april 2016 intouch magazine

TOKYO

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HIssue 612 • A

pril 2016

April 2016

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

毎月一回一日発行　

第四十七巻六一二号　トウキョウアメリカンクラブ　

インタッチマガジン二〇一六年四月一日発行　

平成三年十二月二十日第三種郵便物許可定価八００円

本体七七七円

HOW THE CLUB IS HELPING MEMBERS LEAD HEALTHIER LIVES

T A C K L E S A N D T R I E SYoung Members take up rugby

S O U T H E R N D E L I G H T S French and US flavors at the Club

I N T E R I O R I D E A SAsian furnishings extravaganza

TOKYO

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Issue 612 • April 2016

April 2016






FITTER STRONGER

Updated for 21st-century living, King Homes Aoyama is luxury reborn.

Discover your own regal residence today.

Exceptional things are worth rejuvenating.

Tel: 03-5413-5666Nishi Azabu 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyowww.kencorp.com

International Leasing Department Real estate license: Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (6) 4372; member of Real Estate Fair Trade Council; Fudosan Ryutsu Keiei Kyokai form of transaction: brokerage

Completion: October 1980 (renovation completion: February 2016) Access: 12 minutes’ walk from Omotesando Station Occupation from March 10, 2016 Structure: RC 11 stories Exclusive area: 46.5m2~180.10m2 Monthly rent: ¥270,000~¥1,200,000 Deposit: four months’ rent (key money: ¥0) Management fee: ¥0

Fixed-term lease for three years

DISCLAIMER The tenant must purchase a householder’s comprehensive insurance policy. The agent bears no responsibility for mobile phone signal at the property. The actual condition of the property takes precedence over any information about its condition. Agent’s commission: equivalent to one month’s rent plus consumption tax.

Club Committees

Compensation Mark MillerCulture, Community & Entertainment Dan Smith (Ginger Griggs) Subcommittee

Culture & Community TBC Entertainment TBC Frederick Harris Gallery Yumiko Sai Video Library Diane HarrisFinance Rodney Nussbaum (Hiroshi Miyamasu)

Food & Beverage Matt Krcelic(Jerry Rosenberg) Subcommittee

Wine Stephen RomaineHouse Tomio Fukuda (Gregory Lyon) Subcommittee

Facilities Management Group Douglas Schafer Human Resources Per Knudsen (Lance E Lee)Membership Steven Greenberg(Alok Rakyan)

Nominating Dieter HaberlRecreation Samuel Rogan (Michael Alfant) Subcommittee

Fitness Samuel Rogan Golf John Patrick Vaughan Library Judith Ann Herd Logan Room Christa Rutter Squash Pete Juds Swim Alexander Jampel Youth Activities TBCTokyo 2020 Olympic Dean Rogers (Machi Nemoto)

Board of GovernorsJohn Durkin (2016)—Representative

Governor, Mary Saphin (2016)—First

Vice President, Jesse Green (2016)—Second Vice President, Michael Benner (2016)—Hiroshi Miyamasu (2017)—Treasurer, Michael Alfant (2017), Betty Butler (2017), Ginger Griggs (2017), Lance E Lee (2017), Gregory Lyon (2016), Mark Miller (2017), Machi Nemoto (2016), Alok Rakyan (2017), Jerry Rosenberg (2016), Kazuakira Nakajima (2016)—Statutory Auditor

Cover photo of Michael Gay by Benjamin Parks

Updated for 21st-century living, King Homes Aoyama is luxury reborn.

Discover your own regal residence today.

Exceptional things are worth rejuvenating.

Tel: 03-5413-5666Nishi Azabu 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyowww.kencorp.com

International Leasing Department Real estate license: Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (6) 4372; member of Real Estate Fair Trade Council; Fudosan Ryutsu Keiei Kyokai form of transaction: brokerage

Completion: October 1980 (renovation completion: February 2016) Access: 12 minutes’ walk from Omotesando Station Occupation from March 10, 2016 Structure: RC 11 stories Exclusive area: 46.5m2~180.10m2 Monthly rent: ¥270,000~¥1,200,000 Deposit: four months’ rent (key money: ¥0) Management fee: ¥0

Fixed-term lease for three years

DISCLAIMER The tenant must purchase a householder’s comprehensive insurance policy. The agent bears no responsibility for mobile phone signal at the property. The actual condition of the property takes precedence over any information about its condition. Agent’s commission: equivalent to one month’s rent plus consumption tax.

contents 2 Contacts

4 Board of Governors

5 Management

6 Events

8 The Selection

10 Wine & Dining

12 Arts & Entertainment

16 Recreation & Fitness

20 Feature

24 Six Degrees

26 Inside Japan

27 Cultural Insight

28 Event Roundup

34 Club People

36 Back Words

FEATURE Hub of HealthAs the recently expanded

Fitness Center prepares to

unveil its new set of state-of-

the-art exercise machines this

month, a handful of Members

explain how the Club wellness

space and expert advice have

helped them achieve their

fitness goals.

16 RECREATION & FITNESSThe Arrival of RugbyExperienced rugby coach Roy

Yorke is set to teach Club youth

the ins and outs of the sport

that is taking Japan by storm.

24 SIX DEGREESHelping Mold Young MindsMember and school counselor

Janel Callon discusses the

rewards of guiding students set

on attending college abroad.

18 RECREATION & FITNESSDesign DuoAhead of the Women’s Group’s

annual Asian Home Furnishings

Sale, two interior designers

offer expert shopping tips.

20

Follow the Club Online

Getting in TouchDepartment/E-mail PhoneAmerican Bar & Grill (03) [email protected]

Banquet Sales and Reservations (03) [email protected]

Beauty Salon (03) 4588-0685Bowling Center (03) [email protected]

Café Med (03) [email protected]

Catering (03) [email protected]

Childcare Center (03) [email protected]

Communications (03) [email protected]

CHOP Steakhouse/220° (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) 4588-0679Information Technology (03) 4588-0690Library (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]

facebook.com/tokyoamericanclub

twitter.com/TACtokyo

youtube.com/user/TokyoAmericanClubTV

instagram.com/tokyoamericanclub

2 April 2016 iNTOUCH

For membership information,contact Mari Hori:[email protected]

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

www.tokyoamericanclub.org

Editor Nick Jones [email protected]

Assistant Editor Nick Narigon

DesignersEnrique BalducciAnna Ishizuka

Production AssistantYuko Shiroki

ManagementAnthony L CalaGeneral Manager

Wayne Hunter, DirectorGMO & Membership

Business OperationsBrian Marcus, Asst GM Business Operations

Scott Yahiro, DirectorRecreation

Nori Yamazaki, DirectorFood & Beverage

Jonathan Allen, DirectorMember Services & Guest Studios

Suranga Hettige Don, DirectorRevenue Management

Business SupportLian Chang, Asst GM Business Support

Darryl Dudley, DirectorEngineering

Shuji Hirakawa, DirectorHuman Resources

Naoto Okutsu, DirectorFinance

Toby Lauer, DirectorInformation Technology

Shane Busato, DirectorCommunications

Originally from New York, Efrot Weiss is a cross-cultural corporate trainer, working with expatriates who move to Japan and Japanese who relocate overseas. Fascinated by Japanese culture, she is a keen student of Japanese ink painting. For this month’s regular Cultural Insight column on page 27, she learns how fellow Club Member Tanja Houwerzijl has used photography as a way to delve into and support the societies in which she has lived.

Bill Melhorn described his first conditioning class as “pure hell.” Along with around 15 other people, he was guided through a series of exercises on a “conditioning machine.”

“Some of my compatriots were in fairly good shape, some almost as bad as me. But I was probably the worst off of the lot—the victim of 20 years of self-inflicted neglect,” he wrote.

Melhorn was writing in the October 1978 edition of the Club’s Tokyo American monthly publication, but his experience is timeless.

More than 30 years later, the Club, with a vastly improved fitness facility and a corps of exercise experts, continues to help Members lead healthier lives, although hopefully with fewer instances of Fitness Center purgatory.

A few decades after Melhorn tried out the new recreation center, the Club is upgrading the Fitness Center. After expanding the space by 70 square meters, the third-floor area will unveil a brand-new collection of cardio and strength-training machines this month, including some first-time pieces of equipment.

In this month’s cover story, “Hub of Health,” a number of Members explain how the Fitness Center and its team of trainers have supported and encouraged them in the pursuit of their fitness goals.

Melhorn referred to the source of his pain as “a marvelous contraption, but a hard taskmaster.” No pain, no gain, as his instructor at the time might have said.

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.

Canadian Tim Hornyak has written for the likes of tech newswire IDG News, Wired News, Scientific American, the Far Eastern Economic Review and CBS Interactive’s popular CNET News website. He is the author of Loving

the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots and has coauthored Lonely Planet guidebooks on Japan. In this issue, he speaks to British anthropologist Tom Gill about his new book (page 14) and longtime racehorse breeder and Member Kazuo Fujii (page 26).

from the editor

contributors

Efrot Weiss

Tim Hornyak

Advertise in iNTOUCHExplore the Club’s range of advertising possibilities by talking to the Club’s exclusive advertising agency, Custom Media.

Robert Heldt (President) Simon Farrell (Publisher)

[email protected] | 03-4540-7730 | www.custom-media.com

3

The challenges of living in Japan with celiac disease are abundant. Celiac (comically pronounced

by my kids as “silly yak”) disease is a genetic autoimmune disorder in which the immune system reacts to gluten, a collective name for a type of protein found in wheat, oats, rye and barley. The lining of the small intestine becomes damaged as the gluten proteins prompt the body to attack the small intestine.

Celiac disease appears to be rare in Japan, in contrast to at least 1 in 133 American sufferers. In Europe, an estimated 1 percent of adults and children have the disease, which affects people of northern European descent, in particular. This all translates to between 0.6 and 1 percent of the world’s population, and rates of celiac disease have nearly doubled in the last 25 years in Western countries.

Treatment for the disease is a strict, lifelong gluten-free (GF) diet. As 30 percent of celiac disease patients may develop a malignancy, such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, adhering to a GF diet is critical. Cross-contamination is always a potential problem, so GF foods have to be prepared with separate utensils.

GF food is around 2.5 times more expensive than regular items. Each year, American families affected by celiac disease collectively spend $150 million on gluten-free foodstuffs. GF foods in Japan tend to be restricted to the bigger stores and cost almost four times more

Gluten-Free Livingby Betty ButlerGovernor

than in the United States. Since GF bread is typically terrible, my husband bought me a bread maker that makes bread from rice. It’s pretty darn good but takes four hours to make a small loaf.

Celiac disease is not particularly well known in Japan. I carry a card that explains my dietary restrictions in both Japanese and Chinese. Handing this card to a server often results in a horrified look then a dash back to the kitchen. On many occasions, I have had to make do with plain rice. I make sure to keep my GF soy sauce handy, especially for our “sushi Sundays” with our Japanese friends, Miho and Ben. A Japanese friend bought me a bottle of GF soy sauce that was heavily discounted because the shop couldn’t sell it.

Being gluten-intolerant makes many social events and the associated set menus tough. In Japan, it means not being able to pop out for ramen or soba noodles (soba is buckwheat, but wheat flour is used to ensure the noodles don’t stick together). Tempura is also a no-no, as are all the beautiful-looking cakes. When a Japanese friend serves tea, I have to make sure it is not barley tea, another toxin to my body.

The Club offers GF bread and pasta options, which is hugely welcomed. This means I can relax and feel safe when enjoying a meal here. When I’m not at the Club, I depend on my trusty GF soy sauce, translation card, a GF granola bar and a little bit of hope. o


BOARD OF GOVERNORS

As a native New Zealander who has lived in Japan since 1989, I was never really fazed by earthquakes.

At times, I feigned disinterest when visitors who didn’t grow up on the Pacific Ring of Fire were distressed by the shakes, rattles and rolls.

On my second day of work at the Club, March 11, 2011, my nonchalant attitude was abruptly halted by seismic events hundreds of kilometers north of Tokyo. The Club marked the fifth anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami last month with a minute’s silence.

Our Club became a well-needed source of support for the Membership and for many directly affected by the disaster. On that tragic day, many Members and their families, unable to return home, spent the night at the Club. In the immediate aftermath, many more sought advice and information as the emergency at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima unfolded.

In the following days, weeks and months, the Club community donated money, food, clothing and other essential items to Tohoku. The Women’s Group led English workshops and held musical programs for schoolchildren in Fukushima City. Earlier this year, a group of Fukushima schoolchildren visited the Club to say thank you in person and enjoy a homestay weekend with Members.

The Club also watched a number of Members depart Japan, some temporarily, others for good. Still feeling the effects of the global financial crisis,

the Club saw the inbound expat stream further slow to a trickle.

All this came at a time when we had just moved into our stunning, new home in Azabudai. The weakened membership situation was compounded by the Club’s redevelopment loan and the related viability tests for the Club. Thankfully, several well-executed Member recruitment campaigns and the refinancing of the redevelopment loan left the Club in a healthier financial situation.

Fast-forward to today and the Club is doing well. To continue to meet the needs of our growing community, the Sky Pool and Fitness Center expanded their operating hours earlier this year, and the Fitness Center is now a larger space (find out more about this project on page 20). A number of other Club areas are being scrutinized, as management continues to improve the overall Member experience.

As the Club approaches 4,000 Members, a task force is enthusiastically debating whether it would be appropriate to adopt that figure as a membership ceiling. It’s a complex and multifaceted issue, which must take into account individual outlet, facility and service usage and balance it with overall Club usage, including such factors as daytime versus nighttime, weekdays versus weekends and so on.

It’s a topic you will likely hear about again and again over the coming months, and since it is directly tied to the Club’s future, it’s something your Club leadership takes very seriously. o

Road toRecoveryby Wayne HunterDirector GMO & Membership

5

MANAGEMENT

What’s on in April

Thursday21Library Book GroupThe Club’s band of book lovers meets at Café Med to discuss Low City, High City by Japanese literature scholar Edward Seidensticker. 11 a.m. For details, contact the Library.

Sunday10Youth Rugby The Club launches its inaugural rugby program for kids. On page 16, coach Roy Yorke explains the attraction of this global sport.

8First Friday: Hanami NightEnjoy a cherry blossom-inspired evening of food, drinks and entertainment in the Winter Garden. 6 p.m. ¥2,000. More on the Club website.

Friday

1Mommy 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 every Friday.

1–30Spring GroomingPrepare to look your best in the new spring fashions with special treatments from The Spa. Find out more on page 19.

Friday–

Saturday 1–30Teen Bowling BonanzaYoungsters grab their friends and hit the lanes for a chance to win fabulous prizes. Open to ages 13 to 18. Contact the Bowling Center for details.

Friday–

Saturday

Tuesday26Bowling and MargaritasThe Women’s Group throws a fiesta of bowling and fun. 6:30 p.m. Women’s Group members: ¥3,000; non-Women’s Group members: ¥4,000. Sign up online.

2CHOP Family NightThe Club’s home of steaks and other classic American steakhouse favorites hosts an unforgettable evening of signature food for families of all ages. 6 p.m.

SaturdayFriday

Monday25Coffee ConnectionsWhether you’re new to the city or you just want to expand your social circle, drop by this free Women’s Group gathering. Contact the Women’s Group Office to organize free childcare. 10:30 a.m.

WednesdayWednesday 2727Meet the Author: Tom GillMeet the anthropology professor whose book, Yokohama Street Life, goes to the heart of Yokohama’s flophouse district. 7 p.m. Learn more on page 14.

TAC Lecture Series: Establishing a Charitable NonprofitThe founders of Child’s Dream explain how they transitioned from careers in finance to setting up a charity. 6:30 p.m. Check the Club website for details.

(Prices exclude 8 percent consumption tax.)

5Summer of Fun RegistrationOnline sign-up begins for Summer Camp Discovery and Summer All-Star Sports. Both programs begin June 20. Check the Club website for details.

Tuesday 5Cherry Blossom Dinner CruiseMembers enjoy an evening of delightful cuisine and romantic views aboard a traditional Japanese yakatabune boat. Check the Club website for details.

Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday5 5March Madness: Championship GameTraders’ Bar airs the final game of college basketball’s championship tournament live from 10:20 a.m.

KindermusikBudding musicians ages 3 to 5 learn to sing and play instruments during this new class at the Childcare Center. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Check the Club website for details.

Friday–

Sunday15–17Best of Seoul International TourMembers head to the vibrant South Korean capital for a long weekend of sightseeing, shopping and pampering. More on the Club website.

Saturday16Spring CraftsCreative kids ages 4 to 12 celebrate spring with a fun craft-making session. 12:30 p.m. ¥3,500. Sign up online.

Tuesday19Cocktail ConnectionsThe Women’s Group hosts a fun, informal evening of drinks and chat at CHOP Bar. All are welcome. 5–8 p.m.

9New Member OrientationThe Club’s newest Members learn about the Club while forging new friendships. 10 a.m. Washington and Lincoln rooms. Contact the Membership Office to reserve your spot at least one week in advance. Also on April 27.

Saturday 9Youth BaseballAnother season of fastballs and no-hitters kicks off for ages 5 to 12. Saturdays through June 4. Check the Club website for details.

Saturday


Wednesday6Toastmasters LuncheonStart losing your fear of public speaking and improve your leadership skills. 12 p.m. Members: ¥2,200; non-Members: ¥2,560. Sign up online or at the Library. Also on April 20.

Coming up in May

Saturday–

Sunday2–3Lucky Break BowlingTally your score to compete for great prizes at the Bowling Center.

Saturday23A Day at the RacesTake in the thrill of thoroughbreds thundering around the racetrack during this excursion to Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu. Learn about one Member’s decades-long career as a horse breeder on page 26.

7–8Asian Home Furnishings SaleThe popular Women’s Group two-day sale returns, featuring abundant furnishings, accent pieces and artwork from across Asia. Learn more about one local interior design duo on page 18.

Thursday–

Friday

Monday11Gallery Exhibition: Kenichi IwaseThe accomplished Japanese ceramics artist launches a collection of his traditional pieces at the Frederick Harris Gallery. Flip to page 15 to learn more.

8Mother’s Day Grand Buffet

11Fuji Shibazakura Festival Tour

11Meet the Author: Tracy Slater

16–17Support Fukushima Tour

18–19Stuffed Animal Sleepover

24Nearly New Sale

Saturday23Soccer MatchAges 6 to 9 compete in a rousing soccer scrimmage while learning the rules and etiquette of the so-called beautiful game. 2 p.m. Gymnasium. ¥1,700. Sign up online.

Monday11Language Exchange CoffeePractice your language skills in a welcoming environment. 10 a.m. CHOP Steakhouse. Free. Sign up online.

14Squash Social NightSquash players enjoy an evening of casual play and a chance to put their skills to the test against former national champion Hitoshi Ushiogi. 6:15 p.m. Also on April 26.

ThursdayWednesday13Sud de France Wine TastingLearn about southern France’s wine region of Languedoc-Roussillon from Clémence Fabre of Château Fabre Gasparets, a 300-year-old family winery. 7 p.m. Find out more about the region on page 10.

Sunday3March Madness: Final FourHead to Traders’ Bar to catch the remaining teams from college basketball’s championship tournament compete for the finals.

Monday–

Friday4–8Spring Holiday CampThese popular weeklong sessions for ages 3 through 7 feature spring-themed arts and crafts, music, dance and fun.

Monday–

Sunday4–24Southern Comfort Barbecue Experience American Bar & Grill chefs are loading the smoker for a Southern-inspired feast of beef brisket, chicken and pork. Details on page 11.

Wednesday–

Thursday6–7Vietnamese NightFrom fresh mint and spring rolls to lemongrass and pho, a spread of delicious Vietnamese cuisine awaits at Rainbow Café. 5 p.m. Continues April 13–14.

Wednesday–

Thursday6–7New Beer’s Eve and National Beer DayParty like it’s 1933. Traders’ Bar celebrates the anniversary of the end of Prohibition in the United States with craft beer specials.

Friday22All-American Friday Feast Hook up with friends at Café Med for an all-you-can-eat barbecue feast. 5 p.m.

Thursday21Smoked! Wine DinnerAmerican Bar & Grill is the setting for an evening of Southern smoked cuisine and killer wines. 7 p.m. Learn more on page 11.

Wednesday–

Friday27–29Lobster NightsFor three nights only, American Bar & Grill is steaming and grilling the succulent king of the sea. 6 p.m.

Friday29Splash! OpensUntil June, the Club’s rooftop café opens for alfresco eats and drinks on weekends and national holidays. 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

7

EVENTS

The Films

The biggest issue in NFL today is concussions, thanks to the tireless efforts of forensic neuropathologist Dr Bennet Omalu, portrayed by Will Smith in the 2015 flick Concussion. The Nigeria native was the first to diagnose CTE, a degenerative brain disorder common in football players. Another new title available at the Video Library this month is the Oscar-nominated film Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as two women attracted to one another in 1950s New York. Movie-loving Members can rent any number of DVDs for just ¥2,500 a month.

The Chocolate

Magnolia Bakery, the famed New York City maker of sweet treats like cupcakes and banana pudding, has expanded its repertoire to include chocolate bars. Made in Brooklyn for Magnolia, the bars were launched just last year and are available in six signature flavors: banana pudding, red velvet, PB&J, toffee bar, lemon bar and 72% dark chocolate. “Magnolia Bakery can do no wrong,” declared New York’s Downtown magazine in a glowing review of the bars that come wrapped in pastel-colored “envelopes.” Ideal as a gift or a wicked midday snack. ¥700

The Wine

Wine Spectator didn’t hold back in its praise for the 2013 The Forager Pinot Noir. Bestowing it with a 90-point rating, the magazine described the wine as “refreshingly clean and vibrant” and “outstanding.” Produced by Scenic Root Winegrowers, a certified organic winery in California that employs classic, low-impact Burgundian winemaking techniques, this full-bodied Sonoma Coast Pinot boasts complexity, red berry and bitter cherry flavors and a smooth finish. And its name? From the idea that nurturing, gathering and blending small amounts of grapes can deliver excellence in a bottle. ¥4,000

The SelectionExplore a world of gift ideas, keepsakes and distinctive paraphernalia at The Cellar (B1).

Prices exclude 8 percent consumption tax.

Compiled by Nick Jones and Nick Narigon

THE SELECTION


For centuries, Japan’s famed geisha entertainers understood the power of rice water. Since the thick layers of makeup they had to apply for their

work could damage the skin, they would cleanse their faces daily with rice water.

The natural nutrients in the water would nourish and moisturize the skin and heal any blemishes, thereby restoring the skin to its youthful, healthy glow.

This centuries-old practice earned Japanese women a well-deserved reputation for having beautiful, clear skin. But it’s not just geisha and women who have benefited from the effects of rice, though. It’s well known that toji, the master craftsmen who brew Japan’s

The Synonym for Beautiful and Healthy Skin

R I C E F O R C E :

For more information, visit http://riceforce.net.

Premium Japanese Natural Skin Care

rice-based drink sake, retain youthful-looking hands throughout their careers.

Many Japanese wondered how fermented rice was able to have such a “fountain-of-youth” effect. It took the owner of Yushin, a small, 162-year-old sake brewery in Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, to discover the potential of rice’s natural properties.

Through thousands of experiments, he managed to isolate a material in the rice that contains special water-retention qualities, making it ideal for skincare products. Patented in 2001 as Rice Power® Extract, this substance is contained in all RICE FORCE brand skincare products.

RICE FORCE has since built an

international reputation for its moisturizing skincare products that are made from white rice in a traditional Japanese fermentation process. Thousands of satisfied users, including those with even the most sensitive skin, now enjoy a revitalized, flawless appearance.

Members can experience Rice Power® for themselves when they stay in any of the Club’s Guest Studios, which all feature complimentary RICE FORCE products, or by browsing the RICE FORCE lineup at The Cellar, opposite Member Services (B1).

Developed through a combination of ancient Japanese wisdom, brewers’ hands and modern scientific research, RICE FORCE represents a revolution in skincare.

ADVERTORIAL

9

Sud de France Wine TastingWednesday, April 137 p.m.Washington and Lincoln rooms¥12,000*Sign up online or at Member Services*Excludes 8 percent consumption tax.

by Steve Romaine and David Tropp

Jefferson visited the area in the spring of 1787. Her father, Louis Fabre, has run the family business since 1982 and is one of the new wave of winemakers reshaping Languedoc’s reputation.

It requires care and attention to select the relatively few quality wines from among the region’s “wine lake.” The evening’s dozen wines, all available in Japan and many for sale at the event, may be a revelation to wine drinkers. This seminar-style tasting will also feature three dishes designed by the Club’s superb kitchen team to highlight the wines’ distinctive flavors and aromas. o

Romaine and Tropp are members of the Wine Committee.

Southern France’s Wine Revival

This month’s Wine Committee tasting features wines from Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Joining us on

the podium will be Clémence Fabre from Château Fabre Gasparets, a family winery with a 300-year history of grape growing and winemaking in the region.

Languedoc-Roussillon, with more acreage under vine than all of California, has a similar warm, dry climate to the US state. And yet the wines, although generally full-flavored, are made from different grapes and have more food-matching acidity and earthier flavors.

In fact, California winemakers are starting to get over their “Cab Sauv” fetish and introduce grapes like Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Roussanne and others popular in the Languedoc, as well as climate-specific winemaking styles. But will they ever match the depth, finesse and deliciousness of their southern French counterparts?

Following a century of the phylloxera vine scourge that prompted the Languedoc winemakers to focus on quantity, a quality renaissance began in

Clémence Fabre

the 1980s. Led by a handful of producers who began reducing yields, reviving local vines, investing in better technology and experimenting with organic and natural growing and winemaking styles, Languedoc-Roussillon wine is now heralded as some of the best quality (and most reasonably priced) to be found anywhere. Far-sighted American importers like Neal Rosenthal and Kermit Lynch and such sharp-eyed critics as Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson played an important role in the region’s revival.

Roussillon and Corbières are the largest demarcated areas and produce an array of wines that appeal to many different tastes. Corbières alone has an area under cultivation greater than all of Australia’s wine-producing regions combined. With its hilly scrubland (garrigue) terrain of Mediterranean trees and natural spices, and hot, dry summers and high winds, the area’s wines reflect this environment in their wildness and spiciness.

Our guest presenter, Clémence, represents the 15th generation of a family who settled in Gasparets in Corbières in 1711, several decades before Thomas


Days last longer in America’s Southern states, allowing barbecue masters to slow-cook their meats for hours

in the smoker. This month, American Bar & Grill chefs are delving deep into the heart of Dixie to bring Members a mouthwatering menu of Southern comfort food.

The Club’s own smoker will be loaded with water-soaked hickory woodchips and set to 100 degrees Celsius. Over the course of five hours, such offerings as Jason’s low ’n’ slow beef brisket, baby back ribs and chicken legs will be infused with rustic flavors. Even the mac ’n’ cheese features CHOP Steakhouse’s hickory-smoked bacon.

“Barbecue is a true labor of love,” says the Club’s executive chef, Lindsay Gray. “The meat breaks down a little softer and it just falls apart.”

Those looking for an additional serving of soul food, paired with a selection of wines, will enjoy the Southern-inspired dinner on April 21.

“Barbecue cuisine has evolved into its own art form,” says the Club’s wine program director, Sera Goto. “These days, barbecue aficionados can profit from the global diversity of wines to pair with the various menus on their grills.” o

Southern Comfort Barbecue ExperienceApril 4–24American Bar & Grill and Traders’ Bar

Smoked! Wine DinnerThursday, April 21 | 7 p.m.American Bar & Grill | ¥10,000*Sign up online or at Member Services*Excludes 8 percent consumption tax.

by Nick Narigon

Smokin’ Eats

Pleasureby the Glass

2010 Château de Cheylus, Saint-Julien, Côtes du Rhône, France

This small, organic winery in the northern Rhône is owned and managed by Dutch-born Gerben Tonkens, who produces intense, concentrated wines of complexity that just glide across the palate. This superb vintage of Syrah shows chewy density and a marked balance, along with rich, perfumed aromas of cassis and black cherry, finishing with darker spice, cinnamon and cocoa powder.

Perfect partner: chicken pot pie, pork stir-fry, rosemary lamb, mac ’n’ cheese.

Available by the glass through the Enomatic wine dispenser in the Winter Garden. Prepaid Enomatic cards can be purchased at American Bar & Grill or The Cellar.

Kayo Yamaw

aki

WINE & DINING

11

Paradise on Earth

T okyo's stroll gardens hold an immense fascination for me. Ever since I moved here two years ago, I’ve sought out what the English poet James Kirkup called the “neat,

tremendous garden of Japan.” Luxuriant yet orderly, these gardens are a visual treat: a perfect blend of nature and design in which I have watched seasons change and admired the unhurried beauty of a landscape in miniature.

The stunning collection of photographs in Japan's Master Gardens by Stephen Mansfield, from the Library's Japan section, got me started on this journey. Two guidebooks, Beth Reiber's Walking Tours: Tokyo and Sumiko Enbutsu's A Flower Lover's Guide to Tokyo, helped me along the way.

Beyond their aesthetic appeal, these gardens are a place of calm to which I retreat when I need an escape from the excesses of the metropolis. I had heard of healing gardens before, and it is while walking these verdant paths that I experience stillness, an awakening of the senses and a feeling of being alive. Meandering through the bamboo groves at Nezu Museum Gardens, I discovered a seated stone Buddha and realized how fortunate I am to be here.

Japanese Gardens: Tranquility, Simplicity, Harmony by Member Geeta Mehta and Kimie Tada explores the historical background of gardens and their religious roots in ancient Buddhist China. Examining a cross section of gardens, the writers delineate the intricate patterns of metaphors that imbue them.

For those ready to take the leap, A Japanese Touch for Your Garden by Kiyoshi Seike and Masanobu Kudo introduces the

by Paramita Sen

practical aspects of making the best use of the space you have to create a Japanese home garden.

The expatriate in me delights in Kendall Brown and David Cobb's Quiet Beauty: The Japanese Gardens of North America. This book describes the distinct beauty and history of 26 Japanese-style gardens in the United States and Canada. In nurturing “a transpacific imagination,” these gardens go a long way in showcasing Japanese aesthetics, design and culture in their host countries. o

Sen is a member of the Library Committee

off the shelf

Raffles Town ClubNamed after Singapore’s enigmatic founder, Sir Stamford Raffles, this private club in the Southeast Asian city-state opened in 2000. The impressive, centrally located facility features myriad amenities, including three landscaped pools, guest suites, tennis courts, a bowling alley, restaurants and meeting rooms.

www.rafflestownclub.com.sg

Reciprocal Club Spotlight

Worldwide NetworkThe Club is a member of a network of more than 150 private membership clubs across the world. Members can take advantage of this network when traveling abroad on business or for a vacation.

Check the Reciprocal Clubs page of the Club website for details.


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

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Peña

In this award-winning book, CJ asks Grandma during

their regular after-church bus ride why he is not like

the other boys. With each question, Grandma points

out things for CJ to appreciate while highlighting the

power of thankfulness.

Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nutt

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nutt chronicles the story

of the Maines family whose lives are changed when

their son, Wyatt, tells them he is female and eventually

transitions to Nicole. This is a profoundly moving tale of

an extraordinary girl who fought to be herself.

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

Willowdean Dickson is a 16-year-old, self-proclaimed fat

girl from small-town Texas, who is brimming with self-

confidence…at least until her crush kisses her. As her self-

doubt grows, she fights her fears by entering into the Miss

Teen Blue Bonnet Pageant to win back her confidence.

Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein

Before she was an icon and guitarist for punk band

Sleater-Kinney, Brownstein spent her childhood in the

Pacific Northwest, where she explored the meaning of

home, identity and the power of music. Her memoir

resembles her music: raw, thoughtful and endearing.

The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

In this intelligent, genre-bending book, Nelson

challenges old traditions and theories of gender,

sexuality, motherhood and family, as she relates

personal experiences of love, language and the

complexities of queer family-making.

Learn to Program with Scratch by Majed Marji

Author Marji uses Scratch to introduce beginners

(and very beginners) to the world of computer

programming. Filled with fun illustrations, games and

exercises, this book is useful for anyone, especially kids,

who want to get into coding.

Reviews compiled by librarian Alison Kanegae. Compiled by senior librarian Jennifer Diaz.

new readsburied treasures

Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

In the aftermath of the 1940 fall of Paris, trumpet

player Hieronymous Falk, a rising star on the

cabaret scene, is arrested in a Paris café and never

heard from again. He is 20 years old, a German

citizen and black. Fifty years later, Sid Griffiths,

Falk’s bandmate and the only witness that day,

returns to Berlin.

From the smoky bars of prewar Berlin to the

salons of Paris, Sid leads the reader through a

fascinating, little-known world, as he describes

the friendships, love affairs and treacheries that

led to Falk’s incarceration in Sachsenhausen

concentration camp.

Half-Blood Blues is a story about music and race,

love and loyalty, and the sacrifices we ask of

ourselves—and demand of others—in the name

of art.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

13

I t’s a bone-chilling night in Yokohama. British anthropologist Tom Gill leads me down a back alley in Kotobukicho, an area not

on any tourist map. We pass yakitori joints and hostess bars until Gill, 55, stops at an anonymous establishment. He pulls back a plastic curtain to reveal a room of cheap plywood, its walls lined with about 10 flatscreen TVs. It’s an illegal, off-track betting shop and the punters are more than a little surprised to see two foreigners arrive.

After winning ¥250 on a kyotei powerboat race, we move to a restaurant for some grilled beef. Gill, a professor of social anthropology at Meiji Gakuin University, has been researching the demimonde of Kotobukicho for decades. Tucked behind Yokohama’s Chinatown, the couple dozen blocks are home to about 6,500 residents of flophouses and 1,000 day laborers who work in construction or on the docks. Their lives are marked by poverty, homelessness, substance abuse and gambling. One of these men, Kimitsu Nishikawa, became the focus of Gill’s 2015 book Yokohama Street Life: The Precarious Career of a Japanese Day Laborer.

The book is an accessible, fascinating portrait of Nishikawa, a kind of pauper intellectual who lived in the doya flophouses of Kotobuki for much of his life. They first met in 1993 at the local labor welfare building, a gargantuan concrete building where day jobs are offered and men sleep rough on the veranda, even in winter.

In their first conversation, Nishikawa began referencing Edward Heath, Harold Macmillan, Enoch Powell and other postwar British politicians. Upon learning Gill’s specialty, Nishikawa asked whether he was a Malinowskian functionalist or a Lévi-Straussian structuralist.

Skid RowSavantAhead of his talk at the Club this month, academic Tom Gill discusses the intriguing subject of his recent book.

II ended when Nishikawa was only 5, he saw Nazi propaganda newsreels and then witnessed American soldiers taking over his neighborhood. He later developed a personal philosophy in which he drew parallels between his life as an unemployed day laborer and the Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

Throughout his life, Nishikawa drew Nazis on everything from his acoustic guitar to the walls of Kotobukicho, where he was known as “Hitler.” Gill tried to make sense of this bizarre worldview, but Nishikawa never clearly explained it. Afflicted by alcoholism, liver cancer and several strokes, he died last summer.

“I always enjoyed talking with him,” Gill says, “and I learned a lot from him.” o

Hornyak is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist.

Meet the Author: Tom Gill Wednesday, April 277–8 p.m. Toko Shinoda Classroom¥1,500* (includes one drink)Sign up online or at Member Services*Excludes 8 percent consumption tax.

by Tim Hornyak

Kimitsu Nishikawa was a man of many talents who had the magnanimity to laugh at his many faults”.

“

Nishikawa’s learning encompassed subjects as broad as history, sociology and quantum physics. To Gill’s surprise, this day laborer, with no education beyond high school, was better read than him. Intrigued by Nishikawa’s self-deprecating charm, which was fueled by a constant intake of cheap jars of sake, the two formed a lasting friendship.

“Kimitsu Nishikawa was a man of many talents who had the magnanimity to laugh at his many faults,” says Gill, who was initially drawn to the plight of homeless day laborers in Japan while working as a journalist for Kyodo News in Tokyo during the 1980s.

In a series of conversations, Gill’s book traces Nishikawa’s life to his hometown in Kumamoto and the signature event that shaped him. “In a sense, his whole life has been a slowly fading echo of war,” Gill writes. Though World War

Tom Gill


by Nick NarigonPhotos by Enrique Balducci

Kenichi Iwase grips the lip of a flower vase he fired in the climbing kiln at his Hachioji home. He explains how he achieved its distinctive white and burnt orange coloring by mixing different components, such as clay and sand, during the firing process.

With its imprint of a seashell and brown pine ash marking, the piece required painstaking care to produce. Iwase first baked the vase in his wood-fired kiln for 15 to 16 hours at 900 degrees Celsius, before firing it again, at almost 1,300 degrees for 20 hours. Since the fire had to be stoked around the clock, the potter couldn’t rest at all.

“This piece was very difficult,” says Iwase, who takes a break to exhibit his works at the Frederick Harris Gallery this month. The show marks his fourth appearance at the Club. In addition to vases, Iwase has devoted more than 50 years to creating graceful chinaware, tea bowls and other ceramic pieces.

A former protégé of the late Housie Matsui, a national treasure, Iwase has traveled the country experimenting with a variety of clay, kaolin and kilns and exhibiting his works.

“One of the important missions of the Frederick Harris Gallery Committee is to continue to help artists to explore their talents,” says committee chair Yumiko Sai. “Mr Iwase is a lifetime innovator who always challenges to adapt new styles in his work.”

ExhibitionApril 11–May 8

All exhibits in the Frederick Harris Gallery are for sale and can be purchased by Membership card at Member Services. Sales of works begin at 6 p.m. on the first day of the exhibition.

Frederick Harris Gallery | Kenichi Iwase

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

15

Japan is in the grip of rugby fever. After the national team’s historic performance at last year’s World Cup in England, which included a shock

win over powerhouse South Africa, the sport is finally in the spotlight.

With Japan set to host the next World Cup, in 2019, the Club kicks off its first rugby program for youngsters this month. The class will be taught by experienced English coach Roy Yorke, who has been involved with the sport for around 30 years.

“My dad used to play rugby, and one of my earliest memories is hanging out at his club and going to rugby matches at the weekend,” says the Norfolk native. “Later on, it was my dad who got me into playing.”

After moving to Japan six years ago, Yorke, 36, joined a local rugby union side, the Tokyo Crusaders. “There are a number of non-Japanese-based clubs in Tokyo and plenty of chances to get involved, either as a player or a volunteer who helps running the club,” he says. “It’s also a great way to make good friends.”

This month sees the Club launch its inaugural rugby program for youngsters.

According to Yorke, the approach to the game is different in Japan from back home. “Here, they have a much less confrontational style of play,” he says. “People really don’t like unnecessary aggression. They also have what they call ‘no side,’ which means that once the final whistle blows, the two teams forget about what happened on the field. There’s a great respect for the other side and the referee.”

Yorke, who is licensed with the English Rugby Football Union to coach children, played regularly until two years ago, but now prefers to introduce the next generation of players to the game.

“My dad helped start a junior rugby program at his club, so you could say I’m following in his steps,” he says. “Currently I’m coaching at the Rugby Park Japan, a sort of academy for elementary school- and junior high school-age kids. Many institutes don’t have a rugby team and other rugby schools only have training sessions on Sunday. So we give them a chance to train even during the week.”

Yorke says he has been surprised by the recent explosion in interest in rugby in Japan, which boasts more than 115,000 players. “More students than ever are coming to Rugby Park Japan,” he says. “And with all these kids having an early exposure to rugby, it will hopefully drive the standard up in future years.”

The Club’s weekly program offers an introduction to the sport for ages 6 to 12. “The emphasis will be on safety and fun, focusing on touch-and-tag rugby, which is a no-contact form of rugby,” Yorke says. “The kids are going to enjoy playing, without the fear of getting hurt.”

Yorke touts both the health and personal development benefits of a sport played in more than 100 countries. “Rugby has an established set of core values—respect, discipline, sportsmanship—that hopefully the kids will take away from this class,” he says. “And let’s not forget it’s a really fun game to play.” o

Simone is a Yokohama-based freelance journalist.

Steve MorinRoy Yorke

Youth Rugby ProgramSundaysApril 10–June 5 ¥18,900 *Sign up online or at the Recreation Desk*Excludes 8 percent consumption tax.

The Arrival of Rugbyby Gianni Simone


RECREATION & FITNESS

C herie Jones and Fumi Oizumi are like interior design kindred spirits. Having met at last year’s Asian Home Furnishings Sale at

the Club, they established an instant rapport, realizing they shared a common sense of style. Over the last few months, they have

joined forces to help newly arrived expats create a “sanctuary” in their homes.

Having relocated to Tokyo just over a year ago, Jones says she understands how overwhelming a move can be, particularly having shifted home a number of times herself. Her first tip for the recently

Design Duo

Ahead of this month’s Asian Home Furnishings Sale, iNTOUCH meets the interior design twosome offering home makeovers and décor tips.

transplanted is to focus on “making your space feel like home, because that way you feel more connected to it.”

“My very first design project was when I was just 8 years old,” Jones says. “My family moved from South Africa to England to a large countryside house, and I convinced my mother to convert the horse stable into a playroom. Many years later, I moved back to South Africa into a less-than-charming apartment. To make it more inviting, I took some of my mother’s curtains and cut them up to make handsewn cushions.”

by Annemarie Luck

Kayo Yamaw

aki

Fumi Oizumi and Cherie Jones


Asian Home Furnishings SaleThursday, April 7(exclusive presale: Club Members only)6:30–9 p.m. (cocktail party: 6:30–7:30 p.m.)Friday, April 8 (public sale)10 a.m.– 4 p.m.New York Ballroom and Brooklyn roomsFreeAges 12 and above

Jones says her design expertise has grown “organically” through her work (rather than through formal training), such as the several large-scale styling and event coordination projects she handled while working in public relations and TV production. When she and her husband moved to Chicago just over a decade ago, she set up a business designing and importing sophisticated African products.

After arriving in Tokyo, Jones wasted no time in forging new business relationships, joining various Women’s Group committees and helping to organize the annual Asian Home Furnishings Sale, which she describes as a unique shopping experience. “Our vendors offer products from across Asia—Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, China—so there’s a wonderful mix of contemporary and antique furniture, rugs, accessories and artwork,” she says.

At this year’s event (the proceeds from which will go to support local charities), Oizumi will once again showcase a range of exquisite furniture from her Azabudai store, Interior Collection. After nearly three decades of traveling around Asia, seeking out prized pieces, Oizumi has built up a treasure trove of antiques and beautifully crafted antique replicas from around Asia. She has also established an impressive list of clients that includes local embassies and ambassadors and VIPs around the world.

“In terms of my interior design work, my concept has always been East meets West, with my focus being on Chinese

antiques,” she says. “Many years ago, when I first saw Chinese furniture, I got goose bumps. It’s just so beautiful, far more ornate than Japanese design, which tends to be simple and minimalist.”

Together, Jones and Oizumi not only help people infuse their décor with Asian touches, they also guide those who “feel a bit lost” in their new homes. They offer everything from full-scale interior design work, involving construction and renovation, to smaller, home-restyling projects.

“Sometimes, people arrive here and they just feel really flat,” says Jones. “They might have brought some of their furniture with them from home, but they might be trying to make it work with rental pieces that don’t quite fit together. Even if it’s a temporary accommodation, it’s still worth making a place feel like home, because it helps you to feel happier in other areas of your life, too.” o

Luck is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist and editor.

Spring Grooming

The Spa proudly uses products by

Reservations 03-4588-0714 | [email protected] Monday–Saturday: 10 a.m.–8 p.m. | Sunday and national holidays: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Let The Spa help you “bloom” this spring.

For all of this month, enjoy a pampering with the selection of discounted treatment packages below.

• Shellac Manicure + Pedicure: ¥12,600• Men’s Manicure + Pedicure: ¥13,050• Customized Ella Baché Facial: ¥12,000• Waxing (two areas): ¥10,500

April 1–30Contact The Spa for details.

Prices exclude 8 percent consumption tax.

Interior design collaborators Cherie Jones and Fumi Oizumi share some tips on pieces to look out for at this month’s Asian Home Furnishings Sale.

TablesWonderfully versatile, altar tables and Chinese console-style tables, whether contemporary or antique, can sit behind a sofa, against a wall or in an entryway for decorative pieces or lamps.

Chinese porcelain A simple way to introduce decorative elements into a room. Look for ginger jars, large urns, bowls, plates and plant containers. Make a bold statement with a display of these blue-and-white pieces.

Large furnitureA Chinese tapered cabinet or Japanese tansu chest is impactful and offers plenty of practical uses, including as an inspired way to store items like a TV or home entertainment devices.

Wooden stools Stylish accent pieces and handy in an entryway when putting on shoes. Chinese ceramic garden stools make beautiful side tables and can double as extra seating. Available in various colors and patterns. ArtworkContemporary or traditional prints, paintings, antique maps or calligraphy add depth and visual interest to any room and can provide pops of color to neutral color palettes.

Shopping Guide

RECREATION & FITNESS

19

H U B O F

H E A LT H

With the newly expanded Fitness Center set to unveil a set of upgraded fitness machines this month, iNTOUCH examines how the Club is helping Members adopt healthy habits.

B Y N I C K N A R I G O N

P H O T O S B Y B E N J A M I N P A R K S

E T H A N E N D E R S


H U B O F

H E A LT H

Forty-two new fitness machines. Seventy square meters of additional space. The new-look Fitness Center will allow Members

to tap into technology, customize their workout and exercise on the latest cardio and strength-training machines.

Besides expanding the devoted stretching area and making the fitness space more user-friendly, the Club is ensuring it remains at the forefront of fitness trends by investing in the most up-to-date equipment, according to Recreation Director Scott Yahiro.

“If you want to work out on top-of-the-line fitness machines, you can do that here,” he says. “But the expertise and motivation from our trainers, as well as fellow Members, can also help you reach your fitness goals.”

Several Members explain how that combination of man and machine has helped them find fitness success.

MICHAEL AND LYNNE TAYLORGOAL: Maintain general fitnessSeasoned fitness veterans Michael and Lynne Taylor were bemused when Club trainer Hideaki Hongo handed them a rubber ball the size of a cantaloupe.

“At first, I thought this was kind of weird. It was 40 minutes of working out and 20 minutes of stretching [with the Yamuna ball],” says Michael Taylor, 52. “The more I did it, the more I realized I was making a lot of progress, and the better I felt.”

Lynne Taylor, 50, says Yamuna body rolling is comparable to yoga, yet also stimulates the core and relieves pain common with strenuous exercise.

“We have done workouts that leave you feeling depleted, and you are hesitant to continue,” she says. “Hide’s sessions are challenging, sustainable, all-encompassing strength workouts. …And he was my first friend in Japan.”

TRAINER HIDEAKI HONGO

“I helped clients using oils and stretching, but I needed to do something more. I trained with [Yamuna ball practitioners], and there were noticeable differences. For example, you feel taller because it opens space around the joint and it fixes posture. With weight machines, you build muscles, but you make them shorter. That’s why you have joint and knee pain. If you use the ball, you stretch the muscle while making it stronger.”

F I T N E S SF A C T

3P A C I F I C O C E A N C R O S S I N G S ( T O K Y O - L A )The equivalent distance (25,000 kilometers) rowed by Members on one Fitness Center rowing machine since 2011.

LY N N E T A Y L O R A N D H I D E A K I H O N G O

FEATURE

21

ETHAN ENDERSGOAL: Row for a college teamSitting on the Concept 2 rowing machine in the Fitness Center, Ethan Enders is focused. His lithe arms and legs are taut and his eyes are glued to the monitor, as he sets a rhythmic pace.

Enders, 15, recently won first place in his age group at a Japan indoor rowing competition. His personal best time of 8 minutes, 7 seconds in the 2-kilometer race placed him in the top third in the country.

“I was lucky,” says the Yokohama International School ninth-grader, who began rowing three years ago.

Enders trains on the water once a week at a Yokohama rowing school. In 2015, he attended the Bulldog Rowing Camp at Yale University, where he trained in an eight-man boat for the first time.

He uses the Club’s rowing machines three or four times a week in preparation for what he hopes will be a spot on a university rowing team.

For an upcoming school project, he intends to virtually row 1,000 kilometers and raise money for charity.

“Rowing teaches you a lot about teamwork,” says Enders. “You can’t try to row as hard as you can because you have to stay the same pace as everyone else. If you don’t work as a team, the boat won’t function, the boat won’t move.”

EMILY TEOGOAL: Recover from injury

As Emily Teo walked through a field in Singapore one night, she stepped in a drainage ditch. She fell sideways, wrenching her right knee and tearing the ligament. “You never expect such a thing to happen to you,” says the Club Member, 59.

A metal plate now runs the length of her knee. Teo regained the ability to bend her knee, but it was painful. If she dropped something under the bed, she didn’t bother to pick it up.

When she moved to Tokyo in 2014, the doctor told her not to bother rehabbing her knee “because I was not a tea ceremony teacher.”

“This made me feel very sad,” says Teo. “I got [Yuko Furuya] for my personal trainer. She encouraged me to try everything and to train at the highest level.”

Teo says she now climbs stairs as fast as “energetic children,” and she plans to climb Mount Takao this summer.

“I can use the knee as much as I did before the injury,” she says. “Thanks to [Yuko’s] expertise and passion.”

TRAINER YUKO FURUYA

“I want my clients to enjoy life to the fullest and be confident about who they are. That is my thought process when I plan the workout. My goal was to make [Emily] feel relaxed and motivate her to not dwell on the injury. I want her to enjoy the exercises and not think of it as rehab.”

At more than 2 meters high, the PowerMill Climber should be easy to spot among the new lineup of exercise machines in the Fitness Center.

Due to be installed later this month, the 42 brand-new cardio and strength-training machines represent the latest developments in fitness equipment.

The mini escalator-like Life Fitness climber (pictured), popular in the United States, offers “an excellent cardio and total-leg workout,” according to Paolo Olivieri, the Fitness Center’s manager.

Other noticeable new arrivals include an Iso-Lateral Rowing machine for mid-back strengthening and a V-Squat for quad muscle workouts and hamstring strengthening. There will also be bicep and tricep exercisers.

Cardio freaks can look forward to Internet-connected treadmills that allow people to “run” a variety of outdoor courses through a large touch screen. There will also be more Precor multifunctional Adaptive Motion Trainers, as well as updated rowing machines, exercise bikes and elliptical trainers.

In an improved Fitness Center layout, all the cardio machines will sit along the floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of the Club’s stunning cityscape views. F I T N E S S

F A C T

2 4 0M O U N T E V E R E S T A S C E N T SThe equivalent number of steps (14 million) climbed on one Fitness Center step machine since 2011.

T O P G E A RB Y N I C K J O N E S


MICHAEL GAYGOAL: Run the 2016 Tokyo MarathonMichael Gay lifts his T-shirt to reveal Japanese letters tattooed on his upper back. The message translates as “Live for the moment.” Gay had the tattoo inked as motivation to remain focused on his training.

Over the years, the 45-year-old struggled to stay committed to his fitness goals. Finally, he signed up for this year’s Tokyo Marathon. Over the ensuing seven months, he worked with trainer Koichi Uesaka twice a week in the Fitness Center.

“I did a 30K training run a week and a half ago, and no issues,” says Gay, four days before the marathon. “I’m ready, I’m excited—it’s going to be fun.”

In February, Gay broke the 4-hour mark in the 10th edition of the marathon. Now he is preparing for the Cebu Ironman 70.3.

“I didn’t even know where the gym was a year ago,” he says. “Now everybody is like, ‘Hey Michael,’ because I’m here at least five days a week.”

JIM MORIGOAL: Lose weight

When the Club moved to its temporary facility in Takanawa in 2008, longtime Member Jim Mori couldn’t work out as regularly as he would have liked. As work pressures increased, so did his weight. He gained 20 kilograms.

Mori’s doctor recommended he hire a personal trainer to provide motivation. For the last five years, he has worked with Taisuke Yamamura at the Fitness Center.

“That is a key part of it actually: recognizing people that are there all the time,” says Mori, 61. “That is reinforcing to see people I know that are doing the same thing with similar objectives.”

The main component of his health regimen was diet. Through portion control, he cut 1,000 calories from his daily intake.

Within two years, Mori had lost 27 kilos. He now focuses on staying fit, increasing flexibility and improving core balance.

“It has probably taken 10 strokes off my golf game on any given day,” he says. “Also, I have higher energy level. …I am much more efficient at work and am able to react quickly on business opportunities.”

TRAINER KOICHI UESAKA

“In 60 minutes it is impossible to do everything, so I focus on strength training. I also spend time on body manipulation to improve range of motion. There has been a huge improvement in [Michael’s] strength level. He can lift double [the weight] from when he started. He doesn’t look like a typical bodybuilder, but he is really pretty strong.”

TRAINER TAISUKE YAMAMURA

“By combining diet with exercise and weight training, you increase body muscle mass, which increases metabolism. The first target was focusing on the big muscle groups, like legs, chest and back, to activate the metabolism. Now we are focusing on small muscle groups for toning.”



1 , 3 0 0M A R A T H O N SThe equivalent distance (55,000 kilometers) run by Members on one Fitness Center treadmill since 2011.

2 5T O U R D E F R A N C E R A C E SThe equivalent distance (90,000 kilometers) pedaled by Members on one Fitness Center exercise bicycle since 2011.

FEATURE

23

I went to Princeton and they have their alumni network here interview kids who are applying. One of the questions I would always ask is,

“Where else are you applying?” And they would always tell me they were applying to Harvard, Princeton and Yale and then a few others. But the likelihood they were going to get into any of those schools was very small.

I thought they were open-minded enough to leave Japan but not aware enough of the opportunities. One year, there were two boys who were seniors at Shibuya Senior High School, and they both got into Princeton. I started out volunteering [at that school] for a year and then they hired me to come in and help them write about themselves and oversee their [college] applications.

Most of my kids go to the US, and I’ve had a couple go to Canada. I do lose out to kids who are very fixated on brand, so they will decide that they are going to go to Waseda or Keio, as opposed to going to Grinnell College in the middle of Iowa, because they think they’re going to get a

better job in the end. But most of my kids don’t want to work at a traditional, old-line Japanese firm.

There was an article in the Nikkei [newspaper] four or five years ago that compared the number of hours spent studying at university in Japan versus America. I might have the numbers slightly off, but something like 20 percent of Japanese college students studied zero hours a week. And about 1 percent studied more than 40 hours. Of course, it was completely opposite for America. Everything in Japanese university is about your club life and the connections that you make.

Cost [for US colleges] is a huge thing, and I spend a lot of my time…trying to identify colleges [where] they’re going to get scholarships. So if you’re willing to look in the middle of the country or at schools you haven’t heard of as much, there’s a lot of money available.

Many of my [returnee] students had an experience in the United States as children. They liked being in school there and want to return. I have one student

who wants to be a scientist and she thinks studying science here in Japan as a young woman is going to be very difficult for her. She thinks she’ll be able to reach her goals more easily [in the US].

The kids who want to go abroad are really curious and ready to take some chances. I don’t know that you gain that attitude by going abroad, but the kids who do go abroad will bring that back. So if there were a way to make it easier for those kids to go abroad, then I would hope that would encourage this sort of risk-taking mindset that could be valuable for Japan.

[My job] is about helping kids set goals, reach goals and move forward with their lives. The highlights are when a kid will come up to me and say, “Mrs Callon, I got into [that] college.” We can help even the kids who have few choices still feel like they’ve had success. And that’s amazing. o

As told to iNTOUCH’s Nick Jones.

May’s connection: Judy Marlinski

A counselor at two Japanese high schools and an international school, Member Janel Callon discusses the challenges and rewards of helping students fulfill their dreams overseas.

Enrique Balducci

Janel Callon

Helping MoldYoung Minds


SIX DEGREES

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INSIDE JAPAN

When Kazuo Fujii walks into the Japan Racing Association (JRA) Hall of Fame, he’s welcomed as a legend.

The 88-year-old businessman has raised racehorses for decades and their achievements are celebrated in the museum at the Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu. One corner features his trophies from the 1960s, when his thoroughbred Fujino-o ruled the track.

Fujino-o, whose thoroughbred pedigree could be traced back to the late 1800s, won four consecutive Nakayama grade-one steeplechase races and also entered prestigious contests in Europe, such as Britain’s Grand National at age 8. It was quite an achievement for a man who brought racehorses to Japan long ago on a whim.

“I have always loved horses and used to ride as a jockey myself when I was a youth,” says Fujii in his office near Ginza, where accolades from Japanese and foreign governments decorate the walls. “Horses are very clever and know what’s required to win a race, even when it’s just by a neck or a nose. I used to call Fujino-o by name from 300 meters away and he’d come to me directly.”

Born in the pottery town of Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in 1927, Fujii grew up in a family of citrus orchard owners. His father fought in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05), and his experiences with cavalry units inspired him to encourage

With Members set to visit Tokyo Racecourse this month, one Member and racehorse breeder shares his passion for thoroughbreds.

King of the Turf

A Day at the RacesSaturday, April 238.45 a.m.–5:30 p.m.Tokyo Racecourse, Fuchu¥7,900* (includes transportation by bus and lunch)Adults only; jackets and ties for men and equivalent attire for womenSign up online or at Member Services*Excludes 8 percent consumption tax.

the United States government in the late 1960s on the return of Okinawa, which was finally achieved in 1972.

“My business philosophy is to continue to do as much as possible, with as much passion as possible, every day,” says Fujii, who joined the Club in 1975 and continues to work out at the Fitness Center every weekend.

These days, he continues to breed thoroughbreds in Hokkaido and may race some youngsters in the next few years. He visits the turf at Fuchu or Nakayama in Chiba Prefecture when his horses or those of friends are racing. But he never bets.

“Horseracing is both a hobby and a business for me,” Fujii says with a smile. “But it’s not a good idea for horse owners to gamble.” o

Hornyak is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist.

Kazuo Fujii

young Kazuo to introduce larger horses to Japan.

Fujii himself served in the Japanese Imperial Army in World War II, during which he toasted kamikaze pilots in their final hours before they took off from a base in Kagoshima. After the war, he traveled to Australia and purchased thoroughbreds to begin a horse farm in Japan.

He eventually opened a 60-hectare facility in Urakawa, near the southern tip of Hokkaido. But his ambitions didn’t stop there. He also set up a fruit import company, led an association of fruit importers and established Imperial Airlines, a helicopter crop-spraying service.

His dealings with foreign companies also led him to become an informal adviser to former Prime Minister Eisaku Sato during Japan’s negotiations with

by Tim Hornyak


city very inspiring. It just doesn’t end.”As a way to reflect this disparity,

Houwerzijl often layers photographs on top of one other by either superimposing images on her camera or with editing software. “The process is exciting, as you never really know beforehand how it will turn out once you start tweaking and playing around with the images,” she says.

Houwerzijl has also used photography as a way to contribute to the societies in which she has lived. In Beijing, she launched Shoot for Good, where she donated her fees for family portraits to children’s charities. She also participated in a photojournalism project on urbanization in China.

Since her return to Tokyo last year, she has donated photos to charity fundraisers, such as Hands On Tokyo. “Giving away prints for fundraising is something I really like to do,” she explains. “Deep down, I want to be engaged in the society I live in and not just be a bystander. We are so fortunate. I would like to give back.” o

Weiss has been a Club Member since 2002.

Houwerzijl’s photography is on display outside the Women’s Group Office through May 18.

Tanja Houwerzijl: www.tanjahouwerzijl.com

Studying for a second degree in Amsterdam, Tanja Houwerzijl was on track to become a lawyer. Then, in 2004, those plans were

abruptly shelved. Her husband’s job took the family from their native Netherlands to Japan, where Houwerzijl adopted the role of “reluctant expat wife.”

“My kids were 2 and 4 years old. I was looking for something to do when I heard about a photography course being offered in Zushi. I had once taken a photography course and loved it, so decided to sign up,” she says. “After that, I have enjoyed taking my camera everywhere, recording the beauty and surprises of life in Asia.”

Houwerzijl, 45, says her camera became a tool through which to explore and learn about her adopted homes of Tokyo, Singapore and Beijing. “During my 12 years living in Asia, I have entered a part

of the world that was unfamiliar. I first have to digest what I am seeing,” she says. “A Japanese man in uniform holding a red-lighted stick on the street, helping with traffic, is just as fascinating to me as it is frightening that there are so many displaced people in China. Visually, there is a lot to absorb and process.”

While Houwerzijl initially focused her lens on people (she was a portrait photographer for expat families during her first stint in the Japanese capital), she has since been drawn to street photography and the opportunity to capture Tokyo’s frenetic pace and urban contradictions.

“I find beauty in the contrasting details,” she says. “Shibuya, for instance, is amazing: alleyways, neon lights, so many people, building after building, power cables—so ugly that they are beautiful—the Shuto Expressway, bars on top of bars. I find this

One Member and longtime expat has used photography as a way to explore and support her adopted homes in Asia. by Efrot Weiss

Capturing Contradiction

Tanja Houw

erzijl

27

CULTURAL INSIGHT

Mardi Gras Fete February 4

The Women’s Group celebrated New Orleans’ biggest annual

party with a luncheon of Cajun-inspired cuisine, Mardi Gras

games and live music from Mississippi bluesman Steve Gardner.

Photos by Yuuki Ide

1

2

3

1. (l–r) Sally Larson, Denise LaTouche, Keiko Kaburagi and Deborah McCarty

2. (l–r) Toshihiro Koyanagi , Tanuja Kumar, Karen Thomas, Jeffrey Robinson

and Bruce Stanforth 3. Steve Gardner


First Friday: Mardi GrasFebruary 5

Members and guests let their hair down at a New Orleans

Mardi Gras-themed evening of drinks, Cajun eats and live

contemporary jazz from trumpet maestro and recording

artist Gabriel Mark Hasselbach (pictured left).

Photos by Yuuki Ide

EVENT ROUNDUP

29

Super Bowl 50 at the Club February 8

Super Bowl fever gripped the Club for a morning, as

Members and guests crowded into the New York Ballroom

and Traders’ Bar to watch the Denver Broncos beat the

Carolina Panthers 24-10 at Levi’s Stadium in California.

Photos by Yuuki Ide


EVENT ROUNDUP

31

Father-Daughter Dinner DanceFebruary 13

Dressed-up dads and their little princesses enjoyed a

fun evening of dancing, delicious eats, gifts and photo

keepsakes at this perennially popular event.

Photos by Yuuki Ide


EVENT ROUNDUP

Cherry Blossom Dinner Cruise APRIL 5

Best of Seoul International Tour APRIL 15–17

Fuji Shibazakura Festival TourMAY 11

Support Fukushima TourMAY 16–17

START YOUR ADVENTURE BY VISITING THE TOURS & EXCURSIONS PAGE OF THE CLUB WEBSITE.

EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS

Explore Japan and beyond with likeminded people through the myriad Women’s Group-organized tours.

UPCOMING TOURS

W hen Dan Dang lets his mind wander, he imagines himself cooling down in one of the

rivers that snake through his hometown of Can Tho in southern Vietnam.

Other times, he remembers the visits to farmers in the lush Mekong Delta countryside for his job. “I used to love visiting farmers, and we would sometimes catch fish and bake them straightaway,” he says.

As an officer with the city’s department of agriculture and rural development, he often advised farmers in the management of their land and crops. “This was my dream from when I was young to work in agriculture,” he says.

The closest Dang, 33, comes to husbandry now is growing Vietnamese vegetables and herbs on the balcony of his Tokyo apartment. A keen cook, he grew up helping out in his family’s

Dan Dangby Nick Jones

restaurant kitchen and later took a three-month culinary course.

“Actually, I could cook before. I just wanted a certificate,” he says with a smile.

After six years as an agricultural adviser, he moved to Japan in 2011 to study for an Asian Development Bank-supported master’s degree in environmental engineering at the University of Tokyo, where his wife was completing her doctorate in chemistry.

Wrapping up his postgraduate studies on drinking water treatment in 2013, he joined the Club’s housekeeping team in

early 2014. “It’s a good [work] environment here and I would like to work [here] full-time,” says the recipient of February’s Employee of the Month award.

Dang says he and his wife, whom he first met as a 15-year-old schoolboy, appreciate their life in Japan with their young daughter. Occasionally, though, he still pictures scenes from his unhurried days back home.

“I miss the atmosphere of my hometown and swimming in the river and visiting farmers,” he says. “I really enjoyed my work and being outside.” o

Why did you decide to join the Club?“One of the first things we did after arriving [from Sydney] was join TAC. We have attended a number of TAC social events with friends who are Members and were always struck by how diverse and fun the guest list was. The amazing food and wine list was pretty impressive, too. We are excited to get the boys back into swimming lessons, to try all of the incredible facilities and to forge new friendships at the Club.”

(l–r) Bronwyn, Finn, Patrick and Max Sullivan

Why did you decide to join the Club?“Born in France, with our second home in Canada and our children from Vietnam and Cambodia and having lived on three continents, we feel we belong to a borderless world. After looking for a place where we could find activities for the entire family and connect with a network of international and Japanese peers in a high-quality, open-minded and respectful atmosphere, TAC appeared to us as the unique and ideal club to join.”

(l–r) Léo, Bruno, Chloé and Hélène Jolain

Bronwyn & Patrick SullivanAustralia—Goldman Sachs Japan Holdings Ltd.

Bruno Jolain & Hélène Brunat ep JolainFrance—Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

employee of the month

new members


Jiro & Yumiko NoguchiJapan—K.K. FujiMark & Lee Yen AndersonUnited States—Pattern Energy GroupJohn MooreUnited States—Russell Investment Japan Co., Ltd.David HaCanada—Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd. Fumie Iwasa Japan—Crosswise CorporationKei MurakamiJapan—KASTAlexander Morgan & Virginia Harrison Australia—Zurich Insurance Company Ltd., Japan BranchNobuko & Nobuhiro Ogino Japan—Kyoritsu Ogino Hospital

Chihiro & Kojiro MasukoUnited States—UBS AG Tokyo BranchHisayuki & Hiromi EbiharaJapan—Shoukin Shoji Co., Ltd. Robert & Hitomi Early United States—Amazon Japan K.K.Ganesh & Vibha SubramaniamUnited States—ACE InsuranceMotonori & Seiko SatoJapan—Azden CorporationJunichi & Ayumi HoshinoJapan—Daiei Trading Co., Ltd.Katsuo & Asami Inoue Japan—Five Tails Co., Ltd.Christopher Hourigan & Jane SeberryAustralia—Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.

Koji & Yukie OshitaKazuyoshi FujiiTatsumi & Michiko MorikawaNamiko Nunomura (Horikoshi)Craig & Masako NelsonStan & Maki Yukevich

Pascal & Sophie JancourtFrance— Hermès Japon Co., Ltd.David & Kimberly RobinsonUnited States—Intel CorporationKatsue & Mitsuo NumajiriJapan—Three Win Co., Ltd.Ulric & Clarisse AdomFrance—Sanofi K.K.Yves & Tea TeirlynckBelgium—Alcon Japan Ltd.Teddy Lee & Hsiu Ying YangTaiwan—Rose Hotels InternationalTakafumi & Rumiko ShimizuJapan—Real Vintage Co., Ltd.Chetan & Shruti PalriwalaIndia—Vithal Trading Co., Ltd.

yokoso

sayonaraIan & Janet Kathryn McDadeAkira HoriMarlene Villela-Talbott & Jose Jorge TalbottAndreas Schwartz & Olga PastorEdward & Kaori Higase

Reinhard Bertele & Claudia LozanoBruce Goodwin & Jackilyn HatfieldSatoshi & Mayuko SakuraiJason & Jennifer PearceErick & Jimena SaavedraWade & Linda Sturdivant

CLUB PEOPLE

35

We’ve been playing baseball in Japan for more than 150 years. By the 1960s, it was as important a part of life

as sumo.A Japanese saying from that era

(“Kyojin, Taiho, tamagoyaki”) reflected the nation’s fondness for the Tokyo Giants baseball team, sumo wrestler Taiho and rolled omelets. The three icons were symbols of strength during a time of optimism, as Japan’s economy grew at double-digit rates and the standard of living climbed ever upward.

Taiho dominated sumo, racking up 32 tournaments wins, while tamagoyaki were suddenly available, affordable and unaffected by inflation. Then there were the Tokyo Giants. The team won the Japan Series every year from 1965 to 1973. As they kept winning, so did Japan. We all loved it.

While baseball and the Giants were a crucial part of that decade, I sense that the

by Akihiko Kubo

Our New National Pastime

sport is not as well-suited to modern Japan. There’s a truism about baseball strategy here: bunting is a natural fit for Japanese because of our predilection for self-sacrifice. But with the rise of individualism here, it’s an axiom that has become less relevant. And on children’s lists of dream jobs, baseball player doesn’t even make the top 10. It’s now all about soccer.

Japan’s professional soccer league, the J League, was formed in 1993, but it is already threatening baseball as the country’s premier sports league. The key to this success seems to be in the opportunities for soccer players to distinguish themselves.

While the vast majority of Japanese high school baseball players shave their heads, young soccer athletes are free to emulate their stylish heroes like Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s interesting that Japan’s most famous baseball player is probably Ichiro, the very embodiment of quiet, determined perseverance, and soccer’s

current star is the blond-haired Keisuke Honda. Even rugby is enjoying newfound popularity, with Ayumu Goromaru—and his unique kicking pose—the sport’s poster boy in Japan.

The move from baseball to soccer is representative, I think, of a larger shift away from collectivism among Japanese youth. This trend has implications outside of sports. It means less trust in corporate messaging and a decline in national pride. But as I’ve stated many times, this is a trend to embrace, not fight.

A more individualistic populace is one that’s more dynamic and more entrepreneurial. Japanese values are changing, but not necessarily for the worse. o

Club Member Akihiko Kubo is chairman of the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather Japan Group.

Alison Kanegae


BACK WORDS

TAC Member Exclusive

Monthly Seminar SeriesMembers looking to:

Buy property in Tokyo

Learn more about the Tokyo residential market

Purchase investment property in Tokyo

Purchase resort property around Japan

The offering:

Enjoy exclusive access to Housing Japan real estate listings prior to their release on the open market.

Learn about Housing Japan-exclusive mega-bank financing options for foreign nationals.

Educate yourself about the pricing mechanics of the Tokyo residential real estate market.

Join us at an informative seminar on April 14th (6:30–8:30 p.m.) in the Club’s Washington and Lincoln rooms.

One-to-one consultations can also be arranged.

[email protected] | 03-3588-8861Hosted by Adam German, TAC Member

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April 2016


毎月一回一日発行　

第四十七巻六一二号　トウキョウアメリカンクラブ　

インタッチマガジン二〇一六年四月一日発行　

平成三年十二月二十日第三種郵便物許可定価八００円

本体七七七円





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Issue 612 • April 2016

April 2016






FITTER STRONGER

april 2016 intouch magazine

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