Candle Night is an increasingly popular opportunity for people to get together, turn off the electrical appliances and see things in a different light -- candlelight. So I did that on the eve of the Winter Solstice, conveniently near Christmas that it could also be a chance to have stollen and cookies and party-like food and wine and give people little gifts, as well as an opportunity to have a break from hectic Tokyo life.
I got nice gifts too, and wine and big, sweet strawberries and most of a handmade gateau chocola dusted with powdered sugar and lit by little Santa and snowman candles. We agreed that a dozen people is pretty much the maximum number of people who can occupy the place at one time, especially during a feeding frenzy when everyone is holding a lighted candle. But a pleasant time was had by all. I recommend that.
