News
Toastmasters Winner Crowned
Member Makoto Ishiwata (pictured) triumphed at the recent TAC Toastmasters Club speech contest.
He will now compete at the Toastmasters area contest, which will be held at the Club on March 26.
If successful there, Ishiwata would progress to the regional competition, with the chance of competing on the national and international stages.
At the Club competition, Member Mika Yamada finished in second place.
Established in 2013, the TAC Toastmasters Club (one of more than 15,000 similar clubs in 135 countries) draws people looking to improve their public speaking and leadership skills at twice-monthly meetings.
Remembering Kikuko Ireton
The woman who introduced the world to Japanese film, Kikuko Ireton, passed away on January 26 at the age of 87.
Ireton joined the Club in 1953, the same year she and her husband, American Glenn Ireton, founded Far East Film News, the first English-language trade paper, later known as Movie/TV Marketing, covering the regional motion picture business.
The publishing pioneers were also instrumental in introducing Japanese films at major international festivals and hosted top Hollywood executives during their visits to Japan.
Kikuko Ireton continued consulting for the motion picture industry up until her death.
She is survived by her son, William, and daughter, Asia.
Gearing Up for Super Bowl LI
The Club is set to host another exciting morning of Super Bowl fun on February 6.
This season's climax sees the New England Patriots take on the Atlanta Falcons at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
It will be New England's seventh Super Bowl in 16 years and Atlanta's first appearance since the 1998 season.
Football fans and those just looking to soak up the Super Bowl atmosphere can join the Club's main event, complete with buffet breakfast and prizes, in the New York Ballroom or head to Traders' Bar for a more low-key affair.
A perennially popular event in the Club calendar, Super Bowl brings together Members for a memorable celebration of an all-American sporting tradition.
Women's Group to Donate ¥8.8 Million to Charities
The Club's Women's Group will distribute ¥8.8 million to local charities in 2017.
Of the funds to be donated, ¥2.3 million was raised through the International Bazaar (pictured), the group's annual three-day sale in November.
The organizations to receive monetary support include A Dream a Day in Tokyo, HELP women's shelter, Family House, Sanyukai homeless shelter, Second Harvest Japan, the Japan Association for UNHCR, the Asian Rural Institute and a College Women's Association of Japan scholarship program.
"These donations are very important, and we receive a lot of appreciation letters," said Tomomi Fujita, chair of the Women's Group's charities committee. "For example, we donate ¥100,000 to Sanyukai every year, which they use for over-the-counter drugs for the homeless."
The Women's Group's next fundraiser is its annual Carpet Auction on February 4.
CHOP to Renovate Bar
CHOP Steakhouse will open the doors to its remodeled bar on January 11.
The stylish, inviting space will feature a wood-topped bar counter with four chairs, along with bottle displays and beer taps.
Nathan Baggs, the Club's beverage director, says the bar design encourages socializing among Members while they enjoy a pre-dinner drink or casual midweek meal.
"The new CHOP Bar will provide a speedier service, more opportunities for Members to interact with one another and a sophisticated alternative to Traders’ Bar," he said.
The bar is designed by Tokyo-based design firm Scandinavian Modern.
