august 2015 intouch magazine

TORANOMON HILLS RESIDENCEluxury residences for lease

www.moriliving.com

BRINGING NEW IDEAS TO LIFE IN TOKYO

The constitutional legacy of American Beate Sirota Gordon

Framing Japan’s Future

World Cup HopesA coach’s view of

Japanese rugby

Local FlavorsHome-style Japanese

cooking classes

Travel Tips A guide to lesser-

known tourist spots

TOKYO

AM

ERICAN

CLUB

i

NT

OU

CH

Issue 604 • August 2015

August 2015

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　

第四十七巻六〇四号　トウキョウアメリカンクラブ　

インタッチマガジン二〇一五年八月一日発行　

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

Club Committees

Compensation Mark MillerCulture, Community & Entertainment Dan Smith (Innocent Obi) Subcommittee

Culture & Community JoAnn Yoneyama Entertainment Matt Krcelic Frederick Harris Gallery Yumiko Sai Video Library

Abigail RadmilovichFinance Rodney Nussbaum (Hiroshi Miyamasu)Food & Beverage Michael Alfant(Jerry Rosenberg) Subcommittee

Wine Stephen RomaineHouse Tomio Fukuda (Jesse Green) Subcommittee

Facilities Management Group Matt KrcelicHuman Resources Per Knudsen (Ginger Griggs)

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

Bowling Crystal Goodfliesh Fitness Samuel Rogan Golf John Patrick Vaughan Library Alaine Lee Logan Room Christa Rutter Squash Pete Juds Swim Alexander Jampel Youth Activities TBC

Board of Governors

John Durkin (2016)—Representative Governor, Mary Saphin (2016)—First Vice President, Brenda Bohn (2016)—Second Vice

President, Jesse Green (2016)—Secretary, Hiroshi Miyamasu (2015)—Treasurer, Ginger Griggs (2015), Mark Miller (2015), Machi Nemoto (2016), Innocent Obi (2016), Betsy Rogers (2015), Jerry Rosenberg (2016), Kazuakira Nakajima (2016)—Statutory Auditor

Cover photo of Beate Sirota Gordon by Mark Stern

contents 2 Contacts

4 Board of Governors

5 Management

6 Events

8 The Selection

10 Wine & Dining

12 Arts & Entertainment

14 Recreation & Fitness

20 Feature

24 Talking Heads

26 Inside Japan

28 Out & About

30 Event Roundup

38 Club People

40 Back Words

FEATURE Writing HistoryIn 1945, Beate Sirota Gordon

joined the staff of General

Douglas MacArthur as a

“research expert,” so she could

return to Japan to find her

parents. Two months later,

the 22-year-old found herself

helping to establish equal

rights for women in the

Japanese constitution.

10 WINE & DININGSake’s Lifesaving OverhaulAs sales of Japan’s native

drink continue to slide, sake

producers like Yucho Shuzo are

working hard to lure younger

drinkers with new styles.

26 INSIDE JAPANWhat’s Cooking?With another semester of

enrichment classes set to

kick off next month, cooking

instructor Kumi Kui shares her

passion for Japanese food.

14 RECREATION& FITNESSHoop Dreams Ahead of another TAC Eagles

season at the Club, two

promising basketball talents

explain how Club coaching

helped them improve their

game.

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 August 2015 iNTOUCH

To advertise in iNTOUCH,contact Rie Hibino:[email protected]

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

Hettige Don Suranga, 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

from the

editorFew Members probably take much notice of the room names at the Club. They’re just destinations. Naturally, the Washington and Lincoln rooms hardly require an explanation, but other names might be a little more unfamiliar to many.

Legal experts or those with an interest in the Japanese constitution may recognize the name Beate Sirota Gordon, who has a Women’s Group classroom, near B1 Member Services, named in her honor. For this month’s cover story, “Writing History,” my colleague Nick Narigon explored the life and legacy of this remarkable woman, who spoke at the Club in 1999.

Arriving in a war-ravaged Japan as a 22-year-old researcher with the Allied occupation at the end of 1945, Sirota could never have imagined that within a few months she would be helping to write the Japanese constitution. In particular, she was tasked with creating the articles pertaining to equal rights.

Speaking at Middlebury College in 2007, she admitted that her first draft was a little overambitious. “Colonel [Charles] Kades looks at my section and says, ‘My god, Beate, you have put more rights into this constitution than there are in the US constitution.’ And I said, ‘Colonel Kades, that is very easy to do, the American constitution does not have the word women in it,’” she said.

Sirota’s 20 articles, however, were whittled down to two crucial clauses.

Contributors

A resident of Japan for 20 years, Sandra Isaka is an intercultural consultant and tour guide with Alpine International. As a keen explorer of the country, she documents her travels and helps to promote little-known sightseeing spots on the Japan Travel website. The Club Member also leads unique excursions for the Women’s Group and is a travel speaker at the Club’s biannual Tokyo Here & Now orientation program. In this issue, she shares some of her favorite hidden destinations in Japan.Sandra Isaka

Prior to arriving in Japan in 2012, Narigon was weeklies editor for the Des

Moines Register in Iowa and spent two years in New Jersey as the special sections editor for the Press of Atlantic City. An assistant editor in the Club’s Communications Department, he has also written for The Wall Street

Journal Asia, Time Out Tokyo and Tokyo Art Beat. In this month’s cover story, he unearths the extraordinary story behind the name of one of the rooms at the Club, Beate Sirota Gordon.

Nick Narigon

3

Our club is one of the largest and most diverse clubs in the world. With more than 3,800 Members

from over 50 countries, the Club’s diversity is clearly one of its strengths. The various events throughout the year, from a Cinco de Mayo evening to Asian food nights to the annual Independence Day party, highlight the Club’s extraordinary national and ethnic diversity.

As a governor of the Club, I often hear from Members who have concerns or questions about various aspects of the Club. “This is what Members want…” is how many of these conversations begin.

I find that this kind of statement really only reflects the opinion of a small group of Members, often with strong individual biases. We all have these positions (myself included) and, while important, they have to be

weighed against the broad range of interests, opinions and trends among the Membership.

In the end, the Board is responsible for setting policy and making decisions that benefit the widest range of Members. Needless to say, this utilitarian approach is not easy and not always successful.

have sat on many committees and have always been impressed by the dedication and expertise that Members bring to these groups. The committees meet on a regular basis to address a wide variety of issues and work on solutions with the management team.

If a committee recommends a change in policy or to the Club rules, a formal proposal is submitted to the Board. All proposals are presented in the same format to ensure the Board has a clear understanding of the issue. The Board then votes on the proposal and, if it passes, management is responsible for implementing the change. This system of governance may not work as fast as everyone would like, but assessing opinions in such a huge institution takes time.

The Club is constantly gauging the tendencies of new Members, as well as cultural and social trends in Japan and the wider world. To keep track of all this data through our system in an effort to benefit the majority is a delicate job. But the Board and committees always welcome input and feedback to help us do what “Members want.”

Members can offer comments and suggestions easily by filling out a Tell TAC form on the Club website.

During my 25 years as a Member, I have sat on many committees and have always been impressed by the dedication and expertise that Members bring to these groups.”

“Embracing Our

Diversityby Jerry Rosenberg

Twosome Timeout

The Spa proudly uses products by

To book a treatment, contact 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.

Since the best things in life are shared, The Spa is inviting Members to book a rejuvenating treatment with a partner, family member or friend* this August and receive a 15 percent discount.

To enjoy this weekday-only offer, twosomes should receive their treatments at the same time.

*Non-Members are subject to a ¥2,500 guest fee.Price excludes 8 percent consumption tax.

Many of the changes that occur at the Club are driven by the committee system. We have more than 20 committees and sub-committees, made up of Members who volunteer their time to improve the Club and help make it more responsive to the needs of Members.

During my 25 years as a Member, I

Governor


BOARD OF GOVERNORS

T he launch of the Club’s newly redeveloped website at the start of the year brought about a

number of long-awaited improvements, from being able to check the past six months of your statements online (visit My Statements under My Account) to shopping for wine and having the bottles delivered to your door to signing up with ease for an event or class.

The website, which is accessible on any computer or smart device, serves as a portal to all that is happening at the Club. This means that the traditional media around the Club, such as posters and screens, are used to highlight upcoming events and programs and direct passersby to the website for more details or to register.

In theory, this sounds great, but seeing something on a screen and then

Barcode Scanners (for iPhone/iPad) from Manatee Works and Barcode Scanner (for Android) by ZXing Team are two apps worth checking out. Just select the one that matches your device and install it. When you see an event or program of interest promoted around the Club, just open the app (which will automatically turn on the camera), frame the QR code and you’ll be taken to the relevant information page of the Club website.

You’ll also notice a QR code on the signs around the Club that inform Members of the regularly updated password for the secured Wi-Fi network. If you own an Android device, you can scan this QR code and your password will automatically update.

Interestingly, the quick response (QR) code was invented in Japan in 1994 for the automotive industry, and it is now a common sight in Japan, from train stations and bus stops to government offices and tourist attractions. And now the Club.

SmartShortcuts

by Lian ChangAssistant General Manager

There is just one catch, though. You’ll need an app on your smartphone or camera-enabled tablet to readthe code. ”

“

visiting a website often requires the memory capacity of a youngster (“What was that URL again?”), the nimbleness of a texting champ to input the address before the next promotion appears on the screen or the investigative prowess of Sherlock Holmes (“I just need to find it on the website”).

There is a better way, however. On most of the poster and screen promotions, you’ll notice something that resembles a black-and-white puzzle. This is a QR code.

There is just one catch, though. You’ll need an app on your smartphone or camera-enabled tablet to read the code. There are hundreds of QR code readers or scanners available for free through the major app stores.

5

MANAGEMENT

Saturday1Twosome TimeoutThe Spa is rewarding Members who bring a partner, friend or family member for a treatment in August with a 15 percent discount. Check page 4 for details.

Monday3Swimming with MudsharksRegistration kicks off for the Mudsharks swim team, kids’ groups and private lessons. The swim team starts on August 17 while the kids’ groups and private lessons begin on August 31.

What’s on in August

1New 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.

Saturday1Summer All-Star SportsEnergetic youngsters learn teamwork and skills through an array of fun sports. Continues through August 21. Learn more on page 16.

Saturday1Club Getaway SpecialEscape to the Club this month with a summer stay special for one of the Guest Studios. More on page 17. Runs through August 31.

Saturday

Saturday–

Monday1–31Mako’s Smoky Chili con Carne with Heat Try this Independence Day Celebration chili contest-winning recipe for just ¥800 in Rainbow Café and Café Med.

Saturday8Summer Family Field Trip Members head to the “wilds” of Yokohama for an animal-filled day at the highly rated Zoorasia zoo. 9 a.m. Check out the details on page 16.

Wednesday26Sake Dinner with Yoshihiko YamamotoThe president of Yucho Shuzo sake brewery in Nara pours a selection of premium sake and demonstrates the pairing versatility of Japan’s national drink. 7 p.m. Learn more on page 10.

Monday28All-American Friday FeastHook up with friends at a Café Med booth for an evening of all-you-can-eat barbecue, the perfect summer spread. 5 p.m.

31Friday

Coffee ConnectionsWhether you’re new to Tokyo or you just want to meet new people, drop by this free Women’s Group gathering. 10:30 a.m. Learn about one Member's experience on page 18.

Friday

7First Friday: A Night at the BallparkThe Club pays homage to Major League Baseball with an evening of eats from America’s most revered baseball diamonds, drinks, live music and prizes in the Winter Garden. 6 p.m. ¥2,000. Adults only. No sign-up necessary.

Wednesday26New Member OrientationThe Club’s newest Members learn about the Club while forging new friendships. 6:30 p.m. Washington and Lincoln rooms. Contact the Membership Office to reserve your spot at least one week in advance.


Coming up in September

2–4German Night

3 & 5TAC Eagles Team Tryout

5Recreation Open House

5–6Birth Preparation for Couples

6Origami Yoda Children’s Event

12Early Pregnancy and Birth Planning

14Language Exchange Coffee

16Enrichment Program Registration

25All-American Friday Feast

27Crab Grand Buffet

27Disaster Awareness Day

Saturday1

Monday–

Friday3–14Women’s Group Office HolidayThe Women’s Group Office closes its doors for the annual Obon holiday. The office returns to its regular hours on August 17.

5Toastmasters LuncheonStart losing your fear of public speaking and improve your leadership skills at this bimonthly event. 12 p.m. Members: ¥2,200; non-Members: ¥2,560. Sign up online or at the Library. Continues August 19.

Summer IPA FestTraders’ Bar honors hops with happy hour prices on all India pale ales in celebration of National IPA Day on August 6 and International Beer Day on August 9.

Saturday–

Sunday1–9Teen Bowling BonanzaYoungsters grab their friends and hit the lanes for a chance to win fabulous prizes. Contact the Bowling Center for details.

Wednesday

Prices exclude 8 percent consumption tax.

Sunday23Wedding Fair The Club and its professional bridal partners offer personalized plans and advice to ensure a truly special wedding day. New York Ballroom and Brooklyn rooms. Free. Open to the public.

13Squash Social NightThe Club’s squash 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. Continues on August 25.

Thursday

EVENTS

Camp DiscoveryWith school out for the summer, kids enjoy fun-packed days of games, sports, arts and crafts and day trips. Continues through August 21. Page 16 has the rundown.

Saturday1Summer Reading ProgramKids dive into worlds of action, adventure, fantasy and fun while earning prizes for reading at least 10 books over the summer. Runs through August 14. Contact the Library for details.

Saturday1

Wednesday–

Friday5–7Moroccan NightCafé Med celebrates Morocco’s unique blend of Mediterranean and Arabic cuisine. 5 p.m. Adults (18 and above): ¥2,670; juniors (12–17 years): ¥1,810; children (7–11 years): ¥1,330; kids (4–6 years): ¥860; infants (3 and under): free.

17Women’s Group Enrichment Program ExhibitionUntil September 6, peruse the remarkable cache of creations by students and instructors of last semester’s Women’s Group classes at the Frederick Harris Gallery. Learn more about the programs on page 26.

Monday

7

EVENTS

The Timepiece

Unable to find a watch that reflected his outdoor-oriented, surfing lifestyle, Californian Chad DiNenna decided to make his own. And so, in 1997, Nixon was born. The watch company now sells its “team-designed, custom-built” timepieces and accessories across the world. Available in four colors, the October is a robust-looking, Swiss-made watch featuring a dome crystal, steel-riveted band with locking looper and custom-steel buckle. Water-resistant to 300 meters, the October is the ideal companion when surfing, snorkeling or spearfishing. Explore other Nixon watch collections at The Cellar. ¥37,000

The Wine

The August Quartet is a limited-edition collection of crisp, lighter-bodied wines that are perfect for summer sipping. This sommelier-selected foursome features the Old World in the form of a NV Bailly-Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne sparkling wine from the French region of Burgundy and a 2011 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico from Tuscany, Italy. Representing the New World are a 2014 Stonier Chardonnay from Mornington Peninsula, Australia, and a 2013 Hess Collection Sauvignon Blanc from California’s North Coast. Available from August 1 to 31. ¥10,000

The Purse

Run by 13 generations of the Uehara family in Yamanashi Prefecture, Indenya has been crafting high-quality, men’s and women’s wallets, purses and bags since 1582. All accessories are made by a team of artisans from lacquered deerskin, or koshu inden. Japanese lacquer is then applied to the deerskin to give it its durability, making these beautifully crafted pieces suitable for daily use. The techniques and designs used in the production of inden were originally developed for parts of samurai armor. The Cellar carries purses in a range of sizes and colors. Various prices

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

Compiled by Nick Jones and Nick Narigon.


The Helmet

Dennis Leedom knew how it felt to hit the deck. As a keen skier, snowboarder, biker and skater, he was also aware of the importance of good head protection. After working for various helmet brands, he struck upon the idea of creating one action sports lid that could be adapted for any season. Leedom founded Bern Unlimited in 2004. The Nino is the smallest helmet in the Bern line and is both bike- and snow-certified for children. The summer version features a cool summer liner that can be switched for a fleece liner in the winter. The Cellar stocks a variety of models and colors. ¥7,000

The Films

Included in this month’s batch of new titles at the Video Library is Slow West, the story of a Scottish aristocrat (Kodi Smith-McPhee) who travels across America’s Wild West in pursuit of his lost love and guided by a cagey outlaw (Michael Fassbender). In Home, an alien misfit named Oh (Jim Parsons) relocates to Earth and sparks an unlikely friendship with the adventurous but lonely preteen Tip (Rihanna). New titles can be rented for ¥400 per movie, while monthly membership allows movie lovers to rent any number of DVDs for just ¥2,500 a month.

The Jersey

For more than 30 years, Majestic has been meticulously weaving the iconic jerseys of all the Major League Baseball teams. It now produces more than 1 million shirts a year at its facility in Easton, Pennsylvania. Started in 1976, the sports apparel maker now creates uniforms for NFL, NBA, NHL and college teams. For the month of August only, Majestic Japan will set up a dedicated MLB store at The Cellar to sell major-league shirts and caps. Meanwhile, the Winter Garden hosts the baseball-themed First Friday: A Night at the Ballpark on August 7. Various prices


THE SELECTION

9

Sake Dinner with Yoshihiko YamamotoWednesday, August 267–10 p.m.CHOP Steakhouse¥11,000*Sign up online or at Member Services*Price excludes 8 percent consumption tax.

by Wendi Onuki

A s Japan’s collective enthusiasm for Western cuisine has gained momentum over the years, such traditional staples

as rice and fish have been increasingly pushed aside and the once-ubiquitous drink of choice, sake, has gathered a dusty image associated with the silver-haired set.

Younger generations instead are imbibing in their choice of craft beers, whiskey and wine, leaving the iconic nihonshu in a delicate spot domestically. Abroad, the beverage is experiencing something of a boom, as Japanese food explodes in popularity.

was made annually by some 2,200 sake producers, according to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper. Nowadays, roughly half that amount is bottled each year.

Yamamoto estimates that there are 1,300 sake producers, with the top 20 of those accounting for about 60 percent of total production. While the heavyweights market their goods to conventional consumers, he notes, the smaller companies are still experimenting with new techniques and exploring possible niches in the market.

And if those producers can find a way to convince 20- and 30-somethings to raise a toast with a round of sake over french fries or edamame, then the future of the ancient drink might just be golden. o

Onuki is a Michigan-based freelance journalist.

Sake’s Lifesaving Overhaul

is Yucho’s Kaze no Mori Akitsuho Junmai with mozzarella and tomatoes) will illustrate sake’s versatility this month during a unique dinner at CHOP Steakhouse.

Yucho is among the producers making zippier versions of sake—unfiltered, undiluted and unpasteurized—to draw more youthful, discerning palates. “Those things are very important for enjoying real, pure sake,” says Yamamoto, 33. “You can enjoy rich umami and sweetness, the gentle aroma and complex texture.”

Sake’s roots in Japanese culture unfurl as far back as 2,500 years ago, when the cultivation of rice became widespread in the archipelago. Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines started brewing the labor-intensive libation in the 12th to 15th centuries using techniques that are still commonplace.

Because sake requires a small number of ingredients—rice, water, yeast and koji, which is steamed rice that contains mold to convert rice starch into sugar to facilitate fermentation—quality is essential to a palatable final product. About 100 types of sake rice presently exist, and some brewers are working to revive heirloom varieties while others are developing novel types of rice to create new expressions of the beverage.

At its peak in the mid-1970s, an estimated 1.7 million kiloliters of sake

“Usually, people say that the overall demand of sake is decreasing because the main consumer is over 60 years old. Yes, it is true,” says Yoshihiko Yamamoto, president of the 300-year-old Yucho Shuzo sake brewery in Nara Prefecture. “Our main target is the younger generation, to make them new sake lovers for the future.”

To counter the domestic decline, Yucho and other producers are seeking to revitalize sake’s reputation in numerous ways, such as through pairings with Western food. Yamamoto (whose favorite combination

Yoshihiko Yamamoto


Gordon Gekko may have declared that lunch was for wimps, but the Wall Street tyrant of Oliver Stone’s 1987

blockbuster had obviously been eating at the wrong places.

Weekend brunch at American Bar & Grill, though, can turn the most hard-nosed of deal-doer into a champion of lazy lunches.

“What’s special about brunch at American Bar & Grill is the simple, high-quality brunch dishes, our signature American sandwiches, amazing desserts and selection of great light salads and appetizers. And how can you beat the price?” says the Club’s executive chef, Lindsay Gray.

What’s more, until September 13, the restaurant is offering one complimentary brunch combo worth ¥3,950 to Members who bring one or more fellow diners. Consisting of an appetizer and dessert from the brunch buffet and a choice of

entrée, this offer is a lunch deal even Gekko couldn’t reject.

American Bar & Grill offers a range of brunch experiences, from simple, healthy eats in the form of American organic cereals, nuts and fruit to an occasion with friends and family, featuring such dishes as New Zealand lamb chops and Hokkaido snow crab eggs benedict and refreshments like brunch shooters and bottles of half-price selected wine.

Whatever your weekend plans, it’s time to make room for brunch at American Bar & Grill. o

Weekend Brunch11 a.m.–3 p.mAmerican Bar & GrillMembers ages 13 to 17 welcome on weekends and national holidays when accompanied by a parent.

by Nick JonesPhotos by Kayo Yamawaki

Brunch Is Back Pleasureby the Glass

2012 Gilles Berlioz “Les Fripons” Roussanne, Cru Chignin-Bergeron, Savoie, France

A landscape gardener who inherited a small family vineyard in Savoie, Gilles Berlioz has created a cutting-edge label of biodynamic wines that are helping to revive the entire appellation. This cheeky white (Bergeron is the local name for the aromatic Roussanne grape variety) has an oily, glycerin-rich feel and notes of brown spices and honey.

Perfect partner: Chinese chicken salad, Caesar salad, Cajun-spiced chicken breast burger, grilled salmon fillet or skillet-roasted Miyazaki hyuga chicken breast.

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

WINE & DINING

11

An Heirloom of Secrets

W hen British ceramic artist Edmund de Waal inherits a collection of 264 netsuke

from his great-uncle Iggie, a longtime expat of Tokyo, he becomes enchanted by these wonderful objects. Turning them over in his hands, he begins to slip the curious artifacts into his pockets and carry them around with him during the day.

Intrigued, he decides to explore the history of the collection and its three Jewish owners. The result is The Hare with Amber Eyes, a nonfiction journey that spans 140 years.

Netsuke are detailed miniature sculptures, handcrafted by artisans from such materials as ivory and wood. Particularly popular during the Edo period, they were used by men as a means to close their sagemono pouches and hang them from their kimono obi

by Alaine Lee

off theshelf

belts. Netsuke became regarded as works of art during the 1870s when wealthy Europeans began collecting them.

The Hare with Amber Eyes, which picked up an Economist book-of-the-year award, follows the author as he traces his family history through Paris, Vienna, Tokyo and London, visits the

places where his ancestors lived and researches the lives they led during those periods.

I especially liked the part in this 2010 memoir when de Waal travels to Tokyo and unearths his uncle’s life in the city after World War II, including his many visits to Tokyo American Club for cocktails. Many of the Tokyo spots mentioned will be familiar to Members.

Reading the descriptions of the netsuke made me want to learn more about them, and I was delighted to discover that the Library has more than a dozen books on the subject, many of which contain beautiful photographs and descriptions about the artists and how netsuke were made and worn.

Though small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, netsuke embody fascinating and rich histories. o

Lee is chair of the Library Committee.

The Hare with Amber Eyes is available at the Library as a hardcover and audiobook. The Library’s collection of netsuke books includes The Go Collection of Netsuke and The Art of Netsuke Carving.

Edmund de Waal

The American Club Singapore Conveniently located in Singapore’s business district, the American Club Singapore’s multinational membership enjoys access to a range of facilities, including squash and tennis courts, an outdoor swimming pool, gymnasium, restaurants and a kids’ computer and games zone.

www.amclub.org.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.


Windows for the Crown Prince by Elizabeth Gray Vining

How does a quiet Philadelphian Quaker find herself in the Japanese imperial court? In 1946, Emperor Hirohito decided that his son, the crown prince (now Emperor Akihito), should have an American tutor and preferably a woman.

So it was that teacher and author Elizabeth Gray Vining set sail for Japan, arriving in a country eager to reinvent itself as a modern democracy. She taught not only the prince, but also his sisters and, later, the empress. The reminiscences of court life and its people in this 1952 book are fascinating, insightful and generous.

buried treasures

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

newreads

Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle

For 20 years, Boyle has worked with gang members

through his LA gang-intervention program, Homeboy

Industries. Each essay proves the importance of

unconditional love and serves as a reminder that no

life is less valuable than another.

Home by Carson Ellis

Home can be a house in the country, an apartment

in the city, on the road or at sea. It can even be in a

magical land. Aided by stunning illustrations, Ellis

reveals not only the diversity of homes, but what a

home can truly mean.

God Help the Child by Toni Morrison

The story revolves around Bride, who is unable to

heal from her childhood suffering at the hands of her

mother. Morrison’s powerful and searing novel deals

with the tragedy of adult lives affected and sometimes

destroyed by childhood trauma.

Market Maze by Roxie Munro

Where does food come from? In this interactive

children’s book, eight trucks and 11 mazes show how

fish, vegetables, fruit and other favorites are produced

and make their way to the tables of people’s homes.

Little Kunoichi, The Ninja Girl by Sanae Ishida

Little Kunoichi is a frustrated ninja in training. Along

with her friend Chibi Samurai, the two heroes show

that with hard work, perseverance and cooperation,

they can achieve great things—like wowing the

crowd at the Island Festival.

Honeydew by Edith Pearlman

From the title story about an affair, pregnancy, an

eating disorder and drug use to a tale about a group

of displaced Somali women adjusting to life in Boston,

Pearlman proves that she is one of the best short story

writers to date.

Reviews compiled by librarian Alison Kanegae. Compiled by senior librarian Sarah Takahashi.

Elizabeth Gray Vining with the crown prince (1949)

13

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Ethan McEachern

Hoop Dreamsby Nick Narigon

Photos by Benjamin Parks


Ali McEachern plants her feet about 3 meters from the basketball hoop and stares intently at the net. With her

eyes fixed on the hoop rim, the 10-year-old dribbles down the lane, leaps into the air and completes a textbook layup.

On the left side of the court in the Gymnasium, her brother Ethan, 13, feints a drive to the hoop with a crossover dribble, steps back from an invisible defender and pulls up for a mid-range jumper. With his feet and shoulders aligned and elbows bent to form a perfect “l” shape, Ethan drains the shot with nothing but net.

After three years of honing their basketball skills in the Club’s Gymnasium, the McEachern siblings moved back to Portland, Oregon, this summer.

“I think I am a better basketball player because I came to Japan. I have been able to pick up stuff I never would have, on and off the court,” says Ethan, sitting in the Gymnasium a few days before leaving. “It was picking up things like discipline, preparation habits and doing things 100 percent, whether it’s in the classroom or on the court.”

The McEachern family has a basketball pedigree. The youngsters’ uncle is an assistant basketball coach at Notre Dame University while their dad, Archie McEachern, played basketball for Ithaca College in New York, where he set the school record for points in a game.

“[Basketball] just kind of ran in the family,” says Ali, who, like Ethan, began playing the sport in kindergarten. “I love the whole concept of the game. I feel like it’s a fair sport and it’s kind of easy to pick up the basic skills.”

Ethan played with American Athletic Union (AAU) club teams in the United States, and before the family moved across the Pacific Archie researched basketball opportunities in Tokyo. His colleagues

at sportswear giant Nike and contacts in the NBA all recommended he talk to one person: Dan Weiss.

Ethan enrolled in Weiss’ youth basketball program at the Club for one year and took individual lessons. Ethan went on to play for a Yokota Air Base team, coached by his dad, and then for the Yokohama Blue Devils club team. He

also played point guard for the American School in Japan middle school team.

“At that point, Ethan had a real good foundation. He’s been to all of the camps, so it was easy to work with him and actually harder for me to continue to build and push in different directions,” says Weiss, who says Ethan has the potential to play college ball. “The way he works, if he pushes himself, he could be that guard, he can be that play maker. He could really surprise some people.”

Last year, Ali joined the TAC Eagles basketball team and began private lessons with Weiss. She was selected for the Eagles A squad, which includes girls older

As budding basketball players prepare to try out for the TAC Eagles next month, two American siblings reflect on their time shooting hoops in Japan.

than 10.“[Coach Weiss] is so amazing,” says

Ali, who says she patterns her game after sharpshooter Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, this year’s NBA champs. “He’s helped me so much with everything I need to work on.”

By the end of the Eagles season, Ali was scoring in every game. Weiss says her style of aggressive play is partly influenced by her older brother.

“She came in once or twice a week for an hour, and it just f lew by because it was a lot of fun,” says the former pro. “Seeing where she is now, actually going in with some speed and being able to slow down

and being able to make those layups, it’s great.”

“The Eagles program and what Dan brings to the facility I think is amazing,” says Archie. “I think when you want something a little more competitive, it’s like any sport, you have to work a little harder. We were going over to Yokohama every Saturday for two straight years, sometimes twice a week. But we were committed to it.”

Ethan, who enters the eighth grade in the fall, traveled to Las Vegas with the Beaverton Hoop Elite AAU team this summer and to Anaheim with the Tokyo Samurai, a collection of international players. Soon-to-be fifth-grader Ali trained at various basketball camps over the summer.

Despite the lack of competitive teams in Tokyo, Ethan says he benefited from access to top-level coaching in a small basketball community.

“Basketball in Japan is like one big family. Everybody knows each

other, and we all just love the sport,” says Ethan, a fan of Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy. “I am lucky because I have TAC. I can get together with my friends. I’ve spent many hours here working out with my dad.” o

TAC Eagles Team TryoutThursday, September 35–7:15 p.m.Saturday, September 511:30 a.m.–2 p.m.GymnasiumContact the Recreation Desk for details

Ali and Ethan McEachern

15

RECREATION & FITNESS

mac

zen

spa

fitness

oasis

den

for two

Make your second home a holiday

Enjoy a one-night summer stay, including breakfast, at one of the Guest Studios for just ¥28,000, or stay for three nights or more for only ¥25,000 a night.

Club Getaway SpecialAugust 1–31

This offer is based on double occupancy. Children accepted.

Prices exclude consumption and accommodation taxes.

Reservations: 03-4588-0381 | [email protected] www.tokyoamericanclub.org

©Je

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GuestStudios_August2015_AD.indd 1 7/13/2015 5:40:04 PM

CAMP DISCOVERYSummer camp sessions of games, sports, crafts, day trips and fun.

Through August 21 | WeekdaysBig Kids (6–12 years) Preschoolers (3–5 years)Big Kid Camp: ¥45,000 for Members (¥54,000 for non-Members)Preschool Camp: ¥40,000 for Members (¥48,000 for non-Members)

SUMMER ALL-STAR SPORTSAges 5 to 12 try their hand at the likes of soccer, Brazilian martial art capoeira, taiko drumming and hip-hop dance.

Through August 21 | Weekdays3:30–4:30 p.m. (Thursday: 5–6 p.m.)Gymnasium and The Studio Members: ¥13,500 per session (¥16,200 for non-Members)

The Club is brimming with exciting activities for kids this August. Sign up online.

BIRTHDAY BASHES AT SPLASH!Combining the Club’s rooftop space, Splash!, with two lanes at the Bowling Center, the Club’s kids’ party packages are guaranteed to put smiles on young faces.

Through August 31 | Daily11 a.m.–1 p.m. | 2–4 p.m. Two-hour package: ¥35,000Visit the Youth & Kids page of the Club website for details

SUMMER FAMILY FIELD TRIPEnjoy a fun day out at Zoorasia in Yokohama, a unique zoo that shows animals, from elephants to polar bears, in areas that resemble their natural habitat. The park also includes restaurants, nature trails and kids’ activity zones.

Saturday, August 89 a.m.–4 p.m. Adults: ¥4,000Children (12 and under): ¥3,000




mac

zen

spa

fitness

oasis

den

for two

Make your second home a holiday

Enjoy a one-night summer stay, including breakfast, at one of the Guest Studios for just ¥28,000, or stay for three nights or more for only ¥25,000 a night.

Club Getaway SpecialAugust 1–31

This offer is based on double occupancy. Children accepted.

Prices exclude consumption and accommodation taxes.

Reservations: 03-4588-0381 | [email protected] www.tokyoamericanclub.org

©Je

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oldb

erg/

ESTO

GuestStudios_August2015_AD.indd 1 7/13/2015 5:40:04 PM

At last spring’s Asian Home Furnishings Sale, volunteer cashier Yumi Takahashi encountered several foreign

customers browsing the traditional Japanese cabinets and dinnerware. But when questioned about the history or cultural relevance of a piece, she found it difficult to express herself.

Takahashi, the director of a company that crafts Japanese-style wedding rings, says she wanted to explain the styles and techniques used in the making of the various artifacts but felt hampered by her English ability.

“The woodwork might have a different shape or style depending on the area it was made in Japan. For example, cabinets made in Tohoku have metal latches and handles,” says Takahashi, 48. “I want to share this information with foreigners.”

Takahashi joined the Club this past March, in part because she and her husband wanted their 8-year-old son to benefit from the all-English environment. Takahashi soon discovered there were also opportunities for her to improve her English, which

Kayo Yamw

aki

will help her better communicate with foreign artists, dealers and customers.

Like many new Members, Takahashi attended one of the Women’s Group’s monthly Coffee Connections, where upcoming events are introduced and promoted. At that first meeting, she was recruited to help out at the Asian Home Furnishings Sale. Despite her initial trepidation, Takahashi says she was able to meet people through the training process, and she was eventually introduced to the Women’s Group’s Language Exchange Coffee sessions.

Led by Member Reiko Saito, the get-togethers allow attendees to hone their language skills through games and friendly interaction with Members from different countries. Takahashi hasn’t missed a meeting since she joined the Club.

“At first, I was nervous to speak English, but I learned the foreigners were just as nervous to speak Japanese. I realized we are all in the same situation,” she says. “It’s not only English [practice], but you also learn about culture, food and customs. The chatting is fun and gradually my English will improve.”

Forging Friendships

by Nick Narigon

Yumi Takahashi

Determined to make new friends and improve her English, one Member is taking advantage of the Club’s many free social events.

Coffee ConnectionsMonday, August 31 | 10:30 a.m.CHOP Steakhouse Free

Language Exchange CoffeeMonday, September 14 | 10 a.m.CHOP Steakhouse Free

Contact the Women’s Group Office for details.

Takahashi recently enrolled in a university course in Japanese traditional culture and says she looks forward to building an international network through her work, studies and new connections at the Club.

“I am looking for opportunities to talk to other Members regularly. I have found the Club is a splendid place to gather and meet new friends,” says Takahashi. “Of course, I want to learn English and make a lot of friends, but I also enjoy the opportunity of introducing Japanese customs.” o



WEBSITE TIPS: NO. 2

Make the most of your membership by connecting with more Members through the Club website.

Step 1Go to www.tokyoamericanclub.org and log in with your Membership number and password.

Step 2Select Edit Profile from the My Account drop-down menu in the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 3Input your details and adjust your privacy settings, checking Appear in Member Directory and Allow Business Inquiries, so Members can find you.

Step 4Click Save.

To find other Members, select the Member Directory or Business Directory from the My Account drop-down menu.

But first, update your profile:

Article 24: Marriage shall be based only on the mutual consent of both sexes and it shall be maintained through mutual cooperation with the equal rights of husband and wife as a basis. With regard to choice of spouse, property rights, inheritance, choice of domicile, divorce and other matters pertaining to marriage and the family, laws shall be enacted from the standpoint of individual dignity and the essential equality of the sexes.


by Nick Narigon

Clouds of cigarette smoke hung in the air of the meeting room at the Daiichi Semei Building, the headquarters for the Allied occupying forces in Tokyo. It was 2 a.m. on March 4, 1946. The members of the American steering committee assigned to write a new constitution for Japan was at odds,

again, with their Japanese counterparts.The article in contention was one that provided equal rights

to Japanese women in such areas as marriage, property rights and inheritance.

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Kades, the head of the committee and the main author of the document, was at his wit’s end. The argument over how to redefine the emperor’s powers had taken four hours alone.

Kades looked at the interpreter, Beate Sirota, the only woman in the room, and told the Japanese delegation, “Miss Sirota has her heart set on the women’s rights. Why don’t we pass them?”

The Japanese delegation capitulated. In part because the group held Sirota in high regard and, in part, because equal rights was a directive from General Douglas MacArthur, and the constitution would likely not be approved without the inclusion of article 24.

What the Japanese negotiators did not know was that Miss Sirota had written article 24. It was a secret for 25 years.

“She was very humble. She said, ‘I was in the right place at the right time,’” says her son, Geoffrey Gordon. “But any one person could have been in that place at that time and not done what [she] did…. Not only did she rise to the occasion, but she rose to the occasion in absolutely spectacular fashion.”

Beate Sirota Gordon (pronounced Bay-AH-tay), who married Lieutenant Joseph Gordon, the chief interpreter for American military intelligence, achieved her most recognized accomplishment at just 22 years old.

However, she was also a luminary in the performing arts world and, later in life, a tireless advocate for peace. One of the Club’s Women’s Group’s classrooms is named in her honor, and more than 200 obituaries were published after her passing, at the age of 89, in 2012.

“By just writing those things into the constitution—our constitution doesn’t have any of those things—Beate Gordon intervened at a critical moment,” said Carol Gluck, a professor of

Writing History

Beate Sirota Gordon embarking for the

US (May 1947)

When the new Azabudai Club was unveiled in 2011, it featured one Women’s Group classroom named after Beate Sirota Gordon. But few Members know why.

FEATURE

21

Japanese history at Columbia University, to The New York Times after Gordon’s death. “And what kind of 22-year-old gets to write a constitution?”

Born into Viennese high society in 1923, Gordon’s father, famed pianist Leo Sirota, sold out concert halls across the world. Her mother, Augustine, was a well-connected socialite who hosted parties for Europe’s upper crust. By the age of 4, Gordon was debating composer Igor Stravinsky.

In 1929, Leo took the family on a six-month concert tour of Japan. Augustine was reluctant to go, but there was political unrest in Europe, which her husband predicted would subside by the time they returned. The US stock market collapsed while they were in Japan, devastating the Austrian economy and paving way for the rise of Nazism in Europe.

The Sirotas, of Russian Jewish origin, agreed to stay in idyllic Japan, where Leo was recognized as a master. In 1931, he began teaching Japan’s piano prodigies at the Imperial Academy of Tokyo.

Two years later, Leo and Augustine visited their daughter in the United States. They returned on the last ship to leave US territory for Japan. Less than a month later, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Gordon wouldn’t hear from her parents until the end of World War II.

Now fluent in six languages, Gordon took a job translating Japanese radio messages and then wrote propaganda programs for broadcast in Japan. In March 1945, she moved to New York City to work as a researcher for Time magazine. It was here she found out from a Japan correspondent that her parents were alive.

As a naturalized American and reportedly one of 65 Japanese-speaking non-Asians in the US, Gordon obtained a position with MacArthur’s staff as a “research expert.” On Christmas Eve 1945, she became the first female civilian to arrive in occupied Japan.

She located her malnourished parents at their summer home in Karuizawa and nursed them back to health. Disillusioned with their adopted home, Leo and Augustine left for the US in 1946.

By this time, two Japanese commissions had submitted revised constitutions, both of which were rejected by MacArthur. Since time was short, an American team was formed and given seven days to write a new draft.

Gordon was assigned to a three-person team charged with writing the articles on civil rights. “Beate, you’re a woman,” she was told. “Why don’t you do the bit about women’s rights?”

Ever resourceful, Gordon traveled to three libraries in war-ravaged Tokyo and collected 10 constitutions, including those of Germany, Russia and the US. While writing her sections, she was inspired by the Japanese girls from her childhood, who could not choose their husband and were expected to live a life of servitude.

Gordon wrote 20 constitutional provisions, which were pared down by the committee to the two existing articles: 14 and 24.

“I do think that her role in the Japanese constitution was absolutely crucial to what happened for women’s rights,” says Nicole Gordon. “It is hard for me to imagine any other person having accomplished what she did, just because of the confluence of all of those combinations of experiences and language skills and fearlessness that maybe comes with youth.”

(l–r)Beate Sirota Gordon, Nicole Gordon and Augustine Sirota (1958)

“My grandfather was very happy in Japan. It suited his personality, and they lived a very good life,” says Gordon’s daughter, Nicole Gordon. “They were the center of attention for all Europeans that passed through.”

The family settled into a large European-style home near Nogi Shrine in Akasaka. Even though Gordon attended a German school, her closest friends were her Japanese neighbors. They played badminton and attended puppet shows together. Within three months, the precocious Gordon was fluent in Japanese and served as translator for her parents.

By 1936, her teachers were replaced with Nazi sympathizers, who spewed anti-Semitic rhetoric, calling Gordon “stupid” in front of her classmates. She transferred to the American School.

When Gordon graduated high school at 15, she was fluent in Japanese, German, English and Russian. With war looming, Gordon enrolled at Mills College in Oakland, California, the closest all-female American university, in 1939.

Pariji M

un

akata


The Japanese government promulgated the constitution on November 3, 1946. To gain acceptance from the Japanese public, American involvement was kept secret until 1971.

When Gordon’s contribution was revealed, article 24 was highly criticized because it was written by a 22-year-old woman and not a constitutional law expert. For that reason, she did not publicly comment on her involvement until 1995, when she published her memoir, The Only Woman in the Room.

“There are still some conservative-types who consider my mother politically naïve, at best, and other things, at worse,” says Geoffrey Gordon. “It was smart to wait 50 years. When it became declassified, this gave energy to the anti-constitutional movement: ‘Americans made us adopt this. We view peace and war differently.’ All of this talk gained momentum in the late 90s.... That was frightening to my mother, and that galvanized her response.”

“Occasionally, she was rebuffed and no meant no, but that was rare. Her philosophy won the day most of the time, because she was willing to do whatever it took,” says Geoffrey. “She was a steamroller, which was a wonderful thing because her cause was righteous.”

After Gordon’s retirement from the world of arts in 1991 and the publication of her memoir, she began a new career as a proponent of article 9, the so-called peace clause of the Japanese constitution. Gordon conducted more than 200 lectures, and she spoke at the Club at the invitation of the Women’s Group in May 1999.

Gordon had the opportunity to reflect on her achievements during a collaboration with Nassrine Azimi and Michel Wasserman for the book Last Boat to Yokohama: The Life and Legacy of Beate Sirota Gordon, which was published this year.

“What she did during the war was extraordinary, and what she did to introduce Asian theater to the American audience is absolutely pioneering,” says Wasserman, a professor at Kyoto’s Ritsumeikan University. “She was not a specialist in constitutional law, and she was not a specialist of ethnical theater either, but she was able to change things.”

Azimi visited Gordon at her New York apartment, with its Japanese art, books, sheet music, grand piano and Hudson River views, numerous times.

“When I met her she was not the glamorous Asia Society and Japan Society

Beate Sirota Gordon with a friend after a performance at the American School (1938)

impresario, not the 22-year-old drafter of article 24, but she was a grandma,” says Azimi, co-founder of the Green Legacy Hiroshima Initiative. “To see this grandmother come to Hiroshima to give a talk, it was like a rock star. These Japanese women of a certain age, and even younger people, really adored her.”

During Azimi and Wasserman’s final interview with Gordon in 2012, six months before her death, she expressed her admiration for the way Japan had protected its constitution for more than 60 years. She believed it was a treasure for other countries to replicate.

“She would always say, ‘Here is a constitution that emphasizes all of the things a constitution should do, and adds this jewel that no government can take a nation into war,’” says Azimi. “Imagine if half the world’s constitutions had that. We would be in a different world.” o

The Only Woman in the Room and Last

Boat to Yokohama: The Life and Legacy

of Beate Sirota Gordon are available at

the Library.

Meet the Author: Nassrine Azimi and

Michel Wasserman

Monday, October 5

Toko Shinoda Classroom | 7–8 p.m.

¥1,500*

Sign up online or at The Library

*Excludes 8 percent consumption tax.

Gordon moved to New York City in 1947 to be closer to her parents. She was director for performing arts at the Japan Society and then the Asia Society. She introduced Asian art and culture to America, including Japanese artists like contemporary dancers Eiko and Koma, architect Kenzo Tange and woodblock print artist Shiko Munakata.

She traveled across Asia, climbing mountains in Tibet and searching the jungles of Bengal to find authentic performers to bring to Carnegie Hall and other acclaimed stages. She spearheaded development of the Lila Acheson Wallace Theatre and produced films based on her events.

(l–r) Augustine, Beate and Leo Sirota

FEATURE

23

Preparing for BattleO

n September 19, Japan will take on South Africa in their opening pool game of the Rugby World Cup in

England. The team faces a formidable challenge against a nation that has won the tournament twice.

But under head coach Eddie Jones, the Brave Blossoms have made significant advances, securing wins over rugby powerhouses Wales, in 2013, and Italy, in 2014. Next month, the team will also face Samoa, Scotland and the United States in pool B.

Former England captain and lock forward Steve Borthwick (pictured right) is the forwards coach of Japan’s national rugby side. iNTOUCH’s Nick Jones spoke to the Club Member about Japan’s prospects at the World Cup. Excerpts:

iNTOUCH: How has been the transition from player to coach?

Borthwick: One of my goals as a player was to finish playing on my terms. Normally, you are told you are surplus to requirement or injury stops you. For the last two years as a player, I was working part-time with Japan as a coach, and they offered me to come on full-time as soon as I retired. I played my final game of rugby for Saracens in the Premiership final on a

Saturday afternoon on May 31, 2014. The next morning, the 1st of June, I was on a plane to Vancouver to join the Japan team and start my new role.

iNTOUCH: What were your first impressions of the Japan side when you first worked with the team in 2012?

Borthwick: There was definitely a change happening from what had been done before to what was going to happen under Eddie Jones. The players had to develop physically to compete against the top-level nations in the world, so that meant changes to diet, changes to training regimes, changes to lifestyles. There was also the development of a clear identity of how the Japan team was going to play.

iNTOUCH: What is the Japanese way of playing?

Borthwick: If we try and play the same way as most of the teams in the world, Japan would probably struggle because most teams rely on their power game and kicking game. What Japan needs to do is be the best attacking team in the world and play a style of rugby that is exciting, quick, moves the ball and tries to find space.

iNTOUCH: What did Eddie Jones want you to do with the side when you joined?

JRFU


Borthwick: Initially, it was to assist with one particular area of the game, the lineout. As my time with the team increased, that role increased into my full-time role as forwards coach.

iNTOUCH: How have Japan’s forwards developed over the last few years?

Borthwick: I think they’ve come a long way. In 2012, we beat Romania and Georgia—the first time we’d won in Europe in about 25 attempts. Then, in 2013, we beat Wales in Tokyo. That was the first time in Japan’s history to beat a tier-one nation. To see the way the team could compete against very experienced players showed the growth of the team. And then, the following year, in 2014, we beat Italy, another tier-one team and a big, physical team.

iNTOUCH: What went so right in that game against Italy?

Borthwick: I think after the Wales win, we realized we could play and win against these teams. It has all helped build the [team’s] confidence.

iNTOUCH: What specifically have you been working on with the forwards?

Borthwick: Most of the teams we play against are physically bigger than us. They have more weight and more height, so we know we have to be technically very good to be able to compete. It means we have to play a style of rugby in the forwards that suits our strengths. With the scrum, in particular, we have former French international front row forward Marc Dal Maso, who works very hard with the scrum, and we have the ability to scrum very low.

iNTOUCH: You face South Africa in the first pool match of the World Cup. How do you mentally prepare your players for a game against such a formidable pack?

Borthwick: It’s a big challenge, and we try and put the players in situations that they’re going to experience at the World Cup.

iNTOUCH: South Africa are well known as an extremely physical side. How has Japan developed in that side of the game?

Borthwick: It’s a big focus of what we do. The players work exceptionally hard in the gym to try and increase their strength and their muscle bulk, so we have as much weight as we can carry against these teams. We know that very few teams in the world can compete against South Africa physically, so we know it’s a huge challenge. But every one of the players and coaches is working hard to develop the team along those lines.

iNTOUCH: What are your realistic hopes for this World Cup?

Borthwick: Eddie has talked about trying to get out of the group and qualify for the quarterfinals. This is a team that has created history. None of the players has experienced winning at the World Cup and that’s something we discuss. Some of the players weren’t around when Japan won at the World Cup [in 1991], it was that long ago. There’s a great opportunity for us to create something fantastic and do something special.

iNTOUCH: How has Eddie Jones transformed this team?

Borthwick: I think it’s incredible what he’s done to develop a team from where they

were to where they are now, to achieve those results and to give the team the belief that they can compete against the likes of Wales and Italy. It’s a testament to the quality of the coaching.

iNTOUCH: With Japan set to host the World Cup in 2019, how important is it that the national team has a good tournament in England?

Borthwick: I think it is vital. It’s vital that rugby in Japan continues to develop. It’s competing with some other sports that are incredibly well followed, but we tell the team that they have a responsibility to the next generation of kids to inspire them to want to be rugby players and to be proud of their nation’s rugby team.

iNTOUCH: Japan will host a Super Rugby side from the 2016 season. How important is this for the development of the game here?

Borthwick: The intensity of the [Super Rugby] games and the quality of the players is brilliant. So to have that opportunity for Japanese players to play against the world’s best players on a regular basis is going to be vital to the development of the Japanese rugby team. With the World Cup in 2019, the Olympics in 2020 and Super Rugby in 2016, it’s a potentially great time for the sport in Japan. o

JRFU

25

TALKING HEADS

Ahead of the fall semester of the Women’s Group’s enrichment programs, iNTOUCH steps into the kitchen of one Japanese cooking instructor.

by Rob GossPhotos by Kayo Yamawaki

What’s Cooking?Kumi Kui


“Washoku [Japanese cuisine] is now designated as an intangible heritage [by UNESCO], and it is getting more popular. You could even say it is booming. The women I teach tend to be my age or a little older, but there are lots of younger women taking Japanese cooking classes and reading cooking magazines and blogs,” Kui says.

She does acknowledge, though, that the subtle flavors of many Japanese dishes aren’t to everyone’s taste.

“One of the ladies I taught in Tokyo once brought her mother to class. While we were cooking, she kept saying, ‘Kumi-san, this has no taste. I need more salt,’” Kui says with a smile. “That’s OK. I know that not everyone will like my style of cooking, but it’s what I enjoy—simple, seasonal and nutritious. I know that lots of the ladies I teach enjoy it, too. And nothing makes me happier than when they send me photos of one of my recipes they’ve made at home.” o

Goss is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist.

The immaculate kitchen of Kumi Kui offers an insight into the intricacies and attention to detail that are part and parcel of Japanese cooking. Alongside all

manner of beautifully handcrafted knives, there’s a tool for almost every culinary task imaginable.

“This one is for cracking open gingko nuts,” says Kui, brandishing a small iron device that wouldn’t look out of place in a medieval torture chamber.

“And can you guess what this is for?” she asks, holding aloft what at first resembles the lid of an old-fashioned dumpling steamer. “It’s for straining tofu. The actual straining part is made of horse hair.”

A native of the ancient city of Nara, Kui, 50, spent many years abroad, including more than 10 years in London, as well as spells in New York City and Jakarta. While the simple, seasonally focused style of Nara cuisine has influenced her cooking, so, too, has her time overseas.

“Nara is a lovely, peaceful old town with sophisticated cuisine. We don’t use much seasoning and the presentation is elegant but simple,” she says. “On top of that, I have picked up international experience. At home, I like to make things like a tuna carpaccio, which is similar to sashimi, but with some fresh lime, Maldon sea salt and red peppercorns added. It’s a lovely fusion.”

Next month, Kui kicks off another semester of Women’s Group cooking classes through her K2 culinary school. Held once a month at her home in Hiroo for a small number of students, her five classes focus on traditional, home-style Japanese dishes, including rolled sushi, miso-marinated beef and tsukune chicken meatballs with chestnut rice.

The recipes reflect an approach to cooking that, like the best of Japanese cuisine, is rooted in the use of seasonal produce.

“We have four beautiful seasons in Japan and we should appreciate them. I want to express both myself and the seasons through food, so in November, for example, the recipe for the Club’s class incorporates chestnuts,” Kui explains. “Also crucial for me is presentation. The bowls and plates we use for serving are very important, but so, too, is decoration. In autumn, I like the effect of decorating with something like momiji [maple leaves] or chrysanthemum.”

In the workshop-style classes that Kui has been teaching since 2012, four or five students cook under Kui’s guidance and then eat their dishes together for a far cozier experience than at a typical culinary school, not least because Kui teaches in her own kitchen, with its views over Hiroo.

“I love cooking, but more than anything I love sharing the recipes with other ladies. It brings good people together,” she says. “People come to my classes by word of mouth and then I open my home to them. I can be natural and comfortable teaching at home, and it makes the experience more personal for everyone. For non-Japanese people, I think it must also be quite interesting to visit a Japanese home. I used to love going to local homes when I lived abroad.”

During her time in Britain, where she started her culinary school, Kui says she watched the rise in popularity of Japanese food, as it became more readily available in both restaurants and supermarkets. Despite the stories of how young Japanese are falling out of love with their own national cuisine—or just have no idea how to make it—Kui says she thinks Japanese food is thriving at home.

Enrichment Program ExhibitionAugust 17–September 6Frederick Harris Gallery

Meet the Sensei CoffeeWednesday, September 169:30–11a.m.Toko Shinoda, Yukiko Maki, Beate Sirota Gordon and Haru Reischauer classrooms

Enrichment Program RegistrationWednesday, September 16Online from 11 a.m.Contact the Women’s Group Office for details

27

INSIDE JAPAN

Off the Tourist TrailKyoto and Nikko might be chock-full of tourists during the summer months, but there are other cultural delights awaiting those willing to stray off the country’s well-worn tourist routes. Words and photos by Sandra Isaka

W hile the growing throngs of foreign tourists tend to stick to the so-called “golden route” of sights from Tokyo

to Osaka, Japan is full of hidden treasures and many can be easily visited in a day trip from Tokyo.

As a guide and travel writer who explores constantly, I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite lesser-known spots of interest.

Clematis no OkaMishima in Shizuoka Prefecture is home to an incredible collection of museums that sit in a delightful forest and beautifully manicured garden called Clematis no Oka. Admire masterpieces by French Expressionist Bernard Buffet, relax under a giant shade tree in the Vangi Sculpture Garden or take in the stunning photographs at the Izu Photo Museum. A delicious Western or Japanese lunch, followed by tea in an outdoor café, will round out this perfect day.www.clematis-no-oka.co.jp

GyodaThis Saitama Prefecture town should be visited between June and August when a park full of lotus flowers, grown from ancient seeds, are in bloom. The area’s observation tower affords a magnificent view of giant rice paddy “art,” while Saisaitei offers an amazing Japanese lunch in a historical home. The time travel continues at Oshi Castle and the nine ancient burial mounds at Sakitama Kofun Park. www.gyoda-kankoukyoukai.jp

HatsushimaAlthough a little rough around the edges, the tiny island of Hatsushima is great if you want to just get away from it all. Travel by sightseeing boat from Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture to walk paved trails through the local village and along a rocky coast. Climb trees and fly along zip lines before taking a nap in a hammock in a grassy Asian garden. Depending on the season, a dip in a swimming pool or ocean-side

hot-spring bath is the ideal way to wrap up the day. www.hatsushima.jp (Japanese only)

KasamaWhen it comes to pottery, Tochigi’s Mashiko receives all the glory, but the town of Kasama, in Ibaraki Prefecture, is a more well-rounded option. In addition to numerous studios selling gorgeous pottery, the town is full of charming temples and shrines, sake breweries and “secrets” like the Flower Hill Hanazono. Autumn’s Inari Shrine Chrysanthemum Festival is especially impressive. While there, be sure to eat at a local hangout like the Café R Hana.www.nichido-museum.or.jp

MisakiThe town of Misaki and the nearby island of Jogashima seem a world away, but they’re located just south of Yokosuka, on the Miura Peninsula. Wander around this storied port town, check out the fish market and then feast on freshly caught tuna. Be sure to take a sightseeing cruise out to Jogashima to walk along cliff-top trails while watching giant container ships sailing in and out of Tokyo Bay.www.city.miura.kanagawa.jp

Kodai Hasu no Sato in Gyoda


Nokogiriyama

NokogiriyamaBetter known in the past, Nokogiriyama, or Saw Tooth Mountain, just doesn’t pull in the crowds that it should. Unquestionably one of Chiba’s best sightseeing spots, the entire mountain is a sprawling Buddhist temple cut into sheer cliffs. Travel by gondola to a rocky overhang and lookout that will take your breath away. The forest trails lined with stone deities lead to a giant goddess of mercy and an even more impressive seated stone Buddha. www.mt-nokogiri.co.jp

OmeLocated in the westernmost reaches of Tokyo, the retro town of Ome has so much to offer, especially when it comes to flowers. Visit blooming plum tree-covered hillsides in February and a cherry blossom-lined Tamagawa River in the spring. From mid-April to early May, an amazing display of azaleas welcomes visitors to the mountainside “bowl” at the Shiofune Kannon Temple.www.omekanko.gr.jp

OyaAlways quiet but incredibly impressive—that’s the small mining town of Oya, in Tochigi Prefecture. After a tour of a massive underground cavern that was once a stone quarry, head to an ancient temple built

into the rock and the nearby giant goddess of mercy carved into a cliff. Later, dine on Southeast Asian delicacies at Zou no Ie, before stopping by Romantic-mura for a hot-spring bath and to pick up some locally grown fruits and vegetables.www.achikochi-kanko.jp

Daiyuzan Saijo TempleThis Buddhist sanctuary in Kanagawa Prefecture is one of the most amazing unknown temples in Japan. Founded in 1394, it sits in a forest of giant cedars and is similar in atmosphere to Nikko’s famous Toshogu Shrine—but without the crowds. Nearby, you can enjoy delicious draft beer and a barbecue lunch at the Asahi beer factory, unwind in an outdoor hot-spring onsen at Only Yu, or, in June, take in the local hydrangea festival.www.daiyuuzan.or.jp (Japanese only)

Ushiku DaibutsuAt 120 meters, Ushiku Daibutsu, in Ibaraki Prefecture, is Japan’s tallest statue of Buddha and the third tallest in the world. Its viewing

gallery is accessible by elevator and offers views over the surrounding garden. Chateau Kamiya, a winery-turned-craft beer brewery, is worth visiting for lunch and a tasty stout or pilsner. There are also a number of excellent golf courses in the area. Or, if you enjoy shopping, the Ami Outlet Mall is just around the corner.www.ushikukankou.com/ushikudaibutsu (Japanese only)

Club Member Isaka is a tour guide, travel writer and speaker at the Women’s Group’s Tokyo: Here & Now orientation program.

Tokyo: Here & NowOctober 6–78:45 a.m.–3 p.m. Members: ¥19,000 | Non-Members: ¥22,000Open to the public Sign up online or at Member Services from August 24Prices exclude 8 percent consumption tax.

Hatsushima

29

OUT & ABOUT

TAC Eagles vs Homura Elementary SchoolJune 6

The TAC Eagles’ two basketball teams enjoyed a successful

final home session of the season against Homura Elementary

School, racking up four wins and one tie to one loss.

Photos by Yuuki Ide1

3

4

2

1. (l–r) Sophie Christensen, Noah Perhirin, coach Dan Weiss, Grant

Jenkins and Billy Fleming 2. (l–r) Sophie Christensen, Kaila Nash,

Tyler Goldstein, Nicholas Shaw and Billy Fleming 3. Dean Simmons

and Kyle Burger 4. Front row (l–r): Bryce Hartz, Noah Perhirin, Billy

Fleming, Tyler Goldstein, Kaila Nash and Sophie Christensen; middle

row (l–r): Dean Simmons, Kai Caldwell, Kyle Burger, Max Murakami-

Moses, Gabe Simmons, Nicholas Shaw and Ali McEachern; back row

(l–r): coach Dave Hearn, Mackay Jenkins, Cole Strain, Grant Jenkins

and coach Dan Weiss


EVENT ROUNDUP

Mudsharks End-of-Year Awards Dinner June 7

The Club’s youth swim team, the Mudsharks, wrapped up

another successful season of training and meets with an

evening of awards and accolades.

Photos by Yuuki Ide

1. Front row (l–r): Olivia Danielson, Ellie Reilly and Leo Mizuno; middle

row (l–r): Elliot Danielson, James Hathaway and Josephine Loeber;

back row (l–r): Aya Akazu, Julie Mathieu, coach Simon Hadlow, Sky

Pool manager Haldane Henry, Agnes Ouellette and Yumiko Uehara

2. Shou Murakami-Moses and Elliot Danielson 3. (l–r) Christopher

Hathaway, Leo Mizuno, James Hathaway, Aren Mizuno, Thomas Whan,

Evan Hane, Brandon Sato and Leon Miller 4. (l–r) Nathalie Kerrigan,

Erin Vogler and Yoko Miyazaki 5. (l–r) Leo Mizuno, Ellie Reilly, Olivia

Danielson, Christopher Hathaway, Aren Mizuno and Christopher

Hathaway 6. (l–r) Alexis, Elliot and Wesley Maa

2

5

6

4

3

1


Father’s Day at the ClubJune 21

Following Mother’s Day the month before, Members

celebrated the international day of dads with a father-friendly

feast, drinks and photo keepsakes in the New York Ballroom.

Photos by Ken Katsurayama

EVENT ROUNDUP

33

Independence Day Celebration July 4

At the Club’s biggest event of the year, hundreds of

Members enjoyed a full day of traditional July Fourth fun,

including a morning fun run, hoop battles and kids’ activities

in the Gymnasium, a reception attended by US Ambassador

Caroline Kennedy and Prince and Princess Hitachi and music

and entertainment at an all-American barbecue feast.

The day wrapped up with a four-course dinner of American

cuisine and a performance by talented violinist Songae Kim

at CHOP Steakhouse.

Photos by Yuuki Ide

1. US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy 2. Princess Hitachi and US

Ambassador Caroline Kennedy 3. (l–r) Princess and Prince Hitachi,

US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and Club President John Durkin 4.

Club President John Durkin 5. Songae Kim

1


EVENT ROUNDUP

35

2


3

4

5

EVENT ROUNDUP

37

Why did you decide to join the Club?“Having moved to Japan eight years ago from my hometown of New York City, my wife, Miyuki, and I decided to join TAC primarily for ‘work’ pursuits: working on our health in the fitness facilities and working on our relaxation in the spa and restaurants. Between client meetings, I look forward to opening my laptop in the Winter Garden to focus on more professional work pursuits. Above all, we are excited about integrating into the TAC community and developing new business relations and friendships.”

Miyuki and Bryan Sherman

Why did you decide to join the Club?“Growing up in Tokyo in the ’80s and ’90s, I spent many fun-filled weekends at TAC with my parents and sisters. The Club was my slice of America, a place where I could celebrate the holidays, indulge my cravings for real burgers and hot dogs, watch movies a year before they were shown locally, and soak myself in an atmosphere unlike that anywhere in the city. Back in Japan and back at the Club after more than two decades, my wife, children and I look forward to meeting new people and making this our home away from home.”

(l–r) Joseph, Mirari, Michaela and Utako Quini

Bryan & Miyuki ShermanUnited States—Gramercy Engagement Group, Inc.

Joseph & Utako Quini Japan—Media Q3, Inc.

profilenew members

Thad Vernon & Hiroko EvansUnited States—Praxair, Inc.Mark A & Keiko SmithUnited States—VMWARE K.K.Bhupesh & Kamini GuptaUnited Kingdom—General Electric International, Inc.Sachiko Murooka-Silam & Sriniwas SilamUnited Kingdom—Tokyo Property Services, Ltd. Colin & Reina HsuUnited States—Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co., Ltd.Marcus & Kathy HoCanada—Barclays Securities Japan Ltd.Julian Capomassi & Claudia VeigaArgentina—Tenaris NKK TubesRichard van Horne United States—Glencoe Asset Management LLCDonna & David CotterCanada—ManuLife Japan Insurance CompanyMaxime Harrar & Karine Paget France—Richemont Japan Ltd.-Montblanc

yokoso

Carsten BruhnDenmark—RicohMichiko Hara Japan—Ariake Co., Ltd.Kazuhiko & Junko AbeJapan—Capcom Co., Ltd.Mayumi & Yasushi FukushimaJapanShin & Akiko OkazakiJapan—Leaf Minami AoyamaTakashi & Yuki MatsumotoJapan—Matsumoto Kiyoshi Holdings Co., Ltd.Kenji OkadaJapan—Itochu Enex Co., Ltd.Karthik Mohan & Vanessa StewartUnited States—Metlife Insurance K.K.Russell Cummer & Kseniya AseevaCanada—Exchange Corporation K.K.Stacey SimonUnited States—AIG Japan Holdings K.K.Michael & Geraldine WilliamsonUnited Kingdom—Hilton Tokyo

Nicholas Porter & Chloe DommergueUnited Kingdom—Lone Star Japan Acquisitions, Ltd. Jeff & Sarah RoyCanada—Canadian Solar Projects K.K.Daigo ShiotaJapan—DRS Co., Ltd. Kaname Nagayama & Machiko FujitaJapan—Obi Holdings Pte. Ltd.Daniel LiuUnited States—Fortress Investment Group (Japan) G.K.Masami & Motoki Dozono South Korea—Twinkle LLC Manoj & Nishka RangwaniIndia—BNP Paribas SecuritiesJohn & Ann SudingUnited States—Rolls-Royce Co., Ltd.Masahiko & Keiko FujiiJapan—Aman Holding Co., Ltd.Lawrence Mojumdar & Lorraine ReinboldUnited States—K.K. Mojumdar and Co., Ltd.

Anthony & Mariko Cutcliffe United Kingdom—FPG TrustKoichi & Aki Matsudaira Japan—Baker & McKenzieShuichiro & Miki ToyokawaJapan—Totan ICAP Co., Ltd.Taisei & Yukiko Takegami Japan—Standard Chartered BankMichael & Laura Mullette United States—Sanofi Pasteur K.K.Yuka & Takashi Hiramatsu Japan—Hiramatsu Accounting OfficeMatthew & Sayaka ConnollyIreland—Eire Systems K.K.Kyoko & Tetsumi Kurokawa Japan—ForgedIzumi Kameda Japan—Tsubaki CorporationTimothy & Yumiko Reed United States—Bank of America Merrill LynchRon & Kairi ChoyHong Kong—Credit Suisse Securities (Japan) Ltd.Ambroise Frey & Aki KimFrance—Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Ltd.Hakan & Kaede BorglundSweden—Apple Japan, Inc. David Litt United States—Deneb Renewable Energy K.K.


sayonara

Eric & Melissa DanielsonMatthew Miller & LD OliverC Spencer Abbot & Laura WinthropShay Bachman & Craig DionneShannon MurphyPhilippe Sommer & Linda Haas

Peter & Heidi Westmaas EliotChristine Marshall & Howard LordPatrick & Jill TeagueArchie & Bridget McEachernKevin MurrowSteve & Charlotte Lewis

Eric Dube & Gregory SimoneJillian Walker & John PattersonAndreas FaahsDale PattersonAninda Moitra & Kuang-Lin Ke

T o say Ai Ikeshima is a fan of all things Disney is like declaring Brazil is a bit partial to soccer. Not long after she

was married, she moved to the Makuhari area of Chiba to be closer to Tokyo Disneyland. “I love Disney,” she says. “I just wanted to see Mickey at the end of the day.”

Not every day, of course. But at least four days a week at one time. She has since curbed her pilgrimages to a moderate two visits a month. The parades and shows, in particular, are a draw. “There’s always a message like you can do anything or you shouldn’t give up,” she says of the songs performed. “It’s a place of happiness.”

employeeof the month

Ai Ikeshima

by Nick Jones

Since Ikeshima’s first excursion to Tokyo’s Magic Kingdom at the age of 5, she has visited hundreds of times and has traveled to Florida’s Disney World 10 times, Disneyland in California twice and even Disney’s own island in the Bahamas.

Ikeshima’s interest in travel took root during family vacations. “I always wanted to see places,” she says. “I wanted to communicate with foreigners.”

She enrolled at the International Education Center, a college specializing in English in Tokyo, and graduated in 2000.

Now on her second stint at the Club, the June Employee of the Month and most

recent Employee of the Quarter first joined Member Services in 2008, immediately before the annual staff party. “It was beginner’s luck,” she says with a giggle. “I won the Hawaii flight.”

The 35-year-old says she enjoys the variety of the job. “You don’t know what kind of inquiry it will be until you pick up the phone,” she says. “I like the process of finding out and finding a solution.”

Realizing how much she missed the Club during her time away, Ikeshima returned two years ago. And like her enthusiasm for Mickey and co, her passion for the Club shows no sign of waning. o

Anthony & Mariko CutcliffeUnited Kingdom—FPG TrustKoichi & Aki MatsudairaJapan—Baker & McKenzieShuichiro & Miki ToyokawaJapan—Totan ICAP Co., Ltd.Taisei & Yukiko Takegami Japan—Standard Chartered BankMichael & Laura MulletteUnited States—Sanofi Pasteur K.K.Yuka & Takashi HiramatsuJapan—Hiramatsu Accounting Office

Matthew & Sayaka ConnollyIreland—Eire Systems K.K.Kyoko & Tetsumi KurokawaJapan—ForgedIzumi KamedaJapan—Tsubaki CorporationTimothy & Yumiko ReedUnited States—Bank of America Merrill LynchAmbroise Frey & Aki KimFrance—Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Ltd.David LittUnited States—Deneb Renewable Energy K.K.

Ron & Kairi ChoyHong Kong—Credit Suisse Securities (Japan) Ltd.Hakan & Kaede BorglundSweden—Apple Japan, Inc.

39

CLUB PEOPLE

You can’t go anywhere in Japan these days without encountering some aspect of the yuru kyara mascot craze that

has enveloped the country over the last decade. Companies and brands use them, but the most common type of yuru kyara is the one that promotes a locality like a prefecture or city.

At the inaugural Yuru Kyara Grand Prix in 2007, members of the public chose the most popular mascot from 169 entries. At this year’s competition, there were nearly 1,700, with the vast majority representing a local area. So what’s responsible for the explosion in popularity of the mascot?

Nearly all yuru kyara can trace their origin to Hikonyan, who was created by the city of Hikone in 2007. The Shiga Prefecture city drew upon local folklore when developing its mascot. According to the tale, during the Edo period, a samurai lord was caught in a rainstorm but was led to safety by a white cat. The cat of legend is, of course, Hikonyan, who now sports an oversized samurai helmet and a bell around its neck.

by Akihiko Kubo

The Futureof Funassyiand Co

Hikonyan has been a tremendously effective marketing tool for Hikone. City officials estimate that since winning the grand prix, the feline has helped to provide a ¥34 billion boost to the city. And it’s not alone in its success. Some characters, such as Funassyi, the unofficial Funabashi City mascot, leave Hikonyan in the dust in terms of earning power.

So it’s no surprise to see cities falling over themselves to secure a piece of the mascot pie. Given the money Hikonyan, Funassyi and others have managed to generate, it’s hard to blame them, but the market has become simply overcrowded. There are now branded toys and key chains from cities that haven’t considered what makes a great character. The result is a series of boring knockoffs of established mascots, with many millions of taxpayers’ yen wasted in the process.

For now, though, the yuru kyara mania persists. A look at the meaning behind the term yuru kyara offers some insight into why they’re so popular in Japan. Since yuru means “weak” or “insignificant,” the mascots represent the opposite of a figure like Barbie. Young girls aspire to be Barbie, but no one in their right mind would want to be Funassyi, a clumsy pear who shrieks a lot. Instead, we want to protect him. In a post-bubble, post-Tohoku earthquake Japan, he’s the man (or pear) of the moment. By nurturing Funassyi, we cast ourselves as the helper rather than the victim. In the process, we nurture ourselves.

I’m intrigued to see where this mascot boom will lead. The pitiable Funassyi is popular now but in five years? As someone who is bullish on Japan’s economic prospects, I’m not so sure. With Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s so-called Abenomics policies beginning to take effect and Tokyo preparing to host the Olympics in 2020, the mood in the country is changing.

As Japan begins to reassert itself as a global economic power, don’t be surprised to see yuru kyara fall by the wayside. In their place, we may see something entirely different: a character you look up to rather than down on. o

Club Member Kubo is chairman of the adver t is ing agency Ogi lvy & Mather Japan Group.


BACK WORDS

TORANOMON HILLS RESIDENCEluxury residences for lease

www.moriliving.com

BRINGING NEW IDEAS TO LIFE IN TOKYO

The constitutional legacy of American Beate Sirota Gordon

Framing Japan’s Future

World Cup HopesA coach’s view of

Japanese rugby

Local FlavorsHome-style Japanese

cooking classes

Travel Tips A guide to lesser-

known tourist spots

TOKYO

AM

ERICAN

CLUB

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Issue 604 • August 2015

August 2015

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　

第四十七巻六〇四号　トウキョウアメリカンクラブ　

インタッチマガジン二〇一五年八月一日発行　

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

august 2015 intouch magazine

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