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 / Heisei Icons,Heisei Icons

Apr 11, 2019

Tetsuya Komuro: J-pop inventor's synth-powered dance tunes set the tone for post-bubble Japan

The term J-pop, a Heisei invention, needed a defining characteristic to make it stand out from the Showa Era's soundtrack, and Komuro provided a synthesizer-powered foundation.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle

Apr 11, 2019

Kizuna Ai, Kaguya Luna and YouTube sensations: virtual stars, but the same old shtick

Virtual YouTubers ended up being one of 2018's biggest cultural surprises.

CULTURE / Entertainment news / Heisei Icons,Heisei Icons

Apr 7, 2019

SMAP: The pop idol media monopoly that dominated the Heisei Era

Many can't let go of the most successful male idol group the Heisei Era and continue to share favorite songs and clips of the outfit on sites such as Twitter.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Apr 6, 2019

Snowy Village's Choco Churros are an overly sweet disappointment

The latest sweet sweeping across teenage enclaves of Tokyo social media is Korean dessert cafe Snowy Village's new Choco Churros. But don't let appearances fool you: Give this uninspiring, blandly sugary trend a miss.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Apr 6, 2019

Getting to the bottom of Chicano subculture coverage on Japan

Over the past month and a half, a number of Western media outlets have revisited a topic that has long been a hit for online publications.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Apr 2, 2019

Emamouse: Unmasking an experimental cult favorite

It's surprising to see emamouse without their signature mask. The Tokyo artist never plays live or appears in photos on Twitter without the handmade felt headwear, which features green hair with a single blue fish. Yet here it is, in emamouse's hands inside a Shinjuku Showa Era cafe.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Mar 30, 2019

Shake up your usual konbini purchase with these not-to-be-skipped sweets

This week, Konbini Watch turns the spotlight on a few assorted convenience store highlights that shouldn't be missed.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Mar 30, 2019

With resellers, fans must take matters into their own hands

Few groups in Japan respond to a slight quite like Disney devotees. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the conglomerate's Tokyo Disneyland park, and to celebrate and rack up some more revenue, earlier this year it unveiled a line of limited-edition goods tied to the occasion.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Mar 23, 2019

Fujiya's Yume-iro Rainbow Cake is an Instagram feed's dream come true

Fujiya's Instagram-friendly Yume-iro ('dream-colored') Rainbow Cake is made up of five fruit- (and one ramune lemon soda) flavored layers each separated by a line of cream.

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Mar 23, 2019

Denki Groove campaign reveals what Japan truly thinks of celebrities embroiled in drug scandals

It doesn’t take much for a celebrity drug scandal to be picked up by domestic news outlets in Japan, so when TV personality Pierre Taki was arrested on suspicion of cocaine use on March 12, it’s perhaps not surprising that TV and print media jumped on the story. Segments featured on morning shows...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / Sound Off

Mar 21, 2019

Tower Records goes all in on the vinyl trend with its new store, Tower Vinyl

Last year proved to be a pivotal one for streaming music in Japan. According to a report by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, 2018 saw plays via platforms such as YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify overtake digital downloads.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Mar 18, 2019

Review: Sid at Yokohama Arena

Passionate fandom has become the domain of pop music. Or, at least, that's the image that has developed globally over the past decade, as intense groups of diverse people throw their support behind a wide range of mainstream acts, from Beyonce to BTS. Rock, once the hub for this type of devotion, doesn't...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Mar 16, 2019

Get your fill of green tea with Seven-Eleven's mile-high matcha dorayaki

The latest edition in Seven-Eleven's line of dorayaki (sweet pancake sandwiches) is a massive matcha cream-filled creation.

Japan Times

CULTURE / CULTURE NOTES

Mar 14, 2019

Marie Kondo and Momo: The new faces of Japanese culture

Japanese soft power has seen two faces in 2019. One is that of tidying guru Marie Kondo. The other is the horrifying visage of Momo, an unsettling sculpture turned viral hoax.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Mar 9, 2019

Roll right into spring with Roll Ice Cream Factory's festive cherry blossom-flavored concoctions

Roll Ice Cream Factory has become the go-to Harajuku spot to indulge in the popular rolled ice cream dessert trend with its new trio of sakura flavored sweets.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Mar 9, 2019

Spotify has one eye on untapped podcast market in Japan

Spotify paid nearly $340 million to acquire podcast producer Gimlet Media and services provider Anchor in deals disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, prompting analysts to start considering what this all meant for the industry.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Mar 2, 2019

Reaction to Niigata bullying video reflects changing attitudes in Japan

A video of a first-year high school student in Niigata being bullied appeared online in mid-February and quickly became a topic of discussion. The clip shows a group of male students pushing, kicking and eventually striking the victim with a stick, all while throwing insults the victim’s way, too....

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Mar 2, 2019

Nissin's lasagna-flavored cup noodle's design catches the eye, but tastes surprisingly normal

The new lasagna-flavored, 'big-sized' pot noodle hopes to pack the taste of the hearty Italian dish into a single cup, promising a mix of cheese and meat sauce.

Japan Times

CULTURE / CULTURE NOTES

Feb 28, 2019

Will 'Queer Eye' show a different view of Japanese culture?

Netflix's popular reality series "Queer Eye" recently wrapped up filming for a number of special Japan-based episodes. The footage from the recent trip to the country won't air until later in the year, so curious viewers will have to wait to see just how the Fab Five highlight the country to the world....

Japan Times

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES

Feb 27, 2019

Dogen: Humor that's not lost in translation

Living in Japan can, from time to time, present a fair amount of frustration for non-Japanese, especially if they can't speak the language well. Long-term resident Kevin O'Donnell, who creates YouTube videos about Japan under the name "Dogen," isn't afraid to vent but avoids any vitriol.

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

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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