| I'd been living in Japan for a few years after | | | | guy. Now the guy I was doing the MC dating |
| giving up my Police career as a Detective in | | | | work for rang me and said, "I'm going to do a |
| Melbourne, Australia. I was fluent in Japanese and | | | | dating corner on this new radio station called FM |
| had done a number of TV programs here in | | | | Port, Niigata. The corner will be about love and |
| Japan, when my future turned from TV to Radio. | | | | dating and I want you to do the corner on the |
| One day I bumped into a guy who I went to | | | | radio, so come with me to FM Port to talk with |
| school with when I was an exchange student for | | | | production company boss. |
| one year here in Niigata, Japan. He'd gotten into | | | | I went with him to FM Port and for the 30 |
| the dating business and asked me if I would be | | | | minutes we were there the boss of the |
| the MC at the dating parties which are where | | | | production company spoke to me about lots of |
| guys and girls come together and exchange | | | | things. I didn't think it was an interview so I just |
| profiles and get to meet each other. It's good | | | | talked and joked with the boss. I was then |
| because it gives them an opportunity to meet | | | | offered a job as a radio DJ, 4 hours on air |
| others. | | | | everyday except Sunday! The boss told me to |
| Unknown to me, a female spy from one of the | | | | come back the following Tuesday for a final |
| other dating groups in town had joined the party | | | | interview and test. Heck I didn't even know that |
| to see how we run our parties. Luckily I was the | | | | our chat was an interview. |
| MC at that party. She turned out to be a high | | | | I came back for the "second interview" the boss |
| spirited person, and a person who was to be my | | | | gave me some news to read and some topics to |
| partner for 18 months on radio. Her name was | | | | talk about. I entered the little radio booth, put on |
| Ryoko Mizobuchi. | | | | the headphones and started talking when a voice |
| Ryoko whilst now working for her dating | | | | told me to turn the mic on. Yeah, I guess that |
| company had previously worked on radio as a DJ | | | | would help! Anyway I got the job. |
| and wanted to return to radio. A new radio | | | | The contract stated that if I was late at any time |
| station covering the whole of the Niigata | | | | that that would end the contract. Also that I had |
| Prefecture was about to start and was | | | | only 5 annual days off per year. I had a great |
| advertising for staff. Without phoning the station | | | | time and continued to be a Japanese radio DJ |
| for an appointment she went to the station burst | | | | going out to a possible listener population of |
| through the doors and asked for a job as a DJ. | | | | 5,000,000. (five million) for over 3500 total hours |
| Ryoko got the job and the owner of the | | | | on air. The production company changed and with |
| production company for the radio station asked | | | | it my job. I look forward to getting back on the |
| her if she knew any foreigners that spoke | | | | air. |
| Japanese well. She told him of me and one other | | | | |