France to Tokyo 日本でフランス
Like a rooster in Tokyo
Paris and Tokyo are twinned, but it's like: the Japanese capital does not hide his love for France.
This is normally not what the French tourist picks in Tokyo ... And yet: the Japanese capital - like the country - like France and informed. Shops, restaurants, French Quarter ... What it amuses or annoys it, some addresses to the cock in Tokyo.
French Touch
This is one of the symbols of the city: the Tokyo Tower is largely inspired by ... the Eiffel Tower of course. But the French presence did not stop there. In uptown Ginza and Omotesando , the jewels of French luxury are well established, from Chanel to L'Occitane through Ladurée. Some even offered some of the most sumptuous buildings of the city, such as Dior, Hermes and Chanel Ginza, Omotesando or Vuitton. Also unmistakable: the Franponais or the Japanese mania for giving names to French boutiques ... not always properly! We thus find frequently shops like "cuckold", "infection" or "great hen god" across the country.
French Town
Like a Chinatown , the French are also entitled to a district of their own. Geishas mark at the beginning of the 19th century, the long Kagurazaka street (to Iidabashi) in Tokyo becomes progressively "Little France".
A little history: the arrival of the French Institute and later the old Franco-Japanese high school, many expatriates have begun to focus in the area in the '60s. From there then bloom bakeries, cafes, restaurants and other French institutions. Perfect for traveler homesick: it houses the popular restaurant The material , the creperie Le Bretagne , and the Lyon stopper Lugdunum . Not to mention the House of Burgundy and the cheese Alp !
French Connection
Kagurazaka even born the library Omeisha and Annex Rive Gauche, located in the famous Franco-Japanese Institute : a cultural center and language school became the meeting point for all you lovers of France in Tokyo.
Beyond its blue-white-red side, the neighborhood is very nice provided you agree to hear it resonate French words every five minutes. He even took cohabitation air between the two countries. The French addresses and naturally blend with antique silks stalls of okashi (Japanese confectionery), the Ryotei (traditional luxurious restaurants) and around temples.
The capital was even born in 2013 an association to facilitate trade between the two countries: Hello Tokyo . By organizing theme parties, discussions, workshops or outdoor activities, this association aims to unite the French-Japanese community in good spirits.
