After their visit to the US embassy, Pedro and Ted enjoyed lunch at the historic Tempura Ten-Ichi, a renowned restaurant that has been in operation since 1930. Over the decades, it has served notable figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Jacques Chirac, Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton, and Frank Sinatra. The restaurant, known for its history and elegance, is a landmark of Tokyo’s culinary scene.
Following lunch, they returned to the hotel, where Pedro and Ted had an important meeting with Professor Hosokawa, the author of a book about Mataemon Tanabe, a jujutsu master who was a contemporary of Jigoro Kano and a strong advocate of ground fighting, which opposed the Kodokan Judo style. The meeting was arranged by Pedro’s old friend Takamasa Watanabe, who is now the owner of Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy, a chain of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) schools in Japan. Takamasa has been a longtime friend of the Valente Brothers since their days at Escola Americana in Rio de Janeiro.
In between this discussion and dinner, Ted attended a Yom Kippur religious ceremony at the synagogue with Ambassador Emanuel. Later, he reunited for dinner with Pedro and Takamasa at Musashi, one of the most prestigious sushi restaurants in Tokyo, located at the Aman. Coincidentally, master chef Musashi is a friend of Valente Brothers student Eric Herzfeld. The group received exceptional treatment, and the food was spectacular.
The highlight of the day was Pedro’s conversation with Professor Hosokawa about the history of jujutsu, specifically Mataemon Tanabe’s legacy and his role as a defender of the lost traditional jujutsu ways in Japan.
