They can be-- when you have a big family.

[procuring a spoon, he handed it off to Nakigitsune and took a seat so he could speak to the both of them.]

Between all of my siblings, their retainers, and their spouses, there's at least three dozen of us in total-- and that is only factoring in a guest or two per person. The hallways and the rest of the palace in the capitol would certainly not be empty if we ever did find reason to have such a gathering. With the current political climate, however, such occassions are rare.