G20 leaders end 1st day of summit with wagyu beef, kyogen

Not black kimono, indigo.

Thanks, zichi. Makes sense. The story, however, stated black.

I didn’t spot Angela Merkle’s spouse in any of the photos I saw. Did he attend?

He was in the photo shoot at the spouses away day in Kyoto. Top right corner back row.

Tom my wife showed me that video this morning she was so embarrassed. I thought it was hilarious. What a likeable guy?

With Japan as Host, see Abe's Leader Qualities live : https://twitter.com/i/status/1144676375145566208 (sarkasm)

Never saw homeless people around Osaka Castle, but the homeless numbers have fallen to less than 30,000 across the nation compared with 400,000 in America. Millions in India. Hundreds of thousands in Brazil.

Osaka city authorities have always had a policy of forcibly evicting the homeless from tourist spots.

I think they focused on Osaka castle park and Utsubo park in 2006- There were near riots in Utsubo park, when the city wanted to create rose gardens.

The authorities have been more than eager to inconvenience city dwellers over this G20 farrago, and I did notice the resident homeless in my local park, close to Putin's hotel, have been suspiciously absent since last Thursday.

Maybe they wanted to avoid all the fuss...

Trump had to bring his own ketchup.

Wow. How did they hide all of the homeless people living in tents made out of blue tarps?

Is there a subliminal message in Aki's black kimono and white obi? I have been given to understand that black & white are funereal (not chic) colours in Japan and are to be avoided. Can anyone clarify?

Its actually all the meetings on the side where agreements are made and ideas hatched. It is about the only time all the main world leaders are at the same place at the same time. Much actually gets done but as the main focus is on the G20 itself, most of the rest goes unreported from the private side meetings. Much easier to speak to 10 world leaders in a day or two than visit those 10 countries with state visits. Cheaper too.

@IloveCoffee... spot on mate! It’s a waste of tax payers money! I guess the hosting country spends the most on this and Japan somehow always wants to host these type of things! It would be wiser for the Government to use that money elsewhere for the betterment of its citizens! The pension system in Japan is on the brick of collapsing and they seem the least bit bothered about it!

It just sounds so boring and pointless. It's a very expensive chance for narcissists to pat themselves on the back for screwing over their own people.

What exactly is the point of these summits? A bunch of clowns gather to eat and to make pointless "joint-statements" like "we agree to fight climate change", "we agree to promote free trade" and then literally nothing changes. Complete waste of time and money.

Gosh, lifestyles of the rich, famous and powerful are so inspiring. Do tell me more about these wonderful statesmen and all the opulence.

Nothing like a good dose of healthy sarcasm to start off the morning!

Arriving with their spouses at the Osaka Geihinkan guest house, the leaders were greeted one by one by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie, who was clad in a chic black kimono with a white obi belt.

Gosh, lifestyles of the rich, famous and powerful are so inspiring. Do tell me more about these wonderful statesmen and all the opulence.