Patrick St. Michel - The Japan Times

October 22, 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

Nov 15, 2018

The queen of kawaii: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu reflects on her reign

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's trip to the Museum of Death in Hollywood proved to be a 2018 highlight for the 25-year-old J-pop star.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Nov 10, 2018

Carbo-load: Convenience store breads pile on the sweetness

Japan's big three convenience stores — Lawson, FamilyMart and Seven-Eleven — have plenty of rich (and caloric!) bread-based desserts to satisfy any sweet tooth.

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Nov 10, 2018

Illustrators use social media to highlight the minutiae of everyday life in Japan

Garbage collectors perform a service that is essential to the functioning of society, and yet their contributions are often overlooked. Whatever a person’s social standing, however, it doesn’t mean their observations on life aren’t worth examining.

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Nov 3, 2018

Shibuya's Halloween havoc may tarnish future festivities

Less than a decade ago, finding any sort of Halloween celebration in Tokyo would have been tough. Then, suddenly, October revelry was everywhere you looked in the capital. And in 2018, the spookiest event of the year has evolved once again in Japan: It’s now being held up as an example of hedonism...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Nov 3, 2018

This fall's family restaurant desserts are more than they ap-pear

Japan's always-reliable family restaurants are serving up solid pear-flavored desserts this season.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Oct 27, 2018

Some YouTubers in Japan have taken going for a drive to the next level

Ever wanted to escape the stress of life in the big city, spend some time in the countryside and just … cook up a Philly cheesesteak and play video games?

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink

Oct 27, 2018

Will 'hōjicha' be the next Japanese tea to take the world by storm?

Danielle Geva and Francois Mathieu are trying to spread hojicha (roasted green tea) to North America. Together, they founded Hojicha Co. in May 2018, the first company to specialize in selling premium hu014djicha on the continent, and they are betting it will be the next big Japanese drink abroad.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Oct 27, 2018

Convenience store 2018 Halloween roundup: From blatantly bland to spectacularly spooky

Halloween is on the horizon and Japanese convenience stores are embracing the spookiest day of the year. But which chain is doing it best in 2018?

COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT

Oct 21, 2018

Non-Japanese YouTubers tackle the art of vlogging in the vernacular

Meet the foreign creators using the local language to build a Japanese fan base.

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Oct 20, 2018

Rock, luxury and retro pastries abound at Michalak Omotesando

French pastry chef Christophe Michalak is the latest sweetmaker to bring his brand of sweets to one of Tokyo's trendier neighborhoods. His Michalak Omotesando store, which opened for business on Oct. 5, is the first overseas opening for his patisserie.

Japan Times

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle

Oct 18, 2018

Twitter speaks: That joke isn't funny anymore

An Aug. 16 episode of Tokyo MX's variety show "Hirukyun!" found comedian Ken Horiuchi (better known as Horiken) joining the hosts in the studio. Over the course of his stay, he launched the other TV talent and stage hands into a wall of cardboard boxes, before throwing some at people too (including staff...

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Oct 13, 2018

Kabaya Foods' sweet potato candy: Intriguing in both looks and flavor

Snack-maker Kabaya Foods Corporation has put out a sweet potato gummy that aims to capture the nostalgic taste of said root veggie, fried up.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Oct 13, 2018

Kizuna AI's NHK appearance sparks debate on social media

Do virtual YouTubers dream of online controversy? Maybe not but they sure are good at courting it.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Oct 10, 2018

Haru Nemuri's rapping and roaring speaks to the zeitgeist of 2018

Haruna Kimishima knew her music had found an audience overseas when her Twitter DMs began to fill up with English.

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Oct 6, 2018

Social media lambaste 2020 Olympic volunteer program

Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have started accepting applications from those hoping to volunteer at the games a little less from two years from now. As you might suspect, Japan’s online community had plenty to say about the issue from the second it went live.

Japan Times

LIFE / Food & Drink / DESSERT WATCH

Oct 6, 2018

Gin no Budo's Halloween lineup: Festive options for chocolate lovers

The Halloween desserts just keep on coming! Gin no Budo's October lineup features almost too-cute-to-eat cats and pumpkins.

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Sep 29, 2018

TV shows look to piggyback on the success of social media

A growing number of people in Japan are turning to the internet as their main destination for entertainment. Younger folk in particular opt for YouTube and Instagram as a first choice over TV. So how is traditional media adjusting to this new reality?

LIFE / Food & Drink / KONBINI WATCH

Sep 29, 2018

Sweets of the people: The fall flavors of Meiji's classic Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato

It's been a big month for the venerable snack brands Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato. In September, the company behind both, Meiji, shared the results of its nationwide "general election," in which voters chose their favorite of the two sweets.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Sep 26, 2018

Seiko Oomori: J-pop's reigning rule-breaker

Pop music often opts for positivity rather than confronting the uncomfortable, but Seiko Oomori has never really adhered to J-pop norms.

Japan Times

JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse

Sep 22, 2018

Social media falls in love with Naomi Osaka as tennis star sparks debate

Naomi Osaka’s women’s singles final victory at the 2018 U.S. Open on Sept. 6 excited netizens in Japan, turning the young tennis superstar into one of the most popular figures online. Her trip to Japan last week only generated more buzz, with users being perpetually wowed by her and serious discussions...

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.

Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building

By Patrick St. Michel

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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