Making A Better Tokyo American Club (MABT)

Below is the letter telling TAC members their club is reopening. But is it? Please feel free to make your comments below.

Reopening Club Facilities and Services

Dear Member,

We are excited to welcome you back to the Club from June 1.

With the safety of Members and staff our priority, we will reintroduce some preventive measures from before the Club’s temporary closure and establish new protocols as well.

Based upon Japanese government and official health guidelines, the Club has put together a three-phase plan for reopening the facility and its services. Our Phase I measures will take effect from June 1:

• The Club will be open to Members only, from 6am to 10pm daily.
• Members should enter via the B1 Family entrance (open from 6am) or the 1F Formal entrance (open from 11am).
• Temperature screening and membership cards checks will be in effect at both entrances.
• Members must wear a face mask at all times while at the Club (except when eating, swimming, playing squash or showering).
• Valet parking will be unavailable. Members are asked to park themselves, with attendant guidance.
• Social distancing should be followed throughout the facility. Many venues will feature appropriate layouts to enable social distancing.
• To avoid overcrowding, the following venues will require booking through an online and phone reservation system: Fitness Center, Sky Pool, Gymnasium, Squash Courts, 19th Hole, Music Rooms, Kids’ Lounge, O-Zone
• Some recreation and fitness rental equipment will be unavailable.
• The takeout food service will continue, with pickup from Rainbow Café. Food delivery will be discontinued.
• The following venues will remain closed: CHOP Steakhouse, Vista, 220° [Modern Teppan], Bowling Center, Fun Zone, Teen Connection, Jungle Gym, Childcare Center, Logan Room

As we monitor official guidance and adjust our safety measures accordingly over the coming weeks and months, we ask for your patience and understanding.

Details on our phased reopening and safety measures can be found on the Keeping Your Club Safe webpage.

Thank you for your support over the last few weeks, and we look forward to welcoming you back to your Club and community.


Representative Governor
Tokyo American Club

The club leadership has been doing a fantastic job of protecting the members. There is no doubt the volunteer leadership as well as the paid management have put a lot of time and effort into managing around the Wuhan Virus Threat.

Our Tokyo governor and national Prime Minister have decided that we need another month of destroying small businesses, restaurants, hotels, and eliminating more jobs. The TAC leadership has decided to extend the so called State Of Emergency to the club. Members continue to pay dues for a couple months now with no access to our club.

Is this the best decision? Are there other things that can be done? Is it better to keep the club closed to be safe? The opinions of membership may vary, but this is your chance to make suggestions. Please use the comment forms below. Positive, classy suggestions (like our membership) are welcome.

Although we couldn’t say it before for previous leadership, the current club president and many of his leadership have done a great job bringing the club into financial stability and demonstrating a bit more value of being a member of the TAC to all.  Great work!

The previous TAC GM was not very helpful to members.   The new GM of the club also seems to be such a breath of fresh air.

Good things going on at the Tokyo American Club.  When the president terms ends, can we continue to have great leadership?  We hope so.

One of the sales points for being a Tokyo American Club member has been that the club has been
1/3 Japanese Members
1/3 American Members
1/3 Other Nationalities

With the challenges of the disasters in 2011, as well as the major financial planning blunders when building the new club, the membership ratio has changed.

It’s official, the Japanese national membership is now over 50%. Although, it is nice to have an haven away from many ‘Japanese language only’ environments in Tokyo for the foreigners, the biggest group concerned about having too many Japanese is the current Japanese membership. They too want a haven from the public eye.

Now with Japanese over membership over 50%, do we see many differences around the club? Some people have noticed an increase in old Japanese men with their young ‘nieces’ having dinner at the club more. Others have noted that now there are some Japanese membership in the club that don’t speak English.  Does it matter?  As always, that’s something that the Tokyo American Membership will decide.

TAC is trying to prioritize members over the guests that visit our club. Below are changes that will go into effect as a three month trial.

• Guest access to the Club is limited to the first-floor Formal and Family entrances and the B1 Family entrance.
• Guests must be signed in by a Member at one of the entrances. (This is an existing rule that has not been enforced.)
• Guests will receive a guest pass, which acts as a receipt for any guest fees paid.
• Members are required to escort guests at all times while around the Club.
• Management may occasionally request to see Membership credentials or guest passes.

What do you think?

One member comments on the site-

The recent election was a fraud – 14 people ran for nine open board positions – only 4 qualified.

The reason?

A new category, “voting member” so that of 3,500 members only 600 were allowed to vote and even then the votes didn’t count!

It isn’t “our” club when 80% of us are not allowed to vote!

What do you think?