I Won the Big Prize

I had been working as a sales manager for a consumer electronics wholesaler based out of Honolulu for several years when a Japanese wholesaler asked if I would head up their sales department in Japan. They wanted to bring western selling techniques and strategies to their organization, especially since we, in the US, were taking market share away from them. So they made me a super attractive offer; one that I could not refuse. Especially since I'm part Japanese and know the language and customs. And the compensation package offered was really attractive. And the possibility of working in Japan had always fascinated me.

So now I'm responsible for sales and marketing in Japan for a company that sold consumer electronic products to retailers. We have sales offices in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Tottori, Niigata, Sendai, Sapporo, and Fukuoka. My office is located in Tokyo and I'm on the road about two weeks per month, working with the sales staff in all of the sales offices.

Japan is an interesting place for me. My father was a second generation Japanese and he and grandma brought to our family all of the culture and traditions of the old country. In Japan, however, the country's culture continued to evolve which in turn affected many of the old traditions. For example, the New Year was always celebrated in my family with the making of mochi (rice cakes). And the first meal of the New Year had to be ozoni (a hearty soup made with shitake mushrooms, scallops, and an assortment of vegetables). Now, many Japanese just buy the mochi from the supermarket, and ozoni is an optional item.

But much of the culture still remains. For example, sex on TV is not a problem. Communal bathing has been around for centuries. So nudity isn't frowned upon. They even have game programs and shows built around nudity and sex. But the sex act itself on TV or video, is usually censored to the extent that viewers cannot see genitalia. But interestingly enough, you can attend live sex performances, and they are very, very explicit.

And the Japanese like to drink. I thought I could throw down a few with most anyone. But the Japanese take drinking to an entirely different level. Luckily, it's considered to be in bad taste to get stinking drunk with a business client. But sometimes the line between client and friend become blurred and you can imagine the end result.

And gambling. Boy do they like to gamble. Pachinko (think Asian pinball) parlors dot the landscape all over the country. Gambling, per se, is illegal. But that doesn't stop quasi-gambling activities such as Pachinko Parlors.

And there are lotteries for just about anything. I saw several lotteries for private golf course memberships; memberships which would normally cost a fortune. There was even a lottery for tuition to several exclusive universities. And I had to laugh when I saw a lottery for a parking space located on the Ginza. And yes, parking spaces in Tokyo do cost a fortune. And if you don't have a parking space, you can't own a car within Tokyo city limits. So it was pretty prestigious to be the owner of a parking space on the Ginza.

So I'm in our Tokyo office and Kozo, and one of our senior salesmen, is telling another salesman about a lottery that he just bought tickets for. The winner gets an all expense paid date with a Japan Adult Video starlet. Kozo bought 10 tickets at 5,000 yen each. About $50 US each. Pretty expensive as lotteries go. But Kozo thought that the possible reward made the ticket price a reasonable buy. The other salesman couldn't wait till he was off work to run out and buy a ticket himself.

I had a good laugh. Considering that Kozo had purchased 10 tickets, what were the odds that there were also hundreds of other guys buying a whole bunch of tickets as well. Probably thousands of other guys. Someone was making a ton of money on the fantasy of spending an evening with a porn star. I laughed it off and didn't give it another thought.

So I was out the next evening in Osaka with one of our salesmen and one of his better customers. The customer owned a chain of convenience stores in Osaka, and he regularly bought a lot of consumer electronics from us. One of our 'bread and butter' accounts. So he was important to our success in the area.

Gentlemen's Clubs are basically upscale hostess bars. Usually the girls are very beautiful and well mannered. It's kind of expected that one entertains their better business clients there, often for drinks after a dinner meeting. The clubs usually feature several areas where sofas are grouped together, offering a semi-private lounge area. And every club has several private rooms that one can occupy for the evening just so long as the liquor continues to flow.

Our customer took us to his club for drinks after dinner. He must have been a heavy hitter. We were escorted directly into a private room without a wait, and several girls were rounded up to attend to our needs before we even sat down.

Our customer just wanted to settle a couple of pricing questions with us and used the privacy to discuss a couple of hypothetical deals with us. Something that he wasn't willing to do at the restaurant. So we spent a little more than a half hour talking about volume discounts and pricing bundles before he was satisfied.

Once that was out of the way, one of the girls was called over and sat next to him; pouring him a glass of champagne. Apparently his choice of drink. The other girls came around and asked us for our drink orders also. I placed my order then thought to call one of our major suppliers on the West Coast to make sure that we could service our customer's needs. So I pulled out my phone and sat in a corner of the room so that I could hear my phone conversation better. After completing the call, I was able to inform our customer of delivery schedules and final minimum order quantities.

'Peter, ' (that's me,) 'you hear of porn star date lottery in Tokyo?' our customer asked.

I laughed, 'yeah, that is very popular right now.' The girls were listening in.

"What is porn star date lottery?" his hostess-companion for the evening asked.

"You buy ticket. Very expensive. You have chance win date with porn star. Maybe I can win if my luck good." He explained. "I need to rub the Daruma for good luck." (A Daruma is a doll that supposedly brings good luck if you rub its belly.)

"You let me rub your Daruma? Maybe I have very good luck." he asked his companion with a sly smile.

"No." she quickly answered. "You just want rub my pussy." And he laughed.

"Why you want porn star date? You can take me on date. I go with you." She complained.

He laughed. "But you not porn star."

"Of course not. Why you want porn star?"

"You know." He laughed and so did we.

"You bad boy," she laughed. "You just want woman's pussy."

"Of course. Why not? Can I have your pussy?"

"No."

"Why not"

"I not bad girl." She pouted then smiled. "But if you take me date, buy my nice things, maybe ...."

We all laughed.

"So Peter, you buy ticket for me? "

His request made us all laugh. But I agreed to buy several for him when I got back to Tokyo.

So I found out from Kozo where the tickets were being and I picked up ten tickets for our Osaka customer.

I called him up the next day to ask him how to get the tickets to him, but his wife found out what he had asked for and he had to back out of the purchase. So now I'm out 50,000 yen and the holder of ten lottery tickets. What I have to do to keep customers happy. Kozo thought it was funny. He said it was my karma; my fate, to end up with the tickets.

Since it wasn't important to me I absent-mindedly tossed the tickets into my desk drawer; maybe I'll give them to another customer as a gift if an opportunity comes up.

Eventually, it came time to call the winning numbers, and yes, the organizers of the lottery had convinced five very beautiful and popular Japan Adult Video stars to participate, offering huge sums of money to them plus a video production by one of the more popular production houses. The stars had driven up interest and demand for lottery tickets. It seemed as if every horny guy had purchased more than several tickets each. Kozo had gone out and purchased five additional tickets with each paycheck. He was now the owner of fifty five tickets. Lottery organizers revealed on the day that they pulled the winning numbers, that there had been more than three million tickets sold. So figure the odds and the money they raised. Quite a bundle.

I asked him whether or not the amount he spent (275, 000 yen, US$2,750) bothered him. He said he would have spent it drinking anyway. At least with the lottery tickets, he got a chance for a possible date with a porn star. He was happy and hopeful. Who knows? He just might get lucky.

The lottery organizers pulled the numbers and made a big to-do about it. Four of the winning numbers were claimed immediately. Kozo wasn't a winner but basked in the fantasy that he might win in a future lottery. Promoters were salivating at the dough that had rolled in, and were promising that the next one would be bigger and better with more porn stars participating.

After several days no one had stepped forward to claim the fifth winning number. Kozo asked whether I had checked my numbers and I hadn't. I had forgotten all about the lottery. And, I had no desire to have my name flashed around in the event that I won. But Kozo's curiosity caused him to grab my tickets after I left for the day that evening.

I came to work the next day to find Kozo in my office with an unknown gentlemen. One of my tickets was the missing winning ticket. This was not what I wanted. I asked Kozo if he would like to have the ticket instead of me. He refused, said it would do me good to get out on a date.

"Kaichou (big boss), you should go on date. Have good time. You only work. You should have night out, relax. Have good night with date. Is un-ga-warui (bad luck) for me to take ticket from you."

I guess I'm a workaholic and dates are few and far between. Plus my lifestyle isn't necessarily something that appeals to the typical Japanese woman. With all of my traveling, developing a relationship was a challenge.

Well, having the remaining winning lottery ticket was also a problem. I told the gentleman from the lottery organizers that I didn't want my name to be out in the public. It would be bad for business. And he understand my concerns completely. A person's reputation means a great deal in Japan.

I explained how I came to buy the tickets and he laughed. Kozo steadfastly refused to take the ticket, so I suggested that they just consider it as an unclaimed ticket. And they could just pull another number and make the award to someone else. Kozo was disappointed but understood my concerns from a business perspective.

My life returned to normal. The lottery organizers declared the number unclaimed and pulled another number, and the lucky winner was awarded with much fanfare and celebration.

Several weeks later, I received a call from an Akari Nakasone. I didn't know who she was but she asked if we could meet to discuss a possible deal. So a dinner meeting was arranged.

We met at a nice restaurant that she had selected. She was extremely attractive. Not overly made up, but well dressed for a dinner out. Keeping my relationship with her on a business level was going to be a challenge.

I asked about her interest in the products that we carried and she suggested dinner first then business after. So we proceeded to have a great dinner. She was a good conversationalist. Well rounded interests. She had thoughts on a wide variety of subjects and was very conversant. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with her.

So I finally worked our conversation around to the deal, only to find out that there wasn't any deal at all. Akari said that she's the Japanese Adult Video star that I would have gone out with if I had come forward with the winning ticket. I was very surprised and concerned that someone would find out. She laughed. She assured me that no one would know. Not even the lottery organizers. She had been curious about the person who would buy the tickets yet not claim the prize when they won.

So she talked with the guy that I had spoken with and was further intrigued. She was determined to meet me, even if it meant that I was unaware of her intent.

She asked if I had enjoyed myself and I happily admitted that I had; "You are truly delightful to be with. I am thoroughly enjoying our dinner. And you are very beautiful as well."

She beamed her happiness. She wanted to make a point that porn stars were people also and deserved to be treated like everyone else.

"Women who work this job have difficult life. Very lonely. Difficult to trust men. Many friends also don't want to be friends any more, even if they buy video." She laughed quietly. "Is sad life. Can make money if body is beautiful. But not good life."

"Is that why you don't do that anymore?" I asked.

"Yes. Not good life. That work help me pay my family's bills. So after I decide enough then I finish job. No more."

I found out that her father had a stroke when Akari was in high school. He would never return to work. Her mother was hard pressed just to pay their monthly bills. So Akari and her sister worked after school and weekends to help out. But all that effort only helped to just keep their heads above water.

"Haha (mom) work hard. I can see she tired every night. Must work then come home, take care of father. My sister and I help but not enough. So when I graduate high school, I think I must find job pay good money. But hard to find. After two months, my girlfriend tell me try hostess job in night club. So I try that. But not good money. One night customer tell me he make video and he want me to be in video. But must have sex. I tell him, I no have sex before. He happy. He say he pay me big money if I make video."

"That must have been a difficult time for you."

"Hai (yes). I don't go back work for several days. I don't know what to do. My girlfriend tell me that customer asking for me. I tell my girlfriend about video and she laugh and say why not. He pay good money. She did video and he pay better money than can make at nightclub."

"So I go back to work that night and customer come. He ask me again. I ask him how much money and he tell me more than I make one month working nightclub. But he say I must be virgin. So I say yes. And here I am today."

"Thank you for sharing your story. That must have been difficult for you to say."

She looked at me with teary eyes. "very difficult. But I want be honest with you. I think you good man. You no say bad words when you hear what I had to do. So I hope you understand."

I took her hand and held it gently, "Akari, I think you are a wonderful women. Thank you for trusting me with your story."

We talked about my work and how much time was spent on the road working with the salesmen and meeting clients. And we also talked about her return to college and the courses that she was taking. Her hope was to end up with a better education for a future career that would provide for her long term needs.

I asked her a couple of questions about the porn business however she preferred not to talk about it. She just mentioned that she had retired the other year and was just helping out her friend who happened to be one of the lottery organizers. She noted that the shelf life of a JAV was usually very short as directors were constantly looking for a fresh face. It was rare that a JAV star lasted more than a year or two. But her beauty caused her to be an exception. She had lasted a little more than three years before she decided to voluntarily call it quits.

Although several directors continued to pester her, she wanted out of the industry. Besides, she got into the business to help her family financially, and now that she had paid off the family's bills and made more than a few bucks, she got out. She was comfortable and could afford to complete her education. Something that she could not do before.

I volunteered to drive her home but she had her car also. So we parted with a hug and a friendly kiss. Needless to say, I was impressed by her. But demands at work ramped up and I promptly forgot about her.

Several months later, Kozo, still trying to get me laid, suggested that I attend a young professionals gathering. He said that it would be good for business and who knows, I might meet someone interesting. He would be attending the event as well as the manager of our Yokohama sales office. I figured that it wouldn't hurt.

So here we were, at the Prince Park Tower Hotel, along with two or three hundred other "young professionals." After we checked in at reception, put our name badges on, and snared a beer from a roving waiter, I told Kozo and our Yokohama manager to split up and circulate, and see if they could meet anyone worth hiring or someone who might be interested in buying what we sold. And I would do the same.

So off we went to work the crowd. After five minutes of introducing myself and giving out my business cards, it became very apparent to me that a lot of the attendees came with the same purposes in mind. To see if they could find customers and make contacts with potential clients or future employees. I chuckled to myself. We weren't going to be very productive this evening. So I just resigned myself to just meet people.

Then I felt a tug on the sleeve of my coat and I turned and found Akari smiling at me. Of course she looked stunning.

"Konbanwa (hello), Peter-san." She smiled and bowed slightly.

"Akari," I smiled and bowed, "so nice to see you again. Genki desuka? (how are you?)"

"Thank you Peter. I am well. And I hope you are too?"

"Yes, thank you."

And we renewed our acquaintance. We found a quiet corner and spent a few minutes catching up with each other. I found out that Akari had recently graduated from Waseda University and now worked part time for a woman's fashion department store as a buyer. She was hoping to prove her ability to select apparel that their customers preferred, so she decided that she needed to meet more business women and find out first-hand what they looked for.

She mentioned that her department store was a small store that focused on young professional women's wear. So she had come this evening hoping to network with the women who might attending. Her thought was to hand out business cards as well as to observe and inquire what kinds of apparel business women had a difficult time finding. But direct selling on a one-on-one level was not something that she was accustomed to doing. So she was unsure of how to approach the women in attendance.

"Akari, to be good at selling you have to believe in your products, your company, and you have to believe in yourself. Do you have good products that you are proud to sell?"

"Yes. Our clothes are very good. Our company is very good."

"Are you a good salesperson?"

"That ..... I don't know."

I smiled, "well, let me help give you some practical sales training."

"How you do?"

I took her hand and plunged into the crowd, introducing myself to as many well dressed women in attendance as I could, and then introduced Akari so that she could make her sales pitch. I think we must have met at least twenty or thirty women that evening and Akari had a bunch of business cards from them, with promises to send them promotional literature and a discount coupon if they visited the store in the next thirty days.

I had a few cards myself, thinking that there might be one or two future salespersons that we might take an interest in down the road.

Towards the end of the gathering, Akari was ecstatic with the experience and hugged me.