Mr. Richard Collasse joined Chanel K.K. in 1985 and has been heading it as president and representative director since 1995. He was also president of the French Chamber of Commerce from 1999 to 2001, as well as chairman of the European Business Council in Japan from 2002 to 2008.

A published author, his publications written in both Japanese and French include La Trace (Harukanaru Kouseki), and Saya, which won the 2009 French Culture and Public Libraries Literature Award in 2010. His new novel, L’OCEAN DANS LA RIZIERE, which was published first in France and then in Japan in 2012, was based on his experience in the Tohoku region in the aftermath of the Great Tohoku Earthquake.

He has received a number of distinctions, including L’ordre national de la legion d’honneur at the Chevalier grade in 2006 and the grade of Officier dans l’Ordre du Merite in 2014 by the French government. He also received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star by the Japanese government in 2008.