Patrick St. Michel - The Japan Times

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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

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Feb 24, 2018

Starbucks back with its range of cherry blossom-inspired treats

Life in Japan can be measured in seasonal dessert offerings. With Valentine's Day now in the past, the focus falls squarely on one of the year's spotlight stretches. Cherry blossom season approaches, with companies big and small prepping an array of sakura-tinged foodstuffs for the pink-loving masses....

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Feb 17, 2018

Seven-Eleven's latest creation captures the magic of the Winter Olympics

Everyone has Olympic fever thanks to the ongoing Pyeongchang Winter Games. Yet interest in Korean food — especially the popular dish dak-galbi — was on the rise in Japan well before the athletes got going.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / Sound Off

Feb 15, 2018

Pyeongchang's pop takes home gold

Politics hovered over the opening ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The pageantry came against a backdrop of geopolitical intrigue, featuring the presence of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's younger sister, Yo Jong, who was on hand to watch a unified Korean team march into the Olympic...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Feb 14, 2018

AmPm masters the Spotify game

The central pair behind electronic project AmPm didn't have high expectations when they flew to Jakarta last August for Spotify On Stage, a live event organized by the market-leading music streaming service.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Feb 10, 2018

Coca-Cola Peach: A saccharine adventure that isn't as bad as it sounds

For a long time, Pepsi has owned the flavored cola market in Japan. It did so with left-of-center flavors that often tasted bad but, by rolling out curiosities such as cake-flavored soda, got attention, which is sometimes all that's needed. Now, Coca-Cola wants in on the action.

Japan Times

CULTURE / TV & Streaming

Feb 8, 2018

'Ainori' teaches lessons in love ... and soft power

Netflix Japan's reboot of the reality show "Ainori" features plenty of drama — most of it interpersonal, but some geopolitical.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Feb 3, 2018

Kanazawa Ice's Burning Soft Cream Parfait: The ice cream that doesn't melt

Admittedly, the idea behind Kanazawa Ice's creations doesn't sound all that jaw-dropping in the dead of winter. The sweetmaker, which opened a branch in Harajuku in late January 2018, boasts of soft serve and other ice-like creations that don't melt, even when left in a particularly hot room.

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT

Jan 31, 2018

The Japan vlogger's gospel, not according to Logan Paul

In the wake of the Logan Paul 'suicide forest' fiasco, YouTubers offer their tips on filming in Japan without infuriating the locals.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Jan 27, 2018

FamilyMart's Japari Man: Kemono Friends' colorful adventure in taste

The chocolate Japari Man is as simple as it gets. Save for the pink color of its exterior, this warm snack offers ample amounts of chocolate in every bite.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Jan 27, 2018

Shukan Bunshun shoots itself in the foot with Komuro scandal

Another month, another celebrity controversy in Japan. This time, however, the commotion over J-pop producer Tetsuya Komuro’s alleged affair and subsequent retirement might mark the moment that netizens rejected the country’s obsession with scandals. It also allowed those who might fall under the...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Jan 20, 2018

First Kitchen's Dessert Potatoes: An overpowering addition to the chocolate fries scene

We're currently living through a race by fast food chains to see who can best transform French fries into a dessert. Is First Kitchen up to the challenge?

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Jan 20, 2018

Stranded Niigata train incident highlights flaws in social media

Thanks to social media, anyone can log in to Twitter these days and comment on the fate of people who are stuck inside a stranded train from the comfort of their own homes. Is this what the world has become?

CULTURE / Sound Off

Jan 18, 2018

Will 2018 herald a return to the 1990s?

Prognosticating something as unpredictable as the domestic music industry might appear to be a fool's errand. But what's the fun in playing it safe? Here are some predictions for 2018.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Jan 13, 2018

Lawson's strawberry and cream cheesecake: 'Tis the season to celebrate the berry

If you only have space for one strawberry-centric treat this month, go for this one.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Jan 6, 2018

Blackface, suicide and celebrity abuse: Welcome to 2018!

We're one week into 2018 and it seems Japan has an image problem.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Jan 6, 2018

Fairycake Fair's Mocha-chan and Milky-chan: Dog-shaped cupcakes worth picking up while you can

Meet coffee-and-hazelnut-flavored Mocha-chan and white-chocolate-heavy Milky-chan.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Dec 30, 2017

Komeda's Coffee ice cream from FamilyMart: Added sweetness makes this blend well worth a try

FamilyMart has paired with popular coffee shop chain Komeda's Coffee for a special ice cream.

CULTURE / Music / Sound Off

Dec 28, 2017

Namie Amuro saves 'Kohaku' ... for now

The weekly Shukan Bunshun released a survey in early November highlighting the acts its readers wanted to see perform on NHK's yearend "Kohaku Uta Gassen" music program. They chose Namie Amuro as the artist they wanted to see the most, likely because she announced her plans to retire from the entertainment...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Dec 23, 2017

Tokyo Banana Panda: Ticks the 'aww' box but otherwise bear-ly worth writing home about

Souvenir mainstay Tokyo Banana hasn't missed its chance to honor Xiang Xiang's big moment.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Dec 16, 2017

7-Eleven's Mint Crunky: A winning bet on mint working in winter

This take on a classic Japanese confection comprises a fluffy chocolate exterior filled with a whipped mint filling studded with chocolate chips.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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