POWELL -- One Japanese financial publication is curious how banking is conducted in rural Wyoming.

An official with a Japanese financial publishing house visited Powell in northern Wyoming last week to interview First National Bank and Trust President Dick Nelson for an article in a Japanese financial publication.

Sumio Kinoshita interviewed Nelson for an hour, discussing banking in small-town America.

"He's particularly interested in the culture of community banks," Nelson said.

Nelson had visited Tokyo more than 10 years ago to speak at a financial seminar about community banking.

The key to community banking is long-term relationships that are developed with customers, who are neighbors and friends, he said.

"Relationship banking sets us apart from a lot of banks in the world," Nelson said.

Nelson is the third generation of his family at the helm. First National was founded in 1912 by S.A. Nelson.

"Those kind of family businesses don't really exist in Japan," Nelson said.

Kinoshita was interested in the family dynamics of communication, and balancing business and personal relationships.

With the help of a translator, Kinoshita and Nelson also discussed the changing climate in banking and First National's recent acquisition by Glacier Bancorp Inc.

Nelson said that while the ownership of the bank is changing, the community focus is not.

Kinoshita was interested in how Glacier maintained community-focused banking, Nelson said.