KesterTester126
Photo: This oriental gentleman was in Hungary in 1991, and he wasn't your regular tourist.
I was toying with running this photo a month or so ago, but had decided it was too obscure for all but real old timers. But something has triggered my interest in the past few days, and made me think again.
I was still hesitating, because this particular image somehow got out of focus when copying from the original black and white print, and frustratingly, despite searching for over and hour this morning, I couldn't find the original to do a better copy.
So, apologies for the rough quality, but it's still clear enough - the question is, who is he? And for the right of the winner to buy me a bonus beer, why was he in Hungary?
Now, let's play the game and do a real, old time, proper sleuth for this one please- no searching to compare the image using googly-wooglies or AI thingies please.
Because of my soft heart, as a (big) clue, I can assure you every reader will know this gentleman's surname, although his given name will be more difficult. But to make life easy for you, the surname will be enough to allow you to potentially win global celebrity status in this competition in any case.
I'll give another clue later if nobody can name the gent, either by recognition or just guessing (yes, I think the latter is perfectly possible, if you consider the period we're talking about).
Of course, old hands will know that the InterContinental back then was not located in the same building as the InterConti in Budapest today - this photo was taken (as I remember) in what today and for about three decades now has been under the Marriott brand on the Danube Corso. (Not that this historical tidbit has anything to do with solving this particular Tester).
Please answer via an email with KT126 in the subject line, or by the blog messaging system, whichever is simpler for you, and have a great week!
UPDATE: Contestants and Result!
Not for the first time, the sleuthing skills-cum-historical knowledge of blog readers has surprised me – and all this without the aid of googlie-internet-thingies, as far as I can make out.
Mind you, not everyone was so on the ball. Tom Chilton, once a hot sleuther and known to enjoy buying a winner his beers, appears to have lost some of his sharpness.
“I have no idea who the oriental bloke is in the latest KT.
üdv.Tam”
In contrast, Mihály “always have a go” Hollós, was keen to keep his brand alive, quickly posting:
“Hello Kester,
The Oriental man is, I believe, Mr Suzuki, in town in 1991 to open the Esztergom Suzuki car plant.
Best, Misi”
Sándor Németh, was left struggling, however.
“Hi Kester,
Your tester is again a hard one.”
C'mmon, Sanyi, these are testers, with a global audience, reaching far and wide! They can't all be easy-peasies, you know!
“The oriental man? Hmm, a key officer of a global organisation?
Difficult.”
You'll be kicking yourself when you learn the answer, I'd say!
György Drucker, perhaps sensing a devilishly devious KesterTester, opted for the Latin American-Oriental angle.
“Dear Kester,
My guess, the guy is Fukui Kenichi, Japanese chemistry Nobel laureate.
Best regards, Gyuri”
Long-time, no see Bálint Dömötör raised his head above the parapet to exclaim:
“Hello Kester,
I hope you're doing well! I haven't tested myself with your KesterTesters in a while so my skills might be a bit rusty. But my guess is that the oriental gentleman in your photo is Osamu Suzuki, chairman of the Suzuki car manufacturer, who was in Budapest in 1991 to sign the agreement with the Hungarian government to build the Suzuki factory in Esztergom.
Best wishes from the Old Blighty,
Bálint”
Frank Hegedus, perhaps after working late drafting his next sermon, swung by to say:
“Dear Kester...
I am probably too late and too wrong to be a serious contender, …”
Not at all, Frank, and all contenders are treated as serious, late or otherwise!
“... but I am going to guess Alberto Fujimora of Peru who was in power in the early 1990s and who died last year, I believe...
What he would have been doing in Budapest I have no idea. A logical guess would be trade negotiations. Maybe buying or selling lekvár or dzsám futures...
Frank”
Laszlo Jakabfi tentatively proffered:
“Wasn't the gentleman Osama Suzuki president of Suzuki Motor Corporation?”
S Szecsei, claiming his guess to be more than merely educated, wrote:
“Kester,
My educated guess, in light of the date, is that he's the late Osamu Suzuki, visiting Hungary to lay the foundation stone of the Suzuki car factory in Esztergom.
S.”
Hubert “Le Poirot” Warsmann is not one to be denied the chance to win yet more global fame and buy me two beers, wrote to say:
“KT126. Good evening Kester. Tough one, I will try a guess. This gentlemen could easily be Japanese and since the biggest Japanese story in Hungary in 1991 was the set-up of Magyar Suzuki, I would venture the name of Osamu Suzuki, the then president of Suzuki and the architect of the company's expansion in international car manufacturing.
Since he passed away at the end of 2024, would that have been the trigger of your renewed interest in the picture? Only a guess, It ticks the few hints you give.
However and although the person in the picture could easily be 60-ish, Mr Suzuki's age at the time, he is no obvious match with recent pictures of Mr Suzuki. I could not find photos of him in that era to double check. So maybe I am on the wrong track here.”
Hmmmm. Interesting. However, Mr Suzuki does seem to be the popular choice, Hubert. Gosh, now look at John Cantwell's entry:
“Hi Kester,
Osamu Suzuki was in Hungary in 1991 to announce the founding of Magyar Suzuki and plans for its plant in Esztergom.
John”
And Zsolt Maroti,
“Szia Kester
This one is dead easy “
Well, it may be for some, like those who luxuriate away their time in 5-star saunas, Zsolti!
“The gent in the photo is the late Osamu Suzuki, former chairman, CEO, president and whatnot of Suzuki Motor Corporation. He died recently, around last Xmas.
He visited Hungary in 1991 to lay the foundation stone of the Suzuki car plant in Esztergom.
Fun fact: once he and I spent quite some time together sweating in the sauna of the then Hotel Intercontinental. zs”
Ha ha! Dale Martin next had a punt!
“Dear Kester,
Without using‘googly-wooglies or AI thingies‘ my guess would be Mr. Suzuki.
With very best wishes, Dale”
Nigel Thorpe pondered, then scribed:
“Kester,
Is it Osamu Suzuki? Nigel”
You are supposed to tell me, Nigel! But I'll forgive you this once.
Finally, Pál Varga Koritár took up the rear in this series of entries.
Dear Kester,
I think that the mysterious man is Mr. Osamu Suzuki, a well known Japanese businessman, who was from 1978 the CEO, President and Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation. He founded in 1990 the Magyar Suzuki Rt. in Esztergom.
Mr. Suzuki has made many visits to Hungary, and he died at the end of last year.
Best regards: Pál Varga Koritár”
Wow! What competition!
Well, by popular vote – and, more impotantly my memory – the good oriental man is indeed Osamu Suzuki. And, from memory, he was here to announce the contract signing to go ahead with the Suzuki plant at Esztergom. (He may well have planted the foundation stone too, I suppose.)
Here is another photo of the same press conference and some sort of mutual celebration – although I distinctly remember Péter Ákos Bod was also present as the then Minister of the Economy – but he's not in this pic for some reason (sorry Péter).
Photo: Osamu Suzuki and others at the then InterContinental Hotel, Budapest, 1991.
And yes, it was learning of his passing that made me decide to go ahead with this tester, which proved rather successful, I hope all agree.
Whatever, clearly the 24 million USD question now is, whose number will come out of the EU-registered, Black, Woolly, Draw Hat!
As I can feel the tension mounting, 10 slips of paper bearing the commensurate numbers have been thoroughly mixed up in the depths of said hat, and … like the Beatles' song, it's number 9 – er, that's you, Nigel Thorpe!
Yes, Nigel, global celebrity status now awaits you, and your fans and The Sun's gossip-column photographer are probably on their way to besiege your pad right now, merely for the chance of a simple 'good evening', shake your hand and take a selfie.
And that's two beers (a ridiculously low fee, in my humble opinion, for this elevation to stardom) next time you are in Budapest!
Just before we go, here's a rather odd photo I found in the boxes of the notice for the Suzuki registered office back in those days. I suspect there is barely a soul around today who remembers this. (I can't remember taking it!)
Thanks for all who had a punt to make this work and have fun, and even those who didn't!
And have a good week!
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