CONNECT
FEBRUARY 2018
CELEBRATING 150 YEARS
BULLY-OFF: THE BEGINNINGS OF HOCKEY IN JAPAN BODY TALK: BE DYNAMIC! LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: KNOW YOUR STRAWBERRIES! NEWS • REVIEWS • EVENTS
YC&AC FIELD HOCKEY 150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION EVERY MONTH OF 2018 WE CELEBRATE THE HERITAGE OF A SPORT AT YC&AC. FEBRUARY 17- FIELD HOCKEY SUPPORT THE YC&AC FIELD HOCKEY TEAM AS THEY TAKE ON TRADITIONAL RIVALS KEIO UNIVERSITY AT 2PM. THEN AT 3:30PM A YC&AC/KEIO UNIVERSITY ALL STAR TEAM TAKES ON JAPAN FIELD HOCKEY ASSC. ALL STAR TEAM. FREE HOT BEVERAGES SERVED TO ALL MEMBERS THAT SUPPORT THE TEAM ON THE MAIN FIELD! AFTER THE MATCHES CHECK OUT THE HISTORY OF YC&AC HOCKEY EXHIBITION IN THE SPORTS BAR!
150TH ANNIVERSARY FIELD HOCKEY CELEBRATION RECEPTION MEMBERS BAR FROM 6:30PM FREE FINGER FOOD. MEMBERS: ¥2000 GUEST OF MEMBERS: ¥2500
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CLUB HOURS
Concierge Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat/Sun 9am8pm Accounting Office Weds-Sun 10am-6pm Mollison’s Restaurant Mon/Weds/Thurs: 10am-9pm (Tues Closed), Fri-Sun 9am9:30pm Members Bar Mon/Weds/Thurs closes 11pm, Fri-Sun and Holidays closes midnight Changing Rooms & Sauna Mon-Sun 9am9pm (early/late users, see Concierge to arrange a key)
SPORTS HOURS
Billiards Mon-Sun 9am-10pm Bowling Alley Open for general use on non-league days Mon-Fri 4pm-8pm (Tues closed), Sat/Sun/Holidays 12pm-8pm Fitness Centre Mon-Sun 8am-10pm (access possible after hours, please see Concierge to arrange a key) Dance/Yoga Studio Mon-Sun 8am-10pm (access possible after hours, please see Concierge to arrange a key) Golf Range Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat/Sun 9am8pm Gymnasium Mon-Sun 8am-8pm Main Field Open for member use Mon-Sun except when booked Pool May-October, Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat/ Sun 9am-6pm Squash Courts Mon-Sun 9am-10pm (sign out a key to play) Clay Tennis Courts Mon-Sun 10am-10pm (night tennis requires a key sign out) Hard Tennis Courts Mon-Sun 6am-10pm (night tennis requires a key sign out)
CONNECT
YOKOHAMA COUNTRY & ATHLETIC CLUB GENERAL MANAGER Erol Miftahittin
HEADS OF DEPARTMENT
Finance Keisuke Satoh Sport Yusuke Tomiogi Membership, Sales & Marketing Adam Bunting
JOIN THE YOKOHAMA COUNTRY & ATHLETIC CLUB
6 Bully-Off: The Beginnings of Hockey in Japan 15 Body Talk: BE DYNAMIC!
The most historic sports club in Japan welcomes new members as we embark on our 150th anniversary celebrations. To join us, please contact us at your leisure to arrange a tour of the facilities.
20 Local Knowledge: Know Your Strawberries
Yokohama Country & Athletic Club 11-1 Yaguchi-dai, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-8684, Japan (T) 045-670-9004 (E) concierge@ycac.or.jp www.ycac.or.jp
YC&AC YOKOHAMA COUNTRY & ATHLETIC CLUB
On the cover: YC&AC v KR&AC hockey Interport match at our present ground in Yaguchidai, probably 1920. • SPORT • FAMILY •COMMUNITY • SINCE 1868 #RELAXMAKESPERFECT
CELEBRATING 150 YEARS
YC&AC CONNECT MAGAZINEADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP
Inquiries and submissions to Adam Bunting: a.bunting@ycac.or.jp
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President Richard Gustafson Vice President Bill Baker Secretary Tom Tyrrell Treasurer Shinya Fujiwara Directors Ishu Chugani, Dan Coughlin, George Fu, Alex Hendy, Sadao Hosogai, Julia-Sophie Selig-Sonderhoff Auditors Onno Jalink, Marcel Niederhauser
150th Anniversary Campaign Limited Membership Openings for 2018 at 50% Off To Register Your Interest Visit www.ycac.or.jp
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YC&AC 150TH ANNIVERSARY JAPAN NIGHT FEB.24 2018.02.24.sat 18:00-Late members ¥5000 non-members ¥6250 kids half price (5 & under free) reservations required
JAPAN NIGHT IS ABOUT CELEBRATING EVERYTHING ABOUT WHERE WE LIVE.
OVER 50 PERFORMERS VISITING YCAC! PERFORMANCES INCLUDE: • BEAUTIFUL JAPANESE TRADITIONAL DANCE • KOTO (JAPANESE HARP) • DANCE BY SUISYUN FUJIMA, SOUKE FUJIMA-RYU & THEIR TEAM • HYOTTOKO, SHISHIMAI & OHAYASHI • AWAODORI • SAMURAI & NINJA PLUS CHEF SUGIYAMA RETURNS TO HIS KAISEKI ROOTS WITH AN EXQUISITE JAPANESE SEASONAL MENU FEATURING AN ALLSTAR SASHIMI AND SUSHI LINEUP AND MUCH MORE (MENU OUTSIDE MOLLISON’S)
ME SS AGES
A word from the General Manager
Erol Miftahittin General Manager
Dear YC&AC Members, Our 150th Anniversary celebration officially kicked off with Burns Night on January 27th with 100 members and guests present. This Scottish event was the perfect occasion for us to celebrate the anniversary of our Club, which was founded by Scotsmen. We received a lot of praise and many positive comments which gives us great confidence that the remainder of the year will only get better. For this month we have events planned each weekend for our members to enjoy. On February 17th, we will celebrate Field Hockey as our first big sporting event of the anniversary year. The YC&AC Hockey squad will play a historic match (see this month’s History column) against Keio University OB Team at 2 pm. We will offer complimentary Hot Rum and Hot Lemon Juice during the game for those YC&AC members who come out to the field to support and cheer for your fellow clubmates. A reception to celebrate Field Hockey will be held in the Members Bar from 6:30 pm. We invite members to join the reception. On February 24th, Japan Night 150th Anniversary Event will be held in the gymnasium. There will be over 50 performers providing our members and guests with traditional Japanese
CO R R ECTIO N In the January issue of Connect, we incorrectly captioned the photograph of the golfers who took part in the 2017 Club Golf Championship, which was won by Marlon Neto Bradley. Here is the photograph again with the correct caption. We apologize for the mistake. 2017 Club Golf Championship participants: From left, David Calalang, Adrian Bell, Jun Adachi, Timothy Calalang, Toshimune Nagai, Marlon Neto Bradley, Martin Phillips, Taiji Iwaura, Toshio Nakahama and Ishu Chugani FEBRUARY
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music and dance performances throughout the event and guests will also enjoy a variety of Japanese delicacies including Hon Maguro (Black Tuna) sushi. With this magazine, Members will receive a coupon to try to win a prize by throwing 3 darts to reach 100 points or more. This promotion will lead to our 2nd big sporting event this year, to be held on March 11th, when a Darts Tournament Party will be held in the gymnasium. Darts enthusiasts from Tokyo, Yokohama, and Yokosuka will participate in a party that will also be a team tournament. Beer and food stands will be set up in the gym along with 10 darts board. YC&AC will form 4 teams of 4 players each. A sign up sheet to take part will be available in the Members Bar. This is a celebration party as well as a tournament. Beginners and advanced players are welcome to join in the fun. YC&AC’s 150th Anniversary is a once in a lifetime experience. We will hold various events each month for our members to enjoy. We encourage all members to take part and join the fun! Sincerely, Erol Miftahittin General Manager
Bully-Off: The Beginnings of Hockey in Japan As YC&AC enters its 150th anniversary year, Club historian Mike Galbraith traces the YC&AC connection to the start of a western sport at which the Japanese quickly rose to world prominence, finishing second at the 1932 Olympics. As with nearly every western sport introduced into Japan in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the first playing of hockey was at the YC&AC in Yokohama but, as is often the case, either no historian managed to find the first accounts of the sport being played or else the early history was ignored. The result of this is that the current histories of the sport in Japan, including that of the Japan Hockey Association, credit Irishman William T. Gray with introducing the sport to Japan in 1906 — in Tokyo! Looking at the Japan Weekly Mail and other contemporary newspapers, the earliest reference to hockey that I have found so far is the following story in the paper’s November 27, 1897 issue: “A
game of hockey was played on Thursday [25th November? Ed.] on the Cricket-Ground, the teams, though incomplete, comprising several ladies. Some interesting play took place, the red team having the best of it. Among the players were Mrs. Mitchell, Mrs. James, Miss McKaye, Mrs. Hyde Person, Mrs. Bevis, Mrs. McWilliams, and Messrs. Brockelbank, Pinckney, James, White, Gibbens and Coghill Jackson.” A story published on January 11, 1902 in the same paper covers another game with mixed-sex teams: Quite an interesting game of Hockey took place on January 2nd at the Cricket Ground. The sides were as follows:
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Whites K. van R. Smith
Goal
Mrs. W. F, Mitchell, H. A. Stewart, Moss
Dr. H. W. G. Doyne Miss Dodds
Backs
G. C. Brady, Miss Leach,
W. S. Moss F. E. White
Half Backs
Mrs. McWilliams
A. T. Hellyer
M. Marshall
H. M. Arnould
Miss G. Mendelson
Miss Kilby
Miss Andrews
Miss Mendelson A. J. McClure
These games seem to show that the driving force behind the introduction of the sport in Japan were the foreign ladies in Yokohama. Note that the captains of both teams are ladies. This reminds one of the introduction of tennis which was also first driven by Yokohama’s sporting ladies way back in 1876. Indeed, the first time a hockey club in Japan is mentioned, it is, surprise, surprise, the Ladies Hockey Club and comes in a short article in January 1905 in the Japan Weekly Mail with the following text:
Reds
Forwards
F. B. Recce H. R. Barnard
H. W. Kilby Miss Morse (Capt.)
Miss E. Kilby (Capt).
For the first time on record there were full sides, and the enthusiasm displayed prompts the hope that interest in the game will be developed. Play was on the whole pretty even, though the Whites appeared to be somewhat fatigued towards the end of the game. They were able, however, to score three goals in the first half, though the Reds in the second half evened matters up and won by a goal, scoring four.
Opposite Page: YC&AC v KR&AC hockey Interport match in Yaguchidai, probably 1920. Above: YC&AC and KR&AC women’s teams before an Interport match in Kobe, date unknown but prewar and possibly 1930s. FEBRUARY
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Spreading the Play In 1906 William T. Gray introduced hockey to the students of Keio University. Gray was a priest from Ireland who had played hockey for Trinity College Dublin in his student days. Keio University formally created a club on November 23, 1906 at 3 pm in Shiba Park in Tokyo, when Gray demonstrated the sport using a hockey stick to 100 students. Three days later the students started to practice in Hibiya Park in Tokyo, also in Tokyo.
According to the hockey history part of the university’s hockey section, this practice started using thirty hockey sticks and three hockey balls already purchased from guess where? YC&AC. Keio’s history of the sport goes on to say that soon 300 Keio students were playing the sport and that at the end of 1907 on the first anniversary of the club’s founding, a team uniform was got up and Keio played its first game — against YC&AC of course —
and there is some evidence that YC&AC won 5-0. An article in a Kobe newspaper sheds light on the situation regarding the sport of hockey in early 1909. It starts: “Efforts have been made by some members of the K. R. and A. C. to introduce hockey into Kobe athletics, but without success. In Yokohama the game has been played some time.” The reporter then quotes from a story in a Yokohama newspaper: “At the commencement of the season there was a considerable amount of enthusiasm shown amongst the members generally, but towards the end it has been found very hard to raise two elevens, for the ordinary weekly game. Wednesday at Tiffin time
Top: Image sourced from The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 1922. Left: The Keio University hockey team with their Irish sensei, William T. Gray, 1906- Credit ASAHI SPORTS.
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have been given over to the Hockey enthusiasts all through the season, and although the weather was anything but encouraging during the early part, the latter few weeks have made ample amends and plenty of games have been played. This year, for the first time, a Captain and two Vice-Captains have been elected, and it is hoped that the game will improve and become generally played by the members, with the help and supervision of these gentlemen. Three games have been played against Keio University, all on our own ground, resulting in a victory for the Club on each occasion, though the last time it was a very close game, resulting in 4 to 3 goals in the Club’s favour.” A Japan Weekly Mail article in December of that year describes a formal game played at noon on the Cricket ground by two YC&AC teams captained by L. C. Sharman and B. C. Foster with the former’s team winning 5-0. It was noted that the best performances were made by Sharman, Neville, Farnsworth and Drummond. After the game, an election was held and Foster was made Captain, and Sharman and A. S. S. Austen the Vice-Captains. It may be that the YC&AC members lost some of
their enthusiasm for hockey in the years that followed because when at the ceremonial opening of the Yaguchidai ground in 1914 when all the Club’s sports captains were lined up, there was no hockey captain present. In light of the fact that it is a photo of a hockey match on the new ground that is arguably the most iconic photo of sport with the new pavilion in the background, this is a bit of a mystery. The YC&AC AGM in March 1917 shows that H. T. Hume was elected Captain, T. M. Knot and P. F. Lloyd as Vice-Captains with Lloyd also acting as Hon. Secretary. The year’s activities were revealed to be thus: “Through the courtesy of Municipal authorities we were again able to obtain the use of the Settlement ground [Author’s note: this ground was obviously more convenient for people working in the center of the town than Yaguchidai!] for mid-day practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but these games were so consistently badly supported that they eventually had to be abandoned. Some of last year’s players have left, Below: Men’s Interport action in Kobe, possibly 1930s.
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others have been incapacitated or too busy to turn out, while a marked falling off was evident among the younger players, which is to be regretted.” Three games were arranged against Keio between November and January. The first was scratched and the others were, happily, won 3-1 and 6-2. There was still no sign of any Interport against Kobe. The hockey Interports against Kobe seem to have started in around 1920 and those in the late 1920s were covered in great detail by local newspapers. Harvey Colton [former YC&AC president profiled in Connect Jan. 2015], who started his sporting life playing baseball for YC&AC, played for Kobe in several of these early hockey Interports. For many years Keio were to provide the main opposition for the YC&AC hockey team and they often played several matches a year. However, Meiji and Waseda Universities took up the sport and a club was founded in Tokyo. The photo on page 8 was published in the UK sports newspaper The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News (ISDN) in February 1922 but it is not clear whether it relates to a game being played in 1922 or 1921. Part of the supporting information states: “Yokohama ran out victors by 4 goals to 1, though it was only the better shooting of their forwards which gave Yokohama the game. The Japanese play a very fast and clean game and are excellent sportsmen, giving and taking knocks in the approved British style.” A major development in the sport came in 1923 when the army school in Koyama decided to introduce hockey and also embarked on a nationwide campaign to promote the sport. As part of this campaign it proposed the setting up of a central body and after several meetings the Japan Hockey Association was formally formed on November 16, 1923. The founder members were the above-mentioned four Japanese clubs.
Below: YC&AC and KR&AC women’s teams before an Interport match in Kobe, 1940.
The sport in Japan took off very quickly and the ISDN drew attention to this again in a 1924 article in which the key words are as follows: “The photograph [top of page] here given represents three members of the Tokyo H.C., K. Okano, the central figure, being one of the leading players in Japan, as well as prominently identified with the
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Left (in order from top to bottom): Interport action at YC&AC, 1 March 1954. More Interport action at YC&AC, date unknown, possibly late 1950s. The Japan national hockey team at YC&AC, 1964. Michael Watts, an influential YC&AC hockey player in the 1960s, with teammates in the old Breezeway. Watts arranged the Japan national team’s tour of the UK in 1964 and smoothed Team GB’s adventures at the Tokyo Olympics later that year.
Japanese H. A., which was established in 1923 to take over the central government of a sport which is rapidly extending to most towns and cities of the country. Hockey seems eminently suitable to the Japanese temperament, and at no distant date one may expect to see very clever work by their chief exponents.” That “no distant date” came in 1932. In 1931 Japan joined the International Hockey Federation (created in Lausanne after hockey was omitted from the 1924 Olympics) and its hockey team participated in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, winning a silver medal. Strangely records seem to show that only three teams participated. Japan beat America 9-2 but had earlier lost 11-1 to India so that after beating America, India took the gold. Four years later seventeen countries took part in the hockey in the Berlin Olympics. Japan was unfortunately in the same group as India who beat them again and won the gold medal. Only one team went through from each group and so, although Japan won its other two games, they couldn’t make further progress. Prince Takamado, the “Sporting Prince,” played hockey more than once at YC&AC in the 1970s. The late Prince’s wife, Princess Takamado, is the honorary president of the Japan Hockey Association. As a final note, although foreign women played a significant role in the first introduction of hockey to Japan, Japanese women don’t seem to have been given much of a chance to get involved. However, they did start to take up the sport and in 1925 Japanese women played in an exhibition match at Tokyo’s Meiji Jingu Stadium in Tokyo. (c) Mike Galbraith, mike.galbraith@interworld.jp
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the captain’s report
YOKOHAMA COUNTRY & ATHLETIC CLUB
ALLEY BOWLING Words: George Fu
Otoshidama is a Japanese new year custom in which adults hand their children and those of any young relatives they meet a decorative envelope containing money. The YC&AC alley bowling section upholds this tradition by offering small money prizes to the lucky winners of its New Year Bowling competition. As is traditional, the annual event was held on the day the Club reopened after the New Year holiday. This year seventeen bowling lovers participated and pooled 200 yen each for the prizes. Each player bowled three games. Anyone making a strike on the 1st, 6th and 9th frame received otoshidama, as did the top two bowlers of each game (score + handicap). Children love receiving otoshidama at the new year, and so do YC&AC’s alley bowlers! Above right: Hungry for otoshidama, New Year bowlers. Below: First game top two: Asao Tanaka & Alan Iwata. Right: Second game top two: Shion Sakurai & Sonomi Tanaka. Below right: Third game top two: Naoko Bracha & Sachi Riley.
Lucky Bowlers Strike It Rich!
LAWN BOWLS Words: Goran Ostlund
Ostlund/Arai Win New Year Doubles
The first lawn bowls event for 2018 took place on Saturday January 6th and was arranged in honor of Mrs. Elizabeth Bell visiting from Australia who was also the guest of honor. Sixteen bowlers braved the beautiful but cool winter day. Teams were split into doubles bowling three woods, eight ends and divided into two pools, A & B. Because of the winter conditions, the green was dry and fast resulting in some challenges. After playing four games in each pool, the pairing of
FLOYD VAN LANINGHAM
LIVE
Goran Ostlund and Toshiaki Arai ended on top of Pool A while Kazuko Yasuda and Toshiharu Saito topped Pool B. A tough final match was played between these two teams with Ostlund/Arai eventually coming out on top by a score of 9 to 6. Congratulations to the winners! Below: Winning duo Goran Ostlund and Toshiaki Arai with the tournament’s guest of honor, Mrs. Elizabeth Bell. Below left: Contestants in the New Year Lawn Bowls
YC&AC 150TH ANNIVERSARY DARTS TOURNAMENT & PARTY SUNDAY 11 MARCH
OFFICIAL 150TH
ANNIVERSARY EVENT FOUR-PLAYER TEAM HARD DARTS KNOCK-OUT TOURNAMENT & PENTATHLON DJ FOOD & DRINK CONCESSIONS TROPHY & PRIZES INCLUDING 3 MONTHS FREE MEMBERSHIP OF YC&AC TEAM ENTRY ¥12,000 REGISTER BY MARCH 9 AT: concierge@ycac.or.jp TEL. 045-670-9004
GLOBE-TROTTING COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND FLOYD VAN LANINGHAM AND HIS BAND LAND AT YC&AC TO PERFORM ONE VERY SPECIAL SHOW. MEMBERS BAR FEBRUARY 17TH- SET STARTS AT 8PM MEMBERS: ¥ FREE
YC&AC YOKOHAMA COUNTRY & ATHLETIC CLUB
11-1 Yaguchidai, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-0831 (T) 045-670-9004 (W) www.ycac.or.jp (E) concierge@ycac.or.jp
English: 045-681-3359 Japanese: 045-664-4618
health with captain chris YOKOHAMA COUNTRY & ATHLETIC CLUB
Body Talk – BE DYNAMIC! Words: Chris Kelly - Asst. Sports Operations Manager
If you are interested in what things help to make you stronger, influence your body shape and keep you healthy, then read on!
If you’re like most people, you were likely taught how to warm-up before physical activity back in grade school, and you’ve likely continued with pretty much the same routine ever since. Science, however, has moved on. Research shows that elements of many athletes’ warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time, but actually bad for you! The old presumption
Top: Quadricep-Hamstring Dynamic Stretch, With one leg, kick your heel toward your buttocks, then extend and swing up the same leg in front of you as high as your body allows. Above: See-saw Lunge (right leg), Step forward with your leg into a lunge position (as shown), then rise and step the same leg behind you into a ‘reverse lunge’.
that holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds — known as static stretching — primes muscles for a workout is dead wrong. It actually weakens them. You will find that athletes generate less force from their statically stretched muscles than after, even, not stretching at all. THE RIGHT WARM-UP should do two things: loosen muscles and tendons to increase the range of motion of various joints, and literally warm up the body. When you’re at rest, there’s less blood flow to muscles and tendons, and they stiffen. Warm muscles and dilated blood vessels pull oxygen from the
THE RIGHT WARM-UP should do two things: loosen muscles and tendons to increase the range of motion of various joints, and literally warm up the body. bloodstream more efficiently and use stored muscle fuel more effectively. To raise the body’s temperature, a warm-up must begin with aerobic activity, like light jogging/cycling. This will circulate the blood, and literally warm you up (when you feel a little sweat start, your thermo regulators are letting you know you are warm). The aerobic warm-up should take only 5 to 10 minutes, at about 40 – 60% of your maximum heart rate (simplest formula to calculate an estimated number is: 220 – your age). Stretching your muscles while doing movements relative to the tasks ahead of you increases your power, flexibility and range of motion. Muscles in motion don’t experience an inhibitory response (if you overstretch to pain, your body tightens up). This is why you will likely find that you can kick a soccer ball well, although your hamstrings are tighter that Tiny Tim’s ukulele strings when doing a static stretch. Do yourself a favour, and warm up properly. Otherwise, you may end up on the therapy table! We have excellent Health & Wellness staff, please feel free to book up a session, or ask some questions. Please contact Chris at: c.kelly@ycac.or.jp with your inquiries.
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in their own words
YOKOHAMA COUNTRY & ATHLETIC CLUB
Emma Ishii YC&AC Children & Adults Ballet Instructor Interview: Chris Kelly
Left: Ballet Instructor Emma Ishii. Above: Up and coming dancers demonstrate their poise.
What is your background in dance? I started to learn classical ballet when I was 5 years old and have taken part in many recitals and competitions over the years. When I turned 22 years old I decided to focus more on Ballroom and Latin dancing. After changing I was lucky enough to compete in many more competitions in Japan and overseas. How did you go at the competitions? Ballet 2001: Asia Pacific Ballet Competition- Semifinalist. Saitama Ballet Competition - 1st. 2003: Yokohama Ballet Competition (Contemporary) - 2nd.
Dance 2009: East Asia Games, Dance Sports (Standard) - 2nd. 2010: Mikasa Championships (Standard) - 2nd. 2011: All Japan Championships (Standard) - 1st. Asia Pacific Championships (Standard) - 3rd. How long have you been teaching Ballet? Continuously for 15 years. Why should people join adult ballet class? The exercises in the class are based on ballet movements which are long and graceful, yet strong. In the class I will teach you to exercise with the correct posture so that you can build a strong and flexible core and body. We also have nice music playing in the background! What to expect in your classes? I hope for all people to enjoy dancing and ballet whilst building strength, skills and self-esteem.
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Kids Ballet with Emma (Studio) Mondays & Thursdays 3:30pm Kids Ballet (3 - 4 years) 4:20pm Kids Ballet (5 - 6 years) 5:15pm Ballet (Advanced) ÂĽ750 per lesson Adults Ballet & Stretch with Emma (Studio) Fri 12:00pm Sun 1:00pm ÂĽ1250 per lesson |
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Yoshinori Kimura : Housekeeping Dept. Interview: Haruna Yunoe
What is your background? I have been working at YC&AC for 7 years and turned 58 years old this year. I was born and grew up in the Yokohama Negishi area and still live in the area. I usually come to YC&AC on my bicycle but when it’s raining, I just come on foot and it takes around 25 minutes. How did you hear of YC&AC and what attracted you to work at the club? The first time I heard about YC&AC was at Hello Work (Public Employment Security Office). I thought the Club is perfect because it’s close to my house. Although I cannot speak English except greeting, the members are all friendly and the atmosphere is very good. What’s the thing you love most about your job? Before coming to YC&AC I was also working as a housekeeper however it was in a group. I like working at YC&AC because it’s more flexible and I mainly work by myself. My job starts in the early morning when I open the Club and then check and clean all of the facilities. I am quite good with my hands and I often try and fix things that need repairing as well as looking after my
housekeeping duties. The hardest job I’ve ever done at YCAC was washing the carpet in the childcare room. The size was as big as 4.5 tatami mats and I had to use the polishing liquid to wash. It was very hard to dry up because it became very heavy after soaking water. What do you love most about Japan? Actually, I have never been overseas so it is quite hard to point out something unique to Japan but I enjoy karaoke. I usually go once a week and sing many kinds of songs including Enka and Jpop. My ohako (the song you always sing) is Hiroshi Itsuki’s one. I also like Chiharu Matsuyama and Masayuki Suzuki. I also like Japanese food especially ramen. There are two ramen shop near my house serving Tonkotsu Shoyu ramen and New Tantanmen. The place I like the most in Japan is Misaki Port at Miura Kaigan (Seashore). The seafood is very nice there especially the tuna. What do you do for enjoyment in your own time? In summer I enjoy soaking up the sun on a balcony with a beer or shouchu. I also like playing the puzzle game on my phone. Tell us an unusual fact about yourself I often create models using something like wrapping papers of chocolate, wooden chopsticks or drinking straws. The other day I made a Sky Tree with them! I’ve also made flowers like tulips, sunflowers and one the shape of a gold fish.
Lecture & Lunch Series Fitness guru Chuck Wilson will be holding three interactive lectures at YC&AC on the topics of nutrition, weight loss, and exercise. The second lecture will be free and for members only. Subsequent lectures to be scheduled upon feedback.
WYEC& LLN AC ESS
Lecture 2: Lower Back Pain Chuck will discuss the role of genetics, strength & posture in a way that we can all understand. The seminar will also feature the instruction of therapeutic exercises that will help prepare your body to fight off lower back pain
The lecture will be followed by a Q&A session and an optional light, nutritionally balanced vegetarian lunch especially created for this lecture series (¥1200).
Wednesday 28th of February 11:30 am Bay View Room, Lunch 1:00 pm Please reserve your attendance with Concierge and indicate inclusion of lunch if desired.
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review
YOKOHAMA COUNTRY & ATHLETIC CLUB
So That Was Christmas Words: YC&AC
Over 50 members and guests joined our Christmas Eve dinner party in Mollison’s, enjoying a buffet spread of roast ham, Daisen chicken and a new offering on the YC&AC banquet menu, pasta served fresh from a hollowed-out parmesan wheel. A hand bell choir performed during dinner service and a raffle for the prize of a 3-night stay at Phoenix Chalets in Hakuba, Nagano was drawn. To the surprise of everyone present, especially the children, Santa turned up with a sackful of goodies, rounding out a very nice Christmas Eve experience. The following day, Christmas Day, another 50 members or more attended the great YC&AC tradition that is our Eggnog and Raffle reception, in which delicious eggnog is offered free to all members in the spirit of Christmas. Prior to the raffle, in which over 80 prizes were won, members enjoyed a few rounds of old-school bingo. Top right: Executive Chef Keitaro Sugiyama works his magic on the parmesan wheel as Head Chef Antoine Benoit carves the ham. Right: Blue skies, 17°C warmth and new running shoes! What’s not to like! Christmas Day on the Deck at YC&AC. Below right: Tarabagani, fresh from Tsukiji was a highlight of the spectacular New Year’s Eve Feast.
New Year’s Feast
The General Manager promised members the biggest and best buffet spread the Club has ever seen on New Year’s Eve and his team, spearheaded by Executive Chef Sugiyama, almost certainly delivered. A sensational sashimi spread starring the freshest Sado Island yellowtail, Aomori red snapper and Hokkaido prawns, a wagyu beef carving station and more pre-cracked King crab than you could fork into a Nissan Cube were the highlights of a banquet that also showcased the wonderful pastry-making skills of Emi Horiuchi. Violinist Kanoh Ito and pianist Club President Richard Gustafson entertained the diners as we saw off 2017 in style.
Bonkers on Burns Night Words: The Burns Night Committee
We’ve been holding a Burns Night at YC&AC for as long as anyone can remember. The first celebration may even have been held in 1868, when the Club was established, 150 years ago. Most of the Club’s founding members were either Scottish or American of Scottish ancestry, and it’s inconceivable these gentlemen would not have raised a glass or two to Scotland’s favourite son on the occasion of his birth, 25 January 1759. On 27 January 2018, YC&AC once again reprised the great Burns Night tradition, putting on an anniversary show befitting of the Club’s stature as the first and best international sports club in Japan. Two glistening ice sculptures formed the backdrop to proceedings as diners tucked in to a traditional five-course Scottish banquet — with a celebratory Japanese flourish. (Chef Sugiyama, wonderful job!) (Emi, great cranachan!) Entertainments included a breathtaking dance performance by the Highland Bluebells; a bagpipe medley by no fewer that four pipers from the Ballast Point — House of Scotland Pipe Band; toasts from John McCreery (“yes, dear”) and Renata Jarascakova (“fine”); a gastronomical “historical nugget” from Mike Galbraith; and a moving Immortal Memory from the four pipers. The country dancing that rounded out the evening was the best the Committee has seen in a decade. Well done, everyone! Clockwise from top: (1) Mike Galbraith — The Selkirk Grace. (2) John McCreery — Toast to the Lassies.(3) Frank Hunter (right) prepares to address the haggis as Mark Kelly pours the shots and Chef Sugiyama looks on. (4) Pipers of the Ballast Point — House of Scotland Pipe Band. From left, Ross Naismith, Mark Kelly, Frank Hunter, Jeff Hahn. (5) Renata Jarascakova — Reply to the Toast to the Lassies. (6) The Highland Bluebells. (7) Burns Night revelers — Scottish country dancing.
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local knowledge
YOKOHAMA COUNTRY & ATHLETIC CLUB
Strawberry Fields Forever
Words: No. 17
Let me take you down, ’cause I’m going to Strawberry Fields
When the port of Yokohama officially opened to foreign trade in 1859, the edible crops available to the villagers were predominantly rice, wheat and soybeans. The pleasures of the cabbage and the cauliflower, the carrot and the tomato, even that great French invention of 100 years previous the garden strawberry were as yet unknown to the native inhabitants, cut off from the world as they had been for 220 years. Accustomed to a diet more varied than fish, rice and miso soup (we exaggerate), the first foreign settlers of Yokohama quickly sought to bring more fresh fruit and veg to the table. Among the pioneering market gardeners was Englishman W.H. Smith, a legendary figure loved in the community for his cheerful personality and many sporting, entrepreneurial and “public-spirited” exploits. Smith is well known for designing Japan’s first public gardens, now called Yamate Park, which opened in 1870 and would become the location of Japan’s first tennis club, the present-day Yokohama International Tennis Community. He is less well known for his green fingers, but Public-Spirited Smith it was who first
Above: A popular figure in the foreign community, W.H. Smith planted some of the first western flowers, fruits and vegetables to grow in Japan, including strawberries and cauliflowers. Charles Wirgman regularly caricatured “the publicspirited one” in his Japan Punch, here likening the gardener Smith (right) to the poet Horace. YOKOHAMA ARCHIVES OF HISTORY
Above: W.H. Smith (seated right) represented the Shore Team in the first cricket match ever played in Japan, June 1863. He was a leading member of the Yokohama Cricket Club in the 1870s and would serve as general manager of the United Club (which merged with YC&AC in 1959) and Grand Hotel.
grew western-style vegetables in Japan in his garden on the Bluff. Smith’s towering cauliflowers were the talk of the town, while his strawberries brought color to the cheeks of the hospitalized and military personnel with whom he shared his harvest. Naturally impressed, the local authorities soon took Smith’s and fellow foreign gardeners’ expertise to Sueyoshicho, an area of Yokohama then mostly reserved for growing rice. Here they sowed Japan’s first strawberry fields among other crops, and the horticultural revolution would begin. The Sueyoshicho district stretches along the Ookagawa river parallel to present-day Isezakicho, close to where it empties into the bay at Sakuragicho. Isezakicho was developed here in the 1870s as Yokohama’s main entertainment and shopping street. Among the famous old companies still operating in Isezakicho is Fujiya, creator of the now ubiquitous “Strawberry Shortcake,” a creamy confection made with sponge rather than biscuit. Founded in 1910 in Motomachi, Fujiya opened its second shop in Isezakicho in 1922 and would grow to become a nationwide chain. The first building was destroyed in the 1923 earthquake while the current building, completed in 1937, was requisitioned by the Occupation forces after the war and served as the
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Yokohama Club for American officers. Most Hamako (children of Yokohama) will confirm that Fujiya is a memorable place to have lunch, though for cakes they might direct you to the nearby Hamajiman, founded in 1913 and baker of what this writer’s Hamako wife considers to be the “best cake in the world,” an authentic take on the original Boston Cream Pie. Strawberry farming spread rapidly in Japan and today the country produces countless varieties, endlessly hybridizing in the quest for the perfect strawb. A summer fruit in the West, in Japan most strawberries are grown indoors and are especially abundant and tasty in the winter months through to the beginning of March, though the season is long and extends into May. (“Natural strawberries” can be enjoyed in May and June.) Painstakingly cultivated for a long harvest, Japan’s strawberries can astound with their fragrance and phenomenal sweetness as well as their price, the platinum grade Migaki-Ichigo for example selling for 1,000 yen a pop. You can pick some of the more common winter varieties yourself at any number of local farms, or save yourself a road trip and visit the Yokohama Strawberry Festival (Feb. 2– Feb 18) at Aka Renga to get a taste of what’s available. Simpler still, a regular visit to your local greengrocer should see you able to sample many of the delicious and nutritious new varieties from around the country before the peak season ends in March. From Valentines Day (Feb 14th) until the end of the month, don’t miss Pastry Chef Emi’s Strawberry Mont Blanc dessert, available at Mollison’s Restaurant.
Top left: The pioneering Fujiya cake shop on Isezaki Mall, designed by the Czech-American architect Antonin Raymond and completed in 1937. Top right: Hamajiman’s Boston Cream Pie. Above: Strawberries on sale at the greengrocers at the top of the Yamate Shopping Street. Clockwise from top left, Benihoppe (Shizuoka), Amaou (Fukuoka), Yuubeni (a new variety from Kumamoto) and Sachinoka (Nagasaki). Right: Slices of Fujiya’s famous Strawberry Shortcake on display in the Isezakicho store. FEBRUARY
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25% OFF BOOKINGS IN MARCH
february schedule
YOKOHAMA COUNTRY & ATHLETIC CLUB ALLEY BOWLING- BOWLING ALLEY Mon/Wed/Thurs 8:00pm- Winter Bowling League (01/15 - 03/22) Sat 1:00pm- Youth Bowling League- Please enquire at the Alley BALLET- WITH EMMA IN THE STUDIO Mon/Thurs 3:30pm- Kids Ballet (3-4yrs.)- ¥750/lesson Mon/Thurs 4:20pm- Kids Ballet (5-6yrs.)- ¥750/lesson Thurs 5:15pm- Kids Ballet (Advanced)- ¥750/lesson Fri 12:00pm- Adult Ballet Basics & Stretch- ¥1200/lesson Sun 1:00pm- Adult Ballet- ¥1200/lesson
SOCCER- MAIN FIELD FREE Sat 8:00am- YC&AC U12 Soccer League Sun 9:00am- YC&AC Kids Soccer (5-12yrs.) Sun 10:15am- YC&AC Youth Soccer (13-17yrs.) Sun 11:30am- YC&AC Over 35’s Soccer (Check Fixture List) SQUASH- SQUASH COURTS FREE Thurs from 6:30pm- YC&AC Squash Club Night Sat from 4:00pm- Squash Saturday, All Welcome Sun from 4:00pm- Squash Sunday, All Welcome
BASKETBALL- GYM FREE Mon 6:30pm- YC&AC Youth Basketball (13-16yrs.) Tues 7:00pm- Hoops with Hasheem Thabeet (10-17yrs.) Thurs 7:30pm- YC&AC Basketball (Teens & Adults) Sun 10:30am- YC&AC Kids Basketball (7-12yrs.)
TABLE TENNIS- GYM FREE Sun 3:30pm- Table Tennis, All Welcome
BILLIARDS- BILLIARDS ROOM FREE Weds 8:00pm- Pool & Snooker Night Sun 2:00pm- Snooker Sundays CARDS Friday 10:30am or 1pm- Bridge, All Welcome- (Card Room) FREE Second Friday of the Month- Tarot, All Welcome- ¥1300 CHESS- MOLLISON’S FREE Sun 2:00pm- Chess, All Welcome
TENNIS- TENNIS COURTS Tennis Academy- Please visit www.ycac.or.jp for times and info Weds 10:00am- YC&AC Ladies Tennis- FREE Sat 9:30am- Pee-wee Tennis with Coach Fong (3-4yrs.)¥2000/month Sat 10:15am- Tykes Tennis with Coach Fong (5-6yrs.)¥3200/month Sat 11:00am- Kids Tennis - Beginners with Coach Fong¥4800/month Sat 11:00am- Kids Tennis - Intermediate with Coach Milos¥4800/month Sun 10:00am- Sunday Social Tennis (12yrs. and older)- FREE VOLLEYBALL- GYM FREE Mon 7:30pm- YC&AC Volleyball
DANCE- STUDIO Sun 11:30am- Latin Dance with Billy- ¥6000/month Varies- Country Line Dancing- Please Enquire with Chris DARTS- MEMBERS BAR FREE Fri 7:30pm- Friendly Darts Session, All Welcome FITNESS Thurs 7:45pm- Body Blast with Chris- (Studio) FREE Fri 10:00am- Circuit Class with Chris- (Fitness Centre) FREE Fri 2:00pm- Healthy Exercise with Yu Saiki- (Studio) ¥4300/month Sun 9:00am- Get Moving! with Mari Fujita- (Studio) FREE
YOGA- STUDIO FREE Mon 10:00am- Hatha Yoga with Pascale Tues 5:00pm- Yoga Basics with Ingrid Tues 6:15pm- Yoga Vinyasa Flow with Ingrid (Advanced) Fri 4:00pm- Hatha Yoga Basics with Ingrid- (Bay View Room) Sat 11:00am- Hatha Yoga with Aki- (Bay View Room) ZUMBA- STUDIO FREE Mon 11:30am- Zumba with Dulce- (Studio)
GYMNASTICS- STUDIO FREE Fri 5:00pm- Intermediate & Advanced (Gym) Sat 10:30am- Tiny Tots Gymnastics Sat 11:15am- Beginners Gymnastics FIELD HOCKEY- MAIN FIELD FREE Sat 12:00pm- Field Hockey, All Welcome
Keep Fit, Keep Informed Most of the sports and activites listed here have member captains or organizers who maintain a mailing list enabling immediate and regular communication to interested members. If you would like to take part in any of the above activities, please contact Sports Manager Chris Kelly and he will forward your contact details to the relevant captain or organizer where appropriate.
IKEBANA- BAY VIEW ROOM Tues 10:00am- Ikebana ¥1000/lesson JAPANESE- CARD ROOM WITH KURISAKA-SENSEI FREE Thurs 8:45am- Japanese Class (Beginner) Thurs 10:20am- Japanese Class (Intermediate) Thurs 11:30am- Japanese Class (Advanced) NEW Thurs 1:30pm- Japanese Class (Advanced II) *¥1000 yen annual fee MASSAGE- ANNEX ROOM Sunday- Available All Day Until 5pm- Please Enquire with Concierge LAWN BOWLS- BOWLING GREEN FREE Two lanes open for recreational play during winter.
Please also read the Club’s weekly “This Week in Sports” email, which is sent to all members, for news of what’s happening at the Club.
RUGBY- MAIN FIELD FREE NEW Sat 10:00am- YC&AC Kids Rugby (7-12yrs.) Sun 2:00pm- YC&AC Adults Rugby
c.kelly@ycac.or.jp 045-670-9004 ext. 196 FEBRUARY
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