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April 28, 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
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 Times
CULTURE / Music
Jan 6, 2023
J-pop vocalist Chara is ready to bloom again
Taking her cue from an ancient blossom, the singer returns with her new single, “Au00b7Ou00b7U.”
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / 2022 in Review
Dec 29, 2022
Kizuna AI's departure marked a new era for virtual stars in 2022
Fans were shocked when the pioneering digital character stepped down in February, but virtual YouTubers are still proving to be one of Japan's strongest pop culture exports.
Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 2022 in Review
Dec 24, 2022
Everything old became new again on streaming platforms in 2022
This year, programming typically associated with traditional broadcasting — variety shows, dramas and anime — flourished on streaming platforms.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / 2022 in Review
Dec 23, 2022
The big J-pop hits of 2022? They came from TikTok and anime.
Acts such as Kaze Fujii and Sekai No Owari found success via viral trends, while artists like Ado and Aimer topped the charts thanks to anime collaborations.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 15, 2022
Phung Khanh Linh and artists abroad get creative with city pop palette
In 2022, the world tuned in to the glitzy sounds of Japan's bubble era more than ever before. For musicians outside of Japan, their appreciation of the genre goes beyond nostalgia.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Dec 10, 2022
YouTubers eye online success with renewed Japan travels
As incoming influencers revisit tried and true topics now that the government has eased border restrictions, some are taking this inclination to cater to viewers to extremes.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 5, 2022
Forget 'Cool Japan,' just make it your Japan
'Cool Japan' ambassador and critic Benjamin Boas reimagines efforts to promote the nation's brand abroad in his new book, “From u2018Cool Japan' to u2018Your Japan.'”
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Nov 28, 2022
Chuhai Labs takes a democratic approach to running its game studio
A former Nintendo employee takes what he learned from the gaming behemoth and aims to improve upon it at his own game studio.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital
Nov 18, 2022
Celebrities give a needed boost to Japan’s podcast industry
Companies are putting in greater efforts to make the podcast medium mainstream by teaming up with high-profile names such as Hideo Kojima to drive a shift in listener interest.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 16, 2022
The return of K-pop and a cartoon cameo dot this year's 'Kohaku' lineup
The 73rd edition of NHK's annual musical extravaganza will see domestic acts such as Ryokuoushoku Shakai, Aimer, Be:First and JO1, as well as South Korean groups, take the stage.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Nov 13, 2022
Johnny's departures signal growing pains
Though netizens speculated wildly after Johnny & Associates announced the departure of notable figures, the likely explanation is simply that the talent agency is in a moment of transition.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Oct 26, 2022
Japanese pop culture in China: It’s complicated.
Japan and China recently celebrated 50 years of relations and, since then, Japanese art, film and music has had a major impact on Chinese society. Recently, however, the Chinese market has become increasingly difficult to navigate.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 6, 2022
Pop pioneer 'Yuming' reflects the spirit of the times
Yumi Matsutoya's arrival in the 1970s ushered in a new era of Japanese music. The singer-songwriter is now celebrating 50 years with a collection of hits titled, 'Yuming Banzai!'
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
In Japan, regional revitalization fails to halt population decline
Sakiyama elementary school in Tamba, Hyogo Prefecture, in March .Over the past decade, the government has directed efforts toward policies designed to give young people incentives to base themselves in rural areas.
Number of homeless in Japan hits record low
Homeless people sleep on the street in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward in August 2021.
Ukraine is far from doomed
When comparing Ukraine’s military situation in 2024 to Europe’s in 1941, Russia’s defeat seems entirely possible.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Tokyo's Koto Ward by-election a race unlike any other
Natsumi Sakai, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s candidate and one of four female candidates running in the by-election, touts her experience as a cancer survivor and midwife as having prepared her to tackle issues that women currently face.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Casa del Cibo: A thriving jewel born from Tohoku’s harsh past
When chef Ryohei Ikemi moved to Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, and opened Casa del Cibo in 2011, it was the first proper Italian restaurant in the city.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Top U.S. and China diplomats talk tough amid warnings of new ‘downward spiral’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Friday

Podcast

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Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

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