August 2021 INTOUCH Magazine by Tokyo American Club

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AUGUST 2021

INTOUCH

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TOKYO AMERIC AN CLUB

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TOKYO AMERIC AN CLUB

Community Boost The Club opens its doors as part of Japan’s vaccine rollout AUGUST 2021

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Contents 20

YUUKI IDE

LE ADER SHIP

DIGE ST

AGENDA

KAYO YAMAWAKI

INDEPTH

17 GIF TS OF GAB

Young Members are turning penchants for talkativeness into boosted self-esteem and timetested skills through speechcentered Club programs.

DIVING

E D U C AT I O N

FO O D

FO CU S

COMMUNIT Y

15 DEEP DIVE

Member Sean Corrigan shares his passion for strapping on a scuba tank and exploring the mesmerizing world beneath the waves.

COMMUNITY

WELLNE SS

VOICE

HIGHLIGHTS

PURSUIT

COVER IMAGE OF (L–R) DR JAMES OKANO, DR NAOKO FLEMING AND SAM ROGAN BY YUUKI IDE

AUGUST | 1

D OSES OF OP TIMISM

The volunteer organizers of the Club’s historic vaccination center detail the hurdles overcome and the solutions found on the path out of the pandemic.

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 Nihonbashi Ginger Griggs (Alok Rakyan)

Noriaki Yamazaki

TAC Digital Member-Engagement Task Force Jeffrey Daggett

CONTRIBUTORS

TAC Sustainability Task Force Trista Bridges Bivens

Writers

Tokyo 2020 Olympic David Hackett (Dean R Rogers)

Michael Alfant

Parentheses denote Board liaison.

Joan Bailey

SUBCOMMITTEES

Adam Handler

Community Relations Hideki Endo

Tim Hornyak

Frederick Harris Gallery JoAnn Yoneyama

Sam Rogan

Golf Charles Postles

Betsy Rogers

Squash Richard Kenny

Photographers

Swim Agnes Ouellette

Mike Gerken

TAC Talk Simon Farrell

Yuuki Ide

Wine & Beverage Michael Van Zandt

Nacása & Partners 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.

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Custom Media Publisher Simon Farrell

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membership@tac-club.org

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All prices referenced in INTOUCH include consumption tax.

2 | INTOUCH

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LEADERSHIP

The Power of Personal WORDS MICHAEL ALFANT IMAGE KAYO YAMAWAKI

he last year or so has catalyzed an evolution in many of our professional and personal pursuits. This extends to the governance processes of the Club, where all meetings, whether they are Board, committee, task force or another group, have moved online. The online approach presents an extra challenge for those chairing these meetings. Gauging something as simple as a show of hands becomes less clear-cut when participants are not easily visible. It can also become exceedingly difficult (at least in my case) to “read the air,” as reading the room is known in Japan. In the past, any Member who took the lead on an initiative, put together some information, made a presentation or answered questions might be “rewarded” by a meeting chair with a (Club-baked!) cookie. While a modest (albeit delicious) reward, something as simple as a cookie served as a symbol of respect and appreciation. Current circumstances mean that one must be content with a verbal acknowledgement. Hardly a satisfactory trade-off. Volunteer leaders, both elected and appointed, are the “secret sauce” that keeps our Club vibrant and sustainable. Any diminution of the human touch is, I feel, a loss for all of us. Of course, we’ve adapted to the current conditions (flexibility and open-mindedness are part of Club culture, after all), but they do present an additional hurdle for our team of volunteer leaders. Please do take a moment to thank them for their service to our community as and when you feel it’s appropriate. Any challenges or obstacles experienced by our volunteer leaders go double for our fantastic staff. During my four years as the Club’s representative governor, I was struck by the consistency with which our staff would answer my “What makes this job fulfilling and fun for you?” question with a statement along the lines of seeing Members smile, enjoying a meal or having fun at the Club. I don’t think it would be too much of a transgression for us to pull down our masks once in a while and let the staff see us smile in sincere and deep appreciation for all their efforts on our behalf.

“VOLUNTEER LEADERS, BOTH ELECTED AND APPOINTED, ARE THE ‘SECRET SAUCE’ THAT KEEPS OUR CLUB VIBRANT AND SUSTAINABLE.”

Michael Alfant is a Club governor.

AUGUST | 5

D I G E ST E D I TO R

Up and Running

Selfless Spirit

YUUKI IDE

COMMUNIT Y

Even before the doors of the Club’s Covid-19 vaccination center had opened on July 5, a line of eager Minato Ward residents had formed at the first-floor entrance. By the end of the designated site’s first week, nearly 5,000 people, including many Members and staff, had received their first of two vaccine doses. “I’m delighted for the Club to take part in such a momentous project,” says Club governor Sam Rogan, who led the task force that worked with Minato Ward to launch the center. “It’s a testament to the ingenuity and selflessness of our community that such an impactful operation could get off the ground so quickly.” To learn more about how the community initiative came about and its ongoing impact, turn to page 20. NJ GOLF

KAYO YAMAWAKI

Tee Time

Doglegs and sand traps aren’t usually welcome sights for any golfer, but they were when the Club’s revamped 19th Hole simulator reopened with upgraded shot-tracking technology last month. As part of the 19th Hole’s grand unveiling, dozens of links-loving Members celebrated with test-drives on the state-of-the-art Trackman simulator, which uses multiple radar and optical sensors to analyze more than 40 different swing parameters (see page 35 for photos from the Grand Slam Golf event). “Every golf pro on earth basically has a Trackman system,” says Club pro Tom Fielding of the new tech. “It’s a lot more intuitive. It presents information in a much more visual way.” Visit the Club website to book your simulator session. OZ

6 | INTOUCH

The launch of the Club’s Covid-19 vaccination center for Minato Ward on July 5 was remarkable. Unprecedented in the history of the Club (like the scale of the pandemic itself ) and extraordinary in how quickly it came together. But the Club has seen this kind of Member mobilization before. Just days after earthquake-triggered tsunami decimated communities along Japan’s Tohoku coast in 2011, groups of Members sprung into action. The Club became a hub for donated supplies that were driven up to affected areas by teams of volunteers in the trucks of one Member’s relocation company. “I felt compelled to give back to the country I consider my second home,” another Member volunteer told INTOUCH at the time. “My daughter was born in Japan, so we have a history here and it has had a huge impact on our family.” At the same time, a relief fund was set up and preparations began for a fundraising concert in the New York Ballroom, featuring a variety of performers, including rapper Speech from the hip-hop act Arrested Development. Those efforts brought in more than ¥16 million. But the Club’s relationship with the region didn’t end there. Tourism- and education-related projects with the hard-hit Fukushima region continue to this day. Over the last few weeks, the Club community has, once again, revealed its humanitarian side. As detailed in this month’s cover story, “Doses of Optimism,” dozens of Members collaborated to ensure the success of a life-saving initiative. Even after the challenges of the past 18 months, the compassion of Members remains undimmed.

L I B R A RY

From the Shelves Life in lockdown for many people over the last year meant finally cracking bucket-list books or exploring new genres and formats. Books also proved a therapeutic release from pandemic stress. For the Club’s own community of avid readers, including Member Jon King, the Library has been a vital resource over the past 18 months. What was your favorite childhood book? A Separate Peace, John Knowles’ coming-of-age novel.

What genre do you most enjoy? Social economics and behavioral sciences (Daniel Kahneman, Nassim Taleb, Yuval Noah Harari) and contemporary fiction (Haruki Murakami, Don DeLillo, Richard Powers). I don’t

Jon King

really seek out historical fiction but scenes from Amor Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow still flit through my brain years later, and I am looking for something in that genre that might be as cinematically written. What are you reading now? The Tangled Tree by David Quammen. It is a history of evolutionary bi-

KAYO YAMAWAKI

What inspired your love of books? My mom is an avid reader and was always recommending books to me as a kid. Books were everywhere in our house and lined the walls in the living room. She, of course, introduced me to A Separate Peace, JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead and many of the great American works that defined my coming of age and inspired my love of reading.

ology and the scientists who changed human understanding of the subject. This book doesn’t really fit with the genres I usually read, but somehow it piqued my interest. When were you last unable to put down a book? The Overstory by Richard Powers and, in nonfiction, Nassim Taleb’s Antifragile.

S PA

Summer Scents City smog, summer haze and harmful UV rays. As invigorating as soaking up the August sun may be, it pays to give your skin a break with rejuvenating, natural oils designed to perk you up for a true summer glow. Through August 31, enjoy 20 percent off The Spa’s mind- and body-boosting aromatherapy treatment that combines gentle kneading with Doterra essential oils infused with such soothing ingredients as peppermint and spearmint. Book a 60- (¥10,560) or 90-minute (¥14,080) session today and see out the season with a relaxed and radiant you. OZ

AUGUST | 7

EDITION ESCAPE An Ian Schrager-conceived concept showcasing the best of dining and entertainment, services, and amenities all under one roof, The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon is a sophisticated oasis offering a true luxury lifestyle. Designed by Kengo Kuma, all 206 guest rooms offer breathtaking glimpses of the Tokyo skyline including views of Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Bay, as do the enchanting rooms with private terraces starting from level 31. Sharing the backdrop of the same magnificent views are the sleek sky lobby, the inviting lobby lounge, the convivial restaurant, and the sophisticated cocktail bar, and together they help the hotel make its mark as a new gathering place in Tokyo. With our EDITION Escape package, you can escape from the city’s hustle and bustle and fully experience the true luxury lifestyle at The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon, featuring breakfast, afternoon tea, JPY 8,000 hotel credit and EDITION Signature gifts. RATES STARTING FROM

• • • • •

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Above rates are subject to 15% service charge and 10% government tax. Package is available from 1 July 2021 through 31 December 2021 (based on availability and subject to change) Hotel Credit can be used for restaurant, bar and spa. For a stay with your children, please inform us upon making your reservation. Reservations can be made via telephone or email. The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon Sales & Marketing (Monday-Friday, 10:00-18:00) Tel: 03-5422-1604 / Email: sales.tokyo@editionhotels.com L31 4-1-1 TORANOMON MINATO-KU, TOKYO 105-0001 | TEL 03 5422 1600 | FAX 03 5422 1601 | WWW.EDITIONHOTELS.COM

D I G E ST NIHONBASHI

WINE

Discreet Dining

Heat-Beating Bottles WORDS ADAM HANDLER

NACÁSA & PARTNERS

IMAGE KAYO YAMAWAKI

Sometimes, work just won’t wait. But rather than letting her midday meal fall prey to pressing office tasks, Member Jasmine Yap decided to mix business with pleasure with a lunch among colleagues at the Nihonbashi Club’s private dining room. “I was delighted to be able to host,” Yap says of the convenient American Room venue. “The food was as good as the service, and the privacy also was conducive to discussing work over the meal.” Members can plan their own working lunches or dinners at the Nihonbashi Club by contacting 03-6262-6977 or americanroom@tac-club.org. OZ GOVERNANCE

YUUKI IDE

Every Vote Counts

The decisions made over the past year to strengthen the Club’s financial future could never have happened without Members making their voices heard through a series of crucial votes. “The last year has reinforced how much the Club means to so many of us,” says Michael Benner, the Club’s representative governor. “To ensure that as many Members as possible have a say in its future, I urge all eligible Members to register to vote and exercise their democratic right.” Ahead of the Club’s next Annual General Meeting on November 16, Members are encouraged to download a Voting Member registration form from the Club Articles of Association & Rules page of the Club website and submit the completed document to Member Services. OZ

It’s hot. It’s humid. You want a crisp, cold white wine. My first Cellar selection for this sweltering season is zingy with pear flavors and a strong lemony backbone. It will also get your friends talking. An Arneis from Australia? How unusual and surprisingly delicious! Adelina’s 2018 Eternal Return is available for ¥4,200. “Rosé all day!” It’s a battle cry that can be heard all summer long. For me, rosé must be salmon-colored and hail from Provence in France. Château Les Valentines’ 2019 Le Caprice de Clémentine (¥2,660) is a perfect poolside sipper. Close your eyes, savor its silky balance, peach and stone fruit flavors and citrusy acidity and imagine yourself on a yacht off Saint-Tropez. If you’re looking for something with the tannins to stand up to the robust flavors of your summer barbecue, you won’t be disappointed with The Cellar’s 2015 Bodegas Muga Reserva (¥3,410) from Rioja. Vanilla notes and red berry fruit dominate this not overly heavy Spanish Tempranillo, which pairs well with almost anything from the grill. Adam Handler is a member of the Club’s Wine & Beverage Committee. For the month of August, receive a 10 percent discount on purchases of at least three bottles of any of these recommended Cellar wines.

AUGUST | 9

AG E N DA

Events in August 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.

Summer Spreads

KAYO YAMAWAKI

Whether you’re planning an Olympic watch party or a lazy weekend with the family, the Club’s selection of four summer catering packages is sure to satisfy every appetite and preference.  Through September 26  Details online

Camp Discovery Club kids get their fill of crafts, games, dance, sports and the summer sun at the Club’s kids-only day camp.  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

Social Squash Partner Looking to up your squash game or improve your stamina on the court? Sign up for 20-minute practice sessions for beginners and intermediate-level players with Club pro Rico Cheung.  4:30–6:30pm  Squash Court III  Free  Ages 16 & above  Members only  Sign up online

1–18

Summer Reading Challenge Last call to rack up pages in the Library’s annual, summer read-athon. Voracious bookworms and novel novices alike have until August 18 to polish off their current reads.

1-8

Olympic Fever At the 1896 Olympics, 241 men competed in 43 events across just nine sports. Absent were modern mainstays like track and field’s team relays, indoor and beach volleyball and global favorites like basketball and soccer. How times have changed. During this summer’s Tokyo Olympiad, more than 11,000 athletes will give their all across 33 pursuits, with two sports

OLYMPIC FEATS

• Sport Climbing During a 2021 competition, Indonesian Olympian Veddriq Leonardo climbed 15 meters in 5.2 seconds to set the current world record.

1–31

• Skateboarding At 13 years and 11 days old, British skater Sky Brown became the youngest Olympian in the history of the Summer Games with her appearance in Tokyo.

Spruce up your summer wardrobe with 50 percent off Club-branded T-shirts, polos, sunglasses and bags from The Cellar’s extensive collection.

• Karate Turkish karateka qualified for seven of a possible eight disciplines in the 2020 Games—trailing only Japan.

 The Library  Details online

Summer Sale

 The Cellar  Details online

10 | INTOUCH

(baseball and softball) returning to the roster and four making their inaugural appearance. With so much action to catch in sports new and old, there’s no better place to experience every medal moment than at the Club. Screens from Traders’ Bar to Vista will broadcast all the sporting drama until the curtain falls on August 8. OZ

• Surfing In 2017, Brazilian pro Rodrigo Koxa rode a 24.4-meter wave, the largest ever, off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal. • Baseball Over the five Summer Games that have included baseball, Cuba advanced to the final in each and won gold in three. • Softball Across three Olympics (2000 to 2008), the United States won 22 straight games until beaten by Japan in the 2008 final.  Details online

Gallery Exhibition: Risa Murakami It’s said that Mozart played his first harpsichord at 3 years old. Picasso reportedly completed his first oil painting at 9. Already in the habit of performing to audiences by age 7, Chopin composed his first piece of music at that tender age. Having received her first lesson in traditional nihonga painting techniques from her father as a 5-yearold girl, Risa Murakami (pictured) appears to be in exclusive company. All month, the Frederick Harris Gallery hosts Murakami’s exquisite depictions of nature in flux. The exhibition is the gallery’s third in a summer series of shows by emerging local talents. OZ Moment I realized I wanted to become an artist. My father was a nihonga painter, so I was surrounded by art from a young age. Naturally, I wanted to become an artist just like him. What I would tell my 20-year-old self. B e l i e v e i n y o u r s e l f a n d ke e p painting, even if there are things that worry you. But instead of spending every waking moment painting, make sure you experience life, too. This will influence your work down the line. My perfect creative environment. A place where I can quietly immerse

2–6

All-Star Sports Youngsters burn calories and make fast friends at weekly sessions of tennis, basketball, soccer and more.  Through August 27  3:30–4:30pm (Thursdays: 4:30–5:30pm)  Gymnasium & Activity Room  ¥14,580  Ages 5–10  Details online

myself in my work and be surrounded by nature. Artist, living or dead, I’d most like to share a meal with. I am fascinated by the delicate yet powerful works of Ryuko Kawabata, a nihonga painter who lived through the turbulent Meiji and Showa eras. I would be interested in learning from her sensitivities.  Through August 31  Frederick Harris Gallery  Artworks available for purchase through The Cellar  Details online

Nestled off the shore of Chiba’s picturesque Lake Teganuma, Abiko Golf Club plays host to this friendly battle of links-loving Members.

Plan your next semester of learning by browsing the selection of Connections enrichment classes on the Club website. Online registration starts at 10am on September 1.

 Details online

Men’s Golf Group Competition

Enrichment Programs

AUGUST | 1 1

AG E N DA

E3 Swim Program Former Japanese open-water swimming champion Lisa Miyasugi leads this course that favors stroke efficiency over needless exertion. Perfect for beginners and advanced swimmers alike.  6:30–8am  Sky Pool  Details online

Cub Scout Meeting Elementary school kids explore the world of Scouting through regular meetings of the Club-sponsored Pack 51.  7–8:30pm  Activity Room  Details online

Toastmasters Luncheon KAYO YAMAWAKI

Discover presentations that engage and podium confidence at these regular, peer-supported meetups of the Club’s cohort of Toastmasters.  12–1:30pm  Washington & Lincoln rooms  ¥2,420 (online: ¥550)  Sign up online

20 & 27

Winter Garden Melodies See out the week with a cold glass in your hand while enjoying piano and violin performances by esteemed local musicians.  6–9pm  Winter Garden  Details online

Show & Tell Jamboree Ages 6 to 9 learn how to share ideas at this afternoon of games, music and confidence-boosting activities. Read more about this youth program on page 17.  2–3pm  Toko Shinoda & Yukiko Maki classrooms  ¥1,100  Sign up online

Cocktail Connections Mask up and mingle with friends over happy-hour drinks during this monthly mixer.  5–7pm  Connections members only  Details online

12 | INTOUCH

Squash Support “I couldn’t even bounce the ball off the wall in the first session, and I have never sweated so much in my life,” confesses Simon Farrell of his firstever experience on the Club’s Squash Courts with Club pro Rico Cheung during a free June workout. “I’m 60 years old and had never played squash.” Does that mean he has hung up his racket for good? On the contrary. Farrell now hones his game (and his fitness) during lessons with Cheung twice a week. The Member may be the latest convert to the physically and mentally demanding sport, but Farrell also represents the success of the Club’s new monthly series of free, 20-minute Social Squash Partner sessions with Cheung. Designed to introduce beginners to the fast-paced game and held every first Sunday of the month, the sessions see Cheung not only walk new players through the basics of court etiquette and strategy but

also give intermediate players a chance to build on their techniques when finding a regular partner proves difficult. Like Farrell, players might just find the squash bug too irresistible to kick. “Rico patiently structures each lesson based on warming up, reviewing previous lessons and introducing new techniques,” says Farrell. “We finish off each session with a game or two. He probably lets me win the odd point to build my confidence, but I feel I have learned so much in such a short time.” OZ PRIVATE SESSIONS  Wednesday & Thursday: 2–6pm; Sunday: 12:30–5:40pm  30-minute sessions  ¥3,300  Details online SOCIAL SQUASH PARTNER  First Sunday  4:30–6:30pm  20-minute sessions  Free  Sign up online

Shakuhachi Concert For Masaki Nakamura, sometimes the old ways are best. “Plastic will sound like plastic, and iron will sound like iron,” Nakamura says of shakuhachi flutes made from more contemporary materials. “But when the brain hears the sound of a traditional shakuhachi made from pure bamboo, it’s almost like hearing wind drift through a bamboo grove itself.” Since the first bamboo flutes arrived in Japan from China in the seventh century, the shakuhachi’s telltale tone has been nearly synonymous with traditional Japanese music. In premodern

Men’s Golf Group Competition Club golfers test their mettle on the Kohmyo Ohtani-designed Sayama course at Saitama’s historic Tokyo Golf Club.  Details online

Japan, it even became the favored instrument of a sect of Buddhist monks intent on overhauling the practice of meditation by adding music. This month, Members can experience the bewitching sound for themselves at an e xclusive performance in the Winter Garden, as Nakamura (pictured) plays pieces from across the flute’s long history. “I tend to perform traditional songs to showcase the shakuhachi’s roots,” the Aichi Prefecture native says. “But I also perform pieces that mix Japanese and Western styles, as well as completely original songs I’ve written myself.”

Easy to pick up but nearly impossible to master, the shakuhachi has been Nakamura’s life’s focus since he began practicing in earnest at the age of 17. “Because it’s not mechanically made like brass instruments, it can be very difficult to play even simple scales on the shakuhachi,” Nakamura says. “However, this also makes it possible to express oneself freely and without bounds.” OZ

Discover the unassuming causes of alltoo-common back pain and learn how to avoid it at this hands-on clinic led by Club fitness instructor Chuck Johnson.

Set yourself up for a summer of new friendships at this monthly get-together of Connections members.

 10am–12pm & 1–3pm  Washington & Lincoln rooms  ¥3,300 (optional stretch bands & case: ¥2,750)  Members only  Details online

 10am  Connections members only  Details online

Total Back Care

 6–6:30pm & 7–7:30pm  Winter Garden  Free  Sign-up required (walk-ins accepted if seating available)  Details online

Coffee Connections

AUGUST | 13

A DV E RTO R I A L

Northern Oasis Chalet Ivy Hirafu offers a unique getaway from the everyday

irafu, in the Niseko region of Hokkaido Prefecture, is known as a paradise for winter activities, but it’s also a stunning place to visit in the summer and fall. And an ideal base for experiencing the pleasures of Niseko is Chalet Ivy Hirafu. The charming boutique hotel offers a perfect escape for Tokyoites looking to enjoy a slower pace of life—whether it’s by basking in the hotel’s onsen; savoring fine cuisine expertly prepared from fresh local ingredients; or exploring the area around the hotel through a wide range of activities. One of the first things that strikes you when you set foot in Chalet Ivy Hirafu is the relaxed ambience, and it’s an aspect of the hotel that has earned it many repeat guests, explains Hotel Manager Makoto Iwasa: “The hotel has a very cozy atmosphere, which makes guests feel just like they are staying at a holiday house. Our guests truly enjoy the feeling at Chalet Ivy Hirafu. A large portion of our clientele are repeat visitors who appreciate the charm of the hotel and everything it offers.” This welcoming feeling is supported by the friendly English-speaking staff who provide a personal touch along with superior service. Each member of the team at

Chalet Ivy Hirafu is empowered to serve as a kind of concierge, whether they’re making dinner reservations or helping guests arrange outdoor activities. CREATURE COMFORTS Even in Hokkaido, a prefecture celebrated for food production, Niseko is well known. And as Iwasa explains, both of the hotel’s restaurants focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients. Snow Castle, which crafts premium, modern Japanese cuisine, is run by a chef who has worked at top Japanese restaurants here and overseas. Meanwhile, the casual izakaya restaurant HirafuZaka puts these high-quality ingredients to expert use in traditional fare, such as ramen, curry and rice, and katsu (pork cutlets). When you’re not relaxing in the comfortable, tastefully designed guest rooms and suites or feasting on a delicious meal, you’ll want to make the most of Chalet Ivy Hirafu’s onsen. The public bath is fed by a natural spring, and the minerals in the water are said to be both refreshing and good for the skin. What’s more, unlike the water that can be found in some Japanese public baths, the hotel’s onsen water is odorless, making the bathing experience something that can be enjoyed by all.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS When you’re ready to go exploring beyond the comforts of the hotel, Hirafu offers a wide variety of activities, such as horseback riding, cycling, hiking or even picking vegetables. During the summer months, temperatures in the area stay in the low 20s, and there is very low humidity, making it a wonderful respite from Tokyo’s notoriously sweltering summers. Whatever activity you’d like to try while you’re staying at Chalet Ivy Hirafu, the staff can provide recommendations and arrange for transportation or equipment rentals, making your stay a completely refreshing break from the everyday. And as the area is still an underexplored region of Hokkaido during the summer, you’ll be a “vacationing pioneer”—making the most of an unforgettable experience, minus the crowds.

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INDEPTH | DIVING

Deep Dive

Member Sean Corrigan explains the appeal of the world beneath the waves. WORDS TIM HORNYAK IMAGE MIKE GERKEN

Sean Corrigan diving off the North Carolina coast in 2019

round 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, a large gun on a barnacle-encrusted hull points toward the Pacific waves above. The remains of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s No 50 submarine hunter, sunk during World War II, lie 30 meters below the surface. It’s wrecks like this one in Japan’s subtropical Ogasawara archipelago that draw both recreational scuba divers and maritime archeologists. “When you dive a wreck, you realize it’s frozen in time,” Member Sean Corrigan says. “Whatever was going on in that moment is locked in and you’re seeing it where few other people can. There’s tragedy, too, some-

times, especially with the wartime wrecks, and you think about those things when you’re down there.” A Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)-certified master scuba diver, Corrigan, 52, pursues his passion for the deep around the Kanto coast, Okinawa and overseas to wreck sites in the United States, the Philippines and Micronesia. Chuuk Lagoon, formerly known as Truk, is a remote atoll in the central Pacific and the final resting place of Japan’s so-called “ghost fleet”: dozens of ships and aircraft from World War II. Described by Corrigan as the “Mount Everest of wreck diving,” Chuuk is the place that inspired his interest in wrecks.

After watching a documentary on the Micronesian lagoon by Jacques Cousteau, the legendary undersea explorer, Corrigan began taking courses to understand the hazards of wreck diving, including disorientation and leftover ordnance. He learned the dangers of exploring the remnants of naval battles firsthand when he was helping a fellow diver out of the water. The man’s buoyancy vest burst into flames after he had ignored warnings and touched tracer ammunition containing phosphorous. Their boat caught f ire— nearly forcing Corrigan to swim for shore—but they managed to bring the blaze under control. Corrigan, whose grandfather fought in the Pacific War, has long held an interest in military history. A native of Pennsylvania, he began diving with his father at 19 years old in murky strip-mine lakes. He now takes up to 30 dive trips a year around Japan and one or two abroad. But wrecks aren’t the only attraction. “The Kuroshio current runs up the coast and brings up wildlife because of all the food and nutrients in the water,” says Corrigan, who works in finance. “Off the coast of Shimoda in Izu, you can get schools of 200plus hammerhead sharks, so there’s a really fascinating ocean ecosystem around Tokyo.” Over the last decade, Corrigan has noticed a decline in the number of younger divers. In an effort to share the hobby he loves and to encourage participation (Corrigan points novices to local dive clubs like Discovery Divers Tokyo, Tokyo Frogs and Divezone Tokyo), he took up underwater photography. The stunning images and video he shoots of wrecks and marine life, such as sand tiger sharks off the North Carolina coast, appear on social media and diving websites and in magazines. “I feel that through photography I can get more young people into the sport,” he says. “And, for those who will never dive, this is a way to bring these stories to light.” Sean Corrigan posts photography from his dives on Instagram at “cant_get_there_from_here.”

AUGUST | 15

I N D E P T H | E D U C AT I O N

Leilani and Mana Trapanese

Gifts of Gab

Launched last fall, the Club’s youth-centric public speaking programs are already fostering their fair share of electric orators. WORDS OWEN ZIEGLER IMAGE KAYO YAMAWAKI

ore than 1,000 people tuned in to watch her speech online, but you wouldn’t know it from Leilani Trapanese’s cool demeanor and steady tone. “In conclusion, our daily habits affect our underwater friends,” summarized the 7-year-old as she calmly wrapped up her nearly four-minute speech on sea turtle conservation. “We can all help if we make simple changes to our lives. Thank you for listening to my presentation and have a great day.” With that, the budding orator finished her first World Speech Day address. After numerous practice performances in front of her Show & Tell Jamboree peers, Leilani’s standout speech back in March was celebrated on World Speech Day’s website and YouTube channel. “I really like sea turtles, so it was

fun to do a lot of research to write my speech,” says Leilani. “I was a little nervous, but it’s important to talk slowly and clearly.” Since last October, Leilani, her sister Mana, 9, and dozens of other emerging Club rhetoricians have soaked up similar lessons in self-esteem and public speaking at monthly Show & Tell Jamboree and Youth Toastmasters sessions, which adapt public speaking techniques for young Members just hitting their oratorial stride. “What’s amazing is to watch their growth from one session to the next, from vocal variety to speaking without notes to using visuals,” says Pueyen Lee, president of the Club’s Toastmasters group and one of the organizers of the youth-focused programs. For some first-time speakers, just a single session in front of a crowd can be an enlightening experience.

“I thought it was going to be super easy, but then I talked a little bit and I thought, ‘I’m done! Now what do I say?’” says Meredith Michels, 12, of speaking in front of a crowd at her first Youth Toastmasters meeting last fall. “It’s really eye-opening. I never thought I used to say ‘like’ and ‘um’ so much, but I really do. So that was good for me.” With the fear of public speaking so prevalent among adults (studies suggest upwards of 23 million Americans quake at the thought), acclimating youngsters to the idea of presenting to crowds has been linked to improvements in everything from college graduation rates to career earnings later in life. For now, the Club’s burgeoning Ciceros and Demostheneses aren’t wasting time worrying about anything other than their next big speech. “I guess it’s a little scary your first time,” Mana explains for any wouldbe Show & Tell Jamboree attendees. “But when you’re giving a speech about something you’re really interested in, it’s actually super fun. So why not just give it a try?” YOUTH TOASTMASTERS  Ages 10–18  ¥1,100 (guests: ¥1,320)  Details online SHOW & TELL JAMBOREE  Ages 6–9  ¥1,000 (guests: ¥1,200)  Details online

AUGUST | 17

A DV E RTO R I A L

Close Community Komazawa Park International School nurtures young learners

t school, children are not just developing skills, they’re building relationships. In fact, children’s earliest learning is highly dependent on establishing caring, supportive relationships with teachers and fellow students. This idea is thoroughly infused into the educational approach at Komazawa Park International School (KPIS), and the school’s entire team is dedicated to providing a supportive environment where young children can develop social and academic skills.

relationships with young children that we can get to know them as individuals. Each child has their own preferences, interests and ways of looking at the world and making sense of the complexities around them. The science of early childhood development is clear on the fact that young children need supportive, responsive and consistent interactions with caring adults to feel safe, to develop language skills and to acquire the tools needed to become resilient and successful learners in the future.”

UNIQUE APPROACHES Hailing from more than seven countries and possessing an average of 10 years of teaching experience, the staff at KPIS is diverse and well prepared. They combine knowledge and enthusiasm about early childhood education, bountiful energy and a warm and caring attitude, and this carries over into their ability to develop strong relationships with students. As KPIS Principal Merete L. Kropp explains, these relationships allow teachers to understand each child: “It is through building

TEACHING MOMENTS Teachers use the same approach in helping children develop relationships with one another, as illustrated by a particular moment that Kropp recently noticed on campus: “I observed a child having a wonderful time holding a hose and spraying his friends with the nozzle in the yard. He had a look of sheer delight on his face. However, another friend also wanted a turn and he did not want to share. He started to cry loudly when his friend tried to take the nozzle away.

INTOUCH

“Their teacher came alongside the pair and encouraged one child to ask nicely for a turn. She then told both children that it was time to take turns and began to count to 10 out loud. When she reached 10, she gently took the nozzle away from the crying child and handed it to the second child who proceeded to spray her friends. Meanwhile, the teacher patted the crying child’s back and said, ‘I know you are sad, and it is hard to share. Let us count to 10 together and then it will be your turn again.’ The teacher repeated this scene over and over throughout the playtime.” Kropp explained that situations such as this one occur a number of times every day, and provide children the opportunity to learn—with the help of supportive teachers—how to independently manage their emotions and function as positive members of the school community. Within this safe space of learning and discovery, children at KPIS are free to gradually take on the challenges that are appropriate to their ages and capabilities, growing and flourishing all the while. www.kpischool.com

I N D E P T H | FO O D

Farm Fresh

A new Club service is bringing the organic fruits of Japanese farmers’ labor direct to the kitchens of Members. WORDS JOAN BAILEY

hen the Club launched its Farm Box ser vice last m o n t h , Me m b e r Chris Bond saw nothing but upside. Not only would it mean regular deliveries of organic fruit and vegetables to his door, but the New Zealander could support local farmers as well. “I have noticed that the variety of organic produce in supermarkets is increasing,” he says. “However, in the case of Japan, I find much of the product is sourced overseas compared to my home country.” It was this dearth of locally farmed, organic food that inspired Member Simon Grunberger to start Ecoloupe, a Tokyo-based organization that connects organic growers and producers with consumers, last year. Originally from Belgium, Grunberger now works with around 20 producers scattered across Japan. He visits each one to see their operation and sample their wares before having each item tested at an independent lab in

Tokyo. Transparency and traceability are central to the Ecoloupe model. Farm Box subscribers receive a curated selection of seasonal produce either weekly or biweekly. Grunberger says he aims to complement staples like potatoes, onions and tomatoes with organic goods from Europe while he expands Ecoloupe’s roster of farmers, bakers, beekeepers and orchardists. Services like Farm Box can mean the difference between success and failure for organic producers. According to a 2019 Japanese government report, of the country’s roughly 12,000 organic farmers, only 4,000 hold the Organic Japanese Agriculture Standard (JAS) certification. For many farmers, including Ecoloupe’s partners, the standards aren’t comprehensive enough, making the lengthy and expensive certification process unappealing. But without the crop insurance and distribution schemes that come with certification, stability can prove elusive. “The boxes and Ecoloupe will be a

bridge between people and farmers, the guardians of our soil,” says Grunberger. “Those farmers need to be protected. The Ecoloupe label allows me to help those farmers and practice fair trade with them while offering consumers full transparency. If we help the farmers, we help the environment.” The idea resonated with Member Elizabeth Coll when it was first presented last year. With the Club’s event and meeting business hit hard by the pandemic, a task force of volunteers was put together to seek out promising initiatives. “You could see this idea made sense to people and really fit the time,” Coll says. “Everyone was ordering food, and Simon’s passion for organic farming and sustainability make him a great partner.” The American, who helped to organize the service after it was approved by the Board of Governors, says it is much more than a business arrangement. “The [Farm Box] program isn’t just a deal or partnership,” Coll says. “It’s a collaboration that grew out of community.” That collaboration is already bearing fruit for Members like Bond, who received his first box last month. “It was a good quantity and included some vegetables and grains that cannot be bought in supermarkets,” he says. “I am very happy with the service so far.” FARM BOX  ¥4,000 a week (plus delivery)  Sign up online

AUGUST | 19

I N D E P T H | FO CU S

Doses of

Optimism

Vaccination center in the New York Ballroom

The volunteers behind the Club’s historic Covid-19 vaccination center chart the efforts to bring the idea to life-saving fruition. WORDS OWEN ZIEGLER IMAGES YUUKI IDE

Lori Arnet

20 | INTOUCH

ll Lori Arnet could do was sit and watch as friends and family back in the United States received their first Covid-19 vaccine shots earlier this year. But flying back home to Southern California for a jab—like so many others were doing—seemed like too much of a risk. “I haven’t traveled since the start of the pandemic,” says Arnet, 61. “I don’t really have a lot of desire to spend time in different cities in the US during this crisis. I actually feel safer in Japan, so at the time I thought, ‘I would just rather wait.’” Days turned into weeks turned into months. News stories about Japan’s ambitious mass vaccination centers trickled out, but by late spring, no vaccination roadmap had materialized for Tokyoites like Arnet.

“It was more than a little stressful not being able to have access to the vaccine,” Arnet says. Then, on June 4, a lifeline came in the form of an e-mail from the Club. From July 5, the New York Ballroom would serve as a designated Covid-19 vaccination site for Minato Ward residents—eligible Members like Arnet included. In some ways, Arnet’s appointment at the vaccination center unfolded like any other visit to the Club. She arrived mid-morning and headed down to the B2 event space. Lining up with other Members and ward residents, she handed over her relevant documents, confirmed her medical history with an English-speaking doctor and rolled up her sleeve. In a matter of minutes, Arnet became one of the first of an expected 30,000 Minato Ward residents to receive the first of two vaccine doses at the Club. “I think people were excited that things were happening, that things were moving forward,” says Arnet of the center’s first morning. Launching the Club’s vaccination center was in many ways as much a victory as the vaccine itself. “Watching the news from the US, it seems so simple,” says Sam Rogan, the Club’s first vice president. “You drive up to a Walmart, they have people standing out there in the parking lot, they jab you and you move on. But here, there’s an attention to process and documentation and things like that. So many things need to line up.” Rogan, 54, kick-started that process 10 weeks prior to Arnet’s shot. At a meeting of Club leaders and management, he pitched a half-formed idea to the room: with so many Members involved in healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry, couldn’t the Club play a role in the vaccine rollout?

“MY MINDSET IS ‘LET’S GET AS MANY PEOPLE VACCINATED AS POSSIBLE.” —Sam Rogan

continues on page 23 →

AUGUST | 21

I N D E P T H | FO CU S

INTOUCH: What is the current state of Japan’s vaccine rollout? Kono: Today, I think 1.2 million people per day are getting the Pfizer vaccine, plus 200,000 are getting the Moderna vaccine. [Through] September, we are importing 850,000 doses a day from Pfizer, so if municipalities continue to vaccinate 1.2 million people per day, they’ll eat up their stock. At some point, they’ll have to come down to the supply speed, but Prime Minister [Yoshihide] Suga said we must finish vaccinating seniors over 65 years old by the end of July. By the end of September, we will have enough vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna to cover the entire population. So, sometime in the October or November timeframe, if you want to get vaccinated, you can get it done.

Taro Kono

Managing the Jab Charged with overseeing Japan’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout, politician and Member Taro Kono sheds light on the occasionally rocky road toward nationwide coverage. WORDS OWEN ZIEGLER

hen Taro Kono was named Japan’s new minister for administrative and regulatory reform in September of last year, it soon became apparent that the red tape he was tasked with cutting was gumming up the rollout of vaccines to the Japanese public. In an interview with INTOUCH at his cabinet office headquarters, Japan’s vaccine czar discusses the challenges of getting shots in arms.

22 | INTOUCH

INTOUCH: Why was Japan slower with its vaccination drive than countries like Britain and the United States? Kono: Pfizer started clinical trials for their vaccine last July, and we raised our hand to participate. But back then, the number of infected people in Japan was less than that in Europe and the US by double digits. Pfizer said that the numbers were so small, clinical trials would take a long time. They said it’s not worth doing in Japan, so we simply passed. Also, in Japan, we have a history of antivaccine lawsuits from the 1970s. The ministry of health and welfare is very cautious. In a parliamentary committee, there was a resolution that for the [Pfizerand Moderna-made] vaccines, we need to take every possible measure to ensure their safety for the Japanese people. [Those precautions] delayed things by about three months. In December, the US and UK started vaccinations, and we started vaccinating doctors and nurses in February. We were three months behind, but we’ve made up a little bit of time. INTOUCH: What would you change about the government’s vaccine deployment? Kono: First, this vaccine rollout is under regular Japanese law, but this is an emergency. We need to consider the risks and, if the benefits outweigh the risks, we must take a chance. We weren’t ready to do that. Second, we have a law that says vaccination is the job of municipalities. There are 1,741 cities, towns, villages and wards [of all different sizes], and they’re in charge. Actual vaccinations need to be managed by mayors, so my job is to make sure they can do whatever they want to do, but the health ministry wanted to control everything. They issued notices to mayors several times a day. We really need to give authority to whoever is supposed to be in charge.

→

Rogan began running down leads. He contacted a Member working at a pharmaceutical multinational, who connected him with the company’s head of vaccines for Japan. After reaching out to Minato Ward, he sat down with officials from the Minato Public Health Center to discuss the details of how the Club would serve as a local vaccination site. The day the Club announced the planned partnership with the ward, a call for volunteer medical professionals also went out. Dozens of Member doctors, dentists and nurses registered. “I work with a network of amazing doctors and nurses,” says Member Will Perrin, who leveraged his career in the medical device industry to bring 28 healthcare professionals to the Club’s vaccination center. “It wasn’t only their willingness but their eagerness to assist that I found to be awe-inspiring.” A task force of volunteers, including Perrin, Member Naoko Fleming (herself a dentist) and members of the Club’s Connections group, recruited and scheduled more than 150 healthcare professionals. “I was a little surprised to hear the Club was doing this,” says Member Hiroya Kumamaru, a cardiac surgeon-turned-general practitioner. “Of course, I was pleased to hear it.” The Club center, one of a number of vaccination sites in the ward, is open five days a week and is set to run through late September. “I’ve been a Member for a long time,” says James Okano, a doctor at Minato Ward’s Jikei University School of Medicine. “I feel like this is the time I can give back to the Club that has been part of my life for so long.” Okano’s contribution extends beyond his own efforts. From this month, his colleagues at Jikei University will also staff the Club center to

help it reach its target of inoculating at least 12 percent of Minato’s population, which includes more than half of the Club’s membership. “My mindset is ‘Let’s get as many people vaccinated as possible,’” says Rogan. “I’m sorry we couldn’t figure out a way to make it happen for Members outside of Minato Ward, but we can call this a success because 30,000 residents, 373 staff and 51.3 percent of our Members will get vaccinated.” As impressive as those numbers are, the real impact of the center can be seen in those looking to restart their lives. “There’s definitely a sense of relief,” Arnet says. “It’s not only about having the first shot but also knowing that I have my second one all lined up.” The benefits, she adds, aren’t hers alone to enjoy. “It’s a great thing for the Club to be able to remind people that we do have a place here in this community and to show how much we care about being there for everybody.”

“I FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE TIME I CAN GIVE BACK TO THE CLUB THAT HAS BEEN PART OF MY LIFE FOR SO LONG.” —James Okano

Visit the Club’s Keeping Your Club Safe webpage for details of the vaccination center.

AUGUST | 23

INDEPTH | COMMUNIT Y

24 | INTOUCH

YUUKI IDE

Dr Naoko Fleming and Sam Rogan

Center Collaboration

Member Sam Rogan reveals the trials and triumphs of bringing the Club’s vaccination center online. WORDS SAM ROGAN IMAGE YUUKI IDE

opposed to two or three days. But none of that would mean fter the pandemic challenges of 2020, a glimanything if we couldn’t secure the necessary medical staff. mer of light appeared in the form of effective By chance, Olivia Smith, the new president of the Club’s Covid-19 vaccines at the end of last year. But as Connections group, offered the services of the Connections vaccination programs were ramping up in the team to help with the recruitment of doctors, dentists and United States and Europe, it felt like we were making little nurses. Kris Wright drafted the letter to be sent out to medprogress in Japan. ical professional Members. With vaccination rates and surpluses growing elsewhere, The response was impressive. Member Sawa Okano took I wondered whether there wasn’t something that could be on the task of scheduling more than 150 medical staff, which done to accelerate Japan’s rollout. has proven to be the most challenging part of the entire proSince it was presumed that there were very few doses availgram. She realized that Excel wasn’t going to cut it when it able in Japan, any effort to speed up the process would require came to managing the shifts of so many doctors and nurses. an import. With unused vaccines mounting in Hawaii, CaliThanks to an introduction from another Member, Jim fornia and other states, one idea was to explore the possibility Weisser, she enlisted the support of George Radescu, a deof asking those states to share their supplies. But that route veloper who built a scheduling tool for us entirely for free. presented logistical, legal and potentially political hurdles. We are indeed indebted to him. After a Member working at a major Sawa and the team also dealt with a raft pharmaceutical company put me in touch of related administrative requirements, with the firm’s head of vaccines, I discovfrom shift lengths to staff credentials to ered that a shortage of vaccines wasn’t the compensation. It all took a tremendous gating factor behind Japan’s slow rollout. “IMPRESSED WITH amount of work. Deployment was. WHAT THEY SAW, Another person who has proved indisAs with much of the hospitality industry, THE OFFICIALS WERE pensable to the project is Dr Naoko Flemthe Club has been hit hard financially by the KEEN FOR OUR NEW ing. As a dentist, she guided me in all things pandemic. With very few weddings, meetYORK BALLROOM medical, including processes, health policy ings and other events scheduled, the Club’s SPACE TO BECOME A and legal issues. I was truly grateful when event venues have remained largely empty. PUBLIC VACCINATION she accepted my offer to serve as vice chair But what if we offered our B2 space as a vacSITE FOR THE WARD.” of the task force. cination site? Interestingly, dentists are not classified In May, I headed to Minato’s ward office. as doctors in Japan. This meant that we After finding the vaccination section, I exwere unable to recruit them at first. But unplained the idea to one of the administrader Naoko’s guidance, we negotiated with tors. She pointed out that I would need to the health center to allow dentists to obtain an online intalk to the Minato Public Health Center and kindly put a tramuscular injection certification and so participate in call through. the program. That afternoon, I met health center officials, who agreed As important as doctors are, we would be nowhere withto send a delegation to the Club to check our facilities. Imout nurses. They are the backbone of the vaccination center pressed with what they saw, the officials were keen for our and one of our Members, Will Perrin, recruited close to 30. New York Ballroom space to become a public vaccination My mother was a nurse and my appreciation for their invalsite for the ward. uable service has grown over the past few weeks. The proposal received unanimous approval from the The dedication of all the center’s medical professionals as Board of Governors the following week, and we set about well as the dozens of Member volunteers means that we can dealing with the logistics, including recruiting enough finally see light at the end of the tunnel. healthcare professionals to staff the center. Most other vaccination sites in the ward had up to three vaccination “lanes,” but there would be seven at the Club. In Sam Rogan is the Club’s first vice president and chair of addition, the Club’s center would be open five days a week, as the Club’s vaccination center task force.

AUGUST | 25

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C O M M U N I T Y | W E L L N E SS

Lane Lessons

A member of the Sky Pool’s masters swim program, Shane Predeek explains why nothing beats starting the day immersed in water. IMAGE KAYO YAMAWAKI

rowing up, I played all the sports I could in school, including football, basketball and track and field. I played everything that was available, although swimming wasn’t. I ended up getting a sports scholarship to play football at Stanford. But it became clear to me after two years that I was never going to be a varsity starting athlete, so I gracefully bowed out. I came to graduate school in Japan and sought out sports when it was available, but I didn’t do a whole lot for the first 10 years. I joined the Club in 1997 and was using the facilities to exercise. I was running a lot as well. I ended up having a hip injury and started to look for sports that were easier on the body. I joined the masters swim program at the temporary facility in Takanawa about 13 years ago. My original intention was to rehabilitate myself, but I got in the pool and loved it. I started by learning the strokes and just kept going. Since then, I’ve been swimming three or four times a week. Any time you learn a new sport, it’s a completely different muscle memory activity. It was tough to keep up with the rest of the group at first, and it took about six months to get my footing. The fitness itself was fine, but swimming is a lot of form and the accumulation of a lot of little movements. Even to this day, I’m taking swim clinics.

Shane Predeek

I’m not the best swimmer in the program, but I’ve come a long way. I never thought I would be as good as I’ve become, but I’m still not as good as the swimmers who swam when they were young. I didn’ t anticipate this when I joined, but one of the appeals is the swim community. If you don’t show up, they’re asking where you are. Quite frankly, they’ve all become lifelong friends, and we do our best to recruit new swimmers. For that one hour in the pool, it’s a meditation session of sorts. I think mentally swimming is a really healthy sport. You have to learn how to deal with yourself. To a certain degree, you can switch off and let your body do its thing. I’m also a huge fan of yoga and weight training, and that combination with swimming is a really good way to

keep the body and mind in shape. I do swimming the most, with one or two yoga sessions at home with a teacher each week and two sessions of weight training a week. I’m an evangelist for this combination and have converted some people. I would never underestimate the routine that is required to do swimming. I start my day off with a very disciplined, healthy activity and that carries me through the day. It also forces me to go home at a decent hour and get a good night’s sleep. If I don’t, it’s going to be pretty painful. The lessons of swimming are very applicable to life: there are a lot of little actions that you have to bring together. I think that kind of philosophy has benefited me outside the pool. As told to INTOUCH’s Nick Jones.

AUGUST | 27

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Luxury Homat properties for expats in Tokyo Ever since it was established in 1954, Sun Realty has been the exclusive agent for Homat properties. These apartments are spacious units like none other, featuring beautiful Western–Japanese mixed interiors. They are designed to meet the discerning tastes of expat families, and situated in Tokyo’s best locations.

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03-3584-6171 / sun@sunrealty.co.jp / www.sunrealty.co.jp

C O M M U N I T Y | R EG I ST E R

Arrivals

Up Close

AZABUDAI US A

Yasutaka & Kanako Inoue Inoue Manufacturing

Lorenzo Flores Kioxia Corporation Scott Smalley & Marie Briganti DSV Solutions Co., Ltd.

Tadashi Kosuga Lenovo Japan LLC Suguru Kuriwada Shinsei Kosan Co., Ltd. Soichi Takahashi Dentsu, Inc.

BANGL ADESH Himu Uddin Aishodo Co., Ltd.

Keiko Watanabe Saiseikai Hospital

FRANCE

MEXICO

Antonin Najib Valrhona

Diego Gonzalez & Claudine Gay Velasco Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., Ltd.

GERMANY S O U T H KO R E A

(l–r) Jared and Clark Davis and Amber Meriwether

AZABUDAI US A |

Amber Meriwether & Jared Davis

Astellas Pharma

Michael Weber & Christine Weber-Vossen Bain & Company

Hahn-Ey Lee & Cheong Dahm Park Pfizer Japan, Inc.

JA PA N

Yoshika & Keigo Yanagi TMI Associates

Tomotaro Abe Abeco Co., Ltd.

SWEDEN

Daisuke Hirano Mystar Engineering Corp.

Fabian Fornander DAZN Japan Investment G.K.

“After 15 years in Chicago, we moved our home base to Tokyo for Amber’s work while I continue to float along on the jet stream between America and Asia. We love how the Club connects us with our passions and other communities, whether it be through joining a swim team for the first time since college, attending book talks with other avid readers or easily connecting with friends after school.”

NIHONBASHI US A Anthony & Atsuko Flynn Excolo Richard Miller Vega Project K.K.

AUST R A L I A Jay & Chiori Bailey National Australia Bank Ltd. Tobias Hull Intrado

C A N A DA Warren Rehman & Fumie Tamura Google Japan G.K.

JA PA N Megumi Fujii Ernst & Young Tax Co. Joji Goto Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank

Satoru & Mika Matsumoto Matsukan Corporation Co., Ltd. Takuo Misaki Law Office of Fujita & Misaki Hidetoshi & Tomoko Nakamura Mitsui AgriScience International Ken & Yukiko Okazaki Sumitomo Corporation Hiroshi Saiki Sanyo Kako Co., Ltd. Tatsuya Sato Vermilion Capital Management Ltd. Hiroyuki Shinshiba Okasan Securities Group, Inc. Taro Sugimoto Orimine Co., Ltd.

Takeharu Takahashi Takahashi Curtain Wall Corporation

Yutaka Kitade Global Initiative, Inc.

John Bolger Matador Japan K.K.

NIHONBASHI US A |

Rochelle Kopp

Japan Intercultural Consulting

Yuri Sumida Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Shoko Izumi World Family K.K.

Rochelle Kopp

“I live walking distance from the Club, so I was delighted to learn that there was going to be a facility here. It’s great to have a place to entertain business associates in a sophisticated environment. And since I need to follow a strictly gluten-free diet, I really appreciate the chefs’ attention to providing safe options. I love the workout facilities, too— such a beautiful space with a nice assortment of equipment. I’m looking forward to getting to know other Members.”

Departures Donald Beck

Norbert & Sayuri Gehrke

Yoshihiko Nakatani

Leonid Savelyev & Victoria Savelyeva

Randall Chafetz & Lisa Strauss-Chafetz

Nicolas & Anna Helly

Koichi Onoe

Jeffrey Shipley & Isaac Cody

Jento Huang & Elung Pon

Christian & Christina Pecher

Masaru & Saki Tange

Koji Date

Kazuko Ishihara

Adam Roach & Katherine McQuestin

Noriaki (Ray) & Keiko Tsunoda

Matias de Tezanos & Maria Ruiz

Toru Koga

Arturo Romanin & Suse Marie Hesse

Shigeo Tsuyuki

Tadao Endo

Motoyuki & Megumi Matsushita

Markus & Ursula Ruh

Masami Yamamoto

Ragheb Dajani

AUGUST | 29

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C O M M U N I T Y | VO I C E

What’s So Funny? WORDS BETSY ROGERS ILLUSTRATION TANIA VICEDO

wo mushrooms go to the movies on a date. At the end of the evening, the female mushroom turns to her companion and says, “You know, you’re a fun-gi!” This simple play on words is a standard in my repertoire of (clean) icebreaker jokes, which can prove useful when interacting with people from different backgrounds and cultures. I even have some prepared gags for when I meet Japanese for the first time. Since conversations often focus on family and whether we have children, I usually reply, “Yes, we have four. We’re doing our bit to slow Japan’s population decline.” Unsure how to respond, the person might quickly progress to the ages of my children. Where my next quip lies in wait. “Juu-hassai [18], juu-roku-sai [16], juu-yon-sai [14] and uru-sai [noisy],” I explain. Derived from the Latin word for “fluid,” humor once referred to the bodily substances that affected emotion and personality. Certainly, laughter has

been shown to boost your mood and even your immune system, but humor isn’t meant to be dissected. Having grown up in a family that constantly played jokes on one another, I wondered how well humor translates. One day, I inadvertently tested the water. When my son was 10, his Japanese baseball team reached the finals of a big tournament. All 20 mothers joined a Line group to be able to organize schedules and share information. The Friday before the big game, the chief mom asked everyone their thoughts on whether her son should have his head shaved with a 1-centimeter or a 3-centimeter razor. My phone began pinging as the other moms offered their opinions on the predicament. With every decimal suggested, I frantically wondered what I could contribute. I had an idea. I found photos of two famous major-league players online: Oscar Gamble, a New York Yankee from the 1970s, known for his signature afro, and Mets pitcher Noah “Thor” Syndergaard, with his flowing, blond locks. I composed my message: “1cm or 3cm, 3 inches or 1 foot. All make for a

great ball player. Gambare! Let’s fight and win tomorrow!” Followed by a couple of beaming emoji. I wondered if they would get it. I thought it was funny. I hit send. The pinging of posts ground to a halt. Did I lose reception? Was my phone dead? With palms sweating, I arrived at the game the next day. Had I sacrificed my son’s starting position for my attempt at humor? “That was the funniest post I have ever seen,” a father I had never spoken to told me. Relief. “Betsy, I showed your post to everyone in my office,” said a mother. “We were howling.” Chief Mom wasn’t smiling. I meekly approached her. “I was just joking,” I said. “Yes, I know,” she replied. “But they need to be able to see the ball.”

Betsy Rogers delivered a version of this article at a local district Toastmasters speech contest in March.

AUGUST | 31

A DV E RTO R I A L

Heaven Can Wait

After a recent Okinawan vacation, one Member describes how a new oceanside resort already has her thinking about her next trip back to the island paradise.

Christopher, Heidi and Christianna Regent

hite sand beaches. Cr ystal-clear tides. Burnished sunsets over an endless horizon. Just when it seems as if nothing could be done to make an Okinawan getaway any more special, a Hawaiian-inspired resort comes along with guest villas close enough to the shore for the sound of breakers to lull guests to sleep. “You leave Tokyo and you get down to that part of the island where it’s just the beach surrounding you,” says Heidi Regent. “If you’re going to get away, that’s the way to do it.” Over the Father’s Day weekend, the Member traveled with her husband and daughter to the tropical prefecture for a stay at the Halekulani Okinawa resort, named after a Hawaiian phrase meaning “house befitting heaven.” Located an hour’s drive north of the island’s airport and relatively urban southern district, Halekulani’s suites and villas, each equipped with private balconies, stretch across the eastern shoreline for views unmatched this side of the paradise it’s named after. During their six-day stay, the Regents luxuriated in the resort’s endless amenities. They walked along the hotel beach. They relaxed in Halekulani’s indoor and four outdoor pools, including an infinity pool with ocean views and an adults-only quiet pool, complete with a swim-up bar.

32 | INTOUCH

“We also went paddleboarding where there’s quite a bit of coral reef right off the resort,” Regent explains. “But they also offer snorkeling and plenty of other watersports.” At sunset, the Regents dined on sumptuous meals of “pure perfection” at their pick of four on-site restaurants. On the veranda, backlit by Okinawa’s famous sunsets, local entertainers set the perfect mood with traditional Okinawan music.

Even when Regent and her husband poked their heads into the resort’s oceanfront bar one evening, Halekulani staff went above and beyond to deliver the couple a muchneeded nightcap. “The bartenders said, ‘Well, we have a serving cart,’” Regent recalls. “They came up to our room in their beautiful outfits and made my husband and myself martinis right there. They left no stone unturned.” Regent is no Okinawa novice. In the past, she’s visited the Ritz Carlton and the Busena Terrace. In the future, she says, she’ll only stay at Halekulani. “There’s no other resort in Okinawa that would meet the expectations of what Halekulani has done.” HALEKULANI OKINAWA okinawa.halekulani.com

COMMUNIT Y | HIGHLIGHTS

June 9 TAC Talk: Tetsuji Shibayama

The former managing director of auction house Sotheby’s Japan discussed his mission to nurture a vibrant local art scene of keen collectors and emerging artists. IMAGES YUUKI IDE

AUGUST | 33

July 3 Independence Day Celebration

At the Club’s annual festivities to mark America’s birthday, families enjoyed a funpacked day of games, entertainment, Sky Pool excitement and classic American eats. IMAGES YUUKI IDE

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COMMUNIT Y | HIGHLIGHTS

July 11 Grand Slam Golf

Members test-drove the brand-new, Trackman-upgraded 19th Hole golf simulator during a day of Club pro tips, contests, club fittings and game-boosting gear. IMAGES KAYO YAMAWAKI

AUGUST | 35

KAYO YAMAWAKI

COMMUNIT Y | PURSUIT

Pedal Potential PROGRAM

On-Demand Indoor Cycling

You’re in the driver’s seat (or the saddle at least) with the Club’s new, on-demand indoor cycling workouts. This is a program tailored to your schedule and fitness needs. Showcased at the Fitness Center’s recent Tour de Tokyo cycling challenge, the Les Mills workouts of RPM and Les Mills Sprint offer hundreds of calorie-burning and cardio-boosting videos to motivate and energize. While RPM is a low-impact mix of gallops, climbs and flat riding, Sprint is 30 minutes of high-intensity interval cycling. Simply check the group fitness schedule online, book a time in The Studio and get pedaling.

PARTICIPANTS

Reiko & Akira Shiraishi (pictured)

“My wife and I decided to join the Tour de Tokyo challenge to encourage ourselves during the ongoing Covid-19 situation. We could work out to a variety of videos. But the best thing about the program was the excellent team of Club staff that was so friendly and supportive. They kept us motivated.”

ON-DEMAND INDOOR CYCLING: RPM & LES MILLS SPRINT  The Studio  One fitness pass (good for up to three consecutive sessions); walk-ins: ¥1,760  Contact rec.concierge@tac-club.org or visit the Recreation Desk to book

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AUGUST 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

Time for an upgrade Time for MORI LIVING

TOKYO AMERIC AN CLUB

Community Boost The Club opens its doors as part of Japan’s vaccine rollout AUGUST 2021

FA R M TO F O R K + A R E YO U S I T T I N G C O M F O RTA B LY ? + C LU B C O U ST E AU

August 2021 INTOUCH Magazine

Articles inside

HIGHLIGHTS

PURSUIT

VOICE

WELLNESS

AGENDA

FOOD

EDUCATION

FOCUS

DIVING

DIGEST

LEADERSHIP

COMMUNITY