June 2014 iNTOUCH

June 2014 T O K Y O A M E R I C A N C L U B

Helpings of HopsAn evening of

Japanese craft brews

Tohoku ReturnOne Member assesses

recovery in Kesennuma

Hidden PeaksHikes and excursions in Tokyo’s backyard

MEMBERS LOOK AHEAD TO

THE WORLD CUP IN BRAZIL

SOCCER

SPECTACLE

iNTOUCH ManagementAnthony L CalaGeneral Manager Wayne Hunter, DirectorGMO & Membership Business OperationsBrian MarcusAsst GM, Business Operations Scott Yahiro, DirectorRecreation Nori Yamazaki, DirectorFood & Beverage Jonathan Allen, DirectorMember Services & Guest Studios

To advertise in iNTOUCH, contact Rie Hibino: [email protected] 03-4588-0976

For membership information, contact Mari Hori:[email protected] 03-4588-0687

Tokyo American Club2-1-2 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8649

www.tokyoamericanclub.org

contents 2 Contacts

4 Events

6 Board of Governors

7 Management

8 Food & Beverage

10 Library

12 Video Library

14 Recreation

17 Women’s Group

18 Feature

22 Frederick Harris Gallery

26 Cultural Insight

28 Member Services

30 Inside Japan

32 Out & About

34 Event Roundup

40 Back Words

Editor Nick Jones [email protected]

DesignersShane BusatoAnna Ishizuka

Production AssistantYuko Shiroki

Assistant Editor Nick Narigon

Business SupportLian ChangAsst GM, Business Support Darryl Dudley, DirectorEngineering Shuji Hirakawa, DirectorHuman Resources Naoto Okutsu, DirectorFinance Aron Kremer, DirectorMarketing & Communications Toby Lauer, DirectorInformation Technology

FEATURE Samba SoccerWith Brazilians set to welcome

the soccer fraternity to

their country for the World

Cup this month, Brazilian

Ambassador André Corrêa

do Lago talks about the

country’s preparations for the

tournament and fellow Club

Members assess their national

teams’ chances of success.

10 LIBRARYHooked on ClassicsWhile the likes of The

Hunger Games trilogy

grips readers around the

world, one young Member

explains how he discovered

adventure in older tales.

22 FREDERICK HARRIS GALLERYDanDansThis month’s Club exhibition

features the innovative methods

and provocative works of five

up-and-coming members of the

DanDans art collective.

14 RECREATIONSpikes, Bumps and DigsTheir skills levels might vary,

but the Club’s volleyball

enthusiasts show plenty of

passion for the sport when

they hit the Gymnasium twice

a week.

18

(clockwise from left) Cover photo of Paolo Tombesi, Ambassador Marlene Villela Talbott, André Pelpel, Ernesto A’ de lima and Marcos Turini by Irwin Wong

Irwin

Won

g

2 June 2014 iNTOUCH

Department/E-mail Phone

American Bar & Grill (03) [email protected]

Banquet Sales and Reservations (03) [email protected]

Beauty Salon (03) 4588-0685

Bowling Center (03) [email protected]

Café Med (03) [email protected]

Catering (03) [email protected]

Childcare Center (03) [email protected]

Communications (03) [email protected]

Decanter/FLATiRON (03) [email protected]

Engineering (03) [email protected]

Finance (03) 4588-0222 [email protected]

Fitness Center (03) 4588-0266 [email protected]

Food & Beverage Office (03) 4588-0245 [email protected]

Foreign Traders’ Bar (03) [email protected]

Guest Studios (03) [email protected]

Human Resources (03) 4588-0679

Information Technology (03) 4588-0690

Library (03) [email protected]

Management Office (03) [email protected]

Membership Office (03) [email protected]

Member Services (03) 4588-0670 [email protected]

Pool Office (03) [email protected]

Rainbow Café (03) [email protected]

Recreation Desk (03) [email protected]

The Cellar (03) [email protected]

The Spa (03) [email protected]

Video Library (03) [email protected]

Weddings (03) [email protected]

Women’s Group Office (03) [email protected]

Getting in Touch

Words from the editor 3

contributors

Everyone loves an upset in sport. There’s no better drama than watching a battling David take down a Goliath, agitating bookies in the process.

This month, the United States soccer team heads to a country that hosted such a giant-slaying spectacle 64 years ago. During the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, the amateur and semiprofessional players of the US side took on England, a soccer powerhouse and 3-1 favorites to win the tournament.

The English were so confident ahead of the game that they rested their star player, Stanley Matthews. But shortly before half-time, a Haitian dishwasher from New York, Joe Gaetjens, managed to head a cross from teammate Walter Bahr into the back of the England net.

The score remained 1-0, although many newspapers in both the US and Britain didn’t believe the early wire-service reports. Despite the shock win, soccer failed to gain popularity back in the States and the Americans didn’t qualify for the World Cup for another 40 years.

Could this year’s World Cup in Brazil see another upset by the US? The stage is certainly set, with America due to take on Germany, Portugal and Ghana in Group G.

In this month’s cover story, “Samba Soccer,” Members from a number of different countries assess—with varying degrees of optimism and bias—the chances of their national teams finding success in South America.

Meanwhile, another Member, Brazilian Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, discusses the criticism surrounding his country’s preparations for the tournament and the role of the World Cup in Brazil’s development.

By the time the teams emerge from the players’ tunnel for the start of the World Cup final on July 13 in Rio de Janeiro, most soccer fans will hope to have witnessed the triumph of at least one or two underdogs.

If you have any comments about anything you read in iNTOUCH, please e-mail them to [email protected], putting “Letter to the Editor” in the subject title of the mail.

from theeditor

TimHornyak

Mark Baxter has lived in Japan for more than two decades. After a year of language study in Osaka and a season working at a ski area in Nagano Prefecture, he settled down in Tokyo where he has lived ever since. He joined the Club almost 18 years ago and immediately became involved with the Wine Committee. In a change of beverage, he previews this month’s Japanese craft beer tasting on page 9. At the urging of an artist friend living in Kyoto, Baxter resumed his interest in infrared photography and has exhibited his work a handful of times, including at the Club in 2007.

MarkBaxter

Catherine Makino is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist, broadcaster and producer. A Club Member, she has worked for numerous international media organizations, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Japan Times, Inter Press Service, Radio Netherlands Worldwide and Voice of America radio. The American was president of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club Japan from 2008 to 2009. In this month’s Inside Japan section, she reflects on a recent trip to the Miyagi Prefecture coastal town of Kesennuma, where she witnessed the rebuilding efforts of the community and spoke to local residents about the challenges of recovering from the devastation of March 11, 2011.

CatherineMakino

4 June 2014 iNTOUCH

4Japanese Craft Beer TastingCraft brew expert and author Mark Meli introduces some stellar local beers at this annual summer tasting. 7 p.m. Get the lowdown on page 9.

What’s on in June

Saturday

Monday

7

16

New Member OrientationThe Club’s newest Members learn about the Club and have a chance to mingle. 10 a.m. Washington and Lincoln rooms. Contact the Membership Office to reserve your spot at least one week in advance.

Summer All-Star ScholarsAhead of the next school year, kids get an academic boost through a series of tutor-led sessions. For details, turn to page 16.

Tuesday Thursday10 12Summer Aikido for AdultsThe grownups get started perfecting moves during another exciting session of this martial art. 7 p.m. For more on this program, flip to page 16.

Squash Social NightThe Club’s squash players enjoy an evening of casual play and a chance to put their skills to the test against professional Hitoshi Ushiogi, a former national champion. 6:15 p.m. Continues on June 24.

7Splash! Saturday Night SpecialKick back alfresco style and feast on an array of grilled meaty treats and other favorites at the Club’s outdoor, fifth-floor café every Saturday until the end of August. 5 p.m.

Saturday

1Father’s Day Spa SpecialThis month, in honor of Father’s Day, The Spa is offering an array of dad-pampering packages. Check the details on page 16. Runs through June 30.

1Aikido Observation DayMembers are invited to observe a session of aikido. Meet the instructors and learn more about this traditional Japanese martial art. Find more information on page 16.

Sunday 1–8Try 3: Be an IronmanWin bragging rights and prizes in the Club’s inaugural indoor triathlon challenge. Flip to page 16 to learn more.

Sunday –

Sunday

Monday16Summer All-Star SportsEnergetic youngsters learn teamwork and skills through an array of fun sports. Discover more on page 16.

Wednesday25New Member OrientationThe Club’s newest Members learn about the Club and have a chance to mingle. 6:30 p.m. Washington and Lincoln rooms. Contact the Membership Office to reserve your spot at least one week in advance.

2Members First!The Club launches its guest registration program. Learn more about this policy to protect Members’ privileges on page 7.

MondaySunday

Monday23Gallery Reception: Keiko Kubota-MiuraThe award-winning Japanese metal artist introduces her intricate nature-inspired artwork at a casual gathering at the Frederick Harris Gallery. 6:30 p.m. Find out more about the artist on page 25.

MondaySaturday 3028Coffee ConnectionsWhether you’re new to Tokyo or you just want to meet new people, drop by this free Women’s Group gathering. Contact the Women’s Group Office to organize free childcare. 10:30 a.m.

TAC vs YC&AC Squash ChallengeA band of Club squash players takes on the Yokohama Country & Athletic Club in a friendly in Yokohama.

Wednesday Wednesday4Toastmasters ClubStart losing your fear of public speaking and improve your leadership skills at this monthly event. 12 p.m. ¥2,200. Sign up online or at the Library.

Monday16Camp DiscoveryWith school out for the summer, young Members enjoy fun-packed days of games, sports, arts and crafts and day trips. Get the rundown on page 16.

(Prices do not include 8 percent consumption tax.)

3Mudsharks End-of-Year Awards DinnerThe Club’s competitive youth swimmers wrap up an action-packed season with an evening of accolades and awards. 6 p.m. Contact the Sky Pool Office for details.

Tuesday 4Meet the Author: Richard ReayThe Canadian Mount Fuji guide explains what compelled him to write his book, Climbing Mt. Fuji: A

Complete Guidebook. 7 p.m. Beate Sirota Gordon Classroom. ¥1,575. Sign up online or at Member Services.

Wednesday

Noteworthy dates for the month 5

EVENTS

Wednesday–

Thursday4–5Indonesian NightFeast on an array of the archipelago’s mouthwatering treats, cooked up by the Club’s own Balinese chef, Mat Hidayat, and chef de rang Nyoman Colinx Sundra, on Rainbow Café’s terrace. 5 p.m. Continues June 11–12.

Coming up in July

MondayMonday 2Meet the Author: Sophie RichardThe French art historian and guidebook author shares information on Japan’s most fascinating museums during a reception in the Frederick Harris Gallery. 6:30 p.m. More on page 23.

2Gallery Reception: DanDansFive talents from the DanDans art collective launch an engaging exhibition of diverse works with a casual gathering at the Frederick Harris Gallery. 6:30 p.m. Learn more about the artists on page 22.

Monday –

Friday16–20SAT Intensive CourseStudents aiming for college receive sound advice on how to maximize their SAT scores. 4 p.m. Flip to page 16 for details.

Friday 20Sawara Iris Festival in Little Edo TourTour the charming river town in Chiba Prefecture and visit the annual iris festival. 8 a.m. Women’s Group members: ¥10,860; non-Women’s Group members: ¥11,950. Sign up at Member Services.

7First Saturday Wine FriendsShare a bottle of your favorite wine at a new monthly gathering of like-minded wine enthusiasts. 5 p.m. Find out more about this first-time event on page 8.

SaturdayFriday6Mommy and Toddler TimeMeet fellow moms and toddlers while building your own support network at a fun, weekly get-together at the Childcare Center. 2 p.m. Free. Continues June 13, 20 and 27.

Friday6First Friday: 2014 FIFA World CupThe Club gears up for the World Cup in Brazil with a carnival-inspired evening of mingling and Brazilian treats and signature drinks in the Winter Garden. 6 p.m. Learn more on page 18.

Sunday 15Father’s Day Grand BuffetThe New York Ballroom hosts a feast of favorites for dads. 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4:30–7 p.m. Adults (18 and above): ¥5,555; children (4–17 years): ¥2,700; infants (3 and under): free. Sign up online or by calling 03-4588-0308.

Monday2Kids’ Summer Swim ProgramGet the most out of the water by signing up for one of the Sky Pool’s intensive two-week summer swim classes for all levels of swimmer. Dive into the details on page 16.

Tuesday 3Toddler TimeA fun, 30-minute session of engaging stories and activities awaits preschoolers at the Children’s Library. 4 p.m. Free. Continues June 10, 17 and 24.

5Independence Day Celebration

5Early Pregnancy and Birth Planning

12–13Birth Preparation for Couples

28Coffee Connections

Wednesday18Toastmasters ClubOvercome stage fright while learning to speak and present with confidence at an engaging luncheon. 12 p.m. ¥2,200. Sign up online or at the Library.

Monday –

Friday16–27Summer Intensive Aikido for KidsA fun introduction to the defensive moves of this martial art, which is great for flexibility, coordination and physical fitness. Get the full rundown on page 16.

Friday13Work Well with Difficult PeopleThe Men’s Group and Dale Carnegie Training Japan present the third installment of the Ultimate Lunch and Learn Workshop Series. 12 p.m. Washington Room. ¥1,900. Sign up online or at Member Services.

15Father’s Day BowlingTreat dad to two free games of bowling at the Club’s state-of-the-art lanes. No sign-up necessary.

Sunday

6 June 2014 iNTOUCH

I was never a good economics student. I did well in math but could never get the formulas right for calculating utility for

assigning an economic value. I wonder what formulas or variables an economist would apply to calculate the utility, or usefulness, of the Club, for example.

We moved into our present Club home in 2011, the Club’s sixth incarnation since its founding in 1928. Each move has evoked cries of protest from a handful of longtime Members, but the Club community has continued to grow and thrive, as has the Women’s Group.

When the Women’s Group was established in 1949, it had as many members as there were registered Members of the Club. The ballroom was packed for luncheons and the group ran all Club events and charity balls. I joined 13 years ago, and I laugh as I remember having to chase down escaped chicks and bunnies during

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

the annual Easter event. I also recall building children’s haunted houses for Halloween, decorating Christmas trees for the Club and selling Oregon Christmas trees outside in the cold. I made wonderful friendships and quickly settled into Tokyo life.

But as life appears to become more convenient, we seem to have less time. In 2006, the then Women’s Group president, Amy Spangler, and the board turned a host of duties over to the Club. With more trailing spouses working part-time, starting their own businesses or just raising families, we could no longer find enough volunteers with the time to run so many events.

In addition, a requirement of the Club’s former shadan hojin (nonprofit organization) status was to support initiatives in the local community, and the Women’s Group played an important role in helping the Club to fulfill this obligation through its donations to local charities and such public activities as Disaster Awareness Day. Under the Club’s new ippan shadan hojin status, it no longer has to meet such requirements.

Regardless of these kinds of changes, the Women’s Group continues to help the Club in its mission to promote intercultural exchange between the United States and Japan, as well as other countries. The group’s many classes, tours, speaker programs, sales and charity drives contribute to this worthy goal.

At a luncheon in December, we honored

more than 100 women who had been members of the group for more than 10 years, including at least a dozen who joined the Women’s Group well before I was born.

A year ago, I decided to become more active in the Club, having not participated very much since the Club left its Takanawa home at the end of 2010 (four children will do that!). But I needed to charge my utility battery, meet new Members and make new friends, particularly as lots of mine had left. I do not have more free time (I have even less), but volunteering for the Women’s Group and the Board of Governors makes my Club experience more enjoyable.

The Club’s utility is as immeasurable as it is timeless. The bonds formed through taking part, whether by serving on a committee or the Board or by attending an event or exercise class, are priceless. I’m happy to play a role in the Women’s Group, the Club and our unique community. o

Board of GovernorsJohn Durkin (2014)—Representative Governor,

Gregory Lyon (2014)—First Vice President, Brenda

Bohn (2014)—Second Vice President, Per Knudsen

(2014)—Secretary, Hiroshi Miyamasu (2015)—

Treasurer, Ginger Griggs (2015), Lance E Lee (2014),

Mark Miller (2015), Machi Nemoto (2014), Betsy

Rogers (2015), Jerome Rosenberg (2014), Mark

Henry Saft (2014), Sadashi Suzuki (2014), Kazuakira

Nakajima—Statutory Auditor (2014)

Taking Part

by Betsy Rogers

Open on Saturday

Executive remarks 7

MANAGEMENT

A private club is an organization of like-minded people who share similar interests and gather for a

common purpose. Membership of a private club is intended to be exclusive, and the club’s culture has to be nurtured, protected, emulated and perpetuated.

In these challenging economic times, though, many private clubs are finding it increasingly difficult to attract new members and retain existing ones. Throughout the world, clubs have been losing members and revenue. For some, this has led to challenges in sustaining amenities and levels of service.

Some clubs have dealt with the situation by offering people incentives to join, such as reduced entrance fees, while others have taken more drastic measures like opening their doors to the public or encouraging use by guests in a kind of semi-private environment.

Allowing virtually anyone into an ostensibly private club, however, can have other ramifications. Members may question the exclusivity of their club, which could lead to a drop in membership and revenue. If guests and non-members are frequently seen around the facility, the club may lose its image as a private institution. The extent to which a club limits access to its facilities and services is, therefore, crucial.

In his recent letter to the Membership, Club President John Durkin said that the Board of Governors was committed to protecting the value of membership and to ensuring that all Members have the best possible experience at the Club.

With the number of Members steadily growing, the Board has been reviewing the Club’s guest policy. Under a new set of “Members First!” measures, various Membership card readers around the Club, including at the entrance to Traders’ Bar, have been activated.

Furthermore, from June 2, Members must register their guests at the first-floor Formal or Family entrance or at Member Services (B1). Guests will receive a pass, which doubles as a receipt for any guest fees paid, and Members must accompany their guests at all times while at the Club.

The ultimate goal of the Board is to create an exclusive, international community in which Members feel they are important, recognized and acknowledged. Membership value is about delivering an experience that is not only consistent with Member needs, but frequently exceeds expectations.

When planning the future of any club, it’s vital to determine the club’s core purpose. Why does it exist? Whose interests does it serve? No matter how old, new, big, small or exclusive, a club is formed to fulfill one core purpose: to serve the interests of its members. o

Practical Daily Conversation / Business Japanese / Test Preparation / Intensive Courses

Classes tailored to your needs • Home and office lessons available

Experienced Teachers | Supportive Counselors | Great Location and Atmosphere

3 minutes’ walk from Shibuya Station Tel: 03-5489-6480 www.we-japan.com

Putting Members First

by Tony CalaGeneral Manager

The ultimate goal of the

Board is to create an

exclusive, international

community in which

Members feel they are

important, recognized

and acknowledged. ”

“

Private clubs are often associated with elitism and exclusion, but the privilege of belonging to a club is open to anyone who meets select criteria and, more importantly, is willing to pay. Most smart clubs have been reinventing themselves in recent years to attract the next generation of member. This means identifying services and amenities that add value to membership and offer rewarding experiences.

Beyond the tasting notes, points and hotly debated reviews, internationally acclaimed wine critic Robert Parker explained

the uncomplicated thrill he gleans from wine during an interview a few years ago.

“I do think the greatest pleasure that

I get out of life is sitting down with my wife and my friends and having good food and good wine,” said the American, who tastes around 10,000 wines a year.

With this simple joy in mind, the Wine Committee will launch First

bottleshare

First Saturday Wine FriendsSaturday, June 7 5 p.m. (free childcare available until 7 p.m.)Decanter Bar¥1,500 + one bottleSign up online or at Member Services

by Steve Romaine

Bring Your OwnCelebration

Saturday Wine Friends on June 7. This monthly event aims to bring together up to 12 Members and their wines for fun evenings of chat and discovery.

The theme of our first confab is “The World of Syrah”: wines made from the Syrah grape from anywhere in the world. If you prefer something else, bring any wine that you feel like sharing and tell us something about it—why you picked it, what you like about it or what special meaning it holds for you.

After a few Members revealed to the Wine Committee their interest in a casual get-together among wine lovers, but something different from the monthly dinners and tastings, we decided to start these gatherings. Simply sign up by the Thursday before the first Saturday of each month then come along with your chosen wine.

The Wine Committee itself is a diverse group of 12 Members who meet each month with three main goals: education (the more you know, the more you enjoy), socializing (who you drink with is as important as what you drink) and sales (support the Club for everyone’s benefit). In turn, these goals support the Club’s wine program for Members’ enjoyment.

If you want to share an idea or your interest in the committee, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. o

Romaine is chair of the Wine Committee.

Tokyo American Club Cheesecake is available

at AMERICAN BAR & GRILL for ¥840*.

(*Excludes 8 percent consumption tax.)

American Bar & Grill’s signature Cheesecake has been the satisfying conclusion to hundreds of meals over the last three years.

Made from full-fat cream cheese, sour cream, eggs and heavy cream, with a graham cracker crust, this rich, full-flavored dessert—produced in the Club’s pastry kitchen by chef Daisuke Yuuki and his team, has been a hugely popular mainstay of the restaurant’s menu.

“Big on size and flavor, this cheesecake is enhanced by a seasonal sauce that adds a delicious fruit component,” says the Club’s executive chef, Lindsay Gray. o

Creamy Comfort Food

Kayo Yamaw

aki8 June 2014 iNTOUCH

by Mark BaxterSupping Local Suds

While studying in Osaka as an exchange student back in 1997, Mark Meli’s Belgian neighbor knocked on his

door one evening and handed him a Duvel. After savoring the unfamiliar but exciting flavors of the beer, Mark realized that he had been drinking “cheap swill from the major brewers.”

But it wasn’t until he visited the Belgian city of Leuven in 2005 that his interest in beer started to blossom. During that time, after long days of analyzing European approaches to studying Japanese culture, he would head to a local café. The beers he tried intrigued him and he realized that maybe he had picked the wrong area of research while in Belgium.

The following summer he canvassed

the best beers in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. He was hooked. Returning to Japan, he began to explore the country’s craft beer offerings.

He discovered Yona Yona Ale and then moved on to local brews like Minoh, Isekadoya, Daisen G Beer and Kiuchi’s Hitachino Nest. Over the past seven years or so, Mark, who is a professor at Kansai University in Osaka, has scoured the country in pursuit of breweries, sampling around 1,700 craft beers along the way.

The American’s passion for the domestic craft brewing industry culminated in a book, Craft Beer in Japan: The Essential Guide, which was published last year.

This month, we are pleased to have

Mark host the Club’s traditional summer craft beer tasting. This event will feature some of his favorite domestic craft beers, complemented by a range of appetizers. There will also be a chance to pick up a copy of his book and begin your own exploration of Japan’s local suds scene. o

Baxter is a member of the Wine Committee.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

beertasting

Japanese Craft Beer TastingWednesday, June 47 p.m.Washington and Lincoln rooms¥6,500*Sign up online or at Member Services (* Excludes 8 percent consumption tax.)

Mark Meli

Club wining and dining 9

off theshelf

Hooked on Classics

T hese days, you hear a lot about book trilogies and series like The Hunger Games and Twilight because they are

popular and seem new and fresh. But what about the classics and those stories written quite a while ago?

A few years ago, my mom and I explored the Library for interesting books and I selected Around the World in 80 Days, which we read with our fingers, following Phileas Fogg’s journey on my globe. The world opened up, as we talked about places, customs and how different it was to travel in the time of Jules Verne, in the 19th century. I soon became hooked on these kinds of classic tales.

That trip was a lot of fun but floating down the Mississippi River on a raft was so much better. You have to read Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn aloud to get the full effect of Jim and Huck, their

musical language, the local color of the Deep South and the characters they meet on their way to freedom.

Every night, we talked about many things, from racial inequality to who between Jim and Huck was cleverer and why. Next on our list was Animal Farm by George Orwell, a book that made me think about power, dishonesty and corruption.

I then read William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, which I liked the most. It taught me a lot about bullying, leadership and choosing between following the crowd or your own path. It was great to find a book that helps with everyday problems you face growing up.

Then we boarded a time machine for Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, in which “firemen” burn books and rebels become a book’s living image. Can you imagine memorizing Moby-Dick or The Brothers Karamazov?

From there, we moved on to The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, where I discovered how words can paint pictures in your mind. I entered the world of Edgar Allan Poe through his short stories, but you should avoid “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” before bedtime.

Some other books you might like include Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Emma by Jane Austen, Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Kappa by Ryunosuke Akutagawa and The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien.

A lot of people forget about the classics because they seem old and outdated, but they helped to inspire the marvel of reading and they continue to amaze us today. o

Hayashi is the son of Library Committee member Judith Herd.

by Hikaru Hayashi

Benj

amin

Par

ks

Hikaru Hayashi

10 June 2014 iNTOUCH

new

Member: Jenna JoroffTitle: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

What’s the book about?It’s about a girl named Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers for the annual Hunger Games, a competition to the death.

What did you like about it?The suspense created by betrayal and sacrifice.

Why did you choose it?I heard good things about the book, and I like books that have a whole series.

What other books would you recommend?Catching Fire and Mockingjay, the next two books in The Hunger Games trilogy.

reads

LIBRARY

member’s choice

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe SchreiberSchreiber invites us to prom night with Perry and Gobi, a Lithuanian exchange student and assassin. Perry, a meek geek waiting for admission to Columbia University, takes a detour into New York City to play a gig with his band, while Gobi has different plans. This quirky tale mixes action with humor and romance.

Silenced by Kristina OhlssonIn this latest thriller from the award-winning Swedish author, Frederika Bergman, a tough but vulnerable detective, is assigned to three seemingly unrelated crimes: the assault of a teenage girl, a man killed in a hit-and-run and the apparent suicide of a priest and his wife.

All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer SeniorWhat are the effects of children on their parents? In this original primer, Senior analyzes the complex changes in familial roles over the last 50 years and offers a new approach toward positive parenthood through an evaluation of the ways children reshape and enhance our lives.

The Death Class: A True Story About Life by Erika Hayasaki Norma Bowe’s “death class” is the most popular course at Kean College for good reason: she teaches students how to make the most of their “one wild and precious life.” Award-winning journalist Hayasaki follows four students, as they evaluate their toxic lives and embrace happiness.

Salinger by David Shields and Shane SalernoJD Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye, was one of the most elusive figures in US literary history. In this new biography of the writer, Shields and Salerno present a vivid and accurate picture of the man who redefined postwar America.

Emma by Jane AustenAusten’s tale of genteel women in Georgian-Regency England is hardly new, but the Library receives new editions of classics from the likes of F Scott Fitzgerald, JD Salinger and James A Michener every month. The librarians are always happy to receive recommendations.

Library & Children’s Library Daily: 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Tel: 03-4588-0678 E-mail: [email protected] compiled by Library Committee member Judith Herd.

Literary gems at the Library 11

VIDEO LIBRARY

flick

At the end of the 1942 patriotic classic Yankee Doodle Dandy, a sergeant in a parade of soldiers

heading off to World War II turns to legendary singer and dancer George Cohan and asks him if he knows the song they’re singing, “Over There.”

“Seems to me I do,” says Cohan, played by James Cagney in an Oscar-winning performance. Unbeknownst to the soldier, Cohan has just come from a meeting with President Franklin D Roosevelt, where he received the Congressional Gold Medal for composing patriotic songs, such as the one being sung by the troops.

With great fanfare and gusto, the movie ends with Cohan, tears streaming down his face, singing his own song alongside the soldiers.

To help you celebrate next month’s Fourth of July, the Video Library stocks plenty of other movie classics, with scenes just as stirring as that one in Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Naturally, presidents have always been popular subjects for filmmakers. Oliver Stone’s Nixon and JFK offer honest

portrayals of two contrasting leaders from the 1960s and early ’70s. Steven Spielberg’s 2012 epic historical drama Lincoln, starring Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead role, focuses on the final four months of the president’s life and his efforts to pass the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery.

Meanwhile, Bill Pullman gives an inspiriting presidential speech during the climax of the 1996 sci-fi action flick Independence Day, and the fast-paced Nicolas Cage movie National Treasure (2004) doubles as an entertaining history lesson.

Perfect for the kids during this American holiday are the “Give Me Liberty” and “The First Fourth of July” episodes of the popular Liberty’s Kids animated, historical TV series.

Also worth watching are such Hollywood classics as All the President’s Men (1976), Top Gun (1986) and Forrest Gump (1994)—so let the July Fourth-inspired movie marathon begin. o

Kothari is a member of the Video Library Committee.

pick

Video Library Daily: 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Tel: 03-4588-0686 E-mail: [email protected] Reviews compiled by Nick Narigon.

by Preeti Kothari

newmovies

TELE VIS IONOrange Is the New BlackThe popular Netflix series follows the story of Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), who is doing time in prison for transporting money for her drug-dealing ex-girlfriend (Laura Prepon).

THRILLERGrand PianoA stage fright-suffering concert pianist (Elijah Wood) discovers an ominous note scrawled on his sheet music during his highly anticipated comeback.

COMEDYThe Right Kind of WrongA high-spirited romantic comedy about a failed writer-turned-dishwasher (Ryan Kwanten) in pursuit of the new bride of another man.

Gimme ShelterBased on a true story, this film is about a pregnant teenager (Vanessa Hudgens) who flees her abusive mother (Rosario Dawson) and survives on the streets until a stranger offers hope.

Better Living Through ChemistryThe local sad sack and town pharmacist (Sam Rockwell) begins an affair with a pill-popping trophy wife (Olivia Wilde), who takes him on a hedonistic joyride that spirals out of control.

DRAMALabor DayDepressed single mom Adele (Kate Winslet) shelters an escaped convict (Josh Brolin), and, as he reveals his past, a conflicted relationship blossoms.

Did you know? If you don’t watch enough DVDs to commit to a monthly fee, à la carte membership allows you to rent movies for ¥400 a movie, or ¥200 for a short feature.

Cinematic Stars and Stripes


INDEPENDENCE DAYINDEPENDENCE DAYCELEBRATION

MAIN STREET USAMAIN STREET USA

Sat, July 5

9 a.m. Fun Run 11 a.m.–12 p.m. and 1–4 p.m. Children’s activities (Gymnasium and O’zone)12–1 p.m. Independence Day Reception (New York Ballroom)1–4 p.m. American Barbecue Bu�et (Winter Garden)1–4 p.m. Live entertainment and special attractions (New York Ballroom) 6:30–9:30 p.m. Decanter Independence Day Dinner

Check the Club website for details.Sponsored by the Culture, Community and Entertainment Committee

The Club is celebrating America’s birthday with a holiday spectacular, featuring a home-style American barbecue, live entertainment, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, a pie-eating contest, special attractions and more.

Yuuki IdeDave Doyno


RECREATION

T he ball thumps off the concrete wall, as a couple of American School in Japan varsity volleyball

players practice serving in the corner of the Club Gymnasium. In the middle of the court, Member Dave Doyno offers tips to some volleyball rookies on how to position their forearms for an effective “bump.”

More people drift in for another Sunday evening session of volleyball. They start a game of four-on-four. Play is a little rusty at first, with a few errant digs flying across the Gym and spikes becoming tangled in the net.

A short rally ensues. One player, Karol Luszczyk, jumps into the air and slams his hand down on the ball. Doyno lunges for the blue and yellow ball, which ricochets off his forearms and bounces off the black scoreboard. Luszczyk winks at his teammates before returning to his position.

Play heats up from there, as the does the chatter between players, who encourage one another and compliment skillful plays.

The group pays a lot of attention to the fundamentals of volleyball. Teammates set one another up for open shots, and clean digs are applauded just as much as spikes. The goal is for everyone to touch the ball, not necessarily to score a point.

“We share the ball around and everybody gets a chance to play every position,” says organizer Doyno. “The nice thing about volleyball is everybody’s tried it at some point. Most people with some athletic experience can come out here, know what’s going on and pick it up pretty fast.”

The 51 year old says when he arrived in Tokyo from the United States 11 years ago he was looking for opportunities to continue playing sports. A rec league softball and soccer player, he hadn’t played volleyball since he was on his fraternity’s intramural squad.

The Club’s band of volleyball players might differ in skill level but they share a passion for their weekly get-togethers. by Nick Narigon

Spikes, Bumps and Digs

Joining sessions at the Club, Doyno learned the ins and outs of the game from the enthusiastic band of players. “The play is fun and everybody improves over time,” he says. “I started out lousy and now I feel comfortable on court with some professional-level players.”

One of those accomplished players is Luszczyk, 40, who attended college in Poland on a volleyball scholarship. He plays volleyball in other gyms in Tokyo, but he says the Club facilities, as well as the accommodating staff, are the best in town.

“I can get some taste of competition when I play here,” he says. “At its peak, it’s almost the same level as I used to play.”

Co-organizer Doron Lapidot, who played volleyball on his high school volleyball team in Israel, hadn’t stepped on a court for 20 years until he joined the Club in 1999. One of his squash partners was running the volleyball group and invited him to play. Lapidot hasn’t missed many games since.

“We had good times. We used to have eight or 10…players that came every time. We would like to get back to that,” says Lapidot, 53. “The Club itself, the facility is wonderful, it’s perfect. When you have

such a good facility and all the gear that you need, all you need is players and people who really like to come and play.”

Most evenings, the group is able to play five to six games of four-on-four or five-on-five, with each team shuffling members between games. They aren’t sticklers for the rules. The net is slightly lower than the regulation height to make it easier to serve and spike, and nobody is going to call somebody out if they carry the ball a little too long, just as long as the game continues.

“We are a group of players of different levels. Some are good and most are average,” says Lapidot. “We are not looking for only the best players. We are looking for people who want to enjoy themselves and who love to play sports. The game itself, when there is a team and there is a flow in the game, it’s fun. I’ve been playing so many years here and I always look forward to the next game.” o

The volleyball group, which is free and open to all Members, meets every Thursday and Sunday, from 7:45 p.m. To join the volleyball e-mail list, e-mail [email protected] or [email protected].

Yuuki Ide

Fitness and well-being 15

RECREATION

Club IronmanRun, swim and cycle your way to Club glory—and a bag of prizes—in this inaugural challenge. Competitors have eight days to complete one of the three contest categories*.

Sprint Ironman: 750m swim | 20km bike | 5km runHalf Ironman: 1.9km swim | 90km bike | 22km run Full Ironman: 3.8km swim | 180 km bike | 42.2km run

Try 3: Be an IronmanJune 1–8Fitness Center and Sky Pool ¥1,500Sign up at the Fitness Center

(* Competitors who wish to switch category during

the challenge must start from the beginning of the

new category.)

Rooftop WorkoutsKick off your summer mornings with one of the Sky Pool’s fitness programs. Sign up online or at the Sky Pool Office.

Aqua FitnessJune–August | Monday and Tuesday | 8:30–9:30 a.m. Adult Stroke DevelopmentJune–August | Monday and Wednesday | 9–10 a.m.

Martial Art Moves Improve flexibility, coordination and fitness while learning a martial art. Summer Aikido for AdultsJune 10–July 10 | Tuesday and Thursday | 7–8 p.m. ¥28,000

H E A LT H YO U T H

Summer Fun at the ClubThe Club helps youngsters keep boredom at bay this summer through a range of programs and activities:

Camp DiscoveryWeek-long sessions of sports, crafts, music games and field trips. June 16–August 22 (10 sessions)Big Kid (6–12 years) | Preschool A (4–5 years) | Preschool B (3–4 years)Big Kid Camp: ¥40,000 (Members); ¥46,000 (non-Members)Preschool Camp: ¥37,000 (Members); ¥42,550 (non-Members) Sign up at the Recreation Desk or e-mail [email protected]

Summer All-Star SportsEnergetic afternoons of sports, skills and teamwork. June 16–August 22 (10 sessions)Weekdays (except Thursday)3:30–4:30 p.m.Members: ¥10,000Non-Members: ¥11,500Ages 6–12Sign up at the Recreation Desk or e-mail [email protected]

Kids’ Summer Swim ProgramIntensive two-week programs, divided into six levels, to boost water confidence and stroke skills. Session 1: June 23–July 3Session 2: July 7–17

Session 3: July 28–August 7Session 4: August 11–21 Sign up online or at the Sky Pool Office

Summer Intensive Aikido for KidsA fun introduction to the defensive moves of this martial art. June 16–27 Weekdays1–2 p.m.¥28,000Sign up online or at the Recreation Desk

Summer All-Star Scholars Professional tutors offer academic tips and guidance in a host of subjects.June 16–July 25 (sessions 1–6)August 4–15 (sessions 8–9) Weekdays (except Thursday)3:30–4:30 p.m.Members: ¥10,000Non-Members: ¥11,500 Ages 6–12Sign up at the Recreation Desk or e-mail [email protected]

SAT Intensive CourseSound advice for securing a spot at college. June 16–204–7 p.m.Beate Sirota Gordon Classroom¥70,000Sign up online or at the Recreation Desk


Father’s Day Specials

The Spa proudly uses products by

Book an appointment at The Spa at 03-4588-0714 or [email protected]–Saturday: 10 a.m.–8 p.m. | Sunday and national holidays: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Pamper Dad this month with one of The Spa’s three luxurious treatments. Spoil him further with something from the Ella Baché range of skin-care products for men, and receive 10 percent off.

June 1–30The Prince 90-minute Sports Aromatherapy Massage (¥14,400)

The King 30-minute Gentleman’s Facial and 60-minute Swedish Massage (¥14,850)

The Emperor 45-minute Sportsman’s Manicure, 45-minute Sportsman’s Pedicure and 30-minute Reflexology Treatment (¥17,000)



D uring the Women’s Group tour to Vietnam in February, a group of runners had to be creative to fit in their regular morning workout. To find a route away from the

congested roads of Ho Chi Minh City, the four women asked the hotel concierge to recommend a circuit.

The 5-kilometer course took Women’s Group members Diana Bohm, Betty Butler, Mary Hager and Christa Wallington through backstreets that followed the Saigon River. Though they were away from the hustle and bustle, they still had to negotiate motorbikes, potholes and roadblocks, and they were even chased off a dockside where a cruise ship was disembarking.

“It was an obstacle course,” says Bohm, 47. “And it was steamy in the morning. But for me, it helped me prepare to run in warmer weather.”

Back in Japan, Bohm, who had never run a race farther than 5 kilometers, decided to join Butler, who was running her second half marathon, and her husband for the Paracup Half Marathon in Kawasaki.

“If I hadn’t done the Vietnam running group, I wouldn’t have known that Mary or Betty was a runner,” says Bohm. “We knew each other, but it got us together as a group and it inspired us to sign up for the half marathon.”

Hager also signed up for the race, but an injury forced her pull out before the day of the race. Butler, 53, says training with her

fellow Women’s Group members in Vietnam at the crack of dawn helped ready herself for the half marathon’s early-morning start.

On April 6, Butler and Bohm were set for the Paracup, but they could hardly have predicted the weather they were about to encounter. As they approached the starting line, wearing Butler-made light blue tank tops, bearing their team name, the Saigon Sinners, they could see dark clouds looming.

Fifteen minutes into the race, it started to rain. After clearing up for a spell, the sky was filled with thunder and lightning, which later turned to hail then snow flurries. “I thought they were cherry blossom petals because these white things were floating down,” says Butler. “I was like, ‘Wait a second, are you kidding me?’”

Bohm, following advice she had received, ran the first few kilometers at a leisurely pace, finding two runners to draft. Eventually passing them, she finished strong in a time of 2 hours, 14 minutes. “I think the lightning helped me run faster,” she says.

Butler, who was about half an hour behind, says she had to dodge puddles “the size of swimming pools.” The weather didn’t deter her from signing up for the Mount Fuji Marathon, in Yamanashi Prefecture, in November, and she says she hopes to enter another race with her new running mates from the Women’s Group.

“We encouraged each other,” says Butler. “Maybe we can do a 5K in the summer. After the half marathon, now you think, ‘Three miles, what the heck?’” o

WOMEN’S GROUP

by Nick Narigon

Betty Butler and Diana Bohm

Running MatesThe teeming streets of Ho Chi Minh City helped one group of Women’s Group members discover running camaraderie.

Membership RenewalMembership of the Women’s Group will be renewed automatically on September 1 unless the Women’sGroup Office receives a cancellation notice by August 31. New stickers for the coming year are availablefrom Member Services or the Women’s Group Office from August 18.

An interactive community 17

On the evening of June 12, the crowd in the Arena de São Paulo, in one of the most soccer-crazed nations on earth, will watch the

host side, Brazil, take on Croatia in the opening game of the FIFA World Cup.

Brazil, which has won the holy grail of soccer a record five times, last hosted the tournament in 1950, when Uruguay lifted the Jules Rimet trophy. Since then, the sport has continued to grow, and more than 1 billion people around the world are expected to watch the final on July 13 from Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã Stadium.

But the country’s preparations for the tournament have been far from smooth. Construction of the stadiums has been mired in delays, drawing the ire of soccer’s governing body, FIFA. Costs have spiraled and rumors of corruption and kickbacks helped to fuel protests by thousands of Brazilians during last year’s Confederations Cup.

André Corrêa do Lago is Brazil’s ambassador to Japan. iNTOUCH’s Nick Jones spoke to the Club Member about Brazil’s World Cup preparations. Excerpts:

iNTOUCH: Is Brazil ready to host the World Cup?

Corrêa do Lago: Yes. The concept of ready is different according to each country. So if what is left to be done were to be done in other countries, maybe that country would not be ready. But in Brazil we have a tradition of being particularly talented for last-minute solutions. That is why in our way of organizing things we are ready. Brazil is a country that doesn’t normally provoke lots of attention in the world, so people are not following what Brazil does

on a constant basis. So the World Cup is making people discover Brazil, and as they find out about Brazil, they are going to be surprised positively by some things and less positively by other things.

iNTOUCH: Only six of the 12 World Cup stadiums were ready by the December deadline, causing FIFA President Sepp Blatter to remark in an interview, “No country has been so far behind in preparations since I have been at FIFA, even though it is the only host nation which has had so much time, seven years, in which to prepare.” What happened to the schedule?

Corrêa do Lago: I think you only need to be ready at the moment you are going to need the stadiums. As a Brazilian, I don’t think we are late. We are not late until the day before the World Cup.

iNTOUCH: But not all projects will be finished in time. The monorail from São Paulo’s domestic airport to the south of the city won’t be ready until next year; work on the new terminal 3 at São Paulo’s international airport is still going on; the media center at the stadium in Curitiba won’t be ready; and the planned expansion of the airport terminal in Fortaleza won’t be ready. Some projects are way off track, aren’t they?

Corrêa do Lago: No, because these infrastructure projects are not supposed to be for the World Cup. They were supposed to be stimulated and accelerated by the World Cup, but none of those projects were meant to be for the World Cup. They are supposed to be for the Brazilian public and for the future of the country. I think we have to separate the stadium issue because the stadiums were built specifically for the World Cup, so I think that it is fair that FIFA has an opinion about that. But Brazil is not the kind of country that wants to impress the world with one single moment. Brazil is a developing country and is going to hold, I think, a great World Cup, but nobody in Brazil wants to try and hide the realities and show a different Brazil for the World Cup. We absolutely want the world to see the real Brazil because we believe the real Brazil is fantastic. But it’s obvious that the real Brazil is not perfect.

iNTOUCH: But these kinds of issues have attracted a lot of negative press, haven’t they?

Corrêa do Lago: The countries that normally organize these big events are organizing these big events to show that they have changed somehow from one class of country to another class of country. And I think that this kind of thing is not happening in Brazil. We put the World Cup and the [2016 Rio] Olympics in the context

Brazilian Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago


Samba SoccerSamba SoccerWITH BRAZIL SET TO STAGE

SOCCER’S WORLD CUP THIS

MONTH, THE COUNTRY’S

AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN

AND OTHER MEMBERS SHARE

THEIR THOUGHTS ON SPORT’S

GREATEST SPECTACLE.

FEATURE

of objectives of development, not as shows for a specific moment.

iNTOUCH: Couldn’t the World Cup be both?

Corrêa do Lago: There’s no doubt it could be both. Brazil is a surprising country for anyone who goes there. Some of the aspects of Brazil that people are expecting, they don’t find, but suddenly they discover other things they didn’t expect. I think the greatest quality of Brazil is its transparency because nobody is criticizing more than the Brazilian press itself. What most people don’t know is that in the last 10 years 40 million people, a fifth of the population, moved from D class, which is very poor people, to lower-middle class, which is C class. That’s 40 million that could fly, buy cars and do things, and obviously this represented an enormous stress on the infrastructure. But maybe that bad press has some positive aspects because when things do happen people will be much more surprised than if the press was saying everything was going to be great.

iNTOUCH: Much like the Confederations Cup last year, the point of having the stadiums completed well in advance of the World Cup was to have time to test all the facilities. But it seems that this won’t be the case now.

Corrêa do Lago: But aren’t the stadiums being built to FIFA’s standards? So if the standards aren’t good, it’s FIFA’s problem. But I think the Confederations Cup was a very positive experience because what was considered the negative side of it—

the protests—was in fact an extremely positive side of it. Because it started an important debate on high standards of infrastructure. Why do you have to have high standards for stadiums and lower standards for other kinds of infrastructure? We think that the protests were extremely positive, but obviously not the few people who burned things.

iNTOUCH: Others in Brazil have questioned whether the country needs the World Cup in the first place. Writing in Britain’s Guardian newspaper last year, the former soccer player and now politician Romário criticized public spending cuts. “Investment in cities hosting World Cup matches were prioritized over the people’s needs,” he wrote. “Money was channeled predominantly towards sport projects, at the expense of health, education and safety.” Is this correct?

Corrêa do Lago: It’s wrong. Brazil is the seventh-largest economy in the world. The World Cup almost has an irrelevant impact on Brazil’s economy. So it’s not that we’re dealing with a small economy that is having a big event; we’re talking about a relatively big event in an enormous economy. The proportion of the impact of the expenses of the World Cup is very small for the size of the economy. On the other side, it is perfectly fair that people in the street ask, “Why is the stadium more urgent than other things?” Most of the people who protested were people who have moved up to the middle class and who expected a particular standard of service and infrastructure that they did not find.

iNTOUCH: There is a possibility that there will be more protests during the World Cup. Do you see this as something positive then?

Corrêa do Lago: It can be a good thing if it makes Brazil a better country. What is important is if these protests happen peacefully and that they have a medium- and long-term positive impact for Brazil’s population and for Brazil’s development in the years [ahead].

iNTOUCH: Is the population behind this World Cup?

Corrêa do Lago: I think the population is very much behind the World Cup. We love football, so we are absolutely delighted to have the World Cup. But at the same time, this is the time to question many things that are happening in Brazil.

iNTOUCH: With all the questions about the country’s preparations for this tournament, is there even more pressure now on Brazil to win the World Cup?

Corrêa do Lago: Monstrous pressure. One hundred percent of Brazilians expect the team to win, so I’m happy I’m not the coach.

iNTOUCH: Do you think the Brazilian team will be lifting the World Cup on July 13?

Corrêa do Lago: We want to raise the World Cup if we deserve the World Cup. We have to play elegantly, effectively and fairly. That’s the way Brazilians want to win the World Cup.

For the duration of the World Cup, Traders’ Bar is serving up

feijoada, Brazil’s traditional black bean stew, for just ¥500.

First Friday: 2014 FIFA World CupThe Club kicks off the soccer World Cup party with an evening of revelry, chat, Brazilian treats and signature drinks and predictions for the upcoming 32-team tournament.

Friday, June 66–8 p.m.Winter Garden¥2,000*Adults onlyNo sign-up necessary(*Excludes 8 percent consumption tax.)

Soccer Fan FuelSoccer Fan Fuel

Samba Soccer 19

“With fantastic players like Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Vincent Kompany (Man City) and Thibaut Courtois (Atlético Madrid), Belgium has the potential to reach the last four. They should easily reach the second round, where Germany or Portugal will be more difficult, but I expect them to reach quarterfinals.”

“Considering Costa Rica is a small country, with a population of under 5 million, I am very proud of the team just for qualifying for the World Cup. Being in Group D, with three former World Cup winners, is not very good, but I think they will exceed my expectations and perhaps win some games.”

“I think Japan will progress to the second round but will struggle after that. From the squad of 23, an unprecedented 12 players play for clubs outside Japan. With Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa, Yuto Nagatomo, Makoto Hasebe and Shinji Okazaki all playing for top European teams, expectations are high.”

“I believe Spain are the favorites after wins at Euro 2012, Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. The core team is still the same and they have the same coach, strategy and team leaders. They have won every major tournament over the last six years, so definitely they’re the team to beat.”

“Mexico will feel at home in Brazil. Apart from the Brazil-Mexico game in Group A, the crowd will support El Tri. I think both Brazil and Mexico will make it through to the final 16. If Mexico play with all the passion and technique they have demonstrated of late, they will go far. Sí, se puede! (Yes, we can!).”

“With a solid team, an experienced coach and if striker Radamel Falcao García (El Tigre) can play even better, I think that Colombia has a very good chance to reach the final stages of the World Cup. I am looking forward to the game against Japan.”

“While not a big soccer fan, I watch my country in the World Cup every four years. Imagine my dismay when I saw that Australia had been drawn in the Group of Death alongside heavyweights Spain, the Netherlands and Chile. Odds are I won’t be watching Australia play in the round of 16. Anyway, c’mon, Aussie, c’mon!”

“Will this be Holland’s chance? We hold the record for losing the most World Cup finals: ’74 against the Germans, ’78 against the Argentineans and 2010 against Spain. Let’s see how far we get this year with ‘total football’ and some luck.”

“The Brazil team is very strong and has a good chance of winning the World Cup for a sixth time. With the likes of Neymar, Ramires and David Luiz in the side, Brazil has the right mix of youth, experience and skill, with a seasoned coach in Luiz Felipe Scolari. I would love to see both Brazil and Japan progress towards the final.”

BENOIT ALSTEENSMELINA MONTOYA

HIROSHI MIYAMASU

CÉSAR GARCÍAERNESTO A’ DE LIMA

SANTIAGO PARDO

CHRIS MASSIE

PAUL VRANCKEN

MARCOS TURINI

In between all the spellbinding soccer action from Brazil,

head to Decanter and sample some flair in a bottle from countries with a winemaking pedigree as well.

SPAIN2009 Pago de los Capellanes Crianza, Ribera del Duero (¥7,620)

CHILE2011 Casa Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley (¥6,950)

ARGENTINA 2010 Viña Cobos Bramare Cabernet Sauvignon, Luján de Cuyo (¥7,330)

JAPAN2012 Grace Winery Gris de Koshu, Yamanashi (¥5,240)

ITALY2008 Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG, Veneto (¥15,520)

FRANCE Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé, Champagne (¥15,710)

GERMANY2008 Dönnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling, Nahe (¥12,100)

USA2010 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, NapaValley (¥25,000)

AUSTRALIA2006 Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz, Clare Valley (¥22,950)

Members World Cup PredictionsWinningWinesWinningWines

Members World Cup Predictions


FEATURE

“It’s no secret that the US national team will face significant challenges in Brazil, with Germany and Portugal in their group, as well as nemesis Ghana. That said, it’s exciting to see that Americans are finally paying attention to the game of ‘football’ that so many of their kids love to play.”

“At 55, South Korea is the lowest-ranked team in Group H, but I do expect them to proceed to the knockout stage. I think they can win at least one game and draw one or two. Getting to the next stage would be a great accomplishment for the side. Go, the Red Devils!”

“It is not only because Cristiano Ronaldo has scored over 50 goals just this season that makes Portugal’s national team such a powerhouse. Combine the two-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner with talent like Miguel Veloso, Ricardo Quaresma and Hugo Almeida, and Portugal’s World Cup win is assured.”

“Despite being in the so-called Group of Death with the US, Portugal and Germany, Ghana’s Black Stars are looking to go even further than they did four years ago. The World Cup is full of surprises, shock and Luis Suarez’s handball. Write off Ghana at your peril!”

“Our national team unites the people of Honduras, and its success raises the spirits of the whole nation. The country stops when there is a game, as the people support and cheer with a passion unmatched in Central America. I am confident that the Catrachos will make some noise in Brazil.”

“I expect Switzerland to win Group E. They will then play Nigeria, Iran or Bosnia-Herzegovina. After winning that game, they will most likely face Germany—a major challenge. If we clear that hurdle, we will be in the final. Remember the last World Cup: Switzerland beat the world champions, Spain, 1–0 in the group stage.”

“We can play the worst possible football—as we did in South Africa—but we can also play the best. Qualifying for this tournament was a miracle, so why can’t we have another? Brazil, Germany, Argentina, England and other favorites: be prepared for the French team to shine. Nothing can stop Les Bleus, apart from a strike maybe.”

“As always, I expect the German team to be well prepared. The early exit of Bayern Munich from the Champions League means those players can join the training camp from the start. It will take 100 percent and a bit of luck to progress from a competitive group. Germany can go far, but I pick a South American team to lift the trophy.”

“I think our team has a 40 percent chance to advance to the next stage. Argentina and Nigeria are very strong, but the ball is round and there is always a chance for every team to surprise. The World Cup is fun for all countries and will change the news for a while.”

“For the first time in years, I think expectations of how far England can go are pretty low. A realistic objective for the Three Lions would be to reach the last 16 of the competition. This is an England team in development, and they’ll use the experience gained in this competition to become a serious contender in 2018.”

“Greece made it to the best eight in Euro 2012 and lost only one game while qualifying for this World Cup. They have always been seen as a low-scoring team, but they have scored in all of their 10 most recent games, so I hope, as underdogs, they can cause an upset in this World Cup.”

MATT MILLER JIMMY CHO

MARCO LOBO PETER OWANS

MARLENE VILLELA TALBOTT

MARKUS GFELLER ANDRÉ PELPEL THOMAS SAILER

MEHRDAD MEHRABI JIRANDEHGREG FLYNN

PAOLO TOMBESI

SPYRIDON MENTZAS

“Italy is in the most difficult group, with England, Uruguay and Costa Rica. Since Italy usually starts slow and improves in the second part of the tournament, I’m worried about the group. However, if they can advance, they have a chance to make it to the final four and possibly the final against Brazil. They’ve always had surprising results against the Canarinho.”

Samba Soccer 21

by Nick Narigon

F or a struggling artist, making a living in Tokyo can be daunting. Exorbitant gallery fees stymie cash-strapped university

graduates from vying with seasoned professionals for coveted exhibition space.

To pave an avenue for promising prodigies, art patron Kazuko Aso and established artist Aki Fueda founded the art collective DanDans in 2005. Today, the grassroots organization supports more than 50 emerging talents.

DanDans transforms donated restaurants, bars and even tailor shops into makeshift galleries for members to showcase their art for free. The artists handle all the logistics, from publicity to greeting exhibition visitors. Works, which are purchased through a silent auction, are even delivered to buyers by the artists themselves.

The group has also helped artists travel to the likes of Seoul and Beijing to experience different art scenes.

This month, the Club will host the latest DanDans exhibition, which will feature the contemporary and provocative works of five artists—Megumi Akiyoshi, Taku Hisamura, Sumiko Iwaoka, Jiro Noguchi and Shinichi Tsuchiya—all with impressive résumés.

An MFA graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York, Akiyoshi, who

works under the name ON megumi Akiyoshi, has exhibited her psychedelic-like works in the United States, South Korea, China and Spain, and her series “Blooming Bubbles” was the subject of a short documentary film.

Meanwhile, Tsuchiya, who studied under controversial German photographer Thomas Ruff, uses a slow shutter speed and

DanDans

a laser pointer to capture intriguing images.“The result is the photograph that

looks like a drawing,” he says. “However, the actual process bears a resemblance to sculpting a solid block or excavating an archeological site. In this series, I wanted to revisit the fundamentals of my work: the meaning of making the invisible visible.” o

Light # 002 by Shinichi Tsuchiya LL-BOWL by Jiro Noguchi

Blooming Bubbles XXIIII by Megumi Akiyoshi


FREDERICK HARRIS GALLERY

ExhibitionJune 2–22

Gallery ReceptionMonday, June 26:30–8 p.m.Frederick Harris Gallery (B1 Formal Lobby)FreeOpen to invitees and Members only

D uring the reception for this month’s DanDans exhibition, French art historian Sophie Richard

(pictured above) will discuss her guide to Japan’s museums, The Art Lover’s Guide to Japanese Museums.

iNTOUCH’s Nick Narigon talked to Richard about the project. Excerpts:

iNTOUCH: With approximately 1,000 art museums in Japan, how did you select which museums to include?Richard: During the selection process, what I thought was essential was the richness of the collection, the quality of the displays and the design in general. The individuality of the place was also important, and I aimed to include places that had a good balance between all these elements.iNTOUCH: Of the art museums you visited in Tokyo, which institutions were the most fascinating?Richard: I particularly like the Nezu Museum for the quality of its collection, the elegant display, the presence of good information in English and its sizeable garden. I am particularly attached to Kyu Asakura House because it is when I stumbled upon it by chance that I decided to write this book. It is a beautiful house, always very peaceful and when I am there it is invariably a sensory delight, with the warm perfume of cedar wood and the grassy smell of tatami.

iNTOUCH: You say that Japanese curators tend to change exhibitions with each season. What else sets Japan’s art exhibits apart?Richard: It is interesting to note the importance of the season in many of the displays, from the theme of temporary exhibitions to objects related to the tea ceremony, which are changed according to the time of year. Some museums in Japan offer the opportunity to handle or use objects in their collection. The Raku Museum in Kyoto, for example, organizes special days during which visitors are given the chance to hold and feel Raku

tea bowls, sometimes centuries old. Another thing that can set Japanese museums apart is the great attention paid to lighting, as well as the free space around each piece, which has to do with the Japanese spatial concept of ma. iNTOUCH: How does the funding of art museums differ in Japan?Richard: Collectors or companies usually decide

to open their own museum, instead of giving to a public institution, as they would do in the West. As a result, there are many private museums reflecting the owner’s interests, passions and concerns. o

ArtMuseum Manual

Meet the Author: Sophie RichardMonday, June 26:30–8 p.m.Frederick Harris Gallery (B1 Formal Lobby)FreeOpen to invitees and Members only

KOGAO by Sumiko Iwaoka

Existing there without appearing to be <Grand Slam> by Taku Hisamura

Exhibitions of Art 23

Azabudai Guest Studios LogoProject Date

Client Concept No.

Jan. 2011

FINALP r e p a r e d b y T o k y o A m e r i c a n C l u b C o m m u n i c a t i o n s D e p a r t m e n t

Brian Marcus

Guest Studios

Contact us about summer rates. Tel: 03-4588-0734 | E-mail: [email protected]

www.tokyoamericanclub.org

mac

zen

spa

fitness

oasis

den

for two

Where the living is easy. This summertime, escape to the convenient comfort of the Guest Studios.

©Je

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oldb

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ESTO

by Nick Narigon

When Keiko Kubota-Miura moved to New York City from her native Tokyo in 1987 to study art at SUNY New Paltz, her English was limited. She would pick out familiar words from conversations and study people’s faces to decipher what they were saying.

This experience altered Kubota-Miura’s perception of human communication and the way we convey emotion and feeling.

“I came to the realization that we are all tied together at the bottom of the subconscious mind, thus with differing but shared feeling,” she says. “At this fundamental level, we are all connected to the power of the universe. Some may call it ‘universal power,’ or ‘nature power,’ or it may be called ‘god.’”

Studying under metalwork artists Bob Ebendorf and Jamie Bennett, she found the American style of teaching liberating. Her prior training at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts focused on mastering technique and creating pieces based on utility and Japanese decorative art. Through guidance and constructive criticism, Kubota-Miura’s American mentors encouraged her to establish her own philosophical approach.

Her nature-inspired metal art depicts what she calls the “subliminal world,” where the roots of the lotus seeds are connected underground. Pieces on display this month at the Frederick Harris Gallery include works from Kubota-Miura’s award-winning “Planet Plants” series.

“I have used various plant forms as a symbol of natural energy,” she says. “Though we cannot see the movement, everybody can know the existence of energy.”

ExhibitionJune 23–July 13

Gallery ReceptionMonday, June 236:30–8 p.m.Frederick Harris Gallery (B1 Formal Lobby)FreeOpen to invitees and Members only

Keiko Kubota-Miura

FREDERICK HARRIS GALLERY

Exhibitions of Art 25

CULTURAL INSIGHT

Say “ I do”

Whether you want your special day to be an elegant, black-tie celebration or an intimate, low-key a�air, our professional planning team will help you craft the perfect wedding.

to style and personality at Tokyo American Club

BRIDAL FAIRSunday, August 24

11 a.m.–7 p.m.New York Ballroom,

Brooklyn rooms, DecanterFree | Open to the public

(walk-ins are welcome)Reserve your spot at 03-4588-0977

or [email protected]

June in Tokyo sees an extravagant procession of ancient imperial courtiers take to the streets.

by Efrot Weiss

Parading the Past

H eld in mid-June at Akasaka’s Hie Shrine, the Sanno Festival kicks off Tokyo’s summer matsuri season. One of the

three largest festivals in Japan, the event is a celebration of the city’s culture and venerated history and consists of a parade of locals in ancient costumes.

Home to the guardian deity of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Hie Shrine’s connection with the imperial family dates back to 1457, when the feudal lord Ota Dokan began construction of Edo Castle. He built Sanno-Hie Shrine inside the compound and entreated the god of Mount Hie in Shiga Prefecture, Oyamakui, to protect the castle and its inhabitants.

The shrine came to prominence during the rule of the Tokugawa clan in the Edo era (1603–1867). Upon assuming his role as the family’s first shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa made Edo the capital and took possession of Edo Castle (now the Imperial Palace). He also became a patron of Hie Shrine and worshipped the deity as the protector of Edo. In 1607, he moved the shrine outside the castle to allow citizens to visit as they pleased.

Ieyasu continued the tradition of the Sanno Festival. A lavish affair, it consisted of 45 floats, extravagantly decorated with images of the Hie gods. Portable shrines (mikoshi) hefted by hundreds of men also wound their way through the streets. The

Sanno and Kanda festivals were the only times the shogun granted ordinary citizens access to the castle grounds.

The Kanda and Sanno festivals are still held annually, but the parade of floats and shrines have been held in alternating years since 1681 to alleviate the financial burden on the population. The Sanno Festival is held on even-numbered years, with this year’s celebration falling on June 13.

The modern-day festival still holds significance, albeit in a watered-down version. The lofty floats were discontinued after the construction of overpasses in 1885. Today’s floats are of modest size, and roads along the parade route are only partly closed so as not to affect area businesses.

The parade consists of three palanquins housing Shinto gods, carried by hundreds of people in traditional imperial court dress. Some also come dressed as the mythical character Tengu, with his red face and long nose, while shrine maidens perform scared dances to court music.

The procession departs the present-day Hie Shrine, built in 1958, at 8 a.m., passing by the National Theatre, Tokyo Station, Ginza, the Diet building and other landmarks along its 20-kilometer route, before returning to the shrine in the early evening. In keeping with its Edo era roots, the shrine’s chief priest enters the grounds of the Imperial Palace at around noon and prays for the health and prosperity of the imperial family.

Other highlights of the Sanno Festival include a purification ritual in the middle of the shrine grounds. Those who walk through a large, thatch ring are cleansed of all the sins they unwittingly committed in the past six months. This custom reflects the Shinto roots of rural matsuri, which were traditionally linked to the rice-growing seasons. o

Weiss has been a Club Member since 2002.

Compensation Mark MillerCulture, Community & Entertainment Daniel Smith (Lance Lee)

SubcommitteesCulture & Community JoAnn YoneyamaEntertainment Matthew KrcelicFrederick Harris Gallery Yumiko Sai

Finance Rodney Nussbaum(Hiroshi Miyamasu)

Food & Beverage Michael Alfant (Jerome Rosenberg)

SubcommitteeWine Stephen Romaine

House Jesse Green (Gregory Lyon) SubcommitteeFacilities Management GroupTomio Fukuda

Human Resources Jon Sparks (Per Knudsen)

Membership Alok Rakyan (Machi Nemoto) Nominating Steven GreenbergRecreation Samuel Rogan(Mark Miller)

SubcommitteesBowling Crystal GoodflieshVideo Library Abigail RadmilovichFitness Samuel RoganGolf John Breen

Library Alaine LeeLogan Room Christa RutterSquash Martin FluckSwim Alexander Jampel Youth Activities Narissara March

Joining a Committee


Say “ I do”

Whether you want your special day to be an elegant, black-tie celebration or an intimate, low-key a�air, our professional planning team will help you craft the perfect wedding.

to style and personality at Tokyo American Club

BRIDAL FAIRSunday, August 24

11 a.m.–7 p.m.New York Ballroom,

Brooklyn rooms, DecanterFree | Open to the public

(walk-ins are welcome)Reserve your spot at 03-4588-0977

or [email protected]

Tamehisa Uemura Japan—Mitsuishi Holdings, Inc.

Toby & Bree TruscottAustralia—Michael Page International K.K.

Tatsuki NambaraJapan—Autotrading Luft Japan Co. Ltd.

William & Mary LavinUnited States—Prudential Systems Japan Ltd.

Shingo Kanaoya Japan—THS Co., Ltd.

Kazuhiko & Yoshie Nakajima Japan—Koushinkai (MC) Tamahiyoshidai Hospital

Gerhard & Ikuko HinterhaeuserGermany—MEAG Hong Kong Ltd.

Yuko YasudaJapan—Russell Reynolds Associates Japan, Inc.

Robert Heldt India—Custom Media K.K.

Genichi & Cristina TamatsukaJapan—Lawson, Inc.

Peter & Hanae Rackowe United Kingdom—Ferguson Partners Japan

Hiroshige & Nanako Saito Japan—Medical Corporation Jikokai Society

Margaret Cowle & Flemming Christensen Australia—KPMG AZSA LLC

Peter Davison United Kingdom—AIG Japan Holdings K.K.

Dheeraj & Deepali SinghiIndia—Dimex Co., Ltd.

Harry Cho & Yoongi Choi United States—Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd.

Kumiko & Junichi HayashiJapan—Premier Concierge Co., Ltd.

Angus HaigAustralia—Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., Ltd.

Eijiro & Hiromi Hayashi Japan—Synthesis Sinkawabashi Hospital

Fergus & Pamela Stewart United Kingdom—IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan

Vineet Katyal & Kokila KatyalIndia—Coca-Cola Japan Co., Ltd.

Mai & Yoshinobu Takahashi Japan

Toru & Kiwa ShimadaJapan—Rakuten, Inc.

Jason & Jennifer Pearce United States—Caterpillar Japan Ltd.

Davide Piras & Francesca CorriasItaly—Bristol-Myers K.K.

Dale Patterson United States—Life Technologies Japan Ltd.

Richard & Tomoko Kramer United States—Simmons & Simmons Gaikoku Jimubengoshi Jimusho

Nathaniel & Angela Rowe Australia—Shearman & Sterling LLP

Kenji AminoChristopher & Marie CastelloMarsha Cooke

Jae & Misook PaikJan & Miranda RemieShuhei & Heather Sekiguchi

Tsuyoshi & Yuriko SuzukiReina TokuraKazuko Tominaga

sayonara

yokoso

Why did you decide to join the Club?“I’ve been visiting Tokyo over the last year with work and have experienced the delights of TAC on a number of occasions, as many of my colleagues are Members here. So when we moved here in January, getting membership sorted out was pretty high on our priority list. Being new to Tokyo, it provides us with an opportunity to meet and socialize with other Members of the community and, of course, take advantage of the great facilities on offer.”

(l–r) Carmen Roberts and John and Mia Monksmith

Why did you decide to join the Club?“We wanted to join TAC as soon as we moved back to Tokyo because the Club was such an important resource for us when we lived here five years ago. The Club provides a unique environment that is both business and family friendly. The sense of community and access to sports clubs, a gym, pool, library and great food made the decision to rejoin very easy. We look forward to taking part in many of the activities on offer and meeting new friends.”

(l–r) Makana Moorefield, Tiffany Farrell and John Moorefield

New Member ProfileJohn Monksmith & Carmen Roberts United Kingdom—AIG Japan Holdings K.K.

New Member ProfileJohn Moorefield & Tiffany FarrellUnited States—Aflac International, Inc.


M asae Shibano understands the importance of a clean, smart uniform better than most. “Even

if staff don’t notice they’ve lost a button [on their uniform], Members will notice,” she says. “It’s better to have a neat uniform.”

Ensuring staff, from kitchen cooks in their whites to black-jacketed restaurant managers to electricians, look presentable has been part of her job since she joined the Club around 12 years ago. “We did cleaning, ironing, everything at that time,” she says of her years at the Club’s former Azabudai facility.

The Club now has its laundry cleaned by a commercial laundry service, but Shibano, 67, still has plenty to do. Besides coordinating collections and deliveries with the laundry service, she checks the freshly cleaned clothes and makes repairs if necessary.

The whirring of an electric sewing machine is a common sound in the B3

MEMBER SERVICES

employeeof the monthMasae

Shibanoby Nick Jones

Stacks of Services at the Club

André Bernard Beauty SalonHair care for adults and kids, manicure, pedicure, waxing and more.Tel: 03-4588-0685 Family Area (B1)Tue–Sun9 a.m.–6 p.m.

Spica The Club’s professional shoe repair and polishing service. Tel: 03-4588-0670The Cellar (B1)Sat: 1–4:30 p.m. Sun: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.Weekday drop-off: Member Services Desk

FedExTo find out more about the range of services and Member discounts, visit the FedEx counter. The Cellar (B1)Mon–Fri: 1–5 p.m. (closed Sun and national holidays)Sat: 12 p.m. (pickup only)

The Art of TravelDiscover Japan and beyond with help from the Club’s travel desk consultants. The Cellar (B1)Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.Tel: 076-221-1586E-mail: [email protected]

laundry area, as Shibano, or one of her coworkers, mends a hole or alters a pair of pants. “Every day I have to fix something,” she explains.

Shibano happens to be one of the first people new staff meet after they join the Club. It’s an aspect of her job she says she enjoys. “I like meeting different people from different parts of the Club and talking with them,” says April’s Employee of the Month.

Even when she’s not at work, Shibano always has a needle and thread close at hand. She recently took up patchwork again after a three-year hiatus and now takes a class twice a month.

Shibano has crafted an array of

creations over the years, from cushion covers and tapestry runners to bedspreads and hangings. She just finished a small bag for her granddaughter.

“I enjoy making things by hand: arranging the pattern, designing the piece and making it,” she says. “It’s difficult, but I enjoy it. It’s stress relief.” o

Employee of the Quarter—Yukari WatanabeGuest Relations’ country music-loving concierge Yukari Watanabe picked up the Club’s most recent Employee of the Quarter award. Since 2011, she has been looking after guests staying at the Club’s seven Guest Studios.

Manager ofthe Quarter

A t the end of last year, the Club launched a managerial version of its long-running employee

recognition programs to acknowledge exceptional leaders.

Antonio Villasmil (right), manager of the popular dining spot American Bar & Grill, received the first Manager of the Quarter award for October to December 2013.

“As a manager, being recognized is very motivating, but, moreover, the effect that

that recognition has on my staff is very rewarding,” says Villasmil, 37, who joined the Club in 2005. “Making my staff proud

of my achievements makes the difference because they are the ones who brought me here in the first place.”

Jonathan Allen (left), director of Member Services and Guest Studios, received the Manager of the Quarter award for January to March. He joined the Club in 2009.

“It really means a lot, as we have made a significant number of updates here at Member Services and the staff have accepted a great deal of change,” says Allen, 43. “I am very pleased to hear from our colleagues in other sections that these changes are impacting their areas in a positive way as well. A little clichéd, but I feel this is a team award.” o

Services and benefits for Members 29


Together with a cameraman, soundman, director and assistant from the broadcaster NHK World, I arrived in Kesennuma

by local train, exactly three years to the day after tsunami waves devastated the port city and other communities like it along the Tohoku Pacific coast.

A taxi driver met us at the station. “We moved to high ground before the first wave struck,” he said of that fateful day. “Afterwards, many people walked

back down to get their things from their homes. No one knew that a second wave was coming, so they ended up losing their lives.”

We attended a memorial service at a local gym. Large screens at the front broadcast images of the emperor and empress at a similar ceremony in Tokyo. After 30 minutes of speeches by Kesennuma officials, local residents began to recount their memories of that chilly Friday afternoon.

Sadanori Sato, 63, explained the guilt he felt for the loss of his wife. “I was out when the earthquake struck,” he said. “After it stopped, I returned to my store where my wife was waiting. While cleaning up, the tsunami started to come up the river and into the shop. I dove under and got out of the shop through an opening. After I got out, I was almost swept away, but I clung on to a sign by the shop and escaped death. Two days later, I found my wife’s body in the shop.”

Yoshiko Hatakeyama, a nurse who lost her house in the tsunami, helped care for the survivors of the catastrophe. “It’s taken me three years,” she said. “It’s taken most of three years to recover enough to even talk about it. I want to tell my story to the world.”

Such stories remind us how people in the region continue to suffer, even though the remnants of the tragedy have disappeared. Kesennuma’s mountains of debris have been cleared away, and the stranded, 330-ton fishing boat, which served as both a reminder of the disaster and a symbol of people’s resilience, was removed more a year ago.

Construction of factories and other commercial buildings is underway on the now cleared land near the coast, but the more time we spent in the city, the more

Three Years OnClub Member and journalist Catherine Makino returned to Tohoku to assess the recovery of one city devoured by the tsunami of March 11, 2011. by Catherine Makino

A look at culture and society 31

obvious it became that March 11 remains at the forefront of people’s minds.

Eating lunch at a sushi bar, I noticed pamphlets about the disaster, while mugs, T-shirts and other items on sale at the quaint Anchor Café were emblazoned with the date “March 11, 2011.”

Clusters of temporary housing still dot the city. Dr Hideyasu Kiyomoto told me that many of the children living in them suffer from atopic dermatitis, a type of eczema. “The temporary prefabricated houses are way too small, too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer,” he said. “They bring a lot of stress to the people living in them.”

About 30 percent of the housing residents are elderly and cannot rebuild their homes because they are too old to secure bank loans.

Many people told me they are worried about jobs returning to the area, particularly with red tape impeding recovery. Others said they were concerned that the construction would stop once the central government financial support ran out.

I visited the main city hospital, which didn’t have its power fully restored until two months after the tsunami struck. Its water supply was fixed a month after that. Hospital officials admitted that while they acted

INSIDE JAPAN

quickly in the aftermath, their preparations proved insufficient because no one had anticipated a disaster of such proportions.

In one room lay 7-year-old Kenshi Kawaguchi, who suffers from Leigh syndrome, a severe neurological disorder that is characterized by the progressive loss of mental and movement abilities. The sound of his snoring and the rhythmic hiss of a respirator filled the room. He had been in a deep sleep for the previous 10 days.

Kenshi’s mother, Kiyomi, told me how they had managed to keep him alive on March 11, 2011, by using a battery-operated respirator that can run for up to six hours. The 10-minute journey to the hospital took two hours that day.

“It was a miracle that we reached the hospital,” she said. “But then there was a blackout the next day, so a helicopter took him to a hospital in Sendai.” I thought about the unbearable pressures experienced by Kenshi’s family and wondered what the future held for him.

Dai 18 Kyotoku Maru before being removed.

I heard that officials have already made changes to their disaster response plans. Healthcare workers told me that they are better equipped to deal with future emergencies and they appreciate the importance of establishing stronger links with the city’s residents.

“I wonder how some areas of Tokyo, where residents often move in and out, would respond if a major disaster strikes,” my assistant, Marie, said later. “Would neighbors come and check each other’s homes? For example, the hospitals need to know the elderly people who live alone and any patients receiving home medical care.”

The trip to Kesennuma inhabited my thoughts for about a week after I returned to Tokyo. While the suffering goes on, I can only hope that we have learned enough to be able to save lives and respond quicker in the next disaster. o

Club Member Makino is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist, broadcaster and producer.

Catherine Makino with Kesennuma nurse Yoshiko Hatakeyama at a school that served as an evacuation center.

Catherine Makino with Kesennuma doctor Hideyasu Kiyomoto at a Kesennuma quayside.

Kanagawa Climbs

by Nick Narigon

T he wilderness surrounding Mount Tanzawa is a treasure the locals are keeping to themselves. Located in northwest Kanagawa

Prefecture, the Tanzawa Mountains are usually bypassed by outdoor enthusiasts and foreign tourists on their way to nearby

TANZAWA

TOKYO

Hakone, one of the most visited national parks in Japan.

But Tanzawa-Oyama Quasi-National Park, with its web of meticulously maintained trails and panoramic views of the foothills of Mount Fuji, offers a stunning escape from the daily hordes of hikers and day-trippers that arrive at Hakone-Yumato Station.

The recommended trailhead starts at the scenic Hadanotokawa Park in Okura. Parking is available or you can simply take an express train on the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku to Shibusawa Station, followed by a 10-minute bus ride to Okura. From the park, walk north up the road for 10 minutes until you reach a sign for Mount To.

An excellent practice hike for Fuji, the 7-kilometer trek to the top of the 1,491-meter Mount To has an elevation change of 1,200 meters. While it depends

on your itinerary, most hikers choose to stay overnight at the clean, warm and friendly confines of the Sonbutsu Sanso lodge. Reservations are not required, but it is better to call ahead so the owner can arrange a private sleeping area.

Be sure to fill up your water bottles at the spring at Mount To. From here, the only opportunity to procure water is at the mountaintop lodges, which sell small bottles for ¥400 and 2-liter bottles for ¥1,200 (cold beer is ¥500).

Less-seasoned trekkers stay at Sonbutsu Sanso overnight and wake up early to watch the sunrise from the stadium seating at the summit. They then make the 70-minute hike to the peak of Mount Tanzawa, at 1,567 meters, turn around and head back to Okura.

More intrepid hikers and trail runners continue past Tanzawa and head deeper into the mountain range for an arduous two-hour trek to the top of the 1,673-meter Mount Hiru, the highest point in the Tanzawa Mountains.

The path follows the ridgeline the entire way. It’s a steep climb that allows

Far less popular than nearby Hakone, Tanzawa-Oyama Quasi-National Park offers plenty of opportunity for challenging hikes and enchanting views.


Sonbutsu Sanso

OUT & ABOUT

Hadanotokawa Park

for a continuous view of Mount Fuji on the left and Lake Miyagase on the right. The walk is enhanced by scenic and well-manicured picnic spots along the route.

The 70-minute western descent from Hiru is quite intense, and at times hikers are required to scramble down rock faces using fixed chains and ropes. As soon as you reach the bottom of the gorge, it’s time to head back up to the 1,601-meter summit of Mount Hinokiboramaru.

From there, it’s a 1,500-meter, knee-grinding descent back to civilization and the sight of families and day hikers clogging up the trail. It’s 17 kilometers from Mount To to the bus stop (and overnight parking) at Nishi Tanzawa Shizen Kyoshitsu for a 70-minute bus ride to Shin Matsuda Station on the Odakyu Line.

The 24-kilometer route from Okura to Nishi Tanzawa is not for beginners. Those training for a trail run will find it a nice break from Hakone, and the steep inclines

Hiking Etiquette Tips👍 Hikers coming downhill have the right

of way.👍 Stand on the uphill side of the trail when

people are passing you.👍 If passing somebody going in the same

direction, do not slow down or take a break shortly after. Don’t play leapfrog.

👍 Take breaks at the rest areas. Don’t unpack in the middle of the trail.

👍 Standing breaks are 5 minutes and sitting breaks are 20 minutes.

👍 Don’t wear bear bells. If you are worried about encountering bears, bring a bear whistle.

👍 Drink 1 liter of water every 30 to 45 minutes.

provide excellent practice opportunities. Moderate hikers will find the trail to be a sturdy challenge that features gorgeous views and less congestion.

While planning your Tanzawa hike, you’ll find very little information available in English. However, once you arrive, the signs along the well-marked trail include English directions, which is rare in other prefectures. English maps and brochures are available at the information center in Okura.

Instead of hiking to the summits of Tanzawa and Hiru, many food lovers choose the six-hour day hike to nearby Mount Nabewari, at 1,272 meters, where the homemade nabeyaki udon noodles at Nabewari Sanso have been featured on Japanese TV as one of the best lodge meals in Japan.

For beginners looking to break in their new hiking boots, stop at Hadano and make the easy and invigorating 30-minute hike to the top of Mount Kobo (235

☛ Around 65 minutes by express train from Shinjuku Station to Shibusawa Station on the Odakyu Line.

☛ Sonbutsu Sanso www.cnet-sb.ne.jp/sonbutu

(Japanese only)☛ Nabewari Sanso

http://nabewari.net (Japanese only)

☛ Hadanotokawa Park www.kanagawa-park.or.jp/hadanotokawa (Japanese only)

☛ Kobo no Sato Yu Onsen www.yunosato-y.jp

☛ Kanagawa Now Tourist Guide www.kanagawa-kankou.or.jp

☛ Hadano City Tourist Association www.kankou-hadano.org (Japanese only)

meters), which is especially beautiful during the cherry blossom season.

From the summit of Kobo, hikers can take a leisurely 4-kilometer stroll to Tsurumaki Onsen Station. Two minutes from the north exit of the station, the public hot-spring bath, Kobo no Sato Yu, is an ideal spot to clean boots and soothe muscles.

Hakone may get all the press, but Tanzawa offers the great outdoors, and without the crowds. o

Explorations beyond the Club 33

Barbecue party packages start from ¥6,900 per person (minimum: 20 people). To book your summer bash, call 03-4588-0308 or e-mail [email protected].

CELEBRATE THE SUMMER WITH THE PERFECT PARTY.

We’ll take care of the spectacular roof-top venue, sumptuous barbecued food

and free-flow drink, so all you’ll need to organize is the eager partygoers.

Terms and ConditionsRequested dates are not guaranteed. Date changes are treated as a cancellation. A credit card number or Membership number is required to confirm and guarantee any booking. This offer cannot be used with any other promotion. Prices do not include 8 percent consumption tax.

EARLYBIRD OFFERSave 10 percent on the cost of your party by booking it at least 30 days in advance.

EVENT ROUNDUP

First Friday: Hanami NightApril 4

While the nation headed to parks and riversides for

Mother Nature’s annual display of white and pink,

the Club hosted its own cherry blossom celebration,

complete with sake, snacks and traditional Japanese

music in the Winter Garden.

Photos by Yuuki Ide1

2

1. (l–r) Brenda Bohn, Yumiko Sai, Miki Ohyama, Women's Group

President Linda Schnetzer and Makiko Durkin 2. (l–r) Makiko and Club

President John Durkin and Linda Schnetzer

Snapshots from Club occasions 35

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REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT ADVISORS

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EVENT ROUNDUP

Helping you find property investment success

Premium Value Bank is your trusted partner and guide to the Japanese real estate market, offering support at every step of the process, including helping to arrange financing for up to 100% of a property.

From property management and tenant acquisition to monthly reports and data analysis, we’re confident we can make property investment in Japan work for you.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT ADVISORS

Call us now to arrange your free Premium Value Bank consultation.

Tel: 03-5447-6112 (English)Tel (from May 12): 03-5766-7727 (English)E-mail: [email protected] p-v-b.com

Certified Angus Beef Dinner with Chef Michael Ollier

April 11

To cap a week of fine Certified Angus Beef cuts in

Decanter, the American brand’s expert chef, Michael

Ollier, hosted a spectacular five-course dinner of

succulent beef, complemented by an array of palate-

pleasing wines.

Photos by Yuuki Ide

1. Tom and Chika Nevins 2. Matt Krcelic (left)

1

2


For more photos from some events displayed in these pages,visit the Event Image Gallery (under News & Info) on the Club website.

Gallery Reception: Taizo Kuroda April 14

Ceramic artist Taizo Kuroda, who is renowned for his

iconic, unglazed pieces, kicked off an exhibition of his

fine works at the Frederick Harris Gallery with a casual

reception for Members and invitees.

Photos by Yuuki Ide

1

1. Taizo Kuroda


Springtime FunApril 20

Youngsters celebrated Easter at the Club with a host

of spring-themed activities and photo ops, including

a traditional egg hunt, a petting zoo, games, arts and

crafts and the chance to meet the Easter Bunny.

Photos by Yuuki Ide



Z ombie, Student, Lover, Explorer and Fighter might all sound like characters from the latest AXN drama series, but they are actually different types of shopping mindset.

In a recent study on shopping habits, my colleagues and I discovered (perhaps not surprisingly) huge differences in the way people approach shopping, both online and in person, depending on their age, nationality and sex. We did, however, unearth five consistent types of shopper:

Zombies are disengaged shoppers who sleepwalk through stores and have little interest in being there. There are more male Zombies than female and more in the Western countries. Almost nonexistent in China.

Students are eager to touch, play, ask questions and learn as they shop. They are the most prevalent of all shopping types, particularly in the United States and Northern Europe.

Lovers want to be seduced by the products and displays and to be spoiled by store staff—particularly common in developing countries like India.

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by Dave McCaughan

You Are How You Shop

Adventurers are willing to try everything and love to be surprised by stores and products. More prevalent in developing markets.

Fighters research extensively and love to challenge store staff with questions. They represent a good quarter of all shopping types but are more common in Brazil and China.

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that most Japanese are Students. With constant releases of new products, Japan’s population has become a shopping savvy one over the years.

I interviewed environmental psychologist and shopping guru Paco Underhill a few years ago. The author of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping told me that the Japanese were the most likely shoppers to read the back of the pack.

So have Japanese shopping habits changed since the consumption tax hike earlier this year? As expected, families stocked up on some things and bought big-ticket items before April. But we have noticed the rise of the Adventurer over the last few years in Japan.

Over 10 years of tracking the lifestyle habits of Japanese moms, we witnessed the number of impulse purchasers in search of the latest fad or product double to a quarter of all mom shoppers. We have noticed similar trends with the newly retired and Net-browsing 20-somethings.

Both Students and Adventurers use their smartphones in shops and elsewhere as a tool for browsing, referencing and comparing, before purchasing at another time. With devices making exploring so easy, we will likely see Adventurers grow in number. So how long before it all becomes too much and they turn into Zombies? o

Club Member McCaughan is managing director with the advertising agency McCann Worldgroup Hong Kong

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June 2014 iNTOUCH

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