Mr. Nakazawa is a life-long resident of Osaka, Japan, which is known as Japan's business capital and home to 12 million other largely middle-of-the-road, hard-working friendly souls.) And my now 18-year-long relationship with the 72-year-old president and founder of Daiwa Corporation began in the summer of 1987.

I had been home but a few weeks after the finish of my solo walk around the world, when I first heard his voice over the telephone. At the time I was at my parents' home in Bethel, Ohio, (where I grew up), and I was busily writing what was to eventually become the Worldwalk book. This stranger from Japan(whose English was a little erratic but understandable)teasingly hinted that he was hurt I hadn't included Japan in the worldwalk's route. Caught a little off guard by this "criticism" of my four-year-long trek,I offered the excuse that the world is a big place and I couldn't possibly walk across every country. "And besides," I threw out as an appeasement, "I hear that Japan is very expensive."

His retort was quick and filled with the wit that I would soon find out makes up a lot of his wonderful personality: "Why we would never expect someone like you to pay to come to our country. We pay you!"

My reply was nearly as quick: "When came I come?!"

His laughter was instant and so was our friendship. Never mind that I had a $100,000 advance on the Worldwalk book at stake should I not get the manuscript in time to the publishers in New York City, or that Mr. Nakazawa wanted me to explore his 2,000-mile-long country by walking it, or that I had several groups wanting me to speak to their members...How could the adventurer inside me possibly refuse the once-in-a-lifetime offer of a free rein to explore such a mysterious place as Japan?

Well of course I did what I seem to do a lot of: I took the risky path. Soon I was jetting off to the Land of the Rising Sun. And over the course of the fall of 1987 I trekked solo the entire lengths of Japan's Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Okinawa islands. It was exciting, breathtaking, arduous, unforgettable, soul-spoiling, and every other adjective you can think of. To think I had walked around an entire planet, and again I was being vividly reminded that there is still so much more to learn and experience. And all thanks to a very unselfish admirer from a different world, so to speak.

And what, some may ask, does Mr. Nakazawa get out being a modern-day patron of some gawky, gangly Ohio country boy? Well, he gets an American friend to add to his others around the world, but, more importantly, he gets to realize a very important goal he has: the opportunity for Americans to better understand his culture. You see, in his sending me to his country (and later to South Korea and Taiwan)to explore it on foot, he knew that I would return to the USA to share with many others that which I've learned and experienced. And to Mr. Nakazawa that is even more important than making money. For in his many travels to the USA he has always noted with some sadness that we know so little about his world.

In a sense you could say I am the fortunate recipient of his wish to use some of his riches to bring our world closer together peacefully. And, yes, he does make money from using my name and image on his products, but in a sign of just how good his heart really is he always admonishes me not to promote the Worldwalker brands on the treks he send me on. Now you know as well as I that most businessmen would do just the opposite: Their primary objective would be to better advertise their business (rather than their country and culture).

My wife Darci calls Mr. Nakazawa my Japanese "sugar daddy." But don't think she's being derisive in any way. She really does think of him as a fatherly figure, and he has indeed treated her like a daughter. Sadly, Mr. Nakazawa lost his only daughter a few years ago, when she died of hemorraging while giving birth to twin boys. However, like the angels they are, Mr. Nakazawa and his wife raised the twins for their first three years as the boys' father recovered from his grief and put his career in order.

So you can see, Mr. Nakazawa is indeed an angel.

And so let me conclude this entry by stating that in several future entries I will share with you some small samples of the countless adventures Mr. Nakazawa's generosity has blessed me with. Those places he has sent my wandering curiosity have included the Japan walk, the entire lengths of South Korea and Taiwan, and my present project--the 88 temples of Shikoku Island's "Henro Pilgrimmage."

So let's say you are in for a treat.

And, by the way....I did get the completed Worldwalk book manuscript to the offices of William Morrow & Co. in time. Thus, I got to keep the $100,000 (well at least that which was left after the agent got his share).

Steven Newman

Top photo: Mr. Nakazawa's twin grandsons he and his wife raised for several years after their mother's death.

Middle photo: Mr. Nakazawa and myself standing behind a trail head sign at East Fork State Park in southwestern Ohio

Bottom photo: Mr. Nakazawa at his best--marketing his newest lines of shoes at a shoe show in Kobe.