'Washoku' delicacies served at banquet after emperor's ceremony

And at about ￥25,000 to ￥30,000 a head that's a hell of a lot of money!

It is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so let them splurge. I am more concerned about the ongoing and open-ended waste of taxpayers money by megalomaniac politicians for braindead schemes, like subsidizing "green energy".

@yubaru: I think your estimated cost per person is way to low, perhaps by an order of magnitude. The average price of one bottle of 2011 Corton-Charlemagne (A Grand Cru from Cote de Beaune in France) is 400,000 Yen. Yes 400,000¥ for one (1) bottle.

Great wine choice.....wish I could try that.....

By the way the 2007 Chateau Margaux averages only about 80,000¥ per bottle. I’ll take the Grand Cru

A supporter of Japan was saying the cost of the ceremony, while an obscene amount, works out to be the cost of a rice ball per Japanese citizen.

Hope the visitors enjoyed their expensive meals, as I'm sure the Japanese public are more than happy to forego their rice ball for the aristocracy to enjoy their washoku, washed down with the excellent 2007 vintage Chateau Margaux.

What is that wine you say?

Just some fermented grape juice, only costs about ¥‎ 100,000 per bottle, three months worth of groceries for some families.

https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/margaux+medoc+bordeaux+france/2007

Now we all know where the 2% tax increase has gone!

I think your estimated cost per person is way to low, perhaps by an order of magnitude. The average price of one bottle of 2011 Corton-Charlemagne (A Grand Cru from Cote de Beaune in France) is 400,000 Yen. Yes 400,000¥ for one (1) bottle.

Great wine choice.....wish I could try that.....

Wow sorry it looks like I actually quoted the price of the much cheaper bottle..!

Satisfying, as simple as that. The foods are so ..., OMG, no English available to describe it. Everyone is smart, and so diplomatic.

wow - a room full of some of humanity's biggest and least productive people

I paid so I want my bento as well.

yes, happy tax increase ceremony.

I was all for it until I read the bit about French wine. It would have been more appropriate to serve Japanese wines and sake. I much prefer the taste of Japanese sparkling sake with Japanese food than french wines of any sort. Poor old Japanese producers, first trade deal gave them a wack, now their product is shunned, even for an imperial ceremony.

Sh1mon.....I do have similar feelings....but those are darn good choices for wine; especially the Cote de Beaune with washoku

So nice to have a gathering of super rich people congratulate each other about being super rich as tax payers wallow in ankle deep water with no power. Hope they enjoyed the Australian grown beef it is tradition after all.

Why does the saying "Let them eat cake!" come to mind when I see this picture and think of the average Japanese who will never, in their life, enjoy anything like this.

This is a classic example of let em eat cake. Literally. People are still recovering from the typhoon and these wastes spend 16 billion. Where's the opposition on Japan? Seriously!!

I agree the ceremony is important and an important part of the culture however it can be held with much less opulance (as can such ceremonies in other countries too). This (and such ceremonies in other countries) do in fact extoll the let them eat cake attitude.

I can understand that they had to do the ceremony,is their culture and their monarchy.

But with the people struggling in a stagnant economy,tax increase and natural disasters I frankly expected they would care more about the cost of the whole event.

Who got to sit at the top table, and why? I recognize the Sultan of Brunei.

2011 Corton-Charlemagne? I'll keep that in mind. Next year, when I retire, I'll have a sip of that under the moonlight. For the mean time, I 'll start saving ￥1,000 a day. Au revoir!

For guests unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine, Western dishes such as beef and asparagus rolls were also prepared.

Come on! You're in Japan. Try some of the delicious local food.

So they had Washoku with French wine? This combination doesn't look very Japanese traditional.

But if they really wanted to serve wine, why not one from Yamanashi?

french wine ? no support for the local Japanese drinks?

is it part of the tradition or the collaboration?

＄＄＄＄＄Another reason for this whole archaic monarchy business to be tossed out.

wow - a room full of some of humanity's biggest and least productive people

still respect them (royals), but not as much as a doctor, a scientist or a firefighter. being born in the right bed doesn,t impress me.

where the heck are you guys getting your prices at? just googled "2011 Corton-Charlemagne" and you can get a bottle for between $100-150. or am i missing something?

I am wondering why there isn’t any representative food from Fukushima mentioned?

Maybe, hereditary royals know something the masses aren’t privy to?

It seems to me most of guests love rather hamburger steak contained lots of transfat than washoku. If Trump came, he would not eat washoku and he would order cheaper delicious hamburger and coke for dinner.

So nice to have a gathering of super rich people congratulate each other about being super rich as tax payers wallow in ankle deep water with no power. 

Even better, most of them are super rich by taking money out of the pockets of those very same taxpayers. Nothing so gauche as earning the money themselves. Virtually every person in that room was a parasite of grand scale.

Nero fiddled while Rome burned. This wanton extravagance contradicts Abe’s statement of doing everything he can to help those left homeless by the typhoon and floods. Most of them couldn’t even watch the ceremony.

Just binged 2011 Corton-Charlemagne $80-$130.

Correction -

2011  Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, COTE DE BEAUNE, FRANCE 

Average Price $ 110 / 750ml 

Aggregated Critic Score 92/100

Can of chuhi ¥100 about. One cop noddle as Aso recommend about the same. But imported French wine and Australian beef is on the menus? Something doesn't seem fair by a longer streach of my arms. Ankle deep in mud so arms is all I have and one cup noodles.

They should have postponed it in the wake of recent events but it was probably difficult given the number of dignitaries that were invited. It's just bad luck and bad timing.

I wouldn't know if was so great, paid my taxes but got no invite. I noticed all the mega rich did but where are the tax payers? The construction workers, laborers, clerks, dishwashers, welders, all the trades. hmmmm. And the courts rule that public tax can be used because it is a social event for the public. Not even close.

Abigail:

A lottery for regular Japanese to attend would be a great idea.

And a televised call for donations from the dignitaries to go towards victims of the recent disasters, with cameras following each dignitary on their pledge.

Quertecum and Maria

The price I have is for Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru and I am using Yen as the wine is being imported to Japan (this is what my search revealed).

if the wine is Louie Latour the price (in yen) will be quite cheaper.

we would need to know which wine is being consumed but I will agree if it’s Latour it’s about 25,000 in Japan much much cheaper

So sounds like show casing and supporting Japanese fair is not the order of the day then.

where is my home delivery?

Cool. The good life. Enjoy.