more trees × LOUIS VUITTON | Join Ryuichi Sakamoto on a tour of "Louis Vuitton's Forest" Gallery
Gallery

more trees × LOUIS VUITTON | Join Ryuichi Sakamoto on a tour of "Louis Vuitton's Forest" Gallery

Ryuichi Sakamoto stands amidst the "LOUIS VUITTON FOREST by more trees," now brighter after thinning. "This is my second visit, and the thinned areas are truly luminous. It's visually beautiful, isn't it? Grass is growing below, giving an overall impression of lush greenery."
"A forest that humans have intervened in requires maintenance. A healthy forest benefits not only humans but also other plants and animals living within it, improving various aspects," says Ryuichi Sakamoto.
"Louis Vuitton has a deep connection with forests. What we are doing in this Louis Vuitton forest is not a one-off project; its meaning lies in its continuity," states Emmanuel Prat, Chairman of Louis Vuitton Japan Company.
Holding natural mineral water bottled from a nearby spring. From left: Takehiko Yanagida, Mayor of Komoro City; Frédéric Grangie, President & CEO of Louis Vuitton Japan Company; Ryuichi Sakamoto, Representative of more trees; Emmanuel Prat, Chairman of Louis Vuitton Japan Company.
Ryuichi Sakamoto in conversation with Mayor Yanagida. "We are truly grateful that it has become such an open and wonderful forest," said Mayor Yanagida.
Natural mineral water, sourced and bottled from a spring near the Louis Vuitton forest. This rare, high-hardness water in Japan is said to make exceptionally delicious coffee. Though not commercially sold, Louis Vuitton Japan uses it as part of its internal drinking water.
After a stroll through the forest, a picnic lunch. A BBQ lunch featuring local ingredients was prepared in the brightened forest.
The lunch menu was primarily local fare, including a marinade using sansho pepper from the Louis Vuitton forest, a salad of fresh Komoro tomatoes and herbs, and a chilled soup of new onions and mitsuba.
Other dishes included grilled rainbow trout and Tateshina beef ribeye over charcoal, local Komoro vegetables such as water shield, eggplant, and zucchini, rice flour bread, and coffee from Maruyama Coffee.
The forest as seen from the picnic lunch area. The forest, mainly comprising larch, red pine, and birch, is now very bright thanks to thinning that allows sunlight to reach the ground. A serene landscape unfolds, inviting a picnic.
After lunch, a surprise guest, whistling musician Kimiko Bunyama, appeared, performing Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You." The melody, set against the beauty of the forest, captivated everyone present.
Ryuichi Sakamoto enjoys the music in the forest. Kimiko Bunyama, the whistling musician, delivered a performance so superb it was easy to believe she had won international whistling competitions.
While enjoying dessert after the meal, we listened to an explanation from someone at Maruyama Coffee. Coffee brewed with Komoro's hard water is highly recommended.
The Louis Vuitton forest marks its fourth year. "If mountains become degraded, their water retention capacity decreases, leading to landslides. Reversing that takes a very long time. Properly maintaining the forest is also a responsibility that comes with human intervention," says Ryuichi Sakamoto.
After lunch, we visited the spring near the Louis Vuitton forest. Not far from the spring, a small shrine, likely dedicated to a water deity for ages, stands. Here, water with a hardness of 175, rare in Japan, is sourced. This water is bottled to become the natural mineral water of "LOUIS VUITTON FOREST by more Trees."
On the path to the spring, Sakamoto paused, looking down. "Larch saplings. There are many of them."
Finally, a visit to the local pride, "Manns Wine Komoro Winery." We enjoyed explanations and tastings of five types of "Solaris."
Wine tasting. The five varieties sampled were: "Solaris Shinshu Sauvignon Blanc 2010," "Solaris Shinshu Chardonnay Barrel-Aged 2009," "Solaris Shinshu Komoro Merlot 2008," "Solaris Shinshu Higashiyama Cabernet Sauvignon 2008," and "Solaris Shinshu Riesling Cryo Extraction 2010."
/

more trees × LOUIS VUITTON | Ryuichi Sakamoto Visits the "Louis Vuitton Forest" Gallery

Back to Article