PEOPLE THE MERICS RETURN TO TURKEY  After three and a half years in Japan, Turkish Ambassador Ahmet  Bulent Meric and his Japanese…

PEOPLE MIN-ON SPONSORS SOUTH AFRICAN BOYS CHOIR  Over the years, Soka Gakkai, through its music subsidiary the Min-On Concert Association, has given…

PEOPLE   WARNER BROTHERS PRESS CONFERENCE FOR CHRISTOPHER NOLAN  The big Academy Hills room on the 49th floor of the Mori Tower was wall-to-wall with enthusiastic…

PEOPLE ROTARY CLUB MEMORIAL CONCERT  FOR GRACE SAITO  I enjoyed a superb Japanese lunch at the Peninsula recently with Saitama business tycoon…

PAKISTAN’S NATIONAL DAY AND AMBASSADOR AMIL’S SAYONARA  The National Day event was at the Okura Hotel and his sayonara was at his sixth…

PEOPLE RIP, WAYNE GRACZYK  Our condolences to the friends and family of Wayne Graczyk,  a long-time member of the Tokyo Weekender family,…

THE ESCALAS SAY SAYONARA There was a long line waiting outside the Peruvian embassy to say sayonara to the popular Peruvian Ambassador…

The multi-talented — and super nice — Steven Hayes will release his latest CD, titled High Heels, on May 24. The music’s…

PEOPLE I’m a good customer of the Natural Lawson Store in Tomigaya. During my stay at the Saiseikai Hospital a few years ago, Takeshi…

PEOPLE 2016 was a tough year with the loss of a lot of people I had the privilege of knowing. These included superstars…