Our Exciting 30th Anniversary Party! - I’m looking forward to a big feast where anything goes

“It’s only a few more nights until...” This time I’m not counting down to New Year’s, but I’m counting down until Sound House’s 30th Anniversary Party. I’m proud of myself for picking Tokushima as the location to hold. Everyone asks, “Most of the staff members work in Narita, but why did you choose to hold the party in Tokushima?” It doesn’t matter. This will probably be the first and last time we will have the chance to bring everyone together in one place. So for no particular reason, I decided to hold the big feast in Tokushima.

It was not easy preparing for this big event. We had to make reservations for flights and hotels for more than 100 staff members, however, the budget airline Jetstar Japan has flights from Narita to Takamatsu, so we could save some money on flights. For those flying from Haneda, we were able to secure cheaper tickets even from the full-service Japan Airlines, thanks to their discount fare for purchasing tickets three months prior to travel. Still, it was quite a lot of work to make all these reservations. Securing hotel rooms was also pretty hard. Since I had stayed at Grand Palace hotels at least 200 times over the past eight years and was a frequent guest, we were able to secure rooms at three of their hotels immediately. We were even able to reserve the whole hotel at one of their locations. That’s a lot of rooms!

In addition, we were able to reserve the best banquet hall in Tokushima, the Pacific Harbor, for the ceremony. Let me first preface this by emphasizing that Sound House is a company that never wastes money. Therefore, we have never rented a venue for company parties before. Company parties where all employees attend were always held at our own facilities. Sound House is a company who really is careful about spending money. The parties that we have held and spent money on previously are: The party with a live concert after running the first Tokyo Marathon, where I had everyone who came all the way from Narita to cheer me on at a music club we rented out in Meguro, Tokyo; there was also the party at the luxury restaurant Il Teatro at the Four Seasons Hotel (now Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo), where I invited all the full and part-time female staff members from our Logistics Group to enjoy an exquisite dinner. These two events were not company-wide parties, and only those who wished to attend actually came. Therefore, a big party like this 30th Anniversary Party is just a rarity for us.

This is going to be our first and last big banquet, so I want everyone attending to enjoy themselves to the fullest. It’s totally fine to take a break from your daily lives. You are free to cry, laugh, or just stay quiet. I hope this party will be a place where anything can happen, but let’s just avoid getting drunk until we black out because that would be a pity! Anyway, this party is going to be an incredible event.

There’s going to be a lot happening: A performance by Mayor Nakayama, a spectacular performance by our CEO, who is sure to get into the spirit of the event, and, remembering back to 30 years ago, I, the chairman of Sound House Rick Nakajima, might even sing a duet with Mr. Yamada, a fellow singer at that time. In addition to some band performances, Mr. Kamo, a former board member who has supported the growth of Sound House and currently works at TEAC Corporation, will be sharing his interesting stories from the earliest days of our company. I’m also planning to present various awards at the amusement bar Fly’s banquet room. You might receive an award just by attending! I’m sure that many staff members are so thrilled to think about it! However, keep in mind that you will not receive a prize if you do not come. The important thing is to be there or be square!

There’s going to be even more fun things to do after the party. You are free to hang out wherever you want. I recommend three places. If you like karaoke, RIDE-MAN is the place to be. The manager Ms. Airi has worked very hard to keep the place afloat during the pandemic, so I hope you all make friends with her. If you want to have a drink at the bar counter, I recommend the most popular pub 1968, in Tokushima. The owner is Eri-chan, who many say is prettier than Sayuri Yoshinaga. Her kindness will make you think you have fallen in love with her. If you like beer and are looking for a cheap, casual drink, I recommend the bar Scaper located directly behind Fly. They always have five kinds of draft beer on tap, and the prices are reasonable. If you’re a wine drinker, without a doubt go to the wine bar U. This wine bar is supervised by Mr. Kasai, Shikoku’s top sommelier and liquor store owner. This place is by far the best wine bar in Tokushima, and it is also a live music club. There are many kinds of wine that was beautifully and politely explained by Mr. Kasai’s, and the atmosphere at his place is perfect. If there are any staff members who like wine, I will personally treat you to once-in-a-lifetime amazingly delicious wine! Come and find me.

I wonder what kind of plans everyone is thinking about. Will they get drunk and fall by the side of the road? Or will they go to the 4th floor of Fly and enjoy a game of billiards? I’m sure karaoke is another option, but many of you most likely haven’t decided what you are going to do yet. Maybe some of you are even unsure of how to get back to the hotel. Don’t worry, walking with your own 2 feet will get you safely back to your room in about 15 minutes. Cabs are hard to catch. Even if you can get one, you are sure to be hated by a driver because of the short distance (560 yen). Whenever I take a cab, I always start with an apology: “I’m sorry for the short distance, but please take me to xxxx in front of Tokushima Station,” and I leave the change. I always give them extra change because I understand that all cab drivers are in need of some extra money. During the pandemic, cab drivers had really fallen on some hard times. So, even if I wanted to support them somehow, I could not give them more money even though it was midnight in front of Tokushima Station from the downtown area. That’s the cab situation in Tokushima.

Now, I am sure that reading this article will add to your excitement and anticipation. Just hold on a little longer, and I hope you will come out and make a lot of noise on April 1st. Of course, don’t forget that there may be an April Fool’s Day prank lurking around the corner... Hmmm...