Michael Jackson visits SEGA of Japan

In December, 1988, Michael Jackson's "people" contacted Sega of Japan announcing that he'd like to drop by the company while he was in Japan on tour.  And so he did.  On Dec. 16, 1988, Jackson met with Sega president Hayao Nakayama, took a tour of the offices with his friends (that's not Macaulay Culkin in the pics, but rather another kid with whom Mike had starred in a Pepsi commercial), and played some Sega games!

According to the report by BEEP! magazine, Jackson played Super Thunder Blade on the Megadrive, and arcade Power Drift and Galaxy Force II.  At the end of his visit, he was given the same Galaxy Force II cabinet as a gift!!

Of note in the picture below are the graphics editing computers that Sega used for their 8- and 16-bit games, as well as the dapper young man in the grey sweater: Mark Cerny. This legendary game designer had worked at Sega in the '80s and was responsible for the Master System's 3-D system and games.  No doubt he helped show Michael Jackson around the offices, too.
(this pic from Insert Credit)