I was determined this trip to find some local music. Yamaha saxophones, Keiko Matsui, Hiroshima — Tokyo must be abuzz with jazz. I found a club named STB 139, aka Sweet Basil. How could I go wrong with one of my favorite spices? I scheduled my day to end up near Roppongi. In spite of […]
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This website is an extension of the book, Fastlane: My Japanese Roadster on the Information SuperHighway.
Akasuka Stop
I had some time in the late afternoon and decided to visit the shrine at Akasuka. Emerging from the subway, I walked under an overcast sky toward the run-up to the temple. Ironically, this path — with merchant stalls on both sides — was more like a bazaar than a holy place of worship. Just […]
Trade Showing
I accompanied Ichihashi-san to a Tokyo trade show, scrambling along behind him as he navigated both metro and JR trains to arrive at a large pavilion. It was not well attended and we quickly found CTC’s booth — spartan by American standards. The information was there, but the presentation lacked the Las Vegas glitz. This […]
Paddling Along
The next few days were filled with meetings. I was finally feeling familiar — not just with my immediate associates at Itochu headquarters or CTC, but with the subsidiaries like CTC Financial engineering. We were all struggling to anticipate where these networked opportunities would take us. I felt some employees were clueless. Others, like Moriyama-san […]
Cruising the Coast
I finished my Monday afternoon meeting and called the trip a wrap. My plane didn’t leave until late Tuesday afternoon. In the morning, I went to T/CAT, checked in with the airline and left my baggage, feeling considerably freer. My train pass was still valid. Why wait at Narita? I may as well spend my […]
Business Card Briefcases
Returning to Tokyo, I spent the day popping in and out of stations, trying to get a feel both for the places and the means of transit. I purchased some speckled paper and ribbon with which to try my hand at wrapping presents. I had long been aware of the tradition of gift giving in […]
Status Car
“Jim-san, you should rent a bigger car.” I looked up from my desk at Fukuhara-san, who held my expense report in his hands. “Why? When I go to Las Vegas, I’m just driving myself from A to B. The taxi lines are so long, one has to drive to make good use of the time. […]
Winterland
With their new CEO in place and an IPO in the works, eXcite decided to throw a party in SF. Always game for a party, I looked over the invitation. It would be at Winterland. Winterland! What a locale: site of my first and only Grateful Dead concert. I thought back to the mid-seventies when […]
Tech on the Road
Early in April 2000 I headed to the airport for a flight to LA. Spring Internet World was upon us once again. I wondered what new twists would come of well-funded imaginations this time! No matter: just sit back and see. Or rather, walk and scan the endless aisles and floors in the growing convention […]
Drag Race
The Internet held tremendous promise. If large numbers flocked to it, the advantages of such connectivity were significant. We were still contemplating all the ways that businesses could cooperate and people could find information, products, and services. Who knew all the opportunities that might surface? New concepts were emerging every week! Some of these ideas […]