For a while now, France has had a special relation with all things Japanese. For example, years before other countries got interested in anime, it was shown daily on French TV and there were many shops where the Japanese manga were sold as translated manga was not yet heard of; instead people would learn Japanese. Where else would they show Yasujiro Ozu films on TV?
The Maison de la Culture du Japon (Japanese Cultural Centre) close to the Eiffel Tower is an excellent example of this relation. But nowhere is the relation felt stronger than in Versailles where yearly exhibitions and other Japan related activities are held. The photo above I took at the Versailles cultural centre at a performance of an all female Taiko drum group.
