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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
Jul 22, 2021
The Olympic opening ceremony that wasn’t
Mired in the COVID-19 pandemic and a slew of scandals, the opening ceremony on Friday will look nothing like the original plans for a spectacular celebration of Japan's pop culture.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 21, 2021
Episode 91: The long road to the Olympic Games — Part 1
In Part 1 of a two-part look at the long and tumultuous road to the Olympics, we look at Tokyo's initial bid for the Olympics in 2011, how the city won that bid in 2013, and the ups and downs that accompanied the story of the Games until the famous handover ceremony at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 3, 2021
Two years is nothing to a 3,500-year-old dragon child, but it was everything to the fans of Kiryu Coco
As Kiryu Coco graduates from Hololive, it allows us a chance to look at the growing influence of virtual YouTubers
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jun 26, 2021
Can a Japanese mom's YouTube post keep anti-vax conspiracies at bay?
Some of Japan's more vaccine-hesitant residents might find comfort in the experiences of parents and grandparents on social media getting the jab.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 24, 2021
Hikari makes soft-power moves with anime and Vocaloid covers
In 2021, the performer launched Singing Cosplayer Hikari, a multiplatform project anchored by her YouTube channel, to harness the booming popularity of anime and Japanese music.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jun 19, 2021
Spotify gets visual in a new TV Tokyo show about podcasting
Spotify dips its toe into broadcast television with a new show that will either be a boon for podcasts or chain restaurants.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jun 12, 2021
Tapping into the travel dreams of overseas visitors to Japan
Traveling to Japan is unlikely to resemble trips prior to the emergence of COVID-19.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 27, 2021
Ado's defiant hit is a coming-of-age moment for Japan's Vocaloid culture
Ado caused a moral panic in Japan with her catchy and rebellious track 'Usseewa,' a track influenced by the cultural conventions of Vocaloid that are taking Japanese music by storm.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 21, 2021
Rapper Daichi Yamamoto gets personal about breakups, his biracial background and a love of jazzy beats
Japanese rappers are beginning to share more about their own experiences in their tracks, an approach Daichi Yamamoto says is upping the standards for domestic hip-hop.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 13, 2021
What will music festivals look like in the wake of the pandemic? We'll start to find out this summer.
Naoki Shimizu, the man behind Japan's massive Summer Sonic festival, talks about COVID-19 precautions and new ideas for moving forward.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
May 9, 2021
Conbini Boys: ‘The konbini plays such an important role in society’
Are nationalized convenience stores in Japan's future? Maybe! You'll have to ask the fried chicken-loving duo behind the “Conbini Boys” podcast.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 8, 2021
The Japanese art of racking up clicks online
Stories focusing on the ways that Japan can fix your life are proliferating online, but they may say more about our need for change than Japan itself.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
May 7, 2021
Can Fuji Rock's all-Japan lineup give J-pop a post-pandemic push?
Fuji Rock has announced an all-local lineup. If done well, it could introduce a wide audience to up-and-coming Japanese talent.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse,Japan Pulse
Apr 30, 2021
Tokyo-born artist and activist Drue Kataoka becomes the new face of Clubhouse
Asian American artist Drue Kataoka uses the Clubhouse platform to discuss art and politics, and has raised more than $88,000 for the Asian American Foundation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 22, 2021
NiziU: Made in South Korea, totally Japanese
The nine-member pop act NiziU moved from a reality TV show competition to the top of the Japanese music charts with ease — and that was the strategy all along.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Apr 17, 2021
Weather forecaster Saya Hiyama's viral moments say a lot about fame in Japan
Weather forecaster Saya Hiyama is the latest media personality to garner an online following, but what does her popularity say about celebrity in the digital age?
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 14, 2021
Indonesian singer Rainych Ran goes viral amid an online city pop renaissance
Rainych Ran's take in Japanese on American singer Doja Cat's chart-topping “Say So” became a hit partially because music from the 1980s is currently enjoying a YouTube-powered revival.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Mar 27, 2021
Ministop goes all-in on the fruit flavor with its Hokkaido Raiden Melon soft-serve
The chain has been offering melon-flavored desserts featuring fruits grown around the country all year, and it's finally reached Hokkaido.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Mar 14, 2021
Dessert gets an upgrade at two fast-food joints
Pie and ice cream makes for a classic combination, but a new pie at McDonald's and a new ice cream at Baskin-Robbins stand on their own.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 11, 2021
How TikTok resurrected a Japanese pop star's defining hit
Miki Matsubara's 1979 hit song 'Mayonaka no Door: Stay With Me' has been discovered by a new generation of digitally savvy teens. The Japanese music industry has taken notice.
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

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