Cameras were clicking and smiles were broad as a group of Japanese visitors found themselves in a very foreign setting yesterday - sheepyards in rural Maniototo.
Japanese suit maker Konaka Co Ltd flew over its top 20 salespeople of New Zealand fine-wool suits to see where and how the wool was grown.
Most had to obtain passports first, as it was their first overseas trip, and their first experience of sheep.
There was much amusement when one ''hit the dirt'' while attempting to catch a lamb, but he brushed it off with a big grin.
Konaka, which has more than 450 retail shops in Japan and is listed on the Tokyo stock exchange, sources its fine wool through PGG Wrightson Wool.
Yesterday, the group attended Glenspec Holdings on-farm lamb sale at Ranfurly before heading to the Clarke family's Closeburn Station at Gimmerburn.
Closeburn was the foundation supplier of fine wool to Konaka, with a
range of coats using Closeburn wool launched in Tokyo in 2012 to much media interest.
PGG Wrightson Wool business development manager Craig Smith said it was a ''real end-to-end deal'', with farmers meeting the retailer.
While Konaka's purchase of more than 100 tonnes of wool top each year was not a significant amount of the wool clip, what was significant was the connection between grower and retailer and the ''story being told'', Mr Smith said.
''It's a New Zealand Inc story ... which is great.''
The group will spend today in the Queenstown area, while deputy prime minister Bill English will be guest speaker at a reception in Auckland tomorrow.
Konaka chief executive Kensuke Konaka is flying out
to attend the reception.
Speaking at Ranfurly, Konaka's senior managing director, Kaoru Yamazaki, said sales of the wool clothing were very strong.
PGG Wrightson chief executive Mark Dewdney, who was also accompanying the group, said wool prices had gone up over the last 12 months, which was ''fantastic''. He believed those offshore were starting to understand the unique properties of the fibre.
While dairying was under pressure, beef prices were strong. Agriculture went through cycles and farmers were resilient and used to dealing with both price variability and weather conditions, Mr Dewdney said.
The long-term future was ''extremely bright''.
Mr Dewdney, who has been in the position nearly two years, also has several dairy farms. Being able to combine farming with running an agricultural company was ''the best job'' he could hope for, he said.
He enjoyed getting out of the office and endeavoured to spend a week a month in one of the regions.
''You can't run an agricultural business from an office in a city, that's my philosophy,'' he said.
