Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fishbreeder 
I planned a trip to Niigata, a very long time ago.
Hmmm....
I took $100,000 in cash, a letter (in Japanese) explaining who I was and what I was trying to accomplish, a picture book to go with the letter, and Bob Spindola.
There were a lot of details....
The letter had to be on one page, but contain my plan as well as who I was. I had to make Japanese business cards, English on front, Japanese on back with my photo on them.
The picture book, it had three pictures that absolutely enthralled every koi breeder I met...
A picture of a 13' long, three quarter ton, dead alligator hanging from a front loader.
A picture of a Romagnola bull.
A picture of me and Japanese Prince Akishino looking into a tank with a 90 pound blue catfish in it.
There were many other pictures, but those three had powerful impact.
So did the cash.
That was 16 years ago and at the time it was a novelty to have a white guy in the area, let alone one from Texas with a sack full of money. At the Kobe AJS, from the USA was me, Bob Spindola, Bob and Joan Finnegan, and that was it.
I was trained in Japan as a child. Trained how to sit, how to act, which shoes to wear where and when, etc. Trained like a Japanese boy, with a shinai. I seen the business end of the shinai many times, too. I lived in a Japanese home, in a Japanese community for four years. Another year on an Air Force Base in Japan. So, I took that training with me too.
I learned many things in about two weeks in Japan, 22 years after I'd left the first time.
One thing, the Japanese are very forgiving of American faux paxs. Fortunately I was able to avoid most such. The one I couldn;t avoid is told on my web site.
They really, really appreciated anything I did that was "Japanese". A few words, eating something no other gringo would touch, sitting on the floor "like a samurai." Simple things made a lot of hay. Presenting myself with Bob Spindola (back then he was the old guy, I was the young guy) in the Japanese fashion of business where a young man is paired with an older one, that went a very long way.
Bringing a few simple gifts, uniquely from Texas, and a few very special such, also uniquely Texan, tons and tons of mileage from that. Calendars with pictures of beautiful Texan landscapes, leather key rings, simple fossils gathered from Texan places, Texan petrified wood, etc.
I'm sure much has changed. More so in the last 16 years than in the previous 22. For one thing, many many Americans. Heck as many as 100 Texans show up for an AJS nowadays, 100's more from other states. At my first AJS in '67 or '68, I'm fairly sure my little sister and I were the only Americans.
So, take money, manners, simple gifts that are unique, and yourself.
If you want to buy fish, you will have to be associated with a dealer from somewhere.
Have fun, wish I was goin' maybe next year.
Brett