JAPAN Banquet Style

 
Dinner and Business Diplomacy

ALA banquet JAPAN

by Amir Sodikin, executive summary by Darmansjah Godjali

One of the menus in Japanese restaurants.

"Tomorrow night we're going to dinner with a range of Fuji Xerox officials. Of course the show will be very formal, but do not worry, we will select an existing room table and chairs, rather than sitting on the tatami, "so the announcement is made the Fuji Xerox.

Mid-November, Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific invited journalists on a tour titled "Japan Media Tour 2010". Forget the technical stuff about the information technology business, it's time to explore the pleasures of the tongue with a dish typical Japanese food.

In the dinner, Tadahito Yamamoto, President and Representative Director of Fuji Xerox, was also present to entertain journalists. A restaurant on the edge of the city of Tokyo has been selected, Kochuan name of the restaurant. Its location in the middle of the park called Happo-en.

Happo-en regarded as the most beautiful gardens in Japan. Although the city of Tokyo is crowded, but still leaves the city parks that can be visited by citizens.

10-hectare park is relatively well known. Unfortunately, the group of journalists arrived at night so can not watch the beauty of the park that was built founder of Hitachi, Kuhara Fusanosuke this.

Happo-en garden also has a long history that can still be identified from the contents of the garden. One is a bonsai that is claimed to have been 200-500 years old.

 Happo-en garden

About 400 years ago, during the Edo period, where the residence of a samurai named Okubo Hikozaemon. Hence the beauty of the place, people then gave the name of Happo-en, which means garden with views from all directions.

Always beautiful

Pretty is one element that always want to display the Japanese, including in the areas of food preparation. Nothing is out of touch beautiful, all dressed up like a princess food. Enjoy enjoy ..., the Javanese term.

So, not only waitress who is always dressed in beautiful kimonos. All foods neat, sweet, tempting, we always feel pity if it's sweet foods to be eaten, but also cute because it was too little portions.

However, do not worry, though few servings each serving one type of food, but there will be ten or eleven even fifteen types. Although many foods with different type, the desire to spend the food was unbearable. This is because in addition to guaranteed delicious on the tongue, the food is also healthy.

All the food from the sea, mountains, and the mainland are served at the dining table. Certainly there are sushi, sashimi, miso soup, noodles, and various types of typical Japanese food favorite. Starting salmon, shrimp, and even the inside of the sea urchin animal becomes exotic foods, that taste can not be obtained from other species of fish or meat.

One type of food that remains a question mark until now was a big red bean grains, yes just one item just presented. Sucks, but it is good.

"It's just red beans are processed unique to Japan," so the waiter explained.

If you do not want no pork in your diet, do not hesitate to say it. Your seats will be marked by a waitress, and will get a menu with special treatment.

Long Process

The first impression of enjoying the banquet formal Japanese style did seem a long series of his marble table. Some journalists even getting sleepy. However, the impression of a tiring indeed relieved because at every meal there is always a unique element and uncomfortable sensation on the tongue.

We're no one could remember how many times or how many types of food that has been proffered waitress. On the sidelines of the presentation of food, glasses of sake (or for those who do not drink alcohol, there is a typical Japanese ginger drink) always jingled, "Kanpai!" So called toast in Japanese.

Sake is a fermented beverage of rice is processed with a recipe inherited from the ancestors of the Japanese nation. You could say, sake can be faster intoxicating than we thought previously.

Therefore, a formal fragrance built since the beginning of fade away. No boundaries between employers, workers, journalists, all mingling and this is the strength of the Japanese business diplomacy to be able to maintain close ties with clients or stakeholders.

That night, anyone can chat, photos, and blend familiar with the President. All that quiet would be to open the mouth at a formal event which he said that. Sake is the water of words, so people called him.

It's late. Closing speech was pronounced by the representatives of Fuji Xerox, with the hope all parties can still maintain communication with each other and remember the good times in Tokyo. Not to forget, a representative of journalists would also like to thank you for the delicious food.

"The food was delicious. However, we will not be back here again in the near future, only because we have something special here, "as a representative of Fuji Xerox reveals. Omen are expensive fare in the restaurant's garden.

The party broke up. Fuji Xerox officials went home. No private cars with drivers who pick them up swiftly, only taxis there.

That's Japan, "diplomacy of the tongue" is not cheap in business is always followed by a simple behavior. They are determined to be an environmentally friendly business entity with its office green program. (Amir Sodikin)