TOKYO — Standing on an elevated stage, the cooking contest judge sampled fresh tuna prepared with California walnuts and figs. Beneath him, more than 200 Japanese photographers and TV camera crew members waited to record his reaction.
"Delicious," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger intoned.
He moved on to try a cake made with California oranges and raisins. Cameras clicked in unison as fork met mouth.
"California products are so delicious," the governor said Thursday in a hotel ballroom at a reception dubbed "Taste of California."
In his first overseas trade mission, Schwarzenegger has stuck reliably to the script, pitching California as a dream destination for thrill-hungry tourists, profit-seeking investors and connoisseurs of food and wine.
Back home, the governor is known for his tendency to veer off-message, surprising audiences with an improvised line about "girlie-men" legislators or Democratic "losers." But not here. Meeting with California reporters, Schwarzenegger was asked about the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
He steered the discussion back to his home state.
"I haven't thought about it," he said. "I only think about California. The key thing is I'm here to promote and promote and promote. Market, market, market. This is what I know how to do and I know that it pays off."
The four-day visit has the logistical complexity of a presidential appearance and the production values of a Hollywood film.
Before the governor's arrival in the ballroom, oversized video screens displayed a montage: The governor and First Lady Maria Shriver walking on a beach; pictures of California grapes; Schwarzenegger announcing his candidacy on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno"; clips from action films showing a robotic Schwarzenegger with an eye missing; and a shot of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Then a blank screen except for one word in big block letters: "ARNOLD."
Soon after, Schwarzenegger mounted the stage as the Beach Boys' "Surfin' U.S.A." blared in the background.
For all the sizzle, the governor is downplaying hopes that the visit will yield concrete trade deals right away. He met with executives from Toyota Motor Co. on Thursday to persuade them to build a plant in California to build the hybrid Prius.
