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

CULTURE / Music

May 12, 2017

Deep dive into the 1980s with the music of Satellite Young

Synthesizers, drum machines and Vocoder-filtered vocals in the style of pop star Chisato Moritaka — this was 1980s Japan, and it's the sound of Satellite Young.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

May 6, 2017

Gold Master: Strong craft beer just in time for the heat

Whither craft beer? Possibly on convenience store shelves, though in small numbers.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / Sound Off

May 4, 2017

Politics and pop: a perfect pairing

It's official: You can't escape politics in America. On a recent trip to Seattle, everyone I spoke to wanted to talk about President Donald Trump. Fittingly, the 2017 edition of the Museum of Pop Culture's Pop Conference, which I was invited to speak at, took on a political theme with "Sign O' The Times:...

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Apr 29, 2017

Honmido Sand: Quality through simplicity at the new Ginza Six

One of the year's first big openings in Tokyo has been Ginza Six, a large shopping center located in the heart of the capital. It's a huge space featuring fancy fashion stores, wallet-emptying designer bag retailers and a noh theater. It's not exactly geared toward the average Tokyoite, save for fanciful...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Apr 25, 2017

Pop music catches up to De De Mouse

Daisuke Endo made peace with EDM thanks to Mister Donut. The electronic artist, better known by his stage name De De Mouse, eats at the snack chain frequently. Recently, he says he has been enjoying the American pop music they pipe into the store.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Apr 22, 2017

Yuzu Kosho Chicken flavor chips: A tasty boon amid the potato shortage

Japan is experiencing a potato shortage. Caused by typhoons that hit Hokkaido last summer, the result is that potato chips have become scarce across the country. Well, at least some varieties. Though a handful of styles and flavors remain relatively plentiful, other fan favorites have vanished from shelves....

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle

Apr 20, 2017

Japan, take pride in 'Your Name.'

Two weeks ago, the United States' box office saw a surprising animated feature take the top spot and generate large amounts of discussion — and memes — on social media.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink

Apr 15, 2017

Noz by T.Y. Farm brings 'seed to table' ethos to Tokyo

Futoshi Ota has lofty goals for Noz, a new restaurant that brings the grand vision of his company one step closer to reality.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Apr 15, 2017

American Cherry Pie Frappuccino: Crust crumbs distract from otherwise tasty treat

We all can use a little indulgence from time to time, especially in such exhausting times. Thankfully, there's always an eye-grabbing dessert being wheeled out by a chain restaurant in Japan to focus on.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Apr 11, 2017

Hard-core vinyl fans are fueling a revival in obscure Japanese music from the 1980s

Fans of Japanese vinyl have good reason to be happy. HMV recently opened a store in the Kichijoji area dedicated to selling records — the third such establishment in Tokyo — and April 22 is Record Store Day. What started in 2012 as four artists putting out special releases has evolved into a day...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Apr 11, 2017

The beginnings of Mariah's sound

When U.S. label Palto Flats reissued Japanese band Mariah's album "Utakata no Hibi" ("Ephemeral Days") in 2015, it wasn't the first time an obscure record from the bubble era had been given new attention. However, the critical praise that followed the release triggered new interest in Japanese artists...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Apr 8, 2017

Steamed cake that looks like an egg: Form over flavor

The simplest way to transform a ho-hum sweet into something that jumps out at customers is to make it look like a different foodstuff altogether. I've lost count of how many bland creampuff-like treats I've eaten during my lifetime simply because a machine shaped them to look vaguely like a strawberry....

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Apr 1, 2017

'Oil cut' doughnuts: Most of the taste with half the guilt

Eating desserts — whether as an occasional treat after dinner or for a bi-weekly newspaper column — can lead to complicated feelings. Of course, most of the time it's a delicious experience that leaves you happy and satisfied in the moment. But minutes after, the shame of all those extra calories...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Mar 24, 2017

Pakuchi and Lemonade: Harnessing the thirst-quenching power of coriander

Pakuchi, called coriander in English, has been enjoying its time in the sun as a trendy ingredient in restaurants and recipes across the country as of late.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Mar 19, 2017

Yurufuwa Gang infuses plenty of positivity into its hip-hop sets

Yurufuwa Gang are one of the latest Japanese hip-hop acts to be getting attention from both domestic media and overseas players. As the nation's rap scene experiences something of a modest boom, the pair of Ryugo Ishida and Sophiee seem poised to be part of it.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Mar 19, 2017

Zombie-Chang's 'Gang!' reveals an unexpected new side

Chaos breeds a lot of surprises but the biggest shock coming out of genre-blending artist Zombie-Chang's latest album, "Gang!", is the flashes where she sounds like someone capable of being a mainstream pop performer.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Mar 17, 2017

Chouxcream Chouxcri's Cassius Orange: A 'syukurimu' for true connoisseurs

Lovers of dessert, rejoice. The Chouxcream Chouxcri dessert store outfit have opened a second establishment selling syukurimu made from top-line ingredients near Shinjuku Station. The new outpost offers the chain's signature cream puff (¥290), but the highlight is clearly the Shinjuku-only Cassius...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Mar 16, 2017

Radwimps were the perfect choice when it came to soundtracking 'Your Name.'

Yokohama Arena feels special on this chilly Tuesday night in early March. It's here that Radwimps — a rock outfit from Kanagawa Prefecture whose members could bike to this very venue when they were teens — are playing the first of two sold-out shows.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / Sound Off

Mar 12, 2017

Militant approach to collecting fees hurts JASRAC's reputation

At the start of 2017, it was hard to imagine a way that the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) could garner more hate from social media users than its already received. The music copyright management organization has long been one of the most loathed institutions...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Mar 10, 2017

Sakura Kaoru Cheese Souffle Cake: A new twist to an old theme

For the most part, Lawson's new Sakura Kaoru Cheese Souffle Cake looks more intriguing than it actually tastes, though it packs a surprise twist.

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

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

Smile! It’s ‘Sanrio Time,’ now and ever after

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