“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris Continue Reading
“With clouds and mist In a brief moment a hundred scenes Brought to fulfillment” (Matsuo Bashō, translated by D. L. Barnhill) I have always been the one to claim that Continue Reading
Imagine a samurai in Saint-Tropez, a coastal town in the French Riviera. Sounds like a scene from a comedy movie? That was my first reaction as well. The fact remains Continue Reading
I wake up to the sound of rain, the start is not promising. By the time I am about to leave my hotel, it is pouring. If I told you Continue Reading
Some years back there was a movie called “Silk” with Keira Knightley. The story itself aside, it was about a Frenchman traveling to Japan for silkworm eggs, as at the Continue Reading
It all started with a TED idea, or, to be precise, with its title – “The art of stillness in the Japanese wilderness” – it was the first time I Continue Reading
Paris or Tokyo, popular museum exhibitions have equally long lines, especially on weekends or towards their final days. Interestingly enough, this weekend I was discovering how Japanese art was influencing Continue Reading
“You don’t ever do something just because it makes you feel good? <…> Mademoiselle, you need to spend more time in Paris.” (Jojo Moyes, “Paris for One”) Twelve hours on Continue Reading
May is one of my favourite months, be it in France or in Japan. In France, May is the month with many national holidays, which often means long weekends. In Continue Reading
“Nothing brings to life again a forgotten memory like fragrance” (Christopher Poindexter). If there is one thing that puts Paris and Tokyo to the opposite ends of the same spectrum, Continue Reading