The Imperial Household should entertain foreign guests with Japanese cuisine
NISHIKAWA Megumi / Journalist
February 13, 2024
The Imperial Household has maintained the hospitality of "French wine and French cuisine" at the banquet for foreign guests since the early Meiji period. The first feast to which the Imperial Household invited foreign guests was a luncheon in May 1875 at the Akasaka Detached Palace (now the State Guest House). Hosted by the Emperor Meiji, the event was attended by the ministers of ten countries, including Britain, the U.S., France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Russia.
According to "Feasts of the Imperial Household" (edited by Shushi-kai), the hall of the palace was used as a pre-lunch lounge, where the emperor chatted with the ministers and invited them to join him in the dining room when the time was right. During the meal, the traditional musicians from the (then) Ministry of the Imperial Household played music, and after the meal, the guests moved back to the lounge, where coffee and liqueurs were served.
The meal consisted of 16 dishes, beginning with consommé soup. Meats such as lamb, pheasant, veal, turkey, foie gras, and rabbit were served in different arrangements. Six desserts were served, including a fruit cake.
The chef in charge of cooking was one from the Ministry of the Imperial Household, who had studied four months earlier at the Oriental Hotel in Yokohama, which at the time served the best French cuisine in Japan. The way the feast was conducted, the content of the meal, and the staging of music, etc., all were modeled after European court diplomacy. There was no mention of wine, but presumably French wine was served.
The Meiji government made a pitifully earnest effort to show that it was as civilized as the Western powers by pursuing a policy of Europeanization, and the field of food was no exception.
After World War II, the diplomatic feasts of major countries, which used to be "French cuisine and wine," changed significantly during the 1980s and 1990s. They began to show foreign guests the splendor of their own food culture through their national cuisine and their national wines (or their national drinks). It was only natural that this happened.
In December 2013, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) registered Japanese food culture as an intangible cultural heritage. This was an opportunity for then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to instruct the Japanese Prime Minister's Office to treat foreign guests with Japanese food and wine, which has been carried on to this day. However, the Imperial Household has kept French food and French wine at the banquet except for special occasions, such as the emperor's coronation in 2019.
The late Yasuaki Oonuma, an international law scholar and professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo who was well-versed on issues of cultural heritage around the world, was an advocate that the Imperial Family should serve Japanese food at the banquet. "It is a vestige of the spirit of the Rokumeikan that the Imperial Family entertains foreign heads of state with French food and wine." he said harshly.
The Rokumeikan was a social hall built in the early Meiji period to entertain foreign guests and diplomats as part of the government's policy of Europeanization. Mr. Oonuma referred to an unconscious sense of inferiority that has existed since the opening of Japan to the outside world.
The first sign of change in the Imperial Household came last November at a palace luncheon for the Kyrgyz President and his wife and the President of Vietnam and his wife. For the first time, Japanese food was served as an appetizer.
For the Kyrgyzstan guests, it was temari-zushi (Sushi that can be eaten in one bite ) with scallops and steamed shrimp. For Vietnamese guests, it was oshi-zushi (Sushi with rice and ingredients pressed together, mainly from the Kansai region). Alcohol was not served to Kyrgyzstan guests because they were from a Muslim country, but for the Vietnamese guests, a toast was made with sake, also for the first time.
The menu consisted of Japanese appetizers (oshizushi), consommé soup, braised beef thigh, salad, fruit, and dessert.
The sake and Japanese appetizers were the idea of Their Majesties. White and red wine was also served. The conversation was lively and the luncheon proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
Why did the Imperial Household serve Japanese food at this time of year, even if only as appetizers? I imagine that the Imperial Household Agency felt that Japanese food was attracting worldwide attention and that the Imperial Household must do something about it. After the end of the self-restraint caused by the Coronavirus disaster, opportunities for feasts to be held in court will increase. It has also been 10 years since Japanese food was registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. I suspect that they saw this as an opportunity to serve Japanese appetizers and sake. However, it was not announced what wines were served this time, it was probably French wine.
Until now, the Imperial Household Agency had cited as one of the reasons for not using Japanese food the fact that "Japanese food requires tableware of various sizes, which is difficult to serve at a feast for more than 100 people". However, the Prime Minister's official residence is doing it. For Japanese guests, French food and French wine are fine. However, from the perspective of conveying the splendor of Japan's culinary culture to foreign guests, we should base our hospitality on Japanese food and sake or Japanese wine.
Megumi Nishikawa is a contributing editor of Mainichi Shimbun
According to "Feasts of the Imperial Household" (edited by Shushi-kai), the hall of the palace was used as a pre-lunch lounge, where the emperor chatted with the ministers and invited them to join him in the dining room when the time was right. During the meal, the traditional musicians from the (then) Ministry of the Imperial Household played music, and after the meal, the guests moved back to the lounge, where coffee and liqueurs were served.
The meal consisted of 16 dishes, beginning with consommé soup. Meats such as lamb, pheasant, veal, turkey, foie gras, and rabbit were served in different arrangements. Six desserts were served, including a fruit cake.
The chef in charge of cooking was one from the Ministry of the Imperial Household, who had studied four months earlier at the Oriental Hotel in Yokohama, which at the time served the best French cuisine in Japan. The way the feast was conducted, the content of the meal, and the staging of music, etc., all were modeled after European court diplomacy. There was no mention of wine, but presumably French wine was served.
The Meiji government made a pitifully earnest effort to show that it was as civilized as the Western powers by pursuing a policy of Europeanization, and the field of food was no exception.
After World War II, the diplomatic feasts of major countries, which used to be "French cuisine and wine," changed significantly during the 1980s and 1990s. They began to show foreign guests the splendor of their own food culture through their national cuisine and their national wines (or their national drinks). It was only natural that this happened.
In December 2013, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) registered Japanese food culture as an intangible cultural heritage. This was an opportunity for then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to instruct the Japanese Prime Minister's Office to treat foreign guests with Japanese food and wine, which has been carried on to this day. However, the Imperial Household has kept French food and French wine at the banquet except for special occasions, such as the emperor's coronation in 2019.
The late Yasuaki Oonuma, an international law scholar and professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo who was well-versed on issues of cultural heritage around the world, was an advocate that the Imperial Family should serve Japanese food at the banquet. "It is a vestige of the spirit of the Rokumeikan that the Imperial Family entertains foreign heads of state with French food and wine." he said harshly.
The Rokumeikan was a social hall built in the early Meiji period to entertain foreign guests and diplomats as part of the government's policy of Europeanization. Mr. Oonuma referred to an unconscious sense of inferiority that has existed since the opening of Japan to the outside world.
The first sign of change in the Imperial Household came last November at a palace luncheon for the Kyrgyz President and his wife and the President of Vietnam and his wife. For the first time, Japanese food was served as an appetizer.
For the Kyrgyzstan guests, it was temari-zushi (Sushi that can be eaten in one bite ) with scallops and steamed shrimp. For Vietnamese guests, it was oshi-zushi (Sushi with rice and ingredients pressed together, mainly from the Kansai region). Alcohol was not served to Kyrgyzstan guests because they were from a Muslim country, but for the Vietnamese guests, a toast was made with sake, also for the first time.
The menu consisted of Japanese appetizers (oshizushi), consommé soup, braised beef thigh, salad, fruit, and dessert.
The sake and Japanese appetizers were the idea of Their Majesties. White and red wine was also served. The conversation was lively and the luncheon proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
Why did the Imperial Household serve Japanese food at this time of year, even if only as appetizers? I imagine that the Imperial Household Agency felt that Japanese food was attracting worldwide attention and that the Imperial Household must do something about it. After the end of the self-restraint caused by the Coronavirus disaster, opportunities for feasts to be held in court will increase. It has also been 10 years since Japanese food was registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. I suspect that they saw this as an opportunity to serve Japanese appetizers and sake. However, it was not announced what wines were served this time, it was probably French wine.
Until now, the Imperial Household Agency had cited as one of the reasons for not using Japanese food the fact that "Japanese food requires tableware of various sizes, which is difficult to serve at a feast for more than 100 people". However, the Prime Minister's official residence is doing it. For Japanese guests, French food and French wine are fine. However, from the perspective of conveying the splendor of Japan's culinary culture to foreign guests, we should base our hospitality on Japanese food and sake or Japanese wine.
Megumi Nishikawa is a contributing editor of Mainichi Shimbun
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
皇室は外国の賓客を和食でもてなそう
西川 恵 / ジャーナリスト
2024年 2月 13日
皇室は外国の賓客に対し、「フランスワインにフランス料理」のもてなしを明治初期から堅持してきた。皇室が外国の賓客を招いて催した最初の饗宴は1875年（明治８年）５月、赤阪離宮（現在の迎賓館）での午餐会だった。明治天皇の主催で、英米仏伊蘭露など10カ国の公使が招かれた。
「天皇家の饗宴」（秋偲会編著）によると、宮殿の広間を食前の談話室に充て、天皇は公使たちと歓談され、頃合いを見て一行を食堂に誘った。食事中、宮内省（当時）の楽師が音楽を奏で、食後は再び談話室に移り、コーヒー、リキュールが振る舞われた。
食事はコンソメスープに始まり16品。羊、キジ、子牛、七面鳥、フォアグラ、ウサギなどの肉類が、それぞれのアレンジで出された。デザートはフルーツケーキなど６品。
料理を担当したのは宮内省の料理人で、４カ月前に、当時日本では最高の料理を出していた横浜のオリエンタル・ホテルで学んだ。饗宴の進め方、食事内容、音楽の演出など、すべて欧州の宮廷外交をお手本にした。ワインの記載はないが、おそらくフランスワインが出されたのだろう。
明治政府は欧化政策を進め、自分たちが列強と同様に文明国であると示そうと涙ぐましい努力をしたが、食の分野も例外ではなかった。
第二大戦後、「フランスの料理にワイン」だった主要国の外交饗宴に大きな変化が生まれたのは1980年代から90年代にかけてだ。自国料理に自国ワイン（もしくは自国のお酒）と、自分たちの食文化の素晴らしさ伝えるようになる。当然の流れでもあった。
2013年12月、ユネスコ（国連教育科学文化機関）は和食文化を無形文化遺産に登録。これを機に、日本の首相官邸でも当時の安倍晋三首相が、外国の賓客に対しては和食に日本ワインでもてなすように指示し、これは今日に引き継がれている。しかし宮内庁は2019年の天皇の即位など特別の機会以外は、フランス料理とフランスワインを守り続けてきた。
国際法学者で、世界の文化遺産問題に詳しかった東大名誉教授の故大沼保昭氏は、皇室は和食を正餐とすべきとの主張の持ち主だった。「皇室が外国の首脳をフランスの料理とワインでもてなすのは鹿鳴館精神の名残」と手厳しかった。
明治初期、欧化政策の一環で外国の賓客や外交官をもてなすために建てられた社交場が鹿鳴館。開国以来の劣等意識が底流にはあるのではないかとの指摘だ。
その皇室に変化の兆しを感じさせたのは、昨年11月のキルギス大統領夫妻と、ベトナム国家主席夫妻をもてなした宮中午餐会だった。食事に初めて和食が前菜に出されたのだ。
キルギス大統領夫妻の時は、ホタテ、蒸し海老の手毬寿司。ベトナムのボー・バン・トゥオン国家主席夫妻では押し寿司だった。キルギスはイスラム教国のためアルコールは出されなかったが、ベトナムのもてなしでは、これも初めて日本酒で乾杯が行われた。
そのメニューである。〈和食前菜（押しずし）〉〈清羹（コンソメ）〉〈牛腿肉煮込み〉〈サラダ〉〈果物〉〈冷菓〉
日本酒と前菜の和食は両陛下の発案だったという。白と赤ワインも出された。話もはずみ、和やかな雰囲気のうちに午餐会は進んだ。
なぜ皇室はこの時期、前菜だけにせよ和食を出したのだろう。宮内庁には和食が世界的に注目され、「皇室も何かしらしなければならない」との思いがあったのだろうと私は想像する。コロナ禍による自粛が明け、宮中で饗宴が催される機会は増えて来る。また和食がユネスコの無形文化遺産に登録されて10年。これを一つの機会と捉え、和食の前菜と日本酒を出したのではないだろうか。今回ワインの記載はないが、おそらくフランスワインが出されたのだろう。
これまで宮内庁は「和食は大小さまざまな食器を必要とし、100人を超える饗宴では上げ下げが大変」などを、和食にしない理由の一つに挙げていた。しかし現に首相官邸ではこなしている。日本の賓客にはフランス料理にフランスワインでもいい。しかし外国の賓客には、日本の食文化の素晴らしさを伝える観点からも、和食に日本酒、あるいは日本ワインのもてなしを基本とすべきではないか。
筆者は毎日新聞社客員編集委員
「天皇家の饗宴」（秋偲会編著）によると、宮殿の広間を食前の談話室に充て、天皇は公使たちと歓談され、頃合いを見て一行を食堂に誘った。食事中、宮内省（当時）の楽師が音楽を奏で、食後は再び談話室に移り、コーヒー、リキュールが振る舞われた。
食事はコンソメスープに始まり16品。羊、キジ、子牛、七面鳥、フォアグラ、ウサギなどの肉類が、それぞれのアレンジで出された。デザートはフルーツケーキなど６品。
料理を担当したのは宮内省の料理人で、４カ月前に、当時日本では最高の料理を出していた横浜のオリエンタル・ホテルで学んだ。饗宴の進め方、食事内容、音楽の演出など、すべて欧州の宮廷外交をお手本にした。ワインの記載はないが、おそらくフランスワインが出されたのだろう。
明治政府は欧化政策を進め、自分たちが列強と同様に文明国であると示そうと涙ぐましい努力をしたが、食の分野も例外ではなかった。
第二大戦後、「フランスの料理にワイン」だった主要国の外交饗宴に大きな変化が生まれたのは1980年代から90年代にかけてだ。自国料理に自国ワイン（もしくは自国のお酒）と、自分たちの食文化の素晴らしさ伝えるようになる。当然の流れでもあった。
2013年12月、ユネスコ（国連教育科学文化機関）は和食文化を無形文化遺産に登録。これを機に、日本の首相官邸でも当時の安倍晋三首相が、外国の賓客に対しては和食に日本ワインでもてなすように指示し、これは今日に引き継がれている。しかし宮内庁は2019年の天皇の即位など特別の機会以外は、フランス料理とフランスワインを守り続けてきた。
国際法学者で、世界の文化遺産問題に詳しかった東大名誉教授の故大沼保昭氏は、皇室は和食を正餐とすべきとの主張の持ち主だった。「皇室が外国の首脳をフランスの料理とワインでもてなすのは鹿鳴館精神の名残」と手厳しかった。
明治初期、欧化政策の一環で外国の賓客や外交官をもてなすために建てられた社交場が鹿鳴館。開国以来の劣等意識が底流にはあるのではないかとの指摘だ。
その皇室に変化の兆しを感じさせたのは、昨年11月のキルギス大統領夫妻と、ベトナム国家主席夫妻をもてなした宮中午餐会だった。食事に初めて和食が前菜に出されたのだ。
キルギス大統領夫妻の時は、ホタテ、蒸し海老の手毬寿司。ベトナムのボー・バン・トゥオン国家主席夫妻では押し寿司だった。キルギスはイスラム教国のためアルコールは出されなかったが、ベトナムのもてなしでは、これも初めて日本酒で乾杯が行われた。
そのメニューである。〈和食前菜（押しずし）〉〈清羹（コンソメ）〉〈牛腿肉煮込み〉〈サラダ〉〈果物〉〈冷菓〉
日本酒と前菜の和食は両陛下の発案だったという。白と赤ワインも出された。話もはずみ、和やかな雰囲気のうちに午餐会は進んだ。
なぜ皇室はこの時期、前菜だけにせよ和食を出したのだろう。宮内庁には和食が世界的に注目され、「皇室も何かしらしなければならない」との思いがあったのだろうと私は想像する。コロナ禍による自粛が明け、宮中で饗宴が催される機会は増えて来る。また和食がユネスコの無形文化遺産に登録されて10年。これを一つの機会と捉え、和食の前菜と日本酒を出したのではないだろうか。今回ワインの記載はないが、おそらくフランスワインが出されたのだろう。
これまで宮内庁は「和食は大小さまざまな食器を必要とし、100人を超える饗宴では上げ下げが大変」などを、和食にしない理由の一つに挙げていた。しかし現に首相官邸ではこなしている。日本の賓客にはフランス料理にフランスワインでもいい。しかし外国の賓客には、日本の食文化の素晴らしさを伝える観点からも、和食に日本酒、あるいは日本ワインのもてなしを基本とすべきではないか。
筆者は毎日新聞社客員編集委員
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟