Kansai Window

"Kansai Daisuki!" (I Love Kansai!) is a web page where foreigners living in Kansai talks about the charm of Kansai.

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The 9th
Consul General de France a Osaka et Kobe
MR. PHILIPPE CHATIGNOUX



		'Deep Signs of Civilization' in the 'Real Japan' - Kansai, as seen by the French Consul General, Osaka and Kobe, Mr. Philippe Chatignoux.

September, 2002

Our ninth 'I love Kansai' guest is Monsieur Philippe Chatignoux, the Consul General of France in Osaka and Kobe. Mr. Chatignoux was born, raised and educated in Paris. "Let's say, I'm a guy from Paris", he adds, inviting a pleasant level of informality that typifies his friendly personality. "I was born in 1954, but I tell people here that I was born in 'umadoshi' (the year of the Horse). I find it is very important to tell them this and I meet many fellow 'umadoshi' people in Kansai as a result. It is a good way to make friends".

The French Consulate is located in the elegant 'Crystal Tower' building in Osaka's Chuo-ku district but this interview was conducted at Mr. Chatignoux's Nishinomiya home, close to Kobe, a white modern villa-style house fronted by a garden blending both Euoropean and Japanese landscaping sensibilities. Tall conifers surround the lawn area and rose bushes planted by Mr. Chatignoux are in bloom close to the front lounge. If there had been a fountain I might have alluded to the gardens at Versailles. However, the exterior and interior of the house, the simple lawn and occasional well-trimmed Japanese pine all suggest a preference for minimalism over grandeur. On arrival, Mr. Chatignoux immediately invited us to listen to a CD of classical music while preparing us coffee.

Mr. Chatignoux is a graduate of the National Engineering School in Paris, studied at the Paris Institute of Political Science and the National Administration School. This interviewer suggested that his move from civil engineering into the civil service and administration must have been a major shift in direction. "Not really, it was more a progression due to my interest in town planning and urban planning". He pointed to a framed map on his wall. "One of my hobbies is collecting maps and I am keen to find old maps of Kansai and towns in Kansai". I suggested the antique shops in Kobe and then asked him how moving from Paris, a city of such 'Grand Design' since the time of Napoleon, compared to the surroundings of a Japanese city. "Actually, in 1983, my very first assignment overseas was to Tokyo. I was just 29 and, in terms of town planning, Tokyo was quite a shock. Kansai is easier for Europeans I think and, the town-planning, architecture and way of life is more European, probably because the sense of history is stronger here. So many things come from 1300 years ago. I therefore feel more of a common perspective in Kansai than in Tokyo". Mentioning that he also likes the tea ceremony and traditional court music, he observed how Kansai people are so involved in their traditional arts and culture "and people are so keen to tell you about the local monuments, of the castle that once stood here or other." Summarizing Kansai's historical culture, he added "here are the deep signs of civilization".

"The other day I was invited to join a Noh performance at a theater in Rokko. I had the role of a "Daimyo" (Lord) and helped perform the lighting of the fires ceremony before the performance. The organisers provided me with the costume. Indeed, Noh has incredible costumes and the stories are all linked to Japanese mythology. French visitors certainly need to hear more about this!" I mentioned that traditional Noh theatre (which originated in Kansai) is not known for being the most accessible of theatrical arts, relying on highly abstract, subtle and minimal action (visitors from overseas usually opt to visit the more dynamic kabuki in Kyoto or at the Shochikuza Theater in Osaka. Mr. Chatignoux however enjoys the ambience of Noh, ('ambience' being a word he uses often and clearly likes). "Actually, Noh is just as inaccessible to Japanese audiences too so we can all enjoy it on an equal level. We both need a translation" he quips. This shared enjoyment of such quintessential Japanese culture reminded him of the Sumo. "French people love the Sumo, and especially so after it went to Paris". He himself enjoys Sumo for the tradition, ceremony and - of course - ambience. He is looking forward to the possibility of President Chirac providing a trophy for the tournament in Osaka next March. He might have to make the presentation himself, "although the thought of standing in front of a giant like Musashimaru - oh la la". (In mock fear he briefly slips back into French).

"In Kansai you can feel a kind of continuity" he goes on to say. "And it is not only in places like Kyoto where the awareness of the past is apparent. In Osaka, there are many traditions based on trade from ancient times. Osaka was the city where trade began on a large scale". Mr. Chatignoux spoke in detail about trade between France and Kansai, their extraordinary growth since the 80s, of the fashion houses and the Renault-Nissan partnership. "France has made unusually big investments in Japan compared to its investments in other countries. It is the number 2 investor here now. Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Chanel have all made their part in Kansai where the consumer market is working very well for them. Therefore I concentrate on research linked with the industry sector and Kansai has a very high level of technology, even in the small and middle-sized companies. For example, there is great potential for agro-industry and agro-research between France and Kansai, with so much of the chemical industry being based in the Kansai."

Promoting trade through missions, seminars and logistical support for French business in Japan was of course the reason for Mr. Chatignoux being appointed to his position as Consul General, Osaka and Kobe in 2001. Before coming to Kansai he was Consul General in Florida USA, and worked as a diplomat in Australia and Vietnam. As Consul General in Kansai, he performs 3 main roles. "Firstly my job is to create new political contacts between France and the prefectures and cities in Kansai in order to stimulate new projects, new cooperation and new joint research. Secondly, I need to provide more accurate business information to the French people. Too many have the mistaken image that all Japanese business is in crisis and that there are no new opportunities. Thirdly, I help promote France in the Kansai but for this I have the great help of several other channels like the Alliance Francaise in Osaka, the French Institute in Kyoto and other cultural organizations.

I asked him about the environment in Kansai for business people. "Having a variety of very different prefectures is the strength of this area. You can find everything you need. There's the history in Nara or Kyoto, if you have a business you open in Osaka and if you have a family you live in Kobe which has always been a very easy place for foreigners to live". Besides the architectural familiarity of many buildings in Kobe, he referred to the way several of the international schools in Kansai are now also teaching French language courses, a feature very important to French ex-pats with families. "There are now 1000 French people living in Kansai out of a total of 5500 in the whole of Japan. Of course, this is not as many as the more than 30,000 Japanese living in France!" he smiled.

So Japanese awareness of France is clearly not a problem. On the image and awareness of Kansai overseas Mr. Chatignoux had this to say. "Just as Hiroshima has become like a world capital of Peace, now Kyoto is becoming a symbol for the Environment." He referred to the Kyoto Protocol, and the upcoming World Water Forum to be held in three places around Kansai next March (2003). "Osaka, Shiga and Kyoto are now known as environmentally friendly and aware, and the World Water Forum will bring Kansai a great deal of positive promotion". (Lake Biwa in Shiga is Japan's largest lake, providing Kansai's main supply of fresh water). "But I think that it will be important not to say Kyoto, Osaka or Kobe, but to say 'Kansai'".

Water aside, Kansai is especially well known for its food. Osaka is the reputed kitchen of the nation, Kyoto has its 'kaiseki' cooking (a season-based multi-course meal) and Kobe its European-style pastries and confectionaries. I asked Mr. Chatignoux about comparisons with French cuisine such as Cordon Bleu. "Well of course, the base ingredients are so different but the attention to detail and time spent on preparation - one whole day to create a feast - is similar". Therefore, I reasoned, it makes sense that the two are capable of complementing one another. He mentioned 'Shozan' one of his favorite restaurants in Paris. "They have created the 'sushi foie gras' and serve exquisite dishes, one served with champagne, another with Japanese sake. "It is very popular with Japanese visitors to Paris. Unfortunately, it is also very expensive so it is better to find someone to invite you", he laughed. He also has several standing invitations to visit the famous sake breweries in Kobe, most of which are concentrated in the Hanshin area but (he assures me) he has yet to find some free time to research this. Such are the hardships of the Consulate life!

Throughout the time we were speaking, Mr. Chatignoux's classical music played in the background. I wondered if he missed hearing European music during his time in Japan, but clearly not. "It is like Paris and every other night there is some big concert or other. The great world orchestras and the best directors all come to Kansai" he said, having attended many concerts in venues such as the Symphony Hall and Festival Hall in Osaka. "Only this last week I went to hear the China Philharmonic playing in the Hall at Kobe International House (in Sannomiya). People in Kansai really appreciate good classical music. The senior conductor Jean Fournet, (a French music specialist) from France was here recently and remarked how knowledgeable the Japanese audiences are. I think he receives a better response here than even in Europe".

Finally I asked him, as a "guy from Paris" what parts of the city he would recommend to the Japanese visitor to France, (apart from personally escorting them to Shozan Restaurant). "Sometimes they know better than me", he replied, "I have spent nearly 10 years working overseas! But, besides the famous sights of Notre Dame, Versailles and Le Louvre, there are some wonderful places they do not seem to know so well. I was brought up in the historical Left bank area around St. Germain-des-Pres and Montparnasse. It is an area that still very much lives the way of a village. It has a wonderful atmosphere - street markets, bakers, grocers, cafes". "It has a fine ambience", I add. He smiles!

The interview concluded with a look around Mr. Chatignoux's garden. I observed that the lawn would be perfect for a game of French 'petanque' (a gentle bowling game using small bowls). "Or gateball for the elder Japanese" he suggested. I came away realizing that, not only is Mr. Chatignoux one of those international people who, while proudly in touch with his own culture, identifies himself as part of a larger community - in his case, the people of Europe, but also that he has a natural gift for finding the similarities, not the differences, between different peoples.