Louis Vuitton, Dior, Celine, Tiffany... LVMH is a French luxury brand group that owns many coveted luxury brands. The official name of this global conglomerate is LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, and the head of Japan is Norbert Leuret . What kind of person is the head of LVMH Japan, let alone LVMH's business strategy in Japan, which is experiencing rapid growth? To get a clue to this simple question, we first asked Leuret  about his childhood.

"I'm pretty good at French," he said, cracking jokes in fluent Japanese that she has acquired over more than 30 years of living in Japan, with a cheerful smile and the occasional pun. The interview, which lasted just under an hour, was conducted in a friendly atmosphere from start to finish.

 As a boy, he grew up in Orléans, a city in north-central France.

"I was born in 1961 in Bergerac, located east of Bordeaux, a region known for its wine production. When I was six years old, we moved to Orléans, a city about 6km southwest of Paris. I lived there for about 130 years, and the place that made the biggest impression on me was the shopping district of the city of Orléans."

"It wasn't a very big town, but the streets were lined with a variety of shops, including a bakery, a butcher, a fishmonger, a bookshop, a pharmacy, a music store and a confectionery shop. Of course, they were all privately owned businesses."

Mr. Leuret 's father was a practicing physician whose clinic was part of the grounds of their home in Orléans. His mother was a very sociable person who often hosted parties at the house. Mr. Leuret studied violin and ballet. His parents and the rest of the Leuret family were well-known in Orléans.

"My father wore a white coat when he examined patients, but underneath he always wore a suit. His suits were made by a tailor in the shopping district. Even as a child, I would sometimes accompany my father to the tailor's shop and watch the interaction between him and the tailor."

A vivid memory of the vibrant shopping streets of Orléans

"It wasn't just tailors. As I walked with my parents through the shopping district, people from various shops would call out to me. 'We've got some good fish in today,' 'The roast beef is ready,' 'What kind of sweets should we prepare for the next party?' I still vividly remember the lively exchanges between the shopkeepers and my parents, and the vibrant atmosphere of the shopping district."

The lively atmosphere and interaction of the shopping streets of Orléans, which he visited many times as a boy, are more than just fond memories; they had a significant impact on Mr. Leuret , who would later enter the business world. Of course, as a young boy walking through the shopping streets with his parents, there was no way that Relais would have known about this...

I visited Japan at age 20. A four-month stay that changed my life

After his impressionable childhood, Leuret  went on to business school, initially aiming to work in human resources, but soon became interested in full management in the areas of marketing and manufacturing.

After completing an internship in France, a major turning point came for Mr. Leuret . He participated in a summer school program at Sophia University, which also served as an internship abroad. In July 1981, the young man had just turned 7 and came to Japan. There was a reason why he chose Japan.

"My father's family was a historic family that had been in Bordeaux for generations. My mother and maternal grandmother were French, but they were actually born and raised in Vietnam. My mother first came to France when she was 19 years old. Both my mother and grandmother have lived in France ever since, and from an early age they always told me about the splendor and charm of Asia. Having been raised by such people, I knew that if I were to go abroad, it would be in Asia, and I chose Japan without hesitation, as it was a country with great momentum at the time."

After a 25-hour flight via Anchorage and Seoul, I finally arrived in Japan. At the time, Japan was a wealthy country that was attracting attention from around the world, as the phrase "Japan as Number One" suggests.

"I hardly understood Japanese, but wherever I went, the cities were beautiful and the people were kind. What's more, they were very interested in France. I was also surprised at how many people were knowledgeable about French literature. Although it was only a short four months, every day was stimulating and interesting, and I fell in love with Japan. I decided that I wanted to work in Japan in the future. It was also during this time that I met my wife."

Mr. Leuret  smiles a little shyly. The Japanese woman he met the day after arriving in Japan became his lifelong partner. It can be said that this four-month stay in Japan literally determined the course of Mr. Leuret 's life.

I learned the enka song "Osaka Shigure" at a club in Kitashinchi, Osaka. The person who taught me was a leading figure in the Kansai economic world.

After graduating from business school at age 22, Leuret managed to get a job in the economics department of the French Consulate General in Osaka, where his main job was to promote French investment to Japanese companies based in western Japan.

"There's a Japanese karaoke song I can sing. Do you know what it is?"

Mr. Leuret  suddenly asked me a mischievous question. I was at a loss for an answer...

"It was Osaka Shigure. What's more, the person who told me about it was Keizo Saji, who was the president of Suntory at the time. It was a club in Kitashinchi."

It was when Saji-san arranged a party for the Kansai business people to visit France as a token of his appreciation for Mr. Leuret 's careful and thoughtful arrangements. But that wasn't all. Kazuo Inamori of Kyocera took us to a tea house in Gion, and we also had the opportunity to taste the finest French cuisine under the lecture of Shizuo Tsuji of Tsuji Culinary Institute.

All of this happened when Mr. Leuret  was in his 20s. Although his Japanese was still poor at the time, his cheerful personality and open-mindedness in reaching out to others and his overflowing love for Japan must have touched the hearts of many prominent business and cultural figures. These encounters with people also helped to broaden Mr. Leuret 's perspective and shape his personal network as a businessman.

In his late 20s, he returned to France for a few years before returning to Japan in 1997 as marketing director for Kenzo Japan.

After that, he served as president of Hachette Fujingaho (now Hearst Fujingaho) and Zara Japan, before becoming president of LVMH Japan in 2006. Kenzo Japan is actually under the umbrella of LVMH. This means that for Mr. Leuret , this marks his return to LVMH.

"Even when I was at Kenzo Japan, I felt that the direction that LVMH was taking as a group was fantastic, so I was very happy when I received an offer from the head of LVMH Japan."

What is the direction of LVMH that Mr. Leuret  feels is so great?

Opening a new store feels like building the Arc de Triomphe

"We are in the retail industry, meaning we sell things, but we think of our job as delivering not only goods but also culture to everyone. For example, we have stores all over Japan, mainly in Tokyo and Osaka. Starting with selecting the location, we invest a considerable budget into the exterior and interior design to create a truly magnificent space. We work not only with French staff, but also with Japan's leading architects and designers, such as Kazuyo Sejima and Shigeru Ban."

"The stores that are completed in this way are not just shops, but will contribute to the town as places that disseminate culture. And they will continue to do so for the long term. It may sound a bit exaggerated, but it feels like we are creating an Arc de Triomphe as a place to disseminate culture every time. Working on business with this kind of long-term vision, rather than a short-term one, is what makes LVMH unique, and I think it is one of the keys to its success."

Partnering with Japanese craftsmen with outstanding craftsmanship

He shared another secret to his success.

"I think it's our respect for Japanese culture. As a French company, a country with a long history, we have great respect for Japan's ancient history and the various cultures that have been nurtured by that history. We also focus on traditional crafts and artisanal skills from around the world, and established an organization called LVMH Métiers d'Art in 2015. Our goal is to form communities of manufacturers and artisans who possess the excellent techniques and savoir-faire (traditional craftsmanship) that are indispensable to manufacturing, and to preserve and develop these skills."

"In Japan, we have established LVMH Métiers d'Art Japan and are working with denim fabric manufacturer Kuroki in Okayama and Hosoo in Nishijin, Kyoto, on a project to jointly develop Japan's unique and wonderful technology."

The Osaka-Kansai Expo will be held in Osaka, a land of memories

There is one project that Mr. Leuret  has been looking forward to in recent years. It is the Osaka Kansai Expo, which opened on April 4. LVMH is exhibiting on a large scale in the French pavilion.

"The French Pavilion is quite spacious at approximately 4,000 square meters, and has a typical French theme of 'Hymne amor'. Louis Vuitton will be located just inside the pavilion, and Dior will be at the exit, which will be the finale of the exhibition. Celine will also have a special exhibition from April 4th to May 13th, and Chaumet from September 5st to October 12th. The restaurants in the pavilion will, of course, serve champagne from Moët Hennessy."

"As the main partner of the French Pavilion, LVMH will celebrate outstanding craftsmanship and creativity and convey its history, traditions and cultural value. Osaka is the city where I spent my twenties and where I have many memories. It is a great pleasure to be able to participate in the World Expo that will be held in Osaka almost 20 years from now. I hope everyone will join in on this 'Hymne amore.'"

It's not just about exhibiting at the Kansai-Osaka Expo. In 2025, Loewe and Tiffany will open flagship stores in Ginza, and in 2026, Chaumet, Fendi, and Dior will open flagship stores in Osaka. In addition, LVMH Japan as a whole will be working on various initiatives for each brand, including new developments at department stores and various events.

Exciting days that never get boring

"Every day is interesting, and I never get bored. This year marks my ninth year as a representative of Japan. There have been times when I've run into problems and wondered why things had turned out the way they did, but I've never been bored in those nine years. Every day is a succession of exciting moments, just like when I first came to Japan."

LVMH currently consists of over 75 outstanding brands, each with its own history and philosophy. Some of these brands are even competitors. How does Mr. Leuret  give instructions and make decisions and handle the issues that arise one after another when dealing with such a large number of brands on a daily basis? We asked him a simple question.

A drawer in a pharmacy in a shopping street in Orléans

"There was a pharmacy in the shopping district of Orléans. Inside the store there were shelves with many drawers, and each drawer contained a different medicine. When needed, the store staff would open the drawers, quickly take out the medicine, mix it up, and hand it to the customer. I guess my own head might be something like that, too. The drawers at Louis Vuitton are a little big, though."

Whenever he travels to other regions on business, if he has time he likes to explore the area's downtown areas and shopping districts.

"I guess he likes seeing the energy of the shopping district, the interactions between people, and the conversations that take place there. Maybe that's helping his business in some way."

The memories of the shopping streets of Orléans live on in his mind, and are further strengthened by the various experiences he has had in Japan. This strengthening will no doubt make the drawers in his mind even more powerful and diverse.

Norbert Leuret 

Born in France in 1961. President of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Japan LLC. Participated in Sophia University Summer School in 1981. After returning to Japan, he worked at the French Embassy in Japan before returning to Japan. He returned to Japan in 1997 and served as managing director and president of Kenzo Japan. In 2003, he became president of Hachette Fujingaho (now Hearst Fujingaho), and in 2006, he became director and CEO of Zara Japan. He has held his current position since 2016.

Mio Shimamura

Representative, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Premium Japan. After working at a foreign advertising agency, he served as head of marketing/PR for top brands such as Walt Disney, Harry Winston, and Tiffany & Co. in the United States. In 2013, he established Russo Co., Ltd., which handles PR for a variety of top brands. As his family grew up in an environment where they taught Japanese culture such as the tea ceremony and kimono dressing, he acquired the business rights to Premium Japan in 2017 and established Premium Japan Co., Ltd. in 2018.