…in an interview situation today for a client of mine, shooting pics of a CEO. Here’s some idea of how it goes here in Corporate Japan Inc…

The meeting takes weeks to set up. Journalist has to visit The Company four times for meetings, in order to arrange the interview. The Journalist’s questions are submitted in advance for screening by the subject of the interview- The Tycoon.

Day of the meeting, we (The Press) arrive, meet downstairs in the building owned by The Tycoon. A Junior Press Officer comes to fetch us.

We all get given paper passes, go up in the elevator, into a cream boardroom, and hand over our paper passes to be stamped by an employee. All the time we hadn’t left the sight of the Junior Press Officer.

Some discussion follows on who will sit in which chair, it’s decided where The Tycoon will sit- in the centre with the expensive work of art behind him, and then all other seats are allocated accordingly.

The room is bathed in light but I am kindly asked if the lighting is fine for photos. They offer to lower the blinds, I tell them I’m happy the way it is.

A few minutes of milling around, then a knock on the door, it opens silently and the Entourage sweeps in. We all say hello, much swapping of business cards, and we take our alloted seats.

On one side of the room, the four members of The Press:
Asia Business Editor,
Diplomatic Editor,
Our Translator,
Me- the snapper.

On the room’s opposite side, and two ends, The Company people:
The Tycoon,
His Translator,
Five Men In Suits (three Japanese, two are Western),
The Junior Press Officer.

The meeting is recorded on three little audio-recorders, two belong to The Press, one to The Company.

The Press also write down The Tycoon’s answers- one copy in Japanese, and two in English.

Four of the Company’s Five Men In Suits also write down the questions and answers in various notepads and expensive looking notebooks.

There are 12 people in the room, and during the one hour interview only 5 speak. Nine of the twelve present are men, and of those nine I’m the only one not wearing a tie. Both Translators are women, only one ever speaks.

The Junior Press Officer sits quietly beside the door, next to a very incongruous wooden statue of a giraffe.

I have a seat but move around a little, but only between the gaps of The Tycoon’s answer and the start of his Translator’s translations. I shoot one frame on a 17-35mm lens, and everything else on a 70-200mm, occasionally I add my 1.4x converter.

The interview lasts the allocated one hour, with a minute or two at the end for “one last question if I may…”.

There’s a joke to finish, we all stand, The Tycoon shakes hands with both Journalists, nods to one or two of his people, turns, and exits his boardroom through a different door from the one he had entered the room by. Everyone else waits for him to leave, then gathers papers, audio recorders etc, and we all leave. In the corridor outside there is much talk of “lets have lunch soon/ please come soon/ visits/ keep in touch/ are you based in Japan ?” etc.

One of the Five Men in Suits escorts us downstairs promising to send maps and PowerPoint presentations to help explain further some of The Tycoons answers and beliefs. We go outside, say goodbyes. I put my two cameras away, get my iPod out, select some Bob Dylan, and walk away in the sunshine.