spa facilities that will help you look and feel your best. If you’re looking for long-term lease properties with a full range of services in convenient locations around Tokyo, it’s time to upgrade to MORI LIVING.
www.moriliving.com
JUNE 2021
INTOUCH
at one of the city’s hottest restaurants. On-site gym and
TOKYO AMERIC AN CLUB
An English-speaking concierge who helps you book a table
毎月一回一日発行 第四十七巻六七四号 トウキョウアメリカンクラブ インタッチマガジン二〇二一年六月一日発行 平成三年十二月二十日第三種郵便物許可定価八００円 本体七四一円
Time for an upgrade Time for MORI LIVING
TOKYO AMERIC AN CLUB
Going Green Building an eco-friendly future for the Club JUNE 2021
SACRED SPOT + NURTURING A MARKET FOR ART + ITALIAN WINE MAESTRO
A pioneer in prestigious real estate Kara Blanc in Minami-Azabu
We don’t just offer places to live, but locations where communities can grow. Our Homat Series has been offering the best in modern and stylish rentals in prime locations for international residents since 1965.
www.nskre.co.jp/english
We offer a wide range of premium residences, from highrises with sweeping panoramic views, such as the Homat Viscount in Akasaka, to low-rise residences in green and quiet neighborhoods, such as the Kara Blanc in Minami-Azabu. Our continuing goal is to provide high quality housing for expat families living and working in Tokyo’s city center.
Contents 20
KAYO YAMAWAKI
5
LE ADER SHIP
6
DIGE ST
10
AGENDA
INDEPTH
17 FORCES OF NATURE
Around 80,000 Shinto shrines dot the Japanese archipelago, but how relevant is the indigenous religion in modern Japan?
16
WINE
17
CU LT U R E
19
A RT
20
FO CU S
16 FINE WINE INNOVATION
Ahead of a dinner of Gaja wines this month, Giovanni Gaja explains the enduring success of the family business in Italy.
COMMUNITY
25
WELLNE SS
27
REGISTER
29
VOICE
30
HIGHLIGHTS
32
PURSUIT
COVER IMAGE OF THE CLUB BY KAYO YAMAWAKI
JUNE | 1
FOLLOW US
BUILDING GREEN
With carbon dioxide emissions from the operation of buildings worldwide hitting a record high in 2019, what is the Club doing to forge a more sustainable future?
TOKYO AMERIC AN CLUB
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
INTOUCH
Representative Governor Michael Benner (2022)
Editor Nick Jones
First Vice President Sam Rogan (2022)
editor@tac-club.org
Second Vice President Trista Bridges Bivens (2022)
Assistant Editor Owen Ziegler
Secretar y Jeffrey Behr (2021)
Designer Kohji Shiiki
Treasurer Kenji Ota (2021)
Designer Clara Garcia
Governors Michael Alfant (2021), John Flanagan (2021), Anthony Moore (2022),
Production Administrator Yuko Shiroki
Tetsutaro Muraki (2022), Catherine Ohura (2021), Alok Rakyan (2021)
GENERAL MANAGER
Heidi Regent (2021), Dean R Rogers (2022), Christina Siegel (2022)
Anthony L Cala
Statutor y Auditors Koichi Komoda (2022), Paul Kuo (2021) Parentheses denote term limit.
ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGERS Business Operations Wayne Hunter
CLUB COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Business Suppor t Lian Chang
Compensation Anthony Moore Culture, Community & Enter tainment Miki Ohyama (Jeffrey Behr)
DIRECTORS
Finance Joe Moscato (Kenji Ota)
Recreation Susanna Yung
Food & Beverage Kristina Wright (Sam Rogan)
Member Services Jonathan Allen
House Douglas Hymas (Catherine Ohura)
Membership Mari Hori
Human Resources John Y Sasaki (Tetsutaro Muraki)
Food & Beverage Suranga Hettige Don
Membership Risa Dimacali (Trista Bridges Bivens)
Finance Naoto Okutsu
Nominating Ray Klein
Facilities Toby Lauer
Recreation Nils Plett (Christina Siegel)
Communications Shane Busato
Risk Control Justin Keyes (John Flanagan)
Nihonbashi Managing Director
TAC Digital Member-Engagement Task Force Jeffrey Daggett
Noriaki Yamazaki
TAC Nihonbashi Task Force Ginger Griggs (Alok Rakyan)
CONTRIBUTORS
TAC Sustainability Task Force Trista Bridges Bivens
Writers
Tokyo 2020 Olympic David Hackett (Dean R Rogers)
Joan Bailey
Parentheses denote Board liaison.
Michael Benner
SUBCOMMITTEES
Pueyen Lee
Community Relations Hideki Endo
Max Printz
Frederick Harris Gallery JoAnn Yoneyama
Demir Sadikoglu
Golf Charles Postles
Photographers
Squash Richard Kenny
Yuuki Ide
Swim Agnes Ouellette
Taro Irei
TAC Talk Simon Farrell
Ken Katsurayama Benjamin Parks
Wine & Beverage Michael Van Zandt
Kayo Yamawaki Illustrator Tania Vicedo
ADVERTISING IN INTOUCH
JOINING TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB
Explore the Club’s range of advertising possibilities by talking to
To arrange a tour of the facilities,
the Club’s exclusive advertising agency, Custom Media.
contact the Membership Office.
Custom Media President Robert Heldt
Tokyo American Club
Custom Media Publisher Simon Farrell
2-1-2 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8649
adver tising@tac-club.org
membership@tac-club.org
03-4540-7730 | www.custom-media.com
03-4588-0687 | www.tokyoamericanclub.org
All prices referenced in INTOUCH include consumption tax.
2 | INTOUCH
Future planned Victoria Ward Park
Enjoy the Outdoors Revel in the beauty of the island and the energy of the city. Explore the flavors at the weekly farmers market. Practice yoga in the park. Read a book under the palms. Check our South Shore Surf Cam before paddling out. Share a meal alfresco. When you live at Ward Village, a connection to nature and the community is simply the hallmark of life.
島の美しさと街のエネルギーを堪能する。 毎週開催されるファーマーズマーケットでフレーバーを探索する。 公園でヨガをする。椰子の木の下で本を読む。 パドルアウトする前に、目の前のサウスショアの波をチェックする。 屋外での食事を楽しむ。ワードビレッジに住めば、 自然やコミュニティとのつながりを大切にした生活を送ることができます。 ‘A‘ali‘i residences starting from the $500,000s Kō‘ula residences starting from the $500,000s Victoria Place residences starting from the low $1,000,000s wardvillageoahu.com | +1 808 500 9081 Offered by Ward Village Properties, LLC RB-21701
PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN OFFERING OR SOLICITATION OF SALE IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE PROJECT IS NOT REGISTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW OR WHERE SUCH OFFERING OR SOLICITATION WOULD OTHERWISE BE PROHIBITED BY LAW. WARD VILLAGE, A MASTER PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IN HONOLULU, HAWAII, IS STILL BEING CONSTRUCTED. ANY VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF WARD VILLAGE OR THE CONDOMINIUM PROJECTS THEREIN, INCLUDING THEIR LOCATION, UNITS, COMMON ELEMENTS AND AMENITIES, MAY NOT ACCURATELY PORTRAY THE MASTER PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OR ITS CONDOMINIUM PROJECTS. ALL VISUAL DEPICTIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS IN THIS ADVERTISEMENT ARE FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. THE DEVELOPER MAKES NO GUARANTEE, REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY WHATSOEVER THAT THE DEVELOPMENTS, FACILITIES OR IMPROVEMENTS OR FURNISHINGS AND APPLIANCES DEPICTED WILL ULTIMATELY APPEAR AS SHOWN OR EVEN BE INCLUDED AS A PART OF WARD VILLAGE OR ANY CONDOMINIUM PROJECT THEREIN. WARD VILLAGE PROPERTIES, LLC, RB-21701. COPYRIGHT ©2020. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.
WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING.
LEADERSHIP
O Securing Our Future WORDS MICHAEL BENNER IMAGE KAYO YAMAWAKI
n behalf of the Board of Governors, I would like to thank all those Members who supported the financial resolutions at April’s Extraordinary General Meeting. We anticipate that the initiatives will see the Club through the current economic challenges brought on by the pandemic. Following the vote, we launched the dues prepayment program, which allows Members to prepay three years of monthly dues at the current rate (before the dues increase from next month). Open to just 500 Members on a first-come, first-served basis, the program is 70 percent subscribed and it will likely fill up by the deadline of June 15. The program is structured to protect your capital should your membership status change during the program’s three-year period. This means that if you switch to a lower-cost membership category during this period, you will be refunded the differential on a prorated basis. In financial terms, this equates to a 7.5 percent post-tax return on investment. Not bad in the current economic conditions! These crucial prepayment funds (around ¥400 million) will allow us to pay pending taxes, which were deferred from last year as part of a government scheme to support businesses. Additionally, the building maintenance fund that Members approved will amount to ¥66 million annually. This reserve will be used specifically for critical Club infrastructure projects. But we know that the job is far from over. The resolutions are part of continuing steps to secure the Club’s long-term sustainability. Our membership recruitment drives for both the Nihonbashi and Azabudai facilities are going strong, while efforts to further reduce Club costs are underway. State-of-emergency regulations have had a deep impact on the Club’s revenues, particularly those generated by our private event business and Club dining, which has been hampered by curbs on serving alcohol. But the Board has prioritized keeping the Club operating to the widest degree possible, with no changes to the use of popular Member areas like the Fitness Center, Gymnasium and Sky Pool. It’s hoped that with an accelerated vaccine rollout over the coming weeks, the Club will be able to return to its regular hours of operation. In the meantime, I encourage you to make full use of your Club. The summer months offer the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the community we all hold dear.
“THE RESOLUTIONS ARE PART OF CONTINUING STEPS TO SECURE THE CLUB’S LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY.”
Michael Benner is the Club’s representative governor.
JUNE | 5
D I G E ST E D I TO R
Starred Selection
People Power
BENJAMIN PARKS
WINE
The Club’s wine collection received stellar marks at the annual World of Fine Wine awards for 2020. CHOP Steakhouse’s selection was named the best medium-sized wine list in Asia and was awarded three stars for a sixth consecutive year. Three stars reflects a “great wine list” that comprises a “very good mix” of producers, vintages, styles and formats, among other criteria. In addition, American Bar & Grill earned one star for its wine list for a fourth straight year. The London-based World of Fine Wine magazine launched its awards in 2014, and its panel of judges is made up of eminent wine critics and writers. NJ E V E N TS
TARO IREI
Rising to the Occasion
Organizing a celebration as significant as a bat mitzvah can be stressful at any time. Doing it in a pandemic year throws up an additional raft of considerations. But when Member Jonathan Tischler met with the Club’s event organizers, he found an “incredibly responsive and accommodating” team determined to help him make the party for his 13-year-old daughter, Emi, a memorable occasion. The April event in the Manhattan rooms was just that. It was also, Tischler says, a chance “to gather with friends and family for the first time in a long while in a safe and comfortable environment.” For seamless and safe celebrations, contact 03-4588-0308 or banquet@ tac-club.org. NJ
6 | INTOUCH
The words “greenhouse gas emissions” typically evoke images of car-clogged highways or coal-fired power stations belching clouds of noxious pollutants. We don’t tend to think of glass-sided skyscrapers or pristine city business districts. But as innocuous as they appear, buildings are a major source of global carbon dioxide emissions. According to the UN’s Environment Program, emissions from the construction and operation of buildings account for 38 percent of all energy-related CO2 emissions. For a period in 2011, the relationship between buildings and power consumption became starkly evident across Tokyo and other Japanese cities. Following the shutdown of the country’s nuclear power plants in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, the government asked its people to drastically reduce their electricity use to prevent blackouts. The summer of power-saving setsuden saw office buildings, department stores, stations and households turn lights off and thermostats up. The collective effort was remarkably effective. That July, the amount of electricity supplied by the 10 major utilities dropped by nearly 9 percent, with outages averted. Over the last decade, the need to reduce emissions and avoid irreversible damage to the climate has grown ever more urgent. In this month’s cover story, “Building Green,” we look at the challenges—and opportunities—facing the Club on its road to greater energy efficiency and sustainability. With the climate change clock loudly ticking, we could do worse than to look to 2011 for lessons in determination and resolve.
L I B R A RY
From the Shelves Over the last 18 months, campus life has been reduced to online lectures for Member and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology junior Max Printz. But he hasn’t missed the opportunity to indulge his passion for books.
Max Printz
What inspired your love of books? When I was younger, I read many fantasy and adventure books, which made me feel like I was exploring a new, exotic world. I still feel this excitement when reading, as every book offers me a new perspective that helps to shape who I am today. What genre do you most enjoy? Other than fiction, I have been reading more nonfiction and self-help books, including books that can guide me in transitioning into an independent adult. Considering that I have been living with
my parents for the past year and a half, however, I am not sure how much these books have been helping me. What are you reading now? I am finishing up Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. We read this book for our last meeting of the Club’s Book Lovers’ Group. When were you last unable to put down a book? Last summer, I read The Alchemist by
KAYO YAMAWAKI
What was your favorite childhood book? In elementary school, I loved Calvin and Hobbes. I remember reading them so often that our copies started falling apart, and we even had to tape up the cover of one. I’ve recently started rereading Calvin and Hobbes and now realize the deeper meaning behind some of the comic strips. It will always be one of my favorite series.
Paulo Coelho. The story follows Santiago, a young shepherd who travels from Spain to Egypt in search of buried treasure. This book emphasizes the importance of following your dreams. My favorite part of the book is the prologue and the “lovely story” of Narcissus. In this version, the lake where Narcissus drowns mourns the loss of its own reflection in Narcissus’ eyes. I believe that Coelho is saying that self-involvement can also help you to pursue your life goals and have healthy relationships.
S PA
No-Mess Rest
KAYO YAMAWAKI
Looking for all the benefits of a soothing Spa session but without the time commitment? The Spa’s dry treatment is perfect for those who struggle to find enough time in the day to indulge in some well-earned R&R. The oil-free approach is designed to stimulate deep-muscle tissue and boost circulation to joints and more through rhythmic compression and therapeutic stretching of muscles and limbs. Through June 30, receive 20 percent off when you book your one-hour (¥9,240) or 90-minute (¥13,200) session with one of The Spa therapists. OZ
JUNE | 7
Experience the Island Life
A BR E ATHTA K ING LOC ATION IN O K I N AWA O F F E R S I N F I N I T E P O S S I B I L I T I E S Nestled in a beautiful national park and encircled by a calm sea, the ANA InterContinental Manza Beach Resort offers the ideal Okinawa getaway. It’s just steps away from the picturesque Manza Beach, with its stunning views and golden sand. And when you’re not soaking up the sun, you can savor a variety of dining options and enjoy the activities and facilities the resort has to offer.
Whether you’re looking for ocean adventures such as snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding or sea kayaking, or want to pamper yourself at the Urumo Spa, it’s all there at ANA InterContinental Manza Beach Resort. And make sure you don’t miss Manza Ocean Park®. One of Japan’s largest inflatable water parks, it’s a treat for the whole family, offering floating trampolines, monkey bars, climbing walls and slides.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Manza Ocean Park®, ANA InterContinental Manza Beach Resort has prepared a full range of complimentary benefits, available until September, to help you enjoy a wonderful summer! • Free access to Manza Ocean Park®—valued at ¥3,500 per day (All-you-can-play for free until the end of June; one-time access with stays of longer than two nights between July and September)
• Free access to the resort’s public bath • Free parking • Enjoy weekly events, such as fireworks and BBQs, from July to September (details at www.anaintercontinental-manza.jp/en/offers)
ANA InterContinental Manza Beach Resor t +81(0) 98 966 1211 2260 Seragaki, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa www.anaintercontinental-manza.jp
D I G E ST NIHONBASHI
WINE
Downtown Delights
Tinseltown Tipples WORDS DEMIR SADIKOGLU
KAYO YAMAWAKI
IMAGE KAYO YAMAWAKI
American Room’s Prime strip loin medallion
Business districts like Nihonbashi are naturally chockful of dining options for the throngs of hungry professionals. But one Member has been captivated by a new face on the block since it opened in March. “Given all the choices I have around Nihonbashi,” says Nihonbashi Club Member Arthur Mitchell, “the American Room has become my menu of choice right now.” Mitchell particularly praises the Club restaurant’s Prime burger with caramelized onions, tomato and lettuce on a brioche bun as well as its classic BLT with maple-smoked bacon. But half the epicurean pleasure comes from discovering what the chefs cook up next. “They change the menu once a week,” Mitchell says. “Every time, I try something new.” OZ SAFET Y
KAYO YAMAWAKI
Keeping It Clean
Members have another reason to breathe easy when they’re unwinding at the Club. As part of ongoing efforts to create a safe Club environment, air purifiers have been installed in a number of venues. Visitors to such spaces as The Spa’s treatment rooms, the second-floor Meeting Rooms (pictured) and the Music Rooms will notice the compact devices on the wall. The Airgle air purifiers feature several filters, including a medical-grade HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter to remove dust, pollen, smoke and airborne pollutants, and technology to kill up to 99.95 percent of bacteria and viruses. Working in combination with the Club’s highly efficient air-filtration system, the new purifiers help to improve indoor air quality. NJ
While the Academy Awards might not feature a “best libation” category, I thought I would highlight three Cellar offerings that have all “performed” on the silver screen. To celebrate its appearance several times as James Bond’s favorite champagne, starting with 1973’s Live and Let Die, Bollinger released its Special Cuvée 007 Limited Edition (¥6,050). With refined complexity and hints of vanilla and hazelnut, this is a wine as lively as the world’s most famous secret agent. Achieving instant fame after their Hitching Post II restaurant starred in 2004’s Sideways, Gray Hartley and Frank Ostini continue to make outstanding Pinot Noir at HP winery. In the movie, Miles describes the Pinot grape as “thin-skinned,” “temperamental” and in need of “constant care and attention.” Hitching Post’s 2017 Cork Dancer Pinot Noir (¥5,390) boasts a rich, dark fruit profile and balanced structure. Miles would undoubtedly approve. “Hey, friend, you want a Woodford?” Who could forget Curtis’ famous offer to Gerry in the 2015 indie drama Mississippi Grind? The Woodford Reserve Double Oaked bourbon (¥6,270) tastes even better after further maturation in charred barrels, which give it a sweet oak character with fruit, vanilla and caramel notes. Demir Sadikoglu is a member of the Club’s Wine & Beverage Committee. For the month of June, receive a 10 percent discount on purchases of at least three bottles of any of these recommended Cellar libations.
JUNE | 9
AG E N DA
Events in June Since some events may be postponed or cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, please check the Club website for the most up-to-date information.
1
New Digital Newsstand The Library’s collection of digital magazines from around the globe migrates to Zinio, an online database of magazine content accessible through the Club website. Details online
1
Tour de Tokyo Compete to finish circuits of Tokyo’s 34.5-kilometer Yamanote Line in the saddle of a stationary fitness bike. This Les Mills-augmented Club challenge runs through June 13. The Studio ¥2,750 Ages 16 & above Details online
1
Endurance Swim Training Club swim coach Masa Hamanaka leads monthly sessions designed to build stamina for longer swims, triathlons and endurance events. Every Tuesday & Thursday 8–9am Sky Pool Details online
1–14
Yamazaki Whisky Silent Auction This Father’s Day, skip the new ties or socks. Instead, treat Dad to a bottle of premium whiskey through The Cellar’s silent auction of five different brands of Yamazaki’s finest.
1
Gallery Exhibition: Yujiro Ueno The vibrant acrylic and oil paintings of Yujiro Ueno kick off the Frederick Harris Gallery’s series of summer exhibitions by emerging artists. A recent master’s graduate of Tokyo University of the Arts, Ueno’s striking depictions of animals have already gleaned numerous prizes. Ueno, who was born in Kyoto in 1996, says the strong brushstrokes and layers in his works are inspired by traditional Asian calligraphy. This exhibition series, which runs through September 27, is organized by Tetsuji Shibayama, who will speak at the Club about his work on June 9 (read more on page 19). NJ
The Cellar Details online
1–30
Summer Sale Spruce up your summer wardrobe with 50 percent off Club-branded T-shirts, polos, sunglasses and bags from The Cellar’s extensive collection. The Cellar Details online
10 | INTOUCH
Moment I realized I wanted to become an artist. I began to explore expression when I started painting with oils in high school after seeing the works of past masters in museums and books. But I was inspired to devote myself to art following the suicide of a close classmate when I was 20 years old.
What I would tell my 20-year-old self. To have a broad perspective and to be patient while searching for expression. Also, to believe in your potential and to value encounters with people who support you. My perfect creative environment. A large atelier where I can quietly create. Since climate and sunlight affect the creative process, I would eventually like to move to somewhere like Taiwan where the sunlight is strong. Artist, living or dead, I’d most like to share a meal with. Contemporary painter Hsia Yan, whose work in Taiwan impressed me. Also, I would like to ask Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon and Hokusai to critique my work. Through June 30 Frederick Harris Gallery Artworks available for purchase through The Cellar Details online
2
6
Youngsters pick up a lifelong love of reading at this weekly session of children’s tales from the shelves of the Children’s Library.
With events in freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke across a range of distances and age brackets, there’s something for every swimmer at this half-day test of aquatic mettle.
Wednesday Storytime
4–4:30pm Children’s Library Free Ages 2–6 Details online
All-Comers Swim Meet
11
Gaja Wine Dinner with Giovanni Gaja The fifth-generation scion of the internationally acclaimed Italian winery hosts an epicurean evening of fine Gaja vintages. Giovanni Gaja discusses the secret of the family winery’s success on page 16.
2 & 16
9am–12:45pm Sky Pool ¥1,650 Members ages 6 & above Details online
Up your presentation game with the help of the Club’s welcoming band of Toastmasters.
6
12–1:30pm Washington & Lincoln rooms ¥2,420 (online: ¥550) Sign up online
Families spice up a tote bag (included in the fee) or any household item at an afternoon of multicolored creativity.
4
1:30–3:30pm Gymnasium ¥2,200 Ages 4 & above Members only Sign up online
Elementary school kids explore the world of Scouting through regular meetings of the Club-sponsored Pack 51.
6 & 27
7–8:30pm Toko Shinoda & Yukiko Maki classrooms Details online
Toastmasters Luncheon
Viva Las Vegas A Vegas-inspired evening of glitz, glamor, all-or-nothing bets and eye-popping prizes. Net proceeds will be donated to Connectionssupported charities. 5:30–9pm Main Entrance (1F) Details online
4
Friday Night Live Kick-start the weekend with drinks, chat and the classical guitar sounds of fretboard talent Isana Akita. 6–8pm CHOP Steakhouse ¥2,750; walk-ins (if seating available): ¥3,850 Members only Details online
Tie-Dye Party
Boy Scout Meeting Discover adventure, friendships and lifelong skills through the Clubsponsored Troop 51. 5–7pm Activity Room Details online
7
Culture Connections Mingle with friends and new acquaintances while learning about the culture, cuisine and history of one another’s home countries.
6–9pm New York Ballroom ¥24,200 (guests: ¥29,040) Limit: two guests per Member Sign up online
11
Cub Scout Meeting
11–13
Italian Summer Sale Dress for sunny days with up to 80 percent off deluxe Italian shoes, swimwear and more. 10:30am–7pm Beate Sirota Gordon & Haru Reischauer classrooms Details online
11, 18 & 25
Winter Garden Melodies
10am Connections members only Details online
Let the soothing piano and violin performances of local maestros ease you into the weekend.
4–6
9
6–9pm Winter Garden Details online
Enjoy up to 40 percent off beautiful jewelry and accessories featuring Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian black and Indonesian golden pearls.
The former managing director of Sotheby’s Japan discusses his quest to give the local art scene a boost before offering tips to budding collectors. Read more about Shibayama’s mission on page 19.
Pearl Sale
10:30–7pm Beate Sirota Gordon & Haru Reischauer classrooms Details online
5
Youth Toastmasters Club Youngsters pick up tips on public speaking, debating and how to keep an audience’s attention from members of the Club’s own Toastmasters group. 2–3pm Washington & Lincoln rooms ¥1,100 Ages 10–18 Details online
TAC Talk: Tetsuji Shibayama
14
Camp Discovery Get your fill of crafts, games, dance, sports and the summer sun at the Club’s kids-only day camp.
7–8pm Washington & Lincoln rooms Members: ¥1,650 (online: ¥550); guests: ¥1,980 (online: ¥660) Sign up online
One-week sessions through August 27 Preschool Camp (ages 3–5): ¥49,500; Big Kids Camp (ages 5–8 & 9–10): ¥55,000 Members only Sign up online
9
15
The Library’s semiannual, pageturning read-a-thon returns with an Olympic-themed contest perfect for voracious bookworms and novel novices alike. Runs through August 18.
Mask up and mingle with friends over happy-hour drinks during this monthly mixer.
Summer Reading Challenge
Cocktail Connections
5–7pm Connections members only Details online
The Library Details online
JUNE | 1 1
AG E N DA
19
Meiji Jingu Tour Explore this famous Tokyo shrine during a behind-the-scenes tour. Read more about Shinto’s enduring appeal on page 17. 12:30–2:30pm ¥2,200 (guests: ¥3,850) Limit: two guests per Member Details online
19
Show & Tell Jamboree Ages 6 to 9 learn how to share ideas at this afternoon of games, music and confidence-boosting activities. 2–3pm Brooklyn rooms ¥1,100 Sign up online
19 & 26
Farmers Market
KEN KATSURAYAMA
Stock up on locally sourced, organic vegetables, fruit, wine, jam, honey and more from Tokyo-based store Ecoloupe. 9am–3pm Beate Sirota Gordon & Haru Reischauer classrooms Details online
23
Fukushima Sake Dinner An evening of exquisite sake flavors from Aizu’s Eisen Shuzo and Tsurunoe Shuzo breweries. 6:30–8:30pm Manhattan II & III Details online
26
Men’s Golf Group Competition Club golfers take on the fairways and greens of Shishido Hills Country Club’s West Course in Ibaraki Prefecture. 8am Details online
26
Saturday Storytime Kids jump into the weekend with tales of magic and adventure from the shelves of the Children’s Library. 11:30am–12pm Children’s Library Free Details online
28
Coffee Connections Set yourself up for a summer of new friendships at this monthly gettogether of Connections members. 10am Connections members only Details online
12 | INTOUCH
20
Father’s Day at the Club The third Sunday in June is recognized the world over as the day when dads are (officially) allowed to put up their feet and enjoy their fill of favorite eats. But when the idea of Father’s Day was first proposed in the United States in the early 1900s, it was opposed. By men. After Mother’s Day was established in 1914, some men saw the idea of a day for fathers as overly sentimental. Lucky for dads, the efforts of women like Sonora Smart Dodd, who was raised by a widower, paid off. Father’s Day was made a national holiday in 1972. In keeping with tradition, the Club is helping families mark the day with culinary spreads for enjoying at the Club or at home. Makiko Kohlbacher and her family celebrated Easter at the Club and are hoping to do the same for this holiday. “It’s great to be able to get together
with other families and lots of children in a safe environment where everything is so well organized,” she says. With the likes of prime rib, beer can-spiced chicken breast, panroasted sea bream and desserts galore on the Father’s Day Celebration menu and mouthwatering family feasts available for pickup or delivery, dads are spoilt for choice. NJ FATHER’S DAY CELEBRATION 11am–3pm New York Ballroom Adults (food only): ¥7,480; adults (food + two-hour, all-you-candrink beverage package for ages 20 & above): ¥10,560 (wine upgrade: ¥11,110); juniors (ages 13–17): ¥4,884; kids (ages 4–12): ¥2,442; infants (ages 3 & under): free Sign up online FATHER’S DAY FEAST 11am–6pm Pickup (The Cellar) or delivery Order online
CELEBRATION An all-day, fun-packed spectacular of family festivities for America’s birthday. July Fourth ceremony
Kids’ games and competitions
All-American eats
Evening entertainment for adults
INDEPTH | WINE
Fine Wine Innovation Giovanni Gaja, who hosts a Club dinner this month, reveals the secret of his family’s wine success. WORDS NICK JONES
E
ven in an industry of timehonored practices, ancestral estates and traditions as aged as gnarled vines, Gaja is something of an aberration. “We don’t have a website or social media, but we communicate in a very intimate and personal way by traveling around the world and meeting our consumers,” says Giovanni Gaja, whose great-great-grandfather founded the family winery in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy in 1859. But the Gaja family’s indifference to 21st-century marketing practices shouldn’t be misconstrued as dyedin-the-wool conventionalism. On the contrary, Giovanni’s father, Angelo, is credited with revolutionizing winemaking in Piedmont and helping to untether Italian wine from its postwar, cheap plonk image. Today, Gaja is synonymous with quality Nebbiolo-based reds—Barolo and Barbaresco (the tiny village where the first Giovanni Gaja established a winery), but it also produces award-winning varietals in Tuscany and, most recently, in Sicily. After completing his education in economics in Milan and working in finance for a few years, Giovanni, 30,
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Giovanni Gaja
joined the family business in 2018. Together with his eldest sister, Gaia, he focuses on Gaja’s export markets. “This is a wonderful job and I am very lucky,” he says. “Being a winemaker means being able to keep one foot in nature and enjoy its beauty. At the same time, this job allows me to travel to different countries to promote the wines, meet people and discover new cultures.” Just as Giovanni has had to adapt to an environment of travel restrictions over the past year (he will appear virtually at this month’s Club dinner), evolution is at the heart of the winery’s approach to its craft. “To me, tradition is synonymous with transition,” Giovanni says. “It means being able to adapt and keep up with changing times while maintaining the knowledge and beliefs of the past. Today, for example, it means adapting to the challenges brought by climate change, from warmer summers and extended periods of drought to spring frosts and rising levels of alcohol.” Driven by an unshakeable belief in the potential of Barbaresco, Angelo
Gaja, who began working with his father in 1961, has always been an innovator. In the 1960s, Angelo introduced a new method of pruning Nebbiolo grapes. In the ’80s, he experimented with small oak barrels to boost the structure and concentration lacking in some vintages. He was also the first winemaker to plant nonindigenous varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc) in the Langhe area. Alongside this contrarian spirit, Giovanni says, his father touts the importance of skepticism. “Thinking that our way of working is the only possible one doesn’t leave margins for improvement,” Giovanni explains. “We are always open to evaluate and learn about new techniques and protocols because that’s a way to improve.” Gaja’s fans around the world would drink to that. GAJA WINE DINNER WITH GIOVANNI GAJA June 11 6–9pm New York Ballroom ¥24,200 (guests: ¥29,040) Limit: two guests per Member Sign up online
I N D E P T H | CU LT U R E
Meiji Shrine
Forces of Nature
Even in famously irreligious modern Japan, Shinto remains woven into much of the culture.
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tanding before one of the thick pillars of Meiji Jingu shrine’s main prayer hall, Moriyasu Ito fingers the nicks and notches visible in the century-old cypress wood. Sword strikes from historic battles? A pest infestation? Not exactly. “In the past, there were so many people coming to pray around New Year’s that the shrine had to set up barriers,” Ito, clad in traditional, white vestments, explains of the crowd control measures around the huge donation box at the famous Tokyo shrine. “So people just threw their coins toward the shrine instead.” As a Shinto priest and head of the international section at Meiji Jingu’s Intercultural Research Institute, Ito often delivers lectures on Japan’s indigenous faith to foreign audiences with more systematized conceptions of religion. “Shinto doesn’t have any [holy book] or scriptures or dogma,” notes Ito, who leads a Club tour this month of the 100-year-old Meiji Jingu (built as a memorial to Emperor Meiji and
WORDS OWEN ZIEGLER
the Empress Shoken) and its verdant grounds. “We merely feel that we are following the Shinto way.” Despite the ambiguity, Shinto adherents abound in modern Japan, a society with a somewhat flexible relationship with organized religion. The country is regularly cited as one of the world’s most secular nations, though an infamous 2018 government study revealed that 69 percent of Japanese qualified as followers of Shinto while around 67 percent identified as Buddhist (Christianity and other minor religions comprise less than 8 percent of the population). Such figures may seem nonsensical to followers of Western faiths with strict mandates on religious affiliation, but Ito explains that Shinto’s origins as a collection of folk rituals mean that the lines between culture, tradition and codified religion are often blurred. “We didn’t have any category of Shinto before [Japan] received Buddhism in the sixth century,” Ito says. “Our ancestors thought, ‘Well, we just have a different way of life or philosophy.’”
The unadorned name that those ancestors came up with for their animistic beliefs literally translates as “the way of the gods.” Unlike most major religions, Shinto shows little concern for the afterlife. The millions of kami gods promise nothing in the way of eternal salvation. While Japanese usually perform funerary rites at Buddhist temples, Ito explains, visits to Shinto shrines are usually reserved for rituals that reinforce the here and now: the health and happiness of a newborn, luck for an upcoming exam or success in one’s professional or romantic life. Perhaps it’s that offer of comfort in uncertain moments that has helped Shinto survive from prehistory to today. “After the state of emergency ended [last March], quite a lot of people came back to visit Meiji Jingu,” Ito says. “I was relieved. I thought this place…must be regarded as an important place for the Japanese mind.” MEIJI JINGU TOUR June 19 12:30–2:30pm ¥2,200 (guests: ¥3,850) Ages 16 & above Sign up online
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A DV E RTO R I A L PHOTO BY KÔ ODA
Sake Source New subscription service shares the appeal of Japan’s national drink
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ake’s origins in Japan go back more than 1,000 years, and the beverage is intertwined with the country’s culture. It has been used in religious ceremonies, and when you visit a shrine during the beginning of the year, you will often be greeted with a small saucer of nihonshu, as it is known in Japanese. Despite its long standing in Japan, other drinks such as beer and spirits have supplanted sake, and in the last 20 years, the number of sake breweries has declined by 50 percent. Ironically, at the same time, the quality of the beverage has improved drastically, thanks to increasing refinement in how it is produced. But while it is losing steam in its native land, many countries are recognizing the unique qualities of sake. It used to be found strictly at Japanese restaurants, but Westerners have come to realize that the beverage can pair well with a variety of dishes. However, familiarizing yourself with the various types of sake, which feature initially intimidating terms such as daiginjo and junmai-shu, is a challenge even for Japanese people, and even more so for Westerners. Furthermore, many of the breweries that remain have fascinating histories that unfortunately go unrecognized.
PLATFORM WITH A MISSION This is where Sakeist comes into its own. Launched by Anna Akizuki, a former wine professional and the founder of the beverage technology company Khariis Co., Ltd., it is a platform designed to connect global consumers, beverage industry professionals and sake breweries. Akizuki explained that the inspiration behind the business came from her own study of the drink: “Learning the long history of sake, as a Japanese person, I realized that it would be my next mission to make this industry competitive to the wine industry in the world. At the same time, I recognize Japanese consumers have undervalued sake because of its very low price, which stands in distinction to its highly sophisticated culture and history. In order to address these issues, I decided to found my company and Sakeist.” To help further this mission, starting in June, Sakeist will offer a subscription service that delivers two bottles of a carefully curated sake—some of which are exclusive to the service—to subscribers’ homes each month. They also provide an online seminar during which subscribers learn about the finer points of that month’s bottle from the renowned Xavier Thuizat, a French sommelier who serves wine, sake and other drinks.
GUIDE TO THE BREW Thuizat is the ideal ambassador for Westerners who would like to know more about the world of sake. Initially trained as a wine sommelier in France, he first experienced sake in 2014—a moment he describes as “love at first sight.” His initial inspiration was followed by visits to Japan during which he traveled the country and met sake producers, deepening his knowledge of the beverage. Thuizat is the chef sommelier at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, where he has continued to refine his understanding of how sake pairs with a wide range of foods. And in 2017, he held the first Kura Master, a yearly French sake competition that brings together sommeliers, bartenders and culinary professionals from across France and Europe to evaluate the quality of a variety of sakes based not only on their technical aspects, but how well they pair with food. Some of the seminars feature discussions with sake brewers, which are accompanied by English interpretation. Others include details about the sake, explorations of the histories behind the breweries and food pairing recommendations, serving as a perfect complement to the monthly deliveries. Sakeist is now accepting subscribers at sakeist.com.
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I N D E P T H | A RT
Tetsuji Shibayama
Cultivating Creators and Collectors
Set to speak at the Club this month, Tetsuji Shibayama explains how an office lobby painting led to three decades of fostering Japanese artists and collectors. WORDS JOAN BAILEY
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etsuji Shibayama remembers the painting clearly. “It was a very big piece with white on top, green below and a sharp diagonal line,” he says. “It was behind the reception desk, so I saw it every day when I got off the elevator. At the time, I knew nothing about art, but it was really unique, and I was drawn to it.” Shibayama, who had recently earned his MBA from Harvard Business School, was working at the wealth management firm Rockefeller & Company in New York City at the time. The office walls were lined with works by new artists, but Shibayama admits he barely gave them a passing thought during his first two years with the company in the early 1990s.
But it was the piece by Japanese artist Shoichi Ida in the reception area that opened his eyes. “[Contemporary art] is unbranded, new art,” he explains. “Unlike with a Picasso, Hokusai or Rembrandt, I looked at the work itself rather than the name of the artist. That’s one of the great things about it.” Shibayama began to educate himself about art movements, styles and the artists behind the works. A position as managing director with Sotheby’s Japan auction house in 1995 was a chance to both return home and immerse himself further in the world of art. Shibayama’s 10 years with Sotheby’s saw him become a skilled bilingual auctioneer. Yet, as he brought down his gavel on artworks from around the
globe, he was struck by the paucity of pieces by young Japanese artists. In a country that graduates upwards of 20,000 artists a year and whose citizens visit art exhibitions in droves, Shibayama wondered how local artists found buyers for their creations. “In New York, there are tons of galleries that deal in no-name artists who gradually become successful,” says Shibayama, 64. “In Japan, that bottom of the pyramid didn’t exist. There was no way to see or find their work. I thought if this existed in New York, why couldn’t it be possible in Tokyo?” In 2006, Shibayama founded Art Gaia, a consultancy with a mission to establish a vibrant art market in Japan. He visits art schools from Okinawa to Hokkaido to teach students how to navigate a marketplace worth more than ¥230 billion a year. He also cultivates collectors, from individuals and corporations to nonprofits and local governments, helping them to see art as worthy of investment. “By encouraging collectors, it’s a way to give new artists the financial support they need to survive and develop,” says Shibayama, who likens artists’ challenges to those of entrepreneurs. “Oftentimes, they are not understood, and no one pays attention to them because they are quite new. The art student supported today might be a [Yayoi] Kusama in 20 years. Wouldn’t that be fun?” TAC TALK: TETSUJI SHIBAYAMA June 9 7–8pm Washington & Lincoln rooms Members: ¥1,650 (online: ¥550); guests: ¥1,980 (online: ¥660) Sign up online
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I N D E P T H | FO CU S
B U I L G R E
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D I N G E N With climate change and global emission targets dominating headlines, how is the Club grappling with the sustainability challenge? WORDS OWEN ZIEGLER
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KAYO YAMAWAKI
umanity is producing just short of 36.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. That’s equal to the greenhouse gas emissions of 9 billion cars (there are a total of 1.4 billion cars on the planet) or 9,200 coalfired power plants each year. In Japan, that translates to 8.7 metric tons of ocean level-rising, mercury-inflating, climate-changing CO2 for every man, woman and child. According to the UN, that figure must drop to 4.8 metric tons per capita by 2030. To avoid irreversible climate damage by 2050, the Japanese government recently announced, it must approach net zero. Be it a precipitous reduction in energy consumption or tremendous strides in carbon-capture technologies in the years to come, it’s clear that the road ahead will not be an easy one—including for organizations like the Club. Some may see true sustainability as an impossible goal. But 19th-century English writer Sydney Smith warned that it was “the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little.” “I’ve heard from many Members: ‘Why don’t
we have solar panels? Why don’t we grow produce on-site?’” Trista Bridges Bivens says. “These are interesting ideas that we could potentially pursue, but, like everything, it comes down to cost, the applicability of these technologies to the Club, and, of course, what our Members want.” A Club governor, Bridges Bivens has more than a passing interest in how organizations approach the rapidly growing sustainability space. Besides her professional experience in the field, she is also chair of the recently established TAC Sustainability Task Force. The group of likeminded changemakers is invested in transforming the way the Club approaches sustainability. “We’re working on coming up with a series of recommendations for Members,” Bridges Bivens explains. “We don’t necessarily claim to have all the answers, and this is a huge, huge challenge, obviously. It’s going to take time for us, and the Club more generally, to figure all this out.” Surmounting that challenge requires close cooperation between Member policymakers and staff with a behind-the-scenes knowledge of the Club. “We’re using 1.4 megawatts [of power] at our peak,” says David Moore, the Club’s operations
“I THINK LONGTERM [FACILITY] OWNERS CERTAINLY HAVE MORE INCENTIVE TO REDUCE ENERGY COSTS.” —Jon Tanaka
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I N D E P T H | FO CU S
Nihonbashi Smart Energy control room
Urban Energy WORDS OWEN ZIEGLER
As the Club’s Azabudai home explores innovative ways of staying sustainable, the newly opened Nihonbashi facility comes equipped with its own unique emissions-busting technology. A mini power plant in the basement of Nihonbashi Muromachi Mitsui Tower, where the Club is located, is capable of delivering 4.3 megawatts of electricity to not only the tower itself but up to 20 buildings in the immediate area. It’s part of the Nihonbashi Smart Energy project, spearheaded by developer and Club partner Mitsui Fudosan. “The plant uses the latest information and communications technology systems to predict energy consumption for the next day based on past results and weather forecasts,” Mitsui Fudosan’s Yukikazu Kawahigashi says. “This allows us to achieve the optimal use of energy conservation and carbon-emission reduction.” The highly efficient system also captures heat waste and transfers it back for future use. The plant can even continue running during severe disruptions. “In the event of a disaster with system-wide power outages,” Kawahigashi says, “50 percent of the annual peak power and heat will continue to be supplied to end users.” Safe, sustainable and self-sufficient. Smart energy indeed.
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and maintenance manager, of the Azabudai clubhouse. “We produce 4,500 metric tons of carbon a year at this facility.” State of the art at the time of its opening in 2011, the Azabudai structure is at once equipped with vital energy-conserving tools while also lacking some amenities that newer constructions boast. “Quite recently, committees have been wanting to know the precise energy usage of the myriad venues inside the building,” Club Facilities Director Toby Lauer says. “However, with few data points, this is a challenge we need to invest in to future-proof our sustainability efforts.” Moore equates managing the energy efficiency of the Club to a gardener tending to a tree. It’s easy to look up at the green canopy and thick bark and proclaim it healthy. But when it comes to managing the health of individual branches and leaves, the task becomes exponentially more difficult. “We’ve got around 3,500 data points for this facility,” he says. “But if we had 8,000, we’d have a lot more accurate data to work with.” In lieu of that, the Club has turned its attention to limiting energy consumption. Over the past five years, it has been replacing incandescent lightbulbs with energy-efficient LED versions where possible. The Club also collects greywater (sourced from runoff and sinks and processed in the Club’s in-house water treatment plant) for use in toilets throughout the building. During warmer months, the Club employs two 78-ton ice blocks, frozen nightly to take advantage of off-peak electricity rates. These are then used to augment the facility-wide air-conditioning system. Still, opportunities to reduce excess remain. “I was amazed by the amount of food that the Club throws away after buffets,” task force member Eri Hayashi says. “Maybe we need to do something to reduce waste.” The problem is a global one, with nearly one-fifth of food discarded each year (around 28 million tons of food goes to waste annually in Japan). Where consumption proves difficult to stem, the Club contributes through financial offsets. Since Tokyo instituted Asia’s first carbon tax in 2010, emissions from buildings across the city (the source of 20 percent of all such emissions) have dropped by 27 percent. While structural upgrades like the installation of solar panels would require significant capital, the Club was looking to the future when it proposed the establishment of a building maintenance fund at the Extraordinary General Meeting in April. Voting Members gave it the green light. “I think having a building maintenance fund will perhaps make it easier to kind of integrate some of these improvements going forward,” Bridges Bivens says. In a sprawling city as dependent on high-rises as Tokyo, it’s only natural that incentives exist to foster an ecosystem of green-conscious architecture. In 2002, the Tokyo metropolitan government launched the Green Building Program, an energy-efficiency ratings system to spur the construction of more sustainable commercial properties. As of 2021, 1,307 newly constructed facilities have met the government’s criteria on energy usage, resource management, conservation and mitigation of negative environmental effects.
The Club may not fit the strict mandates of the program, but that doesn’t mean it can’t aspire to operate like those on the list. “I think long-term [facility] owners certainly have more incentive to reduce energy costs,” says task force member and real estate investor Jon Tanaka. “The other thing that’s really gotten more attention now because of Covid-19 is wellness: non-touch surfaces, measuring air quality, things like that.” For some developers, investing upfront in the latest and greenest architectural technology can pay dividends down the road. “Some tenants, some multinationals, they’ll say, ‘Headquarters says we must be in an [environmentally friendly] building,” explains Tokyo-based architect Gordon Hatton, whose company oversaw the construction of the Azabu Gardens condominium, Japan’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified property. Even for developments like the Club, Hatton sees only upside to maintaining and improving on its sustainable efforts. “The Club could look at it and say, ‘Members want a gym, but they want a gym that they know has really good-quality air. And they want their kids to be able to play in a space that’s not using chemical cleaners,’” he says. “Members may say, ‘Yeah, this is great. This club is a lot further advanced than the other one down the street. I’m glad I’m in this one.’” With the UN Climate Change Conference scheduled for November this year, sustainability is set to dominate conversations even further. How the Club chooses to tackle the issue will begin with a discussion among those who call it home. “We have to take the time to explain [to Members] why this is important,” Bridges Bivens says. “We need to make sure we make the business case to them. We want to make sure that they’re with us and that they support this effort, too.”
Sustainable Cities Each year, the United States Environmental Protection Agency lists the cities with the most Energy Star-certified buildings (2020 numbers in parentheses below). These are buildings that are more energy efficient than 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide and use an average of 35 percent less energy than equivalent structures while producing 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions. 1. LOS ANGELES (546)
2. WASHINGTON, DC (426)
3. SAN FRANCISCO (333)
4. DALLAS (297)
5. ATLANTA (287)
6. CHICAGO (211)
7. NEW YORK (200)
8. DENVER (170)
9. BOSTON (169)
10. HOUSTON (158)
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C O M M U N I T Y | W E L L N E SS
Fitter, Leaner
After fruitless attempts to lose any real weight, Member David Vroland turned to Club trainer Luis Uraga. IMAGE YUUKI IDE
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y wife was pushing me to lose some weight. She gave me this voucher for another gym for my 50th birthday. I got through the [Sixpad] course, but I wasn’t keen to continue. Then I thought that the Club’s own gym and a trainer would be the best solution. Last November, I went in and Luis [Uraga] happened to be working the desk. He explained the system and I thought, “Let’s try it out.” Since then, we have got into the rhythm of a session on the Monday morning before work to set up the week and another on the Friday evening to end it. Since Luis is a boxer, I figured he must know something about losing weight. Turned out to be true. One time, he had me wrapped up in garbage bags for a workout to lose some extra pounds. A lot of his techniques are from the boxing world, which I think is pretty cool. He always has something up his sleeve to keep you interested and motivated and to benefit you physically.
David Vroland and Luis Uraga
Right now, we’re doing a combination of weights, the medicine ball, ropes and exercises like pushups or burpees. Luis has given me quite a number of things to do at home like skipping or pushups— things that don’t require a lot of equipment. And once I lost some kilos, running became more enjoyable and easier. In the beginning, Luis was straight up and said, “A huge part of it is going to be about what you put in your mouth or don’t. Without that, you’re not going to achieve all that much.” As far as diet goes, the key is the one daily meal replacement with protein powder. I have a shake in the morning, which you need for the training, and less carbs and more vegetables. The good thing is you see the results and it creates a virtuous circle, so you want to hit your goals. I actually stopped drinking a couple of months ago. It wasn’t a goal at the beginning, but it just sort of happened. The first week was a bit tough, but that’s where the training helps. You’re a little bit more active and you’ve got
something else to do to relieve stress and that sort of thing. I started seeing results from the training quite quickly. In the past when I exercised, I lost 1 or 2 kilos, but with Luis it has been pretty consistent. There were plateaus and stubborn points, but eventually I broke through. I have now lost 15 kilos. In terms of wellness, I have more energy to play with my son. You also feel a bit better about yourself, and there’s a greater sense of clarity that comes with better sleep. I think I probably need to find my next goal because we talked about where we wanted to hit in terms of kilos and body fat percentage. And we’re pretty much there. That goal will be important for the next stage. I think my wife is pretty pleased because she was prodding me to do it. She keeps asking why I don’t have a six-pack, so clearly the bar is rather high, I’m afraid! As told to INTOUCH’s Nick Jones.
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Where Good Health Begins
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03-3401-0756 (office)
080-4913-8798 (mobile)
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C O M M U N I T Y | R EG I ST E R
Arrivals
Up Close
AZABUDAI US A
GERMANY
Joshua & Megumi Berger CBRE K.K.
Florian & Makiko Kohlbacher Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., Ltd.
Ryan Bier BofA Securities Japan Co., Ltd.
IRELAND
Stephen & Hiromi Chelberg Squire Patton Boggs
Colin Naughton Autoliv Japan Ltd.
Cody Kroll & Claire Lonergan Allegis Group
JA PA N
Karen & Christopher Ouk Google Japan G.K.
Kosuke & Kyoko Fukutomi Fukutomi Dental Office
Peter Kyle & Jillian Lee Tattle MSD K.K.
Tomoyuki & Aya Mochida 9Gates, Inc.
AUST R A L I A
Shunsuke Nagao & Sayaka Iwase Eureka Japon, Inc.
Randall & Jeanette Hall Zekkei Properties Ltd.
Hiromi & Nobuhiko Ochiai Shimpei Takeshita Pioneer Ecoscience Co., Ltd.
C A N A DA Chihiro Sophia & Masaharu Nakashima Japan Broadcasting Corporation
Taro & Koko Tokuoka Solid Corporation
SWEDEN Veronica Vaenman & Anders Svensson Climeon Japan K.K.
CHINA Xiaoling Alice Sun Boucheron Japan
Hisao Fukuda and Norma Jean Bartruff
AZABUDAI US A |
Norma Jean Bartruff & Hisao Fukuda
“My husband and I met in college in the United States and moved to Japan soon after we got married. I have been pursuing my career as an educator and volunteer and recently served as president of the Association of Foreign Wives of Japanese. My husband, who worked for 13 years at the US Embassy, is the vice president and partner of Market Makers, which represents US agricultural interests. We look forward to getting to know other Members and participating more in the expat community.”
UK FRANCE Thibault Lefebure & Marie-Lys Lefebure-Loyer Nippon Otis Elevator Company Nicolas Pierret & Illuminada De Vega-Pierret Hakluyt & Company Japan K.K.
David Ashton & Shue Tosaki Brunswick Group K.K. Andrew & Dorothy Tiernan Hakluyt & Company Japan K.K.
NIHONBASHI US A
Masahiro Shimokawa Chopard Japan Ltd.
Benjamin Han Latham & Watkins LLP
Haruhide & Yoko Tsunezumi Halsports Production Co., Ltd. Tohei Umeda & Shihomi Katayama Flex Ltd.
JA PA N Shinya & Mami Abe Nikkei, Inc.
Akihiko Watanabe Tam Quam LLC
Yoichi Aida Zao Co., Ltd. Kaoru & Fumiko Hirose Liquid Group Pte., Ltd. Kohta & Naho Kaetsu
Naohide Yamamoto Boston Consulting Group Daishi Yoshimoto Yoshimoto Associates, Inc.
Departures Logan & Katelin-Jane Bird
Jennifer Moll & Timothy Bolan
Kent & Minkyung Chon
Yu & Jamiee Ohki
Michael & Bunka Craven
Shigeo Ohyagi
Robert DeWitt
Kazuma Sekiya
Marcus Fishenden
Oliver & Maiko Takahashi
Jean-Louis Spotti & Misaki Otoshige
NIHONBASHI FRANCE |
Jean-Louis Spotti & Misaki Otoshige
Sumida Brokers & Consulting K.K.
“As we live and work a short distance from the new Nihonbashi Club, we were very excited about joining. With the opportunity to use the bar, lounge and restaurant for both business and social occasions, regularly work out at the gym and meet other Members, the decision to join was an easy one to make. We have been impressed by the exclusive design and atmosphere of the Club and its impeccable service. We look forward to using the Club as part of our weekday lives.”
New Club, New Sake Tokyo American Club x Hakkaisan ¥3,300 a bottle | The Cellar
Pratik & Noorie Ganguly
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NEW HITOMI DENTAL OFFICE AKASAKA
Akasaka Royal Plaza 2F, 2-13-8 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
Learning. Love. Laughter. Small and intimate, in a leafy garden area only five minutes from Tokyo American Club, St. Alban’s Nursery provides each child with opportunities for learning and self-discovery in a safe, structured, loving environment. We welcome English-speaking preschoolers of all nationalities and cultures, and we focus on individuality to offer each child a wide choice of activities based on the Montessori method. Large enclosed outdoor playground Parents welcome at all times
3-6-25 Shiba-Koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0011 Tel: 090-6480-4542 | Email: gilma.yam@gol.com www.saintalbans.jp
C O M M U N I T Y | VO I C E
Discovering Me WORDS PUEYEN LEE ILLUSTRATION TANIA VICEDO
A
s I cuddled my 6-monthold daughter during her afternoon nap one day about three years ago, I was struck by a thought: “What would be the best life gift to offer my children while I was still around?” Surprisingly, the answer came instinctively to me. I realized I wanted to equip them with the skills and emotional agility to pursue their passions with a resolute belief in their own potential. All well and good, but I had no idea where to start. Before I could go about helping my children, I needed to help myself. This would require confronting the difficulties of my own childhood. Growing up as a third-generation Chinese in Malaysia, I was both lucky and unlucky. While my parents provided me with an abundance of academic support, from tutors to learning opportunities like studying in England, as well as the very latest mobile phones, I had little emotional guidance or someone with whom I could share my feelings and thoughts. Rather, largely by observing how my parents raised their four children,
I learned (at least subconsciously) that negative emotions shouldn’t be shared and that nobody cared how I felt anyway. Certainly, there was no appreciation for the idea of emotional intelligence. The result was an emotional numbness for many years. I didn’t know how to deal with my feelings, which would sometimes bubble up as alienating displays of despair or rage. In those moments, friends or family would either freak out or just ignore me. As I sat looking at my daughter sleeping peacefully in my arms that day, I knew I had to hit my inner reset button. I embarked on a journey of self-discovery, first through the works of well-known researchers, psychologists and therapists like Brené Brown, Viktor Frankl, Edith Eger, Carl Rogers and Marisa Peer. Over time, I have transformed my emotional state. I have learned that my feelings are not something separate to be switched on and off—they are me. By giving myself “permission to feel,” as Yale professor Marc Brackett puts it in his inspiring book on the power of emotions, I have cultivated deep connections with my true self.
I have become more present, vulnerable, courageous and empathetic, which has led to much more meaningful relationships—built on trust—with my children, friends and colleagues. Most importantly, I have come to forgive my parents for that emotionally stifling part of my upbringing. Recognizing, understanding and expressing emotions can be an unsettling experience in our fast-moving world that allows us little space to do such things. But being open and vulnerable enables us to develop powerful feelings of compassion, understanding and fearlessness. In turn, we are able to reveal our true selves to those around us. The benefits of being emotionally equipped are far-reaching, from improved decision making and creativity to better relationships and health. Emotions aren’t something to isolate, suppress or ignore. They are tools to enable us to achieve our dreams, thrive in our communities and unlock a better tomorrow. Pueyen Lee is a Club Member.
JUNE | 29
COMMUNIT Y | HIGHLIGHTS
April 13 Azabudai Anniversary Spectacular
Members celebrated the 10th birthday of the Club’s redeveloped Azabudai home with dinner, traditional Japanese entertainment and a decade of memories. IMAGES YUUKI IDE
30 | INTOUCH
April 21 TAC Talk: Elizabeth Tasker
The British astrophysicist and author of The Planet Factory took Members on an intergalactic journey through her fascinating research into exoplanets. IMAGES YUUKI IDE
MAY | 31
COMMUNIT Y | PURSUIT
CLASS
ESL: Kids’ English Club
Boosted problem-solving skills, improved memory and concentration, enhanced creativity and greater cultural awareness. These are just a few of the many proven benefits of learning a second language as a child. Even more so when that language is the global lingua franca and mastering it is made stimulating and fun.
INSTRUCTOR
Nagisa Saito
Nagisa Saito has a passion for helping kids learn English and build communication confidence. A third-generation Member, she started working as a Camp Discovery counselor and teaching English at her mother’s My Eigo Club English school while at high school. She is also a member of the Club’s relaunched Youth Council.
STUDENT
Noah Hanawa
“What I like about the class is reading English books and playing puzzle games. My favorite book is Wacky Wednesday [the Dr Seuss classic first published in 1974]. My teacher Nagisa is a lot of fun. The most fun thing about the class is speaking in English with new friends and learning new English words.”
ESL: KIDS’ ENGLISH CLUB Every Monday 4–4:45pm (ages 3–5) & 5–6pm (ages 6 & above) Sign up online
32 | INTOUCH
KAYO YAMAWAKI
More than Wordplay
Find financial peace of mind Retirement and education solutions Regular and lump-sum investments Properties in Japan and abroad Life and health insurance US citizen solutions UK pension transfers
Investment advice for expats and Japanese nationals Contact us, fellow Club members, for a free consultation at your place, ours or the Club. tac@argentumwealth.com | 03-5549-9099 www.argentumwealth.com Licensed in Japan and established in 2007
spa facilities that will help you look and feel your best. If you’re looking for long-term lease properties with a full range of services in convenient locations around Tokyo, it’s time to upgrade to MORI LIVING.
www.moriliving.com
JUNE 2021
INTOUCH
at one of the city’s hottest restaurants. On-site gym and
TOKYO AMERIC AN CLUB
An English-speaking concierge who helps you book a table
毎月一回一日発行 第四十七巻六七四号 トウキョウアメリカンクラブ インタッチマガジン二〇二一年六月一日発行 平成三年十二月二十日第三種郵便物許可定価八００円 本体七四一円
Time for an upgrade Time for MORI LIVING
TOKYO AMERIC AN CLUB
Going Green Building an eco-friendly future for the Club JUNE 2021
SACRED SPOT + NURTURING A MARKET FOR ART + ITALIAN WINE MAESTRO
