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July 27, 2024
 

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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
Apr 14, 2023
Disney super fans keep the magic alive in Japan
As Tokyo Disneyland marks its 40th anniversary, influencers such as Christopher Nilghe and Yoshika Yoshida celebrate on social media.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 11, 2023
Babymetal loses its edge on ‘The Other One’
In striving for lyrical maturity and leaving behind its quirky energy, Babymetal’s fourth full-length is well crafted but lacks anything that makes the heavy metal J-pop group stand out.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 4, 2023
Artists worldwide join J-pop luminaries in mourning Ryuichi Sakamoto
Artists such as Towa Tei, 'Suga' from BTS and Flying Lotus take to social media to express sadness and recount fond memories of the late musician.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 3, 2023
Ryuichi Sakamoto, trailblazing musician and film composer, dies at 71
Ryuichi Sakamoto, an award-winning composer and member of pioneering electronic act Yellow Magic Orchestra, has died. He was 71 years old.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 2, 2023
Lucky Pierrot’s anti-McDonald's approach makes it a Hakodate treasure
With an eclectic menu, eccentric decor and 35 years under its belt, Lucky Pierrot is a fixture of southern Hokkaido comfort food.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 1, 2023
Planck Stars take their shenanigans on the road
The joke's on the naysayers: The idol-pop band of pranksters goes global with a world tour.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 24, 2023
Le Makeup gives himself a sonic glow up on 'Odorata'
The Kansai-based artist digs deep on his latest album, using sensory details as the backdrop for his self-reflection and exploring new sounds through rap collaborations.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Mar 23, 2023
Tokyo gets on board the virtual YouTuber hype train
The local government's move to recruit Gawr Gura, Mori Calliope and Miko Sakura to help promote tourism speaks to just how big the VTuber industry has become in Japan.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 15, 2023
Haruki Murakami’s new novel. Plus, allegations resurface in J-pop.
Celebrated author Haruki Murakami reveals the title to a new novel, “The City and its Uncertain Walls.” Also, the BBC puts out a documentary on J-pop titan Johnny Kitagawa.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Mar 4, 2023
'Aggretsuko' swansong urges youth to rage
The Netflix show's fifth and final season turns its attention from workday dilemmas to death-metal outbursts aimed at the political state of modern Japan.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Feb 25, 2023
Festival organizers hope to woo tourists with Lizzo, Blur and Kendrick
With Japan's borders back open, major concerts have once again become a staple of the live ecosystem, and Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic are courting tourists to boost the festival industry.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 23, 2023
Math rock act Jyocho provides a cheerfully chilling soundtrack to new Junji Ito series
The quartet brings its unique blend of frenzy and sweetness to horror artist Junji Ito's new macabre Netflix series.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 11, 2023
Minami Minegishi: AKB48’s tear-stained pioneer
One J-pop idol’s shocking show of penance in 2013 foreshadowed the price of fame on the internet.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 10, 2023
Shin-Okubo's Bacon serves up DJs and design
As the owner, interior designer and event organizer of the new music venue, Jae Won Koo brings a taste of Seoul and his family business to Tokyo's nightclub scene.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 6, 2023
‘Sakura’ musician Masa Takumi wins Grammy for best global music album
The 44-year-old creator, who won for his fifth full-length solo album, is the first Japanese artist to ever win the category.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 3, 2023
Lizzo, Foo Fighters and The Strokes top Fuji Rock’s 2023 lineup
The premier summer festival will also feature names such as Weezer, Yo La Tengo and Denzel Curry, underlining the event’s return to showcasing non-Japanese acts.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 2, 2023
‘Sushi terrorism’ chips away at Japan’s harmonious reputation
It may have taken longer than other countries, but it turns out Japan is just as susceptible to the spread of social media-induced clout-chasing behavior as anywhere else.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 28, 2023
Why Kyoto's 8-bit music artists call this humble cafe 'home'
It may look like any other retro arcade bar, but Cafe La Siesta means so much more to the artists who got their starts there.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 26, 2023
What does 2023 look like for J-pop?
As virtual YouTubers give music a go, Japanese artists will seek out fresh inspiration from burgeoning music scenes in Asia as well as popular beats from farther afield.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 15, 2023
Electronic music pioneer Yukihiro Takahashi of YMO dies at 70
Yukihiro Takahashi's output for Yellow Magic Orchestra would go on to influence early New York rappers and techno acts from Detroit and the U.K.
Japan's population continues to fall even as foreign resident count rises
The number of residents in Tokyo as of Jan. 1 rose by 0.03% from a year before, data shows, marking a year-on-year increase for the first time in three years, while the country's other 46 prefectures saw their populations continue to decline.
Japan’s minimum wage set for record ¥50 hike in major boost
Demonstrators rally to demand a big hike in minimum wages in Tokyo last week.
One dead, three missing as heavy rain batters Tohoku
Camera footage shows the Mogami River bursting its banks in Tozawa, Yamagata Prefecture, on Friday morning.
Yen melt-up nudges Japanese stocks into correction territory
Japanese stocks are down 10% from their July peak as the yen strengthens.
Yen rally could help end crushing wage decay in Japan
Some economists say a sticky weak yen trend would have a negative impact on Japan's real wage growth.
Japan’s minimum wage set for record ¥50 hike in major boost
Demonstrators rally to demand a big hike in minimum wages in Tokyo last week.
Japan loses top spot on strongest passport list to Singapore
Japan had the strongest passport for six years running from 2018, before being dethroned by Singapore on the 2024 list.
Why Japan's mysterious stash of classified funds escapes scrutiny
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (right) during a meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Terunofuji, as he tends to do, returns to stamp his authority on sumo pretenders
Terunofuji (left) throws down Kirishima on Tuesday to build on his perfect record at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.
Japanese startups advised to internationalize to get some global mojo
Entrepreneurs who participated in the Beyond Japan Zero to X program last year share their experiences in the United States during a meeting in May in Tokyo.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals
By Alex K.T. Martin

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