Bill Hersey’s Partyline October 1975
PEOPLE
First, our sincerest congratulations to Mr. Rossignol of Air France and the other sponsors of the fabulous French Show held throughout Japan (at the Imperial in Tokyo) during the past two weeks.
Nice to have Charles and Terry Van der Sloot from the Dutch Embassy back. They spent two of the summer months in Europe with their son who’s attending school in London.
Algerian Artist on visit in Tokyo
Another enjoyable meeting over coffee with Mustapha Dadou of the Algerian Embassy and the world renown Algerian artist, FARES BOUKHATEM. Fares, who is General-Secretary of the Painter’s Association in Algeria, was invited to show collection of his work in Japan. He first started painting in 1956.
After Algeria won its independence, the President who had been chief of the liberation army, sent Fares to Prague where he attended the Academy of Arts for two years. His paintings are much in demand all over the world; there are three in the National Museum at Peking where he held an exhibition in 1966, and several in museums in the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. He also has paintings in the private collections of Mrs. Gandhi, the President of Tunisia and even Fidel Castro.
On a more personal note, Wed., Oct. 1, was the date for a surprise birthday party that pretty and talented Maria Cristina held for her friend and teacher Regina Doi in the home and garden of the Ethiopian Ambassador. Somehow more than 50 guest managed to keep the secret, and Regina’s surprise alone made the party well worth attending.
PARTIES
Another party, this one at the New Otani, where Greek Ambassador Themistocles Chrysanthopoulous’ many friends gathered to bid him sayonara. The Ambassador well liked by all who met him left for Ottawa where he’ll become Ambassador to Canada.
Still another sayonara party – this one, cocktails at the Jewish Community Center to say goodbye to Capt. Uri Sagi, director of operations in the Far East for Zim Container Service. At the same time, we had the opportunity to meet and welcome his successor, Capt. Aharon Stark.
On Thurs., Oct. 2, the Nigerian Embassy held a reception at the New Otani to celebrate their Republic Day. It was a colorful and interesting gathering with many of the Nigerian community waring their native costumes.
Republic of Korea Ambassador and Mrs. Young Sun Kim Held a reception at the Imperial Hotel to celebrate their National Day. Bad weather didn’t stop their many friends in the diplomatic corps and the Japanese and foreign community from stopping by to congratulate them.
The Fuji Room was packed with well-wishers. Color was added to the crowd by the many beautiful Korean women in their national dress. Just to mention a few of the many important people there, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Westlake of the British Embassy, Col. Karl Wiegand and wife Mona of the American Embassy, Ambassador and Mrs. Osmo Lares of Finland and Colonel Basant Mullick, the Military Attaché for the Embassy of India.
Then a bit later, Ambassador and Mrs. Horst Brie hosted a reception at the New Otani Hotel for the anniversary of the foundation of the German Democratic Republic. Mrs. Brie wore a black lame dress for the occasion and was very elegant as she and her husband greeted the many guests that evening. It was a warm, congenial affair that gave me a chance to visit with some people I hadn’t seen for some time.
Moroccan Ambassador Abdeslam Tadlaoui, just returned from a business trip, looked as if he had arranged to sneak in a day in the sun while he was gone. New Zealand Ambassador T.C. Larkin told me he was happy to report the recent N.Z. promotion was a smashing success. I was very glad to have the chance to meet Mrs. Larkin who really resembles film star Glenda Jackson.
Cogenial Italian Ambassador Carlo Perrone Capano was there as was Ghana Ambassador and Mrs. Amato and Zaire Ambassador Mulamba Nyunyu wa Kadima. Important Japanese guests included Kazuaki Hoshina, a director of Sumitomo, and Masashi Ishibashi, secretary-general of the Japan Socialist Party.
Another well-attended diplomatic affair was the 13th Independence Anniversary of Uganda at the Takanawa Prince Hotel. Samu-soft T. Bigombe, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Uganda Embassy, was on hand to greet friends from the diplomatic and business communties here in Tokyo. Ambassador Al-Ghousseln of Kuwait, just back from presenting his credentials in Australia, was there as were Ambassador and Mrs. George M. Nhigula of the Tanzanian Embassy. The U.S. Embassy was well represented with Consul Howard Jackson and his wife Dorothy.
Recent arrivals to Tokyo, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Lamb were also on hand. Japanese guests included Yutaka Shinoda of the Mainichi Newspapers, Akio Onishi of Onishi Printing Company, and Kohki Tejima of NTV. Tejima spent two years in Uganda, and told me NTV has invited two Ugandan TV technicians here to study. This was one of those parties where everyone moved around and met everyone else.
