French Connections

Bonjour!

If October was the month of the pumpkin, November will be the month of the grape. Get your glasses ready for a slew of wine parties held to to welcome the Beaujolais Nouveau! Traditionally released on the 3rd Thursday of November, this young wine comes from an area in the east of France called Beaujolais. Although it didn’t used to be the case, this grape variety is now hugely popular in Japan and every year tons of bottles are shipped from France. So don’t be surprised if you can’t get an airplane seat from Paris to Japan during this period! But in all honesty, although we French don’t consider it the best tasting wine, we still like to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau like a matsuri. So whether you celebrate it in a 6-star hotel or in your favorite local bistro, Beaujolais Nouveau will have you raising your glass to the stars.

KYOTO/NISHINOMIYA: Don’t miss on seeing a concert of French classical music performed by Orchestre de Paris, 2 November at Kyoto Concert Hall (www.kyoto-ongeibun.jp/kyotoconcerthall_e/) and 3 November at Hyogo Performing Arts Center.

KYOTO: Make sure to check out the French market in the garden of Institut français du Japon – Kansai on 17 November (www.institutfrancais.jp/kansai/).

Kansai French meeting in Osaka and Kyoto, check the link for the exact date and place (facebook.com/ francekansai). If you prefer to stay at home, don’t forget to check your new episode of the French Japanese web drama PARIS ALEAS on www.parisaleas.com