12/08/2026
Don’t look too closely.
And whatever you do, don’t peer behind us.
Because if you do, you’ll probably see condensation dripping down walls that have absorbed several decades' worth of ni****ne.
Now, I don’t smoke. I did once, but those days are long gone.
But there is something about a Japanese bar at 1.30 in the morning.
Think 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. Beautiful low light. A barman who looks as though he has been there since 1978. And three slightly weary businessmen at the bar.
You can decide which one is Jack Nicholson.
I hasten to add, I do look a little loose.
In my defence, this was after a splendid dinner high above Tokyo, followed by the inevitable:
"𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩?"
My host, absolutely no idea what that meant. But he understood the sentiment.
So off we went.
Vodka and tonic, obviously. The drink of champions. It hydrates while simultaneously revving the wheels.
And then came one of those golden hours of international business.
No PowerPoint. No agenda. No Teams call with a countdown timer.
Just conversation.
Much gets agreed.
Problems somehow become smaller.
Ideas become bigger.
And the dreams are allowed to percolate.
Five days after returning home, the notes are being deciphered.
Conversations are continuing.
And maybe, "just maybe", this time next year we'll be in play.
I've learnt over the years that international business isn't built solely in boardrooms.
It's built over shared meals, genuine curiosity, trust, laughter, and the conversations that happen when the formal meeting has finished.
Sometimes the most important meeting of the trip isn't actually a meeting.
