Gulf
Crisis, confidential （６）
６)
Japanese Embassy
As I told you, we spent most of our time at the conference room
of the embassy. I’ll tell you about Japanese Embassy and the episodes
concerning it.
Japanese Embassy was situated in the diplomatic
zone in Riyadh suburbs, where most embassies from all over the
world were found.
There was a lot of greenery due to enough irrigation. You might
forget this was a desert country. However, there was heavy security
in this zone. We often had a security check even when commuting
in an official car with a diplomatic number. Each embassy had
their own independent security and the Iraqi Embassy had the heaviest.
When we were ushered through the heavy,
black iron sliding gate, a two-story white building appeared.
Above the front door there was a the crest with golden chrysanthemum.
It was Mr. Yamamoto who designed the building, then the director
of the Paris branch of Kenzo Tange’s architecture office. I met
him again many years later by chance and asked him to design our
Kido clinic in 1998.
The site of Japanese Embassy was very spacious.
There was the Embassy building and the official residence of Ambassador
right next to it. There was also a swimming pool and tennis court,
too. You may think this too much, But think this way. In Riyadh
there are very few distractions for non-Islamic people, something
like this may be permitted. I once visited American Embassy during
my stay.
Believe it or not, it was at least 3 times more spacious than
the Japanese Embassy.
Dr. A and I were invited to the official
residence of Ambassador several times for dinner. Most of the
time Japanese cuisine was served. Maybe it was Ambassador Onda’s
hospitality. We thought the chef was Japanese, because every dish
was so delicious.
The chef was surprisingly an Afghan. He had been trained by a
Japanese chef, and learned to cook many Japanese dishes.
Inside of the embassy site, we had extra-territorial
rights.
Therefore, we were able to drink alcohol. I like an alcoholic
beverage at dinner, so whenever I was offered one, I always accepted
it at the Embassy. Mr. Onda did always offer. many of the embassies
stocked all kinds of high end alcoholic beverages to entertain
guests and the Japanese Embassy was no exception. For example,
if western cuisine was served, Tio Pepe, a dry sherry, was served
for aperitif, with an appropriate wine during the dinner, and
Cognac after dinner. In case of Japanese cuisine, beer was followed
by Japanese Sake. We two doctors in return answered any medical
questions from Mr. & Mrs. Ambassador during the dinner.
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