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In March 1993, His Excellency the Ambassador of Japan in Ivory Coast phoned my husband and I to ask if we would welcome Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Takamado, then on a visit in Abidjan.
My husband and I were on friendly terms with His Excellency the Ambassador of Japan in Ivory Coast. The ambassador not only appreciated my works of art and our house made of clay which architecture was recognized to be quite original ( the architect , Frédérick Thomas is one of my sons ), but also was interested in the beautiful collection of orchids of our son Hugues Le Houelleur.
So the ambassador wished Their Highnesses to discover our house and garden, all the more so that Princess Takamado collected orchids.
Prince and Princess Takamado honoured us with a visit. I offered the Princess some orchids my son had picked up in the Ivorian forest. So, orchids from Ivory Coast are now in the imperial greenhouse in Tokyo.
In 1994, at my first exhibition at the French and Japanese Institute, Prince Takamado, then Honorary President of the Foundation of Japan in Tokyo, invited me to visit the cultural places I wished. So, I could see the famous ikebana school of Sogetsu with its entrance sculpted by the renown sculptor Isamu Noguchi. I could also admire the botanical garden of Shinjuku Gyoen in Kyoto, and the Setegaya Museum.
I was also welcomed by Their Highnesses Prince and Princess Takamado at the Imperial Palace. On this occasion, Prince Takamado showed part of his splendid collection of sculpted kimono buttons. I offered him one of my works.
Some years later in October 2002, through His Excellency the Ambassador of Japan Mr Yuji Kurokawa, I asked His Imperial Highness Prince Takamado if he would agree to preface the Japanese version of the forthcoming book on my work of ephemeral creations in Ivory Coast. Their Highnesses had liked Ivory Coast very much and His Highness did preface my book.
Unfortunately, fate put an end to His Highness Prince Takamado’s life.
In Tokyo, on 8th November 2007, I presented a project entitled « On the Path of the Deep North » ( « Oku No Hoso Michi » ), dealing with an itinerary of short-lived creations in the poet Matsuo Bashô’s footsteps.
Her Imperial Highness, Princess Hisako Takamado, did me the honour of accepting my invitation to attend the presentation at Park Hotel which I had entirely decorated with my works in 2003.
As amiable and cheerful as ever, Her Imperial Highness Princess Hisako Takamado recalled her travel to Ivory Coast and her visit at my house she kept good memories of.
I offered her one of my sculptures, « The Water Carriers ».
His Excellency the Ambassador of France Gildas Le Lidec and his wife Christiane, friends of mine from Ivory Coast, were present. The Princess and Mrs Le Lidec exchanged on Africa. Also at the reunion was Françoise Morechand-Nagataki, an important personality in Tokyo.
His Excellency the Ambassador of France, then, made a short speech about the necessity of developing cultural ties between Japan and Africa, just as I was trying, |
Princess Takamado ;
Mrs Françoise Morechand-Nagataki ;
Mrs Christiane Le Lidec, Kaïdin
Park Hotel, Tokyo, 8 Nov. 2007
Princess Takamado,
The Ambassador of France Gildas Le Lidec,
Kaïdin - Park Hotel, Tokyo, 8 Nov. 2007
Princess Takamado,
The Ambassador of France Gildas Le Lidec
Kaïdin - Park Hotel, Tokyo, 8 Nov. 2007
Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Takamado, Kaïdin at the Imperial
Palace - Tokyo, September 1994
Their Imperial Highnesses
Prince and Princess Takamado,
Kaïdin, her husband Hubert Le Houelleur at
Kaïdin's - Abidjan, 1993
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