Volume 39, Number 07
Partyline
I’m a strong believer in the lyrics of one of Barbara Streisand’s biggest hits—“people who like people are the luckiest people in the world.” With my work at the Weekender, the New Lex, with film companies, travelling, and the helpa of friends, I feel I’m really lucky to meet and get to know so many great people from all walks of life. In just the last few weeks I have partied with pop singer Hilary Duff, talked with Celine Dion, partied with L.A.–based band Maroon 5, and Spanish pop group Shine, met the personable President of Croatia, and met with people from all over the world here for Foodex as well as a group of Brazilian fashion designers and models.
There were lots of “the top models from all over the world” (just ask them) here for fashion week. Thanks to Tokyo’s top security man, Nester Takamiyagi, I took a couple of cool people from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Tak Abe (who heads the late and great film director Akira Kurosawa’s operations in the US) to the ‘east meets west’ musical revue at the Kaguwa Theatre in Roppongi. They loved the lively show.
I also caught the last night Tokyo show of Chico and the Gypsies at the Blue Note. The eight Latinos, each with a guitar, had the full house clapping, shouting, standing and dancing. The sounds and acting brought back some great memories of Saturday nights at the Calderon Ballroom with Mexican friends in Phoenix Arizona. What’s mostly salsa now, was mostly mambo then. Whatever, the energy and enthusiasm was, and still is there.
I was with Bill and Charo Ireton, Bill’s mom Kiko, and daughter Roberta, home from London for five weeks. She studies at the Central Saint Martin’s there. After the show we got together with Blue Note and Cotton Club President Yohsuke Itoh, and K-Dash Co. (promotions) Chairman Tatsuo Kawamura. These men are both leaders in their fields.
Yohsuke has a super schedule of top artists booked for shows at the Blue Note and Cotton Club. Check them out. Tatsuo is right at the top for artist management with clients that include actors Ken Watanabe and Tsuyoshi Ihara.
As most of you probably know, the legendary US aircraft carrier U.S.S. Kitty Hawk will soon leave Japan for the last time. Once the ship gets back to the US it will, after many years of service be decommissioned and replaced by the U.S.S George Washington. Some of the really nice crew of the Kitty Hawk who party at the New Lex have been bringing me all kinds of cool souvenirs—baseball caps, coffee mugs, T-shirts, wall plagues, etc. These will always bring back great memories.
Still on the Kitty Hawk and the US military in general. The huge carrier has a crew of over 5000. That’s about 500 more people than the population of Perrysburg, Ohio where I grew up. Wherever you have that many people—at a school, club, village, etc. You’re going to have a few troublemakers. Please remember that and don’t blame all members of any large group for what a relatively few do. That’s just not right. By far the most military guys, as well as most others I meet, don’t make a lot of problems, and really are good people.
A few months ago Mitsuo and Lilo Maruyama, along with their son Helge, hosted their always much anticipated New Year Chinese Dinner Party at the Hilton Tokyo’s Dynasty restaurant. The guest list included, as you can see by the photos, over 80of our city’s movers and shakers—good people all. The endless varieties of everyone’s favourite Chinese foods was superb. It was, as always with the Maruyamas, a very special event. In addition to being one of the most travelled couples in the world, Lilo and Mitsuo are certainly one of the top hosting couples in Japan.
I was happy to hear that the Latin Beat Festival was a big success. I went to the opening reception and enjoyed seeing a lot of long-time friends, and meeting some interesting people for the first time as well. My only regret was that I had a tight schedule that day and had to leave before the special guest, Mexican actor Diego Luna arrived.
Like most foreign films in Japan, the films were in the language of the country where they were produced, with Japanese subtitles, so I passed on some really worthwhile movies that I would have liked to have seen. I did however pick up several of these at Borders bookshop in Honolulu recently and enjoyed them all.
Sorry the weather wasn’t better for the International School of Sacred Heart’s Family Festival. It rained pretty hard, but even so, there was a good turnout for the popular annual event.
The main attraction included a full schedule of entertainment by the school bands, and a taiko group. The international food booths were representing the UK and Ireland, Vietnam, Scandinavia, USA, Taiwan, Japan, South America, Thailand, India, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Korea, Sri Lanka, Poland and Palestine. There was great French food as well at the award wining Hilton Tokyo’s Twenty Ones Dining Booth. It was fun for all with a tots’ playground, book sale, bouncy castle, white elephant sale, games and a raffle.
Our Canadian friends are really moving up on the international music scene. A perfect example was Hayashi International Promotions’ (HIP) completely sold out concerts of Celine Dion at Tokyo Dome. Other big Canadian artists include top selling foreign artist Avril Lavigne and Sum 41.
I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot more of the many up and coming artists who were here to participate in the first-ever Canadian music industry trade mission to Japan (CIRPA). Guests at the several days long event were able to enjoy a live showcase at the Canadian Embassy’s Oscar Peterson Theater, and meet and mingle with the artists at the reception after. The event also featured presentations by many of Canada’s leading record labels and a trade market fair. I enjoyed chatting with a lot of cool Canadians including singer Justin Nozuka. I had actually met Justin’s brother, George, and the laid-back Canadian-Japanese when his producer Howie D of the Backstreet Boys and Sony brought him to the New Lex. George, who was promoting his single that time, was back in Japan recently to open the Backstreet Boys sold out concerts. The CIRPA event was interesting and fun. Congratulations to the Canadian Embassy music man Sebastian Mair and the many others who worked so hard to make it the big success it was. The evening also gave me the opportunity to check out photgrapher Benjamin Lee’s great photo exhibition at the embassy gallery.
Speaking of success it was a real privilege to be included in the group of prestigious people invited to the 90th birthday party of the legendary Nancy Chih Ma. It was wall-to-wall with people at the top of the Tokyo American Club (before they moved). Special guests included HIH Princess Takamado, actress, singer, designer Judy Ongg, and Taiwanese actress Madame Yang. The Mas showed up in full force with Nancy’s sons and daughters, their children, and some of their children. There was a very meaningful congratulatory speech by Princess Takamado, and Nancy was surrounded by family and friends when she cut a big beautiful birthday cake made of manju.
Nancy and her family have really gone all out to make my life more interesting and fun. I got to know HIH Prince and Princess Mikasa better through them, and also met many of their friends including Chin Ho who built the first luxury hotel (the Ilikai in Hawaii), and Fu Jei (the brother of the last emperor of China). I was also, I might add, a guest at the last bears claw dinner in Japan at Nancy’s world famous Chinese restaurant. The lady, as you can see by the photos, looks great. She’s a wonderful friend, and truly a great lady in everyway. Love and congratulations on this very special occasion.
Sorry I had to miss Mr. and Mrs. Micky Haxhislami’s party to celebrate the independence of Kosovo. I did have the opportunity to congratulate them at the reception for Croatian President Stjepan Mesic.
US Ambassador Thomas Schieffer and his wife Susanne certainly keep busy. They recently flew to Ft. Worth, Texas, for a 50th anniversary of Texas pianist Van Cliburn’s winning the Tchaikovsky award in Moscow. That was big news during the Cold War.
Others on the move include legendary Egyptian Hotelier Mustafa Issa. After 37 years with Hyatts all over the world. (Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand, Saipan, Guam and Osaka). He’s leaving the company and going to London where he’s now General Manager of the beautifully located (near Bond and Oxford Street) and prestigious Millennium Mayfair Hotel. Like all who know him, I will greatly miss this great guy, great friend and wish him all the best in his new executive position.
I watched Larry King’s interview with Janet Jackson on CNN the other day and she seems to have mellowed out since I did a birthday party for her a few years ago! Her security was obnoxious. Going back a bit, quite a bit, I took Janet and her, at that time, Latino dancer live-in boyfriend Rene, to “her first discotheque”. She eventually married Rene and ended up in one of those nasty showbiz divorces.
I do remember when she was here with her mother Kathryn and sister Latoya. Believe it or not, Janet was backup singer for Latoya at the time at the annual Yamaha Music Festival. Watch for Janet next year. After a seven-year break, she’s planning on an international concert tour.