He works for Boeing and was in supplier management. His “suppliers” at the time were all Japanese companies. They make different parts of the planes and ship them to the US for assembly. He went to Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima… I forget where else. But they would change cities multiple times a trip and his free time was limited… so it never made sense to tag along. Which is a BUMMER! 😄 He did always bring home the most beautifully packaged gifts from his trips. And many random Kumamon items! 😄