Urban diversity emanates from the people. There are always surprises on one’s first visit to a city. My first visit to Paris truly opened my eyes to the various types of people and how they live and interact with one another. This strength allows Paris to support an atmosphere that is rich with culture and personality.

This way of life seemed to come naturally to the Parisians. As a complete tourist, I was amazed at how they spoke to me without any hesitation. It was natural for them to communicate in this manner. In Japan, it seldom happens that we approach foreigners by speaking Japanese.
I noticed while on vacation in Paris, despite his or her differences in appearance, everyone around me spoke comfortably in French.

What I call “The Difference of Appearances” can be seen in how a person wears their clothes. Of course, I knew Paris was a fashionable city, but my actual experience there well exceeded my initial opinion. I saw many different ways in how people wore their clothes. Each person had a way of showing their individuality through their attire. It was even more fascinating, the observation of costumes and how they are worn within groups of people. Paris is a peculiar place. The notion of people socializing together excited me even more upon seeing all of the different costumes mixing as well. Being in such a situation, I could not help but play around with fashion and the assortment of styles that were available to me in Paris. Though, at the same time, I felt out of place. Rather than clothing, the use of language seemed to be easier for the Parisian to exchange.

Although, I enjoy wearing any costume without difficulty, I find that the peculiar costume to a certain group plays an important role as a criterion to distinguish “us” from “them.” I wanted to communicate without hesitation with the Parisians, just as they did, but in my own way.

It is acceptable to exchange costumes with one another; this is how I wish to communicate.

I try to leave the appearance of “myself” to “him” or “her.” This is interchangeable. Afterwards, I continue to renew “myself” by borrowing the appearance of “himself” or “herself.”

In such a way, I want to revisit Paris.


a film by Takashi USUI, Paris 2007
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