August in Tokyo : wet, steaming hot, buzzing with insects, exhausting. Let's try to forget all this by hitting a matsuri : a Japanese local festival boasting bright colors, yukata, and - oh surprise - tons of food. There are firework matsuri, omikoshi matsuri, street dancing matsuri ; Asagaya Tanabata Matsuri is just a pleasantly noisy festival with lanterns and giant paper dolls.

Time to play who's-wearing-the-best-yukata-tonight

There is nothing like Japanese gardens to make you worship the beauty of nature. "You know, it is a beautiful Japanese dream" said Vincent van Gogh to his brother, talking about his project of painting purple irises. At Nezu Museum, irises are blooming, and it is indeed a beautiful Japanese dream.

Study in Green

So the sakura are gone, weather is unstable, we are expecting the rainy season to start in a few weeks and a pityless summer heat to follow... But let's cheer up, because Tokyo at spring can be so beautiful. As a flower maniac, I go where it blossoms. Today, let's visit the sweet-smelling peony garden in Uneo park.

Japanese perfection

Light and shadow

By day, the yearly Japanese cherry blossom phenomenon makes Tokyo look pure as snow. The white flowers are the city's wedding dress. But at dawn, you can enjoy the pink, orange, blue and gold shades of the mighty sakura. Ready for the most voluptuous moment of the year ?

Pink shades

Blue shades

Gold shades

Flaming shades

Gingkos are back this autumn, blonder and brighter than ever ! I love them even more than the red momiji. I can't imagine anything more joyful than their yellow leaves on pure blue sky. They warm up the city, bringing light at every corner.

Icho-namiki, Gaienmae

Grande

November in Japan is the best season ever.

When you stay for a long time in Japan, you understand why the philosophy of this country can be summarized as "let it die in all its glory". This is a civilization of paper, not stone. Joy, relationship, love, life : let it die in all its glory. Something difficult for a Westerner raised in the thinking of "don't ever let it die, whatever it takes". But when you have seen the fall of sakura in April, and the flaming red leaves in November, so you start to understand. All things die eventually. You can try to stop it but you will fail. Or you could stop trying and contemplate the glorious end of things, too.

New contemplation - at Yoyogi Park

Sometimes your friends get married. And sometimes you decide that the best way to celebrate a bachelorett party is to fly to Lisbon. Mid-october and it felt like summer on the beach at Cascais. People were smiling, the old town was elegant, food was delicious, and three days were definitely not enough. Lisbon, the new place to go!

Augusta Street

Rossio Square

Commercio Square

Lisbon tramways

Jeronimo Monastery

Belem Tower

Fernando Pessoa statue

Cascais beach

Lisbon from the highs

Lisbon from Baixa

Must-try food: Portuguese Cod

Sardines

Fresh fruits

And the most reputated treat in town: pasteis de Belem

Now you know where to spend your next european holidays !

Aquarium made Art : that's the concept of this amazing exhibition at Coredo Building in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Moving, multicolor art made of water and light, and thousands of living goldfish. Remember this mesmeric moment in Disney's Fantasia, when you found yourself floating among fish on Tchaikowski's melodies? We're not far from this feeling.

Did someone say "beauty"?

Sometimes, when you need to remember why you settled so far from your roots, there's nothing like a beautiful skyline. In Tokyo, the best spot to contemplate the glow of the city in the fading sunshine remains Odaiba's beach. Admire the gracious arch of Rainbow Bridge. Watch the stars and the party boats come out. Feel the beauty all around. And remember why you stand there.

I sware that I don't exaggerate when I say that wearing a kimono is a very special experience. First, this is not the kind of dress you can jump in and forget. Not only you need at least two persons to put it on correctly, but it is like a rigid, heavy, solemnel piece of fabric folded around you. A kimono itself is a very light and smooth sheet of silk, but under it you also wear three or four layers of cotton; scarfs and ribbons to keep it close to your body and a hard, wide under-belt to give the right shape to the obi. Once you're set, you have to keep your back straight, you can't release the pressure on your belly and you need to control your steps, your breath, every single movement. Sounds like hell? Actually, not at all. The kimono does impose a certain discipline, but it also supports you and it guides your behavior. Personally, I just can't get enough. So when a friend of mine proposed me to model for a kimono brand at the Tokyo Design Festa 2014, I couldn't decline.

The French models team - Before

The French models team - After

... Who said "Power Rangers" ? Oh, come on.

I am the Green Power Ranger. Let me show off.

Our Japanese counterparts

In the past, the way the ladies were wearing the obi gave some clues about their rank in the society, their marital status or their position inside their own family. Each obi is a real piece of art, it's really the most impressive part of the kimono.

The way of the obi

Pretty cool, uh ?

But of course, there are still some ways to be foolish in a kimono. You can count on us to add the French touch.

Be young, be foolish, be happy.

Guys, I'am definitely happy to be back in Japan, but amazing pictures of my trip to New-York City are coming soon. Be ready, it's going to be legendary.