Comment je suis devenu japonais? by Florent Dabadie, the style and literary message behind my Japanese story

Florent Dabadie is among the most visible French personalities in Japan. A graduate in Japanese studies from Inalco, he flew to Japan on a Japanese government scholarship to further his d'études at Université de Shizuoka. Thirty years later, he still lives there. An interpreter for the Japanese national soccer team, he then embarked on a career in sports journalism with Japanese TV channels Fuji TVand Wowow before setting up his own sports and culture production company for the Japanese media. He is also Japan correspondent for L'Equipe and France Télévision.

Florent Dabadie contributes to Franco-Japanese relations within diplomatic and cultural networks. In Comment je suis devenu japonais, the author looks back on his many years in Japan. With a keen sense of observation, sensitivity and accuracy, Florent Dabadie describes the immersion of a young Frenchman in the heart of the land of the rising sun.

From the very first page of his book, the author evokes with emotion and nostalgia about his years at Langues O': "the dream that had begun at Langues Orientales". Indeed, it was thanks to a Japanese government scholarship that Florent Dabadie was able to spend his first year in Japan. This exceptional testimony also highlights the importance of immersion for Inalco students in the country of their language of learning, which the Inalco Foundation has made one of its priorities for the year 2023.

This conference was organized in collaboration with the Editions les Arènes.

Also find the podcast of this conference on the various streaming platforms

See the conferenceHow did I become Japanese? - Florent Dabadie

Edited by: Cécile Leblond / Inalco Foundation