Japanese culture is being discovered in France through a series of cultural events. Manga, art, music, cinema, floral art and many more. Set off on a fascinating adventure in the Land of the Rising Sun through these gatherings.
Japan Connection Festival 2022
Come and enjoy, over a whole weekend, another facet of the Land of the Rising Sun thanks to an original programme. Digital arts, electronic music, talks, screenings, and Japanese gastronomy.
Making its big comeback, the Japan Connection Festival will be held at the Gaîté Lyrique on Saturday 26 March, from 2 pm to 6:30 am the next day. During the event, you'll be transported into a fascinating world with a programme split into three parts. The sets will be hosted by renowned DJs such as Manami Sakamoto & Yuri Urano, Make it deep (tribute to Japan ambient set), Hugo LX, Kuniyuki & Akiko Nakayama (Live), DJ Masda, DJ Nobu b2b Wata Igarashi, and Satoshi Tomie & Kuniyuki Takahashi.
The digital arts and music section will take place in the main hall and the modern foyer. You'll catch the best Japanese underground electronic-music shows and digital arts such as DJ sets, books, installations and performances.
The gastronomy section will also be in the modern foyer. Here too, the finest selections from Japanese chefs, the sake bar and Japanese street food are on the menu.
The historic foyer will host the talks, which will offer a different view of Japanese culture.
On the first floor, you'll find the "Japan village". In this section, you'll discover various activities and workshops as well as the flea market. Note that access to this programme is entirely free.
The Bow and the Sabre: Japan's warrior imagination
Moving, burlesque or authentic portraits — this journey explores the way the samurai is portrayed, the imagery that surrounds it and its revival through popular culture, depicting the image of the samurai both outside and within the West.
With nearly 100 works, the heart of the exhibition is made up of reproductions, joined by weaponry and art objects. But this presentation also aims to reveal how the samurai is seen — even ridiculed and idealised. The story of the 47 rōnin, through a series of reproductions kept at the MNAAG, supports the finale by showcasing the most symbolic Japanese warriors.
The exhibition finally highlights the revival of the image of the Japanese warrior through popular tradition — such as video games, comics and cinema — which illustrate the conception of the warrior in present-day Japan and in the West.
Paris Manga - SCI-FI Show - Paris
The attraction to Japanese civilisation is very much in vogue, and we can see why: it is an endearing and free-spirited culture.
Paris Manga & Sci-Fi Show is an event held twice a year in Paris, at the Porte de Versailles. This fair is currently the largest French gathering devoted to pop culture. The event shares this passion with guests young and old around a wide mix of themes.
There you'll discover Japanese customs and cultures, video games, comics, cinema, web culture, TV series, Japanese animation, manga, wrestling, martial arts, cosplay and much more.
Retrospective: A Year with Tora-san
Organised by the Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris. A recap of the entire 50-film series, "It's Tough Being a Man", taking place at the MCJP.
Begun in 1969 and completed in 1995, the complete series "It's Tough Being a Man" (Otoko wa Tsurai yo), spread across 50 episodes, is presented to you as a world première, with Tora-san — an unavoidable character of popular Japanese cinema, at once dramatic and comic.
"It's Tough Being a Man" is also, and especially, an invitation to discover Japan through Japanese perspectives — sometimes idyllic, sometimes sad — travelled and preserved by Tora-san, an unusual traveller, loud-mouthed and unlucky in love.
Exhibition: Seeking the Stars by RoamCouch
A Japanese street artist, RoamCouch is exhibiting his latest exclusive display, on the Place des Vosges in the Marais, at the Galerie Nextstreet. Come and explore his colourful, dreamlike world through a unique, never-before-seen show. RoamCouch is an artist from Japan, namely from Gifu. He masters several types of art such as Ukiyo, street art and many others.
Heavily influenced by manga culture, he began his career as an illustrator at 18. This practice created in him a style that sets him apart from others. His style is also defined by an authentic, photo-realistic reproduction of urban scenes. Reality is thus seen through an imaginative and spectacular kaleidoscope.
Chibi Rouen 2022
Chibi Rouen is an event devoted to Japanese pop culture in Normandy. Video games, manga, anime, K-pop & J-pop, cosplay, workshops, karaoke, talks, a fair and much more. The activities are spread over an area of 5,000 m².
You'll have the chance to take part in calligraphy or cooking workshops, explore the gallery, meet various personalities, or attend talks.
Chibi Rouen is the ideal place to discover Japanese culture. On the programme: talks with special guests, cosplay contests, a charity sale, Japanese cooking workshops and tastings, Kendo demonstrations, and Japanese language and writing lessons crowning the activities.
On the fun side, the gaming zone will let video-game fans take part in tournaments, or simply play games on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, Nintendo, or even virtual reality.
Japan Touch Haru and Geek Touch 2022
Japan Touch Haru and Geek Touch is a festival dedicated to Japanese pop culture, manga, animation, music and video games. The place to be for Japan enthusiasts at the gates of Lyon, at Eurexpo.
Unlike the winter Japan Touch, the spring edition offers a double event with Geek Touch, dedicated to the geek universe: high tech, comics, graphic novels, web series, science fiction, TV series, cinema, imaginary worlds and, of course: video games!
Geek, yes, but without forgetting its manga DNA. Between exhibitors offering numerous derivative products and illustrations and a corner with a dozen independent publishers, you'll be able to discover a room entirely devoted to Japanese games, Just Dance and Karaoke.
Cosplay will be in the spotlight with a cosplay village: a first! There you'll find live workshops, costume exhibitions, photocalls, live-action, parades and body painting!
