The Least Useful Guide to Fukuoka

For some reasons, we have met many people from property and moving companies. Among them were women who were clearly attractive and impeccably dressed — not in a flashy way, but in a very deliberate, well-coordinated manner.

Strangely enough, in this particular situation, such beauty combined with polished clothing did not necessarily inspire trust. On the contrary, their appearance sometimes felt overly calculated, as if every detail was carefully designed to create a favorable impression. That effort, instead of reassuring me, made me slightly wary.

By contrast, a young woman from a moving company looked completely different. She wore inexpensive, rather plain clothes, and her overall appearance was simple and unadorned. There was nothing stylish or impressive about her, yet she felt genuine and disarmingly honest. She spent a long time in front of us, carefully preparing our estimate, working through the details with an earnestness that, at least on the surface, felt sincere.

In the end, however, she lost the contract to a seasoned salesman from Nippon Express, an industry giant, whose quote was overwhelmingly lower. I believe we have made a rational decision, but I could not help feeling sorry for her.

Through this experience, I realized something I had never fully considered before: being beautiful and well put together does not always work to one’s advantage. In certain settings, beauty — especially when paired with a carefully crafted presentation — can actually work against its owner.

(helped by ChatGPT)