Such, word for word, was the conversation I had when I arrived in Tokyo in the early 1990s, repeated many times since. Ireland was like that character actor who popped up in B-movies whose name nobody could quite remember. But these days the leprechauns march through the centre of Tokyo once a year, trailed by red setters, giant bottles of stout beer and hundreds of Japanese in green hats. The taxi driver really has no excuse.

The biggest St Patrick's Day Parade in Asia has been making its way down Omotesando - the Champs-Elysees of Japan - for more than a decade. Ireland is the only foreign embassy allowed to use the exclusive shopping district for its national day, but the authorities aren't taking any chances with a country famous for rowdy parties: the parade ends mid-afternoon, is limited to 1,000 people for security reasons - and takes place on March 19, two days after the official day.

Last year, 30,000 Tokyo folk took a break from shopping for overpriced branded goods to watch the parade pass by, led by Irish President Mary McAleese and a grown man in a green frock and a peaked hat (that'll be St Patrick). It's all good, clean multicultural fun: Tokyo cheerleaders in short green skirts, US brass bands, Japanese Riverdancers, sport clubs with names such as the Kanto Celts and Irish wolfhounds the size of Toyota 4x4s.

There's a strong commercial presence as you might expect. This year's participants will include hi-tech telecom pioneers from Dublin and the world's biggest airline crew-supplier - an Irish company that leases pilots and the like to new Japanese airlines.

Embassy press officer Aisling Braiden says the organisers see it as a 'wonderful opportunity' to raise awareness about Ireland in Japan and to 'turn Tokyo Irish for an afternoon' - which means trying to ply shy Japanese spectators with green beards, ginger wigs and Guinness stickers. Which is all very well. Except that, as I watched the parade last year, I overheard one spectator say: 'I never knew Iceland was such a fun country.'