About Patrick St. Michel
About This Newsletter
A newsletter focused on Japanese music, from the upper levels of J-pop to developments in Tokyo’s independent music community.
About the Author
I’m Patrick St. Michel, a writer based in Tokyo who has been writing about Japanese music since 2009, when I started the blog Make Believe Melodies. My writing has appeared in The Japan Times, Pitchfork, The Atlantic, Bandcamp Daily and more. I also contributed an entry in 33 1/3’s Japan series, on Perfume’s GAME. The peak of my career was when I met city pop legend Tatsuro Yamashita after a show and he described me as “a really weird guy.