Bill Hersey’s Partyline October 1981

This week, let’s go back to Wednesday the 1st and over to the Okura where Dunhill was hosting a luncheon press conference to introduce their new quartz watch range. A. A. Greener, president of Alfred Dunhill Ltd., was here for the occasion. John Hurter, merchandising manager, Far East for Dunhill Ltd., made a dynamic presentation of the prestigious new line. This was followed by a superb buffet. The watches are available at Dunhill’s outlets throughout Japan.

I had planned on going to Martin and Noriko Barrow’s home the next evening for a big sayonara bash they were throwing, but got tied up with people in Roppongi and never did make it. In talking with Wes Benson later, learned that there were about 350 people who did make it, including such people as Prince Tomohito Mi-kasa and his fiance Nobuko Aso, international star Toshiro Mifune and some of Japan’s top sumo wrestlers.

The people I was involved with in Roppongi were also very interesting: film actor Richard Gere, film writer and director Paul Schrader, Richard’s friends, Brazilian artist “Sylvia” and TV personality Kay Ana. Richard and Paul were here to promote the film “American Gigolo,” Sylvia to keep Richard company and to shop. We were at The Lexington and she wanted to dance. Richard said, “I’m not a dancer; I’m a lover,” and with that, they decided to leave. I stayed on as we had scheduled a party for Daryl Hall and John Oates, coming over after their Shinjuku concert.

Japanese actor-director Katsu Shintaro was there that evening and asked me if I could line up a couple of young foreign couples for a disco scene he was filming next a.m. at The Samba. I found the couples and somehow got them over there at 10 a.m. Sunday. I wasn’t all that happy about getting up and out, but once I got there and found out Judy Ongg was the star of the film, that made it worth while. I hadn’t seen Judy for quite some time and in between takes we had a chance to sit around and rap. She’s a very talented and lovely woman.

That evening Michi Otagaki had invited friends for the opening party of his new “singles bar” Ladybug. The new decor is very high tech with lots of chrome, neon and blinking lights. The crowd there was fun and included dancers, fashion models, musicians and some of Japan’s most successful young businessmen. They were video-taping the happenings and showing them on a large TV a few minutes later. The exhibitionists were having a ball!

It’s a comfortable place. The food and drinks are reasonably priced and from the looks of things, there’ll always be an interesting crowd. Check it out Ladybug is near Harajuku Crossing on the 5th floor of the Ga-Z Building. The address is 6-5-3 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, tel. 400-2100.

• Paul Rose of Folio Agency been doing some jet-setting himself. He was a judge in Monte Carlo for the Ford Model Agency contest pageant. visited London, Paris and Rome and stopped over in New York for Jerry Ford’s birthday party before returning to Tokyo.