Tokyo Weekender - January 2016

PEOPLE, PARTIES, PLACES | SOCIETY | 29
many other art lovers know.
Norman and the Tolman Collection’s staff always come up with special
exhibitions and interesting ideas to promote their special collection of
paintings and prints by many of Japan’s best known artists.
Toko will turn 103 next year, and I’m happy to see she’s still painting.
To celebrate, Norman was able to get 102 paintings and prints of her work
over the years and that, plus her huge famous mural that permanently
hangs in the lobby of the Conrad Hilton, added up to 103. I had the privilege
of attending the opening reception which was wall-to-wall international
VIPs. Long time friends I hadn’t seen for a long time who were there
included the film world’s Kaz and Fran Kuzui and Gabriel from event
planners Black List.
People I met for the first time, and really enjoyed talking to, included
the famous doctor (at St. Luke’s Hospital) and author (of many medical
and health books), Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara—he’s 104 and still very cool.
Father Grimm of the Franciscan Chapel told me Japan has 60,000 people
who are over 100 years old. Other VIPs at the opening included Mika Mori
of Mori Trust Hotels and Resorts and her daughter Miwako Date who
is President of Conrad Hilton. I stayed in their beautiful Westin Hotel in
Sendai a week after the terrible Tohoku earthquake and tsunami when
I was helping Bill and Matthew Ireton distribute baseball uniforms and
other supplies to several schools that really suffered during that natural
disaster. Back to the reception, I really enjoyed meeting the Conrad Hilton
GM Heinrich Grafe and his super staff. Congratulations to all concerned
on the tremendous success of the exhibition.
SAUDI ARABIA RECEPTION – PALACE HOTEL
It was Saudi Ambassador Ahmed Yonos S. Al Barrak’s first time to host
a big National Day celebration. The occasion was his country’s 85th
National Day and he chose the palatial, completely renovated Palace Hotel
for the well attended, first class midday reception. The ambassador, his
staff and many Saudi students there wore national costumes which really
were perfect for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s special day.
Guests included former sumo champ and great philanthropist
Konishiki and his wonderful wife Chie. In just a few years she learned to
speak, sing and dance Hawaiian, and the busy couple often do musical
shows together. If you ever have the opportunity to see them perform,
don’t miss it. They’re really good. It was also nice seeing popular
politician Yukiko Koike there that day. She attended university in Cairo,
speaks fluent Arabic, and is a real expert on Arab affairs.
I was really surprised (and of course, happy) when two Saudi
students I’ve known for a long time came over and gave me a set of CDs.
They knew I had been a guest of the Shoboshi family when Ambassador
Fawzi was posted here, and I was invited to the five-day culture festival
in Jinadriyah near Riyadh several years ago. The festival was truly
fantastic and the Saudi National Guard’s hospitality marvelous. My new
CDs are a collection of the music of the festival over the years, and I
listen to them almost every day. Talk about great memories of
a travel experience I’ll never forget. The festival will be in
February this year.
SPECIAL PEOPLE
So lucky to meet so many great people through the column and plan on
writing more about them this year. My sincerest thanks to Director/Producer
Karen Severns of Kismet Productions and her husband Koichi Mori
for their help in helping me set up a screening of Tsukasa Shiga’s feature
film “Boku ha Bousan” (“I Am a Monk”) at the Foreign Correspondents’
Club. The film produced by Tsukasa Shiga was one of the many projects
he did to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of his company, Ceremony. There
are plans to show it with English subtitles. I’ll let you know when I know.
Thanks as well to Gene Pele who once again donated all kinds of fun
T-shirts for my annual boxes to unfortunate people in the Philippines
at Christmas time. Thanks to so many of you who let me bring Swiss
medical student Michel Bielecki to many of the events I was invited to.
Michel, whose father is a famous doctor in Zurich, loves Japan and thanks
to several friends in high places here I was able to get him into a special
program at Keio for several months. He made a lot of friends, and worked
hard while he was here. He also taught me quite a bit about operating my
iPad, including setting up my blog. He returned to Europe mid-December,
will complete his studies there, and hopes to come back here several times
a year to work on a project on traditional Japanese handicrafts he’s set up.
Another great happening because he was here was meeting and getting
to know his super mom who was a top model in Europe at one time, and
is still the epitome of chic, as well as being super cool. I’m so lucky with
people. Thanks to Michel, I also met American photographer Anthony
Wood, his wife Junko and son Kenji, who came to my house with lots of
equipment and took some interesting photos. Anthony’s really good—I
loved the photos and if you need any special pics, I strongly recommend
you contact him. Tel: 080-2107-8690 or anthony@anthonywood.net.
I really enjoyed a lunch at the Grand Hyatt’s Oakwood restaurant with
two of my talented friends: the movie business’s Georgina Pope (she’s
from Australia) and top British DJ Guy Perryman. They are both interesting
and fun people who are both super busy, so I really enjoyed our
time, and the delicious crab cake and New York cheesecake at the popular
restaurant. Georgina had one of her films in the Venice Film Festival and
has just finished shooting a short film with Elizabeth Moss from the TV
series “Mad Men”—the popular actress was here last summer shooting
a segment of TV’s highly rated “Girls.” Watch for Georgina’s specials on
Japanese films on NHK. She gave me some interesting news about the
entertainment industry and the NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) that
actors, actresses, and others in the film business have to sign when they go
to work on a new project.
In addition to all his regular DJ gigs, Guy is very busy on a big project
for Refugees International. The event will be held on the night of February
5, on the 27th floor of the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel. This is the second
year Guy’s done this. At last year’s “Night on Broadway,” we had a huge
success and I’m sure this year’s “Night in Hollywood” will be as well.
Delta Airlines is a big supporter of this worthwhile project. For
information, call 03-3407-1145. A few months back, it was a
busy night at National Azabu, where guests enjoyed the best
in barbecued lamb, delicious hamburgers, great ham, and
Bonito’s paella. There was a fine selection of wines for the
adults and special desserts for the kids. Staff members of
the popular store provided the great live jazz music.
Big Pictures President Mark Fuoti and the US Embassy’s
Lt. Col. Joe Sweeney at Hiroo Segafredo
Boris and fashion guru John Bosworth
at Hiroo Segafredo
French wine dealer Philippe Sauzedde and friend
at Hiroo Segafredo
www.tokyoweekender.com JANUARY 2016