12/08/2026
Donโt look too closely.
And whatever you do, donโt peer behind us.
Because if you do, youโll probably see condensation dripping down walls that have absorbed several decades' worth of ni****ne.
Now, I donโt 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 ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ. 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:
"๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต๐ค๐ฉ?"
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.
