Antoine Dupont is a world-renowned rugby star, captaining the French national team and playing scrum-half. He recently visited Japan as an official ambassador for the France Pavilion, for which the LVMH Group is the main supporter, at the Osaka-Kansai Expo currently underway.

The LVMH Group established LVMH Métiers d'Art in 2015, aiming to promote both craftsmanship and innovation, both of which are essential to the luxury industry. In 2022, the group established its only branch in the world in Japan.

Antoine, known for his love of Japanese culture and traditional crafts, took the opportunity of his visit to Japan to visit Kyotango, also known as the "Kyoto of the Sea," and embark on a journey to experience the skills of artisans.

LVMH What is Métier d'Art?

2015 Founded inLVMH Métiers d'Art is a global community that is active not only in France and Europe, but also in the world. It promotes innovation, with a constant focus on sustainability.It will enable significant emissions reductions and streamline production processes, while also connecting with a global network of forward-thinking manufacturers and artisans.It is a network.

Rich tradition and world-class expertise in the luxury industryKnowledgeable in leather tanning, livestock farming, printing, metalworking,All types of textile and fabric productionIt is an organization that brings together suppliers with outstanding technology.

In Japan, LVMH Métiers d'Art aims to forge partnerships with Japan's traditional industries and build a global network of artisans. It has partnered with two companies: Kuroki Co., Ltd., a denim fabric manufacturer in Okayama, and HOSOO, a long-established Nishijin textile manufacturer in Kyoto. In addition to partnering with these companies, the group is also promoting Japan's outstanding craftsmanship to the world, including by holding an exhibition in Paris.

A traditional cultural experience where the skills of artisans come to life

At Antoine's request, we visited Nippon Genshosha, a swordsmith workshop with deep ties to LVMH Métiers d'Art, one of Japan's most beautiful crafts; Tamiya Raden, a beautiful textile industry from Tango; and Takeno Sake Brewery, a historic sake brewery that specializes in delicious rice and water.

It's about a two-hour and twenty-minute drive north from Osaka. First, we head to Amanohashidate, nestled in Miyazu Bay, one of Japan's three most scenic spots, and stop by Manai Shrine at the back. The inner shrine of Motoise Kono Shrine, the area is a highly revered power spot with a pure aura pervading it. Antoine looked solemn as he listened to the explanation. He also tried his hand at a "water fortune telling," which involves dipping his paper in the sacred water of "Amano Manai," and seemed to be enjoying the mystical experience with his whole body.

Be captivated by the profound charm of Japanese swords

From Manai Shrine, we continue northwest for about 30 minutes. Along the way, the mountains and rural landscapes of the beech forests unique to this area (beech is the tree of Kyotango City) spread out before our eyes, offering views of the rich nature and satoyama. Eventually, we arrived at Nihon Genshosha, which produces and sells Japanese swords using skilled techniques and modern values.

Antoine has long been interested in the world of Japanese swords. After receiving an explanation of the process, he enters the forge and actually experiences the process of hammering tamahagane, a steel that has been heated over a fire. "It's so heavy," he murmurs, and bows, saying "Thank you" in Japanese. The sword-making scene is tranquil, yet there is a tense atmosphere in the air.

A sharp, refined form, a polished shine, and a unique, elegant blade pattern. As the swordsmith explained to Antoine that in modern times, Japanese swords are made not as weapons, but to pass on and develop their value as works of art, cultural assets, and symbols of spiritual culture, he stared at the sword with a sharp gaze, as if he were in a match.

To become a swordsmith, one must train under a swordsmith for more than five years, attend the "Art Swordsmith Technique Preservation Training Seminar" sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and pass an exam.

"I had seen a reportage on Japanese swords on French television and had some knowledge of them, but the steel that forms the base of the sword itself is beautiful, and the complex process of sword-making is fascinating. I was surprised to hear that it takes a year to make one and that as many as four artisans are involved. Athletes and swordsmiths share some common elements in terms of craftsmanship. The quality and passion in the finish, always striving for the best, and the importance of passing on the tradition are all important, so I'm filled with a feeling of bravo!"

Antoine listened intently to their explanation and expressed his gratitude for the experience.

"Tamiya Raden" weaves the beautiful nature of Tango

After Nihon Genshosha, we went to Tamiya Raden. The founder of the workshop, Tamiya Katsuichiro, said,I wanted to create a fabric that captures the sparkle of the sea.2Years in the makingAntoine was fascinated by the work.Thin sheets of shells are cut into shapes and pasted onto the Japanese paper.This is cut into thin threads and woven into the weft.I heard the craftsman explain this.

"I never imagined that such beautiful textiles could be made from seashells. I am particularly captivated by the delicate and sophisticated use of colors. I am also deeply moved by the fact that techniques that have been passed down for decades, and in some cases centuries, are still alive today," she says.

The "raden" in "raden" refers to the shell, and the "den" refers to the workmanship.

The Tango region has a history of over 1300 years as a traditional silk weaving center, nurturing kimonos, a traditional Japanese culture. Perhaps its long history and rich natural environment naturally brought about a natural encounter between shells and textiles. Each piece is breathtakingly beautiful, from delicate chrysanthemums painted with shells on oxidized silver foil to chintz patterns lavishly made with shells, real gold, and platinum, to pieces that beautifully depict reefs peeking through the ocean waves.

Taking on the challenge of new sake brewing while preserving tradition and innovation

The parent brewery was founded in 1847. In 1948, four local breweries came together to establish Takeno Sake Brewery. Located adjacent to farmland developed during the postwar land reform, the brewery uses underground water from Mount Kongo-Doji and produces sake using a wide variety of local sake rice. Currently, Yukimachi Yoshiki, the eldest son of the sixth-generation brewer, serves as the chief brewer, and the brewery is run by three brothers: his second son Tatsuro and his third son Kohei.

After graduating from the Department of Brewing at Tokyo University of Agriculture, Yukimachi Yoshiki trained under master brewer Noguchi Naohiko at Shikano Sake Brewery in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Noguchi Naohiko is known as one of the most legendary brewers in the sake industry, and is often referred to as the "god of sake brewing." There, he thoroughly learned about meticulous fermentation management and traditional and innovative techniques.

He then returned to his family business, Takeno Sake Brewery, and gained experience as a brewer before becoming the chief brewer in 2009. Based on the traditional techniques and spirit of the master brewer that he learned from Master Brewer Noguchi Naohiko, he is working hard to make sake that makes the most of the regional characteristics of Takeno Sake Brewery and the characteristics of the sake rice.

The sake he created in the year he became the chief brewer was "Kame no Okurabu," which won first place in the Junmai sake category at the National Sake Competition, and has received high praise in numerous competitions. He is also actively working to create new sake that can be enjoyed worldwide.

Yukimachi Yoshiki invited Antoine into his modern tasting room overlooking the fields, poured him some sake into a large, original wine glass, and handed it to him with a simple smile that hid the pride of a craftsman, saying, "I'm aiming to make a sake that no one has ever tried before."

The taste is described by Yoshiki as "full-bodied and clean," with an exquisite balance of clean texture and rich flavor, making it a fine wine that even Antoine couldn't help but squint his eyes at.

Takeno Sake Brewery uses several types of sake rice, including Yamadanishiki, local rice, and their original new variety, Tangame no O, and is dedicated to making sake that makes the most of the characteristics of the rice and water. Takeno's second son, Tatsuro, gave us a tour of the playful brewery, which had been painted. They had just finished pressing the sake, so we chatted among the bottles undergoing secondary fermentation. Antoine, who seemed completely at ease, said, "Thank you for coming today," and it was impressive to see him.

"I was surprised to see such an innovative attempt being made using traditional techniques. I was very impressed by the attitude of daring to push the boundaries in sake brewing. The taste is truly wonderful, and I sense the potential for it to harmonize not only with Japanese cuisine, but with a variety of other dishes as well. France also has a gastronomic culture rooted in terroir (climate), and I deeply sympathize with this Japanese approach. The effort to protect traditional ecosystems while also further developing them has a lot in common with the activities of the Bigorre Pig (a movement to revive species that were on the verge of extinction), which my family and brothers are involved in," he said with a satisfied look on his face.

At the end of the journey

Antoine reflected on his trip, realizing that both France and Japan are countries that value traditional culture.

"Japan has a long-standing culture of artisans who have inherited the excellence of handcrafted work. During this trip, I visited various fields and felt the breath of unparalleled precision and unique savoir-faire (artisanal skills). Meeting artisans from a world completely different from my own field of expertise was a truly stimulating experience."

Text by Mariko Awano

Journalist. Has lived in Paris for over 20 years, reporting and writing for numerous magazines, including Japanese women's magazines, and travel books. Currently based in Tokyo. Her books include "One Night from Paris! Beautiful Villages of France" (Shueisha).