The news, which had been a closely guarded secret right to the end, spread like wildfire through the kitchens of the world, as we were privileged to witness for ourselves. See photo

In effect, we were at the Grand Hyatt Roppongi, the hotel where the dazzling array of guest chefs were staying, with our friends and partners of Jeroboam, our importer in Japan. We learn almost at the same moment that Jeroboam was selected as Japan's best wine importer in a survey sent to 250 key members of the Japanese wine trade. The result of the survey was published by Wine Business International. 

With Marc Perrin (Beaucastel) and Hubert de Billy (Champagne Pol Roger) we were at the end of a one week market visit.

The event, related below, will certainly have a long-lasting effect on the entire wine and food world. It is also an inestimable opportunity to be seized as far as our wines are concerned. For many decades our wines have been widely distributed throughout the land of the rising sun, because their ability to match the local cuisine is almost legendary.

TOKYO 'AFP) - On Monday, Tokyo became the Michelin guide's most "star-studded" city in the world. In only its second foray outside the western world, the red guidebook has awarded a record 191 "rosettes" to the restaurants of Japan's capital city, twice as many as in Paris.

For the first time in the 108 year history of the famous French guidebook, a grand total of 150 selected restaurants have been awarded at least one star, a tribute to what Michelin calls the "cuisine beyond compare" of Japan.

Eight restaurants -- five with Japanese cuisine and three with French cuisine -- have received the supreme distinction of three stars, which honour only those establishments that are said to merit making a special journey. 25 other restaurants were awarded two "rosettes" and the remaining 117, one.