Daniel Couture's grandfather worked as a naval engineer, and was involved in the construction of Hakodate Port. During his childhood, Daniel Couture's grandfather would always tell him stories about Japan and show him pictures of Mt. Fuji and Hakodate. He always had a desire to visit Japan someday, and in 2004, at the age of 74, he finally made his first visit to Japan. This was to attend the Daniel Couture Japan Art Exhibition at Sapporo Mitsukoshi. After hearing about it, he was asked by the city of Hakodate to pay a courtesy visit before arriving in Sapporo. In Sapporo, he was warmly welcomed by Yoshikazu Kinashi, Honorary Consul in Sapporo (President of Sapporo Cultural Broadcasting).
Following the success of the exhibition at Sapporo Mitsukoshi, Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi and Hiroshima Mitsukoshi planned to bring Daniel Couture to Japan for an exhibition in 2005, but due to Mrs. Couture's illness the visit was not possible, leaving his ardent fans in despair.
In August 2006, he returned to Japan, leaving his wife in the care of his son, Jean Couture, who was on vacation, and held a successful exhibition at Kobe Daimaru.
When I watch Daniel Couture, I sometimes feel like I'm going to cry. It makes me feel like I'm watching an old French movie. When Couture was 20 years old, he met Madame Couture, who was 17 at the time, and they married at 24. The two started working as designers. During their time as budding and poor designers, they had one son, Jean, and while working, they raised him with love. Theirs was a typical family, but despite his busy schedule, Couture took his child to museums, showed him movies, and took walks with him. Even though they were not wealthy, the couple spent as much time as they could with their child. Even though he was extremely busy as a self-employed designer, he painted for hours every day. He devoted himself to his favorite design work, raised his beloved wife and child, and continued to paint his favorite paintings. When his son graduated from university at the age of 45, he gave up his relatively successful design job and became a painter.
Couture loves music and literature, and speaks modestly and enthusiastically about Stravinsky's "The Four Seasons." He is also well-versed in Japanese literature, and talks about Nagai Kafu and Mishima Yukio. He is a first-class intellectual. He does not seek status or fame, but paints his favorite paintings and continues to love his wife and family. Even in France, he does not get close to the art world. The boring human relationships of the art world must be bothersome to this pure soul. Or maybe he thinks it is a waste of time. In the French art world, just like in Japan, there are people who are terrible at painting but have political power. Of course, there are also people who are outstanding painters, but are loved because they are caring, and are active in the art world. For example, Michel Henry.
When other artists come, I hire an interpreter to accompany them, but I usually accompany Couture myself. He's fun to be around. He's modest, cheerful, and has a good sense of humor, and doesn't get angry even if you say something a little strange. He was born in Paris, but despite that, he's not very sensitive. Parisians are quite sensitive, and the smallest thing can irritate them and make them angry.
I remember an exhibition in Sapporo. A glamorous beauty came to the exhibition. She was looking at Couture's paintings, and we were looking at her. When I told Couture that she was very beautiful, she nodded with a happy wink. When I said that it was especially good that her chest was half exposed, she said, "Good, good," and was impressed. She was also in the middle of being impressed by Couture's paintings. When I asked Couture if she was still interested in that kind of thing at her age, she said something like, "I haven't quit being a man yet." But Couture is probably a virgin except for his wife. That's how much he loves his wife. They've been together for 50 years, worked together, shared everything, and are like an alter ego. I always tell Couture, "You are a true success in life. You are blessed with a wonderful family that is like a treasure, you are blessed with talent in painting, you've been doing what you love all your life, and you're healthy and don't wear dentures. Although you are quite elegant and sociable, you have not engaged in any diplomacy in the art world to raise your status as an artist, and as a result have not received any awards. But rest assured. You paint such wonderful paintings. As an artist, that is enough. In Japan, I will provide you with the management that you lack. Your paintings suit the sensibilities of the Japanese people, so I'm sure they will fascinate many people. > We hit it off.
I was on my way to Tokyo Station to go to Kobe. I was careless and I was late in leaving, and I almost missed the Shinkansen. I ran as fast as I could from Tokyo Station on the Marunouchi Line to the platform of the Tokaido Shinkansen. Since we had run together for about 100 meters in Hakodate two years ago, I felt at ease and let the 76-year-old Couture run with me. We ran up the escalator, arrived at the platform where the bell was ringing, and jumped into the first door. The door closed as soon as Couture ran in next. Couture was panting, but the 76-year-old somehow managed to keep up. I told Couture, "This happens to me all the time. I'm always grateful that you're a healthy person who doesn't complain much." He replied, "Well, it's a lot of trouble. I'm getting old, after all."
Couture is a truly Japonist Frenchman. In other words, he is a person with a taste for Japan. There is a yakitori restaurant near my house, and although it is not a very high-class place, the proprietress serves customers in kimono and has a tatami room. When I go up to the tatami room and we eat yakitori and sip on sake, I feel a sense of happiness when I see Couture's happy face. One cup is enough. We drink sake together about once every three days. One time, I was busy and left Couture alone for about two days. When I went to the yakitori restaurant later, the proprietress said, ``That painter teacher has come alone again.'' The time I spend drinking sake with Couture is the most enjoyable time for me. Whether it's when the exhibition goes well and I sell my works, or when I'm devastated because I didn't sell any. I would like to drink sake with Couture again sometime next year.