Japanese community of Paris

The Paris Metropolitan Area has a special group of people from Japan living there. This group is called the Japanese community. In 2023, there were about 10,592 people from Japan living in Paris. This number was smaller than ten years before, when about 16,277 Japanese people lived there. The community helps keep Japanese culture alive in Paris, with festivals, food, and traditions that make the city a fun place for everyone.

History

In the early 1960s, special shops for Japanese visitors opened in Paris. Later, more businesses appeared to serve people living there longer. A person named Bernard Bérnaud said that very few Japanese people lived in France until around 1965 or even the 1970s. In 1991, Jessica Rutman wrote that because Japan was doing well economically, the Japanese people moving to France did not cause any big problems between different groups of people.

Geographic distribution

Japanese people who moved to Paris usually did not stay for long and lived close to where they worked. Unlike other Asian groups who formed tight-knit neighborhoods, most Japanese preferred to blend in with Parisian life rather than live together in one area.

By 2013, many Japanese businesspeople chose to rent homes in the western parts of Paris and its suburbs, especially in the 15th arrondissement and 16th arrondissement. These areas were costly, showing that many Japanese chose to live separately from the wider French community. Families with children often settled near the Institut Culturel Franco-Japonais – École Japonaise de Paris, following the bus route that took them there. Different areas attracted different groups, with higher-ranking business leaders living in places like Neuilly-sur-Seine, while others lived around the Hotel Nikko or on the Left Bank.

Commerce

Many Japanese families in Paris shop at Daimaru France and the Centre International de Paris at Porte Maillot. Students and budget shoppers often visit Paris Chinatown for Japanese food and supplies. Daimaru France started in 1973. Paris has over 70 Japanese restaurants for all budgets. Japanese karaoke bars, offices, banks, shops, and department stores can be found in the Avenue de l'Opera and Rue Sainte-Anne area.

Famous Japanese bakery and pastry shops like Saint Germain, Toraya, and Yamazaki have locations in Paris. Japanese-run businesses in Paris include architects, lawyers, hotels, golf clubs, travel agencies, and real estate firms. There are also shops for Japanese residents, such as dress shops, bookstores, hair salons, and eye doctors. In 1995, the Opéra area had over 20 shops for Japanese shoppers. The Paris Mitsukoshi store opened in 1971 but closed in 2010 because fewer Japanese visitors came after the September 11 attacks.

Education

The Institut Culturel Franco-Japonais – École Japonaise de Paris, a Japanese international school, is located in the suburb of Montigny-le-Bretonneux. It opened in Trocadéro, Paris in 1973 and moved to its current location in 1990. Japanese is the main language taught at the school, which serves elementary and junior high levels, while students also learn French. Because the school is far from some areas in Paris, some families choose to send their children to French schools and attend Saturday Japanese schools like the Takehara School in Paris.

Some students go to the International School of Paris for high school. In 1992, Japanese students became the largest group at this school, making up 19% of the students that year. In the past, students attended Japanese boarding high schools in France, such as the Lycée Seijo in Alsace, which closed in 2005, and the Lycée Konan near Tours, which closed in 2013.

The École de langue japonaise de Paris holds its classes at the École Maternelle et Primaire Saint Francois d'Eylau in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The Association Eveil Japon is located in Boulogne-Billancourt. The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology also lists the Japanese section of the Lycée international de Saint-Germain-en-Laye as one of its part-time programs.

Institutions

The Association Amicale des Ressortissants Japonais en France (AARJF), also called the Nihonjinkai, has around 10,000 members who are either Japanese or French, along with about 3,700 family members. Its main office is located on the Champs-Elysées in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.

This association is one of the biggest groups for Japanese people in Paris. It helps newly arrived Japanese people adjust to living in France and includes a lending library. The group welcomes many different types of Japanese people, such as business families, tourists, and students, creating a friendly environment for everyone.

The Japanese government also has its Embassy in Paris.

Media

In 2013, Paris had seven Japanese-language digests. One of these, called Journal Japon, shared information about Japanese culture, news, and services. It was made by a group called the Association Amicale des Ressortissants Japonais en France. This same group also published a guide called Japanese Guide to Living to Paris, which listed cultural activities.

Lifestyle and recreation

Japanese people who live in France usually stay for about three to five years. In the past, companies often provided housing and cars for their workers. Because their stays are short, workplaces become important social places, making it hard for a strong community to form. Some Japanese families, especially those with children in Japanese schools, might not make many friends with French people.

There are special activities for the Japanese community in Paris, such as art shows, bazaars, sports events, and classes in calligraphy, the game of go, and writing haiku poems. The Alliance Française also offers French classes for Japanese speakers.

Notable residents

One well-known person from the Japanese community in Paris is Kenzō Takada. He was famous for his work and made a mark in the city.