First coverage of the autumn garden party: The world of the imperial family and the “secret sauce” at Akasaka Gyoen

There are tall trees and you can hear birds chirping. Once you cross the bridge inside the garden, you will see a spacious lawn garden, decorated with large maple trees and cherry blossoms whose leaves are just beginning to change color. There was a vast ``forest'' in the middle of the city, far from the hustle and bustle.

On October 29th, an autumn garden party was held at Akasaka Gyoen National Garden (Minato Ward, Tokyo), hosted by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress. This time, 1,371 people who have made achievements in various fields participated, including novelist Miyuki Miyabe, actor Kotaro Yoshida, and astronaut Takuya Onishi.

Another world in the middle of the city

This was the first garden party for the reporter, who has been in charge of the Imperial Household Agency since October. We arrived early, and there was still about an hour before the royal family members arrived. We walked around the garden, which is approximately 190,000 square meters in size and has five large and small ponds.

A blue and white tent stands on a small hill, and the mouth-watering scent of ingredients wafts through the air. As gagaku music echoed, people lined up to take commemorative photos in the flower bed lined with alternating red, white, and yellow chrysanthemums. The color of the kimono worn by a female guest strolling along the shore of a large pond was reflected in the still surface of the water. Under the slightly cloudy sky, it was as if I had wandered into the world of a story.

The popular dishes served by the large number of invited guests are