iNTOUCH December 2013

December 2013

T O K Y O A M E R I C A N C L U B

GoinG theDistance

Seasonal Cheer

The Club celebrates the

holidays in style

Hoop Dreams Young Club

b-ballers take to the court

In the Spotlight

Member Donna Burke talks performing

Chris Lewis and other Members explain the joy of running blister-inducing ultramarathons

Launch_ad_inTOUCH_A4_1105.indd 1 11/5/13 3:45 PM

iNTOUCHManagementTony CalaGeneral [email protected]

Lian ChangInformation Technology [email protected]

Darryl DudleyEngineering [email protected]

Brian MarcusFood & Beverage [email protected]

To advertise in iNTOUCH, contact Rie Hibino: [email protected] 03-4588-0976

For membership information, contact Mari Hori:[email protected] 03-4588-0687

Tokyo American Club2-1-2 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8649

www.tokyoamericanclub.org

contents 2 Contacts

4 Events

6 Board of Governors

7 Management

8 Food & Beverage

12 Library

16 DVD Library

17 Committees

19 Cultural Insight

20 Recreation

24 Women’s Group

26 Feature

32 Frederick Harris Gallery

34 Member Services

38 Inside Japan

40 Out & About

42 Event Roundup

48 Back Words

Editor Nick Jones [email protected]

DesignersShane BusatoAnna Ishizuka

Production AssistantYuko Shiroki

Assistant Editor Erika Woodward

Cover photo of Chris Lewis by Benjamin Parks

Shuji HirakawaHuman Resources [email protected]

Naoto OkutsuFinance [email protected]

Scott YahiroRecreation [email protected]

Aron Kremer Marketing & Communications Director [email protected]

FEAturEtrails and trials From energy-sapping runs

through the Sahara Desert to

lung-bursting climbs across

mountain ranges, long-

distance endurance events are

attracting increasing numbers

of devotees. iNTOUCH talks to

one band of ultramarathon-

loving Members to find out

why tougher is better.

24 WoMEn's GrouPA Perfect FitHaving worked as an

attorney on three continents,

Member Sibyl Kane reveals

her journey from hesitant

Women’s Group member to

organization champion.

38 InsIDE JAPAntokyo talent Set to teach improvisation at

the Club next year, Member

Donna Burke talks about the

rewards and struggles of

being a performer in Japan.

36 MEMbEr sErvIcEsclub AmbassadorsAfter taking part in the Club’s

first-ever overseas internship

program, three staff members

talk about what they gleaned

from their month-long stay

in Vancouver.

26

2 December 2013 iNTOUCH

Department/E-mail Phone

American Bar & Grill (03) [email protected]

Banquet Sales and Reservations (03) [email protected]

Beauty Salon (03) 4588-0685

Bowling Center (03) [email protected]

Café Med (03) [email protected]

Catering (03) [email protected]

Childcare Center (03) [email protected]

Communications (03) [email protected]

Decanter/FLATiRON (03) [email protected]

DVD Library (03) [email protected]

Engineering (03) [email protected]

Finance (03) 4588-0222 [email protected]

Fitness Center (03) 4588-0266 [email protected]

Food & Beverage Office (03) 4588-0245 [email protected]

Foreign Traders’ Bar (03) [email protected]

Guest Studios (03) [email protected]

Human Resources (03) 4588-0679

Information Technology (03) 4588-0690

Library (03) [email protected]

Management Office (03) [email protected]

Membership Office (03) [email protected]

Member Services Desk (03) 4588-0670 [email protected]

Pool Office (03) [email protected]

Rainbow Café (03) [email protected]

Recreation Desk (03) [email protected]

Redevelopment Office (03) [email protected]

The Cellar (03) [email protected]

The Spa (03) [email protected]

Weddings (03) [email protected]

Women’s Group Office (03) [email protected]

Getting in Touch

Words from the editor 3

contributors

Casting his eye back down the mountain through the swirling winds, Ralf Dujmovits couldn’t believe the sight before him. In the distance, a long line of around 600 climbers snaked its way up the Lhotse face of Mount Everest. The German mountaineer instinctively took out his camera.

Dujmovits’ photo of last year’s scene highlighted a problem that many experienced climbers and guides have been talking about for a while. Increasing numbers of so-called “hobby climbers” are choking the climbing routes of the world’s highest mountain.

Mountaineer Mark Jenkins summited Everest in 2012, along with around 500 other climbers that year. “It’s a trophy climb right now,” the American said in an interview with National Geographic magazine.

Largely due to better gear and more guides and climbing companies offering opportunities to climb Everest, scores of inexperienced climbers are attempting to reach the top of the 8,850-meter mountain. But Everest’s annual death toll serves as a reminder of the dangers of tackling the peak.

The situation at Everest is part of a wider trend of venturing to remote, inaccessible pockets of the planet for adventure and extreme sport. In particular, the popularity of ultramarathons, trail runs and endurance events has skyrocketed in recent years.

There are now dozens of grueling, long-distance races through inhospitable terrain, from sun-parched deserts to frozen tundra. And many Members are eagerly signing up to push their bodies—and minds—to the limit.

In this month’s cover story, “Trails and Trials,” writer Nick Narigon speaks to a number of the Club’s ultramarathon devotees to find out what drives them to seek out pain and exhaustion, whether that’s clambering up Mount Fuji or in an isolated corner of the globe.

And unlike with the limited space of an Everest trail, there’s no danger of queues forming in the Sahara or the Arctic Circle.

from theeditor

TimHornyak

Raised in the suburbs of Washington, DC, Erika Woodward arrived in Japan in early 2011. An assistant editor in the Club’s Communications Department, she graduated from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism in Maryland and has written on a variety of subjects, from the life of an overworked clown to the birth of an Icelandic political faction. In “A Perfect Fit,” she talks to former attorney Sibyl Kane about overcoming her reluctance to join the Women’s Group and chats with the three lucky Club staff members who spent a month in Canada in “Club Ambassadors.” After three rewarding years in Japan, Woodward and her husband head back across the Pacific next month.

ErikaWoodward

Nick Narigon is a Tokyo-based freelance writer. Originally from Cedar Falls, Iowa, he was the weeklies editor for the Des Moines Register for five years and spent two more years in New Jersey as the special sections editor for the Press of Atlantic City. His weekly travel column now runs in the Tampa Bay Current and he has contributed features to The Wall Street Journal Asia. An Eagle Scout and nature enthusiast, Narigon has worked as a mountain ranger and canoe guide. For this month’s cover story, “Trials and Trails,” he finds out what drives people to run hundreds of kilometers across deserts and over mountain ranges—for fun.

NickNarigon


4Toastmasters LuncheonGet started losing your fear of public speaking and improving your leadership skills at this monthly event. 12 p.m. ¥2,650. Sign up online or at the Library.

Wednesday 4Focus on Fizz Champagne Tasting Celebrate the holiday season with an enlightening tasting of bubbly. 7 p.m. Find out what’s in store on page 8.

Wednesday 4Grab & Go Need to eat on the fly? Refuel at Rainbow Café’s new takeout deli counter, with its selection of salads, sandwiches, muffins and more. Daily: 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m.

Coming up in January 1Club Closed

What’s on in December

Saturday

Monday–

Friday

7

16–20

Imperial Castle Bike TourHead out into the city on two wheels for a tour of the Imperial Palace’s environs. 9 a.m. To learn more, turn to page 22.

Camp Discovery: Holiday EditionA weeklong session for ages 3 through 5 that features holiday-themed arts and crafts, music, dance and fun. For more information, flip to page 23.

Saturday–

Sunday 7–8Gingerbread FactoryAnother sweet session of gingerbread house creation. Flip to page 18 for the delicious details.

Tuesday 3Winter-Spring Class RegistrationKick off 2014 with a new fitness routine, hobby or fun sporting pursuit through the range of classes for adults and youngsters on offer. Flip to page 23 for details.

Wednesday

1Holiday CateringDo you dream of a stress-free holiday season? The Club’s catering team can help it become reality. More on page 18.

1Gingerbread Factory Get deliciously messy while building your own colorfully creative gingerbread house. Dive into the details on page 18.

Sunday 1Holiday PamperingTo keep you looking refreshed during the holiday rush, The Spa is offering relaxing treatment specials on page 23.

Sunday

Saturday14Angel-Making WorkshopCreative kids make their own decorative angel at this holiday-themed arts and crafts session. 10:30 a.m. Flip to page 18 for more.

Monday–

Wednesday 16–25Holiday FeastsAmerican Bar & Grill and Traders’ Bar offer mouthwatering menus of seasonal treats. More on page 18.

Tuesday 17Women’s Group Office ClosesThe Women’s Group Office closes for the annual holiday season and reopens on January 6.

1Bookmark ContestChildren are encouraged to design their own bookmarks for a chance to win prizes and have their winning creations used at the Library. See page 14 for more.

Sunday

Thursday26Staff Year-End Party The Club closes from 6 p.m. as staff celebrate the season with a bonenkai bash.

Sunday

Sunday 8Letters to SantaToday marks the last day to get your wish list to Saint Nick via Santa’s mailbox at the Club. Details on page 18.

4Seven Lucky Gods Walking Tour

Wednesday 25Christmas Grand BuffetSpend Christmas Day with family, friends, turkey, trimmings, seasonal cheer and the Club. To learn how to secure your spot, turn to page 18.

Noteworthy dates for the month 5

Monday9Holiday Cheer and Champagne Welcome the yuletide season with Champagne, song and sabrage at this festive Women’s Group luncheon. Details on page 18 and 24.

15 Gala Yuzawa Day Ski Tour

20Nicole Berry: A New Year, A New You

Sunday –

Tuesday

Sunday 1–31FLATiRON Holiday SpecialThe Club’s hub of spectacular, interactive cuisine is putting on a seasonal show. Learn more about how to secure your seat on page 18.

1Fitness Challenge See out 2013 with a winning workout. Learn more about this test of strength and stamina on page 23.

EVENTS

7Squash ShowdownThe Club’s squash players take on rivals Yokohama Country and Athletic Club at the Squash Courts.

Saturday

Monday9Holiday Reading ProgramEmbark on a magical voyage of discovery through the pages of the Library’s collection of children’s books. Find out how to read your way to prizes on page 14.

Tuesday 10Meet the Author: Stephen MansfieldBritish author and photojournalist Stephen Mansfield discusses his latest book, Japan’s Master

Gardens: Lessons in Space and

Environment. 7 p.m. More on page 12.

Wednesday 18Toastmasters LuncheonThe Club’s band of public-speaking perfectionists meet for another session of feedback. 12 p.m. ¥2,650. Sign up online or at the Library.

Saturday–

Monday21–23Holiday Buffet Rainbow Café hosts a family-friendly spread of traditional favorites and seasonal staples. 11 a.m. More on page 18.

Monday–

Saturday23–28Decanter ChristmasCelebrate the season with five courses of culinary perfection. For details, flip to page 18.

7Visit with SantaSaint Nick drops by the Club to hear youngsters’ whispered wish lists. 1 p.m. Flip to page 18 for details.

Saturday

22 Wine Challenge

Thursday5Shuzenji Historic Village and Winery Journey to this storied onsen town in the Izu Peninsula for a delightful day of wine tasting, sightseeing, shopping and a hot-spring dip.

Friday6First Friday: Member BonenkaiWrap up 2013 with a year-end bonenkai celebration, complete with complimentary hors d’oeuvres, drinks and yuletide cheer. 6:30 p.m. More on page 18.

Friday27Member Recruitment Drive EndsToday is your last chance to introduce a new Member and earn a ¥100,000 Club voucher. More on page 47.

Monday–

Tuesday 30–31New Year’s Eve at DecanterKick-start your farewell to 2013 with a sumptuous dinner. Page 18 has the rundown.

Tuesday 31Dine and Discover: New Year SpectacularThis climax to the year features superlative cuisine and wines. 6 p.m. Flip to page 9 to discover how to be a part of this unforgettable evening.

Monday23Hideshi Yoshida ExhibitionArtist Hideshi Yoshida launches his enthralling collection of sci-fi inspired woodblock prints with wine and cheese. Page 33 has more.

Saturday 14Visit with Santa Before he sets off on his world tour, kids meet Saint Nick at the Club one last time. 1 p.m. Learn how to meet him on page 18.

Monday2Gallery Reception: Yohei YamaSelf-taught artist Yohei Yama launches an exhibition of his colorfully creative works with a reception. 6:30 p.m. More on page 32.

Monday2Swim Program RegistrationSign-up for next year’s array of private and group swim classes begins. Contact the Sky Pool Office for details.

25–26 Snow Monkey Onsen Winter Tour


T he Club has taken two major steps to improve our financial stability over the past year: refinancing its loan

and launching new rates of monthly dues. Since the Board’s key duties are fiduciary responsibility and setting policy, we will next focus on improving Member value, operational excellence and creating a more vibrant community spirit.

The Club’s three main Member constituencies are families, adults and business users. Most Members float between these groups and there are clear subgroups within each category, so trying to define and improve value for our diverse Membership is always a challenge.

The key areas that Members use are the fitness facilities and restaurants. Our Food &

BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Charity Screen Sale 2013

Franciscan Chapel Center4-2-37 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo

A-CROSS Corporation | TEL: 03-5449-7621 | [email protected] | www.japanesescreens.net

Supported by: Supported by:SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7 & SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8

9:00 - 17:00

Beverage team, led by Brian Marcus, is hard at work developing menus and promotions. There has been a consistent demand for an improved takeout service and our Food & Beverage specialists are developing a solution, beginning with Rainbow Café’s Grab & Go service from December 4.

There is never a shortage of ideas from committees and Members on expanding or adding services. The trick is to introduce additional services within the current budget. The Food & Beverage team is challenging itself to deliver more while working within its financial restraints.

The Recreation Department already offers a range of programs and activities in support of its various fitness and leisure facilities and the staff are always looking to expand their programs to meet the needs of kids, teenagers and adults. Working with their respective committees, the Recreation team’s continued expansion of offerings will result in greater Member value.

Our general manager, Tony Cala, has been at the helm for more than a year and we can appreciate the experience he has brought to the Club. We have a strong governance system that clearly puts policy in the hands of the Board and management of the Club in the hands of the management professionals.

Operational excellence is a priority for Tony and his executive management team. They are being asked to do more with less and continually improve Club services.

With such a diverse Membership, creating community is often an elusive target. There has been a long history of community at the Club, with the wonderful activities of the Women’s Group, the committee system and various annual events.

We have hosted a number of informal and reasonably priced events in the Winter Garden over the year. They have been well attended and have received excellent feedback. Over the coming year, we will introduce more get-togethers to help Members mingle with one another and so build a community spirit.

On behalf of the Board, I thank you for your support in 2013 and wish you all the best in 2014. o

Board of GovernorsJohn Durkin (2014)—Representative Governor, Mary Saphin (2013)—First Vice President, Gregory Lyon (2014) —Second Vice President, Brenda Bohn (2014)—Secretary, Hiroshi Miyamasu (2013)—Treasurer, Norman J Green (2013), Ginger Griggs (2013), Paul Hoff (2013), Per Knudsen (2014), Lance E Lee (2014), Jeffrey McNeill (2013), Machi Nemoto (2014), Jerry Rosenberg (2014), Mark Henry Saft (2014), Dan Stakoe (2013), Sadashi Suzuki (2014), Ira Wolf (2013), Kazuakira Nakajima—Statutory Auditor (2014)

Community Building

by Jerry Rosenberg

Executive remarks 7

MANAGEMENT

I t has been a fabulous year here at the Club, and I would like to thank you all for your support

over the last 12 months. Although it has been a year of change, we have remained committed to developing and enhancing our myriad programs and services. There is still much work to do, with many challenges ahead, but we end 2013 stronger and better able to serve the Membership.

Through the diligent efforts of our volunteer governors and committee members, as well as our staff, the Club is now exposed to less risk and is a less complex organization. We have found stability while continuing to provide world-class services.

In our busy year of growth, we devoted a lot of time and energy to balancing financial sustainability with Member value. Our membership campaign at the start of the year brought in nearly 350 new foreign Members and helped to develop an even more vibrant and diverse community.

In July, we revised our entrance fees for Resident Members to make the Club more accessible to the international community and to promote diversity. Then, at the

model, which is widely accepted as the best practice for private clubs.

This, in turn, allowed the Board to move ahead with its TAC 20/20 financial plan: a 10-year business plan that ensures the Club’s financial sustainability while enhancing its American identity, improving Member diversity and making the Club more accessible to the international community. Importantly, the Club’s debt will be steadily reduced, allowing us to refinance the remaining debt when the current note is due in 2023.

All our new programs, events and facility improvements in 2014 will reflect the three brand pillars we established earlier this year. In short, we will create a relaxing environment in which Members can bond through experiences that exceed their expectations.

Next year will bring its own mix of successes and challenges, but our direction is clear and we know what we must do. Our job is to focus on providing our Members with the best service and value while managing our costs, rebuilding our brand and developing the Club.

On behalf of all the Club staff, I thank you for your support and wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. o

Reasons to Celebrate

by Tony CalaGeneral Manager

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In short, we will create a relaxing environment in which Members can bond through experiences that exceed their expectations.”

Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in September, registered Members overwhelmingly voted to accept, for the first time in 28 years, a dues adjustment that moved the Club to a dues-centric

“

Red wine from Champagne? Long before there was bubbly, the Champagne region was the premier supplier of red and white

wine to Paris. And even after the area began making sparkling wines in the mid-1700s, wine connoisseurs “regarded the region’s non-sparkling reds as being the only serious wines worthy of their attention,” according to Peter Liem of the website Champagne Guide.

And so participants at this month’s Champagne Tasting will be greeted with a glass of Coteaux Champenois, a fragrant, light-bodied red from Champagne.

This history explains why the monk Dom Pierre Pérignon (1638–1715) was reportedly trying to prevent bubbles from forming in bottles. During a cold spell in the mid-1500s, wine bottled from unripe grapes began to referment and burst its bottles. This was considered a dangerous flaw in the wine.

It seems that the English were the first to intentionally produce sparkling wine. Their stronger bottles, made in hotter, charcoal fires rather than wood fires, were able to handle the pressure of

winetasting

Focus on Fizz Champagne TastingWednesday, December 47 p.m.Brooklyn II and III¥15,000Sign up online or at Member Services

by Steve Romaine and Kelley Michael Schaefer

Of Fizz, Fashion and Farmers

bubbles. Since England was not a wine-producing country, its people would have been less bound by tradition (a French wine industry strength and weakness) and more likely to consider bubbles a novelty rather than a flaw.

Champagne of the fizzy variety first became popular at the English court before crossing the English Channel to France. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that the Champagne region began producing more sparkling than still wine.

Fashion played a part again in Burgundy in the 1970s and ’80s, when a younger generation of winegrowers took back from the négociant firms the produce of their best vineyards and began bottling distinctive, high-quality wines. The trend reached Champagne in the mid-1990s and led to the current phenomenon of grower Champagnes or récoltant-manipulant (RM), known colloquially as “farmer fizz.”

Besides the diversity, the best thing about farmer fizz is its quality-price ratio. Few growers have the market power to charge for their brand, so their product is far cheaper than that of the bubbly brands and pairs well with different tastes and textures.

This month’s festive dinner features three versions of three types of Champagne. Diners will first compare wines from two different artisanal growers with a similar style wine from a major Champagne house—Krug Grand Cuvée for the non-vintage blended Champagne and Taittinger Comtes for the vintage Blanc de Blancs (made solely from Chardonnay grapes).

The third flight will compare three RMs that make the relatively unusual Blanc de Noirs: a white Champagne made from red grapes. Find out how they measure up—and whether you can drink great Champagne on a farmer’s budget. o

Romaine is a member of the Wine Committee and Schaefer is the Club’s wine program manager.


Bid farewell to 2013 with a gastronomic celebration that brings together mesmerizing cuisine and a collection of superlative wines from the finest winegrowing regions. Each month, Decanter hosts a dinner of exploration for Members to delve into the restaurant’s extensive collection of fine wines and rare vintages.

Tuesday, December 31 • 6 p.m. • New York Bridge, Decanter • ¥30,000A d u l t s o n l y · R e s e r v e y o u r s e a t a t 0 3 - 4 5 8 8 - 0 6 7 5 o r d e c a n t e r @ t a c - c l u b . o r g

D I N E A N D D I S C O V E RD e c e m b e r : N e w Y e a r S p e c t a c u l a r

SEE OUT THE YEAR IN STYLELet the Club make your seasonal get-together one to remember.From casual corporate bonenkai parties to show-stopping, year-end celebrations, the Club’s professional event planners can help you make a lasting impression.

To book your end-of-year party and to find out about our all-inclusive packages, which start from ¥9,900 per person, contact us at 03-4588-0308 or [email protected]. Terms and conditions may apply. www.banquets.tokyoamericanclub.org

bottletalk

The FLATiRON wine packagePerfectly complementing FLATiRON’s adventurous use of seasonal ingredients, the accompanying wine selection showcases classic labels alongside new discoveries. From Château Latour and Dom Pérignon to exotic varietals like Assyrtiko, Grüner Veltliner and Koshu, the wine package in FLATiRON ably reflects the restaurant’s commitment to creating dining experiences that wow, satisfy and, ultimately, put smiles on faces.

FLATiRON Holiday Special Until December 31Two seatings nightly: 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.Festive wine package (five wines): ¥8,000Deluxe wine package (eight wines): ¥12,500

Kelley’s Cellar Selection

by Kelley Michael Schaefer

Bottle Bucket List

The holiday season is about eating and drinking well and celebrating life’s blessings in style. To help you make this yuletide break particularly special, I have delved into the Club’s vault of wine treasures to unearth some true gems

of the wine world. To describe these wines in print is a daunting task, so my notes

should serve only as general guidance. Words simply cannot do these wines justice.

In extremely limited supply, these seven wines are members of vine royalty. They are wines to try before you die. o

Schaefer is the Club’s wine program manager.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

SEE OUT THE YEAR IN STYLELet the Club make your seasonal get-together one to remember.From casual corporate bonenkai parties to show-stopping, year-end celebrations, the Club’s professional event planners can help you make a lasting impression.

To book your end-of-year party and to find out about our all-inclusive packages, which start from ¥9,900 per person, contact us at 03-4588-0308 or [email protected]. Terms and conditions may apply. www.banquets.tokyoamericanclub.org

1997 Salon, Champagne, FranceQuite simply, this Champagne is the connoisseurs’ choice. After trying vintage Champagne, you will forever be second-guessing the acronym NV on the bottle. (¥52,500)

2000 Château Latour, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France Does anything really need to be said here? If you have to ask, you’ll never know. A Wine Spectator 100-pointer. (¥216,200)

2004 Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, California Harlan is the epitome of cult wine. This Napa Valley, Cabernet-based fruit bomb oozes pedigree and wow factor. 98 points from Wine Spectator. (¥118,200)

2005 Ornellaia, Tuscany, ItalyOne of the original “Super Tuscans,” Ornellaia in a 3-liter jeroboam bottle is dressing to impress. Share this Wine Spectator 96-pointer among a party of four for maximum enjoyment. (¥131,700)

1990 Penfolds Grange, Barossa, Australia Magnificent, exotic and a cascade of opulent flavors, this is the wine that put Aussie vines on the map. A well-deserved 98 points from Wine Spectator. (¥78,800)

1998 Château d’Yquem Sauternes, Bordeaux, France (375 ml)I will never forget the first time I tasted d’Yquem. This is a wine that smells so ethereal you don’t want to drink it for fear the glass will become empty. Liquid gold. (¥24,500)

WINES TO TRY BEFORE YOU DIE

1996 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque, Champagne, France Nothing says celebration like Champagne, and nothing says success like Dom Pérignon. Taste the Oenothèque vintage label from Dom Pérignon’s finest reserves to up the ante and truly feel on top of your game. (¥44,000)

Club wining and dining 11

NurturingNatureAhead of his talk at the Club this month, the author of Japan’s Master Gardens: Lessons in Space and Environment, Stephen Mansfield, explains the appeal of the Japanese garden.

There is nothing quite like taking a break during a summer gardening session, sitting on a shaded stone, sipping a glass of cold barley tea while listening to the cries of cicadas

and taking in the acrid scent of mosquito coils, an ancient smell somewhere between incense and grass, temple and wilderness. These are the textures and sensations of a Japanese garden.

My own garden, which took a full four seasons of Sundays to design and construct, helped to put me in touch with nature in a suburb that has a population density greater than my native city of London. When I thought about the kind of garden I would like to have, a line from Masaaki Tachihara’s Wind and Stone, a novel ingeniously crafted around the construction of a private landscape design, came to mind: “It was not an extravagant garden, but it had elegance and good taste.”

The creation of that private Japanese garden may have unconsciously been the spur for my last book, Japan’s Master Gardens, whose subtitle, Lessons in Space and Environment, hints at my own preoccupation with ways to improve our living conditions in a country where land is, to say the least, pinched.

The Japanese genius for garden design is expressed in the blending of art and nature through an extraordinary economy of means. As our cities become more crowded—the “borrowed views” of hills and tree lines replaced with skyscrapers and

towering apartment complexes—the book highlights ways in which we can learn to maximize diminishing space with ideas intrinsic to Japanese garden design.

Following the positive reception to my first book, Japanese Stone Gardens: Origins, Meaning, Form, the publishers asked me to come up with an idea for a second title. By this point, I had visited more than 250 gardens in Japan and felt that I had enough visual material for a book that could include different design forms. While including well-known and accessible gardens, I have also featured little-visited, rather-neglected but deserving sites in remoter areas.

All the images in Japan’s Master Gardens were taken on film, mostly Kodachrome 25 and 64, both of which, sadly, have now disappeared. In the preface, I wrote about using these slow ASA films because they “captured rather better the warmth and texture of gardens than the super-heated, manipulated colors of digital imagery.” Having since switched to digital, I can see how difficult slide film of that undoubted quality was, particularly its limitations in low light.

One helpful visual addition to the book was a small number of old postcards of gardens that I had collected at Tokyo flea markets. I passed the designers a number of monochrome illustrations from an original Edo period garden manual called


LIBRARY

Tsukiyama Teizoden (Building Mountains and Making Gardens), which I had bought at an old secondhand bookstore in the Tokyo district of Jimbocho.

In this new title I wanted to promote the idea that, far from being obsolete, the traditional design concepts of the Japanese garden, adapted and modified, are perfectly compatible with the age in which we live. I wanted to produce a title that could be enjoyed as a coffee table book or gift, but one with a well-researched text that would appeal to both garden novices and those with a serious appreciation and knowledge of the Japanese garden.

In a perfect world, gardens represent an idealized environment, with all the right balances and dynamics firmly in place, nourishing the mind. Although we can intuitively appreciate these spatial creations, the immediate beauty and freshness of the Japanese garden, seamlessly blending nature and art, can only be fully revealed when the elements, concepts and representations that embody them are fully understood.

Straining to conceptualize gardens, though, can be a rather counter-productive endeavor, since landscapes like this depend on their beauty to provide pleasure. The finest Japanese gardens in my view are those that scour off superficial ornamentation, eliminate nonperforming space, embody a quiet, aesthetic appeal, offer a degree of abstraction and, above all, lift the spirits. These are the gardens that I have tried to include in this book. o

Mansfield is a Chiba-based photojournalist and author. Japan’s Master Gardens: Lessons in Space and Environment is available at the Library.

Meet the Author: Stephen Mansfield Tuesday, December 107–8 p.m.Toko Shinoda and Yukiko Maki classrooms¥1,575 (includes one drink) For ages 13 and aboveSign up online or at the Library

Literary gems at the Library 13

off theshelf

Festive Reads

Books are the perfect companions for when the days get darker and the weather gets colder. To

encourage our younger Members to tuck into their reading over the holidays, the Library is running a reading program for ages 6 to 12.

Kids just need to pick up a reading card from the Library, read 10 books and fill out the card to win a prize. It’s that simple.

There’s no limit to the number of cards children can submit, so avid readers might be able to claim more than one prize over the five weeks of the program. The only stipulation is that the books must be from the Club Library and checked out under the reader’s Membership number.

To help our young readers on their way, I’ve put together some recommendations, including a few titles with a festive theme.

Early readers: Dora’s Starry Christmas (Dora the Explorer) by Christine Ricci; Dragon’s Merry Christmas by Dav Pilkey; Henry and Mudge and a Very

by Sarah Takahashi

Merry Christmas by Cynthia RylantPicture books: How Do Dinosaurs

Say Happy Christmas by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague; Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by James Dean; Froggy’s Best Christmas by Jonathan London; Countdown to Christmas by Bill Peet; Auntie Claus by Elise Primavera

Slightly older readers: Holly the Christmas Fairy by Daisy Meadows; Merry Christmas, Geronimo! by Geronimo Stilton; Christmas in Camelot by Mary

Pope Osborne; Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May.) by Barbara Park

All readers, both big and small, are always welcome to ask Library staff for book recommendations or for assistance in using the Library. o

Takahashi is the Library’s senior librarian.

Holiday Reading Program December 9–January 13

Bookmark ArtT he Library is inviting all budding

artists to get creative and design a bookmark over the holidays.

One winner from each of the four age groups will earn three bowling games and have their design used on the Library’s free bookmarks. Blank bookmarks are available at the Library. o

Bookmark ContestDecember 1–January 18Announcement of winners: January 21


new

Member: Erica Koito Title: 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

What’s the book about?It is about a girl called Amanda and her friend, Leo, who have celebrated their birthdays together since they were born. But on their 10th birthday, they have a fight, which causes an old curse to unravel.

What did you like about it?I liked how the story was touching and funny at the same time. While Amanda and Leo have a good friendship, it’s funny how the Sponge Bob balloon greets Amanda every morning.

Why did you choose it?I liked Wendy Mass’s other books, so when I laid my eyes on this colorful cover, I instantly wanted to read it.

What other books would you recommend?A Mango-Shaped Space, The Candymakers, 13 Gifts, Finally and many other books by Wendy Mass.

reads

LIBRARY

member’s choice

Little Green by Walter MosleyHe’s back! Ever popular author Mosley has a winner once more. This time, ace private eye Easy Rawlins is charged with finding Evander “Little Green” Noon, who disappeared during an acid trip. Easy’s fans will love this tough-minded exploration of good and evil and the power of guilt and redemption.

Confronting the Classics: Traditions, Adventures, and Innovations by Mary BeardProbably the world’s best-known classicist, Beard even writes a popular blog on the topic. If Greek and Roman history are your passion, you are sure to enjoy this fresh-eyed look at the ancient classical world. Topics include Cleopatra and Asterix and the Romans.

Lookaway, Lookaway by Wilton BarnhardtThe four Johnston children of Charlotte, North Carolina, wander perpetually toward scandal and mishap. Mama Jerene Jarvis Johnston finds she must work tirelessly to preserve the family’s legacy. But can she possibly succeed in saving this heedless brood?

World War Two: A Short History by Norman StoneFollowing up on his excellent study of World War I (also available in the Library), British historian Stone has produced a concise account of World War II. For readers who would like a quick and expert overview of the “deadliest war in human history,” this succinct study (199 pages) is perfect.

Beijing’s Power and China’s Borders: Twenty Neighbors in Asia edited by Bruce A Elleman, Stephen Kotkin and Clive Schofield China shares borders with more countries than any other nation. Twenty case studies identify and explore the areas where border disputes could flare up. Though not sharing a land border with China, Japan, nonetheless, is the subject of one of the essays.

Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo by Tim ParksThis is an amusing, tender study of the chaos of Italian railways and the denizens who use them. Park’s tales of encounters with ordinary Italians, including train conductors and passengers, paints a vivid picture of Italian life, from the fashion centers of the north to the bucolic south.

Library & Children’s Library Daily: 9 a.m.–8 p.m. tel: 03-4588-0678 e-mail: [email protected] compiled by Library Committee member Susan Millington.

Literary gems at the Library 15

DVD LIBRARY

flick Besides aqueducts, concrete and many works of literature, the Romans gave us the calendar. This month, December, is the 10th month of the Roman year (decem is 10 in Latin).

Although we count December as the 12th month, many of us still follow the Roman pagan traditions of burning yule logs and giving gifts at this time of year.

And just as our Mediterranean predecessors famously enjoyed a bit of gladiatorial theater, we enjoy watching epic battles on the silver screen.

But because Spartacus, arguably, doesn’t make for cheery holiday viewing, the DVD Library has stocked its shelves with plenty of heart-warming Christmas films fit for families.

Some of our favorites include White Christmas (1954), Scrooged (1988), Polar Express (2004), Love Actually (2003), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) and It’s a Wonderful Life (1946).

Come December 31, it’s time to celebrate the New Year, and many of us will be ringing in 2014 in Tokyo. If we’re lucky, we’ll hear the bell toll 108 times at midnight in the purifying Buddhist tradition of joya no kane.

Once the bells have rung (and the Champagne runs dry), keep in the spirit by watching one of our picks for the best New Year’s Eve movies. When Harry Met Sally (1989), Sunset Boulevard (1950) and The Apartment (1960) are classics.

So whether you celebrate December like a Roman or the New Year like a Buddhist or a mix of both (or none of the above), slip a DVD from our vast collection into the player and get into whatever mood suits you this holiday season. o Evans is a member of the DVD Library Committee.

pick

DVD Library Daily: 9 a.m.–8 p.m. tel: 03-4588-0686 e-mail: [email protected] Reviews compiled by Erika Woodward.

by Lynn Evans

newmovies

AC TIONThe WolverineWhen Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is beckoned to Japan by an old friend, the ferociously captivating superhero finds himself battling deadly samurai and his own inner demons.

GravityIn this visually stunning movie, a routine spacewalk for newbie medical engineer Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) turns to disaster.

The Mortal Instruments: City of BonesIn this movie adaptation of the first book of a best-selling series, Clary Fray (Lily Collins) discovers she is a progeny of an angel warrior race and must fight dark forces alongside other demon slayers.

DRAMARushMaster director Ron Howard crafts an action-packed account of the unforgiving rivalry between 1970s Formula One racers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl).

ADVENTUREDespicable Me 2Ex-supervillain Gru (voiced by comedian Steve Carell) is enjoying the simple life until the Anti-Villain League yanks him away from domesticity to help pacify a formidable, new criminal.

The Lone RangerIn this retelling of the classic western, Native American warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) recounts the tales of how John Reid (Armie Hammer) was transformed into the crime-fighting Lone Ranger.

Did you know? The DVD Library sells used DVDs for just ¥500 each. Check out the cart of bargains in front of the counter.

Year-End Classics


COMMITTEES

Good Luck Hunting

W ith its gentle slopes, artisanal shops and quaint residences, the old Tokyo district of Yanaka is also home to numerous temples and shrines.

Since it is one of the few areas of the capital to have emerged relatively unscathed from the 1923 Kanto earthquake and the firebombs of World War II, it’s perhaps fitting that Yanaka should contain seven temples dedicated to Japan’s seven lucky gods (shichi fukujin).

The temple circuit has been drawing pilgrims, particularly during the New Year holidays, since the Edo period. This January, the Club hosts its annual tour to join the throngs visiting the scared spots of Hotei (god of abundance and good health and fortune), Jurojin (god of long life and happiness), Fukurokuju (god of happiness, wealth and longevity), Bishamonten (god of warriors), Benzaiten (goddess of knowledge, art and beauty), Daikokuten (god of rich harvests and commerce) and Ebisu (god of fishermen and merchants).

Participants (and good luck seekers) will also be able to collect a stamp at each stop—the perfect keepsake of an age-old Japanese custom. o

Seven Lucky Gods Walking TourSaturday, January 4

10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

9:50 a.m. (Tabata Station, north exit)

¥530 | Ages 12 and under: free

Sign up online or at Member Services

Sponsored by the Culture, Community and Entertainment Committee

Members interested in joining one of the committees listed should contact its chair or inquire at the Management Office. Names in parentheses denote Board liaisons.

Compensation Ira WolfCulture, Community & Entertainment Barbara Hancock (Lance E Lee)

SubcommitteesFrederick Harris Gallery Yumiko Sai

Men's Group Vincenzo LufinoFinance Rodney Nussbaum(Hiroshi Miyamasu) Food & Beverage Michael Alfant (Mary Saphin)

SubcommitteeWine Stephen Romaine

House Jesse Green (Gregory Lyon) SubcommitteeFacilities Management Group Elaine Williams

Human Resources Jon Sparks (Jeffrey McNeill) Membership Alok Rakyan (Machi Nemoto) Nominating Steve GreenbergRecreation Samuel Rogan(Ira Wolf )

SubcommitteesBowling Crystal GoodflieshDVD Abigail RadmilovichFitness Samuel Rogan

Golf John BreenLibrary Alaine LeeLogan Room Nancy Nussbaum Squash Martin FluckSwim Alexander Jampel Youth Activities Narissara March

Joining a Committee

Committee Focus: Men’s Group

More than 20 committees and subcommittees oversee the various facilities and services of the Club. All committees are comprised of Members, who meet

at least once a month to discuss issues related to their area. Matt Krcelic (left) and Vincenzo Lufino are co-chairs of

the Men’s Group.

What does the Men’s Group do?

Krcelic and Lufino: We focus on putting together activities that appeal to as many people as possible. Whether it’s a seminar or sporting event, the idea is to find activities that anyone can join and that make use of the Club facilities. This year’s activities have included a seminar on buying a car in Japan, a Toyota factory tour, a baseball night and a beer and bowling event. We are also planning a ski trip for next year and a regular event in Decanter.

Why did you start the group?

Krcelic and Lufino: The original idea was [governor] Greg Lyon’s. We saw that there were many activities going on at the Club but few were targeted at men. We were also excited to be part of the Club and meet other Members but realized that that was not so easy.

What do you enjoy about being members of the group?

Krcelic and Lufino: Each event offers us an informal means to meet other Members, people with common interests and other busy professionals. There’s an unlimited number of networking events in Tokyo, but this group allows us to get out and have a great time without having to discuss business or exchange business cards.

Cornerstone of the Club 17

Holidays at the Club

Holiday CateringLet the Club’s catering team take the stress out of the holidays. To order your spread, visit the Celebrate the Holidays page of the Club website or fill out the enclosed order form.

Holidays in New YorkCelebrate the season with a clutch of great wines from the Empire State for just ¥19,990.Visit the Celebrate the Holidays page of the Club website for details.

Until December 8

Letters to SantaHe’s making a list and checking it twice, so be sure to get your wish list to Santa soon. ❄ Letter templates and Santa’s mailbox in the Family Lobby (B1)

Until December 31

FLATiRON Holiday SpecialAn outrageously inventive culinary experience for the holidays.❄ Two seatings nightly: 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.¥14,000 (non-Members ¥18,000)

December 1 and December 7–8

Gingerbread FactoryA deliciously messy session of gingerbread house creation. ❄ 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 1:30–3 p.m. ❄ Beate Sirota Gordon Classroom❄ ¥3,900 ❄ Sign up online or at Member Services

December 2–27

Holiday Afternoon Tea Take a break from the gift-buying frenzy with an exquisite spread of organic teas and savory and sweet treats.❄ Daily❄ 2:30–5 p.m. ❄ Winter Garden❄ ¥2,900

December 6

First Friday: Member BonenkaiWrap up 2013 with an end-of-year bonenkai celebration, complete with complimentary eats and drinks, live music and yuletide cheer. ❄ 6:30–8 p.m. ❄ Winter Garden and American Bar & Grill ❄ Members: free❄ Guests: ¥6,500❄ Adults only❄ Sign up online or at Member Services

December 7 and 14

Visit with SantaSaint Nick drops by the Club to hear youngsters’ whispered wish lists. ❄ 1–4 p.m. ❄ Beate Sirota Gordon Classroom ❄ ¥1,050 ❄ Sign up online

December 9

Holiday Cheer and ChampagneThe Women’s Group hosts a luncheon of seasonal entertainment. ❄ 11:30 a.m. ❄ Manhattan I❄ Women’s Group members: ¥3,150❄ Non-Women’s Group members: ¥4,200❄ Adults only❄ Sign up online or at Member Services

Your second home is brimming with yuletide cheer and family events for the holiday season.


December 14

Angel-Making WorkshopCreative kids make their own decorative angel at this holiday-themed arts and crafts session. ❄ 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.❄ Toko Shinoda Classroom❄ ¥3,675❄ Sign up online or at the Recreation Desk

December 16–25

American Bar & Grill and Traders’ Bar Holiday FeastsIndulge yourself with an exquisite seasonal set menu for dinner.

December 21–23

Holiday Buffet Rainbow Café hosts a family-friendly spread of seasonal staples.❄ 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m.❄ No sign-up necessary

December 23–28

Decanter Holiday Set MenuCelebrate the season in style. ❄ Five-course holiday set: ¥12,000

December 25

Christmas Grand BuffetSpend Christmas Day with family, friends, turkey, trimmings and seasonal cheer. ❄ 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5–7:30 p.m. (two-hour sittings)❄ Children’s arts and crafts session: 11 a.m.–3 p.m.❄ New York Ballroom❄ Adults: ¥7,500 (includes all-you-can-drink beverage package)❄ Children (4–17 years): ¥2,800❄ Infants (3 and under): free❄ Sign up online or by calling 03-4588-0977

December 30–31

New Year’s Eve at DecanterKick-start your New Year’s Eve festivities with a sumptuous dinner. ❄ Pre-countdown menu only: ¥7,000

December 31

Dine and Discover: New Year SpectacularWrap up the year with an unforgettable evening of superlative cuisine and wines. ❄ Details on page 9

Japan welcomes the holiday season with a profusion of dazzling LED lights and extravagant store displays. It’s hard to believe that the country wasn’t

introduced to the tradition until the Meiji period, with the arrival of Americans and Europeans.

While December 25 was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1870, Christmas took longer to gain popularity in Japan. In a decidedly Japanese twist on Christmas, the holiday is seen as one for couples and celebrated on Christmas Eve (Christmas Day remains a regular work and school day).

On December 24, restaurants are booked for intimate dinners. “Ever since I had a boyfriend, Christmas Eve was a special day,” explains Club Member Aya Higa. “We would make a reservation at a nice restaurant, dress up and exchange presents.”

For a lot of Japanese families, Christmas Eve is about feasting on fast-food chicken and sponge cake, adorned with whipped cream and strawberries.

In other parts of the world, Christmas is a family holiday. In addition to an elaborate meal and gift giving, families observe their own traditions.

“Every year for the past 40 years, my parents host a ‘yule log hunt’ on our family property in rural Minnesota. My father rises early in the morning to hide two logs of wood adorned with Christmas ribbon and ornaments. When the guests arrive, he reads poem clues about where the logs are hidden in the nearly 200 acres of land. Then everyone trudges through the snow to find the yule logs. Once found, they are made into a huge bonfire, which is then followed by dinner,” says Club Member Katherine Hall.

The American adds that people, regardless of faith or nationality, appear infused with a sense of joy and peace at this time of year. “Everyone seems a bit more cheerful, generous and childlike,” she says. “To keep the Christmas spirit alive all year long would be such a wonderful thing.” o

Weiss is a Member of the Club.

Holidays at the Club 19

by Efrot Weiss

CULTURAL INSIGHT

’Tis the Season

C lad in a navy blue jersey and matching gym shorts that hang baggy at her knees, 11-year-old Jordan Obi trails down the right lane of the basketball court. With her

right arm raised, she calls out to her teammate: “Kai! Kai!”Point guard Kai Goldstein, 10, dribbles the ball down the

court. Defenders from Shinagawa’s Konan Elementary School smack wildly at the ball. Midstride, Goldstein passes to Jordan. With two steps, she splits two defenders and leaps into the air, unleashing a teardrop shot that falls soundlessly through the net. Two points for the TAC Eagles.

Parents sitting courtside erupt in applause while teammates slap high fives. The electronic scoreboard shows 16 points for the Eagles and six for the home team. The referee blows his

The Club’s new youth basketball program, the TAC Eagles, gives youngsters the opportunity to put their skills to the test in real games.by Nick Narigon Photos by Benjamin Parks

Learning to

whistle and play resumes in this first organized game for players in the Club’s new youth basketball program.

“My kids love it,” says Kai’s father, Member Ryan Goldstein, whose son Tyler, 8, also takes part in the program. “This has been a great opportunity for them to get some exposure to team basketball. It is also a chance for them to interact with other schools in the Tokyo community.”

Growing up in LA, Goldstein’s boys were big fans of basketball and when they moved to Tokyo three years ago, Goldstein searched for basketball clubs. The boys had opportunities to practice but never to play competitively. Goldstein decided to talk to the Club.

“I approached TAC because really it was the only place available to play organized basketball. As a father, you want your children to have the opportunity to participate in the activities they love, and this has been a great experience for them,” Goldstein says. “Coach Dan [Weiss], I’m just a huge fan of his. He’s a very good coach. He’s great with the kids. He teaches them strategy and puts them in the flow of the game.”

Weiss has taught basketball at the Club for 10 years. A 13-year veteran of the Japanese Basketball League and a former member of Japan’s national team, the American has also led NBA youth camps in Tokyo and has coached elsewhere in Asia for other programs.

“We’ve been running the basketball program at TAC for the past 10 years, teaching fundamentals, running drills and having


RECREATION

scrimmages for fun. This takes it up another notch,” says Weiss. “I want to give the kids the opportunity to participate in the entire program. Starting from the youth fundamental program, they can work their way up to earning a spot on the Eagles. We are taking steps to making them a competitive basketball team.”

Along with Weiss and program supervisor Reina Collins, program coordinator Marc Tibbs helped to organize the new team. Tibbs says tryouts were held in the summer. Twenty-three kids, including two girls, were chosen to play for the Eagles.

Practicing every Thursday and Saturday, the team is split into two groups: ages 8 to 9 and ages 10 to 11. November’s outing to Konan Elementary School was followed by a game

against another Tokyo elementary school and the Eagles are looking for other opposition to play.

According to Tibbs, the team hopes to take part in some local tournaments next year and, ultimately, join a mini basketball league. “The goal of the program is to allow the kids to experience competition and actually use the skills they learn in practice,” Tibbs says. “Unless you participate in live game action, you are not going to be able to develop those skills further.”

For young Eagle Kazuma An, 9, playing for the team has helped him develop his dribbling skills while having fun with his friends. “I joined the team because my friend wanted to and so I tried it to,” he says. “I just wanted to get better. It’s a lot of fun.” o

Narigon is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist.

For more information on the TAC Eagles basketball program, contact the Recreation Desk.

Fly

Fitness and well-being 21

Stately Cycle RideExplore the environs of the Imperial Palace on two wheels with fellow Members and friends. Led by an instructor from Globeride, participants will receive slick bikes and helmets for this morning jaunt in central Tokyo.

Imperial Palace Bike TourSaturday, December 79 a.m.–12 p.m.¥5,250Sign up online or at the Recreation Desk

Fitness First Wrap up 2013 by signing up for a new fitness program or hobby and get a jump on that New Year’s resolution. Check out the range of classes on the Club website or at the Recreation Desk.

Winter-Spring Class Registration Tuesday, December 3From 8:30 a.m.Sign up online or at the Recreation Desk

Group Fitness Class CarnivalLearn more about the Club’s array of group fitness classes, from Zumba to yoga, by chatting to the instructors and even trying your hand during expert-led demonstrations.

Fitness Fair Saturday, January 182–5 p.m.Gymnasium¥1,260Tickets available at the Recreation Desk from December 9


RECREATION

Game, Set, FunExperienced tennis coach Allen Krissman introduces youngsters to the racket sport through free sessions of high-energy games and activities.

Tennis CarnivalSaturday, January 11Ages 3–5: 10–10:30 a.m.Ages 6–8: 10:45–11:30 a.m.Ages 9–10: 11:35 a.m.–12:20 p.m.GymnasiumFreeSign up at the Recreation Desk

His and Hers Holiday Special

The Spa proudly uses products by

YOUTH E VENTS

To book your next pampering session, contact The Spa at 03-4588-0714 or [email protected].

For the whole of December, at a special discount, The Spa is offering treatment packages to keep you looking refreshed and feeling rejuvenated through the frenzied holiday rush.

His: 60-minute Deep-Tissue Massage + 30-minute Men’s Facial (¥17,500) Hers: 60-minute Swedish Massage + Gentle Facial (¥19,600)

Endurance TestSee out the year with one last test of stamina and strength. Sweat your way through one-minute sessions of push-ups, sit-ups and squats for a chance to win a prize and bragging rights.

Fitness ChallengeSunday, December 1 7.30 a.m.–9.30 p.m.Fitness CenterAges 16 and aboveFind out more at the Fitness Center

Holiday Playtime Because even Santa Claus can’t do it all this season, the Club is giving busy parents the gift of time by offering a weeklong session of holiday-themed camp fun for ages 3 through 5.

Camp Discovery: Holiday EditionDecember 16–20 and January 5–10¥37,800 (includes lunch)For more information, contact the Recreation Department at [email protected].

F I T N E S S

Fitness and well-being 23

Kayo Yamaw

akiSibyl Kane

A Perfect Fitby Erika Woodward

After years working as a lawyer in the United States, London and Tokyo, Sibyl Kane didn’t feel she had much in common with the Women’s Group—until she joined.


One morning, two years ago, Sibyl Kane pulled on a pair of worn yoga pants and set out on her first Women’s Group tour. “I

was nervous,” she says. “I thought, ‘Oh, I’m really going to stick out. I’m not as dressy.’”

What’s more, the former attorney wasn’t convinced that someone like herself could make friends at a “woman’s group.” After all, she had recently completed an intense stint at a male-dominated law firm in Tokyo and she hadn’t grown up in country clubs.

“I guess I thought [the group] would be a bit formal, a bit old-fashioned. I thought that it might be like a garden club or something—ladies who lunch and clutch their pearls,” she says. “I was a little afraid I wouldn’t fit in.”

To her surprise, when she arrived at the meeting point, Women’s Group member Heidi Sanford and others began warmly introducing themselves. “It was really that moment I had the first feeling of relief, when I met all these women who were not only interesting and had great personalities, but they were obviously very open to meeting me,” she says.

Sitting at a table in the Women’s Group Office one weekday in October, Kane, 46, says she felt an instant kinship with those she met. “I didn’t realize it’d be all these professional women, artists, people from all over the world, with all sorts of interests, coming together to make the community here that they’re probably missing back home. It exceeded my expectations.”

About five years ago, the former pastry chef and her husband received some news that made Kane wish she had friends—beyond colleagues—with whom to share it. “Suddenly, I find myself pregnant and all I knew were these guys, these lawyers,” she says, breaking into a laugh.

The American chose to leave her job as an attorney in the Tokyo office of a California law firm to care for her baby. “The first year of my daughter’s life was especially isolating for me,” she says. Seeking a remedy and female camaraderie, she joined the Club. When she still hadn’t

The Women’s Group adds some fizz to the holidays with an effervescent luncheon of bubbly,

a multilingual sing-along, led by Santa himself and one of his elves, and extra servings of yuletide merriment.

What’s more, this festive get-together will honor a number of longstanding Women’s Group members, including Clara Yonemoto, who joined the Club 42 years ago.

The fun ahead of the holidays will be topped off with a dramatic demonstration of sabrage by wine expert and Member Bill Campbell, who will slice off the top of a Champagne bottle with a Champagne sword. o

WOMEN’S GROUP

Champagne and Carols

found her social niche after a year, she sought out the Women’s Group.

“I mean, our director of membership [Karen Thomas], she gives her personal cell phone number and e-mail address to new people just coming to the Club,” she says. “That’s a big thing you find when you meet someone from the Women’s Group—they just offer to help you.”

Now serving as the Women’s Group’s director of administration, Kane coordinates events, to name one of myriad tasks. Her work at the Club, she says, “has made me realize how much I miss a job and being in an office with likeminded people, working toward goals and making projects happen.”

Inspirited, she has taken on the role of executive director of a nonprofit organization and is considering reentering the workforce. For now, though, there’s no place like the Women’s Group’s Office.

“It feels like working at a really fun job with people who you would have chosen as

colleagues, if you had been able to do that,” says Kane, who hopes to be instrumental in bridging the gap between Members from abroad and local residents by helping to launch new Women’s Group programs.

“Our offerings now for obvious reasons are

about presenting Japanese culture to non-Japanese residents, but with the big change in membership, we’re looking at what would our Japanese members like to see in classes, what are they looking for in a women’s group?”

Keen to promote the Women’s Group as an organization open to all, including men, Kane says her only regret is not getting involved sooner.

“What did I wish I knew about the Women’s Group when I joined the Club? I wish I knew how truly open and accepting a group it was, and that it was honestly a place where I could have come with any question, where I could have come with any crisis, and where I could have really started to form those friendships right away, literally, from day one.” o

To find out more about the Women’s Group, visit the Women’s Group page of the Club website or the Women’s Group Office.

I thought that it might be like a garden club or something...I was a little afraid I wouldn’t fit in.”

“

An interactive community 25

Holiday Cheer and ChampagneMonday, December 9Doors open: 11 a.m.Program begins: 11:30 a.m.Manhattan IWomen’s Group members: ¥3,150Non-Women’s Group members: ¥4,200Adults onlySign up online or at Member Services


FEATURE

Trails and Trials 27

With marathons now passé, scores

of runners, including plenty of

Members, are seeking out tougher

challenges in some of the most

inhospitable corners of the globe.

by Nick Narigon

Atacama Desert, Chile

Isami Mitsuhashi scoots forward in his seat in the Winter Garden. Suffering from a chronic back problem, he eases down onto his knees and begins arranging race certificates on the table like

a game of solitaire.A tall, lithe 51-year-old, with silver-

black hair swept behind his ears, he proudly details the dozens of races he has completed in the last few years, including triathlons, marathons, ocean swims, cycle races and his coup de grâce, the 166-kilometer Ultra-Trail de Mont-Blanc, a brutal, single-stage race in the Alps that takes competitors through almost 10,000 meters of elevation and three countries (France, Italy and Switzerland).

“Of course, it was important to be physically fit, but to finish this race, you have to be strong psychologically,” says Mitsuhashi. “Inside, I knew I could do it. I constantly said to myself, ‘You can do it, you can do it.’ Of course, your muscles, your body, everything gets tired, but the key is your mental state.”

Like all good stories, Mitsuhashi’s begins in a bar. Five years ago, he was drinking with friends when the conversation turned to the idea of running a triathlon. That evening, a slightly overweight Mitsuhashi vowed to complete one.

While many booze-fueled plans fall by the wayside in the harsh light of day, Mitsuhashi set about designing a training regimen. Despite a debilitating fear of swimming, Mitsuhashi used the Club pool to overcome his trepidation. In 2009, he swam 750 meters, cycled 20 kilometers and ran 5 kilometers to complete his first sprint triathlon.

“The triathlon was a big hurdle, a big challenge. It was very hard, but it was also fantastic. I made it,” he says. “With my personality, I am always looking for a new challenge. After that, I tried longer triathlons and I started trail running.”

An ultramarathon is generally regarded as any event longer than the 42 kilometers of a regular marathon. Some are multiday races while others are nonstop, timed events. Mitsuhashi’s first ultramarathon was a 50-kilometer trail run on the island of Oshima, on his 48th birthday.

In all, it took Mitsuhashi three attempts to finish the Mont-Blanc event. The first year, he lost his way and failed to cross the line within the 46-hour time limit. The next time, he tried the shorter sister course, the Sur les Traces des Ducs de

Savoie. But the weather forced 40 percent of the competitors to quit.

“The weather was cold, miserable. The ground was mud. I was slipping and sliding. It was night, and at times I was afraid that I was the only one on the road—it was scary,” he says. “In the [first-aid] tent, so many people had stopped to rest, and outside the wind was howling and it was snowing. I couldn’t get out. I felt it was too dangerous to go out by myself.”

The failure made Mitsuhashi more determined to return. On his third attempt in September, his race strategy of stopping for meals at set points along the course paid off. Mitsuhashi finished the race in just over 45 hours.

“I want to see new things. I want to travel. I want to go where nobody else goes,” says Mitsuhashi, who joined the Club in 1996. “But also people need something to be passionate about, and by competing in ultramarathons, I can feel achievement. When you reach your end goal, I feel this other energy: a drive for the next one, the next challenge.”

That next challenge is the 2014 Grand Raid de la Réunion, a grueling mountain race on a small French island in the Indian Ocean.

Having completed the Réunion race in 2010, fellow Member Chris Lewis says competing in ultramarathons is an “antidote for daily life.” The 59-year-old Welshman’s passion for endurance events began more than 20 years ago in Hong Kong, when he competed in 100-kilometer Trailwalker events, organized by the British charity Oxfam.

A veteran marathoner, he says he prefers testing himself along trails in more remote areas, and he has tackled numerous 250-kilometer, multiday events in the likes of the Gobi, Sahara and Atacama deserts and in such countries as Vietnam, Nepal and Iceland. Lewis has raced in all weather conditions and types of unforgiving terrain. He has even slept on a monastery floor at more than 3,000 meters.

“There are some fantastic places in the world that have great races,” he says. “The beauty of stage races is you are with a group of people for a week, and you are all like-minded lunatics. There tends to be a great atmosphere and you develop friendships. The other thing is they are tough races, and that means I have to maintain a certain level of fitness. I can’t let myself slip.”

Of course, there are inherent risks. The race in Iceland, for example, took place


Gobi Desert, China

FEATURE


His appetite for tests of stamina was whet. In April, his team finished fifth in the Tokyo Yamathon, a daylong 50-kilometer race that follows Tokyo’s Yamanote train line.

A month later, the American attempted the 100-kilometer, 48-hour Oxfam Japan Trailwalker. But 10 meters into the run, Opdahl stepped on another competitor’s foot and severely sprained his ankle. He had to withdraw after 37 kilometers.

With a recovered ankle, he scaled Mount Fuji in July’s lung-bursting Sea-to-Summit race, which has participants run 46 kilometers from the coast to the top of Japan’s iconic, 3,776-meter peak. Next on the agenda was training for the rather more sedate Osaka Marathon.

“I’ve accepted that I’ll never be competitive in marathons,” Opdahl says. “But I do know I will always be a little more competitive in the ultramarathons. The best ultramarathoners are between 35 and their 40s. Speed is not what wins you ultramarathons. It’s about mental toughness. It’s about the ability to keep going, the ability to really get deep inside [yourself] and be comfortable for an extended period of time.”

His lineup of races for next year includes the Yamathon and Trailwalker events and then a 200-kilometer, six-stage ultramarathon in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan in June.

during the wettest summer in 30 years and forced Lewis to wear four layers of clothing. In Namibia, he says, a Japanese competitor got lost and had to sleep under a space blanket in the desert, and during a race in the Sahara, Lewis watched a delirious runner wander off the trail.

“Some people end up being there who shouldn’t be there,” Lewis says. “In the Namibia race, there was a lady from the States, whose personal best for marathons was actually a good time, but after the first stage she decided she couldn’t handle it. She got someone to take her to the nearest town and she just disappeared back to the States. She was clearly a fit lady; she just had no concept of how different this was from running the New York Marathon.”

According to Samantha Fanshawe of Hong Kong-based 4 Deserts, which has been organizing ultramarathons since 2003, endurance events have exploded in popularity and interest in 4 Deserts’ races has more than doubled since the company started. The Gobi, Sahara and Atacama races each cost $3,600 to enter while the Antarctica event requires a cool $11,900.

“People are always looking for the next big challenge. These days, a 10K, half marathon or even a marathon has become commonplace,” Fanshawe says. “In some circles, even a 100K race is not a big deal. There is only so much of the same thing you can do before you want something different.”

Member Peter Opdahl understands that mindset. He calls it his “personality defect.” More than a year ago, the 46-year-old signed up for the Tokyo Marathon, despite being almost 20 kilos overweight. After a rigorous training regimen, he completed the marathon in February.

“All of us have something to prove,” Opdahl says. “It might be proving that we are still young. It might be to finish faster than the other guy. And I think for me, it’s proving that I’m still alive. I never feel more alive than at the end of a really long race.”

Like Lewis, Michelle Whitehead’s gateway to longer distance events were the running trails of Hong Kong. The mother of three could step out her backdoor with a baby on her back and put in a four-hour hike. As her children have gotten older, she has looked for more challenges.

After moving to Tokyo two years ago, the 38-year-old Australian completed the Kyoto Marathon and ran a 27-kilometer race around Lake Kawaguchi in Yamanashi Prefecture.

“That was nice, but I don’t love road running. It is quite painful really on the knees, and it is tedious just running on concrete,” she says. “After the marathon, I heard about the Oxfam Trailwalker. People from Hong Kong had come to do it and I heard it was really beautiful.”

Whitehead joined a team of four women she met through the Club. All the


Chris Lewis Michelle Whitehead Peter Opdahl

Susan Griffen (left)

FEATURE

members had finished a marathon in less than four hours and they trained along the race route near Odawara in Kanagawa once a month.

“It is kind of a different skill altogether, compared to running on the road: knowing when to pick your feet up and running downhill,” she says. “I went running with these guys and they were just flying down the hill, and I was running down the hill, well, like a girl.”

While nervous at the start of the race, Whitehead and her team completed the course in an astonishing 22 hours. As part of the top all-female team that finished seventh overall, she says the hardest part was staying awake.

“This is just such a beautiful course,

it is really exhilarating and you don’t notice the 100K,” she says. “For me, it’s the camaraderie—the funny conversations you have at 2 o’clock in the morning, just trying to keep yourselves awake, trying to keep yourselves interested.”

Three weeks later, Whitehead headed west to take part in a popular 100-kilometer road race that passes over six islands in the Seto Inland Sea. “I thought it’s going to be beautiful. I’ll just put on my shorts and run for a few hours,” she says. “It didn’t work out that way. This one was very hard, probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

Whitehead’s knee gave out halfway through the race. She ran on, but the pain grew. At the finish line, she broke

down in tears. “It was excruciating,” she says. “I said that immediately after, ‘I’m never ever running again. I’m not doing a marathon, nothing.’”

The sentiment didn’t last long. Whitehead ran a marathon in Odawara last month and she plans on competing in a 49K event in New Zealand next year, as well as the Oxfam Trailwalker and Inland Sea race again.

Oxfam Japan events coordinator Joe Pournovin says ultramarathons are attracting increasing numbers of people in search of serious challenges. The first Sea-to-Summit event in 2010 had eight runners. Last year, there were 80. The first Yamathon drew 110 racers, which grew to 430 last year. Pournovin says he anticipates at least 700 competitors in April, adding that the number of volunteers is just as impressive.

“When I did the Oxfam Trailwalker in 2008, there were 700 to 800 [competitors], but there were also 700 volunteers,” Pournovin says. “I couldn’t believe how many people took time out of their day to come out to the mountains, squeeze fresh orange juice, cheer for me, do whatever it took to help us across the finish line.”

Member Susan Griffen, 53, has completed ultramarathons, but enjoys supporting runners just as much. She supported Members who completed the Oxfam Trailwalker last spring and even drove Opdahl to the hospital after he sprained his ankle. And last year, she supported her friend, Jane Trumper, as she became the first woman to run across the 660-kilometer Simpson Desert in Australia.

She says it’s important for ultramarathoners to have someone along the way to enforce breaks for food, rest and water. “You have to drink before you feel thirsty,” she says. Nutrition and preventing potential problems like sunburn and blisters are also key, she adds.

And despite all the pain and mental hurdles that come with competing in an endurance event, Griffen says runners should always remember how they feel at the finish line. “When the run is over, it is really hard to turn around and get out the door again,” she says. “If you have friends to help push you, to help you set goals, when you complete your goal together, there’s nothing like it.” o

For professional advice on training for a marathon

or endurance event, contact the Fitness Center

and the Club’s team of personal trainers.


Isami Mitsuhashi


All exhibits in the Frederick Harris Gallery are for sale and can be purchased by Membership card at the Member Services Desk. Sales of works begin at 6 p.m. on the first day of the exhibition.

by Erika Woodward

While driving through the heart of his hometown in Saitama, Yohei Yama eases off the gas.

“Actually, on this road is my painting. Ah! There it is,” he says, pointing to a decades-old piece of street art that won him a local art contest as a child. “To draw, for me, it’s [the] very first desire for the human, like [eating or sleeping],” he says.

It was just four years ago, on a road oceans away, when the former salesman-turned-traveling photographer realized his true calling.

While in the southern French city of Arles for an international photography festival and bored of displaying his snapshots on the street, Yama put marker to canvas. A passing curator took notice.

Two months later, he held his first exhibition. “So that is how I became a painter,” he says. “It’s like a movie, it’s like [a] manga [comic].”

This month sees Yama bring his brilliantly colorful creations to the Club. As a self-taught artist, it’s an opportunity he relishes, particularly in Japan’s hierarchical art world. “For me, people decide the position of the painter not with the work, but with name value,” he says.

The 36-year-old himself has few pretentions. Despite having been courted by top galleries in France and Japan and with his designs on everything from high-fashion catalogs to skateboards, Yama still prefers painting roadside to a studio.

“It’s a very magical time for me,” he says. “I work and people start to speak to me and something happens.”

Exhibition December 2–22

Gallery ReceptionMonday, December 26:30–8 p.m.Frederick Harris Gallery (B1 Formal Lobby)FreeOpen to invitees and Members only

YoheiYama

Exhibitions of Art 33

by Erika Woodward

Taking his inspiration from sci-fi novels or far-flung destinations, artist Hideshi Yoshida imagines an entire fantastical story for each woodblock print he makes.

Like building a set, he begins by molding his dreamed-up depiction into a three-dimensional model.

After flipping and turning the form to see how it casts shadows and appears from different angles, he begins the engraving process. As if switching on the lights after a blackout, he says his vision emerges more clearly with each cut. “The process is almost close to film production,” he says.

Yoshida’s otherworldly prints now hang in galleries across Japan, and he will show his latest collection, titled “Agnahuecom Land,” at the Frederick Harris Gallery this month.

Yoshida has advice for those viewing his work: “Think of it as a kind of parallel universe and it might be easier to understand,” he says. “Agnahuecom Land is a wicked world we live in alongside nonhuman races, such as dragons and demons, magic [abounds] and it’s ruled by strange physics.”

He began making woodblock prints as an elementary school student. By age 15 he knew he wanted to be a professional artist. Studying English literature at university, he pursued his passion at night at an art school nearby. Today, the 46-year-old is living his dream, moonlighting as a printmaker.

Ever focused on portraying his intricate creations with engaging precision, Yoshida prefers exclusively crafting black and white prints. “[Because] it’s without ambiguity,” he says.

ExhibitionDecember 23–January 19

HideshiYoshida

FREDERICK HARRIS GALLERY

Andrew Shaw & Jane Morris Australia—Accenture Japan Ltd.

Raymond & Krista Shelton United States—Coca-Cola East Japan Co., Ltd.

Sarah & Ernest Casanova Canada—McDonald’s Japan

Anthony Savage & Cheryl Davey United Kingdom—Meitan Tradition Co., Ltd.

Tatsuya & Yuko NakamuraJapan—Hikari Tsushin, Inc.

Mikel & Kimberly Colibert United States—Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

Mikaal & Rangana Abdulla United States—8 Securities

Deepak Iyer & Ruchika JoshiIndia—American International Group, Inc.

Takaaki Takai Japan—Kyoritsu Seiyaku Corporation

Michael & Debra McGlynnAustralia—MetLife Alico Life Insurance K.K.

Richard & Katie Ronayne United States—PricewaterhouseCoopers

Marc & Irene Ulbrich United States—Continental Automotive

Peter & Takako Knight Australia—Bank of New York Mellon Asset Management

Reiji & Hiroko Yachi Japan—Jack & Company

Yoshiyuki & Miwa AikawaJapan—Shonan Beauty Clinic Medical Corp. Shobi-kai

Hirobumi & Utako Seki Japan—Hakuhodo, Inc.

Akira Sakamoto Japan—Gram3., Inc. Yuri & Shuji TakanoJapan—Fuji Beauty Co., Ltd.

Jun TanakaJapan—KPMG Tax Corporation

Axel & Kirsten Baur Germany—McKinsey & Company, Inc.

Anthony & Angela BellUnited Kingdom—GKN Driveline Japan Ltd.

Erika & Anthony Abbo United States—Amway Japan G.K.

Kiyomitsu & Marina TakayamaJapan—Keyman K.K.

Scott & Amy Bower United States—Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC

Chung Eun Chang & Takahiro Uchinaga South Korea—Aura Co., Ltd.

John Hall & Sara Green United States—Coca-Cola East Japan Co., Ltd.

Osamu & Akemi Iizuka Japan—Hikarigaoka Animal Hospital

Yumi GotoJapan—Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., Ltd.

Yoshihiko NakataniJapan—Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC

Hideki & Shina KitayamaJapan—Kitayama Kosan Co., Ltd.

Masahisa & Nobuko TsuyukiJapan—Tsuyuki Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Masaki & Miwako HaradaJapan—Tokyo Crown Co., Ltd.

Derek & Cassandra O'Leary Ireland—Boehringer Ingelheim

Takumi & Machiko ShibataJapan—Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd.

Massimo Melessaccio United Kingdom—Microsoft Co., Ltd.

Owen MahoneyUnited States—Nexon Co., Ltd.

Akira & Hiroko Utsumi Japan—Jiyugaoka Bright Dental Clinic

Shehnaz Singh GillIndia—Coca-Cola East Japan Co., Ltd.

Chad Miller & Kyashi Kitahara United States—Nomura Holdings, Inc.

Paul & Micaela VranckenNetherlands—Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.

Carl Margetts & Noriko MatsuyamaUnited Kingdom—Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd.

Seung Woo Choi & Yoon Jeong Kwak South Korea—Nexon Co., Ltd.

Ian & Serafina Otten Denmark—Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting

Richard & Andrea Lovett United Kingdom—IBM Japan, Ltd.

Masaru & Saki TangeJapan—SHIFT Inc.

Tamas Bown & Paula Freeman-BownUnited Kingdom—Swiss Re International SE, Japan Branch

Hiroshi IsetaniHiroshi & Fumiko YamashitaMasanori KawaiHiroyuki MitaniKenji & Sumiyo UenishiMasanori Kawanobe

Ajay & Chizuru UmaranikarHidehiko & Michiyo HayashiKenneth Alexis ShearerDaniel & Barbara EstayMarc & Lotta MerlinoJan & Teresa Hedemann

Shuichi KawamuraMelanie BrockJi Kong & Akane ChanJavier Bernal & Tania MonroyLouisa Benedicto

sayonara

Stacks of Services at the Club

André Bernard Beauty SalonHair care for adults and kids, manicure, pedicure, waxing and more.Tel: 03-4588-0685 Family Area (B1)Tue–Sun9 a.m.–6 p.m.

Spica The Club’s professional shoe repair and polishing service. Tel: 03-4588-0670The Cellar (B1)Sat: 1–4:30 p.m. Sun: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.Weekday drop-off: Member Services Desk

JTB Sunrise ToursEnjoy a 5 percent discount on all package tours and start making unforgettable memories. Tel: 03-5796-5454 (9:30 a.m.–8 p.m.)E-mail: [email protected]

My Tokyo Guide Tour and Travel DeskMy Tokyo Guide consultants are ready to answer all your domestic travel questions.Family Lobby (1F)Sat: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.Sun: 12–5 p.m.E-mail: [email protected]

FedExTo find out more about the range of services and Member discounts, visit the FedEx counter. The Cellar (B1)Mon–Fri: 1–5 p.m. (closed Sun and national holidays)Sat: 12 p.m. (pickup only)

yokoso


He might not have been a particularly dedicated undergraduate student at university in Canada, but Shane

Busato seems to have made up for it. In the years since arriving in Japan to

teach English in 1998, the Toronto native has immersed himself in learning. After picking up a certificate in graphic design production from Temple University in Tokyo, he spent two years earning an MBA at Anaheim University’s Tokyo campus.

When not in formal classes, he spent hours mastering an array of design software at home. “I was always interested in art and design and was making music on my computer,” he says. “I just wanted to

do something creative and stay in Japan.”Eventually joining the design team

of the Tokyo entertainment magazine Metropolis, Busato, inspired by contemporary illustrators and designers like American Ryan McGinness and Alberta-born Geoff McFetridge, quickly expanded his design repertoire.

“It was hectic,” he says. “It was competitive and there was camaraderie. It was a good atmosphere.”

The 39-year-old says he enjoys the problem-solving side of his profession. “I like being presented with a problem…then finding an idea and working with other people to realize that idea,” he says. “I also

like the aesthetic of design, of producing something beautiful.”

Since joining the Club’s Communications crew in April, he has found plenty of opportunity to satisfy those two passions. “There’s a huge variety of design work and more marketing,” he says of the projects he handles. “I did my MBA, so am excited about working in the marketing area.”

Busato’s other enthusiasm is, perhaps unsurprisingly for a Canuck, hockey. “As a kid, I was really into it,” says the Employee of the Month for October. “One of my best memories is my dad pouring water on the backyard then my friends coming round and playing hockey.” o

MEMBER SERVICES

Why did you decide to join the Club?“We arrived in Tokyo after five years in London. It is an exciting move for us as a family and for me professionally. The Club is our escape and retreat to continue evolving in an international environment and to rejuvenate when needed. We have already felt its family spirit and look forward to discovering more of its resources in the months to come.”

(l–r) Aude, Margaux, Aurore, Alix and Arnaud de Saint-Exupery

Why did you decide to join the Club?“As working parents, we are drawn to the renowned childcare service at the Club on weekdays while ensuring an athletic lifestyle for our family during the weekend. TAC’s network of reciprocal clubs at major destinations around the world is—now that we know where to explore in a new town—an added advantage, hassle free and reassuring in terms of service quality.”

(l–r) Kenji, Jessica and Yusei Okamoto

New Member ProfileArnaud & Aude de Saint-ExuperyFrance—Andaz Tokyo

New Member ProfileJessica & Kenji OkamotoUnited Kingdom—Frank Consulting Co., Ltd.

employeeof the month

Shane Busato

by Nick Jones

Services and benefits for Members 35

MEMBER SERVICES

T wenty-one staff waited nervously in a meeting room at the Club. Weeks before, they had each applied for a chance to join the Club’s inaugural staff overseas internship program.

Applause broke out as General Manager Tony Cala announced the winners. The Sky Pool’s Rie Tanaka, Tomoko Tokitsu of Guest Relations and Rainbow Café’s May Kamiyama had been selected to spend a month working at the Arbutus Club in Vancouver, Canada.

Until the moment Cala handed her a mock plane ticket that July weekday, Tokitsu couldn’t believe she had won. “I didn’t know what to say except ‘Wow!’” she says.

“I didn’t expect that I would be selected,” says Kamiyama. “I was so surprised.”

Made possible by the Jiro Matsumura memorial fund, the program sends outstanding employees to work at reciprocal clubs to develop their skills and acquire new ones to benefit the Club and Members.

The late Matsumura was a Member for nearly 30 years and Member Shizuko Tani’s annual ¥1 million donation to the fund set up in his name was used for the internship program, including airline tickets and accommodations for the three winners.

Upon arriving at the sprawling Vancouver club, home to about a dozen tennis courts and 8,000 members, the Club ambassadors were assigned to their particular departments, where they encountered some immediate challenges.

On her second day at the club in September, Tanaka says she helped to oversee a block party attended by more than 1,500 members and their guests. “I learned a lot about the value of working closely with different departments,” she says. “Members were so happy and the staff communicated so well [that] I just felt like this was a great team.”

Inspired by the teamwork she witnessed, Tanaka is now looking at ways to streamline the sign-up process for classes and programs.

Club Ambassadors

As part of a new internship program, three Club staff members headed across the Pacific to share their skills at a reciprocal club in Canada.

“Recreation could [have one spot] where Members can sign up for everything,” she says.

Working with the Arbutus Club’s front desk team, Tokitsu says she was impressed by the way in which staff greeted members with congratulations for everything from graduations to sporting victories. “I liked their relaxed approach,” she says.

She is aiming to bring that spirit of closeness to Guest Relations. “Now, I try to remember Members’ faces and names and greet them by name,” she says. “I think that’s the standard for a private club.”

While serving salads and smoothies at the club’s casual restaurant (in between answering animated questions about her life in Japan), Kamiyama says she was inspired by the range of creative and healthy eating options.

“We are doing my idea for a green smoothie,” she says of the avocado, mango, banana and cucumber concoction. And she hopes to introduce more tasty salads and Japanese-Mexican fusion dishes to family dining in the future.

The Club’s human resources development manager, Jason Dominici, says the program has many benefits. “The internship program provides a unique opportunity for some of our staff to gain invaluable, international work experience for both personal and professional growth and to bring back ideas for improving the Member experience at TAC.” o

by Erika Woodward

(l–r) Rie Tanaka, May Kamiyama and Tomoko Tokitsu

Kayo Yamaw

aki

The Arbutus Club


Tokyo Tower

Shiba koen

Maruetsu petitBMW

TOYOTAGS

to MITA

to ROPPONGIto KAMIYACHO STA

LAWSON

NOA BLDG.

Sakurada Dori

Oedo line AKABANEBASHI STA A2 Exit

A1 ExitNISSIN

Russian EmbassyTokyo American Club

1-7-3 Higashi Azabu Dai 2 Watanabe Bldg., Minato-ku, Tokyo

PERSIAN ABRISHAM SHOWROOM (5 minutes’ walk from Tokyo American Club)

A large variety of sizes, shapes and colors | Full repair and cleaning service available

Ancient handwoven beauty

In celebration of Persian Abrisham’s 27th anniversary, we are having a sale of our fine silk carpets and tribal and vintage

rugs and Kilims, from such ancient weaving centers as Qom, Tabriz, and Esfahan, and other Persian handicrafts.

Ancient handwoven beauty

In celebration of Persian Abrisham’s 27th anniversary, we are having a sale of our fine silk carpets and tribal and vintage

rugs and Kilims, from such ancient weaving centers as Qom, Tabriz, and Esfahan, and other Persian handicrafts.

Tel: 03-5570-5355 | Weekdays: 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Weekends & national holidays: 11 a.m.–6 p.m.


The thing I like the most is listening to my voice,” says Donna Burke, with a cheeky smile. The 49-year-old has every reason to love her

own voice, though. It has helped her find success in Japan.

Singing and acting have been lifelong passions for the Australian, who began performing professionally at private

functions in Perth. “At the time, I was working full-time as a teacher, which, in a sense, is like performing, but I already had artistic aspirations and had been taking private singing lessons since the age of 18,” she says.

The training paid off when, at the age of 31, she decided to follow her friends’ advice and try her luck in Japan. “In 1996,

the [economic] bubble had already burst, but it still was a good working place for an ambitious foreigner,” she says. “I started singing at weddings then quickly came TV commercial recording, and in about six months I was able to establish myself and start making good money. After that, I had a chance to work with [public broadcaster] NHK and do documentary narration. I’m lucky because most people either sing or do voiceovers. I can do both.”

Burke has been afforded opportunities not available at home. “For example, one of my highlights was singing the Australian national anthem at a number of sports events,” she says. “In Australia, they would just ask the most famous singer, but here I get these opportunities.”

Tokyo Talent

Ahead of her new improvisation class at the Club, Member Donna Burke talks about her passion for performing.by Gianni Simone

Donna Burke

A look at culture and society 39

Not content with just performing, Burke, together with her musician husband, Bill Benfield, started a talent agency in 2004. “One of my oldest clients once complained that the agencies in Tokyo were always giving him the same singers, and he had to fly to LA or London to look for new faces himself,” Burke says. “So I said, ‘Let me take care of it,’ and I set out to find all the untapped talent hidden in Tokyo.”

Dagmusic now has 400 singers, actors and musicians on its books. “We provide some Japanese actors to foreign game companies who want Japanese voices, but we specialize in English voices and singers,” Burke says.

Naturally, technology has been a huge influence on the industry, according to

INSIDE JAPAN

Burke. “For one thing, the Internet has radically changed the way we work,” she says. “When I first started, I used to send out cassette tapes via takkyubin courier. Then I progressed to CDs. Now we just e-mail everything. Also, more and more new clients find us via Google. Every day, we get mails out of the blue from people we don’t know.”

While starting out in Japan had its hurdles, Burke says that the global financial crisis proved the greater challenge. “Work suddenly dried up, and of course 3/11 made things even worse,” she says. “The following five years were quite hard for everybody in my business.”

Like many Tokyo residents, therefore, she welcomes the city’s hosting of the 2020 Olympic Games. “Since Tokyo got the Olympics, business has been picking up and the phone is ringing again with people asking for bands, corporate functions or Christmas parties,” she says. “Admittedly, budgets have gone down and the nature of our business has changed. We used to have fewer clients spending big money, while now there are many clients with smaller projects.”

Though Burke’s versatility has allowed

her to thrive in many roles, she admits that singing is what gives her the most satisfaction. “Singing is acting. It has the power to connect with people. Even if someone can’t understand your language, immediately they can be moved. That’s why singing is definitely my first and greatest love,” she says.

A member of the Tokyo Comedy Store since 2009, improvisation has become a part of her repertoire. “We do an improvised musical where the audience tells us some silly titles, something like ‘The Red Cushion,’ and we go off stage, get ready and start right away,” she explains. “Creating something on the spot is so much fun.”

From next month, Burke will be sharing her enthusiasm for ad-libbing at a new improv program at the Club. “What I love about improv is that it’s not only for people who want to be on stage. People actually improvise every day, even though they don’t realize it,” she says. “What we teach our students can be used in everyday life, for example, in order to improve your body language and communication skills. That’s why I want to make sure that shy people will come to my class. I promise it will be a life-changing experience.” o

Simone is a Yokohama-based freelance journalist.

John LaTorre

Irwin W

ong

Improv ClubWednesday, January 297:30–9 p.m. Toko Shinoda Classroom¥1,675Adults onlySign up online or at the Recreation Desk from January 6

Wandering Winter WonderlandsForget Japan’s crowded ski resorts this winter

and head out into the tranquility of the backcountry for some snowshoe adventures.

by Tim Hornyak

TOKYO

TOchigiNagaNO

NiigaTa


i ’ve worn just about every flavor of old-fashioned footwear in Japan, from geta clogs to waraji straw sandals to those horrible rubber

slippers at rural inns. The most interesting and awkward, though, were kanjiki. Made of curved wood and rope, these traditional Japanese snowshoes are designed to let you tramp merrily along on the snow. Of course, I sank in up to my knees.

Kanjiki may be designed for lighter, smaller folk than me, but that’s not a concern with modern snowshoes. With aluminum frames, neoprene decks and even crampons, snowshoes today are lightweight, sturdy and come in all sizes. They’re a perfect way of exploring some of Japan’s stunning winter landscapes. Best of all, you don’t need lessons like skiing or snowboarding. If you can walk, you can snowshoe.

In recent years, snowshoeing has exploded in popularity in Japan as in other countries, and equipment is available nearly everywhere. Sports equipment manufacturers like Montbell sell snowshoes starting at roughly ¥15,000, but if you don’t fancy lugging them around, resorts will rent them out for around ¥2,000 a day. It’s more of a question of where to snowshoe.

If you’re not used to trudging over the snow, your best bet is starting on flat terrain. North of Tokyo is one of Honshu’s most beautiful highlands, the moor of Senjogahara at 1,400 meters above sea level. Located in Nikko National Park in Okunikko, Tochigi Prefecture, this marshland is shot through with streams, waterfalls and forests of larch, birch and elm trees. The volcano Mount Nantai looms over the horizon, its snowy flanks descending to the shores of Lake Chuzenji. A highlight is the glorious Yutaki Waterfall, with its twin silver cascades.

Senjogahara has several spots from which to trek across the moor. Snowshoes can be rented from the Sanbonmatsu Teahouse, the Astoria Hotel in nearby Kotoku, as well as Yama no Resthouse in Yumoto, a hot-spring resort to the north. The latter is perfect for unwinding with a hot soak after snowshoeing, and can be reached by bus, which links the region with Tobu Nikko Station in 70 minutes. Trains from Asakusa in Tokyo take just under two hours.

To the west of Nikko, near the Sea of Japan, is another volcano that draws snowshoers from far and wide. The 2,454-meter Mount Myoko in southern Niigata Prefecture and its namesake village Myoko Kogen (now Myoko City)

OUT & ABOUT

are home to terrain that hosts the Japan National Mountain Snowshoeing Race every February.

Blanketed with more than 10 meters of snow, the region boasts nine downhill ski and snowboarding resorts, as well as plenty of trails for both snowshoeing beginners and experts. Private backcountry tours with local guides, available at the Myoko Kogen Visitor Center, can take you up

through deep powder slopes, and, if you’re really lucky, you might spot a kamoshika, the elusive Japanese serow. Located on the JR Shinetsu Line, Myoko Kogen Station is about three hours from Tokyo by a combination of bullet train and local train.

If you’re feeling a bit more intrepid, a full-day snowshoe trek into one of Japan’s most spectacular valleys makes for a great day trip. Set in the Japan Alps, the highland of Kamikochi in western Nagano Prefecture is ringed by majestic peaks, including craggy Mount Yari, a favorite of alpinists at 3,180 meters, and divided by the pristine Azusa River. Sightseers crowd the famous Kappa Bridge in summer, but in winter the single road into the valley is closed (private cars are banned year-round). That won’t stop you from walking around the gate and hiking through the 1.3-kilometer Kama Tunnel that has windows featuring enormous icicle formations. Then, strap on some snowshoes at the other end and walk into the valley. If the weather obliges, you’ll be rewarded with some eye-popping views of the Hida Mountains while tramping the flat riverside terrain toward Myojin Pond, and you may also see some Japanese snow monkeys.

Area guesthouses sometimes have snowshoes to lend guests; otherwise you’ll have to bring your own. The easiest way to get to the area in winter is by train from Shinjuku to Matsumoto (2 hours, 40 minutes) and then rent a car. Be sure to plan the logistics carefully due to the lack of transport options in winter, and always be prepared for sudden, severe weather. However you get there, Kamikochi is a winter wonderland you won’t soon forget. o

Hornyak is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist.

Kanjiki

Kamikochi

☛ Nikko Visitors’ Guide www.nikko-japan.org

☛ Nikko Perfect Guide www.nikko-jp.org/english/

☛ Nikko Guide www.nikko.or.jp

☛ Tobu Railway Travel Guide www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/

☛ Myoko Kogen http://myokokogen.net

☛ Enjoy Niigata www.enjoyniigata.com/english/

☛ Kamikochi www.kamikochi.or.jp

☛ Sacred Highland Kamikochi www.kamikochi.org

☛ Go! Nagano www.go-nagano.net

Explorations beyond the Club 41

For more photos from some events displayed in these pages,visit the Event Image Gallery (under News & Info) on the Club website.

Kamakura Samurai Archery CeremonyOctober 6

A group of Members headed to the ancient capital

of Kamakura to take in a demonstration of yabusame

horseback archery, which has been performed there

annually since 1187.

Photos provided by Miki Ohyama

Fukushima Music ProgramOctober 18–19

For a second year, Club-supported musicians and

Members traveled to Fukushima for a series of concerts

and music workshops at schools in the prefecture.

Photos provided by Miki Ohyama

1. Front row: (l–r) Priti Parwal, Kazumasa Ohyama, Sharon Fuller,

My-Khanh Newhouse, Amanda Shick, Roni Krinsky, Yumiko Sai

and Miki Ohyama

Back row: (l–r) Rohit Parwal, Mitsuhiro Kitazato, Mary and

Douglas Hager, Shinyoku Sai, Tim Fuller, Christopher and Joyce

Knight, Aline Shick, Anthony and Susan Melchoione, Thomas and

Robin Bradley, Barbara Hancock and Itzhak Krinsky

1. John Ken Nuzzo and Yuko Akahoshi with the Seishin Junior

High School chorus club 2. (l–r) Kevin McHugh, Steve Gardner,

Yu Ojima, Hisa Nakase and Shinjiro Mori at Fukushima Daiichi

Elementary School

1

1

2


EVENT ROUNDUP

1. Mattias Lindell 2. Mariko Lee, Nicola Lindell, Hugh McGuire, Ian

Takahara and Brandon Sato 3. Sam Ladah, Mattias Lindell, Eugene

Lau, Haruka Lau, Laura Morris, Agnes Ouellette, Kirk Ouellette,

Susannah Fortin and Phoebe Fortin

1 3

2

All-Comers Swim Meet October 13

The Sky Pool hosted a lively afternoon of swim action,

as adults and youngsters alike battled it out for Club

honors and prizes, which were presented at a party

after the meet.

Photos by Yuuki Ide

Snapshots from Club occasions 43


Club Squash TourOctober 11–14

A band of squash players from the Club flew to

Southeast Asia for a series of matches against clubs in

Singapore and Indonesia.

Meet the Author: Mark WillacyOctober 23

Australian TV journalist and writer Mark Willacy

discussed his book, Fukushima: Japan’s Tsunami and

the Inside Story of the Nuclear Meltdowns, during an

engaging evening.

Photos by Yuuki Ide


Say “ I do”

Whether you want your special day to be an elegant, black-tie celebration or an intimate, low-key a�air, our professional planning team will help you craft the perfect wedding.

to style and personality at Tokyo American Club

BRIDAL FAIRSunday, February 2

11 a.m.–7 p.m.New York Ballroom,

Brooklyn rooms, DecanterFree | Open to the public

(walk-ins are welcome)Reserve your spot at 03-4588-0977

or [email protected]


Halloween Spooktacular October 26

Costume-clad kids descended on the Club for a day of

frighteningly fun activities in celebration of the annual

festival of ghouls and ghosts.

Photos by Ken Katsurayama

1. Riki and Hana Ferguson 2. Mako Smith

1

2


First Friday: Tribute to Our Armed Forces

November 1

As part of the Club’s Military Appreciation Month,

Members welcomed a number of US military personnel

to the Winter Garden for a casual evening of drinks,

snacks and conversation.

Photos by Yuuki Ide

Member Recruitment DriveNovember 7

Member Rike Wootten (right) received a ¥100,000 voucher

from Club President John Durkin for doing his part to

help grow the Club, as part of the Member recruitment

program, which wraps up on December 27.

Contact the Membership Office for details.

1. Club President John and Makiko Durkin (center)

1

EVENT ROUNDUP

Snapshots from Club occasions 47


T okyo was my home for five years. With mixed feelings, my wife and I repatriated to the States last month. For every one of those years, I grappled with the elusive

Japanese language, studying (I use the term loosely) and taking regular lessons.

In my third year, I took level 5 of the Japanese language proficiency test—the “baby” level—and passed. After that, I took level 4 three times and “didn’t pass” three times. (Your result card doesn’t say “fail,” it states “not passed” in a non-confrontational way. For the record, my score did improve each time.)

Poor performance aside, there is one great and simple phrase I learned from my teacher of five years, Yoshiko Arita, who was not rigid in her approach, didn’t assign homework and hid her disappointment well.

For the first few years, I would start each session by asking how to say a particular phrase in Japanese. One day, I asked

BACK WORDS Whatever the story, anecdote, fictitious tale, rant, cultural observation or Club commentary, now’s your chance to take it to the world…well, Membership, anyway. E-mail your submission (no more than 700 words) to [email protected].

by Tim Ely

Job Number 3UA477

Publication ACCJ Journal

Event Language English

Trim 210 x 297mm

Bleed 3mm

Safety/Live na

Client United

Art Director DC

Copywriter UA

Traffic BG

CMYK RGB B&W SPOT (PMS)

Vertical/PortraitHorizontal/Landscape

Headline land in more places-friendly

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[email protected]

16858 Royal CrestHouston Texas 77058281-480-3660

2013

10/21/2013Full page bleed A4

Clover Bldg. 2F,

7-15-10 Roppongi,

Minato-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-5414-1700

www . g a b r i e l a . j p

Agave, Roppongi’s only tequila and cigar bar, presents La Cocina Gabriela Mexicana, a haven of authentic Mexican cuisine and a wood-�red grill.

Flavors from south of the border

WeekdaysLunch: 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.Dinner: 5 p.m.–midnight

WeekendsBrunch: 12–5 p.m.Dinner: 5–11 p.m.

Bidding Farewell

how to say “Have a nice day.” She struggled with this a bit but came up with “Yoi ichinichi o.” While a rough translation of the English expression, it worked.

Every time I got out of a cab, left a restaurant or bought coffee at Starbucks, I offered a yoi ichinichi o. Nine times out of 10, I got a look of recognition and then a smile, as people recognized it as a colloquial English phrase translated into Japanese. Minimally, it earned me points for trying.

I even received the occasional reply of “Have a nice day.” And once I got a yoi ichinichi o back—from an immigration officer. Yoi ichinichi o really worked. But don’t take my word for it—try it for yourself.

Once you have yoi ichinichi o down, you can tell someone to have a good weekend with “Yoi shumatsu o.” And there are variations. My wife and I would patronize a restaurant in Roppongi with a friendly chef. Each time before we left, we would tell him the food was great and offer a yoi ichinichi o or yoi shumatsu o. He would walk us out, bow three or four times and say yoi ichinichi o with a wide smile.

One day last December, he spotted us walking by and ran out to say, “Yoi Merry Christmas o.” How great is that? He was proud of taking our custom greeting to the next level. That’s yet another great Tokyo memory. We have so many. Thank you for every one of them. Yoi ichinichi o. o

Former Club Members Tim and Deborah Ely returned to the United

States last month after five years in Japan.

Job Number 3UA477

Publication ACCJ Journal

Event Language English

Trim 210 x 297mm

Bleed 3mm

Safety/Live na

Client United

Art Director DC

Copywriter UA

Traffic BG

CMYK RGB B&W SPOT (PMS)

Vertical/PortraitHorizontal/Landscape

Headline land in more places-friendly

Ad Style SMILE

[email protected]

16858 Royal CrestHouston Texas 77058281-480-3660

2013

10/21/2013Full page bleed A4

Available Now for Viewing and LeaseLessor: Mori Building Co.,Ltd. / Location: 8-50, Motoazabu 3-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo / Total Number of Units: 19 / Room Types: 1BR–4BR (81.74m2 – 256.36m2) / Completion Date: June 30, 2013 /

Monthly Rent: ¥480,000 – ¥2,000,000 / Contract: Three to Three-and-a-half Year Fixed-term Lease / Deposit: Four Months’ Rent / Management Fee: Included in Monthly Rent / Car Parking: 20

TheUpperHouse

Completed in June 2013, our only

residence for lease to open this year

is close to international schools,

Roppongi Hills and Tokyo American

Club and features comfort and

convenience for you and your family.

6-minute walk from Roppongi Station

on the Hibiya Subway Line

7-minute walk from Azabu-juban Station

on the Namboku and Oedo Subway Lines

Family-friendly Living for You and Your Nearest and Dearest

Roppongi Stn.

Roppongi Stn.

Azabu-juban Stn.

六本木一丁目駅

Roppongi 1-chome Stn.

Subway O

edo Line

Subway N

amboku Line

外苑前駅

青山一丁目駅

永田町駅永田町駅

赤坂見附駅

四ツ谷駅

信濃町駅国立競技場駅

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麹町駅

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有楽町駅

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田町駅

三田駅

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霞ヶ関駅

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虎ノ門駅

赤羽橋駅

国会議事堂前駅

白金高輪駅

大門駅

芝公園駅

赤坂駅

汐留駅

赤坂御用地赤坂警察署

カナダ大使館

カンボジア大使館一ツ木公園

国際新赤坂ビル

赤坂パークビル

乃木公園

檜町公園

赤坂小学校

赤坂中学校

TBS

赤坂タワーレジデンス Top of the Hill

メディカルスクエア赤坂

赤坂ツインタワー

アメリカ大使館宿舎

谷町ジャンクション

明治神宮記念館

明治神宮外苑

神宮球場

秩父宮ラグビー場

青山小学校

青山通り

国道246号

赤坂通り

東京メトロ千代田線

首都高速都心環状線

東京メトロ半蔵門線

JR線

東京メトロ銀座線

東京メトロ丸ノ内線

いちょう並木

國學院高校

慶應義塾大学病院

学習院初等科

上智大学

雙葉学園

麹町学園

城西大学

番町小学校

青葉公園

青南小学校

聖心女子学院高・中

北里大学

聖心インターナショナルスクール

北里研究所付属病院

皇居

皇居外苑迎賓館

ホテルニューオータニ清水谷公園

新宿通り

グランドプリンスホテル赤坂

赤坂エクセルホテル東急

日比谷高校

日枝神社

氷川神社

山王パークタワー

最高裁判所

国立劇場

国会図書館

東京メトロ有

楽町線

国会議事堂

外務省

厚生労働省

農林水産省

警視庁

日比谷公園

東京メトロ丸ノ内線

東京メトロ銀座線

東京メトロ日比谷線

都営地下鉄三田線

愛宕下通り

都営地下鉄浅草線

JR山手線

ゆりかもめ

モノレール

日比谷通り

桜田通り

外堀通り

経済産業省

郵政事業庁

財務省首相官邸

帝国ホテル日比谷公会堂

ニュー新橋ビル

世界貿易センタービル

桜田公園

浜離宮庭園

旧芝離宮庭園

霞ヶ関ビル特許庁

虎の門病院

山王病院

アメリカ大使館

南アフリカ大使館

麹町中学校

都道府県会館

ポルトガル大使館

イギリス大使館イスラエル大使館

アイルランド大使館

ベルギー大使館

インド大使館

赤坂インターシティ

ANAインターコンチネンタルホテル東京

ホテルオークラ

ホテルオークラ別館

ポロロッカ

城山ガーデン

西新橋

溜池

東京タワー

港区スポーツセンター

三田ツインビル東館

三田ツインビル西館

増上寺

芝公園

東京プリンスホテル

御成門小学校

日本赤十字社

愛宕警察署

共立薬科大学

港区役所

東京慈恵会医科大学

東京慈恵会医科大学附属病院

芝郵便局

愛宕山

愛宕フォレストタワー

ザ・プリンスパークタワー東京

東京都立済生会中央病院

桜田通り

フランス大使館

赤坂消防署

クウェート大使館

東京メディカルサージカル

赤坂溜池タワー

プルデンシャルタワー

紀尾井町ガーデンタワー

アークヒルズエグゼクティブタワー

愛宕グリーンヒルズ

オランダヒルズ森タワーRoP

東京ミッドタウン

東京メトロ南北線

首都高速都心環

状線

明治屋

大丸ピーコック

ポロロッカ

広尾公園

広尾プラザ

芝消防署

赤坂Bizタワー

ベルビー赤坂

乃木坂駅

日比谷駅

二重橋前駅

溜池山王駅

日比谷駅

有楽町駅

Foodex

吉池

akasaka Sacas

四ツ谷駅

四ツ谷駅

四ツ谷三丁目駅

半蔵門病院

肉のハナマサ

至恵比寿

National AzabuSupermarket

Aoba Park

The Canadian Emb.

Canbodian Emb.Hitotsugi Park

KokusaiShin-AkasakaBuilding

Akasaka Park Bldg.

TBS

Nogi Park

Akasaka Elementary School

Akasaka Junior High School

Akasaka Tower Residence Top of the Hill

Medical Square AKASAKA

Akasaka Twin Tower

Toranomon Hospital

Sanno Hospital

Patent Office

Kasumigaseki Bldg.

Min. of Foreign Affairs

Tokyo MetropolitanPolice Dept.

Min. of Health, Labour and Welfare

Min. of Agriculture,Forestry and Fisheries

Min. of Economy,Trade and Industry

Postal Services Agency

Min. of Finance

Prime Minister'sOfficial Residence

National Diet Bldg.

National Diet Library

Hotel New Otani

Shimizu-dani Park

Shinjuku St.

State Guesthouse

Meiji Kinenkan

Jingu Gaien

Jingu Stadium

Chichibunomiya Rugby Football Stadium

Aoyama Elementary School

Seinan Elementary School

Kokugakuin High School

Keio University Hospital

Gakushuin Primary School

Sophia Univ.

Futaba Gakuen

Kojimachi Gakuen

Josai University

Bancho Elementary School

Akasaka Palace

ANA Intercontinental Tokyo

Akasaka Intercity

Supreme Court

Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka

National Theater

Imperial Palace

Kokyo-Gaien

Hie Shrine

Sanno Park Tower

Akasaka Excel Hotel Tokyu

Hikawa Shrine

HIbiya High School

U.S. Embassy

South African Emb.

Kojimachi Junior High School

Todoufuken Kaikan

Portugal Emb.

British Emb.Israel Emb.

Embassy of Ireland

Belgium Emb.

Embassy of India

Hotel Okura

Hotel Okura Ax.

ARK Hills Executive Tower

Shiroyama Garden

Azabu Elementary School

Nishi Shinbashi Intersection

Tameike Intersection

Saiseikai Central Hospital

Kuwait Emb.

PororocaShiroyama Mt. Atago

Jikei University Hospital

Shiba Post Office

Jikei University

Holland Hills Mori Tower RoP

Tokyo Medicaland Surgical Clinic

Tokyo Tower

Minatoku Sports Center

Mita Twin Building

Mita Twin Building

Tokyo Prince Hotel

Minato-kuWard Office

Japanese Red Cross Society

Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy

Atago Police Station

Zojoji Temple

Shiba Park

The Prince Park Tower Tokyo

Onarimon Elementary School

Atago Forest Tower

U.S. Embassy Housing Compound

Tanimachi JCT.

Akasaka Police Station

Toyo Eiwa Univ.

ASIJ Early Learning Center

Akasaka Fire Station

Honmura Elementary School

Emb. of Iran

NishimachiInternational School

Emb. of the FederalRepublic of Germany

Emb. of France

Hinokicyo Park

Tokyo Midtown

National Road No.246

Aoyama 1-chome Stn.

Aoyama St.

Aoyama Cemetery

Aoyama Park

Nishi-azabuCrossing

Roppongi St.

WakabakaiKindergarden

Japanese Red Cross Medical Center

Univ. ofthe Sacred Heart Tokyo

Seishin Joshi Gakuin

Kitasato University

International School ofthe Sacred Heart Tokyo

Nagatacho Stn.

Yotsuya Stn.

Akasakamitsuke Stn.

Kokkaigijido-mae Stn

.

Akasaka Stn.

Gaien-mae Stn.

Tameike-sanno

Stn.

Sakuradam

on Stn.

Hanzomon Stn.Kojim

achi Stn.

Hibiya St.

Subway Mita Line

Onarimon Stn.

Kamiyacho Stn.

Daimon Stn.

Hamamatsucho Stn.

Toranomon Stn.

Akasaka St.

Subway Chiyoda Line

Kasumigaseki Stn.

Akabanebashi Stn.

Shibakoen Stn.

Shuto Expressway Loop Line

Sakurada St.

Mita Stn.

Tamachi Stn.

Shirogane Takanawa Stn.

Hiroo Stn.

Subway Hibiya Line

Sakurada St.

Atago-shita St.

Subway Asakusa Line

Subway Ginza Line

Sotobori St.

Subway Namboku Line

Subway Marunouchi Line

Subway Namboku Line

Subway Yu

rakucho Lin

e

Subway Marunouchi Line

Shuto Expressw

ay Loop Line

Subway Hanzomon Line

JR Line

Subway Ginza Line

Meidi-yaHirooStore

Kitasato Institute Hospital

The Prudential Tower

KIOICHO GARDEN TOWER

Akasaka Tameike Tower

ATAGO GREEN HILLS

ROPPONGI HILLS

Daimaru PeacockAoyama Shop

PororocaHigashiazabu

Hibiya Park

Sakurada Park

New Shinbashi Bldg.

World Trade Center Bldg.

Kyu Shibarikyu Teien

Imperial Hotel

Hibiya Public Hall

Hiroo Park

Hiroo Plaza

JR Yamanote Line

Uchisaiwaicho Stn.

Yurakucho Stn.

Shiodome Stn.

Shinbashi Stn.

Shinanomachi Stn.

Kokuritsu-Kyogijo Stn.

Colonnade of

Gingko Trees

Yurikamome

Tokyo Monorail

Shiba Fire Station

Akasaka Biz Tower

.belleVie

Hamarikyu Onshi Teien(Garden)

Nogizaka Stn.

Hibiya Stn.

Nijubashimae Stn.

Hibiya Stn.

Yurakucho Stn.

Foodex

Yoshiike

akasaka Sacas

TheUpperHouse

Yotsuya 3-chome Stn.

Hanzomon Hospital

Niku no Hanamasa

for Ebisu

Gaien Nishi St.

TOKYOAMERICANCLUB

Subway Hibiya Line

アークヒルズARK HILLS

Grand HyattH

プレッセプレミアムPrecce Premium

Tel: 0120-52-4032www.moriliving.com

MORI BUILDING CO.,LTD.Residential Department, Residential Leasing Unit

upper_tac_ref-v4.indd 1 7/26/13 2:29 PM

毎月一回一日発行　

第四十七巻五八三号　

トウキョウアメリカンクラブ　

インタッチマガジン二〇一三年十一月一日発行　

平成三年十二月二十日第三種郵便物許可定価八００円

本体七七七円

iNTOUCH December 2013

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