A delegation of representatives from the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Japan visited NU headquarters here in Hoboken, N.J., yesterday, on their way to the Big I conference in Washington, and were most interested to hear how problems at AIG are impacting the U.S. and global markets, while also asking about health care reform and agency M&A activity.Read on for more details about our lively cultural exchange.

Flanking me in the picture above are, to my left, Mark Ruquet, our agent/broker editor, along with one of 18 guests of honor from Japan–Masafumi Kitano, president of Wisemen Corp., a brokerage in Osaka, Japan, who presented me with a token of the delegation's esteem.

I began my speech with a brief overview of the role NU plays in the commercial insurance business in general, and the agency community in particular–at least as brief as one can be while pausing to allow a translator to repeat what I was saying.