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July 08, 2025
 

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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
Jun 5, 2020
Summer's Fuji Rock Festival postponed due to COVID-19 concerns
Smash Japan announced today that the 2020 edition of Fuji Rock Festival will be postponed until August 2021 due to ongoing concerns regarding COVID-19.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 4, 2020
Okamoto's: Rock, rap and the road less traveled
The four-piece band marks 10 years of bucking expectations and musical risk-taking.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 1, 2020
E-ticketing platform Zaiko's livestream success sees unwelcome imitators
The ticketing company pivoted to livestreaming events when the coronavirus struck, a move that may change how we experience music in Japan.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 30, 2020
Public begins to wake up to sheer volume of harassment online
Social media users want abusers to drop their veil of anonymity.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 30, 2020
Salted egg potato chips: Rich, crispy and craveable
One recent food fad in Singapore has been salted duck-egg potato chips. Now, snack maker Calbee has gotten in on the action.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 23, 2020
Crowdfunding campaigns offer hope to ailing firms facing COVID-19 insolvency
Communities rally behind their favorite establishments, but can they save them all?
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
May 23, 2020
McDonald’s ramune McShake: Summery, sweet and nostalgic
McDonald's Japan's ramune-flavored McShake is a creamy take on the candy version of the citrusy soda.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 22, 2020
Daiki Tsuneta: From the top of the charts to the great unknown
King Gnu frontman, Daiki Tsuneta, heads for further glory as he pushes forward with his side project, Millennium Parade.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
May 22, 2020
Ayumi Hamasaki TV drama stays on the right side of absurdity
A new drama series highlighting the life of the J-pop star at her peak has fascinated viewers with its hammed-up acting and over-the-top antics.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 16, 2020
Understanding the need to shame someone on social media for not exercising self-restraint during a pandemic
Domestic news organizations are trying to get to the bottom of what makes the so-called self-restraint police tick.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 16, 2020
Plug in, power up and get into the #ZoneChallenge
With social life remaining online, Zone energy drink offers (admittedly not great-tasting) “digital performance energy.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 15, 2020
Shibuya's Club Asia stays steady and looks ahead to post-coronavirus clubbing
As some of Tokyo's clubs face permanent closure as a result of COVID-19, others look to the future and ways of ensuring they survive the pandemic.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 9, 2020
Golden Week takes a turn for the weird online amid pandemic
The current environment surrounding the emergence of COVID-19 has forced people to come up with brand new ways of enjoying time away from work.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 9, 2020
The quest for cute convenience store character sweets
Sometimes a slight sacrifice in overall “aww” factor is worth it for a dessert that actually tastes good.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
May 8, 2020
Live music needs structural change to survive COVID-19
With footfall having dropped dramatically at Japan's live music venues, many are turning to crowdfunding. But whether this will help mid-sized spaces remains to be seen.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 7, 2020
Yonawo brings chilled sounds to a tense Japan
The Fukuoka group has released its first major-label mini-album, and is firmly looking forward.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 2, 2020
Exploring Japan from the comfort of your own living room
Audiences worldwide are seeking out visual escapes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
May 2, 2020
Take a taste bud trip with Shikoku citrus and Kyoto matcha
Lawson's Uchi Cafe brand ice bars have been one of the most welcome additions to the konbini ecosystem, and the new Ehime Prefecture Citrus Iyo & Amanatsu flavor is a highlight.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / Food Sustainability in Japan
Apr 25, 2020
Muscle Gyoza Veggie: Meat-free doesn’t mean missing out on flavor — or protein
Embracing plant-based foods doesn't mean sacrificing the protein benefits of meat.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Apr 24, 2020
Racking up the views on YouTube with The First Take
There’s nothing complicated about The First Take, and perhaps that’s why it has become an online hit. A notable Japanese musician enters a sparse room, banters with the crew and performs a song in front of a high-end microphone in one take.
Heatstroke alert issued for 19 prefectures as Japan enters 'once-in-a-decade' heat wave
Japan will experience a heat wave through mid-July on a “level only seen once in a decade,” the Meteorological Agency said on June 30.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Foreign nationals' presence in Japan emerges as key issue in Upper House poll
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba delivers a campaign speech next to a Liberal Democratic Party candidate for the Upper House (top center left) in Yokohama on Sunday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
China’s housing crisis is worse than it seems
Residential buildings under construction in Shanghai in July 2022. The Chinese government risks long-term decline by repeating Japan’s policy mistakes in handling its real estate and demographic crises.
Ainu land rights in crosshairs as Hokkaido communities debate nuclear waste
A street in Suttsu, Hokkaido, with a sign put up by an anti-nuclear organization. The small community is considering hosting a facility that would hold nuclear waste.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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