
Asahi: Gem king packs heat in Colombia
Eishy Hayata is an esmeraldero, an "emerald cowboy" who has risked his life to build a gem empire in Colombia. Colombia is the world's main source of emeralds and Hayata's firm exports nearly half the emeralds the South American nation produces. A billionaire, Hayata can no longer stroll the streets of Colombia without a gun in his pocket and a retinue of bodyguards. Two years ago, Hayata made "Emerald Cowboy," a quasi-documentary movie about his life....For Hayata, an adventurer by nature, Japan is just too small and emotionally cramped. After years spent toughening up overseas, he finds current Japanese behavior difficult to understand. "It's hard to believe Japanese kill themselves just for losing their jobs or wealthy high school girls sell their bodies. Only the poor resort to prostitution in Latin America." Hayata seems to have little in common with or fondness for the population of his native country: "I take pride in my Japanese identity, in being a member of the Japanese race, but I don't take pride in being Japanese."...more...
Hayata's liife seems pretty eventful but the film gets fairly average reviews
"Emerald Cowboy" English Site --- Japanese Site with Trailer