Le Bon Marche Rive Gauche, a long-established department store in Paris, will host the "Le Japon Rive Gauche" exhibition from August 30 to October 18. Over 100 Japanese brands will participate, showcasing Japan through the arts, clothing, and lifestyles. When a team from the store visited Japan in 2012, one year after the Great East Japan Earthquake, they were impressed by Japan's energy, new creativity, and unexpected freshness. They also visited the Benesse Art Site Naoshima and were deeply impressed by the project that used the power of art to bring smiles back to the islanders' faces, as well as Tadao Ando's architecture, which blends seamlessly with nature. This led to the selection of Japan as the theme for this year's special exhibition, marking the 90th anniversary of Japan-France cultural exchange. Leading Japanese brands will be participating, offering a wide range of products, from women's and men's clothing to children's and accessories. The exhibition will span 2,000 square meters, showcasing Japan on an unprecedented scale. The main guests will be Benesse Art Site Naoshima and Tadao Ando from the culture category, and sacai from the fashion category.

Le Bon Marché is the world's oldest department store, founded in 1852. Benesse Art Site Naoshima and Ando will host an exhibition themed around a series of projects on Naoshima.

In the third-floor hall, a giant model of Naoshima, recreated by students from the École Bourg National School of Art and Design in France, will be installed, allowing visitors to experience the island. Photographs and videos will also be included to introduce the projects and Ando's work. On the first floor, a photographer and videographer will travel to Naoshima, Teshima, and Inujima to present a photo-video titled "Smile," documenting how art has revitalized the islands and brought smiles back to the islanders' faces. Sketches drawn by Ando on-site will be displayed in the store's window. On September 2nd, Ando will also perform a live painting event on the store's window. Sacai, along with its women's and men's lines, sacai luck, will be showcasing a capsule collection and limited-edition items designed specifically for this occasion. The capsule collection includes foldable cardigans and parkas with pouch-shaped pockets. Limited-edition items include accessories and merchandise created in collaboration with Tokyo-based artists and brands, such as Porter and sculptor Kei Nakamura. Additionally, BEAMS, by | n, a joint venture between Design Office Nendo and Seibu Sogo, D&DEPERTMENT, Japan Handmade, a creative unit formed by long-established Kyoto craftspeople, and Tokyu Hands will be appearing as pop-up shops. BEAMS offers a comprehensive range of products, from fashion to lifestyle. It will also sell limited-edition items that evoke Japanese craftsmanship and Tokyo culture, such as custom-made shirts and soft vinyl figures called kokeshi dolls. Other items on offer include those from "Beautiful People," "kolor," "Maison Kitsune," "TOGA PULLA," "MIHARAYASUHIRO," "Noir Kay Ninomiya," and "TASAKI."

At a press conference held at the French Embassy on July 7, Ando commented, "I couldn't be more honored. By placing contemporary art amidst the preserved traditional Japanese houses and landscape, the French people were able to experience the passage of 100 years and consider what the future holds. I think they found it fascinating. Computers and reality are different. I hope that people will experience Naoshima for themselves (through the giant model)." Soichiro Fukutake, representative of Benesse Art Site Naoshima, said, "Contemporary art has the power to invigorate people. Rather than destroying what exists, we want to spread the message that we should create something that does not exist by making use of what we have, that the older we get, the happier we become, and public interest capitalism."