Japan is famous for its fondness of luxury brands, particularly those from France. In fact, when the money spent shopping on vacation is included, Japanese consumers may buy as much as 45 percent of all luxury goods sold worldwide, analysts at the HSBC Group in Paris recently estimated.

A 2003 study by the Tokyo-based Saison Research Institute purported that more than 94 percent of Tokyo women in their 20s owned something from Louis Vuitton and more than 51 percent had goods made by Chanel. Such research is borne out by observation if you visit any of the major labels in Paris. The stores of the above brands, as well as those of Dior, Cartier and Hermes, are packed with Japanese customers, and Japanese native-speaking staff are on hand to ensure smooth sales.

To keep an eye on the land that is its largest source of revenue, the French luxury industry lobby retains a public relations agent in Tokyo, and officials from the Comite Colbert, a trade organization representing 68 French luxury brands, pay regular visits to Japan. The committee represents a diverse range of crafts, from fashion design to glass, crystal, leather, porcelain, champagne, hotels, restaurants, perfume and interior design, and seeks to extol the virtues of the French art of fine living across the globe.