August 2023 INTOUCH Magazine

Premium real estate for Tokyo living

A pioneer in prestigious real estate

We don’t just offer places to live, but locations where communities can grow.

Our Homat Series has been offering the best in moder n an d s t yli s h ren t al s i n p r ime loca t io n s f or i nt e r n at ion al res id ent s s in ce 1965

Our Homat Series has been offering the best in modern and stylish rentals in prime locations for international residents since 1965.

We offer a wide range of premium residences, from h ighr is es wi t h s wee p in g p an or amic view s , s u ch a s t h e Homa t V is co un t i n A kas aka, t o low- r is e res id en ces i n green and quiet neighborhoods, such as the Kara Blanc in Minami-Azabu. Our continuing goal i s t o p rovid e hig h q u ali t y h ou s in g f or e x p at f amilie s livi n g a n d wo r ki n g i n Tokyo ’s ci t y ce n t er

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 Homat Sharon in Minami-Azabu. Our continuing goal is to provide highquality housing for expat families living and working in Tokyo’s city center.

Kara Blanc in Minami-Azabu

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BARRIER-FREE EXPRESSION

The Club’s Frederick Harris Gallery welcomes the artists of Pasona Heartful’s Art Mura this month for an exhibition that celebrates inclusive art and creative minds.

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WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME

The Nihonbashi Club’s Muromachi Bar is certainly eye-catching, but its appeal is about much more than the stylish design and furnishings.

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FRIEND & FOIL

After lunging and parrying his way to the top tier of fencing, Oleg Matseichuk is helping Club fencers make their mark in the sport.

Cover artwork by Mamoru Morita

YUUKI IDE

KAYO YAMAWAKI

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Representative Governor Jesse Green (2023)

First Vice President Sam Rogan (2024)

Second Vice President Dean R Rogers (2024)

Secretary Nils Plett (2023)

Treasurer Rune Sølvsteen (2023)

Governors Trista Bridges Bivens (2024), Justin Keyes (2024), Gregory Lyon (2023), Mihoko Manabe (2024), Tetsutaro Muraki (2024), Catherine Ohura (2023), Edward Rogers (2024), Reiko Saito (2023), Vanessa Thomas—Connections president (2023)

Statutory Auditors Koichi Komoda (2024), Paul Kuo (2023)

Parentheses denote term limit.

CLUB COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Compensation Gregory Lyon

Culture, Community & Entertainment Matthew Tappenden (Trista Bridges Bivens)

Finance Patrick McLeod (Rune Sølvsteen)

Food & Beverage Mark Spencer (Sam Rogan)

House Adam Donahue (Dean R Rogers)

Human Resources Ken Cogger (Reiko Saito)

Membership Justin Negron (Tetsutaro Muraki)

Nihonbashi Geoffrey Bowman (Catherine Ohura)

Nominating Joseph Etheridge

Recreation Shinji Yamasaki (Nils Plett)

Risk Control Ren Kuroda (Mihoko Manabe)

Parentheses denote Board liaison.

Darren Morrish

ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGERS

Business Operations Wayne Hunter

Business Support Lian Chang

DIRECTORS

Facilities Toby Lauer

Finance Naoto Okutsu

Food & Beverage Suranga Hettige Don

Human Resources Jason Dominici

Marketing & Communications Shane Busato

Member Services Jonathan Allen

Nihonbashi Noriaki Yamazaki

Recreation Susanna Yung

INTOUCH

Editor C Bryan Jones

editor@tac-club.org

Communications Manager Nick Jones

Designer Kohji Shiiki

Designer Clara Garcia

Production Administrator Yuko Shiroki

CONTRIBUTORS

Writers

Masami Bailey

Andrew Chin

Joe Etheridge

Tim Hornyak

Jonathan King

Photographers

Clara Garcia

Yuuki Ide

Kohji Shiiki

Takumaru Suzuki

Kayo Yamawaki

Illustrator

Explore

INTOUCH

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2 | INTOUCH

To arrange a tour of the facilities, contact the Membership Office.

Tranquil Moments Await You in the Heart of Tokyo

Shangri-La’s acclaimed Asian hospitality creates an urban sanctuary in the centre of Japan’s capital. Discover inspiring, unforgettable experiences and colourful moments of joy through our personalised and heartfelt service. And during your stay or just for a night on the town, you can enjoy exquisite cuisine expertly prepared from the freshest ingredients, making for an unrivalled opportunity to savour fine dining.

Finding Tomorrow’s Leaders

WORDS JOSEPH ETHERIDGE IMAGE KAYO YAMAWAKI

Months before a vote is cast in the Club’s annual Board election, the Nominating Committee begins its work. The job might appear simple—to put together a slate of candidates for the election—but it has its own set of challenges.

Identifying enough qualified and willing candidates requires active effort. In particular, it is not easy to assemble a lineup of candidates with diverse backgrounds. Despite the fact that more than half our membership is Japanese, we struggle to build a bench of candidates for the Japanese slots on the Board every year. Women are also underrepresented, as are people with expertise related to the Club’s core activities, such as food and beverage. Ahead of the election in November, the committee is determined to present a slate of candidates with as diverse a set of experiences as possible. We want to ensure there are two candidates for each position on the slate to offer greater choice to Members. Historically, we have had many male candidates with a finance background. Finding additional candidates with different skills and opinions will offer Members more options from which to choose.

We also want to identify new volunteers for committees to build a pool of future talent. Most governors serve on committees before running for the Board, and we have invited Members interested in volunteering to get in touch through the Get Involved online portal.

Of course, the other side of our democratic governance process is ensuring as many people vote as possible. Right now, around 20 percent of eligible Members are registered to vote. We would like to see at least 30 percent of eligible Members registered and casting their ballots in the election. Registration can be done easily through the Voting page of the website.

How you vote in the election can shape the future direction of the Club. Therefore, if you feel that familyfocused facilities and services don’t receive enough resources compared to other areas, for example, vote for candidates passionate about that issue. Votes really can bring about change.

To find out what candidates stand for and how they intend to serve Members if elected, be sure to read all the relevant candidate information when it is posted online and take the chance to meet those in the running at either the in-person or online event in October.

When more of us register and cast informed votes, it benefits all Members, as well as those who will join the Club in the years ahead.

“Ahead of the election in November, the committee is determined to present a slate of candidates with as diverse a set of experiences as possible.”

Joseph Etheridge is chair of the Club’s Nominating Committee.

Star-Spangled Celebration

The Club’s Independence Day festivities on July 1 drew hundreds of Members and guests over the course of the day.

With family activities spread across the Club, the area in front of the main entrance was transformed into a carnival of sorts, with games, live music, entertainment and food trucks selling American classics.

In a Club first, the day’s fun culminated in

Cause Support CHARITIES

a spectacular outdoor music and projectionmapping show.

“Saturday’s all-day party was the perfect embodiment of what July Fourth is all about: family and friends commemorating America’s birthday and our community,” Jesse Green, the Club’s representative governor, wrote in a July Fourth e-mail message to Members. Turn to page 32 for photos from the day. NJ

As part of its annual support of local charities, the Club’s Connections group has donated ¥6.4 million to six organizations. The Kanita Women’s Village shelter, Nanbyo Children Support Network, which organizes counseling and activities for children with intractable diseases and disabilities and their families, Single Mothers Forum and the Carer Action Network Association, a support group for young caregivers, are all first-time recipients of Club donations.

Meanwhile, the Multicultural Center Tokyo, an educational support organization for nonJapanese students, and the counseling service TELL have also received financial help. Connections raises funds through its annual sales and other initiatives. NJ

Image: (l–r) Song Mingyuan, Tuladhar Raghav and Ernest Efosa Ehibor at the Multicultural Center Tokyo

KAYO YAMAWAKI

Image: Independence Day Celebration buffet in the Winter Garden

From the Shelves

Since joining the Club last November with her parents and brother, Maya Gupta has fallen in love with the Library. The 9-year-old can often be found exploring the second-floor shelves for a new page-turner in which to immerse herself.

What was your favorite childhood book?

Mo Willems’ books were some of my favorites when I was younger. My parents first read them to me. But as I got older, I loved being able to read them on my own. We Are in a Book! was one of my all-time favorites. I also loved the Knuffle Bunny series. When we started reading them, we lived in Brooklyn, New York, which is where the stories take place. I loved living in the same neighborhood as the main character.

What inspired your love of books?

For my seventh birthday, one of my friends gave me a box set of Dan Gutman’s My Weird School Daze books. I started reading those and couldn’t stop. I’m so thankful to that friend because his gift really made me love reading, and that changed my life. And now I know what to give other beginner readers! What genre do you most enjoy?

Realistic fiction is one of my favorites because it’s full of drama. I read almost all of The Baby-Sitters Club books by Anna M Martin in a week. I also really enjoy historical fiction. I just finished reading Ship of Dolls by Shirley Parenteau and loved how I could relate to the characters even though the story takes place in the 1920s.

What are you reading now?

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. I watched it on TV and a friend recommended it to me as well. The pages never stop turning. I was planning to look for it at the Library, but then my aunt and uncle surprised me with it as a gift when they visited from the US last month.

When were you last unable to put down a book?

When I read The Genius Files #3: You Only Die Twice by Dan Gutman, I was so hooked that I couldn’t stop. It was fun, exciting and super creative—just the perfect thriller. I loved how suspenseful and unexpected it was.

Play Haven TERRACE

In time for the summer break, the Club unveiled a new play area for kids and young families in June.

The renovated terrace area outside the Bowling Center features a wooden pergola for shade, seating and artificial grass. What’s more, the popular outdoor Jungle Gym is just steps away.

The upgraded spot is already garnering young fans.

“We visit the terrace two or three times a week,” says Member Aiko Takagi, who plays there with her baby daughter and two toddler sons. “It is a safe and fun place for children.” NJ

CLARA GARCIA

CLARA GARCIA

Image: Maya Gupta

Unsung Heroes

Cellar Refreshers WINE

WORDS MASAMI BAILEY IMAGE CLARA GARCIA

Japan’s hottest month requires the right libation. And nothing is quite as refreshing as a glass of chilled sparkling wine.

When a complex job is done so well that you don’t notice how much work it entailed, it’s a testament to the skill of the people behind it, says Member Bryan Jacop.

As vice chair of the Culture, Community & Entertainment Committee, the San Francisco native is impressed with the efforts behind the First Friday gatherings he helps organize.

Transforming the Winter Garden for each themed evening is a monumental task, says Jacop, who praises Richard Woods, Jocelyn Ouimet and the entire Club facilities team for their planning and execution.

“With people coming back in a big way, we want to do bigger and bigger events, and the facilities team has just been phenomenal,” he explains. “Before you even realize that it’s time to go and take a look, they’ve already got everything done. They’re the backbone of First Fridays.”

Ouimet, who joined the Club in 2015, says that moving the Winter Garden’s furniture between floors is the biggest challenge.

“Sometimes we need to be creative to find space for everything,” he says. Woods adds that it requires careful coordination to keep the service elevator running smoothly while not disturbing Members. The 25-year Club veteran from Britain is quick to recognize his colleagues.

“Multiple departments work together behind the scenes to pull off each event,” he says.

Jacop says that most Members don’t realize how much goes into preparing the Winter Garden for each event then resetting the space afterwards for Members to use the following morning.

“I encourage all Members to take a moment to thank the facilities team,” he says. “They are the unsung heroes of the Club.” CBJ

Members can recognize Club staff by submitting a Tell TAC through the Club website.

I first tried Franciacorta years ago at an Italian restaurant. It might not be as well-known as Champagne, but this world-class sparkling wine from the northern Italian region of Lombardy is made in the same traditional way as its French counterpart.

The Cellar’s NV Bellavista Grande Cuvée Alma Brut (¥4,800) is an excellent example, described by wine critic James Suckling as “creamy and soft, yet fresh and tangy, with a medium body and fine bubbles.”

Since summer is regarded as the season of rosé, I recommend Birichino’s 2020 Vin Gris (¥3,200). This elegant California rosé is zesty with aromas of stone fruits, hibiscus and watermelon. The perfect way to welcome a relaxing afternoon.

Staying in the Golden State, Decoy’s 2021 Merlot from Sonoma County is smooth, soft and elegant. Just as you would expect from the owners of Duckhorn, the famed Napa producer.

Available for ¥2,850 at The Cellar, this Merlot would also be a great base for that classic summer sipper—sangria.

Masami Bailey 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.

CLARA GARCIA Image: (l–r) Jocelyn Ouimet, Bryan Jacop and Richard Woods

What’s on in

AUGUST 1

His series of works, titled “Ukiyo-e in the Reiwa Era,” is on display through August 14 in the Frederick Harris Gallery. CBJ

Exhibition: Toru Ishii

For centuries, Japanese artists captured everyday life through ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Today, these intricately crafted “pictures of the floating world” provide a foundation for Toru Ishii’s reimagining of the art form for a digital era.

The artist, who holds a doctorate from the Tokyo University of the Arts, photographs Tokyo scenes with a film camera before using software and itome yuzen dyeing techniques to create images that bridge the centuries.

“By crossing the light of today’s Tokyo with the traditional Japanese culture of itome yuzen and ukiyo-e, the possibilities of ukiyo-e expression in the modern age are reexamined,” Ishii says.

Moment I realized I wanted to become an artist.

I realized it when I had the opportunity to speak with various Japanese artists who have had their works shown globally. What I would tell my 20-year-old self. It is better to ask the way than to go astray.

My perfect creative environment. It’s the Elizabeth Foundation Studio, a studio in east London. Artist, living or dead, I’d most like to share a meal with.

I would like to share a meal with Hokusai, Matisse and Robert Rauschenberg.

• Through August 14 • Frederick Harris Gallery • Artworks available for purchase through Member Services • Details online

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Summer Classes

From art and sports to martial arts and music, the Club’s summer programs are designed to entertain, challenge and inspire young Members over the school break.

• Details online

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1-4 Summer Hoops Camp with Pro Michael Parker

Badminton

Enthusiastic shuttlers get together each Tuesday for friendly games and the occasional match against a local club. Sessions start with a one-hour instructor-led clinic.

• 6:30–9pm • Gymnasium • ¥550

• Details online

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Summer Reading Treasure Hunt

Young Members set out on a literary expedition to unearth tales from the shelves. The quest continues through August 16.

• Library • Free • Details online

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Summer Camp Discovery

The Club’s weeklong sessions of games, crafts, music, dance and fun continue through August 25.

• 9am–3pm • Big Kids (ages 5–10): ¥55,000; Preschoolers (ages 3–4): ¥49,500 • Sign up online

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All-Star Kids

Through August 25, summer campers keep the fun going with afternoons of sports, magic and tech challenges.

• 3:30–5:30pm • Gymnasium, Activity Rooms, The Studio • ¥14,850 per week (guests: ¥19,300) • Ages 5–10 • Sign up online

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Nihonbashi Happy Hour

Enjoy a 15 percent discount on bar bites and select beers, wines and cocktails. Monday through Friday at the Nihonbashi Club’s iconic watering hole. Members share what makes the bar special on page 22.

• 5–7pm • Muromachi Bar

• Details online

Practice makes perfect. But you’d better be practicing the right thing. As NBA legend Michael Jordan said, “You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way.”

The Club’s aspiring, young b-ballers can be sure they’re on the right track with the help of US-born Japanese power forward Michael Parker, who plays with the Gunma Crane Thunders in Japan’s professional B. League.

Parker returns this month for a four-day workshop of drills and games designed to improve players’ passing, dribbling, shooting and teamwork.

Members Miu Sonoda and Shosuke Yokoyama attended last summer’s camp and are eager to take part again.

“It was lots of fun because Michael turned everything into a fun game,” says Miu, 15. “Michael not only teaches technique but also the ability to work with others and to try our hardest.”

One particular lesson stands out from last year’s camp.

“During the one-on-one games, I learned that it was important to keep pushing yourself,” Miu says. “He made me realize how having good spirit plays a role in basketball.”

Thirteen-year-old Shosuke says Parker helped him refine his game.

“He helped me improve my shooting form,” Shosuke says. “Ever since, I’ve become a high-percentage shooter.” CBJ

• 1:30–3pm • Gymnasium • ¥27,500 (guests: ¥33,000) • Ages 10–15 • Details online

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Free Bowling Fun

Hit the Club lanes each Wednesday (except national holidays) for one free game. Whether you’re a veteran kegler or you’ve never bowled a strike in your life, now’s the time to enjoy America’s most popular pastime.

• Bowling Center • Free

• Details online

2 Toastmasters Luncheon

Hone your public speaking and presentation skills at regular monthly meetings of the Club’s cohort of Toastmasters.

• 12–1:30pm • Washington & Lincoln rooms • ¥2,420 (guests: ¥2,900) • Sign up online

3

Mastering the Fitness

Machines

Learn how to make the most of the Fitness Center’s upper-body workout machines at a free introductory session for men.

• 12pm • Fitness Center • Free • Sign up online

3

Volleyball

Players of all ages and ability levels meet up each Thursday and Sunday for social sessions of spikes, blocks and rallies. Member Sean Lee shares how the gatherings have boosted his game on page 25.

• 8–9:30pm • Gymnasium

• Details online

6

Introduction to Squash Club instructor Rico Cheung introduces families to the basics of squash during free sessions.

• 4:30–6:30pm • Squash Court 1 • Free

• Members only • Ages 6 & above

• Details online

6 Basketball Players of all levels enjoy casual pickup games each Sunday on the Club’s hardwood.

• 5:30–7:30pm • Gymnasium

• Details online

Your Move: Play a Chess Grandmaster

The maximum number of moves in a game of chess is 5,949. Although no recorded match has ever lasted that long (the average is between 40 and 60 moves), Egyptian grandmaster Samy Shoker might make a collective run at it when he takes on Club players simultaneously this month.

While there are millions of chess devotees around the world, only about 1,700 players have the title of grandmaster, which is bestowed by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the game’s governing body.

Shoker earned the title in 2014 at age 27 after meeting FIDE’s steep criteria, which include achieving a rating of 2,500 and competing in tournaments against grandmasters and international masters.

“Chess saved my life,” Shoker says. “It gave me the opportunity to meet people of various origins, social class and age. Not a lot of activities are so universal as chess.”

Even if you don’t make it to the upper echelons of the game, Shoker says there is much to be gained from just playing.

“Organizing and planning your thoughts, anticipation and imagination, learning to analyze and improve so as not to repeat the same mistakes [will help you improve],” he says.

Shoker says he’s looking forward to meeting Members and sharing some insights into “the chess world and chess life.” CBJ

• 6:30–9:30pm

• Washington & Lincoln rooms • ¥2,500 (guests: ¥3,300)

• Ages 6 & above

• Sign up online

Image: Samy Shoker

19-20 Weekend Buffet: Aloha Festival

Sit down at a table on Oahu or Maui and you’ll soon realize that for the locals, food isn’t just about sustenance. History and tradition tickle the taste buds while dishes are imbued with Hawaii’s famous “aloha spirit.”

“In Hawaiian culture, no gathering happens without good food,” says Member Eric Takahata, who was born in Hawaii. A lifelong fan of loco moco, Hawaii’s classic comfort food, Takahata says he loves how Polynesian, Asian, American and even European cuisines have shaped the islands’ local flavors.

There’s also the tie between land and sea.

“Food has always played an important role in local culture,” Takahata adds. “Various foods that come from the land represent vital cultural ties to how the people of Hawaii have long sustained and nourished themselves.”

Rainbow Café devotes an entire weekend to the cuisine of Hawaii this month. And while fire regulations prevent Club chefs from roasting a pig in an underground oven, there will be plenty of tender kalua pork to savor, as well as pineapple fried rice, huli huli chicken and lomi lomi salmon. Who needs a vacation in Honolulu? CBJ

• 11am–8pm • Rainbow Café • Adults: ¥3,300; ages 12–17: ¥2,500; ages 7–11: ¥1,050; ages 4–6: ¥750; ages 3 & under: free • Details online

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Mastering the Fitness Machines

A second free session this month guides three men through the ins and outs of the Fitness Center’s lowerbody workout machines.

• 11am • Fitness Center • Free • Sign up online

7

Pickleball

Discover the fun of this easy-to-learn game that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong each Monday.

• 1–3pm (full court); 8–9:30pm (half court) • Gymnasium • Details online

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Squash Night

Connect with fellow players over squash chat and games.

• 5:30–7:30pm • Squash Courts

• Details online

13

Sky Pool Splash-A-Round

Kids escape the Tokyo heat and make new friends as they clamber, crawl and slide through the aquatic hub’s course of inflatable obstacles.

• 3–5:30pm • Sky Pool • ¥2,200 (guests: ¥2,750) • Ages 5–12

• Sign up online

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Squash Night

Connect with fellow players at this casual evening of conversation and games.

• 5:30–7:30pm • Squash Courts

• Details online

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Cocktail Hour

Budding mixologists learn how to craft an Ie Island Highball, an Okinawan rum-infused cocktail. Bar regulars share what they love about the Nihonbashi watering hole on page 22.

• 5:30pm • Muromachi Bar • ¥2,200

• Members only • Sign up online

Check the Club website for the most up-to-date information on events and programs.

KAYO YAMAWAKI

One of the central qualities that defines life in Hawai‘i is the importance of ‘ohana, or family. This concept often goes beyond immediate kin ship to communities. And for businesses on the islands, nurturing and supporting these ties is of key importance.

This is what inspires the family-owned Kobayashi Group, which has been behind some of Hawai‘i’s most noteworthy real estate projects over the past decades, including Park Lane, ONE Ala Moana and Hokua.

The group’s latest project, Ālia at 888 Ala Moana, is a groundbreaking development that will embrace sustainability at all levels, from its innovative construction and infrastructure to its integration within the diverse and vibrant Ala Moana / Kaka‘ako neighborhood. The property

Part of the Family

will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums with unrivaled ocean views, beautiful common areas and a wealth of amenities, from sports facilities to a movie theater.

Since its founding in the 1950s, the three-generation company has grown from construction to one of the islands’ largest real estate developers and investors. It has always put working as a part of the local Hawai‘i community at center stage—whether that means collaborating with talented local architects and designers or developing spaces that become anchor points for their neighborhoods.

And Ālia, like those developments that came before it, will make its mark on Honolulu and be a thriving community where residents will be able to gather and enjoy quality time together.

ISLAND CONNECTIONS

Kobayashi Group maintains an office in Tokyo and has strong ties to Japan, with its executives regularly coming to the country throughout the year. Club Members interested in learning more about the group’s developments can contact Donald Matthew Pakkala, director of sales, and Kana Otani, the director of the Asia–Pacific Division. Pakkala, who grew up in Arizona, was a professional drummer who toured with a band and a golf pro at different times of his life and has been with Kobayashi Group for more than two decades. He is truly part of the family. His wife, Alana Kobayashi Pakkala, is the group’s managing partner and executive vice president.

Otani is a native of Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture and has worked with the company for almost 10 years, living mostly in Hawai‘i during that time.

Ālia is scheduled to be completed in early 2026, and Pakkala and Otani look forward to new residents becoming part of Hawai‘i’s warm and welcoming ‘ohana.

Donald Matthew Pakkala: matt@alia888alamoana.com

Kana Otani: 070-8321-7850

kana@alia888alamoana.com

To learn more about Ālia:

Kobayashi Group, an innovative leader in Hawai‘i real estate, puts its focus on community

Summer Star

WORDS NICK JONES IMAGE CLARA GARCIA

The simple Greek tavernas that line the streets of the New York City neighborhood of Astoria proved the inspiration for a summer addition to the menus of American Bar & Grill and Traders’ Bar.

Available for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, the Astoria grilled chicken breast is the perfect antidote to a sweltering Tokyo August.

“We wanted to keep things light but showcase clean and simple flavors,” says Scott Kihara, the Club’s chef de cuisine.

The result is juicy Iwate chicken breast with a crisp summer salad of tomatoes, cucumber, romaine lettuce, Kalamata olives, fresh dill and feta cheese, drizzled with a light oregano vinaigrette.

“Our new avocado-infused tzatziki brings the whole dish together,” Kihara says. “And, best of all, your waistline won’t feel a thing!”

• Astoria grilled chicken breast • ¥2,800

Strong Track Record

Kozue Dunn’s satis ed clients speak for themselves

Finding a new property— whether it’s for rent, purchase or investment—can be a daunting task anywhere, but it can be even more of a challenge in Japan, with its stringent requirements and significant language barriers.

Having a trustworthy partner who combines expertise about the market with top-notch customer service is invaluable in this situation. And that’s what Kozue Dunn brings to the table, having helped a broad range of Club Members over the past several years.

International business owner Gregory Lyon says he came to Dunn because he was looking for an investment property. “It can be difficult to find homes in some areas of Japan, especially in popular vacation areas. I spent close to a year trying to find a property in Shimoda. Kozue was able to find a property that worked, manage a relatively difficult seller and get everything completed for us. I have invested in a number of prop-

erties in Japan, and Kozue has been one of the most honest and diligent agents I have worked with.”

Meanwhile, Nathalia Ito bought a luxury condo with Dunn’s help and found her easygoing approach to be refreshing. “Through out the process, she never pressured us to make a decision and always had our best interests at heart,” Ito explains. “Her excellent negotiation skills resulted in a discount from the seller. And even when unexpected information emerged right before closing, she gave us the option to step back and explore other options. Kozue’s commitment to going above and beyond exceeded our expectations, making our home purchasing experience truly exceptional.”

Finally, Alexander Tiger, an entrepreneur and attorney, came to Dunn when he was looking for a rental property in Tokyo. He was impressed by her attention to detail and willingness to help in ways that went beyond just securing a home.

“Kozue helped us locate and secure a

fantastic house in Hiroo. She also spent endless hours helping us prepare for our life in Tokyo, including assisting with our kids’ schools and applications, installing furniture and appliances, ordering Wi-Fi and communicating with our landlord. She truly goes above and beyond the call of duty.”

As a Club Member, Dunn is well aware of the needs of discerning clients and provides service that is a cut above. She looks forward to helping you find the property of your dreams.

*Each Keller Williams office is independently owned and operated.

It was early January 1973. The holidays were over, but one group of Club Members was looking to keep the fun going.

Among them was Fred Baker. The friends concocted “crazy ideas” at cocktail parties until Baker hit on a possible project that everyone loved.

“Let’s make a movie,” the Chicago native announced.

With two financial gurus turned would-be filmmakers in the social circle—Michael Sellars and Don Roth—the gin-fueled idea quickly got off the ground. Roth penned the screenplay and Sellars got behind the 8mm camera for a weekend of shooting around Roppongi, including in a cemetery.

REEL MEMORIES

“We’ve maintained close contact, gone to each other’s children’s weddings, traveled on cruises together,” Baker, 82, says. “Through the Club, we developed friendships that have lasted more than 50 years. It’s quite amazing.”

With Japan’s economy taking off in the 1970s, expats began to arrive on three-year assignments in Tokyo in droves. Many, like Baker who traveled across the Pacific in 1970, joined the Club.

“You came in with a bunch of people,” he says. “You were newbies and you got to know each other very well.”

In May this year, Baker organized a reunion at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC, a reciprocal club.

The 20-minute film, titled Last Tango in Tokyo, focused on several grisly murders by a group called the “Fanatics” in the mythical kingdom of Ignoppor. Baker played the role of “student reading Japanese newspaper” while his wife, York, starred as “another mysterious woman mugged at International House.”

The premiere took place on May 9, 1973, at the old Azabudai Club. Filmmakers, cast and fellow Members gathered in tuxedos and evening gowns to watch the flick, which the Tokyo Weekender magazine said had “to be seen to be believed.”

The legacy of Last Tango in Tokyo, which can be found on YouTube, extends far beyond the screen. Fifty years later, many of the film’s creators remain in touch.

Some Members have passed away, including York, but Roth and his wife, Mary Beth (“third mysterious woman”), were there with their son, Matthew, who starred in the film as a 3-week-old “infant.” George Evans, who played the ambassador of Ignoppor, joined by Zoom.

One thing to emerge from the spring meetup is the possibility of a sequel.

“The Roths told me that they had possession of the ‘Pearl of Ignoppor,’ which features in the film, but on their way back from Tokyo to the States, there was a fire on the ship and their belongings were destroyed, including the pearl,” Baker says. “So I posited that perhaps the Fanatics were still around, stole the pearl and used the fire to cover their tracks. I’m suggesting a sequel featuring a second generation.”

Image: Fred Baker and son Matthew (far right) and York Baker (center right) at the Club’s Independence Day event in 1972

On the 50th anniversary of a Member-made movie, one of its amateur creators reflects on the film’s legacy.

WORDS C BRYAN JONES

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FRIEND FOIL &

Matseichuk might have fenced at the highest level, but the sport wasn’t his first choice. He tried soccer and boxing before being introduced to fencing when a teacher visited his high school in Kyiv. He stuck with it, he admits, because “soccer was very tiring with all the running and boxing was very painful.”

His dedication paid off. Within three years, he enrolled at a sports school. After success in local competitions, he took part in his first international tournament at age 20 and went on to earn a spot on the Ukrainian national fencing team.

Matseichuk’s career highlights include a top-eight finish at the 1998 European Fencing Championships in Bulgaria and a team gold medal at the 1997 Summer Universiade in Sicily.

After retiring from competitive fencing at age 30, he was recruited by the Japan Fencing Federation in 2003. And it was as a coach that he truly excelled.

With Japan’s national team, Matseichuk witnessed Yuki Ota take silver in the men’s individual foil competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was the country’s first medal in fencing.

“Nobody in the world was happier than me on that day,” says the 51-year-old with a wide smile. “It’s a feeling that you achieved something unreal. With time, this feeling gives much more motivation to you. It gives power.”

After Japan won its first-ever gold at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Matseichuk left the national team, believing the fencers needed “a new voice and outlook” to help them continue to develop.

A cacophony of clashing steel fills the Club Gymnasium. Member Claire Finck peers at her opponent through the steel mesh of her fencing helmet. Despite being much smaller, the 12-year-old feels confident.

With a lunge, she darts into her opponent’s space and drives the tip of her foil into the jacket of the other fencer to score a point.

Claire learned the technique from Oleg Matseichuk, a former Ukrainian national fencer who coached Japan to Olympic gold and who now nurtures the Olympians of tomorrow at the Club.

“He’s really strong emotionally and physically, and a really good teacher,” says Claire, who credits Matseichuk for her improved hand skills that lead to more strikes in close quarters.

Former Japan coach Koji Emura, who oversees the Club’s fencing program, approached Matseichuk with a proposal. The two joined forces and now teach the finer points of fencing to Olympians and Club Members alike.

Last year, Emura, who fenced for Japan at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, launched a fundraising campaign to support Matseichuk and Japan national team coach Oleksandr Gorbachuk, whose families remain in wartorn Ukraine.

“I see Oleg as one of the coaches who raised Japanese fencers to win medals at international tournaments,” says Emura. “He can pass that legacy down to younger fencers.”

Little Fencers

• Through August 21

• Gymnasium

• Every Monday: 4:30–5:15pm

• Ages 5 & above

• Sign up online

Image: Oleg Matseichuk

After a career fencing against the best, Oleg Matseichuk is guiding the next generation of fencers at the Club.

WORDS ANDREW CHIN IMAGE KAYO YAMAWAKI

BARRIER-

FREE EXPRESSION

The Club’s Frederick Harris Gallery highlights the works of Japanese artists with disabilities through a monthlong exhibition.

“Once I complete a painting, I’m thinking about what different patterns and colors I can use on the next one.”

WORDS TIM HORNYAK

IMAGE KAYO YAMAWAKI

Image: Makoto Nakagaki and Ryuki Hayata

Makoto Nakagaki and Ryuki Hayata spend their days creating elaborate paintings that burst with color and intricate detail. But unlike independent professional artists, they are paid steady wages to put brush to canvas.

Nakagaki is enamored with nature while Hayata specializes in cityscapes, depicting buildings he sees in photographs. Both are full-time artists at Pasona Heartful, and their work will be featured as part of a group exhibition, titled “Talent Knows No Handicap,” at the Club’s Frederick Harris Gallery from August 15.

“I love painting flowers and patterns,” says Nakagaki, whose acrylics echo the works of the Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt. “Once I complete a painting, I’m thinking about what different patterns and colors I can use on the next one. That’s how I get ideas for painting one after the other, and I really enjoy it.”

Nakagaki produces her works at Pasona’s Art Mura studio. She joined Pasona Heartful in 2007 and spent years at the company’s Pan Koubou bakery, making bread, cakes and pastries to be sold at Pasona’s offices, before joining Art Mura, which was launched in 1992.

The artist is among roughly 600 workers with disabilities who found employment with the Pasona Group, a leading staffing and outsourcing agency. Most have intellectual disabilities, but some have hearing, mobility or other impairments.

“Our philosophy is that talent knows no handicap,” says Junko Fukasawa, president of Pasona Heartful, on a recent

weekday morning at the Pasona offices. “We believe that employment is one of the ways to help disabled people who normally cannot enter the workforce.”

One of 66 subsidiaries of the Pasona Group, Pasona Heartful was established as Pasona Sunrise in 1989 to advance the employment of disabled people. It now has eight divisions that recruit disabled workers.

Applicants can find jobs in offices and bakeries, on art projects or even in agriculture. The company has organic farms in Chiba Prefecture and on Awaji Island, in the Seto Inland Sea, where workers grow rice, vegetables and fruit. For those who have an artistic bent, the company sells or rents out their artwork to businesses, such as hotel chains. The art is also featured in product design.

Companies are keen to participate as a way of meeting their targets under corporate social responsibility initiatives and the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.

The Japanese government stipulated in 1976—the same year Yasuyuki Nambu founded the Pasona Group— that businesses must hire a certain number of disabled workers. Yet despite the enhanced visibility of disabled people in politics, media and sports today, just 19 percent of working-age disabled Japanese are employed. That’s substantially lower than in the United States, where 30 percent have jobs.

Changing the status quo is what drives Nambu and the Pasona Group on its mission to build a society in which everyone is able to find a job they want and where diversity and opportunities for individual achievements are promoted.

“It’s often the case that businesses change greatly when they go public, and the philosophy of their founder may be lost,” explains Nambu. “We listed our company to preserve that vision and to keep the focus not on management but on helping those in our society who are facing challenges, and to solve the world’s social issues.”

The Art Mura project now has about 25 staff artists who have turned out thousands of works that have graced the walls of such venues as the Sakata City Museum of Art in Yamagata Prefecture, Haneda Airport and the National Art Center in Roppongi.

This month’s exhibition marks the group’s third show at the Club. Ryuki Hayata, in particular, is looking forward to it.

“I love painting buildings because I’ve made model buildings ever since I was young,” he says. “Since I joined the company in 2009, I’ve shown my works to my grandmother in Kumamoto. She praises them. I’m really happy to be able to show my art to other people.”

Talent Knows No Handicap

• August 15–September 11 • Frederick Harris Gallery

• Artworks available for purchase through Member Services

• Details online

Artwork: “Park with a View of the Sea” by Ryuki Hayata

“Our philosophy is that talent knows no handicap.”

W H E R E E V E R Y B O D Y K N O W S

YOUR NAME

“When Members turn the corner and set eyes on it for the first time, they’re immediately struck by the bar’s classic East Coast art deco look and neighborhood feel,” says bartender Dash Mitchell-Moore, standing in the center of the Nihonbashi Club’s iconic Muromachi Bar.

Since opening in March 2021, Muromachi Bar & Lounge has wowed legions of visitors while cultivating a loyal clientele through its welcoming appeal and innovative menu of drinks and food. Boasting a sophisticated

wood-and-brass aesthetic, the bar draws Members from both clubhouses. For Members Rick and Amanda Wells, it’s a destination for “a special night.”

The Dallas natives appreciate the watering hole’s “old speakeasy style and upscale feel.” Amanda recommended the bar to her visiting sister and niece as an alternative to the Park Hyatt’s New York Bar, famously featured in Sofia Coppola’s film Lost in Translation

Through innovation and camaraderie, Nihonbashi’s Muromachi Bar is a popular spot for Members from both clubhouses.

WORDS ANDREW CHIN

“We see a lot of people from Azabudai come as well, so it’s a nice introduction for both clubs.”

Images: Muromachi Bar; Bartender Mirko Cali (right)

“I told them, ‘I know it’s not in the movie, but the atmosphere, food and drinks are amazing,’” she says. “They were not disappointed.”

For Nihonbashi Member Ryan Thompson, the Muromachi Bar is a place for a social drink on his way home from work. The American is also a regular at the venue’s monthly Nihonbashi Mixer.

“We see a lot of people from Azabudai come as well, so it’s a nice introduction for both clubs,” Thompson says. “There’s space for people to meet and talk to each other.”

On the last Tuesday of each month, the Muromachi Bar offers Members a glimpse behind the curtain through its popular Cocktail Hour, where budding mixologists step behind the bar and learn to craft one of the Club’s signature drinks.

There’s just one requirement: they must don an apron. Mitchell-Moore explains that there are reasons both practical (keeping spills off clothes) and tactical for the apron.

“I want to remove any pretense that people bring in by giving them something slightly embarrassing [to wear], so they’re all on the same page,” he says.

Thompson, who regularly joins the mixology workshop, says the aprons bring “instant camaraderie.”

“You get to try all the different glassware and experiment with different shaking styles, stirring styles and garnishes,” says Rick Wells, another keen Cocktail Hour attendee. “It’s really fun to learn all these things.”

According to Mitchell-Moore, the bar team regularly shares ideas for new drinks or offers. The bar launched a weekday happy hour in the summer, and Mitchell-Moore says that he is already on his third notebook of drink recipes.

That kind of dedication doesn’t go unnoticed.

“They do a lot of their own liqueurs, where they infuse things that take 30 days or so to mature,” Rick says of the behind-thescenes work of Mitchell-Moore and his fellow bartenders. “They’re constantly experimenting and looking at new types of drinks. It’s just fun to talk to them. They’re experts that really love their craft.”

Mitchell-Moore, who is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, moved from Azabudai’s CHOP Steakhouse to help launch the Nihonbashi Club in 2021. Despite the early challenges presented by the pandemic (the Club was unable to serve alcohol in its first summer), the Muromachi Bar is flourishing.

“As they say in the Marines, no plan ever survives an encounter with the enemy,” Mitchell-Moore says. “Something always needs to be changed.”

At the heart of the bar’s success is that cornerstone of hospitality: personal connection.

“When you come to a place where the staff have learned your tastes and interests,” Thompson says, “that feels much nicer than just going to any old nice restaurant.”

Cocktail Hour

• August 29 • 5:30pm • Muromachi Bar • ¥2,200

• Members only • Sign up online

“They’re constantly experimenting and looking at new types of drinks. It’s just fun to talk to them. They’re experts that really love their craft.”

KOHJI SHIIKI

KAYO YAMAWAKI

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Net Gains

When I was 13 , a friend at school who was also a Club Member was playing volleyball and pulled me in. I had played soccer since I was 4, so sports have always been a part of my life, but I wanted to try something new. Volleyball is a totally different sport. It looked entertaining, so I gave it a shot.

At first, I played just for fun. But when I was 15, I saw Yuki Ishikawa, who is now captain of Japan’s men’s national team, and he really inspired me. Ever since I watched him on YouTube, he energized me to get better, and I began to take volleyball very seriously. I was also motivated by Olympian Ran Takahashi, who is just two years older than me and plays professionally. I tried to improve my spikes to be like his.

I played on the volleyball team in high school at the British School in Tokyo and have also enjoyed the [Thursday and Sunday] sessions at the Club.

A couple of years ago, I joined some recreational volleyball sessions in Tamachi where many university students come and play. That also helped me get much better by competing with more experienced players.

Now I’m 19 and have been taking a gap year. I’m heading off soon to the University of Sydney, where I will study pharmacology. I plan to play volleyball competitively there and will be trying out for the team.

During my gap year, I’ve been taking part regularly in volleyball sessions at the Club to get ready for what’s coming up in university and to make sure that I’m not rusty.

I use these sessions to try out new things [and] tricks, such as fake sets. I’ve also [practiced] being a setter—my usual position is outside hitter—and that has been really fun and good for my game.

Off court, volleyball has benefited me in many ways. When I got interested in the sport, I convinced my classmates to play. That helped me get closer to people, learn to build relationships and better understand teamwork.

When we got together as a team, the first game wasn’t great because we lacked experience and weren’t used to playing together. But it felt really good to help the team improve and start winning games. We are very proud to have worked together so that we could play as a squad, and I was honored to serve as team captain during my last year.

Volleyball requires teamwork and leadership, and that helps boost confidence, not only in volleyball but in other aspects of life, such as schoolwork. It has definitely helped me.

As told to INTOUCH’s C Bryan Jones.

Image: Sean Lee

CLARA GARCIA

After first playing volleyball for fun, Member Sean Lee is taking his game to new heights.

 Botox treatments (wrinkle removal, hyperhidrosis, migraines)

 Ultherapy, Titan, Laser Genesis, IPL

 Mole, tattoo, skin blemish removal

 Liposuction, mesotherapy (fat-dissolving injection)

 Facelift, breast augmentation/reduction

 Laser (for tattoos, hair removal, broken veins)

 Foreign insurance accepted

Dr. Robert K. Kure

New Members

AZABUDAI

UK | Claire Fletcher

Clarence Education Asia

“As the dedicated and proud head of school at Phoenix House, I was delighted to arrive in Tokyo from Dubai in July 2021 to lead the opening of the school. Having previously lived in the UK, Qatar and China, I enjoy immersing myself in new cultures and experiences. I am thrilled to join the Club and look forward to meeting many Members over the coming months.”

Image: Claire Fletcher

AZABUDAI

USA

Kris Kukunaokala Ahloy & Husan Chu Lin

Morgan Stanley Japan Group

Jeremy Mead & Kristal

Danielle Mead-Hamilton

Amazon Japan G.K.

Steven & Eiko Mikumo

AIG Business Partners K.K.

Nobuko & Yuichi Murakami

Ingeni Consulting LLC

Tae Jun Park & Joohee Jung

Morrison & Foerster LLP

Ralph Storti Jr

Prudential Holdings Japan Ltd.

AUSTRALIA

Fergus & Jennifer Duncan

Tullet Prebon Japan Ltd.

ITALY

Davide & Haruna Rossi

GoGo World K.K.

JAPAN

Ichiro & Midori Amano

Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd.

Toshio & Kaori Fukumura

Invisalign Japan, Inc.

Keita Ishikawa

Dentsu, Inc.

Makoto & Hiromi Ito Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd.

Yuta & Hiroko Katayama

ENEOS Holdings, Inc.

Takahiro & Yumi Komatsu

Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd

Akiko Seki (Koda) & Mutsufumi Seki

Goldman Sachs Japan Co., Ltd.

Hiromi Watanabe & Tim

Edwin Anderson

United Airlines

Megu Yoshida Clover Real Estate Co., Ltd.

MALAYSIA

Anselm Wong & Kaori Akutsu Asia Investment Fund Co. Ltd.

NEW ZEALAND

Paul Cochrane Kakapo LLC

NIGERIA

Kenny Eboigbe

Ibiza55 K.K.

UK

Laura & Matthew Bispham

Rugby School Japan

Gerard & Rena Conway

BGC Partners Capital Markets LLC Tokyo Ltd.

NIHONBASHI

JAPAN | Shota Furukawa

Keio University School of Medicine, Hills Joint Research Lab

“Life is a journey and, in my case, the driver is curiosity. Exploring the world and communicating with people is what broadens my horizons and moves my heart, and I am looking forward to what will emerge from my interactions with Members. It is time to journey on, with new relationships in new places, and I would be grateful if you would welcome me as a new fellow.”

Image: Shota Furukawa

Elizabeth England & Takeshi Maruyama K&R LLC

Ken Sasamura Société Générale Securities Japan Ltd.

UKRAINE

Valentyn Makarenko & Diana Durdieva

Lone Star Japan Acquisitions Ltd.

NIHONBASHI

JAPAN

Takayoshi Fukuyo

ArkEdge Space, Inc.

Heihachiro Goto

Goto Kaisoten Ltd.

Keita Gunji

Vesper Godo Kaisya

Akiyoshi & Mihoko Iimura

Iimura Kouki Co., Ltd.

Shinichi Kubota New Balance Japan, Inc.

Yoshihiro Sato

Dolbix Consulting, Inc.

Can You Rely on Your IT Support and IT Security?

Appi Kogen Resort, the first luxury resort in the Tohoku region, is located at an altitude of about 630 meters̶the same height as the top of Tokyo Skytree. It offers a delightful summer getaway with refreshing breezes.

One highly recommended spot for your summer trip here is the Appi Kogen Secondary Beech Tree Forest, which has been selected as one of Japanʼs top 100 forests for forest bathing. Once you enter this beautiful location, you can feel the coolness and leisurely explore the walking trails.

Sax and the City

WORDS JONATHAN KING ILLUSTRATION TANIA VICEDO

Jet-lagged and barely an hour into my first visit to Tokyo, I wandered into the HMV record store in Ginza. It was 1997.

I found myself flicking through jazz CDs. It was a sort of antidote to the time-difference delirium and a connection to home in England, where I was a frequent visitor to music shops. There, the jazz section would be populated by earnest, bearded, middle-aged men whose sweaters needed a wash. And they would never dream of wearing their sandals without socks.

This HMV was different. The jazz section was full of young, immaculately presented “office ladies” on their lunch break, trying to decide between John Coltrane and Bill Evans.

“I think I’m going to like this place,” I thought to myself. And I was right.

As I began to feel more at home in Tokyo, I realized that tasteful American jazz is deeply ingrained in the country. I am sure that somewhere in Kasumigaseki there is a Ministry of Restaurant Music, whose remit is setting guidelines for what can be played in bars and cafés.

The Miles Davis classic Kind of Blue is a must. Fail to play it at least once an evening and risk a substantial fine. I’m good with this, and it’s a splendid album that should be a first purchase for any newcomer to jazz.

One reason I like jazz is that it is still possible to catch the genre’s top artists at intimate venues, where you can see them, smell them and maybe even touch them, should you be so inclined. If I’m going to a concert, I want to see the musician in real life, not on a screen. I can do that at home for nothing.

Tokyo has some great venues for live jazz. The Cotton Club in Marunouchi and Blue Note in Minami Aoyama are two of my favorites. Both take inspiration from their New York origins but offer a decidedly Japanese experience. They’re generally better organized, much less shabby and the food is better. I’d prefer the audiences to be slightly more animated but, hey, it’s Japan.

Japanese jazz crowds are highly discerning. But then they have been raised on a background music diet of Kind of Blue since they were kids. This means that a Western musician who might struggle to sell out a leisure center in the English city of Leeds, for example, draws a whole week of appreciative full houses at Tokyo’s top venues.

While the pandemic forced foreign artists to stay at home, they’re back in force now. After you give that obligatory Kind of Blue a listen, take in some of Tokyo’s incredible live jazz. I hope you enjoy it as much as I—and those office ladies—do.

Jonathan King is a Member of the Club.

REIWA GOLF RESORT

August Stay & Play Special for TOKYO AMERICAN CLUB MEMBERS

Head to beautiful Tochigi for a midweek golf getaway

• Two-night stay

• Three course dinner each day and breakfast included

• Three rounds of golf

• ¥48,000 per person (based on double occupanc y)

Book your stay at info@reiwagolf resort.com

*Please note this package is not available during the Obon period

June 18

Father’s Day Grand Buffet

A month after Club moms were treated to a well-deserved lunch spread of Club signatures and libations in their honor, it was the turn of dads to be spoiled.

July 1

Independence Day Celebration

Gray skies and intermittent rain failed to dampen the fun and festivities of the Club’s all-day celebration for America’s birthday, which culminated in a spectacular music and light show at the Club entrance.

IMAGES TAKUMARU SUZUKI

July 4

Red, White & Jazz

There may have been no fireworks, but the Nihonbashi Club’s American Room marked July Fourth with a memorable evening of exceptional music and cuisine.

IMAGES YUUKI IDE

July 9

Meet & Greet with Alpine Snowboarder Asa Toyoda

The national snowboarder discussed her career in the sport and her dream of competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics before answering Members’ questions.

Court Converts

Lesson Squash

Around 20 million people in at least 130 countries regularly play squash. Not bad for a sport that doesn’t even feature in the Olympics. As a hub of squash in Japan, the Club hosts leagues, tournaments and social events, runs free introductory sessions and its team of instructors teaches the fundamentals of the fast-paced, tactical game to all ages at the three second-floor courts.

Instructor Yusei Toki

After being introduced to squash by his father at the age of 12, Yusei Toki quickly improved. Tournament success followed and, a decade later, he is ranked among the top 50 players in Japan. “I enjoy seeing the process of improvement of each player while I am teaching,” he says. “I am especially amazed at how quickly the junior players improve.”

Student Kouto Nakamura

“Hitting the ball as hard as possible makes me feel great, and I like moving around the court a lot. I really want to win games! Squash also gives me a chance to make a lot of friends who enjoy playing squash as well.”

Squash

• Private lessons: ¥4,400 (30 minutes); semi-private lessons (pair): ¥2,750 per person (30 minutes); semi-private lessons (trio): ¥2,200 per person (30 minutes) • Details online

Image: Kouto Nakamura and Yusei Toki

A Modern View On A Timeless Lifestyle

Between the vivid green of the Ko‘olau mountains and the luminescent blues of the Pacific, Kalae embraces O‘ahu’s southern shore, setting the stage for a dramatic interpretation of contemporary island living.

コオラウ山脈の鮮やかな緑と太平洋の光り輝く青い海を抱き、オアフに広がる豊かなサウスショアと雄大なダイアモンドヘッドを 一望するKalae（カラエ）は、コンテンポラリーなアイランドリビングを実現するドラマティックなステージとなる。

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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 ©2023. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

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Toranomon Hills Residential Tower Serviced Apartments

Toranomon Hills Residential Tower Serviced Apartments can make you feel at home from day one. Floor plans range in size from studios to two-bedroom units, and each apartment comes equipped with all the necessities for daily life. And the property’s full array of services and amenities put comfort and convenience right at hand.

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インタッチマガジン二〇二三年八月一日発行