Tokyo Weekender - February 2016
Hidetoshi Nakata a soccer all-star on the sake trail. The Tokyo Marathon turns ten. Scaling Japan’s frozen heights.
Hidetoshi Nakata a soccer all-star on the sake trail. The Tokyo Marathon turns ten. Scaling Japan’s frozen heights.
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The late great David Bowie and Bill first met<br />
at a Kuwait Embassy party in the early 1970s<br />
<strong>Tokyo</strong>’s Longest Running<br />
Thanks to deadline problems—which many of us have to<br />
deal with—and the busy holiday schedule, I had to get this<br />
issue’s PPP to the <strong>Weekender</strong> office in early January. The magazine<br />
staff are always super busy, but this year more than ever.<br />
In addition to getting the regular issues out, they were all in the process<br />
of getting ready and moving the <strong>Weekender</strong> office into their new digs at<br />
PR/Marketing powerhouse Sunny Side Up’s big and beautiful offices in<br />
Sendagaya. I don’t know how, but as always they managed to get things<br />
done and still have prime time to spend with their great Japanese wives<br />
and beautiful kids during their very hectic years and schedules.<br />
HILTON-WEEKENDER-BILL HOLIDAY ORPHANS’ PARTY<br />
Hate to start out with a back event but with my <strong>Weekender</strong> and Hilton<br />
Hotel annual orphans’ party for the holidays in mid-December, printer<br />
deadlines, and all kinds of special events, couldn’t as always get the rundown<br />
and photos to the printer for the January issue. Thanks for your<br />
understanding on this.<br />
This was the 18th year for us to do the party for the 50 aged 5 to 12<br />
kids from six different orphanages. The institutions involved went all<br />
out to bring really energetic fun boys and girls who all really got into<br />
the party mood for the day.<br />
Once again good friends—who included a few ambassadors, many<br />
diplomats’ wives and generous giving wives of business leaders from<br />
both the Japanese and foreign communities here—took time out of<br />
their super-busy schedules to join us at the Hilton for a really fun<br />
afternoon with the awesome kids. We’ve held the party for the last 17<br />
years in the hotel’s white marble lounge. That venue has become so<br />
popular with its spectacular sweets buffet it’s completely booked every<br />
day. We did this year’s party in the large and tasteful St. George’s Bar.<br />
I was a little concerned but the area has a warm homey atmosphere<br />
Society Page with Bill Hersey<br />
and all of our Santa’s helpers really thought it was perfect. Hilton’s PR<br />
Director Momoko Gonohe, her staff and many other Hilton people had<br />
really decorated the venue in a colorful Christmas mood, and there was a<br />
bountiful buffet that featured all of the kids’ favorite foods. Other Santa’s<br />
helpers who mixed and had fun with the kids as well as the adults there<br />
that day included Hilton <strong>Tokyo</strong>’s community-minded GM Mike Williamson,<br />
who took time to mix with and meet many of the volunteers, including the<br />
Guardian Angels, as well as make a welcome speech. Others included a<br />
face painter, a balloon artist, our regular Dutch Santa Claus Rene Bosman,<br />
talented MC Matthew Ireton, who led the kids in singing Christmas carols,<br />
super talent Steve Haynes who was surrounded by new young fans who<br />
were really in awe over his Rudolph the Reindeer costume. I’d also like to<br />
say thanks to sponsors Sony Pictures, Gaga Tohokushinsha, 20th Century<br />
Fox, Warner Brothers, Disney, Lufthansa and Hertz.<br />
The only problem was one of our staff lost a photo chip, and we’re<br />
missing several important super volunteers pics. These included Matthew<br />
Ireton who always helps so many, Mrs. Hassan, the wife of the Bahrain<br />
Ambassador, Mary Aida and super chic Kyoko Fujisawa, wife of the head<br />
of Yodobashi Camera: We also want to thank the many Ambassadors’<br />
wives and others who were busy that day but did send some great gifts for<br />
the child they were assigned.<br />
OMAN NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION—PALACE HOTEL<br />
Thanks to all concerned to celebrate the 45th National Day of Oman Amb.<br />
Khalid Al-Muslahi and his wife Abeer hosted a midday reception in the<br />
Yamabuki Room at the Palace Hotel. The hosting couple are very popular<br />
and there was a big turnout for their celebration. Khalid is a very professional<br />
diplomat—a little quiet, but very outgoing and personable. Abeer is<br />
a live wire who is really full of energy.<br />
The special couple has children, including one daughter Iman with<br />
FEBRUARY <strong>2016</strong> www.tokyoweekender.com