when three young women appear, and the energy only grows as the first song of the night gets rolling. It gets especially loud when they...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Feb 3, 2015
Oktoberfest comes early with Munchner Dunkel at Seven-Eleven
Those living in Japan know that when it comes to Oktoberfest, dates aren't much of a consideration. Past Oktoberfests have run anywhere between April and October.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 27, 2015
Pommeke makes fries the main dish
Tokyo boasts plenty of Belgian culinary spots, from beer bars to chocolate shops. Chef Bart Sablon even points out that there is a Belgian waffle store right around the corner from Pommeke, a recently opened operation where the 39-year-old works as executive chef. "That's a total coincidence, though,"...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jan 27, 2015
Mister Donut seeks borough cred in Brooklyn D&D
The New York borough of Brooklyn has been a hotbed of culinary trends over the past decade. And now Japan's Mister Donut wants to cash in on the city's brand of cool.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 27, 2015
Sugar's Campaign come up with some sweet city pop for debut album 'Friends'
Seiho Hayakawa and Takuma Hosokawa think modern pop music is "grotesque," but that's exactly how they wanted the debut album by their band Sugar's Campaign to sound.
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

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