TOKYO At the Imperial Tokyo, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World (LHTW) group, even banquet display centrepieces are turned into works of art. The kitchen staff includes a team of ice carvers who have won a string of international awards for their creativity and technique. According to general manager Hideya Sadayasu, they can sculpt a block of ice into any object or form requested by the client. For a Boeing-hosted event they produced the replica of one of the company’s aircraft with the logo prominently highlighted.
Japanese-themed events are understandably very popular and for these, familiar icons such as sumo wrestlers (pictured) can be fashioned. The “Made in Japan” motif infused the gala dinner of LHTW’s annual convention two years ago and featured displays of sumptuous kimonos and armour in the reception area, while other traditional symbols such as phoenixes and pagodas were artfully placed around the venue. For entertainment, geisha and maiko from Kyoto performed onstage.
