Comments on: Warren Buffett Hates Japanese Food

By: Mulboyne

Mulboyne — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:48:49 +0000

For some reason, I got the revised edition of Schroeder’s book as a Christmas present this year. Reading the part about the dinner, it’s clear that Buffet was embarrassed by his own behaviour but it was made worse for him because he “didn’t click” with Morita at all and couldn’t understand why Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham found him interesting.

The book also has an account of Buffet’s visit to China with Bill Gates. Gates sent him a questionnaire beforehand about dietary requirements to which Buffet replied “I don’t eat any Chinese food”. Gates arranged for tour company Abercrombie & Kent to ensure that chefs along the way could prepare hamburgers and french fries. One evening, instead of the courses which everyone else received, Buffet was served plate after plate of french fries and he was happy. When he got to Hong Kong at the end of the trip, he immediately took Gates to McDonalds.

Apart from the Morita dinner story, the only other mention of Japan is the story of a Japanese woman who flew to his office to get his autograph. She prostrated herself before him and then promptly had a fit. She wrote later to say her doctor had prescribed tranquillizers.

By: Jade Oc

Jade Oc — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:23:29 +0000

“This tournament is rocking.”

Probably literally, considering what those people weigh….

By: M-Bone

M-Bone — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:53:26 +0000

I was drinking maccha while watching the Sumo yesterday. This tournament is rocking.

By: Joe Jones

Joe Jones — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:33:35 +0000

I like the tea at tea ceremonies, but yeah, it’s a pretty damn boring practice. Sumo is far better.

By: Roy Berman

Roy Berman — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:18:34 +0000

“Then again, I have dragged Japanese guests to traditional Maori cultural performances to show them how much New Zealanders revere “our” traditional culture, I suppose.”
I sometimes take visitors to New York to Katzi’s Deli, but that’s just an excuse for me to go.

By: Bryce

Bryce — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:08:33 +0000

“I really hate seeing Japanese taking foreign guests to tea ceremonies,possibly the most boring Japanese cultural practice,even the tea tastes bitter.”

This was certainly the one thing I possibly hated about Japan the most. Middle-aged ladies dragging me to view things that they would never go to themselves in order to show me how much Japan reveres its traditional culture. It was particularly bad in the first year before I knew any better, and felt confident enough to refuse.

Then again, I have dragged Japanese guests to traditional Maori cultural performances to show them how much New Zealanders revere “our” traditional culture, I suppose.

By: Aceface

Aceface — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:25:50 +0000

Let me give you the e-mail of my college day buddy whose now working for Kodansha,Durf.We can sell this as Japan’s answer to Dan Brown,in manga format.

By: Durf

Durf — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:15:59 +0000

That place is a goldmine. I go there sometimes to browse.

Anyway, do any of these manga involve the pope using ancient Catholic rituals to win extra shares of Berkshire-Hathaway on the high-stakes mahjongg table?

By: Joe Jones

Joe Jones — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:02:00 +0000

The other day I bought Curzon a copy of the 防衛白書漫画版 (Defense White Paper, Manga Edition), which was on sale at the Government Publications Center in Kasumigaseki.

By: Aceface

Aceface — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:04:25 +0000

“Is there anything that hasn’t had a manga made about it?”

You don’t know the half of it.There’s a manga titled”バフェットの師匠と相棒”(Buffet’s mentor and buddies).It’s a manga about Benjamin Graham and Charles Munger.