Living in Japan: A French Founder's Life After 11 Years (Interview)

April 2026 (VOL.222)

Mathilde DUBOIIS

Home country/city: France, Champagne-Ardennes, Reims
Occupation: Co-founder of tokimeki LLC
Duration of living in Japan: 11 years
Why do you live in Japan?: Because I enjoy living here and it feels natural. I discovered Japanese culture through anime and manga in middle school and have always been interested in the country. After my first trip I knew I wanted to come back more long term, which I did with a 1 year exchange program, after which I did an internship for 6 months and then was accepted as a CIR for the JET program.
Instagram : @macchi_dubois

What do you do in Japan? Can you talk about your job in Japan?

I co-founded tokimeki LLC with Alice Agnellet. We support foreign entities’ operations in Japan, mostly events-related.

We do language and cultural support, and action our networks to best support our clients’ needs.

Some of our main projects include : international competitions pre-camp (Olympics, World Aquatics), product launch on-trade dinners (Baron Philippe de Rothschild), Project Management (Cezars Kitchen for Osaka EXPO)…

Before tokimeki, I worked for Kanazawa City as a Coordinator for International Relations for 7 years which forged most of my adult life and impacted immensely my work experience.

What is the distinctive difference between France and Japanese lifestyle?

French people tend to be more free-spirited and arrange things last minute, very adaptable. Whereas in Japan people like to plan everything and don’t enjoy having to arrange things on the fly (although they do it very well).

French people also tend to question everything and need a reason to do things. I think that while Japanese people also question things, they don’t voice those doubts and sometimes will just follow the script.

What do you find different about living in Japan over the term compared when you first arrived or come as a tourist?

Because I studied Japanese language and culture in high school and university, I didn’t have a huge culture shock coming here.

The big difference between my first long stay and now, is that it’s harder to make friends once people join the workforce.

When I was a student there were many opportunities to mingle with Japanese and other exchange students which lead to making many friends I’m still in touch with.

I feel that when people start working there are less chances and less enthusiasm for those kinds of things, probably because everyone is so busy getting used to their new surroundings.

What do you appreciate most about Japanese culture?

I like how caring of the shared space everyone is (up to a point of course). There is a respect for public space that makes the streets rather clean, safe and welcoming.

I also find the roots of Japanese culture very interesting and love learning about it. Especially the link between everyday life and spirituality and how some traditions are still perpetuated now (matsuri for example).

Which places in Japan do you recommend that foreigners see?

Kanazawa City and the Sea of Japan coast.

I lived in Kanazawa for 7 years so I can only recommend it as it offers what most foreign tourists love to discover about Japan.

It also gives access to spectacular natural spots that offer a different side of Japan.

What parts of Japanese culture do you recommend that foreign people try to experience?

I love kimono and have been learning tea ceremony.

I think they are two major and accessible cultural experiences you can make.

But if we talk about something a bit more unusual, I would recommend a food making class (sushi, miso, etc) as this will give an interesting insight into Japanese food culture.

Are there any aspects of the Japanese culture or its people that you find bizarre or unique?

I find Japanese people’s passion for queueing funny (for restaurants).

After moving to Japan did you have any funny experiences?

Probably many but I don’t remember them now because it was never negative.

One thing that happens to probably every driver that comes from a right-side of the road driving country is I would turn on wipers instead of blinkers and the other way around when driving after having just been in the other country.

Because the handle is on the other side, blinkers and wipers are inverted which causes funny moments.

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.