We were taken to the Dining Room by a member of staff at the Hall. It was on the lower floor of a huge and ancient building which sits in the grounds of the Meiji Shrine. It is an old and very prestigious place which now does Shinto weddings and entertains other revered guests to Japan - presidents and prime ministers have also sat at our table.
We made our way along a stone pathway past other dining rooms, waterfalls, bonsai and stone sculptures to a set of steps. We were invited to remove our shoes (oh how I wished I'd had a pedicure that morning instead of a manicure!) and to enter a large room which was covered in tatami mats. There was a long wide (and very low) table in the middle of the room with traditional Japanese dining chairs - no legs, just a back and a cushion. I had visions of sitting cross legged for hours (that yoga is going to come in handy, I thought) but, phew, there was a deep hole under the table - to put our legs in. There was much relief amongst the diners - both Japanese and western!
Etiquette states very clearly that the guests sit opposite the hosts and the honoured guests sit in the middle - this was when we discovered that we were to be the honoured guests - what a privilege! It meant that we were consulted first about our likes and dislikes and served first. I lost track of the number of different courses but there must have been about ten or so. Each course was presented like a picture. As it is autumn here, every plate showed a little of that season in its colours - reds,oranges and yellows. There were beautiful Japanese maple leaves used in the decoration as well as other traditional plants and flowers. Some we could eat, others we couldn't; mostly we ate everything in the dish. We had all the traditional dishes - sushi, sashimi, mizo soup, rice and a whole host of other things I couldn't begin to name. None of the portions was huge - but they were stunningly beautiful and of excellent quality.
One dish was served in a crickets cage. The Japanese love their insects and they used to keep them in cages (note here - the Chinese still do!). This dish was leek, two tiny slices of excellent beef, pine needles (yes, we did eat them) and chestnuts. These were all placed in the dish so that it looked like a large insect. The pine needles were the antennae, the chestnuts the eyes, the leek the head and the beef sliced so it looked like the body. It was lying on a nettle leaf and a small red maple leaf was also in the dish. It was simply stunning - and delicious!
Throughout all of this we were drinking delicious Japense beer and sake but we kicked off the evening with a toast in the special wine made at the Emporer Meiji's Shrine. This we drank from tiny, delicate porcelaine dishes marked with a chrysanthemum - the mark of the Imperial House.
When we had eaten far more than we thought, the lady who had been looking after us (akin to a Geisha, if you will) came towards me and showed me a basket with two wedding kimono in it. They were stunning - one was a silk brocade affair with embroidery on it representing old Japan - the cranes, the maple leaves, rickshaws - very thick and luxurious and the second was a thinner, bright red silk komono with flowers - cherry blossom (sakura) and chrysanthemums, maple leaves and others all over it. They were both so valuable and very precious. I was absolutely stunned when they invited me to put them on! I suddenly knew what it felt like to be a traditional Japanese woman. Two dressers descended on me and wrapped me in layers of clothing - a beautiful white silk undershirt and then the obi - a large cushion that sits on your shoulder blades before placing the heavy silk kimono around me and wrapping me in that. The obi has the amazing feat of making your bum look much smaller - I like that!! My American colleague was also dressed in the same way in the other kimono and we were photographed front and back - the back view is the best - it shows the kimono off in all its glory. I felt so honoured to be a part of this - that our Japanese hosts were willing to share, what is after all, something very particularly Japanese with us. To wear a wedding kimono is a true privilege and I was hugely moved by the gesture of friendship. David was called upon to have photos taken with me but he didn't have to dress up! He already looked the part. I hope the photos come digitally so that I can add them to this blog - it was truly a wonderful experience. This is obviously not me but it will give you an idea!
If you'd like to see more about the Meiji Kinenkan, here's the webpage! http://www.meijikinenkan.gr.jp/english/restaurant/hanagasumi.html
And finally.... the shot you have all been waiting for....
And finally.... the shot you have all been waiting for....
