A colleague remembers

by Kaz Abiko

THE NEWS OF JIM Lagier’s passing deeply saddened us in Tokyo, even though we knew it was coming, as he had been receiving hospice care at his home. As everyone who knew him would agree, he was a wonderful person, certainly one of a kind.

Jim served as Tokyo bureau chief for the AP from 1993 through 2001 and as FCCJ president, 1995-96.

He was asked to run for FCCJ president because the Club needed a solid representative of a major news organization to head the Club in its 50th anniversary year, although he had been in Tokyo for only two years.

At the 50th anniversary party, Jim marveled at the Club, saying, “Its membership consists of some of the most memorable journalists, scalawags and hangerson as you can find anywhere: petulant, irritating, crusty, crotchety, witty, caring, childish, emotional, sentimental, articulate, opinionated, cynical, rude, hard drinking, harddriving. That’s the short list.”

Because of the high yen and Japan’s economic downturn, Club membership had dropped to a low of about 1,700. Jim orchestrated a membership drive that helped increase the number to more than 2,000 in five months.

Jim was a paternal figure at AP Tokyo as well as the FCCJ a loving and caring father of the family. He also was a skilled manager and adept politician. Markus Kreutz, former AP chief of communication in Tokyo, said, “Witnessing one particular sensitive meeting with overseas visitors that was conducted by Jim and concluded in the most pleasant of manners, I came away thinking that Jim could tame a lion if need be.”

He used to say that the AP is “the world’s oldest, largest and most lovable news agency.” During his retirement party at the FCCJ in 2001, I said he was “the AP’s oldest, largest and most lovable bureau chief.”

We will miss him greatly

Kazuo Abiko, former AP general manager for Northeast Asia, was FCCJ president in 2001-02.