Biography of Jirohachi Satsuma (1901–1976)
Jirohachi Satsuma was a key figure in Franco-Japanese cultural exchanges. Born into a prosperous merchant family in Tokyo, he went to Oxford in 1920 to study Greek theater before settling in Paris in 1922. In 1929, he founded the Maison du Japon, personally financing its construction. In recognition of his essential role in creating the Maison du Japon, he was awarded the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honour at the age of 28.
Attuned to the vision of Honnorat, founder of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris, Jirohachi shared the ideal of a future world based on culture and peace, supporting the creation of a space for young generations that promoted cultural exchanges and mutual understanding among residents from around the world. He quickly became a central figure in Franco-Japanese relations, forging connections with many renowned artists and intellectuals such as Matisse, Ravel, Cocteau, Foujita, and others. He supported numerous artists, both Japanese and French.
薩摩次郎八の伝記
薩摩治郎八（1901年〜1976年）は、日仏文化交流の象徴的な人物です。東京の裕福な商人の家に生まれ、1920年にオックスフォード大学でギリシャ演劇を学んだ後、1922年にパリに移住しました。1929年、彼は日本館を設立し、その建設費用を個人的に負担しました。日本館の創設における重要な貢献が評価され、28歳でレジオン・ドヌール勲章の騎士号を受けました。パリ国際大学都市の創設者であるオノラのビジョンに共鳴し、治郎八は文化と平和に基づく未来の世界をともに夢見、若い世代のための交流と相互理解を促進する場の創設を支援しました。日仏関係において重要な存在となり、マティス、ラヴェル、コクトー、藤田嗣治など、多くの著名なアーティストや知識人と深い関わりを持ちました。また、彼は日本およびフランスの数多くのアーティストを支援しました。
From the serendipity of the interaction between dreams and opportunities, the mirage of life will emerge.
夢と機会が偶然交触することによって、
A poem-chair
“I adopted the chair, this familiar object, a few decades ago, at a time when I wanted to create art on a human scale in public spaces, while everywhere else people opted for the monumental: it is an object shaped like the body and serves the body. It is difficult to feel exclusive ownership of an object so universally shareable. It is mine when I occupy it, but if I leave it, someone else can claim it as their chair.” Michel Goulet, artist-sculptor
The project Prendre position
Prendre position is a sculpture-installation project of 47 chair-poems to mark the 100th anniversary of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris. They were installed in a flowered meadow created especially for the occasion by the campus estate service.
This artistic installation was conceived by the Quebecois artist-sculptor Michel Goulet, in collaboration with François Massut, founding director of the collective Poésie is not dead.
Each house on the campus is represented by a chair, thanks to a donation from the Maison des étudiants canadiens and the support of the Labrenne group. Each of the 47 chairs is a unique work.
History and architecture of the house
The initiative to create a Maison du Japon dates back to the summer of 1923, when relations were established between Japan and France by Paul Claudel. The first oriental-style building of the Cité internationale, its décor reflects traditional Japanese architecture.
