MOUNT ASO, Kyushu -- When he had just turned 20, "Good Time" Charlie Nagatani made a decision that must have seemed even more foolish than it was whimsical.
"A neighbor who worked at an American base nearby brought a Japanese country music band to play at my birthday party," he explained. "They were called the Hillbilly Jamboree. I fell in love with the music, quit college and joined the band."
Nagatani's impulse turned out to be inspired. Today, the entertainer, nightclub owner and festival impresario is the down-home doyen of American country music in Japan, adored by honky-tonk fans from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Even in Nashville, Tenn., the capital of country, he is well known in the music business for running one of its most memorable tours.