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Ultimate Hospitality Extended by the Emperor (2) [2019/11/14]
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At the Imperial Palace on November 5, we then moved to the Rensui-kita (the north section of the Dining Room) for “a tea party.” In fact, as we had been notified prior to the event, this was a luncheon consisting of a full course of French cuisine. There were six round tables in the room and seven people were seated at each. Joining me at the table were lighting designer Motoko Ishii, painter Toshio Tabuchi, movie director Nobuhiko Ohbayashi and dancer Nouhou Miyagi. Altogether, there were a total of 42 persons, including the Grand Steward of the Imperial Household Agency, the Lord Chamberlain, the Chief Lady-in-Waiting to the Empress and senior officials of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in addition to the award winners. The emperor and the members of the Imperial family, operating in three pairs, moved around the six tables. Joining our table first were smiling Princesses Mako and Kako, clad in graceful formal crested kimono with a beautiful white collar. I was surprised by how much they knew about what each of us has done in our respective fields, leading to lively conversation for about 20 minutes. Coming next were the crown prince and crown princess, who also surprised us by the depth of their knowledge on a variety of topics. Sitting on my right was Mr. Miyagi, who is from Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Okinawa. We talked about Shuri Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was almost totally destroyed by fire in late October. After days of not so friendly weather in Tokyo, the cloudless autumn sky seen through the well-kept garden was quite impressive. Finally, the emperor and the empress came to our table. They were well aware of the achievements of each award winner seated there, and our pleasant conversation could have continued forever. Empress Masako, despite her hard work due to a long series of traditional rituals following the emperor’s proclamation of enthronement, including four banquets for foreign and domestic dignitaries, kept on smiling happily and seemed to be enjoying the conversation. I could not hold back my tears at her recovery of health. At the age of 80, this was for me the most euphoric moment in my life, sharing a table with members of the Imperial family while enjoying wonderful French cuisine accompanied by fine wine. The members of the Imperial family hardly ate, listening to us closely and carefully. I believe Emperor Naruhito and his family extended to us the ultimate hospitality, and this filled me with emotion. The event came to a close as the evening twilight descended. I left the Imperial Palace, praying for well-being and prosperity of the monarch and his family. |