Tokyo Midtown Toastmasters Club

Meeting #244 - Evening (hybrid): May 7, 2026
Meeting theme: A Spring Vacation: Golden Week
Word of the Day: phenomenal

How did you spend your Golden Week? Even though this meeting took place immediately after the long holiday, we were delighted to welcome two guests and enjoyed a lively session. In addition, Toastmaster K.L. joined our club as a new member, and we held an Induction Ceremony.

The first prepared speaker was Toastmaster T.I., with a speech titled “The Hard Negotiation.” Our work and daily lives can be seen as a continuous series of negotiations with other people. But when we think about it, perhaps the biggest negotiations of our lives are actually with our family members — our parents, our spouses, or sometimes even our own children. I thought this was a very interesting perspective. Since these are family relationships, the negotiations are often more “soft” than “hard,” but depending on the situation, they can sometimes become very challenging experiences. Toastmaster T.I. shared such experiences in a humorous and entertaining way.

The second prepared speaker was Toastmaster D.K., with a speech titled “Artificial Confidence – Why Toastmasters Will Survive AI.” The speech covered preparations for a recent speech contest held in Sapporo, experiences at the contest venue, and the lessons learned from the event. As the Evaluator described it, the speech featured a “well-calculated punchline,” and it was presented in a way that truly resonated with everyone in the audience. While generative AI seems very useful for practicing speeches, the speech reminded us once again that when it comes to building real confidence in public speaking, nothing surpasses the experience of repeatedly speaking in front of people through Toastmasters meetings.

Best Tabletopics Speaker: Guest R.Z.
Best Evaluator: Toastmaster T.E.
Best Speaker: Toastmaster D.K.

Won't you share the excitement?
Our next meeting is 7PM on May 21 (hybrid).
Please contact [email protected] to visit. See you there!

Meeting #243 - Evening (hybrid): April 16, 2026
Meeting theme: April Showers Bring May Flowers
Word of the Day: flourish

Thanks to all who attended the Tokyo Midtown TMC regular meeting on April 16! We had one guest, and many club members attended.

We had the honor of starting the meeting with an induction ceremony. Welcome Toastmaster T.H., to our club and the world of Toastmasters! We are delighted to have you on board, to learn together and have fun together!!

Toastmaster S.Y. facilitated the meeting smoothly. I was the Wordmeister, and I chose "flourish" in relation with the meeting theme (April Showers Bring May Flowers), because "flourish" originates from the Latin word flōrēre, meaning "to bloom". I thought it might be a difficult word to use, but seven attendees including our guest used the word at least once! Thanks!!

Toastmaster I.W. delivered a heart-warming speech, with a lovely theme. It was about changing things by showing gratitude to the people around you. This is one of the themes I admire most. The story was about Toastmaster I.W. increasing her happiness and getting a new job by using this physics. I was so touched.

Toastmaster I.N. delivered a very informative and educational speech, about "Controlling Your Fear". He explained what is going on in our minds when we feel so afraid in front of people. I recalled the time when I first had to speak in front of people. And then, about the time my mind went blank in front of a big crowd. The speech taught us useful tips to overcome fear. Thank you for the wonderful speech!

Best Tabletopics Speaker: Toastmaster T.E.
Best Evaluator: Toastmaster M.K.
Best Speaker: Toastmaster I.W.

Won't you share the excitement?
Our next meeting is 7PM on May 7 (hybrid).
Please contact [email protected] to visit. See you there!

Meeting #242 - Evening (hybrid): April 2, 2026
Meeting theme: April Fool
Word of the Day: bamboozle

Today’s meeting was held with three guests joining us. In the Table Topics session, themed around April Fool’s Day, our Table Topics Master, Toastmaster T.E., called on each of the three guests one by one. Every speech was wonderful. The guests delivered impressive speeches, which greatly inspired our club members as well.

Our first Prepared Speaker today was Toastmaster C.S., who gave a speech titled “Hey Fever and Me.” Hay fever is truly tough, isn’t it? I had always thought that the onset of hay fever was caused by the accumulation of allergens in the body, but it seems that the accumulation of mental stress also plays a role—even stress that we may not be consciously aware of. Engaging in a dialogue with our mind and with our body, and becoming aware of that need, is truly important.

Our second Prepared Speaker was Toastmaster M.K., who spoke about the advice she received from a mentor she met through her work and the impact it had on her. Feeling firmly grounded and realizing “I am here”—when work overwhelms you and your soul begins to wander, this is something worth trying. I am sure it can be highly effective.

In addition, Toastmaster N.I. served as the Educational Speaker and talked about the Distinguished Club Program (DCP) and the journey our club has taken so far.

By the way, today’s Word of the Day was “bamboozle.” Since it was an unfamiliar word to me, I couldn’t use it very well, but everyone else used it skillfully. When I looked into its origin, I found that it has nothing to do with the plant “bamboo.” When I encounter a new word, I tend to guess its meaning from its spelling or syllables, but this time, that approach didn’t work.

Best Table Topic Speaker: Guest S.N.
Best Evaluator: Toastmaster T.M.
Best Speaker: Toastmaster C.S.
Won't you share the excitement?
Our next meeting is 7PM on April 16 (hybrid). See you there!

Meeting #241 - Evening (online): March 19, 2026
Meeting theme: Graduations and New Challenges
Word of the Day: striking

So the time of cherry blossoms have come again!
Tokyo's sakura flowers are about to be their best for this year...

We held our 241st meeting last week, and Toastmaster H.M. delivered a humorous and exciting speech with a striking title that instantly attracted all of our attention. Toastmaster H.M. was already a good speaker when she joined the club, but she's surely becoming a strong speaker!! We all listened very closely as she told us about her thrilling experience.

Toastmaster S.Y. served as TableTopics Master (TTM) for us, and prepared questions that fit with the meeting theme. She even added short stories of hers before the question, and gave us brief comments after the speakers' answers. It helps us when we shuffle through our memory, and try to come up with creative answers! Everyone tried their best and the Best Tabletopics Speaker was Toastmaster I.N.!

Best Evaluator: Toastmaster T.I.
Best Speaker: Toastmaster H.M.

Won't you share the excitement?
Our next meeting is 7PM on April 2 (hybrid). See you there!

Meeting #240 – Evening (hybrid): March 5, 2026
Meeting theme: Celebration - Double Digits!
Word of the Day: applaud (v)

The Club had a very special meeting today, to commemorate our 10th anniversary from our charter in Jan 2016.
Thank you to all who have joined - especially our guests! We had many TM and non-TM guests. It was an honor to have you with us, and we hope you enjoyed.

Toastmaster I.N., the last founding member of our club, started the meeting by a celebration speech that introduced our history. It was a great opportunity for all of us to reflect on our past journey, and think about the challenges we have overcome.

And our distinguished guest, Toastmaster K.A. kindly hosted a Table Topic Marathon for us. It was a fabulous gift for our tenth birthday! We all enjoyed answering the questions which were related to "Toastmaster journey", "10 years", or "AI and the future". Thank you for preparing and facilitating a wonderful event!

The Best Table Topics speaker was a tie, with Toastmaster C.S. and our guest A.S.! Congratulations!!

We've now set sail for the next decade! Won't you share the excitement? Our next meeting is 7PM on March 19 (hybrid).
Contact us at: [email protected]

Meeting #239 – Evening (hybrid): February 19, 2026
Meeting theme: Valentine's Day
Word of the Day: concise

This is to report that the Tokyo Midtown Toastmasters Club had another superb meeting on Feb 19!

We had two icebreaker speeches - Toastmaster K.N. and Toastmaster C.S. delivered their very first speeches. The evaluators were Toastmaster H.M. and Toastmaster T.K. (I believe they were both playing the role for the first time!) Congratulations to all for taking a big step forward. We hope you enjoyed the challenge, and we are so eager to support your next challenge!

After the speeches, Toastmaster M.K. served as our Table Topics Master. The questions were related to the topic (Valentine's Day) and we had fun introducing our own experience and stories about Valentines. And our Guest T.H. won the award of Best Tabletopics Speaker!! Congratulations!

Here are the award winners:
Best Tabletopics Speaker: Guest T.H.
Best Evaluator: Toastmaster H.M.
Best Speaker: Toastmaster C.S.

Won't you share the excitement?
Our next meeting is 7PM on March 5 (hybrid). This will be a very special meeting to commemorate our 10th anniversary (the club was chartered in Jan 2016). Please let us know at [email protected] if you would like to join!

Meeting #238 – Evening (hybrid): February 5, 2026
Meeting theme: Winter Olympic Games
Word of the Day: win

The Tokyo Midtown Toastmasters Club had another great meeting, thanks to so many guests. Thanks for visiting, and we hope you enjoyed!

We had the honor of starting the meeting with an induction ceremony, for our newest member Toastmaster C.S.! Welcome on board, and we are so eager to learn together and have fun together. Toastmaster C.S. also raised her hand to be a first-time evaluator. Congratulations for taking a big step forward, and keep up your good work!

The prepared speeches were a bit special, because they were contest speeches. Toastmaster I.N. delivered his Japanese speech, and Toastmaster T.I. (that's me!) her English speech. Best of luck to all of us for the coming G6 Area Contest!

Toastmaster Y.K. played the role of Table Topic Master for the first time. Way to go! Congratulations on taking the challenge, and we all enjoyed answering your questions. And, the Best Table Topics award winner was: our newest member Toastmaster C.S.!!

Won't you share the excitement?
Our next meeting is 7PM on February 19 (hybrid). See you there!

Meeting #237 – Evening (hybrid): January 15, 2026
Meeting theme: Contest Season Begins

Dear All: Happy New Year and thank you for visiting our page again!

The Tokyo Midtown Toastmasters Club kicked off the new year with our Club Level Selection for the coming Table Topics Contest.
In this program year, the District is hosting a "Table Topic Contest". In this contest, the contestants will listen to a question for the first time and quickly deliver a 1-2 minute impromptu speech that addresses the topic.

So many TM guests from other clubs joined us as helpers, and thus all the Tokyo Midtown members participated in the selection. Thank you so much to all the helpers:
Toastmaster H.O.
Toastmaster Y.U.
Toastmaster T.H.
Toastmaster N.K.
Toastmaster S.G.
Toastmaster W.R.
We couldn't have done it without you! The first place winner of the Table Topic Contests (J and E) will proceed to the Area Contest, which will be held on Feb 15 at Ebisu. Mark your calendars; the excitement goes on!

And, of course, thank you to our non-TM guests too! This was a bit extraordinary session today but we hope you enjoyed.
To our honor and excitement our guest C.S. showed her intention to join the club! WOW That's great news and we are all so happy to have you on board as we sail forward with our learning journey!!!

Won't you share the excitement?
Our next meeting is 7PM on February 5 (hybrid). See you there!

Meeting #236 - Evening (in person): December 18, 2025
Meeting theme: Ready for the Winter Holidays?
Word of the Day: grateful

Today’s meeting was a lively and memorable one, truly fitting to close out the year. Perhaps because we also had a year-end party planned, many members joined us, along with three special guests. The room was full of energy and smiles. The Word of the Day was “Grateful”—a perfect word for this season.

Toastmaster I.N. delivered a prepared speech in Japanese as part of his preparation for an upcoming speech contest. The title was “Turning Point.” Life is full of turning points—some we choose and actively pursue, and others arrive unexpectedly, whether we want them or not. No matter the kind, it’s up to us how we accept them and turn them into something positive. If everything is going to change anyway, why not enjoy those turning points?

Toastmaster T.I. gave a speech titled “When the Bell Sound Dies.” As always, we were amazed by the richness of her expression. It felt almost like watching a stage performance. Because her speech was based on real experiences, it carried a strong sense of reality, which made it even more powerful.

Our third prepared speaker was Toastmaster T.K., with a speech titled “The Blinking Twelve.” This term originally comes from the world of computing and refers to system design that lacks user-friendly basic functions. Turning such a technical concept into an engaging speech truly showed his creativity and skill.

The Table Topics session was led by Toastmaster S.Y. With topics such as Christmas songs, Christmas food, and Christmas gifts, the session was filled with seasonal cheer and happiness.

Apologies—I didn’t manage to take notes this time, so I’ll skip announcing the award winners. With more participants than usual, I might be swept up in the lively atmosphere of the meeting!

Won't you share the excitement? Our next meeting is 7PM on January 15. See you at the venue, or online!

Meeting #235 - Evening (hybrid): December 4, 2025
Meeting theme: Cabernet Franc Day
Word of the Day: extra

We had another extra-super regular meeting last Thursday, with two precious guests. Thank you guests, for visiting!! We all hope you enjoyed the session, and we look forward to meeting you again.

We had two prepared speakers. Toastmaster D.K. talked about the history of this club. I learned that we had tough times in the past when the number of members dropped... but then we were able to recover. And, next January, we will be celebrating our tenth anniversary! Toastmaster T.M. practiced a professional speech for a coming event outside Japan. We all hope that the event goes well, and bon voyage!

Here are the award winners!
Best Tabletopics Speaker: Guest R.I.
Best Evaluator: Toastmaster S.Y.
Best Speaker: Toastmaster D.K.

And, last but not least, two more recognitions: I believe it was the first time for Toastmaster Y.K. to take Evaluator role. Congrats for completing the big role!! And, Toastmaster K.N. took a role for the very first time. We all hope that you enjoyed taking the wordmeister role.

Won't you share the excitement? Our next meeting is 7PM on December 18. See you at the venue, or online!

Meeting #234 - Evening (hybrid): Nov 20, 2025
Meeting theme: Time for Thanksgiving
Word of the Day: grateful

Today’s meeting welcomed several guests both in person and online. We were also delighted to officially induct Toastmaster K.N. as a new member during our Induction Ceremony.

Our first Prepared Speaker was Toastmaster M.K., with a speech titled “Mindfulness.” A few years ago, I went through a period when I was very interested in Zazen (seated Zen meditation) and visited several Zen temples around Tokyo to join their meditation sessions.

Because my body is quite stiff and it’s hard for me to sit cross-legged, I eventually stopped practicing Zazen regularly, but even meditating in a relaxed posture can really help calm the mind.

In mindfulness, we try to focus all our attention not on yesterday or tomorrow, but on the present moment. It sounds simple, yet it’s surprisingly difficult. During Zazen, I was taught to count my breaths. We don’t have to force ourselves to become thoughtless; instead, we simply observe—objectively—the thoughts and feelings that arise.

Our second Prepared Speaker was Toastmaster T.E., with a speech titled “Act Like Somebody Else.” Humans naturally learn by imitating others.

In the world of music, “copying” often becomes a controversial topic, but unless a composer is extremely avant-garde, there are standard chord progressions and rhythm patterns that people draw upon. Most music is created by adding new elements on top of what came before. In reality, similar-sounding songs frequently become hits, while in other cases accusations of copying can escalate into lawsuits. It’s a complicated world!

Today’s Table Topics Master was Toastmaster D.K., and the theme was Thanksgiving Day. I’m not entirely sure how special this holiday feels to Americans personally, but the idea of gathering with loved ones around a delicious meal and expressing gratitude to one another creates such a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Here are the award winners.
Best Tabletopics Speaker: Toastmaster S.K. (Pioneer TMC)
Best Evaluator: Toastmaster K.A.
Best Speaker: Toastmasters T.E.

Won't you share the excitement? Our next meeting is 7PM on December 4. See you there!