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July 07, 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
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 25, 2020
Kakeibo: Turning a dull aspect of Japanese life into social media gold
At some point in the past decade, the international notion of “weird Japan” — a view in which the country produces more quirky and wacky trends than many other nations, regardless if said example is actually widespread — took a back seat to “boring but profound Japan.” 
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jan 24, 2020
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Hatsune Miku help Coachella's Japan contingent to grow
The California festival adds two Japanese pop heavyweights to its lineup, following a successful appearance by Perfume there last year.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jan 18, 2020
Mister Donut gets the French treatment with its Pierre Herme collaboration
2020's first hit dessert collaboration is here with Mister Donut and Pierre Herme's lineup of six chocolate- and fruit-forward doughnuts.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 18, 2020
Social media turns its back on Japan's beloved strong alcoholic beverages
Everyone has a friend who likes to darken the mood when others are simply trying to have a good time. Dr. Toshihiko Matsumoto took on this mantle over the new year, killing the buzz for a number of people on social media just hours before the new decade started.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Jan 11, 2020
Take a cold weather gamble on Lawson's new ice bars
Lawson's Japan Flavors series of desserts, debuted in summer with a handful of citrus-flavored ice bars, and now the convenience store chain has rolled out two new varieties for winter in the form of grape and strawberry ice pops.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jan 10, 2020
NHK raises the dead for 'Kohaku' to mixed reviews
After NHK brought deceased enka singer Hibari Misora back to the 'Kohaku Uta Gassen' stage, reaction from viewers was mixed.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jan 4, 2020
Predicting Japan's digital trends of the next decade
Last year was all about looking back. Between the end of the Heisei Era (1989-2019) and the decade coming to a close, people appeared to go to extra lengths to reflect on the recent and not-so-recent past (this column included). Now that we’ve entered 2020, though, it’s time to leave the highlights...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Jan 4, 2020
Krispy Kreme's new Year of the Rat doughnuts are cuter than you might think
How do you make Year of the Rat-themed sweets adorable? Look to the mouse, of course.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW
Dec 29, 2019
Looking back at the most influential Japanese songs of the 2010s
Given how Japanese music takes time to receive widespread recognition, what gems would the kids of the 2040s unearth from the decade that just passed?
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Dec 28, 2019
Festive sweets to ring in the new year
Convenience stores have your cravings covered this new year with a selection of festive fruit- and cheese-based sweets.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Dec 28, 2019
Evolving debate over cultural differences worldwide leads to greater social media insight
Almost everyone who voluntarily relocates to a country besides the one they grew up in enjoys some kind of honeymoon phase in their new surroundings. Everything about their adopted home feels shiny and praiseworthy, with all of the memories of one’s past suddenly looking far rustier than it ever did...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / 2019 in Review
Dec 26, 2019
The dawn of a new era and a change in J-pop
2019 brought changes to Japan's pop scene, including established acts finally embracing the internet as a way of reaching fans
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Dec 21, 2019
Milksha: 'Fresh Milk' bubble tea gets some fresh new flavors
There's a plethora of subpar bubble tea shops out there. Fortunately, Milksha is not one of them.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 2019 in Review
Dec 19, 2019
Japanese television relied heavily on tried and tested formulas in 2019
While the Rugby World Cup and the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito brought the viewers flocking, television networks did little to offer anything else new in 2019.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Dec 14, 2019
Everything's better with butter and lobster, especially potato chips
Snack makers Calbee and Yamayoshi are bringing Japan's regional flavors to convenience store shelves ... in potato chip form.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 13, 2019
Sending Japan's 'Paprika' out to the world
The biggest Japanese children's song of recent years gets an official English translation, in the hope of boosting diversity and interest in the language.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Dec 7, 2019
The McDonald's strawberry 'chocolate' pie: Confusingly named, but a worth-it guilty pleasure
In all honesty, no one needs dessert following a meal at McDonald's.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CULTURE NOTES
Dec 6, 2019
Marie Kondo: The face of 2019
With Marie Kondo's new online store garnering mixed reactions, the year ended almost as it began, with people arguing about the tidying consultant.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Nov 30, 2019
Lawson's bread buns are going to the dogs
Lawson has tapped into its creative side for recent animal-shaped bread offerings both sweet and savory.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Nov 23, 2019
A Le Loic: Inspired gelato comes to Tokyo Disney
Gelato shop A Le Loic offers a selection of classy flavors that you can enjoy on their own or stuffed in a crepe.
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.
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.
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.
Tokyo and Kyoto feature among top ‘noctourism’ destinations
Tokyo ranked second after New York and ahead of Dubai and Singapore in a ranking of the top global cities for nighttime tourism.
Global matcha 'obsession' drinks Japan's tea farms dry
Matcha is added to beverages on offer at Kettl Tea in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on May 20.
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

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