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May 15, 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.
For Patrick St. Michel's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Nov 14, 2020
Reaction videos take center stage as YouTubers seek to decipher online content about Japan
Genre's roots can be traced to the sort of interactions once typically found on Japanese mainstream TV.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Nov 14, 2020
Dialing potato chip cheese flavor up to 11
Japanese snack makers often experiment with unique pairings, but there's nothing wrong with taking existing flavors to the boldest end of the spectrum.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Nov 7, 2020
Harajuku’s latest dessert trend? Taiwanese castella cake
New sweets constantly emerge in Japan, and the latest fad combines the addictive texture of a souffle pancake with the taste of castella.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle
Nov 6, 2020
‘24 Japan’ turns back the clock with remake of U.S. series
When studios in Japan suspended production of new programming due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic this past spring, TV stations turned to nostalgia to fill the suddenly vacant spaces on their nightly schedules. Reruns of dramas, in particular, proved successful, whether they were from a few years ago (“The Full-Time Wife Escapist,” 2016) or a decade back (“Jin,” 2009 to 2011). What better way to take a break from the terrors of 2020 than to slip into an idealized, scripted past.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 31, 2020
These convenience store snacks are here to ‘slay’
Head to Lawson and you'll find a range of limited-edition snacks tied to the recent record-breaking movie, “Demon Slayer.”
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 24, 2020
Social media creators take advantage of the subsidized Go To campaigns
The government’s Go To Travel campaign prompted plenty of skepticism ahead of its debut in July. Understandably so — new cases of COVID-19 infections were back on the upswing at that time and the whole push to help support the country’s ailing tourism industry felt far too early. Initial results appeared to reflect people’s trepidation, with domestic tourists choosing by and large to refrain from traveling.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Oct 24, 2020
Minions and Mont Blancs dominate 2020’s Halloween treats
This year's Halloween events may have migrated online, but there's nothing virtual about these spooky and delicious sweets.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 17, 2020
Kirin’s Ichibanshibori beer goes zero-carb
Kirin Brewery Co. appeals to Japan's health-conscious consumers in hopes its new drink helps it 'find new beer fans.'
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 10, 2020
Virtual YouTubers get caught in the middle of a diplomatic spat
It’s relatively easy for those involved in the entertainment industry in Asia to get caught up in geopolitical scuffles, with social media accelerating and magnifying any faux pas. Put on an ill-advised shirt or get the wrong tattoo and suddenly you’ve raised diplomatic tensions tenfold.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Oct 10, 2020
The many layers of Cheese Dish Factory’s towering Mont Blanc parfaits
This autumn-appropriate sweet comes in four varieties — marron and tiramisu, berry and berry, fromage and rare cheese, and green tea and black kinako.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Oct 3, 2020
Celebrating Japan’s sweets in ice cream form
Haagen-Dazs' Hanamochi ice cream pops up in freezers every so often, and the current autumn offerings are its best nod to traditional flavors so far.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Sep 26, 2020
Caramel-drizzled sweets hit the streets of Kichijoji
Although Caramel Ghost House has a befittingly Halloween name, the sweets store has managed to become a year-round player in Tokyo's dessert scene.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Sep 19, 2020
Seven-Eleven’s new muffin sandwich experiment is a dense, doughy eat
Debating if you should try one of Seven-Eleven's muffin sandwiches? Take our word for it and just stick to the iconic, triangle-cut sandwich.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Sep 12, 2020
Say farewell to citrus, and hello to sweet potato
Mister Donut is pumping up the potato flavor in this year's fall Satsumaimodo lineup.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Sep 5, 2020
If you can’t decide between sweet or savory, why not get both to go?
Lawson has gone cup crazy with new Cupke desserts and skewers in portable packaging.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Sep 4, 2020
‘Aggretsuko’ brings her rage to the world of idol pop
The third season of Netflix's “Aggretsuko” shifts its focus from everyday drudgery to the music industry and offers a nuanced take on idol fandoms.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH
Aug 29, 2020
Sweet, fruit-filled and ... vegan?! This shortcake is a dream come true
Satisfying your sweet tooth as a vegan can be a challenge in Tokyo. Hal Okada Vegan Sweets Lab is a welcome arrival.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 28, 2020
Chelmico breezes through 2020 with optimistic music for somber times
The rap duo's upbeat new album, “Maze,” kicks off with a topsy-turvy track that's the opening theme of a popular anime and has inspired a dance meme.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 22, 2020
Global furor over TikTok security alarms users in Japan
TikTok's rise represents something of a divide in how people use the internet in Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH
Aug 22, 2020
Classic izakaya pub dishes, now in crunchy snack form
To cure any urges to dine out, several snack makers have come up with new flavors inspired by dishes you could order during a night on the town.
Japanese stripper bids to have her porn movies taken off internet
Plaintiff Miyuki Ariga (left) speaks at a news conference along with her lawyer, Yoshitomo Morohashi, after filing a lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court on Monday.
Yen’s fragility raises specter of a new currency war in Asia
Suspected intervention to drag the yen off a 34-year low against the dollar is already seen as unlikely to have a lasting effect if Japan continues alone.
Online booking for Mount Fuji climb to open on May 20
Visitors climb the slopes of Mount Fuji, Japan's highest peak at 3,776 meters. From May 20, climbers will have access to a new online booking system for Mount Fuji's most popular Yoshida trail in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Ex-METI bureaucrat given 10-year sentence for drugging and raping women
The Tokyo District Court on Monday sentenced a former industry ministry bureaucrat to 10 years in prison for drugging six women with sleeping pills and then raping or groping them in 2022.
Political party Tsubasa no To investigated over election obstruction
Officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police raid the Tsubasa no To office in Tokyo on Monday.
In a rare event, the Northern Lights show up in Hokkaido
The Northern Lights in Nayoro, Hokkaido, on Saturday
Is black the new green for Japan’s flagging tea farmers?
George Guttridge-Smith brews tea at Kyoto Obubu Tea Farm in Wazuka, Kyoto Prefecture, where he serves as head of international development.
Japan's logistics firms seek partnerships to cope with driver shortage
Japan Post CEO Tetsuya Senda (right) and his Seino Transportation counterpart Satoshi Takahashi announce their companies' agreement on joint long-haul truck operations, in Tokyo on Thursday.
How the discovery of a giant sword in Nara offers clues into ancient Japan
Archaeologists say a 1,600-year-old wooden coffin at the Tomio Maruyama tumulus in the city of Nara was kept in good condition probably because it was protected by a layer of clay and copper ions that had seeped out of the mirrors that were buried together.
Unlike 10 years ago, Japan's new security bill sparks little debate
The Lower House starts discussing a security clearance bill on April 19 in Tokyo.

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