iNTOUCH August 2012

TOKYO

AM

ERICAN

CLUB

i

NT

OU

CH

Issue 568 • August 2012

毎月一回一日発行　

第四十七巻五六八号　

トウキョウアメリカンクラブ　

インタッチマガジン二〇一二年八月一日発行　

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

August 2012

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

Toiling in TohokuOne Club family heads

up north to help out

Java JoltOne Member explains

Japan’s coffee boom

Scrumptious ScienceFLATiRON cooks up mouth-

watering molecular cuisine

Club gamers and video game industry experts ponder Japan’s fall

from greatness

Strength:Critically Low

Desert BuddiesAfter running across the inhospitable

Australian outback with a record-

setting friend, Club Member Susan

Griffen explains what drove her to

attempt such a feat in the first place.

18

Has Japan Lost Its Gaming Mojo?The country that once dominated the

world video game market is now a

shadow of its creative self. While gamers

in the United States might play their

favorite shoot-’em-ups on Japanese

hardware, the games themselves are

more likely to be homegrown. iNTOUCH

charts the demise of Japan’s pioneering

game developers and finds out how the

industry here could get a second life.

24

recreation

feature

Finding Her Calling in KabukiGranted rare, behind-the-scenes

access to a guarded community of

Kabuki actors, Member Nobuko Hirata

recounts her whirlwind journey from

devoted Kabuki fan to adopted insider.

22women’s group

Spiritual StayIn need of a rejuvenating break from

frenetic Tokyo living, Canadian Maria

Bromley journeyed west to stay among

Buddhist monks and experience a

weekend of austerity and contemplation.

38out & about

iNTOUCH Editor Nick Jones [email protected]

Designers Ryan MundtNagisa Mochizuki

Production AssistantYuko Shiroki

Assistant Editor Erika Woodward

Communications Manager Matthew Roberts

ManagementBob SextonGeneral [email protected]

Lian ChangInformation Technology [email protected]

Darryl DudleyEngineering [email protected]

Brian MarcusFood & Beverage [email protected]

Shuji HirakawaHuman Resources [email protected]

Mutsuhiko KumanoFinance [email protected]

Scott YahiroRecreation [email protected]

To advertise in iNTOUCH, contact Miyuki Hagiwara: [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

Cover photo of (l–r) Pietro Russolo, Eddie Asai and Davis Harris by Irwin Wong.

contents

2 Contacts

4 Events

6 Board of Governors

7 Management

8 Food & Beverage

10 Library

14 DVD Library

16 Recreation

22 Women’s Group

24 Feature

30 Talking Heads

32 Frederick Harris Gallery

34 Member Services

36 Inside Japan

38 Out & About

40 Event Roundup

48 Back Words

2 August 2012 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 (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

Rob Goss is a freelance writer specializing in Japan-related features on everything from business and sustainability to society and travel. His work has appeared in publications around the world, including Time, National Geographic, Eurobiz Japan and Lexus magazines and Fodor’s, Rough Guides and Insight Guides guidebooks. His most recent project has seen him write a pair of Japan guides for Tuttle Publishing, the first of which is due out later this year. Originally from Dartmoor in southwest England, Goss arrived in Japan in 1999 and currently lives in Tokyo with his wife and young, football-obsessed son. A frequent contributor to iNTOUCH, in this month’s cover story, “Has Japan Lost Its Gaming Mojo?” he examines the state of Japan’s once world-beating game industry.

RobGoss

contributors

Words from the editor 3

Canadian Maria Bromley is a freelance writer, producer and blogger. A wanderer by nature and a writer by happenstance, she specializes in financial news, travel and trend spotting, as in finding a trendy place to drown your sorrows over your losses in the financial markets. Bromley worked for 10 years as a financial adviser in Canada, before switching to journalism in a mid-life career crisis. She worked as a producer for a business news channel in Toronto then for Bloomberg Television in Tokyo. In this month’s iNTOUCH, she explores friendship and extreme running in “Desert Buddies” and heads to the Buddhist retreat of Mount Koya in “Spiritual Stay.” After seven years in Japan, the Roppongi denizen relocates to Boston this month.

MariaBromley

When he was unleashed on the world in 1980, few people could have imagined that the pellet-chomping yellow disk would still be running from ghosts more than 30 years later. But Pac-Man became an arcade icon and the video game, developed by Japan’s Namco, has made the transition through every era of gaming device and platform.

Even the game’s creator has been surprised at its global success. In an interview with the tech magazine Wired in 2010, Toru Iwatani said “Pac-Man” was originally aimed at women and couples rather than serious male gamers.

“I didn’t think that the US and Europe would take it up, because it’s a rather slow, relaxing game,” he said. “At that time, what was popular overseas were more thrilling games, and I felt that perhaps the rhythm of ‘Pac-Man’ wasn’t matching the needs of overseas users.”

In fact, “Pac-Man” was able to hold its own against alien-blasting games like “Space Invaders.” But Iwatani’s comment could easily be applied to what subsequently happened to Japan’s video game industry.

While the world once happily devoured the on-screen adventures of Mario, Donkey Kong, Sonic and others, so-called first-person shooter games have become the dominant genre. Now, US-made games like “Call of Duty” and “Battlefield,” with their jaw-dropping graphics and realism, sell millions of copies with each new installment.

In this month’s cover story, “Has Japan Lost Its Gaming Mojo?” Rob Goss examines the decline of Japan’s video game industry and finds out why its talented developers have been unable to replicate the success that made Japan a hub of gaming excellence in the 1980s and ’90s.

He also discovers that there may be a glimmer of hope amid the bleakness. With the rise of mobile social gaming in Japan, some of the country’s bigger developers are expanding rapidly overseas. Could this be a turning point—or a “Pac-Man” moment—for the industry? If you have any comments about anything you read in iNTOUCH, please e-mail them to [email protected], putting “Letter to the Editor” in the subject title of the mail.

from theeditor

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 Brian Nelson

Finance Gregory Davis (John Durkin)

Food & Beverage Joe Purcell (Mary Saphin)

Food & Beverage SubcommitteeWine Mark Baxter

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

Human Resources Jon Sparks (Steve Romaine)

Membership Craig Saphin (Deb Wenig) Membership SubcommitteeBranding TBD

Nominating Nick Masee

Programs & Events Barbara HancockPrograms & Events SubcommitteeFrederick Harris Gallery Yumiko Sai

Recreation Tim Griffen (Ira Wolf ) Recreation SubcommitteesBowling Crystal GoodflieshDVD Abby RadmilovichFitness Sam RoganGolf Steven Thomas Library Melanie ChetleyLogan Room Diane Dooley Squash Martin FluckSwim Jesse Green & Alexander Jampel Youth Activities Narissara March

Joining a Committee


What’s happening in August

Thursday Monday

Wednesday WednesdayWednesday

Monday9 13

1 11

13Employee Recognition DayThe Club closes for a day to allow Members to show their appreciation to the staff for their efforts over the previous year. The Club reopens on August 10.

Youth Sports RegistrationBudding athletes are encouraged to sign up for the Club’s youth sports programs from 8:30 a.m. Flip to page 21 to find out more about the sports on offer.

London Calling Until August 12, catch the Olympic magic on Traders’ Bar’s big screens while enjoying international cuisine and beer with like-minded fans.

Casbah Night Delight in Mediterranean and North African tastes on the family dining terrace. 5–8:30 p.m. Adults (18 and above): ¥1,950; juniors (12–17 years): ¥1,650; children (7–11 years): ¥1,200; kids (4–6 years): ¥700; infants (3 and under): free.

Decanted! Australian Surf ’n’ TurfDecanter continues its Decanted! program with a trip Down Under for an exquisite combination of Aussie cuisine and wines. ¥12,500. Reserve your table at 03-4588-0675 or [email protected]. Through August 4.

Wednesday1Sports Aromatherapy MassageThe Spa starts offering its brand-new deep-tissue and oil massage treatment from certified massage therapist and personal trainer Hideaki Hongo. Flip to page 21 for the details.

Fall Enrichment Class Registration Choose from myriad recreational classes designed to keep you fit and full of life. 8:30 a.m. Find out more about the rejuvenating possibilities on page 21.

Saturday–Sunday25–26

Hawaiian Lunch BuffetEnjoy a family feast of such tasty Hawaiian fare as kalua pig, mahi-mahi and guava-glazed pork ribs in Rainbow Cafe. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Adults (18 and above): ¥2,500; juniors (12–17 years): ¥1,800; children (7–11 years): ¥1,500; kids (4–6 years): ¥1,000; infants (3 and under): free.

Monday20Hawaiian Experience American Bar & Grill and Traders’ Bar celebrate the islands of Hawaii with an array of Pacific-inspired dishes, complemented by Hawaiian beer and tropical drinks, for lunch and dinner. Through September 2.

Monday–Friday20–24

Hawaiian Treats in Rainbow Café The Club’s popular casual dining spot, Rainbow Café, rolls out a mouthwatering menu of Hawaiian cuisine for lunch and dinner as part of its Aloha State promotion in August. 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m.

Saturday–Sunday25–26

Hawaiian Luau NightRainbow Café hosts two evenings of Polynesian-style merrymaking, complete with Hawaiian food, drinks and hula dancers. 5–9 p.m. Adults (18 and above): ¥3,800; juniors (12–17 years): ¥2,300; children (7–11 years): ¥1,950; kids (4–6 years): ¥1,000; infants (3 and under): free.

Wednesday15Summer Reading Program Wrap-Up PartyYoung readers bring a summer of pursuing dragons to a close with a fun-packed party. 2:30 p.m. For details, turn to page 12.

Noteworthy dates for the month 5

Friday Wednesday

Sunday

Saturday

MondayMonday

17 22

26

18

2727

EVENTS

Women’s Group Office Regular Hours Resume After following its summer hours, the Women’s Group Office opens each weekday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Izakaya NightJapanese pub staples and comfort food rule supreme. 5–8:30 p.m. Adults (18 and above): ¥1,950; juniors (12–17 years): ¥1,650; children (7–11 years): ¥1,200; kids (4–6 years): ¥700; infants (3 and under): free.

Friday–Friday Tuesday3–17 7Creative Kids Summer Art ClassThe Club’s in-house artist Sanae Takahata leads more creative sessions with kids. To learn more about this class and its instructor, turn to page 16.

Toddler Time A fun half-hour session of engaging stories and activities await preschoolers at the Children’s Library. 4 p.m. Free. Continues August 14, 21 and 28.

TAC Student Council Welcome Back MeetingJoin this hardworking group of teens as they set this season’s goals for making the Club more youth friendly. 1 p.m. Teen Lounge.

Bowling BonanzaGrab some friends and a colorful lane at the Bowling Center for day one of this kegling competition for prizes. Details on page 21.

Saturday25Recreation Open HouseLearn more about the array of enrichment classes on offer from the Recreation Department by chatting to the instructors. 2 p.m. For details, turn to page 21.

Women’s Group Classes ExhibitionBrowse what could become your next artistic pursuit, when the Women’s Group class instructors launch this engaging exhibition showcasing their handiwork. To learn more, flip to page 32.

Wednesday29Southeast Asian NightDishes from the likes of Thailand and Singapore await on the family dining terrace. 5–8:30 p.m. Adults (18 and above): ¥1,950; juniors (12–17 years): ¥1,650; children (7–11 years): ¥1,200; kids (4–6 years): ¥700; infants (3 and under): free.

Monday27Decanted! California Dreamin’Next stop in Decanter’s Decanted! program is the Golden State for a gastronomic tour of California’s world-famous wine and cuisine. ¥12,500. Reserve your table at 03-4588-0675 or [email protected].

Monday27Coffee ConnectionsWhether you’re new to Tokyo or want to meet new people, drop by this relaxed Women's Group gathering. 10:30 a.m. Haru Reischauer and Beate Sirota Gordon Classrooms. Free.

FLATiRON OpensDecanter launches its exciting new dining experience, FLATiRON. To learn more about this two-hour, adventurous blend of science and cuisine, turn to page 9.

Wednesday15Korean NightHop across the sea for spicy kimchi and more on the family dining terrace. 5–8:30 p.m. Adults (18 and above): ¥1,950; juniors (12–17 years): ¥1,650; children (7–11 years): ¥1,200; kids (4–6 years): ¥700; infants (3 and under): free.

Wednesday8Italian NightSay “Ciao!” to pasta, salumi, caprese and more on the family dining terrace. 5–8:30 p.m. Adults (18 and above): ¥1,950; juniors (12–17 years): ¥1,650; children (7–11 years): ¥1,200; kids (4–6 years): ¥700; infants (3 and under): free.

Friday3Chicago-Style Pizza Fridays Every Friday through September 28, head to Café Med for all-you-can-eat Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. 5–9 p.m. Adults (18 and above): ¥1,950; juniors (12–17 years): ¥1,650; kids (7–11 years): ¥1,000; children (4–6 years): ¥500.

5 Spicy Night 6 Fuji Day Hike 8–9 Birth Preparation for Couples 12 Okinawan Night 19 Wet ’n’ Wild Mitake Valley River Rafting Tour 19 Latin American Night 29 Early Pregnancy and Birth Preparation

Coming up in September

Pulling Together


BOARD OF GOVERNORS

by Shizuo Daigoh

Board of GovernorsLance E Lee (2012)—President

Brian Nelson (2012)—Vice PresidentMary Saphin (2013)—Vice President

John Durkin (2012)—TreasurerDeb Wenig (2013)—Secretary

Kavin C Bloomer (2012), Norman J Green (2013), Paul Hoff (2013), Hiroyuki Kamano (2012), Per Knudsen (2012), Gregory Lyon (2012), Jeff McNeill (2013), Hiroshi Miyamasu (2013),

Steve Romaine (2012), Dan Stakoe (2013), Ira Wolf (2013), Shizuo Daigoh—Statutory Auditor (2012), Ginger Griggs—Women’s Group President

W hen I joined the Club in 1971, I would often see Members visiting the Club or dropping off their families in gorgeous, chauffeur-driven cars. Although no official

records exist from that time, there were around 700 Japanese Members, while Members from the United States and other countries numbered around 1,700 in total.

Construction of the old Azabudai facilities began in 1972. Unfortunately, the effects of the oil crisis were felt around the world the following year. I’m sure those committees and managers overseeing the project had a tough time during a period of economic turmoil and uncertainty in Japan. Nevertheless, a gala ceremony was held in January 1975 to celebrate the opening of the Club’s new home.

The facilities served Members well for many years, but eventually it was decided to build a new clubhouse that could better meet the construction standards set by the numerous revisions made to Japan’s building code, including after 1995’s Kobe earthquake, and reflect the needs and interests of a changing Membership. The Board also set a goal to become Asia’s No. 1 private members’ club.

Following a vote in 2006, construction of a temporary facility in Takanawa began in 2007. We moved there for three years while our Azabudai site was transformed into the building we all enjoy today. Our present wonderful home was opened in January last year.

Unfortunately, the global financial crisis and last year’s earthquake and nuclear plant disaster had a serious effect on the Club. The number of Members, which at its peak in 2001 totaled 3,938 (1,526 Americans, 1,329 Japanese and 1,083 from other countries), declined. As of April this year, the number stood at 3,349 (958 Americans, 1,714 Japanese and 677 from other countries).

This means that despite the expansion of our facilities, we have lost about 15 percent of our Members over the last 11 years. This drop has disrupted the breakdown of different nationalities, and Japanese now account for more than 50 percent of the Membership. This balance of nationalities is a serious problem that all Members should be conscious of and one for which we should work together to find a solution.

As the Club’s president has pointed out, more than 80 percent of new Members are introduced to the Club through existing Members. Therefore, I am convinced that if we all continue to do our best to introduce potential Members to Club life and actively use the facilities, the Club will become financially sound in the not-too-distant future.

Since we are all owners of the Club, its future lies in our hands. So let’s pull together and redouble our efforts to ensure that TAC truly is the premier international club in Asia and a place with a bright future. o

With our newly reduced prices, explore more premier varietals from the city’s largest wine collection. Dining is better with the perfect complement.

Decanter welcomes children 8 years and above on Saturday evenings and national holidays. Reserve your table at 03-4588-0675 or [email protected]

Wine Within Your Means, Beyond Your Expectations

MANAGEMENT

Executive remarks 7

HelpingUs Growby Bob Sexton

Bob SextonGeneral Manager

W ith summer in full swing, Members continue to enjoy all of the Club’s facilities. In particular, the outdoor dining spots like Splash! on the fifth floor, near the Sky Pool,

and the terraces for Rainbow Café and American Bar & Grill are great places to hang out.

At the moment, we will not be suspending the operation of some of our elevators as we did last year as part of our energy-conservation measures. We may introduce other measures, though, and we will advise Members when we do.

You should have heard by now about the new membership programs the Club has developed. It will be of no surprise to anyone to learn that the number of company-paid benefit packages has steadily decreased over the last two years.

In order to retain the Club’s international atmosphere and Western flavor, we need to find a way to maintain a balance of Member groups. Our Japanese Members are particularly in support of this. They see the Club’s multicultural makeup as one of its more prestigious and attractive characteristics.

While we are making efforts to inform the Tokyo market of our new membership programs, we are very aware that one of

the consistent aspects of member clubs worldwide is that existing members bring in new members. (This applies to employees as well, and many of our staff were introduced by other staff members.)

If there is anything we can do to make it easier for you to refer possible Members to us, please contact the Membership Office. The dedicated staff there can organize tours and trial passes to allow people to get a feel for the facilities and our community. Of particular interest to us are families that you may know. In our experience, once children begin to enjoy the Club, their parents see the benefits more clearly.

This fall, we will be asking you to participate in our comprehensive Member satisfaction survey. The Club used to conduct the survey every two years, but stopped during the period of relocation to Takanawa and the first year after the new Azabudai Club opened. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Club’s facilities and services.

Meanwhile, the Club’s change in nonprofit status will feature heavily in November’s Annual General Meeting, and we will be informing you over the coming months how this will affect the Club and the way it operates. o

R ecently, my father called me to say that he had found some old bottles of wine in the basement and wanted to know if they were still good to drink.

Exploring the maturing process of a bottle of wine is perhaps the most fascinating and inexplicable wonder of the libation.

Unfortunately, the tendency for many people is to keep a wine too long, which can result in a wine that is better suited for salad dressing. It’s generally preferable to enjoy a wine that is too young rather than too old.

A wine’s ability to age has many variables. As a general rule, only the top 10 percent of wine is best suited to age and the better the wine, the longer it might last.

Not surprisingly, the quality of the vintage is crucial. Was it a great year offering ideal ripening conditions for the grapes or was the harvest burdened with rain, hail or other environmental challenges? Other contributing factors include grape variety, viticulture method, winemaking process and storage conditions.

Even with prudent handling, anomalies, or what the French call age ingrate, can occur. This teenage “difficult period” is when flavors are temporarily dampened. This condition is not totally understood and seems to vary from bottle to bottle.

So why age a wine? Well, when red wine is young, it can be closed and rather one-dimensional, with aggressive tannins and taut fruit. Over time, the tannins soften and the fruit flavors become more complex to reflect the wine’s terroir, or the unique characteristics of where it was made. This complexity is what affects a wine’s value and excites wine investors.

Knowing when to open a bottle requires some research of the wine’s pedigree and, quite simply, by regular tasting. A good strategy is to buy several bottles (or a case) of one wine and sample it over a period of time to determine the best time to drink it.

Besides boasting one of the largest collections of wine in Asia, the Club offers an incredible range of vintages of the same type of wine. This allows Members the opportunity to taste the natural evolution of a wine over a number of years.

As for my father’s finds, it turns out that two of the bottles were white Burgundies from exceptional vintages and just approaching their prime. Unfortunately, the other bottles will likely end up deglazing risotto or, if my dad heeds my advice, they may possibly be regifted. o

Schaefer is the Club’s wine program manager.

bottletalk


AgingGracefully

by Kelley Michael Schaefer

2006 Jim Barry, The Armagh, Shiraz Clare Valley, Australia

This is Aussie Shiraz in all its glory. With incredible power, grace, complexity, finesse and a dense kaleidoscope of aromas, it offers an explosion of raspberry, strawberry, boysenberry, star anise, Turkish delight, rhubarb and cinnamon—pure quality. Enjoy with the finest cuts of beef, such as Decanter’s legendary tomahawk rib eye steak. ¥24,100 a bottle at Decanter.

Kelley’s Cellar Selection

Cornerstone of the Club 9

FOOD & BEVERAGE

F rom the end of August, diners who turn right when they exit Decanter’s elevators are in for an engaging evening of exceptional cuisine,

prepared and presented in a range of eye-popping ways. Those lucky enough to secure seats at FLATiRON

will partake in a two-hour cooking adventure that blends science and food. Billed as an interactive culinary “show,” this far-from-ordinary dinner experience will feature cooking techniques that sound more lab than kitchen.

“I’m going to take components of molecular cooking and merge them with what I’m already doing in Decanter,” says David Ueno, Decanter’s chef and the creative force behind the FLATiRON seasonal menu.

Rather than being served dishes from an enclosed kitchen, the small number of nightly participants at FLATiRON will watch their “taste technician” flash freeze, compress, sear and use immersion and spherification cooking techniques to prepare flavor-enhanced ingredients in unusual ways.

“I want to keep people on their toes. I don’t want them to assume,” Ueno says. “Of course, we’ll be featuring our steaks—the Certified Angus Beef—but presenting them

in a different context. What is paramount here is that we create a genuinely unique dining experience.”

Ueno also promises that diners will leave contented. “I don’t want people to leave and want to go down the street and grab a burger or a bowl of ramen noodles,” says the 44-year-old New Yorker. “We’re definitely going to make sure the guests leave satisfied and entertained. I want to create memories and for people to say, ‘Wow! I want to come back.’”

In addition, those dining on such delectable offerings as diver scallops with passion fruit espuma and parmesan and pine nut marshmallows will have each course complemented by a cocktail or scrupulously selected wine from Decanter’s extensive collection.

“What’s really unique about our menu here is that it will be paired with some of the most exquisite wines available in Japan,” Ueno says. “I’m just so excited about this.” o

FLATiRON opens on Monday, August 27. To book a seat, call

03-5488-0675 or e-mail [email protected].

new diningexperience

Fire, Food and Ice by Nick Jones


Ginzan Onsen Fujiya (Kengo Kuma)

Distinct DesignWriter Deanna MacDonald explains how she wanted to showcase some of Japan’s newest and most exciting building projects in her latest book, New Japan Architecture.

C hoosing buildings for our book, New Japan Architecture, was both a pleasure and a challenge.

The country is one of the most exciting architectural landscapes in the world, with buildings going up or being pulled down with amazing frequency. Despite the sprawl of nondescript low-rises and mazes of wires and highways, when a work of architecture is good, it is often extraordinary.

When selecting projects from the profusion of remarkable new works in Japan, my co-author, Club Member Geeta Mehta, and I looked at the quality of the concept, design and construction. After much research and debate, we chose 48

works by 42 different architects that we felt were representative of the most creative and exciting projects in recent years.

So what is it that makes Japan such a unique architectural environment? Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki surmises that Japan’s distinctive architecture is a result of its geo-cultural character, which has required Japan to respond to its rich and volatile natural environment, the push and pull of its own history and globalization.

These influences have made Japan both cautious and utterly daring in its architecture (and perhaps in many other areas as well). It is a place where micro-houses are built on

minuscule asymmetrical sites, skyscrapers rise on top of fault lines, traditional architecture finds expression in emerging technologies and material and form are pushed to revolutionary new heights.

Once we had our projects for the book, we noticed the emergence of several concerns and trends in Japanese architecture.

Within the infinite quest for the ultimate design, numerous architects continue to search for the ideal “Zen” space, such as Sou Fujimoto with his porous House N. Others focus on the wow factor, like Toyo Ito’s tiptoeing Tama Art University library, while Herzog and de Meuron’s Aoyama Prada store is a pioneering example of “brandtecture,” where architecture is designed to sell a brand.

All of this is combined with a fascination with technology and the hope that it can help make life better, more productive and safer. Engineering innovation has led to everything from skyscrapers that sway in earthquakes, such as Tokyo Midtown, to Riken Yamamoto’s Namics Techno Core, a high-tech factory designed to inspire even higher-tech discoveries.

But perhaps the most significant trends revolve around the ever-growing interest in

Dai

ci A

no F

ujim

ori

LIBRARY

Literary gems at the Library 11

the environment, sustainability and Japan’s traditional architecture. There is a new desire to renovate rather than demolish historic buildings, and Kengo Kuma’s beautiful update of the 100-year-old Ginzan Onsen Fuijiya, in Yamagata Prefecture, is a prime early example of this.

Also in this eco trend are works like Terunobu Fujimori’s charming Coal House, which is an imaginative exploration of traditional building technology, and Hiroshi Nakamura’s flower-topped House C, which seeks to bring nature into the house.

Since last year’s Tohoku disaster, there has been much talk in Japan of sustainable living and environmental design. It is a discussion that includes a serious reappraisal of the green qualities of traditional Japanese architecture, as well as a consideration of the role of new, green technology.

Kengo Kuma, a longtime advocate of traditional architecture in contemporary design, recently completed the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, whose design takes its cue from its location, just across from the main gate of the historic Sensoji Temple in Tokyo. This modern interpretation of old Japan resembles a stack

of machiya, the traditional merchant houses that once lined the streets of Asakusa.

The desire to return to nature—at least in style—has become popular in house design. In fact, the low-cost, eco-minded prefab houses (some designed by Kuma) of lifestyle retailer Muji have become the dream homes of many young couples.

However, truly sustainable contemporary architecture has yet to be fully defined, let alone created, in Japan or anywhere else. What kinds of communities and structures should we be building? And how should our manmade surroundings balance issues like environmental suitability, sustainability, energy efficiency, safety and even beauty with economic and social factors?

Such questions are generating exciting new projects, which is what Geeta and I explore in our next book, Sustainable Living Japan: Innovative Ideas for Green Living. o

MacDonald is an art and architectural historian and

the author of 100 Best Paintings in New York, 100 Best

Paintings in Paris and Art for Travellers Prague: The

Essential Guide to Viewing Art in Prague.

New Japan Architecture is available at the Library.

House C (Hiroshi Nakamura)

Coal House (Terunobu Fujimori) Teru

nobu

Fuj

imor

iCo

urte

sy o

f Hiro

shi N

akam

ura

and

NA

P A

ssoc

iate

s

When I was little, I would look for dragons, fairies and unicorns. I would look under rocks, under leaves and behind trees. I really, really wanted a dragon. I thought

that a dragon would be a great pet to keep. He could protect my stuff from my sister, roar at my mom when

she told me to clean my room, and the best part—he could take me flying to new places.

This was all before I realized I was very, very afraid of heights. It was also before I found out it was really hard to find a dragon, except for a Komodo dragon, which really didn’t live up to my image of what a dragon should be.

I wanted mine to be red, tall as a horse and with scales and feathery tuffs. I also wanted it to have wings, and Komodo dragons don’t have wings.

I did, however, find one spot where I could always find a dragon, or a fairy, or even a unicorn: books. Sometimes they would be mean and scary; other times they would be your best friend. They could take you on adventures beyond your wildest dreams or put you in danger—at least until you closed the book, anyway.

I have learned to never stop looking for dragons. I also came to realize that a dragon could be anything I wanted it to be. It could be an adventure, a wizard, a bird, a laugh or even a love story, and I could find them all in books.

Although I’m now grown-up, I’m still looking for my dragons between pages. And I’m teaching my little one where dragons can be found, too. It doesn’t matter if she wants a dragon to speed down a track or carry a backpack and map, she’ll always be able to find them in books. o

Kawamura is a librarian at the Hal Roberts Library.


by Erica Kawamura

off theshelf

Fantastic Travels

“Finding Dragons” Summer Reading Program Wrap-Up Party

Young readers conclude the Summer Reading Program’s celebration of these winged, fire-breathing creatures with a fun, dragon-themed party.

Wednesday, August 152:30–4:30 p.m.Sign up at the Library

new

Literary gems at the Library 13

The Art of the Visit

by Kathy BertoneThis practical and lighthearted guide for hosts and guests

offers rules and ideas for successful visits. From hosting

your in-laws to spending a week with family or friends, this

book is full of tips to ensure a fabulous time for everyone.

Double by Jenny ValentineSixteen-year-old runaway Chap is mistaken for a

missing boy, Cassiel. Taking on the boy’s identity,

Chap has to work hard not to be discovered while

trying to find out what happened to the real Cassiel.

Recommended for teens.

A History of Food in 100 Recipes

by William SitwellAfter becoming the proud owner of a 19th-century

cookbook at Sotheby’s in 2010, Sitwell decided to

explore the fascinating history of cuisine. In this book,

he blends the foods and recipes of different periods

with insightful forays into history and culture.

Black Gold: The Story of Oil in Our Livesby Albert MarrinIn this nonfiction work, Marrin illustrates just how much

this precious, black resource affects our lives, including

the number of conflicts and wars that have been fought

for it. The way in which he weaves together geology with

history and politics presents a clear overview of how oil

shapes the world.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini TaylorMultilingual and with natural blue hair, art student Karou

fills her sketchbooks with images of monsters that may or

may not be real. Although she has no idea who she is or

where she is from, she is determined to find out.

Member: Emma DetrickTitle: The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

What’s the book about?It’s about three siblings who want to find out where their parents went and end up saving the world as well.

What did you like about it?I love the creative ideas of magical books that take you to different worlds.

Why did you choose it?My friend recommended it because she knows I love adventure books.

What other book(s) would you recommend? The Geronimo Stilton and Thea Stilton series of books, Stealing Death by Janet Lee Carey, Sister of the Sword by Paul B Thompson and Tonya C Cook and All-American Girl by Meg Cabot.

Reviews compiled by librarian Erica Kawamura.

An Unmarked Grave

by Charles ToddWorld War I nurse Bess Crawford has to deal with both

wounded soldiers and those suffering from the Spanish

flu. After discovering a murdered soldier, she falls ill

herself. Once she has recovered, she finds out that the

man has been buried and the only other witness has

supposedly killed himself.

reads

LIBRARY

member’s choice


Summer Cinema

critics’corner

Best summer vacation-themed flick: MeatballsClub critic: David Fujii

Best summer vacation-themed flick: Forgetting Sarah MarshallClub critic: Cameron Olsen

Best summer vacation-themed flick: To Kill a MockingbirdClub critic: Diane Harris

All titles mentioned are either available at the DVD Library or on order.

“To Kill a Mockingbird: a summer movie? Yep! Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee, this film celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Set in 1930s Alabama, this classic is about a white lawyer (Atticus Finch), played by Gregory Peck, who courageously defends a black man accused of raping a white woman. Much of the story is seen through the eyes of Finch’s 6-year-old daughter. Addressing issues of race, class, compassion and courage, this is a timeless classic that earned Peck an Oscar.”

“For many, summer means getting away to a tropical place and stepping back from the stress of daily life. It’s a great time to unwind and press the restart button but also to run from heartbreak—or at least try to. Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) finds himself in a bind after breaking up with his girlfriend of five years, TV celebrity Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). Following advice, he decides to take a much-needed vacation to Hawaii. But he finds out that forgetting Sarah Marshall isn’t as easy as he would have hoped. Full of fun and some raunchy humor, Forgetting Sarah Marshall promises to be one of the funniest films you’ll see this summer.”

“Bill Murray stars as an over-the-top camp counselor in this crazy 1979 summer camp classic. More than 30 years later, Murray’s goofiness and the lowbrow humor still shine through. Camp North Star is filled with misfits and nerds, who compete each year against the elite and snobby brats at Camp Mohawk. This movie saw Murray and director Ivan Reitman team up for the first time, and they went on to work with each other in such classics as Stripes (1981) and Ghostbusters (1984). Check this out with the kids for some great laughs, before moving on to other classics of that era, like Porky’s (1982) and Revenge of the Nerds (1984).”

T here’s nothing like a murder to get the party started, especially in the dark comedy Weekend at

Bernie’s (1989). Setting the stage for a crazy getaway, a secretly embezzling boss woos two employees to his summer home, where a plan to have them killed for uncovering insurance fraud goes awry.

Discovering a murdered Bernie (Terry Kiser) at his seaside pad, Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Jonathan Silverman) pretend he’s still alive to confuse a hit man and drag the stiffening corpse along on an

unforgettable weekend of nonstop beer chugging and skirt chasing.

Maybe it’s true what film critic Stephen Holder said in 1989: “Weekend at Bernie’s recycles a comic motif—the inconveniently placed corpse—that even Alfred Hitchcock had difficulty sustaining for a whole movie in The Trouble with Harry.”

Then again, 23 years later, this surprisingly lighthearted Hollywood romp is regarded as one of the best summer movies of all time. Now, our Club critics offer their picks for best summer vacation-themed flick. o

smokin’give it a goabort

Chronicle of My Mother This moving film is about a successful writer (Koji Yakusho) and his relationship with his aging mother (Kirin Kiki). The movie starts with a downpour and ends as the rain stops. This “bookend” effect is wonderful and the symbolism of water that runs throughout the movie adds a special touch. •••

Men in Black III Fans of the MIB franchise won’t be disappointed. This film is excellent in every respect. Will Smith’s return to the screen after a three-year break is welcome, and Josh Brolin is absolutely superb in his impersonation of Tommy Lee Jones’ character. More of Tommy Lee Jones would have been nice, but this sequel remains a must-see. •••

Dark ShadowsThe Johnny Depp-Tim Burton partnership does produce some fantastic films that combine Burton’s masterful artistry and visuals with Depp’s acting talents. This movie, however, seems to lack that magic. The story is unconvincing, the acting is over-the-top and the dialogue is forgettable. Helena Bonham Carter’s character is the one saving grace. ••Last NightSet in New York, this film examines the choices faced by a married couple, Joanna (Keira Knightley) and Michael (Sam Worthington), while apart for a night. As they wrestle with physical and emotional temptations, each person must decide what their marriage ultimately means to them. •••

A great performance from Johnny Deep (although I didn’t much care for his makeup) as the vampire Barnabas Collins, who returns to his ancestral Maine home in 1972 after being buried alive for 200 years. I enjoyed hearing music from that era again, like the Carpenters. ••Taking into account the heavyweight cast (Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes), this movie about marriage, past loves and temptation could have been better. While the acting isn’t bad, nothing much seems to happen. A little boring. ••

While not as good as the first film, this latest installment, in which Agent J (Will Smith) has to travel back to the 1960s to team up with a young Agent K (Josh Brolin) and save the universe, is still entertaining, and Brolin produces an excellent performance as a young Tommy Lee Jones. ••The complex relationship between a mother and son anchors this sentimental drama, based on Yasushi Inoue's autobiographical novel. This is a beautifully produced film, complemented by a great story and excellent performances, and it’s touching to see the mother and son slowly reconcile. •••

TV and film selections 15

DVD LIBRARY

HE SAYS, SHE SAYS

All movies reviewed are either available at the DVD Library or on order.

other new titles...Margaret Witnessing a deadly bus accident she unintentionally caused, a tormented teenager sets out on a mission to set things right. But the aftermath is more complex than she realizes. A spellbinding coming-of-age flick.

The Flowers of WarSet during the 1937 Nanking massacre in China, an American mortician (Christian Bale) discovers a group of women in a church. Now, he must fight to save them from an attacking Japanese army. Directed by Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers).

LockoutWrongly convicted of being an anti-government killer spy, sharp-tongued CIA agent Snow (Guy Pearce) has a shot at freedom—if he can rescue the president’s daughter from a riotous prison in outer space.

Casa de Mi PadreAssured by his wealthy brother that he saved their father’s financially floundering farm with legit funds, Armando Alvarez (Will Ferrell) winds up unsuspectingly warring with Mexico’s biggest drug lord.

CO

MED

Y

The Three StoogesFrom the blockbuster-producing Farrelly brothers, who gave us There’s Something About Mary (1998), comes this laugh-out-loud fresh take on the legendary American vaudeville trio, Moe, Larry and Curly. Expect slapstick galore.

Friends with KidsTrying not to be one of those couples that wave goodbye to romance when a baby enters the equation, two best friends decide to have a kid together—all while keeping their relationship purely platonic.

DR

AM

AA

CTI

ON

He is Club President Lance E Lee. She is Yuko Akisato, manager of the DVD Library.

D ressing the room for her children’s art class, Sanae Takahata puts up a large board covered with images of famous artwork. She hopes they will inspire her students in the

same way she was inspirited. “When I was 10 years old, my teacher introduced us to a van

Gogh painting and I was very impressed. I said, ‘Wow!’ That really appealed to my heart,” the 53-year-old says.

Then, after asking her parents for an oil painting set, Takahata began searching for her ideal art school. But it’s what she didn’t find that influences her philosophy as the instructor of the Club’s Creative Kids program, a position she has held for 11 years.

“I went to this art school one day and tried it. I didn’t like it. Then I tried a different one. I didn’t like it. Because the teacher told the students, ‘OK, you should paint this,’ [there was] no freedom, I felt, in Japan. That’s why I want to make my class very free. I want to be the teacher that I wanted to have around me when I was little.”

This desire to foster creativity inspires Takahata’s wide-ranging selection of paints, tools and materials for her weekly imaginative sessions for ages 3 through 12. From paintings to sculptures, collages, crafts and more, participants have the chance to make them all.

On a Friday afternoon in May, Takahata passes out handfuls of clay to students sitting at a long table. Rather than give directions,


Unleashing Creativity

The Club’s resident artist explains why she’s all for giving children the power to create.

by Erika WoodwardPhotos by Irwin Wong

Sanae Takahata

she asks each budding artist what they plan to make.“My favorite thing about art class is you can make whatever you

want,” says Naomi LeDell, 7, before molding a whimsical sculpture.Having fun in art class is just the beginning for a gifted few.

“You know, when you’re young you believe that you’re very talented, that you’re a genius, so ‘[I’ve] got to show my work to the world,’” Takahata says with a laugh when discussing her motivation for taking art more seriously as a child.

Submitting one of her oil paintings to a prestigious competition as a student of an art school in Tokyo, the Gunma Prefecture native captured the attention of many art experts as the youngest of the winners.

But after six years of studies, the teenager questioned whether she could launch a career in Japan. Preparing for the entrance exams for the prestigious Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Takahata felt stifled by rigid requirements that left little room for creativity. At art groups, she watched in frustration as women poured tea while men led discussions.

“Around that time, I told myself, ‘Let’s get out of here and go to Paris,’” she says. “It was very difficult for young people back then [in Japan]. They said you have to be over 40 to start thinking about showing your paintings. There was no way for young women to become artists. It was still a male chauvinist time and ageist.”

Through afterschool jobs, selling handmade accessories to friends and helping her father at his restaurant, Takahata bought a one-way ticket to Paris. At 18, she arrived in the city of love. But she was disappointed by what she found. “It was not the city that I dreamed about. I thought it would be much more beautiful,” she says.

Her spirits were lifted when she was invited to take part in the renowned Salon d’Automne at Paris’ Grand Palais. “[Once] I [found] a gallery and [started] selling my paintings, I said, ‘OK, I can survive here.’”

Four years on, continuing on her quest to take her work to the world, Takahata moved to the Big Apple. “I actually wanted to go to New York all the time,” she says. “I heard very good things about [it].”

Having proven herself abroad, soon after arriving in America’s art hub, Takahata fielded invitations from Japan’s contemporary art community. In 1989, she returned to Japan, where she’s lived ever since, promoting her art locally and abroad—save for a brief period, 12 years ago, when she simply stopped painting.

“Have you ever read Carl Jung? He calls it the process of Individuation. I cannot explain that period, just a strange time, a difficult time, so I said, ‘I have to change my lifestyle,’” she explains.

Earning a degree in child and adult development education, she discovered a passion for teaching and began painting again—this time on a body-conscious white dress. One colorful enigmatic work became many, some of which she recently exhibited in Kyoto’s most famous temples and at galleries and museums from Poland to Hong Kong.

“I can transfer my emotions, feelings [onto] the shape of the dress, because it’s like a woman’s body,” she says.

But for all of her achievements, Takahata won’t be satisfied until she creates something she feels is as timeless as the works of her first muse, van Gogh. “His paintings have eternal time. It appeals to you. It makes you change your life, like it made me change my life. That’s the kind of painting I want to make while I’m living,” she says. “That’s my motivation.”

Not surprisingly, Takahata prominently displays an image of the legendary Dutch painter’s “Starry Night” among the collection of famous artworks on her board. And who’s to say that van Gogh won’t find another young devotee this summer? o

RECREATION

Fitness and well-being 17

Creative Kids Summer Art ClassAugust 3–17Every FridayLittle Artist: 3:45–4:45 p.m. (¥9,450)Advanced Studio: 5–6:15 p.m. (¥10,395)Sign up online or at the Recreation Desk

In April this year, Jane Trumper, a 51-year-old nurse and mother of three, became the first woman to run across central Australia’s forbidding Simpson Desert. She completed the grueling

664-kilometer run for charity in just 10 days, making headlines in her native Australia and plenty of memories along the way.

It’s a story of endurance and incredible physical and mental achievement. But it’s also a tale of friendship. Club Member Susan Griffen decided to support her friend by running alongside Trumper for more than 20 kilometers each day.

The pair met in 2000—while running, naturally. Griffen had always run alone and was surprised when Trumper “assertively” suggested that they run together. Since then, they have run 11 marathons together and continue to find things to chat about during their long-distance odysseys.

A tall, tanned and lean Griffen, also 51, sits in the Winter Garden and recounts her experience in the Simpson Desert. “For me, it was about friendship and a chance to experience the outback,” she says. “I’ve never done any kind of ultramarathon, ever.”

So why did she decide to join her friend? “My husband summed it up best,” she says. “It brought me out of my element. It was a challenge. I had zero contact with the world for 10 days: no Facebook, e-mail or a glass of wine at night. But I slipped into it really easily. I ate what people gave me and I adjusted.”

She certainly did. Griffen ran an average of 25 kilometers a day, in searing heat, across an uninhabitable area of sand dunes and

Desert Buddies

A large area of dry, sandy plain and dunes, the

Simpson Desert is the epitome of Australian

outback. That didn’t put off one Club Member running

across it, though.


by Maria Bromley

Jane Trumper and Susan Griffen

uneven terrain. But she’s modest about her achievement, saying that it pales in comparison to the accomplishment of Trumper, who covered about 65 kilometers a day.

Like a “security blanket” is how Trumper describes Griffen’s presence on the run. “She was the only known factor in the whole 664 kilometers. I’m truly blessed to have such a friend. She was like Sue Charlton in Crocodile Dundee,” says Trumper, referring to the adventurous American reporter played by Linda Kozlowski in the 1980s movie blockbuster.

During the 10-day expedition, the two women would wake up at around 5 a.m. Besides her traditional Tokyo running gear of shorts and a T-shirt, Griffen would wear gaiters over her running shoes to keep out the sand and a head net to protect her face from the swarms of flies.

After breakfast, the couple would be “on the road” as soon as it was light enough to see. While Trumper would run from sunup to sundown, Griffen would accompany her until midmorning and then join the crew of four in the two support SUVs. “It was like a pilot’s job: hours and hours of boredom, interrupted by sheer panic,” she says.

Occasionally, Griffen would hit the track later in the day if her friend needed encouragement, but the pair never ran at night. “It was too dangerous,” she says. “We saw dingoes at our campsites, camel tracks, emus, poisonous snakes, cattle and lots of rats.”

Griffen admits that she had fears about the remoteness of where they were running. “If something goes wrong, you’re dead,” she

says. “Even if you wanted to get out fast, you couldn’t.”Fortunately, everything went according to plan, although there

were definite challenges. “We stopped near Mount Dare,” Griffen says of their camp early on in the journey. “The mosquitoes were so bad that Jane said it was like giving blood when you went outside the tent. It was very hot and there was a big thunderstorm. The wind was tornado strength. I was lying in my tent thinking I was going to die.”

Still, the mother of three says she now appreciates the appeal of ultramarathons and can see herself taking on something similar again. With no time constraints, Griffen says the outback challenge was more “leisurely” than the marathons she and Trumper usually run together. Oblivious of the time, the two friends were able to run and chat for hours on end.

Should Trumper be recognized for her outstanding running efforts, Griffen should surely win a BFF award. o

Bromley is a Boston-based freelance journalist.

RECREATION



what’son

class focus

Carolyn Covington The Student “I really enjoyed the volleyball program at TAC. It gave me a chance to improve my skills while hanging out with my friends. I hope to participate again in the fall.”

Youth VolleyballIn 1895 in Massachusetts, YMCA instructor William Morgan combined elements of basketball, tennis and handball to create the sport of volleyball. Now, more than a century later, Club youngsters can convene on the court to serve, spike and work up a sweat while playing the globally popular sport.

Youth Volleyball sessions run every Friday and Sunday (6:10–7:30 p.m.) for grades six to eight and every Sunday (7:30–9 p.m.) for grades nine to 12. For more information, visit the Recreation Desk or the Health & Recreation section of the Club website.

Takashi Watanabe The Instructor Takashi Watanabe has been coaching volleyball for more than 30 years. As an International Federation of Volleyball-certified coach, he trains players of all ages and levels, including professionals on Japan’s national team. “To be better at volleyball, I believe you need to be earnest, practice, review and be creative,” he says.

Assortmentof Sports

T he Club’s weekly sessions of high-energy fun, including soccer, basketball, gymnastics,

badminton and hip-hop dance, give ages 6 through 12 the chance to make friends, play their favorite sports and try out new ones. o

Summer All-Star SportsUntil August 17 (weekdays)3:30–4:30 p.m. GymnasiumMembers: ¥13,125 per weekly sessionNon-Members: ¥14,440 per weekly sessionSign up online or at the Recreation Desk

RECREATION


Offered by certified massage therapist and personal trainer Hideaki Hongo, this deep-tissue and oil massage is designed to prepare the body for optimal athletic performance and heal injuries.

At a discount, for one time only, sample this fitness-inspired treatment at The Spa from August 1.

30-minute one-time trial: ¥6,30060-minute treatment: ¥12,600 90-minute treatment: ¥16,800

To book your trial massage or full treatment, contact The Spa at 03-4588-0714 or [email protected].

Tel: 03-4588-0714 E-mail: [email protected]

Sports Aromatherapy Massage

Fun in the FallAfter the sloth-filled summer break, get in shape or learn a new skill by taking one (or more) of the vast array of fall enrichment classes on offer.

Registration starts online and at the Recreation Desk from 8:30 a.m. on Monday, August 13. But if you still haven’t made up your mind by then, why not drop by the Recreation Open House, on Saturday, August 25 (2–4 p.m.)?

This informal session in the Gymnasium is the ideal environment in which to learn more about the programs from the instructors themselves.

Nets, Tees and Hoops Sign-up for the perennially popular sports programs of Youth Basketball, Youth Volleyball, Youth Golf and Youth Badminton kicks off from 8:30 a.m. on Monday, August 13.

Register either online or at the Recreation Desk. For more information about the various programs, visit the Health & Recreation section of the Club website.

Bowling BonanzaFor a chance to win a fabulous selection of prizes, grab some friends and hit the lanes. Bowl two games, register your total score and you could end up walking away with an array of goodies in September.

Bowling BonanzaAugust 18–September 18Bowling CenterAges 8–12 ¥1,680 Sign up at the Bowling Center

Sky Pool SizzlerThe Sky Pool plays host to an exciting afternoon of aqua action, when it becomes the setting for the TAC All-Comer Swim Meet in September.

All Members, from children to adults, are invited to sign up and battle it out for medals and Club glory. The exciting event will be capped off with a barbecue and presentation.

TAC All-Comer Swim MeetSunday, September 232–6 p.m.Sky PoolContact the Sky Pool Office for details

Back on the LanesThe devoted keglers of the Ladies’ Bowling League return for another exciting season of strikes and spares at the Bowling Center. Novice and seasoned bowlers welcome.

September–OctoberEvery Wednesday10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.Bowling CenterOne-time entry fee: ¥3,150Monthly game fee: ¥3,675Adults onlySign up at the Bowling Center


memberprofile

Finding Her Calling in Kabuki

Nobuko Hirata

by Erika Woodward

Kayo

Yam

awak

i

Enjoy an invigorating trek on Japan’s iconic peak, without having to sweat all the way to the top.

On this Women’s Group tour to Mount Fuji, a knowledgeable, English-speaking guide will lead hikers on a leisurely walk from the fifth station to the sixth, 95 meters higher up.

Fuji Jaunt

Granted access to the rarefied backstage world of Kabuki, one Women’s Group member uses her knowledge to educate others about this iconic theatrical form.

by Jackye Lawless

WOMEN’S GROUP

An interactive community 23

This easy hike will be punctuated by frequent stops to take in the spectacular views over the surrounding plain. Those who bought walking sticks at the fifth station will be able to have them branded at the sixth station for a great memento of the day.

Heidi Sanford was one of the tour’s leaders last year. “At one point on the hike, our guide had the entire group take a quiet moment to reflect on the sacredness of Mount Fuji,” she says.

From the sixth station, tour attendees

will trek a short distance to the edge of Fuji’s second crater. “The lava rocks in the crater have these amazing shades of red, orange and white because of the temperature they reached during the last eruption [in 1707],” says Primoz Klemencic, one of last year’s adventurers.

Traveling along the ridge back down to the fifth station, hikers will notice the footing quickly change from loose lava rock to pine needles as they enter the forest below the tree line.

Since there was a significant waiting list last year, be sure to reserve your spot early. o

Lawless is programs director for the Women’s Group.

A t 14, having accepted her father’s first invitation to attend a performance at Ginza’s storied Kabukiza Theater, Nobuko Hirata watched in awe as the centuries-old pageantry unfolded

on the stage. “My whole life changed completely from there. It was just beauty.

It was more than beauty. It was culture. It was my ancestors’ genes dancing within me, within my body,” says the longtime Women’s Group member of the moment she became a Kabuki enthusiast.

Enamored by the timeless themes, elaborate makeup and impeccable staging that define the classical Japanese drama and dance, Hirata, now 50, has attended hundreds of Kabuki shows, including at least 100 in the past five years alone.

But it’s her intimate knowledge of what happens behind the scenes that distinguishes her from the throngs of faithful devotees.

As if possessing the key to Hollywood, and as a member of actor Matsuya Onoe’s promotional entourage, Hirata enjoys access to a close-knit community that is made up of generations of guarded celebrities.

“You know, you may be able to meet George Clooney and shake hands with him, but you would never dream of being part of his team,” she says. “Any traditional performing arts world is very exclusive, very close-minded. They have this real village mentality. They really stick to themselves.”

For more than 30 years, she’s been cultivating the trust of the denizens of this closed world. At 17, actor Nakamura Shikan, a national

treasure, offered to let her shadow him for one month. Doing his part to help her with a school project on Kabuki,

Shikan welcomed the wide-eyed youngster into his dressing room with unexpected candor.

“His statement was, ‘Nobuko, sit in the backstage. See, hear, feel, smell, touch

anything and everything going on in my room and write about it,’” Hirata says,

placing her hands on her hips while mimicking the actor’s deep voice.

Taking it all in, she developed an appreciation for the team of musicians, stagehands, backstage organizers and actors who work seamlessly together

in pursuit of theatrical excellence. “When I see a vast amount of effort of the whole team putting

a scene into some perfect picture, [that] is probably when I get the chills in my spine,” she says one June weekday morning in the Winter Garden. “It’s like finishing a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.”

With that backstage pass comes a front-row seat to gossip-worthy shenanigans and stage politics. “I will just plainly say [that] knowing too much about actors in person can break your dreams,” says Hirata. “I see the ‘prince charmings’ doing crazy stuff.”

A few years ago, witnessing the young actor Onoe struggle with a devastating loss, she offered to help. “When I met Matsuya, he [had] just lost his father and that was a huge thing. The support among the troops gets weaker when the father’s not around. It was like having his right arm torn off,” she says.

So, setting out to connect Onoe with the public and build support that could help him maintain his footing in the theatrical hierarchy, Hirata joined his promotional team. “Basically…he was trying to pick himself back up and I had ideas,” says Hirata, who attended high school and university in the United States.

Top of her list was a series of lectures, hosted by Onoe and translated by Hirata, aimed at introducing English-speaking audiences to an art that can appear inveterate and inaccessible, even to Japanese, who can have trouble understanding some of the antiquated language of Kabuki plays.

“Kabuki is pretty much of a mystery to a [foreign] audience and there is very little explained in the English language or any other languages,” says Hirata, who has organized two such events at the Club. “I just simply want to let the world know how beautiful Kabuki is, and actors feel the same way…[and] are dying to express it.”

Onoe, for one, is grateful for the chance to do so, and for Hirata’s dedication. “Through the lectures, I get to meet foreign people, adults, as well as students living in Japan. The extraordinary questions I receive from them often make me think deeply about the stuff I have taken for granted,” he says.

Always the consummate Kabuki devotee, the mother of two says she’s living a dream. “The magic is myself, no more than a homemaker, became a member of an actor’s team, and it’s genuine amazement. It was a huge surprise to me. You know, I am now at age 50 and the peak of excitement I genuinely believe is yet to come.” o

Fuji Day HikeThursday, September 68:30 a.m. Sign up at the Member Services Desk


Irwin

Won

g

FEATURE

Has Japan Lost Its Gaming Mojo? 25

R emember playing Namco’s “Pac-Man” in an arcade and kicking the unwieldy cabinet in frustration every time one of

the red ghosts hunted you down? How about Capcom’s “Street Fighter,” Nintendo’s “Donkey Kong” or Konami’s “Frogger? And when was the last time you fired up a Sega Mega Drive or Nintendo Entertainment System (aka the Famicom) game console?

If any of those 1980s gaming classics invokes the slightest sigh of nostalgia, then you had your hand on the joystick when Japan ruled the gaming world. Back then, whether you were bashing buttons in Tokyo, LA or London, if the game was good, it was probably Japanese. Times, however, have definitely changed.

Take a look at the current top 10 best-selling video games in Japan, Europe and the United States for all the main gaming devices and it’s clear that the gaming industry is now split between East and West.

Japanese developers still rule the roost at home, but globally their allure has faded dramatically. Data compiled by the gaming website VG Chartz shows that only three of last year’s top 10 games in the US were Japanese. In Britain, there were only two in the annual top 20. Yet Japan’s top 10 for 2011 was entirely homegrown.

Coming together one Saturday morning at the Club for a gaming session and a chat, Members Pietro Russolo, 13, and 18-year-olds

Davis Harris and Eddie Asai offer an insight into why Japanese games have lost much of their attraction for mainstream Western audiences.

“Japanese games are very repetitive, mostly role-playing games or very exaggerated fighting games that aren’t very realistic, and I don’t have much fun with them,” Russolo says. “Plus, some of them have inappropriate content.”

“Japanese games are a little weird like that,” says Harris. “It’s more of a taste thing—some people like them and some don’t.”

Member David Abrams shares the youngsters’ indifference for Japanese games. Besides being a devoted gamer since he first got his hands on a Telstar Ranger console in the late 1970s, Abrams, 38, is the founder of Cheap Ass Gamer, a website that highlights video game deals from online and brick-and-mortar stores.

“Whenever I try Japanese games, they are lacking in technical prowess, like graphics quality and online capabilities, and the story lines are impossible to follow; something I’m sure isn’t a translation issue. The look of the graphics—you know, blue spiky hair and unrealistic features—is a turnoff for me and many other gamers, and the [English] dialog is just off,” he says.

Back in the 1980s, the majority of casual gamers likely had little idea where their games were made. The top games may have been Japanese, but they had a worldwide appeal. Then developers in the West began to produce

Once the source of most of the world’s hit video games, Japan’s game developers are sliding into international obscurity. So what happened? by Rob Goss


their own popular titles.“The Western competition started around the time

of the Nintendo Entertainment System development [in 1985], and by the time the [Sony] PlayStation 2 came out [in 2000], it had become clear that Japanese games were losing their allure, and there was a very clear divergence in styles between Japanese and Western games. Now, Western companies are killing Japanese developers globally,” says New York native Abrams.

It’s estimated that since 2002, Japan’s share of the worldwide gaming market has fallen from around 50 percent to about 10 percent. And according to a recent University of Gothenburg study, only 52 percent of the Japanese game companies polled for the report turned a profit last year.

Abrams explains that the far larger budgets of Western developers allow them to produce more innovative and higher-quality gaming experiences. Japanese developers, on the other hand, have been accused of continuing to churn out unoriginal, formulaic games.

Huge marketing budgets ($50 million for blockbuster titles is not unheard of) means that developers in the US, for example, are able to launch sophisticated promotional campaigns for new titles. Even Japanese games with the potential to sell in the West struggle to compete on a global

scale against those levels of resources. Japanese game developers, though, continue to be able

to excite their home market. “Game software in Japan is a different matter,” says Ben Walker, a game programmer at Ateam, a Nagoya-based developer, whose fantasy game app “Dark Summoner” recently reached No. 1 in Japan’s Apple App Store.

“There are some mighty fine developers here with some mighty fine ideas,” the 30-year-old Briton says. “No one understands the Japanese gaming industry more than the Japanese, and no one makes games for a Japanese audience like the Japanese do.”

The best-seller lists certainly seem to support Walker’s view, with Western games struggling to gain a foothold in Japan. “Japanese and Western gamers want very different things. For example, you get a cinematic experience with Western games and very realistic graphics, not to mention more violence, but generally you have more of a cartoon or older video game experience with Japanese games,” Abrams explains. “Western gamers prefer more open sandbox games [with less rigid game play], and sports and first-person shooters are more popular with them. There isn’t much crossover in tastes.”

Walker adds that games from outside Japan struggle to make an impact here because developers don’t know how to woo the local media. “There is a small percentage of Japanese players that tend to spend a large amount of time and money playing what the media reports to be good, even if a game is, in fact, not really that good at all. In the West, a bad game does not sell well, regardless of any hype,” he says. “This is a big difference and potentially the most important for Western developers to understand when trying to target a Japanese audience; you have to impress the media to impress the money-spending game players of Japan.”

On the hardware front, the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Xbox 360 game consoles accounted for nearly 40 percent (27.9 million units) of total global video game machine sales in 2011 (even though Microsoft’s Xbox 360 has hardly made a dent in the Japanese market). Nintendo’s portable 3DS was the third-highest selling machine at 19 percent (13.2 million units), closely followed by Nintendo’s Wii console at 16 percent (11.5 million units).

But how people are choosing to play games is evolving rapidly, illustrated by the way in which Russolo has changed his gaming habits over the years. His first machine was a handheld Nintendo Game Boy, but now he plays mostly at home on a PS3. And instead of having a dedicated handheld device, like a 3DS, PSP or PlayStation Vita, for

gaming away from the sofa, he uses his smartphone. “I use the PS3 because I like the gaming style of it

and it has my favorite kind of games: role-playing games, shooters and racing games,” he says. “As for apps on the phone, one negative is that it’s easy to get bored with some of the games within a month, but the positives are that there are so many good games available and at really low prices.”

Abrams says that many gamers are now adopting this approach, which doesn’t bode well for the future of handhelds. “Is there still a market for a dedicated handheld device now almost everyone has an iPhone or something similar? Handhelds are certainly less popular overseas now than they are in Japan, and for handhelds like Sony’s new Vita the sales numbers are horrible,” he says. “It markets itself as offering a mobile PS3 experience, but with a 5-inch screen the experience isn’t comparable, and yet the games cost the same. It’s telling that it’s being hugely outsold by the 5-year-old PSP [handheld]. Most people just don’t need Xbox or PS3 quality on the train.”

Harris agrees. Game apps, he says, don’t need to feature mind-blowing graphics. “It’s the game play for sure,” he says. “Graphics and sound definitely help it along, but

FEATURE


Very importantly, the success of social gaming in Japan is tied to its mobility. It wouldn’t

have been that successful if content providers hadn’t targeted mobile phones and, more

recently, smartphones.


I think that most gamers can do without the good graphics and sound, so long as it’s a good story line that keeps people playing.”

When the continuous upgrading and functionality of a smartphone are factored in, it’s not difficult to see why gamers are increasingly opting for a phone over a dedicated handheld device that is limited in its uses. In turn, the rise of the phone as a gaming device has placed a different set of demands on developers, according to Walker, who has worked on such app games as “Tumble Bee,” “Super 21” and “The Octagon Theory.”

“Nowadays, mobile gaming allows users to pick up a game at any point and continue playing from where they left off, with gaming sessions often only lasting a few minutes at a time,” he says. “This makes it especially important for game developers to satisfy the user in these few minutes, as it is easy for players to put a game

down and never come back to it.”One aspect of mobile gaming that has seen huge

growth in recent years in Japan is mobile social gaming. Running the gamut from role-playing fantasy adventure and board games to sports and alternate reality, social games allow gamers to play together and interact.

Guillaume Hansali, the founder and CEO of Wizcorp, a Tokyo-based technology company that specializes in developing social games, says mobile social gaming is part of the natural evolution of casual gaming.

“It appeals to a very large community of users who don’t consider themselves gamers and wouldn’t invest the substantial amount of money needed to buy a TV game system or a high-spec PC,” he says. “Very importantly, the success of social gaming in Japan is tied to its mobility. It wouldn’t have been that successful

FEATURE


if content providers hadn’t targeted mobile phones and, more recently, smartphones.”

The two major mobile social game developers and platform providers in Japan, GREE and DeNA, racked up combined revenues of more than $1 billion in just the first quarter of this year. With both companies now expanding overseas, Hansali says they can play a big role in this rapidly growing global market.

Meanwhile, the future of traditional handheld devices for playing games appears uncertain. Consoles, though, seem relatively secure, at least for a while (there has been a gradual decline in hardware sales in Japan over the last four years). But does the Japanese game industry have anything that could help return it to its glory days?

Nintendo would like to think that the new Wii, due for release this Christmas, will be a game changer.

The Wii U, which was featured at June’s E3 technology show in LA, includes a number of new functions and capabilities.

In an interview with a British newspaper, Nintendo’s president, Satoru Iwata, said he was confident that the new console would help to return Nintendo to profit after it suffered its first-ever loss in 2010 on the back of sluggish Wii and 3DS sales.

Abrams says that although the original Wii initially sold well, sales dropped off because of the limited variety of games available and the hardware’s lack of power compared with the PS3 and Xbox 360.

“At the recent E3, the consensus was that the new Wii U was a disappointment,” he says. “It looks a bit like an iPad with controllers on the side. I remember when the first Wii was shown at E3, the queues to try it were six hours long. For the Wii U, the lines were just three or four people deep at each station—about a 15-minute wait.”

The world will have to wait a few more months to see if Nintendo can inspire a renaissance in Japan’s game industry. Until then, it looks like the country’s once-dominant game developers are inching closer to becoming global also-rans. o

Goss is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist.

Whenever I try Japanese games, they are lacking in technical prowess,

like graphics quality and online capabilities, and the story lines are

impossible to follow.

Bring on the Beans


iNTOUCH: Japan is the third-largest importer of coffee in the world, but in terms of coffee consumption per capita, it is 39th. So where does the rest of the coffee go?

Pardo: I think coffee also goes [to make] confectionery or to the food industry. And it could be that some drinks that contain coffee are not counted in that per capita number. But anyhow, Japan is a key player in the consumption of coffee. The challenge is that the young generations don’t drink as much coffee as the older generations. The largest portion of coffee drinkers in Japan are 40 years old and above.

iNTOUCH: So, despite the arrival of more American-style coffee shops, which seem aimed at younger people, the majority of coffee drinkers are still older in Japan.

Pardo: Maybe it’s a matter of perception.

You see the coffee shops everywhere and they’re always full, but still many people prefer drinking coffee at home, including instant coffee.

iNTOUCH: So how do you convince younger people to drink coffee?

Pardo: The way to do it is like something I saw in Korea. They have water with a little bit of coffee. That is a way maybe to approach [non-coffee] drinkers for the first time.

iNTOUCH: How has the market developed over the last few decades in Japan?

Pardo: I think it has developed a lot. Japanese like quality and coffee is no exception. Most of the supermarkets have a wide variety of coffees, from regular to top quality. Canned coffee has also developed, and there are now 2 million

vending machines and coffee is the No. 1 product sold [in those machines]. It is a very mature market, so the challenge now is coming up with something new.

iNTOUCH: How different from the Starbucks style of coffee shop are Japan’s homegrown coffee shops?

Pardo: For example, they give more information about the coffee [and] the origins of the coffee because Japanese want to know more about the taste. For me, it’s been surprising to see the knowledge of the people who like coffee in Japan.

iNTOUCH: Coffee shops in Japan, though, don’t seem to offer as wide a selection of coffees as those in the US. Why not?

Pardo: I guess since [consumers] are interested in quality, companies just focus on providing [a smaller] number

The invention of canned coffee in Japan in 1969 proved the perfect handy fuel for the country’s legions of weary salarymen working long hours to help grow the fast-developing economy. Since then, coffee imports have continued to rise, peaking in 2006.

Japan is now the world’s third-largest importer of coffee, after the United States and Germany, but the Japanese drink far less joe than the likes of the Scandinavians, for example. While Japan drinks around 3.3 kilograms of coffee per capita each year, the average Finn consumes a staggering 12 kilograms, according to the World Resource Institute.

Santiago Pardo is the Asia representative for the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation. iNTOUCH’s Nick Jones sat down with the Club Member to talk about Japan’s love of the popular roasted pick-me-up. Excerpts:

TALKING HEADS

Member insights on Japan 31

Santiago Pardo

of products and keeping it simple. In the US, the coffee shops are very developed, of course.

iNTOUCH: Specialty coffee is a growing market in the US. What about in Japan?

Pardo: For Colombia, the best place for price that we can sell to is Japan because the Japanese are willing to pay for quality. So specialty coffee is growing all the time. A recent study found that there is not a clear-cut way to calculate the [market] share of specialty coffee because there is no unique definition…but anyhow between 10 percent and 25 percent of the market is specialty coffee right now in Japan.

iNTOUCH: What drove the rise in coffee consumption in Japan in the 1970s?

Pardo: I think a lot of it had to do with

promotion. For example, we had so many promotional activities in the ’70s and ’80s in universities and for younger people. Then, when those students were older, they kept drinking coffee.

iNTOUCH: What is the future of this market?

Pardo: The market is mature, so it’s not easy to promote new products. Also, there is the challenge of the younger generation not drinking coffee and the natural aging of [Japanese society]. Maybe a trend that is much more important in the US and Europe will start here, and that is sustainable coffee.

iNTOUCH: According to industry figures, organic coffee has the largest slice of the sustainable coffee market in Japan, while Fair Trade coffee, which is particularly popular in Europe, has a small share.

Pardo: It’s not that Japanese don’t care about [the fair trade issue], the discussion is just not there, I guess. They focus more on the characteristics and quality of the coffee. But even the [amount of imported] organic coffee is still very low compared with Europe and the US…and I don’t see that in five or even 10 years, it will be like Europe right now. It will take much more time.

iNTOUCH: How has Japan dealt with fluctuating coffee prices, such as the rise a year or two ago?

Pardo: In Japan, they don’t increase [coffee] prices, so what many in the industry did for the largest portion of the market—blended coffee—was they increased the portion of low-quality, cheaper coffee. You can’t keep changing prices in the supermarket, so they have to adjust somehow. o


by Erika Woodward

When it comes to collecting mementos of their experiences in Japan, some people go beyond the uniform galleries and souvenir shops and create commemorative keepsakes themselves.

Over the years, hundreds of Club Members have taken one (or more) of the myriad inspiring Women’s Group classes to do just that.

“Our teachers make sure that everyone is welcome and, with small classes, there is room for beginners and more experienced students, with lots of teacher support,” says Cathy Noyes, co-chair of the Women’s Group classes committee. “It's a terrific opportunity to try something new and maybe find a lifelong hobby.”

Browse what could become your new artistic pursuit at the Frederick Harris Gallery this month, when class instructors display engaging samples of their handiwork, ranging from Japanese silk embroidery to sumi paintings to ikebana floral arrangements. Members are then invited to sign up for their selected classes on Thursday, September 13.

For Jill Kupseki, taking the Japanese embroidery class reignited a passion she had long sidelined.

“[It’s] the first time I’d picked up an embroidery needle in years,” she says. “I immediately fell in love with the traditional Japanese patterns, especially the floral designs, the shimmering hues of the silk threads and the intricate but oh-so-delicate stitches of this age-old art. My sensei says I am on a journey.”

A wander through the Frederick Harris Gallery may inspire your next fulfilling journey, too, and another fond memory of your time in Japan.

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.

ExhibitionAugust 20–September 9

Women’s Group Classes

Exhibitions of Art 33

FREDERICK HARRIS GALLERY


yokoso

sayonara

Stanley HowardUnited States—Teneo Partners Japan Ltd.

Reiko TakemuraJapan—Shoetsu Co., Ltd.

Chieko KakinumaJapan—K’s International, Inc.

Peter & Petra WeinmarGermany—Lanxess K.K.

Hiroyuki & Michiko AraiJapan—Twoface, Inc.

Peter McKeown & Muriell CastilloCanada—Manulife Life Insurance Company

Sayaka & Ken Uehara Japan

Shuzo MannoJapan—Manno Chikusan Co., Ltd.

Tomomi FujitaJapan—Santa Fe Relocation Services Japan K.K.

Scott KleinUnited States—AIG Chartis Insurance Company

Koichiro KimuraJapan—PricewaterhouseCoopers Aarata

Noriyuki Tsubonuma Japan—Mitsubishi Corporation

Christine Marshall & Howard LordAustralia—Bristol Myers K.K.

Akihiko HaruyamaJapan—Global Knowledge Management Center Ltd.

Dave & Stephanie JohnsonUnited States—PricewaterhouseCoopers Aarata

Luke & Carol RandellAustralia—Citigroup Global Markets Japan, Inc.

Douglas Wood & Fiona BerwickUnited Kingdom—Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K.

Akinori Nakano & Mariko KomiyaJapan—Star Enterprise Co., Ltd.

Richard Bittenbender II & Margot BittenbenderUnited States—Moody’s Japan K.K.

Takuro & Akiko UejiJapan—Alix Partners Asia LLC

Marlene Villela-Talbott & Jose Jorge TalbottHonduras—Government of Honduras

Thibault & Lucile DesmarestFrance—Sanofi Aventis K.K.

Yasuyuki & Kaori Miyoshi Japan—Greenhill & Co. Japan Ltd.

Reiji NagaseJapan—Nagase & Co., Ltd.

Maiko & Yuichi SatoJapan—Sugarlady Keshohin, Inc.

Steve RinoieJapan—JP Morgan Securities Japan Co., Ltd.

Takashi & Yuka NishiharaJapan—Gaudi Co., Ltd.

Nobuhiro ToribaJapan—Bird Feather Nobu K.K.

Arnaud & Junko DecornezFrance—Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Ira Blumberg & Kendra Lerner

Paul RH Duerloo & Keiko Duerloo-Onodera

Joseph & Alexandra Duhamel

Andrew & Polly Filson

Matthew Fuller & Julia Nesheiwat

Michael Goettler & Kyung-ae Lee Goettler

Patrick & Yumiko Hansen

Koji Hatsukawa

Shaun Henry

Douglas & Libby Hopkins

Thomas & Madelyn Iannacone

Krishna Iyer & Sridevi Krishna

Afwa & Heather Kanadawire

Karl Koschnitzke IV & Kay Hee-Kyung Koh

Scott & Heather LeClair

Conor & Katherine Neu

Jack & Jeanne Elizabeth Noble

James & Susan J Noyes

Katsuhiko Ohata

John & Umarin Parrish

Andrew Abbott & Mariko Higashi Ras

Stacie Belding & Karl Rowlands

Shahriar Tadjbakhsh & Claudine Ries

Randy & Brenda Wahlstrom

Gerald & Ana Williams

Hideo & Nobuko Yamanaka

Stanley M & Myrt Zelek

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]

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)

Services and benefits for Members 35

Why did you decide to join the Club?“Having been Tokyo residents for nearly six years, it might come as a bit of a surprise that it is only now that we have decided to join the American Club, but a lot has changed since we arrived in Japan in 2006. Having recently visited the new premises as guests of friends, we could not deny that with two young children the facilities, network and support offered by TAC more than helps fill in some of the gaps that come from living away from family and home-country comforts. We are looking forward to teaching our kids to swim this summer and enjoying the odd meal and glass of wine away from them, too.”

(l–r) Emma, Josie, Zachary and Neil Sheppard

Why did you decide to join the Club?“On our first expat assignment, with two young daughters, we had plenty of stress and uncertainty about moving to Japan. Our top priority was to discover local places that could offer a great community for our family. Tokyo American Club surpassed our expectations by leaps and bounds. We have found a special place to connect with other families, build friendships and professional networks, relax and unwind, and stay healthy and fit. In the first week as Members, we met more great people at TAC than we did over an entire year back in the States. We are confident TAC will be a catalyst to enhance our entire expat experience in Tokyo.”

(l–r) Chalice, Brooke, Cate and Wayne Markowitz

New Member ProfileNeil & Emma SheppardUnited Kingdom—Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.

New Member ProfileWayne & Chalice Markowitz United States—Boston Scientific Japan K.K.

MEMBER SERVICES

R unning his hand along the top of a two-shelved wooden cabinet in the Club’s spacious repair and

maintenance workshop, Shuji Abe explains that the piece is almost complete.

Since the shelves will be used in Café Med, the biggest challenge of the project, he says, was crafting the curve in the cabinet to mirror the wave-like shape of the restaurant’s counter on which it will sit. But the task wasn’t anything the 60-year-old experienced carpenter couldn’t handle.

Abe has been using his skills at the Club for the last 18 years. Back in the old Azabudai facility, though, he spent most of his time repairing rather than creating.

“Because the Club was old,” he says, “there was a lot of work.”

Having last picked up the Employee of the Month award more than 10 years ago, Abe says winning it again in June was unexpected. “I’m happy and surprised,” he says. “Since I won it before, I didn’t think I would win it again.”

The Niigata native first picked up a hammer at 20, when he joined a relative’s business as an apprentice carpenter. Most of his days were spent building houses. “At that time, there were no power tools, so it was tough. Everything was done by hand,” he says. “Now, all the pieces are made in factories and

assembled at the site. I wouldn’t know how to do that kind of work.”

After around eight years working outdoors, Abe decided to escape Niigata’s frigid winters and head to Tokyo. Working for a number of years at a firm that produced magnets in Kanagawa Prefecture, he left when the company announced that it wanted to transfer him to Hokkaido. He had no desire to return to a life of snowbound winters.

Far more comfortable living south of Tokyo, near Sagamihara, Abe says the only downside is the compressed train commute into the capital each day. And that’s something he can’t fix. o

employee of the month

by Nick Jones

Shuji Abe


(l–r) Seiji, Masako, Serena and Marcus von Engel

Rather than splashing in the surf or traipsing around tourist-packed sights, one Club family decided to spend their Golden Week vacation getting their hands dirty.

Volunteering Vacation

by Brian Publicover

T raveling with children can be tough, particularly if the destination is a recovering disaster zone. But that’s

exactly the challenge that Marcus von Engel and his wife, Masako, embraced earlier this year.

Together with their children, Seiji, 11, and Serena, 9, they decided to head up to Tohoku during the Golden Week break to help with the ongoing cleanup of the earthquake- and tsunami-ravaged region. “One of the things we try to do is combine vacations with volunteer work,” Marcus says.

On a trip to Cambodia several years

ago, the family donated pigs and helped out with local community projects. “Very simple things, but nobody has the money. We also donated bags of rice,” he explains.

The day the earthquake struck last year, Masako, 45, was about to visit her mother in Tokyo with the children. At the time, the family lived in Seoul, where Marcus had been based with his job for about a decade.

Seiji watched the disaster unfold on TV before they left for the airport. “Almost every channel was boring, so I changed it to NHK,” he recalls. “And then I saw that the earthquake and tsunami

had happened. Our flight was canceled.”Not long after relocating to Japan,

Marcus and Masako saw the annual collection of national holidays from late April as the ideal time to volunteer as a family in Tohoku. “I think it was three things: one reason was to spend some money in Japan,” says Marcus, 45. “We also wanted to see the scale of what happened, and we wanted the children to get an appreciation for the sheer force of earthquakes.”

But Masako soon discovered that many of the volunteer centers in the area were hesitant to accept children.

Seiji von Engel

INSIDE JAPAN

A look at culture and society 37

Eventually, after some persuasion, Rikuzentakata Volunteer Center, in Iwate Prefecture, agreed to allow the von Engel children to participate in its cleanup initiatives. “They are a bit conservative, but they needed tools,” she says. “So we decided to donate stuff they needed, like crowbars and pickaxes.”

Initially, the volunteer center tried to have the children focus on different activities, such as cheering up the local people at festivals. “That’s more like what they imagined children could do,” Masako says, “but Marcus wanted to make sure Seiji and Serena experienced something and actually helped people.”

But when the center staff met the family and saw the tools they planned on donating, they realized Marcus and Masako were serious about helping. “But they will probably be cautious in the future about children,” Marcus acknowledges. “Masako and I came across a bit strongly in saying, ‘We want to help.’”

Staying at a ryokan inn near the center, the family spent three days clearing

muck out of gutters and drainage ditches in Rikuzentakata and Ofunato. Although more than a year had passed since the sea had roared ashore, the scale of the destruction was still clearly visible.

Remnants of people’s lives were scattered about and many roads were still covered with the dark sludge from the tsunami. “I saw some broken spoons and clothes [on the ground],” Serena says.

Masako says the trip was an educational one for everyone. “Seiji said it was completely different from what he saw on TV,” she says. “He said it was very sad, and he could see the damage and how people’s lives had changed.”

The experience also made the children more aware of the potential dangers of living in a seismically volatile country, according to Masako. “The kids now have a better understanding of earthquake safety,” she says.

Although many volunteer organizations are reluctant to accept children, primarily because of safety concerns, Marcus doesn’t hesitate in recommending the experience to families willing to persevere. But,

he cautions, they should have realistic expectations. “With the attention span of the children, you can only do so much,” he says. “But if you keep it short, they have a much more vivid impression of it.”

Masako, meanwhile, advises people to contact volunteer centers first and ask what they need. Besides working as part of cleanup crews, volunteers can assist in the organization of community events and festivals, teach English to local children or even help restore recovered family photos. There’s also a need for licensed scuba divers to take part in underwater salvage operations. “That’s another whole element of this cleanup that has to happen,” Marcus says.

For the von Engels, they are already planning to head up north again, when Marcus’ father visits Japan in the fall. “He wants to go to Tohoku,” Marcus says. “He is into botanical gardens in California and he wants to help out from a replanting point of view.” o

Publicover is a Tokyo-based freelance journalist.

Shig

eo Ic

hiki

Spiritual Stay


For those in search of a cultural and spiritual getaway in which to truly unwind, Mount Koya has it all.

Koyasan Shingon Buddhism and Visitor Informationwww.koyasan.or.jp

Koyasan Tourist Association and Shukubo Temple Lodging Associationwww.shukubo.jp

Nankai Koya Hot Netwww.nankaikoya.jp

Koyasan Cross-Cultural Communication Networkwww.koyasan-ccn.com

KOYASAN

TOKYO

About 2 hours, 30 minutes by bullet train from Tokyo Station to Shin Osaka Station, then take the Midosuji Subway Line to Namba Station and transfer to the Nankai Line. From there, take a rapid express train for the approximately 1 hour, 30-minute journey to Gokurakubashi Station. The last leg of the trip is a five-minute cable car ride from Gokurakubashi to Koyasan.

Eko Templewww.ekoin.jp

Rengejo Temple (morning prayers explained in English)Tel: 0736-56-2233

Temple Lodging in Japanhttp://templelodging.com

by Maria Bromley

Explorations beyond the Club 39

OUT & ABOUT

A s I boarded the bullet train in Tokyo, I realized that I had left my good umbrella at the coffee shop in the station. Although my weekend had begun in a rather inauspicious way, I started

to relax as the train picked up speed and the landscape outside the window began to whiz by.

When you need a little serenity and a break from the bright lights of the capital, Japan offers many refreshing weekend getaways. I was headed to Mount Koya, a World Heritage site in Wakayama Prefecture.

The mountaintop village is the home of the Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism and dates back nearly 1,200 years. Many of Koya’s Buddhist temples offer tourists the chance to stay overnight for a taste of monastic life, and I was going to do just that.

After a few fairly easy train changes, I finally felt like I had escaped the urban sprawl. Deep bamboo forests and still-blooming cherry blossom trees had replaced concrete. Toward the end of my journey, I took a smaller train that climbed higher and higher along a winding, narrow track, passing through tunnels and mist-covered mountains. The final ascent to Mount Koya, at almost 900 meters, was by cable car.

I arrived at Eko Temple, where I was due to stay, at 2 p.m., check-in time (you can store your bags there if you arrive earlier). Greeted by a smiling, young monk, Chokei, I was shown to my room. After freshening up, I took a short walk and stopped in at two temples along the main street. I recommend purchasing a temple book, which can be used at any temple in Japan. For just ¥300, you can have this lovely souvenir “signed” with a unique calligraphic design at each temple you visit.

I returned to my shukubo temple lodging just in time for the meditation class at 4:30 p.m. There were about 20 other guests of various nationalities. Instructions were given in English and Japanese and then we were left on our own for 40 minutes. I don’t think I had ever meditated for 40 minutes, let alone with 20 strangers. But sitting silently amid the incense-scented surroundings of the temple, the experience seemed particularly special and the time passed surprisingly quickly.

One of my fellow temple lodgers was Samanda Fillip, a 26-year-old American student. We chatted about why she had chosen to visit Koya. “I needed to find solace before the craziness of medical school,” she said. “I needed to take care of myself before I started taking care of other people.” Koya held a certain magic for most of the people I talked to over the weekend.

Dinner was served in my tatami-matted room at 5:30 p.m. and was as well-presented and delicious as any traditional kaiseki meal I had ever eaten. It adhered to the vegetarian dietary requirements of the monks, but lodgers could also enjoy a beer or sake if they wished.

After dinner, I signed up for the night tour of Mount Koya’s cemetery. As the largest and one of the most significant cemeteries in Japan, it is home to an estimated 200,000 tombs, including those of famous samurai and the Shingon sect’s founding father, Kobo Daishi.

This was definitely the highlight of the visit. Our guide, Chokei, led us along around 4 kilometers of lantern-lit paths, surrounded by towering 800-year-old cedar trees. At the tomb of Kobo Daishi, Chokei had us stand with him as he recited some prayers in a soft, melodic voice. French tourist Jacques Weiss was accompanied by his three children. “It was magical,” he told me afterwards. “I have no words for it—absolutely unforgettable.”

Back at the temple, we were invited to take a relaxing hot-spring onsen bath before bed. After a comfortable night’s sleep, I awoke early to attend the 6:30 a.m. Buddhist service. The sun was shining in a bright blue sky as I stepped out into the clear mountain air, and as I kneeled in the temple, listening to the rhythmic chanting of the monks, I felt truly refreshed.

The monk who had taught us in the meditation class had joked that we may not find enlightenment in one session. But as I headed back to Tokyo, I had a sense of having experienced something both special and spiritual. And as for my umbrella, it was waiting for me at the station coffee shop. o

Bromley is a Boston-based freelance journalist.

Eko

Tem

ple


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

TAC Talent SearchMay 27

More than 200 people watched 15 talented teens perform

for a panel of celebrity judges and the possibility of winning

a recording contract. Congratulations to the winners Hikaru

Kawamura (best female vocalist), Taiyo Shirai (best male

vocalist) and Connor and Cody Hadden of Fold Your Cards

(best band and the grand prize winner).

Photos by Yuuki Ide

4 5

1. Lisle Wilkerson 2. Tom and Connor Hadden 3. (l–r) Virginia, Monica and Tiziano Russolo 4. (l–r) Lena Childers, Lisle Wilkerson, Virginia Russolo, Nicholas Cardamone, Mika Steward, Daphne Barnum, Mali Shimojo, John Donelan and John Small 5. (l–r) Kamasami Kong, Aya Kanbayashi, Terry Terui, Nick Wood, John Ken Nuzzo, Janica Southwick Sims and Jon Kabira 6. Hikaru Kawamura 7. Cody and Connor Hadden 8. Mika Steward 9. Cody Hadden 10. Virginia Russolo 11. Taiyo Shirai 12. (l–r) Cody and Connor Hadden, Taiyo Shirai, Hikaru Kawamura, Cameron Tanaka, Tannistha Roychoudhury and Shani Juds 13. Cameron Tanaka 14. Shani Juds 15. Mali Shimojo

2

1

3

9

14

8

13

11

6 7

10

15

12

Snapshots from Club occasions 41

EVENT ROUNDUP



Dynamic Hip-Hop Dance for Kids PerformanceJune 5

Popping and locking, after getting funky hair makeovers,

the Club’s youth hip-hop dance class wowed their

friends and family at a playful performance to mark the

end of the session.

Photos by Yuuki Ide

5

3 4

6

1. (l–r) Erika Koito, Saxon Kropp, Takeshi Hirata, Maya Wendel

and Takatoshi Suzuki 2. (l–r) Karina Kropp, Maya Wendel, Tomoki

Sato and Takeshi Hirata 3. (l–r) Julie Defibaugh, Ikko Matsuba and

Evan France 4. (l–r) Hisako, Nina, Jay Loren and Julie Defibaugh

5. (l–r) Natalie Ferris, Sophie Fortin, Karina Kropp, Maya Wendel,

Saxon Kropp and Erika Koito 6. (l–r) Regina Hayes, Miyuki Yano

and Zoa Henderson

1

2

1

2 3

4


EVENT ROUNDUP

Mudsharks End-of-SeasonAwards Dinner

June 13

Celebrating another successful season of the Club’s

youth swim team, the Mudsharks, more than 100

swimmers and their friends and family gathered in the

New York Ballroom for a special awards ceremony.

Photos by Irwin Wong

1. Assistant coach Yumiko Uehara and Courtney Ishibashi 2. (l–r) Hinako

Saito, Mikako Saito and Alec Fujii 3. Assistant coach Yumiko Uehara and

Akio Kawasaki 4. Head coach Simon Hadlow



Aizu Wakamatsu TourMay 19–20

A group of Members headed north to explore the

picturesque Aizu area of Fukushima Prefecture, with

stops at the popular mountain resort of Urabandai, the

castle town of Aizu Wakamatsu and the restored postal

town of Ouchijuku.

Photos supplied by Miki Ohyama

Monthly Program: “Sixty-Seven Years after the Atomic Bomb: My Personal Thoughts and Reflections on Hiroshima” with Koko KondoMay 25

Sharing her touching life story at a Women’s Group

luncheon, Hiroshima survivor and peace activist Koko

Kondo moved many of the 47 attendees to tears.

1. Front row (l–r): Toshiko Hobo, Jackye Lawless, Nancy Davis, Miki

Ohyama, Robin Bradley and Madelyn Iannacone

Back row (l–r): Thomas Bradley, Elaine Williams, Barbara Hancock,

Edward Holdaway, Kristi Peterson and Mary and Douglas Hager

2. Front row (l–r): Nancy Davis, Miki Ohyama, Yoko Aoyama,

samurai, Robin Bradley, Mary Hager, Toshiko Hobo, Jackye Lawless

and Kazumasa Ohyama

Back row (l–r): Thomas Bradley, Barbara Hancock, Elaine Williams,

Edward Holdaway, Madelyn Iannacone, Douglas Hager, Kristi

Peterson and John Randall and Lynn Evans

1. (l–r) Yuriko Hirayama, Barbara Hancock, Betsy Rogers, Koko Kondo,

Miki Ohyama and Jackye Lawless 2. (l–r) Annette Beiderwieden,

Kikuko Tanaka, Sandra Isaka, James Minatomo, Diana Bohm, Heidi

Sanford, Satoe Tanaka and Chikako Yoshimoto

1

2

1

2

Salvation Army Charity DriveMay 25

Embodying the spirit of generosity, Members donated

enough gently used items, including unsold finds from

the Nearly New Sale, to fill four trucks at this Women’s

Group charity drive.

Nearly New SaleMay 22

Eager shoppers and equally enthusiastic purveyors

of lightly used goods crowded into the New York

Ballroom for this annual Women’s Group event.

Rowing Grand PrixMay 26

Putting their crew conditioning to the test on the

Fitness Center’s ergometers, Members Kenneth Lebrun

and Rosemary Hyson sweated their way to 2000-

meter victories in under 8 minutes, while Sam Olson

and Michelle Evans powered through more than 500

meters in 2 minutes.

1. (l–r) Isako Sekiguchi, Reiko Oshima and Salvation Army staff

1. Michelle Evens 2. Sam Olson 3. Rosemary Hyson 4. Kenneth Lebrun


EVENT ROUNDUP

1

1

3

2

4

EVENT ROUNDUP



Father’s Day Grand BuffetJune 17

Wearing smiles and their Sunday best, Member families

and their guests celebrated this day of dads with tasty

eats and all-he-can-drink-beer in the New York Ballroom.

Photos by Ken Katsurayama

4

1. (l–r) Will, Sachiyo and Billy Freund and Junko Yoshida 2.

Masayo and Takuya Hattori 3. Front row (l–r): Clementina and

Constantino Moneta and Caitlin and Bob Hollingshead; back row

(l–r): Julian and Monica Moneta and Yvette Hollingshead 4. Front

row (l–r): Masanari Kawashima, Junior Negris, Carlos Daireaux,

Svein Tyldum and Hiramasa Takeda; back row (l–r): Regina

Kawashima, Alexandra Negris, Ana Freire, Orminda Seki, Atsushi

Seki, Manina Daireaux, Carolina, Helena and Sandra Donoso,

Angela and Cristina Tyldum

1

2 3

Popular Club spots 47

Keith Allen Kayo

Yam

awak

i

CLUB LIFE

T he Club’s Find Your Groove campaign, which ran from March through April, encouraged Members to explore areas of the Club they

hadn’t previously experienced. By the end, dozens of Members had filled out their

stamp cards and won such impressive prizes as Guest Studio stays, Decanter dinners and treatments at The Spa.

Keith Allen says he and his family enjoyed the campaign. “This program got us to discover new venues within the Club. For instance, we had never bowled at TAC, and now we have,” he says.

The highlight, Allen says, was using the Club’s golf simulator, the 19th Hole, while his wife, Carol, made the most of The Spa. “However, we’re certainly looking

forward to redeeming the one-night stay in the studio,” he says, “as soon as we find the time.” o

Groove Finder


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].

Sometimes stereotypes are just so true, and then you realize that there might be more at work than you

think. Ask anyone with an opinion on such matters and they would probably say that the Japanese are a private people, while Americans tend to be more outgoing and like to talk and share.

In this age of social media, people are being forced to think about how much they share about themselves. My

colleagues and I, therefore, decided to find out how much they are willing to divulge and so launched a privacy study in more than 20 countries last year.

Not surprisingly, we discovered some obvious differences between Americans and Japanese. For example, when asked if it is better to be open about your problems, around 50 percent of Americans agreed, while less than 20 percent of Japanese felt that they should share.

Globally, a little over 20 percent of people admitted to spreading gossip

about others. This figure was the same for Americans, but only half that number of Japanese said they were gossipers.

In other findings, almost 50 percent of people around the world thought it was important to build a positive image of yourself online. Slightly fewer Americans agreed with that statement, but half that number of Japanese felt the same way.

When asked if they would be happy for their personal data to be used if

businesses sought their permission first, Americans were reticent, with only 40 percent willing to give their permission, while less than 20 percent of Japanese said that they would agree.

In general, we found that Americans provided answers only slightly more guarded than the average global response. Japanese, on the other hand, were far more conservative. Indians were the most willing to open up through a variety of media, while people in developing countries seemed to embrace the idea that

sharing more about themselves could lead to greater opportunities.

Indians in their 20s, for example, were more likely to believe that divulging personal details through social media could lead to job offers. In comparison, Americans and Japanese, in particular, were much more restrained in this area.

About the same percentage of American respondents as the global average (58 percent) said that they liked sharing their thoughts and opinions with friends online. Only 30 percent of people in Japan felt the same way, though. This contrasts sharply with the almost 80 percent of Indians who told us that they enjoyed imparting their opinions online.

Conservatism was a common thread through the answers of those in developed countries. Americans were far more wary about sharing personal information that could lead to “being caught out” or, as one person said, risking data like credit card or banking details. The Japanese were just as worried about data abuse, but were more concerned about the seeming impropriety of exposing themselves.

When we looked at how people felt about trading personal information in exchange for rewards, the results were surprising. Sixty percent of Japanese were willing to do just that. This was considerably higher than the global average and American response of 37 percent.

The reason for this apparent anomaly might lie in the phenomenon of store loyalty cards (by some measures, the average Japanese housewife carries more than 30). It seems that Japanese trust certain types of institution with limited information in the belief that it won’t be passed on indiscriminately—something people in both the United States and India doubt.

So the myths are basically true: Japanese people are not broadcasters, but they are happy to be rewarded for sharing a little. o

Club Member McCaughan is director of strategic

planning with the advertising agency McCann

Worldgroup Asia-Pacific.

RevealingAll by Dave McCaughan

TOKYO

AM

ERICAN

CLUB

i

NT

OU

CH

Issue 568 • August 2012

毎月一回一日発行　

第四十七巻五六八号　

トウキョウアメリカンクラブ　

インタッチマガジン二〇一二年八月一日発行　

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

August 2012

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

Toiling in TohokuOne Club family heads

up north to help out

Java JoltOne Member explains

Japan’s coffee boom

Scrumptious ScienceFLATiRON cooks up mouth-

watering molecular cuisine

Club gamers and video game industry experts ponder Japan’s fall

from greatness

Strength:Critically Low

Documents

iNTOUCH August 2012