Japan may hold steadfastly to its own traditional customs, but it is not above adopting foreign practices and giving them a unique twist so as to incorporate them into Japanese culture. In particular, Japan and France enjoy robust ties, with many prefectures having close sister city relationships with French cities. As such, it is not surprising that many Japanese companies embark on creative collaborations with French firms. On top of it, various aspects of French culture have been integrated seamlessly into French culture in fields as varied as gourmet cuisine, fashion and even language! Here’s how Japanese culture has been imbued with a French twist.

Fashion trends in Japan evoke an air of elegance and chic sophistication, so they are very much embraced by Japanese people. Hence, a uniquely French style has not only been infused with Japanese high-end fashion, but has also been incorporated into affordable and cutting-edge streetwear targeted towards the masses. This is best illustrated by how popular Japanese label, UNIQLO collaborated with leading French model, Ines de La Fressange to come up with a stylish Summer 2016 collection for women. Utilizing earthy colors like beige, olive and rose, this collection exudes a classy aura! Likewise, ladies who cannot do without their make-up should check out the Shu Uemura x Maison Kitsune Holiday 2015 collection. Colliding East and West, the Japanese beauty brand and French label has released an exciting range of specially-created make-up colours that is bound to take your breath away. Their packaging is also a cute blend of French berets and croissants with kimonos and plum blossoms!

The Japanese language is incredibly versatile. Do you know that many Japanese katakana words that are commonly used in everyday life actually originate from the French language? Most of these words were coined during or after the Meiji era. Examples include “somurie” that comes from the French word “sommelier” (a waiter who is an expert on wine) and “chou cream”, originally a French pastry. At the shopping mall, if you want to buy a new pair of pants, you have to ask for directions to the "zubon" department. "Zubon" comes from the French word "jupon". This is not forgetting how some restaurants like to begin their name with "mezon", which is an adaptation of the French word "Maison" for house. Indeed, many words of French origin abound in the Japanese language, so why not add a dose of merriment into your life and sprinkle such words into your conversations?

French food has always been a hit in Japan, with acclaimed chefs from France establishing branches of "grandes maisons" in Japan. Nowadays, this trend is boosted a notch further, with adventurous Japanese chefs venturing to France to hone their culinary skills. Having thus developed a nuanced understanding of both Japanese and French cooking techniques, they choose cooking techniques from both traditions that best suit the ingredients and cook French food with a delightful Japanese flair. If you wish to embark on a unique gourmet adventure in Japan, look no further than Tokyo. Boasting one of the world’s highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants, you can tuck happily into scrumptious French food that is hard to replicate anywhere else in the world!

Aside from food and fashion, art is also a great way to combine Japanese and French aesthetic sensibilities. For example, French artist Marianne Guély and Japanese traditional craftsman Takeshi Nishimura partnered together to create a one-of-a-kind Christmas tree for Andaz Tokyo in 2015. Comprising paper leaves engraved by Mr Nishimura and cut by Ms Guély, this tree was just visually stunning. On a broader scale, the Institut Francais manages Villa Kujoyama, a house in Kyoto that houses French artists for three to six months and gets them to work in tandem with their Japanese counterparts working in the same industry. Such residential stays greatly facilitate cross-cultural exchange and cross-fertilisation of ideas, thus giving birth to thought-provoking art works.

Many tourists flock to Japan, because they are fascinated with its traditional artisanal crafts and art forms. However, a country’s culture does not exist in isolation, so checking out the myriad ways in which Japanese culture organically interacts and melds together with French culture could yield intriguing insights on Japan’s influence at the global level. So try out some of these French things on your next trip to Japan!