Category: announcements

Time Frame: Monday, February 24 to Friday, February 28, 2025

Much earlier than in previous years, we would like to announce our traditional ski week at Shiga Kogen, scheduled for the last week in February 2025. This is to give you a head start when making plans for the coming winter holidays!

So, how about joining the Swiss Club Ski Week at Shiga Kogen Ski Resort in February 2025?

The Shiga Kogen area – boasting over 50 lifts – is one of the biggest ski resorts in Japan, and due to the high elevation, snow conditions are pretty good throughout most of the season.

Our accommodation, the charming chalet-style Hotel Alpenburg, which is located right at the bottom of the slopes, not only offers great food and a cozy lounge with a fireplace, but also a hot spring bath. 

Don’t miss this great opportunity to enjoy Japan’s winter wonderland together with a happy bunch of like-minded compatriots and friends of Switzerland!

Location: Shiga Kogen, Nagano Prefecture, Hotel Alpenburg

http://alpenburg.com/index.html

You can select any number of days between February 24 and 28, and – depending on vacancy – it is also possible to extend your stay over the weekends before or after that time frame.

Pricing for half-board per night/person (subject to change) :

Adults: JPY 13,500 (day before holiday: JPY 15,200)
Children up to 12 (adult menu): JPY 12,000 (day before holiday: JPY 12,900)
Children up to 12 (child menu) JPY 11,000 (day before holiday: JPY 11,900)
Toddlers: JPY 7,500 (day before holiday: JPY 7,500)
Surcharge for single occupation of room: + JPY 3,500

(All prices shown include service & consumption tax)

Additional Onsen-tax: JPY 150 per day/person ————————————————————————————————————

A limited number of rooms has already been booked and will be assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis.

For registration, please fill out the attached application form and send it to swiss.club.tokyo@gmail.com not later than 9. February 2025!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at: swiss.club.tokyo@gmail.com

Roughly 150 people joined us on Sunday, July 28 to celebrate the Swiss National Day at the Yokohama Country & Athletic Club.
It was a pleasant and joyful affair, highlighted by some Swiss treats like authentic Swiss Sausages and the ever popular Raclette.
Not to forget the touch of Swiss Folklore, provided by our faithful Japanese friends of the Tamagawa Alphorn Club.

The Annual General Meeting of the Swiss Club Tokyo is scheduled for Wednesday, June 12, 18:30 at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Marunouchi.

Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/ffDJmFWEDYzgQw1P9

The General Meeting is a members-only event, but anybody interested in joining the Swiss Club Tokyo, you can do so on this occasion.
If that is the case, please fill out the attached application form and send it not later than June 4, 2024.

After the meeting, we will be able to mingle and enjoy a sumptuous dinner buffet together (drinks included).

Contribution to the cost of the evening is JPY 4500 per person (payment upon registration, if possible, please prepare the exact amount!).

We would like to remind you to also prepare the annual membership fee for 2024 (Individual = JPY 3000, family = JPY 5000, student =JPY 2000).

If you have any questions, please contact us: Contact

Despite a few drops of rain, this year’s family picnic at Hyogojima Park in Futako Tamagawa was yet again a great success.

The children had plenty of opportunities to play around, while the parents could relax and chat with each other.

Why not join us for the annual Swiss Club Family picnic at Hyogojima Park in Futako Tamagawa?

This casual gathering is meant to give families with a Swiss background a chance to get together, share, exchange, and most of all – have some fun!

This being said, it is of course perfectly all right to join if you are single, non-Swiss, and/or if you do not have any children. Anybody is welcome!

If you are interested, please let us know the number of people in your group via contact form:

There is no need for a limit on the number of participants, and we do not have a deadline, but it would give us an idea about how many people we can expect.

Please bring your own food and drink with you. A sheet to sit upon, camping chairs, a sun shelter, etc. would be a good idea as well…

Unfortunately, BBQ is not permitted!

The organization team will reserve a spot with little swiss flags at the far end of the park (see flyer below) and await your arrival at around 11 AM.

The park is located rather close to Futako Tamagawa station, which is ideal if you choose to arrive via public transportation.

Parking a car might be difficult (proximity to station, weekend), but there is public parking approx. 800 meters from the park. Please check the link on Google Maps: Tamagawa Kasenjiki Parking Lot https://goo.gl/maps/4R9W4K9U48dQjVz66

Important Note: Depending on weather conditions, we might have to shift the picnic to Sunday, May 26, or, in the worst case, cancel the event!

If you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact us: swiss.club.tokyo@gmail.com

Best wishes from the Organization team!

The year 2023 is drawing to a close, and we would like to reflect on some of our activities of the year.

The first one is our monthly gathering, the “Stammtisch” get-together at the Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo in Nihonbashi. “Stammtisch” is a German word which roughly translates into “reserved table for regulars”. The Stammtisch has been a feature of the Swiss Club Tokyo for many years, but before the onset of Covid 19, attendance was usually around five members each time. For some reason, this changed during the pandemic! To reduce the risk of infection, we started looking for a place where we could sit outside, and we found the perfect spot at the Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo, which offers a covered garden-like terrace in the COREDO Muromachi shopping district. Not only the attractive location, but also the chance to meet during those difficult days proved to be a “magnet” for many people, and our get-together has grown in popularity ever since. Nowadays, an attendance rate of 20 or more participants is quite common. Every last Monday of the month, people from all walks of life come together to chat and spend some time together in a relaxed atmosphere, while enjoying a glass of wine and Gino Sorbillo’s delicious pizza. Everyone can participate in the Stammtisch, also “non members”, and it is possible to subscribe to a monthly reminder email. We invite all our members to bring their friends, get the reminder not to forget about the next Stammtisch, and see you at our next meeting!

Another activity we had this year was rather new and unusual: The “Urban Walk” offered by fellow Swiss Club Member Massimo Biondi. To give you an idea, here is a map of the route of the second Urban Walk he organized. For years, we have encouraged members to come forward with ideas for additional activities, and Massimo has stepped up with his idea to explore the city together on foot. His two Urban Walks this year were very popular, and we are hoping for more to come. Thank you Massimo! If you have any ideas for possible activities, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Regular and new activities made this 2023 a great year, and we are looking forward to an amazing 2024!

This article was written by Peter Woehrle (President) and Elena Laghi (Communications)

Stammtisch Facebook photo album

On December 9, the Swiss Club Tokyo celebrated its yearly event “Outdoor Christmas” with the arrival of Samichlaus (Swiss Santa) and Schmutzli (Santa’s helper), in the beautiful garden of the Swiss Ambassador’s Residence. The weather was incredible, a gorgeous Saturday afternoon with the trees showing their autumn colours. 

Over 60 adults and about 35 children got together on that day. Not only the much anticipated chance of meeting Samichlaus, but also the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful garden of the Swiss Embassy was a strong incentive for many to sign up. No surprise that the event was sold out rather quickly!

The doors opened at 2pm and slowly guests started showing up. They were greeted with a cup of hot wine or hot lemonade at the entrance, and then guided to the garden, where a buffet, heavily loaded with home made cakes, cookies, and other delicacies awaited them. There was also a wide choice of cold and hot drinks. Once in the garden, the kids started running around and enjoying the pastries with their parents. 

At around 3pm, after most of the participants had arrived, the president of the Swiss Club, Peter Woehrle, greeted everybody and briefly informed them about the program of the afternoon, before leaving the stage to Ambassador Baum for a few words of welcome.

Guests then continued enjoying the pleasant environment, the buffet, and each other’s company, while the children had a ball skipping around the garden, which turned out to be the perfect playground with all its hidden pathways. The weather kept being perfect and unseasonably warm throughout the afternoon. 

It arrived the time to sing! Peter Whoehrle had his Ukulele, but also some musical instruments for the kids too! They were all excited to sing and play along. The president sang the most famous Christmas songs in English, and after this fun sing-along session, it was finally time for the highlight of the day: The arrival of Samichlaus and Schmutzli! The kids started screaming of joy “Samichlaus, Samichlaus!” until the couple finally appeared from behind the Embassy’s walls. 

Samichlaus and Schmutzli took their place in front of the children, who were sitting on Swiss Army blankets, waiting for their turn to be called. Samichlaus referred to his book of records when commenting on a child’s behavior. Slightly scary Schmutzli, stood ready to hand over a goodie bag to the kids at the end of each session, and then a photo together with the parents was taken to commemorate the occasion!

Unsurprisingly, due to the large amount of participants, the interaction between Samichlaus and the children turned out to be a rather lengthy process. Nevertheless, children (and parents) were on their best behavior.

At around 5:30pm, Samichlaus and Schmutzli said goodbye to everyone, and another outstanding Swiss Club Tokyo event drew to a close!

This article was written by Peter Woehrle (President) and Elena Laghi (Communications)

Facebook photo album

On November 22, we had another amazing Year End Party! “Winter Wonderland” was the chosen theme for this year, and we celebrated at the Hilton Tokyo in Shinjuku. The glamorous annual event of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and the Swiss Club Tokyo proved to be extremely popular this year, with a crowd of over 250 people. Tickets were completely sold-out weeks before the deadline!

Registration started at 5pm, and guests mingled in the luxurious foyer for about one hour, having a first drink, before the doors to the Kiku ballroom were opened. From the very beginning of the party we were able to admire some extravagant costumes, waiting to be judged by the jury during the event.

After everyone took a seat at their table, the event began: Ambassador Baum opened the official part of the evening, followed by the president of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Brodbeck. Peter Woehrle, President of the Swiss Club Tokyo, wrapped up the formal introductions with his thoughts on the theme, and he concluded his speech with a rendition of the song “Walking in a Winter Wonderland”. This impromptu performance was well received by the audience and people started to clap in rhythm almost from the start. A toast by Peter Woehrle followed the song and finally food and drinks were served.

After the main course, Keiko Itoh, who is a well-known Japanese yodeler, performed with her band, the Amsle Quartet, adding a touch of Swiss folklore to the evening. A dessert buffet allowed people to mingle again, and then it was time for the costume competition. The guests, who chose to dress up according to the theme, paraded on the stage and a jury of six were watching closely to determine the three best female and male costumes.

After everybody was seated again, the lucky draw began: The 13 most valuable prizes were drawn in front of the audience, whereas the remaining winners could find their names on the huge screen at the far end of the ballroom. Finally, the winners for best costume were called on stage, where they received their awards. After the award ceremony, guests started to leave and at around 11pm another successful Year End Party came to its conclusion. See you next year!

This article was written by Peter Woehrle (President) and Elena Laghi (Communications)

Facebook photo album

Initially, it didn’t look to good for our Family Picnic this year. First, we had to postpone for one week because of bad weather. Even though the forecast for our second choice didn’t look to good either, we decided to go ahead with the event. As there was still a bit of a drizzle when we arrived at the park, we chose a sheltered spot underneath a bridge. After that, the rain stopped soon, and the weather improved gradually. Against expectations, almost everybody showed up until we were a respectable crowd.
Even though the picnic was scheduled to end at 15:00, most participants stayed until 18:00. Looks like everybody had a great time!