Tokyo Weekender August 2017

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ISRAELI INDEPENDENCE DAY RECEPTION AT NEW OTANI 1. Israeli Amb. Ruth Kahanoff, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko 2. Kyoko Spector, Yoyogi Int’l School’s Founding Director Yuko Muir 3. Japan Aerospace Pres. Dr. Naoki Okumura, US Embassy’s Jason P. Hyland 4. Gaimusho’s Takahashi-san and his wife Mami with Ruth 5. The great kids from Tohoku 6. Purity Co. Pres. Jay Dunkelman, Gaetno K.K. Pres. Guy Totaro, Ruth, Celia Dunkelman 1 2 3 4 7 5 6 9 10 8 12 13 14 11 AT GRACE SAITO’S MEMORIAL CONCERT 7. Itsumi Sano, Akiko Yamanaka, Tokiko To, Lynn Lai 8. Kyoko Spector, Mary Katayama, Takako Asaka, Daniele Yoshikoshi 9. Keiko Sugiyama, Wided Darragi (Tunisia), Fumiko Tottori, Djibouti Amb. Ahmed Araita Ali, Syrian Amb., Madeline Umewaka 10. Homat Homes’ pres. Tani-san, Syrian Amb. Warif Halabi 11.Wided Darragi (Tunisia), Madeline Umewaka 12. HIH Princess Takamado 13. Brigitte Sekine, Tokyo Women’s Club Pres. Jill Sinclair- Ito 14. Djibouti Amb. Ali, his daughter Emely 44 | AUGUST 2017 | TOKYO WEEKENDER 44 | AUGUST 2017 | TOKYO WEEKENDER
Ruth is an excellent ambassador and has made many friends for both herself and for Israel. I, along with others there, was happy to try the Israeli food as well as Japanese favorites. The laid-back ambiance of the evening really brought back some great memories of my two trips to Israel – and the many dynamic people I met there. THAI FESTIVAL IN YOYOGI PARK I was up early on Saturday, May 13, and joined Thai Ambassador Bansarn Bunnag, his wife and many Japanese and Thai VIP visitors at the 18th festival opening ceremony. The Thai Festival is always one of the most popular and this year was a celebration of the 130th anniversary of Thailand-Japan diplomatic relations. Unfortunately it was raining that day, but it was still crowded and everyone really seemed to be enjoying themselves. My thanks to Ambassador and Mrs. Bunnag who sat me next to the new Indonesian Ambassador and Mrs. Arifin Tasrif who kindly shared their umbrellas. This also gave me the opportunity to meet and talk with the guest of honor: Thai Deputy Prime Minister, General Thanasak Patimapragorn. He, the ambassador, and several Japanese made short meaningful speeches to officially open the colorful and interesting event. After the speeches, there was a dynamic show featuring Thai musicians, dancers and traditional puppets. After the show, VIP guests moved to a big building that had been set up for the festival where they could check out the photo history of Thailand and many of the lifetime accomplishments of their late great, highly respected, much loved king Bhumibol. Everyone enjoyed the bountiful Thai buffet, and mixing and meeting with the many high powered guests there that day. Happy to say the weather cleared up on Sunday and Yoyogi was packed with people enjoying the food, shows by top Thai entertainers, a kick boxing exhibition, the “Thai village” and the warm happy ambiance of the truly great Thai happening. Our Thai and friends from other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was founded in Bangkok August 8, 1967, are celebrating their 50th anniversary. The many activities to celebrate included an exhibition of photographs portraying ASEAN’s busy calendar of all kinds of worthwhile projects. The exhibition of photos by her Royal Highness Princess Maria Chakri Sirindham portraying ASEAN activities over the years was a big success at the Thai festival 2017. Our congratulations to all concerned. ROTARY CLUB MEMORIAL CONCERT FOR GRACE SAITO I enjoyed a superb Japanese lunch at the Peninsula recently with Saitama business tycoon Tsukasa Shiga and Rotary Club International director Hiroaki Kobayashi. I’ve known Shiga since he was a student at St. Mary’s and Hiroaki since his days as a leading exec at several top hotels. In between the many courses I had the opportunity to bring up the possibility of a charity concert in memory of the late and great Grace Saito. A true philanthropist, she had over the years supported some of the Rotary’s many projects by donating the proceeds from the many classical concerts she sponsored. Kobayashi liked the idea and a few months later I received an invitation to a charity concert for the eradication of polio dedicated to Grace Michiko Saito. It was a full house at Sogetsu Kaikan for this truly wonderful lady. HIH Princess Takamado, a friend and fan of Grace, was the guest of honor. The performance by seven top classical musicians and singers was excellent. The closing – when everyone there was asked to join them in singing “Amazing Grace” – was an outstanding finale for the occasion. Our thanks and congratulation to Rotary International for this much-deserved evening. MIN-ON GALA-CHINA NATIONAL PEKING OPERA First, my sincerest thanks to Min-On’s outgoing President Hiroyasu Kobayashi for the many invitations over the years to so many wonderful cultural exchanges from all over the world. He will keep working with the new President Kazuto Ito as adviser. I’m sure they will continue to bring great song and dance performers to tour and perform all over Japan. Hiroyasu ended his super successful time as president with the China National Peking Opera Company’s colorful shows in 28 venues across Japan. The special occasion that featured 58 cast members and crew celebrated the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the People’s Republic of China. It was a kaleidoscope of song, dance, speech, combat and acrobatics. The sets, costumes and makeup were spectacular. (Jackie Chan, by the way, came from a Peking Opera background.) After the show guests had the opportunity to meet, mix and enjoy a lavish buffet with the cast. Many didn’t speak English, but those who did helped us communicate. It was great and I feel that if I get to Beijing, I will have some great new friends there. At the party I met Soka Gakkai liaison officer Joan M. Anderson, and she told me a long-time friend, jazz musician Herbie Hancock, recently published a book he wrote together with the head of the religious group, Daisaku Ikeda. I also had the privilege of meeting and getting to know another great showbiz personality, Tina Turner, who’s also a member of Soka Gakkai. She was doing concerts in Manila when I was visiting there. AZERBAIJAN NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION In the Okura Hotel’s luxurious Orchard Room, Azerbaijan Ambassador Gursel Ismayilzade and his lovely wife Rana hosted a reception on the occasion of their Republic Day and 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Japan. The program opened with a lady from Azerbaijan dressed in national costume singing the national anthems of the hosting country and Japan. This was followed by a very informative welcoming speech by the host. It was a colorful gathering with several of the children there wearing national costumes. Azerbaijani women, as you can see by the photos, are wonderfully fashionable – at another recent party Rana wore a dynamic dress by Issey Miyake, and for her national day reception, she wore an original Italian creation. The Ismayilzades are a very popular couple, and it was wall to wall interesting people enjoying the relaxing special celebration. Tokyo Weekender Editor Alec Jordan, Le Monde’s Philippe Mesmer, Kit Nagamura, and Imperial Hotel President Hideya Sadayasu at the Imperial Hotel’s Frank Lloyd Wright 150th Anniversary Exhibition World renowned diabetics doctor Kempei Matsuoka, his daughter Sachiko Yuasa, her daughters Sakura and Aoi, and his wife Yasue at Saiseikai’s reopening festival Charo and Bill Ireton, Natsuko Toda, actress Diane Lane, Teruyo Nogami, and Eleanor Coppola TOKYO WEEKENDER | AUGUST 2017 | 45
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Page 40 and 41: 1 3 2 4 7 8 5 6 AGENDA: THE WEEKEND
Page 42 and 43: Society TOKYO’S LONGEST RUNNING S
Page 47 and 48: Looking for your next job in Japan?

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