Tokyo Weekender - November 2017

party for the son of a sultan and getting superb VIP treatment there.
The costumes and dancing were awesome. I also enjoyed an Egyptian
circus, a lunch on the deck of a French aircraft carrier which was
docked there, catching a small octopus when I tried diving in the Red
Sea, and marveling at the moon-like landscapes around Lake Assal,
which is at the lowest point in Africa. (The original Planet of the Apes
was filmed there.) I also remember waiting in my car for a friend
when a big French foreign legionnaire – they had camps in Djibouti
at that time – came over and tapped on my car window. I rolled down
the window, and he, obviously drunk, spoke to me in French. Unfortunately,
I don’t speak that beautiful language, but did realize he was
asking me where I was from, so I said “USA – America.” He stood at
attention, saluted me, and started to sing “Yankee Doodle Dandy” in
English. This got the attention of people at a sidewalk café, and in a
matter of minutes, a military vehicle pulled up, two legionnaires got
out, picked him up, and put him in the back with two other legionnaires.
I was told they took him back to their dormitory to sober him
up. Traveling’s fun.
At the Tokyo party, guests were treated to a delicious surprise
halfway through the event when several chefs came out and took
a huge canvas cover off a magnificent tuna and made sure all the
guests got at least one serving of sashimi. As Lilo Maruyama said, it
was so fresh that it melted in your mouth. Kudos again to the Alis and
the Djibouti Embassy for putting on a perfect evening.
MIN-ON SPONSORS SOUTH AFRICAN BOYS CHOIR
Over the years, Soka Gakkai, through its music subsidiary the Min-
On Concert Association, has given me and so many others the opportunity
to see an amazing variety of international cultural events.
One of their most recent cultural exchanges was bringing in
South Africa’s Drakensberg Boys Choir for their fourth Japanese tour.
This tour was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the choir.
They were in Japan for a two-month-long, 25-city tour. The youngest
members of the choir were 10, while the oldest were 16. They
performed pop songs, gospel, and both South African and Japanese
folk songs. Their energy and choreography drew enthusiastic cheers
and standing ovations at every performance. I had the privilege of
seeing and hearing the show at Min-On’s headquarters. This was to
celebrate the 99th anniversary of the late great Nelson Mandela’s
birthday. There was a huge poster of Mandela with his legendary
dynamic smile in the theater and the select group in the audience all
felt he was looking down and enjoying it all. Congratulations to Min-
On Founder Daisaku Ikeda, Min-On President Kazuto Ito, his staff,
South African Chargé d’Affaires Royce Kuzwayo, the embassy staff
and of course Mandela-san for making the evening with its energy
and sensitivity so very special. I’d also like to mention that meeting,
shaking hands and talking with President Mandela is one of the most
memorable moments I’ve had in my life of great experiences. My
thanks for that.
ROYAL BANGKOK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
AT SUNTORY HALL
I hadn’t been to Suntory Hall since the late great Sony President Norio
Ohga, who was also a talented conductor, passed away. My thanks
to him for the invitations to his concerts there as well as he and
Chichan Plessner’s invitation to the opening party in Berlin for the
launch of the Sony Center. This time at Suntory Hall I was the guest
of the very popular Thai Ambassador Bansarn Bunnag and his wife
Yupadee. The occasion was a concert by the Royal Bangkok Symphony
Orchestra in commemoration of the 130th anniversary of Thailand-Japan
diplomatic relations.
Suntory Hall has done considerable redecorating since I was last
there. It’s a first-class venue with fountains out front, snack bars in
the elegant lobby, comfortable seats, and of course great lighting and
sound as well as a magnificent organ. The program opened with a
speech by a special guest, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai.
The musical program included favorites of Chopin, Haydn and
Mozart as well as a fantasia on themes of his late, much-loved majesty
King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Prominent Japanese conductor Koji
Kawamoto, accomplished Thai pianist Poom Prommachart, and the
versatile bass baritone singer Kittinant Chinsamran performed with
the 65-piece orchestra to make it a very special evening of beautiful
music.
SHIGA’S NEW WEDDING HALL IN SAITAMA
If you follow my column, I’m sure you'll know that one of my best
friends is Saitama businessman Tsukasa Shiga. He has to be one of
Japan’s busiest people. I first met Shiga when he was a student at
St. Mary’s, and he spent considerable time at the Lexington Queen,
the club I used to run in Roppongi. He really helped make the Lex
become like Studio 54 in New York.
After St. Mary’s, he went to Boston University and I often met up
with him in New York. Our trips to the Big Apple gave us the opportunity
to meet all kinds of celebrities and set up parties for so many
of them when they visited Japan. When Shiga came back to Tokyo,
we started a small company, HSI (Hersey Shiga Int’l), and got more
involved in setting up events and parties, a modeling agency, doing
film production and arranging for product placements in movies.
After several fun, busy years, Shiga inherited much of his family
business and had to move home to keep things going. Their company,
Ceremony, has really grown. Their personalities and business knowhow
have made them giants in the business. I’d like to close this column
congratulating them on the November 3 opening of their new,
majestic, European-style wedding hall, Stella dell’ Angelo, in Saitama.
It really is very special. I’d also like to thank Shiga, his mom Reiko
and his executive secretary Hiroko for their friendship and help in
making my life here so interesting and special. Photos of the opening
party later.
Backstage at Kyodo’s popular Off-Broadway
show Blast with top percussionist Naoki and
model/actor Hide Kusakari at Tokyu Theatre Orb
The multi-talented Steve Haynes and
Mr. Supranational Japan 2017, Takamori Uekusa –
off soon to Poland for the international contest
Bill with the late great singer of Linkin Park,
Chester Bennington
TOKYO WEEKENDER | NOVEMBER 2017 | 53