Japan Fortnight opens in Montpellier

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For its opening ceremony, the Quinzaine du Japon en Occitanie saw things big. This Friday, November 8, 2024 in the evening, at the Fabre museum in Montpellier, the region welcomed distinguished guests, thus marking the kick-off of a series of 284 events scattered throughout Occitanie, until November 22. The Japanese ambassador to France, Makita Shimokawa, made the trip, accompanied by his wife. The president of the Dépêche Foundation, Marie-France Marchand Baylet, also received the widow of the painter Pierre Soulages, Colette Soulages, whose husband maintained close links with the Land of the Rising Sun.

Japan, for Pierre Soulages, was not a country like any other. The artist exhibited there for the first time in 1958, a key moment in his career which sealed a special relationship with what he called “the Empire of signs”. During a visit to the rooms dedicated to Soulages’ works at the Fabre Museum, Colette Soulages remembered this singular connection with emotion. Mayor Michaël Delafosse took the opportunity to recall the historical links between Montpellier and Japan. “There are young people here who are learning the language and who will carry Franco-Japanese relations into the future. »

Cultural, sporting and linguistic exchanges

The Quinzaine du Japon en Occitanie aims to discover the richness of Japanese culture in all its facets: from language to gastronomy, including art and sport. Makita Shimokawa highlighted the growing interest in the Japanese language. In Occitania, 3,000 students take Japanese lessons, including 300 at the Jules Guesde international high school: “It is important that the teaching of Japanese is accessible. » Yannick Lintz, director of the Guimet museum and sponsor of this edition, expressed her joy at participating in this event. “Japan and the Guimet Museum have a long history. We have the largest collection of Japanese arts in Europe,” she emphasized.

Occitania and Japan have also forged strong economic ties. Regional elected official Sébastien Denaja recalled that Occitan exports to Japan amount to “half a billion euros”. Regional companies, particularly in the wine sector, regularly distinguish themselves at international trade fairs in Japan.

La Quinzaine du Japon in Occitanie continues to grow and diversify. For Michaël Delafosse, it embodies the desire to create links between people, beyond cultural differences: “There are people who propose to build walls. We build bridges. » The mayor of Montpellier, for example, mentioned the partnership agreement with Sakai to host FISE in 2025.

While the cherry trees of Franco-Japanese friendship continue to bloom in Occitania, this Fortnight still promises many meetings. For the organizers, the hope is clear: that this link, born from a first exhibition in 1958, will continue, flourish and inspire future generations.

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