Bill Hersey’s Partyline, October 1986

Thursday night, the 23rd, and I just came home from the Tokyo Hilton. I had a break tonight, so thought I’d go over to the hotel’s fitness center, have a light workout and sauna and come home and sack out early. What I didn’t realize was that the more than 200 participants in the 40th World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships, which was held Sunday, the 26th, were staying at the Hilton. After seeing the bods that were working out in the gym I decided to put that off until next time, and ended up wrapping up in a towel and sitting in the corner of the sauna. Enough of my fitness experiences, here are my October highlights.

Attolicos’ reception for Italian Film Festival folks

Glamor galore at the resident of Italian Ambassador and Mrs. Bartolomeo Attolico when they hosted a reception on the occasion of the Italian Film Festival here. Toshiro Mifune said he was busy preparing for his next film, and that the next morning he was leaving for a tennis club outside of Tokyo for the charity tennis tournament he had organized with proceeds going to UNICEF.

 In talking with Italian actress Giulia Boschi, I learned we really have a lot of mutual friends. She had just completed work in Sicily where she performed for director Michael Cimino and co-starred with actor Christopher Lambert (“Greystoke, the Legend of Tarzan”) on the film “The Sicilian.” From Tokyo she was flying to Peking and planned on a month in China to brush up on her Chinese which she studied in college. I gave her an introductory note to Chinese actor John Lone who is working in Peking with Bertolucci. I hope they were able to get together.

Frankly, I wish whomever handled the publicity for the Italian film festival would have worked a little harder at it. There some very good films shown, but few people I talked with had heard much about it. Oh well, perhaps next year.

Barcia’s reception for Spain’s National Day

It was also quite a night Oct. 17 at the residence of Spanish Ambassador and Senora Camilo Barcia where they were hosts at a reception to celebrate Spain’s National Day—or “La Fiesta Nacional y Dia de la Hispanidad.” Before the guest of honor — Spain’s Princess Elena — arrived, the residence was already wall-to-wall people with many others out on the veranda. They young princess — tall and fashionable—must have shaken a thousand hands that evening.

Seiji Tsutsumi, President of Seibu Department Stores, told me how much Barbara Teraoka (who looked great in kimono) had helped Seibu in sales and development. Japan’s top Spanish dancer, Shoji Kojima, was there and many of the guests were looking forward to his recital which was a few days later.

U.S. Ambassador and Mrs. Mike Mansfield introduced me to the new Philippine Ambassador and Mrs. Ramon V. del Rosario whom I, in turn, introduced to Coca-Cola’s John and Jo Ann Walter. The Walters, as you know, will be moving to Manila in mid-December when John will become President of the Coca-Cola Bottlers there. John and Jo Ann are two people who can make friends and get along wherever they are, but, boy, will they be missed here in Tokyo!

It’ll be a big change for them, but once they get settled, I’m sure the they’ll love the Philippines and the Filipino people as much as I. More on John and Jo Ann and their plans later.

At the Spanish party, I also enjoyed meeting the new Bolivian Ambassador, Arnold Hofman-Bang Soleto, a medical doctor in addition to being a diplomat. I am sorry to learn that Chilean Ambassador Eduardo Bravo and his wife Maria Amelia will soon be leaving. What’s more, we have more diplomatic departures as Polish Ambassador Wojciech Chabasinski and Turkish Ambassador Nurver Nures and his wife Aydan will be pulling up stakes. All good friends; we just hate to see them go, but that is all a part of the Tokyo’s ever-changing diplomatic and social scene.

Pope John Paul II anniversary feted

On Wednesday, Oct. 22, the Apostolic Pro-Nuncio Archbishop William Aquin Carew hosted a reception at the Apostolic Nunciature on the occasion of the Eighth Anniversary of the Inauguration of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope John Paul II. I remember last year it was raining in the morning and cleared up by noon just in time for the reception. At that time I mentioned to Archbishop Carew “that Somebody up there likes you.” It was hard to believe, but on the 22nd once again it was rainy and gloomy all morning, but by the time of the reception at noon the weather had cleared up and was fine. I believe it was one of the ambassadors who said, “It pays to have good connections.” He’s right.

A buffet of mostly Italian foods had been set up in the garden, and the many guests enjoyed the relaxed, informal mood of the celebration and appreciated the opportunity of being there with the host and his staff on that very special day.

Yamaha World Popular Song Festival

Once again my sincerest thanks to the Yamaha Music Foundation for their invitations to the welcome reception, the World Popular Song Festival and the sayonara party after. All were colorful events that offered the chance to meet top performers from all over the world. In this year’s competition, there were 13 performers representing ten nations and five finalists from Japan. The finalists were selected from among 2,072 entries from 58 countries. The five from Japan were chosen from over 3,000 entries.

The stage setting at Budokan, as always, was spectacular and it’s difficult to imagine the number of people and all the work involved in setting up the futuristic stage designed by Keiko Miyake. The program was masterfully emceed by Judy Ongg and Tsunehiko Kamijo and each artist showed individuality in performing songs especially written for them.

As in all contests, there were winners and losers, but everyone had the right attitude realizing they had be good to be among the finalists and appreciating the opportunity to come to Japan and working with and meeting others in their field.

Stacy Lattisaw of the U.S. and Kenji Ono of Japan won the two Grand Prix ($10,000 each). I thought Liu Xinru of China had a great voice and also felt Harvey Malaeholo of Indonesia really deserved his prize of $3,000 for the Best Singer Award. Kate from Norway was fun and out-going, the three girls from Mexico who make up the group Pandora warm and friendly.

Anne Pigalle of France was marvelously camp, Eros Ramazotti of Italy very Italian, and Sandra Kim of Belgium (just 14) a real doll. I was happy to see Marie Henriette Depasse, wife of the Belgian Ambassador, there to cheer Sandra on. Frankly, embassy support of the Festival didn’t seem to be nearly what it should have been.

Another first was a special certificate of honor presented to Genichi Kawakami, President of the Yamaha Music Foundation, by Terry Cline, President, The Jim Halsey Co. Inc., out of Tulsa, Okla., on behalf of the International Federation of Festival Organizations. Once again the World Popular Song Festival (the 17th) proved that “Yamaha Speaks the Language Everyone Knows — Music.”

IN TOWN