PARIS
A tasteful tour of the city that, even for a moment, lets visitors see la vie en rose.
I lived in Paris for nearly 15 years before moving to New York City. The summer I moved to Paris from Tokyo, I bought a bicycle at a flea market and rode it everywhere in an empty, quiet summer town. I lived in a charming studio on the Île Saint-Louis for a few years and then in another pretty Parisian apartment beside the gardens of the Palais-Royal. I spent countless days and evenings basking in the shade of double aisles of tilleuls (linden trees) and marronniers rouges (red chestnut trees) in that garden. It remains my favourite, most tranquil, sanctuary.
Chez Georges
Walk toward Place des Victoires for a few minutes to find Chez Georges - they serve excellent French classics with fresh ingredients. This has been my quiet, go-to eatery for 25 years.
Bourse de Commerce
A new addition close to the Passage Véro-Dodat is the museum, Bourse de Commerce - Pinault Collection. Japan's celebrated architect Tadao Ando renovated the old stock exchange building to give it new life. The interiors are furnished by the local Bouroullec brothers. The light that pours through the ceiling during the day is spectacular, casting a dramatic shadow on the unusual rounded walls below.
Keep walking toward the Seine. On the bank of the river, you will see another of my favourite spots, the Cour Carré. It has beautiful architectural detail and I love sitting at the centre of this perfectly square courtyard. Late at night when it's almost empty, I also like to visit Café Marly with views of the Louvre, even though it's a bit dated, having opened 30 years ago. Still, it remains such a romantic location.
Cafe Marly
Louvre
I spent a long time in the Left Bank neighourhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés while studying architecture and the fine arts at the Beaux-Arts academy. Not much has changed since I was a student there. I hung out at Flore, Palette or sat on the terrasse of a café in front of the church of Saint-Sulpice while listening to the tolling of its bells.
There is so much to do in Saint Germain, such as browsing through the beautiful marché biologique (organic food market) on the Boulevard Raspail, booking a treatment at the Lutetia Hotel spa, shopping at Le Bon Marché department store, or visiting the Giacometti Foundation to see the artist's atelier, which has been relocated in a beautiful 14th arrondissement building.
Musee Picasso
Speaking of Giacometti, I also love visiting the Picasso Museum and Atelier Brancusi when I'm looking for inspiration.
My new favourite hotel is Château Voltaire in the 1st arrondissement. It is owned by Thierry Guiller with interiors by Frank Durand. Its tastefully selected furniture and art create a chic but relaxed mood.
Hermes
Keeping the beautiful church of Saint-Roch at my back, I walk up Rue Saint-Honoré to the Hermès flagship. It is crowded with tourists these days but it remains a classic. Alaïa is opening a boutique across from it and Comme des Garçons has opened a mega-store a few blocks down too. It is a big, fun shop, like the one in Tokyo's Aoyama district. If I get tired, I stop by Toraya to graze on Japanese sweets and drink a cup of green tea.
