Japanese Banquet and Geisha Ceremony

It's now 10 days or so since I left Japan after a fascinating visit. Having just received some photos of the Japanese banquet we had as delegates to the Kyoto conference, I can now show you that meal and the entertainment we had. Let's start with the food which was exquisite. Every dish was small, but aesthetically produced in terms of mix of colours, textures, and presentation. And, of course, the foods were deeply alien to many westerners - sushi, sashimi, noodles, ramen, bento, teriyaki, ... .

For me, they were partially an adventure, although I spent 8 days in Japan two years ago and frequently inhabit Australia's sushi bars. After the meal we were entertained by a Geisha who danced to music and performed presumably ritual movements. These next few slides show something of the performance which was watched silently, but with great absorption, by the audience. This was, I suspect, deeply foreign to the largely non-Japanese audience.

Note my head intruding into some of the above photos. The 'stage' was very small and movement cramped. And here is a formal photo posed with a fellow delegate to the conference who shared similar interests.

And in this last photo, the Geisha knelt next to me. That's my arm you see.

I strongly recommend this cultural experience.

AS