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November 19, 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 27, 2022
Lyricist Takashi Matsumoto on Happy End, writing for pop and helping change the course of Japanese music history
Happy End's decision in 1970 to play American-inspired yet sing in Japanese proved to be a watershed moment for pop music here.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 20, 2022
Vicke Blanka opens up about shifting musical influences and life as a 'Supervillain'
It is often said that great art comes from tragedy and struggle. Musician Vicke Blanka knows this all too well, and his latest track 'Changes' is the result.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 22, 2022
Anna Takeuchi discovers the power of positive pop
While many musicians embraced the glum stagnation of the COVID years, Anna Takeuchi chose to take those lemons and make lemonade with her new album, 'Tickets.'
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Apr 12, 2022
Surprise Netflix hit 'Old Enough!' proves Japanese TV is good enough for overseas
Local favorite u2018Old Enough!' has found renewed success on the streaming service, charming audiences abroad and revealing the strength of Japanese comfort content.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Apr 10, 2022
Kamiwaza trio takes aim at YouTube fame
The channel's pivot from trick shots to elaborate Nerf toy battles hits the mark with online audiences.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Apr 1, 2022
Fuji Rock 2022 lineup sees return of overseas acts
The premier summer festival will feature non-Japanese acts, including American artists Jack White and Halsey as headliners, signaling a return to form after going completely local last year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 24, 2022
Eve's hourlong music video sums up J-pop in 2022
Billed as a 'live in animation,' 'Adam by Eve' reflects a trend among young artists using animation filled with references and in-jokes to enhance their music.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Mar 4, 2022
The Eurobeat boom, boom, boom, boom means the '90s are back
Dust off your best para para dance moves, the sound of hi-NRG Heisei has returned.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 26, 2022
Pioneering virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI goes on 'indefinite hiatus'
Over five years, the digital character delivered a new kind of content geared toward digital natives. Now she's saying farewell with one last, livestreamed concert.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 21, 2022
Sky-Hi: Taking up the fight for artistic freedom
The artist-turned-talent agency CEO says Japan's music industry needs a major modern makeover.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 11, 2022
Ado brings a flair for the dramatic to ‘Kyogen’
The rebellious teenage J-pop singer brings the sonic palette of the Japanese Vocaloid community to the mainstream and shows off her vocal versatility on her debut album, “Kyogen.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Feb 11, 2022
The Tokyo club scene's 'temple' may be gone, but the faith remains
As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, the artists in Tokyo's club scene are turning to downsizing as a way to survive.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 29, 2022
‘Bad Mode’ delivers some of the best songs of Hikaru Utada’s career
Hikaru Utada's eighth full-length album is full of introspection, with the artist working on their personal growth and coming away with a better sense of self.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 14, 2022
What can we expect from J-pop in 2022?
Ditch the downer sounds of 2021 for brighter bops, Shibuya-kei and breakout hits via TikTok.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 8, 2022
‘Aggretsuko’ digs into toxic work culture and self-worth
The newly released fourth season of 'Aggretsuko' digs into some truly bleak storylines about the realities of work, but still finds a way to humanize even its most unlikeable characters.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 30, 2021
New Year's TV sees us spoiled for choice
Japanese broadcast television's slate of new year programming features star-studded blowouts that offer the perfect dose of moderately entertaining content as we head into 2022.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 25, 2021
Fairy tale fantasies meet reality on ‘The Future Diary’ and ‘The Bachelor Japan’
Whether you're in the mood for a love story with a melodramatic touch or some messier romantic competition, streaming services have you covered.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Dec 25, 2021
Johnny's pop stars get pumped for 'Sasuke'
Members from Snow Man, A.B.C-Z, 7 Men Samurai and Shonen Ninja take on the ultimate physical challenge.
CULTURE / Music
Dec 24, 2021
Escapist bops and deep pop: Music was a mood in 2021
After a year in which Japan's music industry had to make its peace with streaming, this year saw more of the holdouts get on board with the times.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Dec 19, 2021
YouTuber gets hit with copyright claims, but is it Toei who’s out of line?
While companies have a right to protect their intellectual property, they should still realize the media landscape is changing.
A beloved Tokyo penguin’s end presages Suica’s shift to payments giant
JR East is retiring the beloved Suica penguin as part of a rebrand to transform the contactless payment platform, used for both transit and retail, into a mobile fintech powerhouse.
More Japanese firms relax rules in tussle for workers
Hinako Mori, 22, arranges products at a Don Quijote outlet in Tokyo in October. The Japanese retailer, which relaxed its rules concerning hair and nail polish three years ago, says nearly a quarter of its employees sport brightly colored hair.
Japan sends senior official to China to cool boiling tensions
A Chinese tour group in the Ginza shopping district of Tokyo on Sunday. China has advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, following a diplomatic feud sparked by remarks from Tokyo's new prime minister about a hypothetical attack on Taiwan.
What you need to know about the shift to My Number health insurance cards
With the government's integration of health insurance with My Number cards, conventional health insurance cards will no longer be accepted at clinics and hospitals across Japan from Dec. 2.
Japan seeks to placate China as strained relations move beyond political realm
Director-General of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Masaaki Kanai (left) and Chinese Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs Liu Jinsong depart after a meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Tuesday.
How Band-Maid brought anime energy into the hard-rock sound of ‘Scooooop’
Members of Band-Maid combine heavy riffs and maid-inspired visuals in their latest project, "Rock Is a Lady’s Modesty."
Japan uses series against South Korea to prep for World Baseball Classic title defense
Japan's Ryuhei Sotani pitches against South Korea at Tokyo Dome on Saturday night.
Who is cricket’s Shohei Ohtani?
South African cricket legend Jacques Kallis plays a shot during the final day of a cricket test match against India in Johannesburg in December 2013.
Good fortune, wrapped in fried tofu
Golden "age-fukuburo," a culinary take on Japan's new year "lucky bags," can be served on their own.
Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan celebrates 80 years at the forefront of press freedom
Located near the Imperial Palace, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan prides itself on the accessibility of its events and the support it offers to budding and established journalists. The club is currently headed by Dan Sloan, a former reporter for Reuters.

Podcast

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

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo
By Kathryn Wortley

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We are pleased to announce the winners of the 6th annual Sustainable Japan Award.
We are pleased to announce the winners of the 6th annual Sustainable Japan Award.

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