D I G E ST E D I TO R
Superior Interior
Attention to Detail
NACÁSA & PARTNERS
AWA R D
The Nihonbashi Club has won a second prestigious award for its interior design. The iF Design Award follows the Club’s Good Design Award last year. “The consistent use of fine materials and detailing, lighting technique, original furnishings and art collection make the spaces of a truly exceptional quality,” the Hanover-based award judges noted. Architect and Nihonbashi Club Member Daishi Yoshimoto oversaw the design of the Club, which opened in March 2021. “We are very proud and excited that our design was recognized by a major international design award program,” he says. “It’s another win for the Nihonbashi team and Members.” NJ MEMBERSHIP
YUUKI IDE
Spreading the Joy
“Shared joy is a double joy” goes the Swedish proverb. And from June 1, the Nihonbashi Club is inviting Members to introduce their friends and coworkers to the joys of membership. In addition, whenever a Member accompanies an interested guest to the Club in June, they will be entered into a draw to win a prize from a lineup of spectacular Club experiences, including dinner for four and personal training sessions. And if the guest applies to join the Club by August 31, the Member will receive a voucher worth ¥20,000 for spending at either clubhouse. Visit the Club website for details or contact membership@tac-club.org. NJ
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INTOUCH
The fact that a guitar stolen more than four decades ago was ever found was incredible enough. But the way in which it was discovered makes the episode particularly extraordinary. In 2021, an amateur sleuth in Canada uncovered the whereabouts of the treasured 1957 Gretsch guitar of rock legend Randy Bachman, who shares the story ahead of his Club performance next month on page 22. After scouring online images and videos for clues, William Long chanced upon a video of a guitarist playing in a Japanese bar. He had struck gold. The three telltale marks on the guitar that Long had identified from an old Bachman video were clearly visible. Remarkably, the guitar looked in the same condition as the day it went missing from a hotel in 1976. Maybe we’ll never know how it arrived in Japan, but Bachman is lucky that it did wind up in a Tokyo guitar shop. Anyone who has bought anything vintage or secondhand in Japan knows that Japanese owners—particularly hobbyists—look after the object of their interest. They care about every detail. It’s no surprise that vinyl collectors from abroad visit Japan to pick up mint-condition records. In this case, the guitar shop that sold Bachman’s orange 1957 Gretsch knew exactly the value of the guitar, as did its discerning purchaser, the Japanese musician Takeshi. When the Gretsch is returned to its original owner when Bachman and Takeshi meet in Tokyo in July, the Canadian rocker can be thankful for a nation’s appreciation for craftsmanship.
