For ages, I have wanted to go South until Nagasaki, the western port-city of Kyushu island. I'm happy to announce that my first resolution for 2014 has been to fulfill this wish.

Sadly famous world-wide for being the second and last city to date to have experienced a nuclear attack, Nagasaki is actually, just like Hiroshima, a very lively, bright and colourful city. Even if the memory of the atomic violence has not faded yet, the city seems determined to celebrate its history in a positive way. For a long time, Nagasaki has been one of the very few gates to Japan for the foreigners, espacially for Europeans. The old fisherman village became a meaningful town when the Portuguese tarders and missionaries settled there in the 16th Century; in the early 17th, the Dutch came too, and later the British. Strangely, in addition with their own economic interests, the Europeans also participated to the China-Japan business relations, when diplomatic matters were forbidding the two nations to communicate with each other.

Welcome to the cosmopolitan port of Nagasaki!

Sofuku-ji, a zen temple in Nagasaki

One of the most famous landmark of Nagasaki is the Megane-bashi, with its double arch that makes like a pair of glasses. Build in 1634, ans still standing!

Megane-bashi, the "spectacles bridge"

Because of the Portuguese and the Dutch communities who have been living there, Nagasaki is strangely ponctuated with pointed church roofs. It feels so weird to see their familiar and unexpected figures in the skyline...

Is it Japan here, really?

On the top of Glover Garden hills, old Dutch mansions have been conserved in memory of these Europeans who decided to start a new life in Japan, in these old times when there were no phone, no internet, no plane to keep connected to your hometown. I'm always moved to discover the life of these pionneers who suceeded in make Japn adopt them, in such circomstances.

Glover Garden Dutch heritage

The Portuguese preached two things in Japan : Christianism and castella (castillan cake). Well, the second grew definitely more popular than the first. Castella is a smooth, sweet sponge-cake, absolutely delicious with a cup of tea. It's funny because the recipe disappeared in Portugal, and is now the very best sweet speciality of Nagasaki.

But as always when it deals with international Japanese cities, you can't deny the Chinese touch.

Nagasaki Chinatown

Nagasaki Chinatown offers the most delicious street-food ever : kakuni-manju. So yummy I could have cried. Imagine a piece of meltingly soft braised pork, inside a tasty manju. Oh my, oh my.

And now, the big show. I told you Nagasaki enjoys celebrating its roots; let me introduce the most Dutchy-dutchy place ever out of the Netherlands : Huis ten Bosch, the mini-Holland, an enchanted world of tulip, mills and gouda cheese!

Huis ten Bosch, Deutch paradise

That's all for today! Don't miss the chance to go Nagasaki if you can. Some places have this ability to make you feel alive...

Let's face it : Christmas in Tokyo just can't compete with Christmas at home. Japan is not a Christian country, so there is no suprise. Despite the overdose of Christmas songs in the shops, the so-called crhistmas menus in the restaurants, and the girls wearing red and white mini-skirts on the street, will, it dosn't feel the same. December 25th will be a noraml busy day, and all the snowy decoration will disappear in a blink at the end of the day. Fortunately, illuminations can save the night - if you don't go during week-ends or rushing hours : yesterday, it was a two-hour queue in the cold wind just to have a look at Roppongi Midtown Christmas lights. Ah, Japan.

An ocean of blue lights at Shiodome

A red and gold light cone at Roppongi Hills

Christmas inside

Stags and mooses are the ultimate stars this year (Maison du Chocolat)

Cosmic Christmas lights at Roppongi Midtown

Christmas Love

Wish you all a Merry Christmas !

Living in Tokyo is far better than many people think : no, there is not only concrete and glass everywhere around; yes, Tokyo is full of trees, parks, garden, and even woods. No, the whole city is not noisy with roaring cars and crying trains ; business districts apart, many residential areas are so silent that you wonder if you are really in one of the busiest megapole of the world. You can perfectly find peace and green in Tokyo. What you can't find is space.

You know: space. No building in the skyline. Distant walls and roofs. Room for your look at your left, at your right. No shadow between you and the sky. Space.

When you need space, take the Toyoko line for 25 minutes in the direction of Yokohama, the most "opened" city of the country - spiritually, and physically. Breath. Refresh. Rest you eyes watching far, very far in front of you.

Invitation to the Voyage

My child, my sister,
Think of the rapture
Of living together there!
Of loving at will,
Of loving till death,
In the land that is like you!

The misty sunlight
Of those cloudy skies
Has for my spirit the charms,
So mysterious,
Of your treacherous eyes,
Shining brightly through their tears.

The oriental splendor,
All would whisper there
Secretly to the soul
In its soft, native language.

See on the canals
Those vessels sleeping.
Their mood is adventurous;
It's to satisfy
Your slightest desire
That they come from the ends of the earth.

The setting suns
Adorn the fields,
The canals, the whole city,
With hyacinth and gold;
The world falls asleep
In a warm glow of light.

There all is order and beauty,
Luxury, peace, and pleasure.

— William Aggeler, The Flowers of Evil (Charles Baudelaire)

Intrepid Model Adventure (IMA) is two years old! As we never miss an opportunity to invade the Pink Cow party space at Roppongi, to eat delicious veggie meals, to sing powerful songs and to raise money for Tohoku, well, we decided to do it all again.

In case you are a newcomer on my little blog (welcome, my friend), so you don't know yet about IMA's moto: be the change you want to see in the world. The concept is not new, but its implementation seems to be still confidential in our societies. So IMA people are trying to make it real. We want solidarity, we want passion, we want health and we want team-spirit: let's be all this, let's inspire the society. And so we go volunteering, and so we raise money to help people as far as we can, and so we share movies and songs, and so we light candles in the night to support the pro-clean energies movement. That's it. That's not going to change the world at once, but that's going to change it eventually.

(Picture credits: Yumi Nakayama, Yoshie Nakamura, Isao Kimura)

Chris, Natsu and Noemi on stage for "Man in the Mirror" (Mickael Jackson)

IMA team for our original hymn, "Beautiful Energy" by Mr. Chris Trigger

Just give me a microphone, man

"I'm starting with the man in the mirror / I'm asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer / If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change!"

By the way: we are still there every Friday, in front of the Japanese Parliament, to support the protesters against the nukes. We light candles, and we perform our favorite songs. Feel free to come and have a look, and light a candle at your place to join the Beautiful Energy movement!

The Beautiful Energy Band

 LOVE!

When I get back to Paris for Christmas, a huge tree is waiting for me in the living room.

When I get back to Paris for Christmas, my sister comes to live at my parents' place to spend more time with me.

When I get back to Paris for Christmas, I go to Mariage Freres with my friends and we pretend to be chic parisienne ladies.

When I get back to Paris for Christmas, there is a ton of delicious food.

When I get back to Paris for Christmas, the weather is beautiful.

When I get back to Paris for Christmas, I wonder if I should definitely get back one day soon.

When I get back to Paris for Christmas, I experience many kinds of mixed emotions and sensations. I tell myself that life is complex. That I'm full of contradictions. That "the truth is out there". That time and space matter a lot, and mean nothing at the same time. That I should focus on beauty and love and try to forget all the rest. Fortunately, beauty and love are there for me.

BEAUTIFUL HOME

LOVELY FAMILY & FRIENDS

BREAKFAST

TEA TIME

FINGERFOOD

DINER

TARTINES

SUNNY PARIS

2012 in ending soon... thanks God. May 2013 be sweeter for everyone.

See you in 2013 !

Ok, Chrismas in Japan can not compare to Chrismas in France.

Ok, for some reasons, the Japanese have decided that Chrismas is not Chrismas without nauseating creamy cakes with a few lonely strawberries on the top, instead of fine buches-de-noel.

Ok, I can't stand the sound of "Last Chrismas I gave you my heart" every time I enter a shop anymore.

Ok, the Japanese Chrismas is a kind of winter-style Valentine, and people dream to spend it at Disneyland with their lover. Which is a bit poor-taste, you'll admit.

Ok, whatever they do, the simple fact that my family is NOT in Japan makes the Japanese Chrismas look sad and artificial.

Still... come one, have you seen the lights ?? Chrismas lights in Tokyo are enchanting. They mix with trees just like dew, and it is so beautiful I could cry.

Ebisu

Akasaka

Roppongi

But these little treasures won't prevent me to spend Chrismas in France, with REAL chocolate, REAL Chrismas trees, and TRUE love.

Joyeux Noel à tous !

Before Christmas. If you are a Happy Few, this is the moment when you can really witness the beauty of life; and also deeply realize that so many people, very far or very close, can not enjoy it. I just had a wonderful week with my beloved family and my precious friends; a week made of Christmas trees, candle lights, chocolate cakes and movies and I prey for everyone in the world to be able to experience the same sweetness of life at least once in their existence.

To everyone who lost someone or something important this year, I wish you to find some comfort in the Christmas lights and to keep hope and faith. To the ones who, like me, are blessed by life and are surrounded by love, let's try to spread it to the world.

To my beloved ones : please stay with me until next Christmas, keep inspiring me. I wish you all the happiness in the world.

I love you.

From Paris, with love

Yesterday was the night of the moon eclipse; obviously, I could not take good pictures of the phenomenon, but I also witnessed a few Christmas lights than can give you an idea of the very special atmosphere of the night.

Cosmic show at Roppongi

Solar explosions

Venus Tree

Milky Way

Back on Earth : Nutcracker's Castle (Roppongi Hills) and Gingerbread Village (Muji)

Happy Christmasization !

Autumne never ends in this country... It's December already, en have a look at what was waiting for me at Rikugien !

Welcome to a typical Edo period garden ! No doubt that the walkers in the ancient times have been inspired by its beauty to write poetry. As fall came late this year, we can enjoy these amazing colors at the fringe of winter. Light is excellent. Contrast is perfect. What else ???

December ! Christmas ! Family ! In two weeks I will fly to France, have a great family refill and enjoy Christmas atmosphere. For the moment, I give you the first sweet Xmas hints around :

 My little Xmas Tree at home

Xmas lights at Ebisu Garden