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November 21, 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
Feb 21, 2022
Sky-Hi: Taking up the fight for artistic freedom
The artist-turned-talent agency CEO says Japan's music industry needs a major modern makeover.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 11, 2022
Ado brings a flair for the dramatic to ‘Kyogen’
The rebellious teenage J-pop singer brings the sonic palette of the Japanese Vocaloid community to the mainstream and shows off her vocal versatility on her debut album, “Kyogen.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 11, 2022
The Tokyo club scene's 'temple' may be gone, but the faith remains
As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, the artists in Tokyo's club scene are turning to downsizing as a way to survive.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 29, 2022
‘Bad Mode’ delivers some of the best songs of Hikaru Utada’s career
Hikaru Utada's eighth full-length album is full of introspection, with the artist working on their personal growth and coming away with a better sense of self.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 14, 2022
What can we expect from J-pop in 2022?
Ditch the downer sounds of 2021 for brighter bops, Shibuya-kei and breakout hits via TikTok.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 8, 2022
‘Aggretsuko’ digs into toxic work culture and self-worth
The newly released fourth season of 'Aggretsuko' digs into some truly bleak storylines about the realities of work, but still finds a way to humanize even its most unlikeable characters.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 30, 2021
New Year's TV sees us spoiled for choice
Japanese broadcast television's slate of new year programming features star-studded blowouts that offer the perfect dose of moderately entertaining content as we head into 2022.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 25, 2021
Fairy tale fantasies meet reality on ‘The Future Diary’ and ‘The Bachelor Japan’
Whether you're in the mood for a love story with a melodramatic touch or some messier romantic competition, streaming services have you covered.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 25, 2021
Johnny's pop stars get pumped for 'Sasuke'
Members from Snow Man, A.B.C-Z, 7 Men Samurai and Shonen Ninja take on the ultimate physical challenge.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 24, 2021
Escapist bops and deep pop: Music was a mood in 2021
After a year in which Japan's music industry had to make its peace with streaming, this year saw more of the holdouts get on board with the times.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Dec 19, 2021
YouTuber gets hit with copyright claims, but is it Toei who’s out of line?
While companies have a right to protect their intellectual property, they should still realize the media landscape is changing.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 3, 2021
JO1 to the world: A new stage for J-pop
The 11-member act signals the rise of reality TV talent competitions geared toward the social media age.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Nov 27, 2021
Live-action 'Cowboy Bebop' shows the limitations of Netflix's originality
Netflix's adaptation of a beloved anime series has been met with groans, but the recent South Korean hit “Squid Game” demonstrates how anime can in fact be brought to life successfully.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Nov 19, 2021
Yoasobi, NiziU, BiSH and KAT-TUN to sing in the new year on 'Kohaku Uta Gassen'
According to NHK's official site, this year's theme is “Colorful” to represent the program's mission to bring “color” to the lives of people during COVID-19 and highlight Japan's diversity.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 19, 2021
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: The reluctant icon?
For the better part of a 10-year career, the performer's aesthetic defined Japan's pop culture. Her latest album, “Candy Racer,” marks a fresh start.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Nov 5, 2021
Kiyotaka Sugiyama looks back on the glistening days of city pop
The Omega Tribe frontman celebrates the 40th anniversary of the city pop group's debut with remastered versions of past albums.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 28, 2021
Supergroup Skye’s debut, 53 years in the making
Rock heavyweights Shigeru Suzuki, Ray Ohara, Tatsuo Hayashi and Masataka Matsutoya pay tribute to the band's early days with an eponymous album.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Longform
Oct 11, 2021
Japan’s convenience stores look to the future
Domestic franchises are struggling to remain relevant as consumer habits change and global competition intensifies.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 2, 2021
The bike safety campaign that backfired
The Chiba Prefectural Police hoped an animated avatar would help with bicycle safety but wound up wading into a long-running debate over misogyny.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 25, 2021
Supersonic hits quiet mode on its summer party
The two-day music festival had crowds dancing at Zozo Marine Stadium with foreign and domestic acts despite pandemic-related obstacles.
Ishiba delays meeting with Trump, citing legal restrictions
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba waves upon arrival for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, in Callao, Peru, on Friday.
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.
Rising sex tourism exposes loopholes in Japan's anti-prostitution law
While financial misfortunes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have driven some women to work the streets, others simply want more money to spend — or want to pay off their debts — at host clubs.
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.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
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.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

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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