Society For Japanese Arts travels to Paris 13-16 December 2018

France celebrates this year 160 years of diplomatic relations with Japan. At the same time it commemorates the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Meiji period. Both anniversaries constitute ample reason to organize a great many exhibitions, performances and other events. The Society for Japanese Arts wants to organize a three day group visit to enable its members to take in four exhibitions.
 

The board of the Society that this initiative will bring members from all countries together in Paris.

The program is based on a maximum of 25 and a minimum of 15. Travel, food, internal transportation (subway pass) and accommodation is arranged and paid for by the participants themselves. The Society arranges two guided tours, all tickets to the events and two collective meals (one lunch and one dinner) with brief, informative talks on the exhibitions to be visited. An informal visit on the afternoon of the arrival day to the unusual world of French auctions is an optional element. Participants will have ample opportunity to add to the basic program and select other additional events in the evenings.
 

The program will contain the following elements:

1. Visit to the exhibition Meiji (1868-1912) Musée Guimet
2. Visit to Treasures from Kyoto: 300 years of Rinpa creation, Musée Cernuschi
3. Visit to Japan-Japonismes, (1867-2018) Musée des Arts Décoratifs
4. Visit to Vagues des renouveau, Estampes Modernes 1900-1960 (highlights of shin hanga and sōsaku hanga printmaking from the collection Nihon no Hanga) Fondation Custodia (with private view, and introduction to Custodia by its director Ger Luijten)
5. And: 2x a collective meal: 1x dinner on Thursday night and a lunch on Saturday afternoon. During the lunch and dinner the exhibitions will be briefly introduced.
6. Optional: a visit to the Hotel Drouot auction house

The provisional program:
Thursday December 13: Everybody arrives in Paris. From 14:00: optional collective visit to Hotel Drouot with brief introduction to the French auction system. Dinner from 19:30 hours.

Friday December 14: Morning 10:15 Exhibition Meiji in  Musée Guimet. Late afternoon: Vagues des renouveau Fondation Custodia with private view.

Saturday December 15: 300 years of Rinpa creation, Musée Cernuschi, lunch 13:00 hours. Saturday afternoon: Japonismes Musée des Arts Decoratifs

Sunday December 16: No program, people travel back

Accomodation and travel:
Participants make their own travel and hotel arrangements. We suggest the following hotels which  in three different price ranges: they are located within 150 meters of each other. We recommend that people chose these hotels to make breakfast more interesting and  to facilitate social contacts among the members. The hotels are also within five minutes from Hotel Drouot and many antique shops.The three hotels below can be booked on Booking.com.

• Economy: Hotel Brésil Opera, Cité Bergère, 9th arrondisement  3 nights c. Euro 312  (double room for two)
• Premium economy: Hotel 34B Astotel, 3 nights Euro 450 (double room for two)
• Apartment: Residence Bergère: 3 nights Euro 600 (twin)

Please note: the prices are indications only. Prices may fluctuate depending on demand.

Participants must book their own train trip and flight: early booking prices for the Thalys from Amsterdam: Euro 110 return. KLM: Amsterdam to Charles de Gaulle Euro 220 return. Transavia to Orly airport from Amsterdam; Euro 80

Program costs: 
€150,- per person, including all entrance tickets for four exhibitions, 1x lunch, 1x dinner.

The excursion can go ahead when a minimum of 15 participants decide to join. You may pre-register by sending a confirmation email to the secretary of the Society for Japanese Arts before 25 September; secretary@societyforjapanesearts.org

You will receive confirmation that the trip can go ahead no later than September 30. After this confirmation you will be asked to make a 50% down payment within 7 days. You will receive the definitive program and schedule in the last week of November, with all addresses of the museums and restaurants.

For the entire program of all Japan activities in France, click here. There is an ‘Official Program’ and an 'Affiliate Program’.