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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
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.
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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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

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