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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
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Dec 16, 2017
Getting to the bottom of a slippery game show gone viral
No aspect of Japanese pop culture titillates the world more than the country's game shows. From references on "The Simpson's" to inspiring Western riffs on subjects such as "Banzai" and "I Survived A Japanese Game Show," the idea of wacky creations bordering on torture have played a central place in...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 13, 2017
Music acts found new ways to get noticed in 2017, but nothing beats an established brand
The path to J-pop stardom used to be pretty simple: Align yourself with the right talent agency and label — they'll do all the work.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 13, 2017
Whether you're Japanese or not, results are what count in music
There are many factors to keep in mind when trying to break into the Japanese music industry as a non-Japanese person. One that might be easy to overlook but ultimately rings true: You're going to have to work hard.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 13, 2017
Japanese rap and anime themes are among the best tracks of 2017
J-pop in 2017 felt more fragmented than ever, but the year's biggest songs tell the story of the past 12 months quite well. From YouTube rappers to television hearthrobs, here are four tunes that sum it all up.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Dec 9, 2017
Mister Donut's Christmas Big Donut: A Christmas cake that won't break the bank
Mister Donut's clunkily titled Christmas Big Donut is available until Dec. 25.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Dec 2, 2017
Pepsi Christmas Cola: If you're going to leave a snack out for Santa, stick to milk and cookies
Happy holidays, here's a novelty soda to celebrate! Pepsi Japan trails only KitKat when it comes to out-there flavor ideas for its signature item, with the past few years featuring cucumber and baobab among others. Now comes a slightly sweeter special — Pepsi Christmas Cola, which aims to capture the...
CULTURE / Music
Nov 30, 2017
Basking in afterglow of solid sophomore album, Suchmos reflects on a stellar year
Picking one highlight from 2017 proves a tough task for Suchmos vocalist Yosuke Kasai. The past 11 months have been good for him and his six-member band. They've gone from a Jamiroquai-inspired outfit playing late-night sets at small Shinjuku venues to a national phenomenon, their music moving tens of...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Nov 25, 2017
Allpress Espresso's Tokyo Roastery offers coffee with a Cream Kiss
Until New Year's Day, the store offers a special Christmas Blend flat white paired with chocolate from Summerbird Organic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Nov 23, 2017
B.J. Fox navigates life in Japan as a stay-at-home dad in the sitcom 'Home Sweet Tokyo'
There are many ways to learn about a country's culture, but B.J. Fox thinks comedy is one of the best. After being relocated to Singapore from his home country of England for work, he found that sharing a few laughs with others who were in similar situations helped him connect with his new surroundings....
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 18, 2017
Donald Trump's visit dominates Japan's conversation online — until he leaves
Japanese netizens spent the days following U.S. President Donald Trump's first visit to Japan trying to figure out who came out of the trip looking the best. A week later, a consensus was seemingly reached.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Nov 18, 2017
Baskin Robbins' Booya! Minion ice cream: a cute cacophony of banana, pineapple, soda and chocolate
Baskin Robbins is cashing in on the Minions' success with a series of items themed after the overall-sporting twerps.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Nov 11, 2017
Lawson's new Karaage-Kun: Miso tops onion in this battle for the buds
There is a lot going on here, and the mix of flavors results in some of them being lost in the shuffle.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Nov 9, 2017
Former SMAP stars find freedom online
When a wrecking ball fell on and destroyed a car, I was hooked on a 72-hour live stream starring three former members of pop group SMAP.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Nov 4, 2017
Cozy Corner's Rich Cheese Fondue isn't quite what you'd expect
A good way to keep warm during the winter is by enjoying a nice fondue. The combination of bubbly melted cheese and bread can raise the spirits — and warm the stomachs — of anyone in the depths of the coldest season.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 31, 2017
Kenshi Yonezu hopes for more fireworks on new album 'Bootleg'
For Hatsune Miku's 10th birthday, Kenshi Yonezu wrote the turquoise-haired anime darling an apocalyptic song. "Suna no Wakusei" (English title: "Dune") finds Yonezu, under the alias Hachi, programming the avatar for singing-synthesizer software Vocaloid to sing about a "desert planet" where life has...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 28, 2017
You look like you've seen a Ghost Pumpkin Cream Puff
It's the last weekend to indulge in Halloween-themed sweets from Japan's convenience stores. Fortunately, all of the nation's main konbini players have their limited edition desserts on shelves now. And, given the country's newfound love of Oct. 31, there are plenty of black and orange delights to choose...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 25, 2017
Are Crossfaith rock's last true believers?
Crossfaith is experiencing an existential rock 'n' roll crisis. It's not stopping them from partying like rock stars, though.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Oct 21, 2017
Ginza Matcha Cake: Tokyo Banana ventures outside its curved-fruit comfort zone
The folks behind Tokyo Banana have decided to freshen things up with the Ginza Matcha Cake.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 14, 2017
7-Eleven's Cookies and Cream Puff: A solid improvement to the sweet staple
7-Eleven Japan's cream puff is the ideal convenience store dessert. It's basic but satisfying, offering just the right amount of sweetness. Maybe most importantly, it's also affordable. Few treats balance simplicity and tastiness quite like it, and the konbini chain has wisely experimented with the filling...
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Oct 14, 2017
Shared experiences in the capital fuel interest in @BeingTokyo account
In July 2016, I handled @BeingTokyo, an account on Twitter that allows residents of the capital a week to give followers a taste of what their life in the city is like. My seven days were a little different from the norm as I was part of a group of people posting from Fuji Rock Festival in Naeba, Niigata...
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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