For two days only, enjoy a special Christmas lunch prepared by Chef Hiroyuki Sakai while listening to a live piano performance in the VIP lounge of Japan National Stadium.
Chef Hiroyuki Sakai, who will be in charge of the special lunch, is the owner-chef of the French restaurant “La Rochelle,” which has outlets in Minami-Aoyama, Fukuoka, and Sanno, and is also known for his appearance on the TV program “Iron Chef”. The event will also provide a rare opportunity to see the VIP area of the stadium, which is normally inaccessible.
*Japanese to English consecutive interpretation will be provided.
■Main Program
1) VIP tour (with attendant / 30-45 min.)
→A guide will take you to VIP areas such as the VIP Room, etc., which are not usually seen.
2) Lunch in the VIP lounge with live piano performance (90-120 min.)
→Enjoy lunch by Hiroyuki Sakai, owner-chef of French restaurant “La Rochelle” while listening to a live piano performance by a popular YouTuber.
■Food Menu
[Welcome Pinchos]
Three kinds of Christmas pinchos
[Cold hors d'oeuvres]
Turnip charlotte style
Scallop and whelk tartare with caviar
[Hot hors d'oeuvres]
Foie gras and potato croquettes with winter truffle and champignon sauce
[Fish dish]
Freshwater prawn wrapped in courgette with clams, miso flavour and beurre blanc sauce
[Meat dish]
Wagyu beef filet Wellington style with red wine sauce
[Dessert]
Strawberry omonnierre with vanilla ice cream
[Coffee]
*Menu items may change depending on the availability of ingredients.
■Profiles
・Hiroyuki Sakai (who will be in charge of lunch)
Born in 1942 in Kagoshima Prefecture, he began training in French cuisine at the age of 17. At 19, he went to Australia by himself for a year and a half of training before returning to Japan.After training at a famous restaurant in Tokyo, he opened his own French restaurant, La Rochelle, in 1980 at the age of 38. In 1994, he began appearing on the TV program “Iron Chef” as a French Iron Chef and became the strongest Iron Chef in “The Complete Iron Chef.Since then, he has been active in a wide range of fields as a leading figure in French cuisine in Japan, and in 2005, he received the “Chevalier de l'Ordre des Chevaliers de l'Ordre des Métiers d'Agriculture” from the Republic of France. In 2009, he received the “Contemporary Master Craftsman” award (Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Award).In 2021, he received the Order of Cultural Merit from the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs in recognition of his achievements in the promotion of culture. His cuisine is characterized by the delicate presentation and beautiful use of color, incorporating kaiseki cooking techniques into French cuisine. During his time as chef at Seiyou Zendho John Kanaya, he established the “French Kaiseki” style of cooking by utilizing his techniques.Sakai's passion for cooking, inquisitiveness, and vigorous service spirit continue to attract many gourmets.
・Hibiki Piano (live piano performance scheduled for December 21)
He began playing the piano at the age of six. While a student at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, he won prizes in numerous competitions, and after graduation was selected as a pianist for the Central Band of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. He has been invited to perform at national events, state and foreign guests, and has performed at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space, Nippon Budokan, Saitama Super Arena, and other venues throughout Japan. On YouTube, he posts songs of a wide range of genres, from slow to super-fast techniques, and currently has 240,000 subscribers and has been viewed over 100 million times. He has released four CDs and a collection of virtuoso and soothing sheet music. He has performed Rachmaninoff's “Piano Concerto No. 2” with the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra at Orchard Hall and “Rhapsody in Blue” with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force 1st Band at Suginami Public Hall. He is currently on a nationwide one-man tour to rave reviews.
・Miyaken (live piano performance scheduled: December 22)
Born in Kagoshima, Japan in 1990. He graduated at the top of his class from Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, majoring in trombone. He is currently a piano YouTuber who performs as a guest in professional orchestras as a trombonist and releases videos of street piano tours on YouTube. He has gained popularity for his gorgeous arrangements that respect the original music while utilizing the orchestral sound of his main profession, and improvises by ear on a wide range of music genres. Currently, his channel has more than 260,000 subscribers, and he has appeared on NHK-FM and Fuji Television's “Entertainment World Specialty Championship TEPPEN” Piano Summit Battle! and has collaborated with many pianists in live performances.
■Notes
*The program, vendors, and performers are subject to change. In such cases, we will announce on this web page and official SNS (Instagram/Facebook).
*the event is unavoidably cancelled due to inclement weather, etc., we will notify you via this webpage and the official SNS (Instagram/Facebook).
*If you have set your spam filter or domain name settings to block incoming e-mails, please make sure that you can receive e-mails from “@kokuritu-tours.jp”.
*Ticket purchasers and visitors agree in advance to the following items and will not object to them.
-The Corporation or a person designated by the Corporation may take images (including still images) of individual visitors at the Event, including their portraits.
-In addition, this footage (including still images) may be used in news programs, related media, and other media reports, video works, and various productions by the official media of the corporation and by other parties authorized by the corporation.
*Please refrain from attending for guests of elementary school age and younger.
[Cancellation Charge]
-Cancellation fees (100% of the total amount) will be charged from the time of booking.
[Operation Conditions/Tour Conditions]
-Bookings are accepted until 5 days prior to the tour date. A minimum of 10 participants is required to run the tour. If the minimum number of participants is not met before the scheduled date, the tour on that date may be canceled. In case of tour cancellation, customers will be contacted at least 3 days in advance.
■Dates
2024
December 21 (Sat) Chef: Hiroyuki Sakai/La Rochelle *Live piano performance by Hibiki Piano
December 22 (Sun.) Chef: Hiroyuki Sakai/La Rochelle *Live piano performance by Miyaken
■Time
11:00 - 14:00 (approx.)
■Meeting place
VIP entrance (ORIGAMI Hall) at C Gate on the central side of the 1st floor of the National Stadium
■Participation Fee
66,000 yen (tax included)
