Tokyo diary: The stunts of Key

John Key and Bronagh Key, Yukio Hatoyama and Mrs Miyuki Hatoyama. Photo / Audrey Young

You've got to wonder how much time John Key spends thinking up stunts. Not much I suspect. He just has an eye for a opportunity.

He pulled one last night on Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama just before the two sets of First Couples were about to head into dinner.

Key pulled out a silver fern pin and proceeded to  pin onto his host's suit lapel. You have to admire it.

There was no question like ''would you like this?' It was just out with it and here, this is what you are wearing.  It went down well.

And such was the occasion and glare of the photo press corp cameras it would have been churlish of the new PM to say No.  Even better for the snappers, Mrs Hatoyama took over and started pinning it on her husband's lapel.

Afterwards, the Japan press corp  wanted to know what the silver fern was and what it meant.

It was a bit like the idea Key had to take a loaf of Vogel's bread that Key took to Helen Clark in New York  - just like the New Zealand TV ads).

The slight drawback on that stunt  was that Clark's people would not allow pictures of the loaf being handed over though there was no objection to him actually telling people he had done so.

The two leaders last night exchanged rugby jerseys and balls signed by their sides and Key let it slip to reporters  back at his hotel that Mrs Hatoyama had tried on the All Blacks jersey at dinner and wanted to meet Dan Carter on the say-so of Mrs Key.

Japan's new first lady sounds like a ball of fun and the news media are going to have fun with her over the next four years .

Last night's meeting took place in the beautiful , simple, elegant official offices of the PM;  about 200m away is his official residence which I cannot not describe honestly without risking deportation. Let's say I have  seen anything like it in my life and hope never to again.

Again me and my Sony Cybershot were allowed among the real photographers, though the camera struggled to get  decent shot at 20 paces with a tinny fash.  NZPA had hoped to get a photographer along but apparently she could not be reached on her cellphone in time. It is apparently lottery as to whether non-Japanese cellphones will work in the country. 

There are stacks of cellphone companies at the airport that rent out local phones to visitors and you just return them when you leave. Seems a bit odd in the country that is otherwise a technological paradise.

It was a really big day yesterday. Down to Kansai on the Bullet Train, a tour of a couple of plants, a business group lunch and a flight back to Tokyo and a motorcade into town for the PMs' talks.

The thing that distinguishes Japan's motorcades from others are the guys  who hang out of the back-seat windows of the out-rider police cars yelling at cars to make way.

They look like hoons on a Christchurch street but without the beer cans and in a police uniform. With almost their full bodies protruding, you can only hope their feet or legs are tied on to something in the back seat.

Am off to the Partnership Forum in Tokyo this morning. Key will be speaking and Saatchi guru Kevin Roberts is speaking at the lunch.

- Audrey Young