Japan at Barbizon 2025: a free weekend of Japanese escapism in the Seine-et-Marne region

For its 5th edition, Japan in Barbizon is anchored in the 200th anniversary of the Barbizon School, an artistic movement born right here on the edge of the Fontainebleau forest. This Saturday, May 24, 2025, we're off to the Seine-et-Marne to enjoy a range of events that will take us to the land of the rising sun.

The day kicks off at 10am with an exhibition of Japanese paintings at the Musée Théodore Rousseau. The works were created in residence by six artists from Hyogo prefecture, a region twinned with Barbizon, who worked "from the motif", in the manner of the masters Millet, Rousseau or Corot.

At 12pm, you can attend the vernissage in the presence of the artists. It's a great opportunity to talk to them about their graphic influences, which are very different from European schools.

In the afternoon, it's off to the Parc de la Mairie, where several events await the curious. Starting at 2pm, a sake tasting will introduce you to the rich flavours of Hyogo, a region renowned for its traditional breweries. At the same time, a manga initiation workshop, led by an enthusiast, will plunge you into the visual world of Japan - an opportunity to learn how to draw your first plates under the guidance of a mangaka.

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Then, at 3pm, it's time for theJapanese cooking workshop: an invitation to learn about the gestures and flavors emblematic of the archipelago. Reserved for those wishing to reproduce these recipes at home, this workshop focuses on authentic products and essential techniques.

Finally, at 4pm, a tea ceremony in the Town Hall's Salle des Mariages concludes this immersive day. A moment of peace and contemplation, this ancestral tradition symbolizes the Japanese art of living at its most refined.

If you stroll through Barbizon this weekend, don't be surprised to come across easels in the open air: these artists-in-residence are continuing the spirit of the École de Barbizon, with their brushes and inks from the Orient. And to extend the experience, on Sunday May 25, let yourself be carried away by La Rue des Livres, a large open-air bookshop in Barbizon's Grande Rue, from 9am to 7pm.

An ideal, free day out for fans of Japanese culture.