I was born in Tours (Loire Valley, France) in 1966 and I discovered Japan in 1989, while I was studying Japanese at university (Inalco, Paris), then I worked in Tokyo and Takamatsu (Shikoku island) for five years, especially in the field of international relations within the JET Program.
From a very early age, my grandparents, who were pharmacists, made me aware of the "things of nature" and I discovered Japanese flora by learning Japanese flower arrangement (ikebana, Ohara school) in Takamatsu. This is what decided me, in the 2000s, to take botany courses for adults at the National museum of natural history in Paris, and to create a website called "Japanese Botanical Gardens"; I translated a multitude of information from Japanese into French on Japanese botanical gardens, on Japanese plants and published them on my website and my blogs.
Today, I work on my own (freelance) as a project manager/guide-lecturer and, in parallel, I am making a doctoral research on the history of Japanese horticulture during the Edo period (1603-1868). I create itineraries centered on Japanese culture and seasonal flowering, in Japan and in Europe (Netherlands, Switzerland) for small groups of 2 to 5 people.
Depending on the destination, I sometimes work with a travel agency but when it is not the case, I ask the participants to book their flight or train tickets directly. I use my knowledge, my connections, and my experience of living in Japan for the creation of the itineraries and the programme. I make a provisional budget for the entire stay and everything is paid directly in Japan or in the European country.
The flowers are, of course, an important element of my itineraries because seasons and flowers have marked Japanese life for centuries, but the focus is also made on other cultural aspects. We spend the days by visiting different types of gardens, art museums, castles, we walk through old streets, hike in nature sometimes, in order to discover the real Japan and its traditions.
We take our meals in (small) neighborhood restaurants, in Japanese temples, in traditional Japanese restaurants and sometimes in Michelin-star restaurants. Travel, within the country, is carried out by trains, public transportation, taxi and ferry. The purpose of my travels is to take time, to discover, to feel, to taste and exchange information and ideas about what we see.
Japan is still a very popular destination, therefore I invite you to contact me a few months in advance. If you have already made a group of 5 people (family, friends, members of an association), we can imagine and design a "tailor-made" itinerary together. Please contact me by email on this link. Thank you.
