Dear members,
As Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister prepares to ride off into the sunset, the Liberal Democratic Party is agog over who will be the next Prime Minister and which senior lawmakers will finally get that sought-after post in the cabinet after years of waiting. Hardly less momentous than the successor to Shinzo Abe is the appointment of committee chairs to work on all aspects of FCCJ activities.
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It is my very great honor and pleasure to have been appointed President of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in this, our 75th anniversary year. For those who don’t know me, I’m a reporter with Bloomberg News and I’ve worked in Tokyo for more than 20 years. Dear members, The life of my 2019-2020 Board has been inadvertently extended by nearly two months, thanks to the complicated election system imposed on us by the Shadan Hojin Law. A certain voting percentage is now essential for any candidate to be elected. When members fail to vote in sufficient numbers, the Club and our staff consume much-needed resources on establishing the new Board of Directors. Dear Members, I assume that some Members will have read the recent mail saying I will soon be leaving Japan and hence have stepped down as president of the FCCJ. Dear FCCJ members, The FCCJ is emerging from the coronavirus lockdown to face new challenges, not the least of which is to put the Club onto a sounder financial footing by extending our professional and social activities. As we prepare to upgrade our operations in the Club to the "new normal" of reduced hours, distanced tables at the Bar, temperature checks and name registration at the entrance, etc., we are hoping Japan will flatten the curve and get out from the coronavirus soon along with the world. Dear Members, The Club was happy to host the Japan National Softball Team in September, in what should be another in a series of events in the run up to next year’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Five players attended the evening on Sept. 11, along with the head coach and other officials. We set off a space for the team to show their skills and I can testify that while the ball may be pitched underhand, it certainly moves fast. The team autographed balls for lottery winners, one of which is now in the Club’s display cabinet along with an autographed bat. |
