May 2025 (VOL.211)
Helene Fessard
- Home country/city: France, Normandy
- Occupation: Partnership Development Specialist
- Duration of living in Japan: 11 years
- Why do you live in Japan?: Because I don’t see myself anywhere else!
Why have you decided to live in Japan?
My parents had a restaurant in a small but beautiful harbour town and in the early 90’s, there were a lot of tourists from Japan. I remember vividly playing with little Japanese kids and being amazed by their electronic toys and cameras. I grew up fond of Japanese music and culture, started to learn the language at university, and did a few internships before I decided I’d live and work there permanently. As you can see it was not a sudden decision but many things that influenced me to be here!
What do you do in Japan? Can you talk about your job in Japan?
I work as a Partnership Development Specialist in a cross-cultural marketing agency. More than just tying partnerships between companies, I help clients to create meaningful and prosperous relationships and to navigate between several cultures. I love my job as I can interact with famous brand names one day, established art institutions the next, and then innovative start-ups the third day! I can never get bored of the large range of businesses and the high level of freedom I have in my work. This has not always been the case!
How do you think about working in Japan?
Honestly, I think that it is a hit-or-miss! Over 10 years here, I have worked in a lot of different industries such as logistics, video games, and agri-foods. There are many wonderful things about working for traditional companies that are often overlooked, such as the sense of belonging to a family and the support you can receive from your colleagues, the relationship you can form with them for life. There are also a lot of downsides too: being expected to work overtime, the pay and benefits not being that good compared to back home, also it is hard to take days off… I think this tends to get better in some industries and, for example, I have not encountered these issues with my current company.
What do you miss about your maternal country living in Japan?
I miss my friends and I miss seeing their kids growing up! I have a few family members reaching out to me as they plan a trip to Japan… and I was shocked because the last time I saw them, they were toddlers! I also miss the cultural scene of France; going to concerts, improv theater, comedy clubs, cinema for cheap, or museums for free. I think that you need to take a day off in order to go to any kind of event in Japan… Which brings me to another thing I miss, the limit of 35 hours of work per week! Ah and being vegan, I miss all the vegan bakeries of Paris. “Mon royaume pour un croissant vegan !” (it means “I’ll give anything for a vegan croissant” in French)
Which places in Japan do you recommend that foreigners see?
No, no more tourists in my secret places! Just joking, I think there are wonderful places all over Japan but I have a fondness for Kamiyama, in Shikoku. This is a bit hard to get there but the scenery, the warmth of the people, and the sweets made of locally-grown sudachi are a real treat! In addition to Kamiyama, I want to encourage people to visit the Tohoku region. I stayed in Lamp no Yado in Aoni Onsen, Aomori and it was a magical experience. There is no electricity at the premises and at night, petroleum lamps fill the ryokan with light. So lovely!
What is your dream?
My dream is to, one day, be a retiree in the Japanese countryside! No work, but plenty of time to chill, do some gardening, enjoy tea and wagashi with friends, visit landmarks at my pace… That may not look so exciting for many people, but I aspire to a very calm and nourishing lifestyle. On a more societal aspect, I dream that there will be more vegan options in the supermarkets and overall a better understanding of veganism; Japan has longstanding traditions of plant-based diets and I look forward to exploring in depth this aspect in the future.
What is your dream?
Living in Japan has already fulfilled one. To build on that, I’d say I hope my Japanese studies pay off! I’ve already improved since arriving a few months ago, and I can’t wait to see my level by the end of this journey.
More broadly, I dream of having a fulfilling life—living in a beautiful place, surrounded by good people, and having enough free time to focus on my loved ones, and on my goals.
Writer: Minobu Kondo
Photojournalist in Tokyo, writing for Japanese and American magazines. Publishing an essay “101 of green stories” with the other Japanese artists such as Kosetsu Minami. Languages: Japanese, English and French.
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