Meeting with Maori Murota
Beauty
What images do the word “beauty” evoke for you?
“The people I meet here in the region (Nagano, editor's note). Vegetable or rice farmers, for example. Life here is much simpler than in Paris or Tokyo. But this simplicity requires courage, a self-confidence that flourishes in cultivating the land, where these people perpetuate ancestral know-how with passion. It's a simple, physical beauty, certainly, but one that comes from the heart. In Paris, we're constantly caught up in a frantic race. Appearance reigns supreme in the fashion world, and materialism dominates. Here, you don't earn as much money as in big cities, but the quality of life is better in my opinion. Skills are shared with sincerity and generosity. Repairing a roof in exchange for a recipe. These intellectual exchanges are truly beautiful.”
Can you tell us about a Japanese woman or man who inspires you with their beauty?
“The grandmothers and grandfathers of my region, who embody for me selfless generosity and modesty. My grandmother was a great altruist. Her happiness was to make her family thrive, and that made her so beautiful in my eyes. I, on the other hand, was a Parisian for a long time, focused on myself.”
How do your experiences in fashion and gastronomy inform your vision of beauty?
“Indigo dyeing in Japan requires patience and experience. The know-how is born from the gesture that the apprentice craftsman repeats endlessly without questioning the master who teaches him. It is this process that will lead him to his own creation. There is a kind of beauty in this transmission.”
The Mingei (named after the artistic movement created by Soetsu Yanagi, which advocates the beauty of everyday objects, editor's note) touches me deeply because they bear witness to this quest for perfection through repetition.
Home cooking nourishes me beautifully. It's an act of love. Repeating the gestures to bring joy, without trying to impress, just like my grandmother did. As a mother and cooking for my own family today, I learn every day. And this practice touches me deeply. This is where I want to be.
Beauty rituals
What are your daily skincare rituals?
“I explore the region’s ancestral natural recipes. Wild plants are treasures. The dokunami (chameleon plant) has medicinal (anti-inflammatory) and cosmetic (brightening and soothing) properties that have been recognized for generations. I also use yuzu seeds, which I macerate in a mixture of shochu, vegetable glycerin, and water; they make a wonderful lotion for skincare. Here, nature provides us with everything we need.”
Here in Nagano, we live in rhythm with nature, busy capturing the seasons. The climate. The smells. The movement of life. Preparing preserves for winter. It's a hectic life, but different from that of big cities.
The ground is covered in snow in winter, and the first harvests of planted seeds don't arrive until May. But as early as March, edible wild herbs appear. I am passionate about these herbs, which we gather as a family in the plains or in the mountains.
Harmony and serenity
An activity, a place, a landscape that you particularly like to recharge, maintain and nurture inspiration and serenity?
“Yoga, a discipline passed down by my mother, is essential for my well-being. It helps me manage stress.”
Memories and transmission
What is your earliest memory of beauty?
“A certain look about my mother and grandmother in front of the mirror, combing their hair. They didn't wear much makeup, just a touch of lipstick. Their gestures, the way they carried themselves, everything was beautiful in my memory.”
A piece of advice passed down through generations in your family that you would give to a young person starting out in life?
“Don’t be selfish. Generosity is the key to a happy life. My grandmother gave everything to others, and she lived a full life until she was 98, loved and surrounded by her family. I hope to pass this value on to my daughter. Here she is surrounded by generous people. The schoolteachers, the people in the neighborhood, they give without expecting anything in return. I hope she can absorb these values by living here.”
Passion and vitality
What are the things that make your heart beat faster?
“The encounter and discovery of the unknown. A new language, a new taste. It is at this precise moment that I feel alive. It is very physical, I feel it deeply, and this experience remains engraved in my heart.”
What are the things that give you confidence?
“My daughter. Being a mother gives me incredible confidence. The confidence to exist in this world.”