Dear Membership:

I hope your Golden Week is going well, and the holidays have been fruitful. We are now on special hours of Club operation, but I’m happy to share that the number of membership applications is rising, which is a tribute to our great events and committees that were well represented at the March General Membership Meeting. This Board of Directors has less than two months left in our tenure before the next election, but there is still much to do and opportunities for all. I hope many of you will consider running for office and contributing to the Club in a leadership role when elections are held in June.

As noted by our Finance Committee, increasing membership and initiation fee intake - which as of February was ¥8 million higher on a year-on-year basis - are essential to improving our fiscal position, along with pushing our outreach efforts. We are considering proposing changes to our fee structure, which we will share before June, but the intention is to expand membership and in particular the number of Regular journalist members.

Many members' most direct contact with the Club is made through our bar and restaurants. Our vendor aims to support the return of more PAC lunches, a key touchpoint to the community that we serve. These events have not really recovered their past glory since our move to the Nijubashi Building, and I believe that, with the right PAC speakers, members would have greater return on their lunch or dinner investment.

Finally, I’d like to outpoint a few events this month that are worth your time and attendance. On May 8, we will host a screening of I’m His Daughter, a documentary about Rika Matsumoto, the daughter of Shoko Asahara, the executed former leader of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult. The film's director, Yo Nagatsuka, will be on hand to answer questions. On May 14, we will host a Book Break with artist Allan West on his Nihonga experience. And to cap a great month, there will be a tribute to longtime FCCJ staff member Mohammad Hanif, who has retired after 46 years at the Club. In addition to members and guests, we will invite former staff who worked with Hanif, and offer a variety of photos, remembrances, and even merchandise celebrating one of the Club's best-known faces. Make your reservation soon, as it’s certain to be a full house.

All the best,

Dan Sloan
President, FCCJ