News
Club to Honor Former US Ambassador
Former US Ambassador to Japan John Roos will receive the Club's Distinguished Achievement Award at a presentation ceremony on June 20.
Roos, who served as America's top diplomat in Japan between 2009 and 2013, is being recognized for his efforts to strengthen US-Japan ties.
He became the first US ambassador to visit Hiroshima (2010) and Nagasaki (2012) on the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of the cities.
In 2011, he led the American mission to support the recovery efforts following the devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
Two months before that tragic event, Roos, in his capacity as honorary president of the Club, spoke at the official opening of the Azabudai facility (pictured).
Previous recipients of the Distinguished Achievement Award include astronaut Koichi Wakata, mountaineer Junko Tabei and literary scholar Donald Keene.
US Track Stars to Visit Club
Team USA's top sprinters are set to visit the Club on May 9.
The athletes, who will compete at the IAAF World Relays in Yokohama from May 11 to 12, will drop by the Winter Garden for an evening meet and greet with Members.
Among the star-studded squad are 11 world medalists and three 2016 Olympic medalists, including world 100-meter champion Tori Bowie, IAAF Diamond League 200-meter champ Noah Lyles (pictured), Courtney Okolo, who won gold in Rio in the 4-x-400-meter relay, and five-time Olympic medalist Justin Gatlin.
At this Club-exclusive event, Members of all ages will have a chance to meet and chat with their track heroes.
For the duration of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which runs from July 24 to August 9, the Club will serve as USA House, the hospitality hub of Team USA.
Photo: Photo Run
Members Select Seasonal Wines
California dominated at the Club's most recent Seasonal Wine Taste-Off.
More than 80 Members voted for their favorite wines at this biannual tasting on April 16.
From a lineup of 12 red wines and 12 whites, Joseph Drouhin's 2017 Chablis Réserve de Vaudon was chosen as the Club's seasonal white for May to July and a 2016 California Zinfandel from Michael David Winery's flagship brand, The Seven Deadly Zins, as the seasonal red.
The seasonal white for August to October is Francis Ford Coppola Winery's 2017 Director's Cut Chardonnay, while another Golden State wine, Cannonball's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, was crowned the seasonal red for the same period.
Club Set to Welcome Team USA
After months of negotiations, Tokyo American Club and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) have finalized the contract for the Club to be the venue for USA House during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The Club will serve as Team USA's hospitality hub during the Summer Games, which run from July 24 to August 9 next year.
"This event promises to be a truly historic moment for our Club and full of unique opportunities and experiences for Members," said Michael Alfant, the Club's representative governor, in an e-mail to Members.
In the lead-up to the Olympics, the Club expects to welcome a number of different US teams and athletes as they perform in test events at the various venues.
Club Enhances Food Offerings
Members eating at the Club's first-floor restaurants will see improved and new items on menus from February 1.
Burger lovers will enjoy succulent patties of chuck, clod and brisket, inspired by a recipe by New York celebrity butcher Pat LaFrieda.
“This fantastic mix brings a deeper beef flavor to our burgers,” says Lindsay Gray, the Club’s executive chef, of the chargrill-friendly patty blend.
Diners at Rainbow Café and Café Med can expect juicier rib eye and strip loin steaks, made from US Choice-grade, corn- and grain-fed beef.
The Club's pastry and bread selection now includes sourdough, 10-grain whole wheat and gluten-free chickpea and fava bean options, as well as freshly baked croissants and pains au chocolat.
Meanwhile, the Club's new supplier of eggs is Atsumi Farm in Aichi Prefecture, which feeds its hens a nutritious diet of corn grain, oak sap, Japanese mugwort leaves and seaweed.
