French art director, author and percussionist, working from Fukuoka.
Over fifteen years between Europe and Japan. Brand identity for hospitality, editorial design, music, and a long-form practice of writing on tea and nutrition.
Live percussion, Japan · 2018
A practice between two cultures.
I'm a France-born Latin percussionist and creative director, based in Fukuoka since 2017. I came to Japan for the first time in 2008 and have been moving between the two countries ever since. My work spans design, communication, journalism, marketing, SEO, advertising and photography — with a focus on visual identity, branding and editorial design.
My musical journey began with intensive percussion training in France and Cuba, studying congas and drums. I developed in parallel a background in communication technologies — a dual-track education that still shapes how I approach creative problems today.
Over the years I've worked as a freelance journalist, music instructor, art gallery assistant, festival artistic director and communications manager. I've been operating as an independent entrepreneur since 2009.
Writing, tea, and the slow work of a book.
In 2009 I launched Blog Nutrition Santé, a French-language platform on holistic wellness where I've shared evidence-based insights on nutrition and health for fifteen years. That work led to my first book, Chacun son régime ! Choisir la diète qui va fonctionner pour vous, published in 2019 by City Éditions (Ideo).
I discovered matcha in Tokyo in 2008. Fifteen years of daily practice, visits to producing regions, and conversations with growers eventually became two books: MAJO — Matcha Tasting Journal in 2025, and Matcha — mythes & vérités in 2026, a 280-page documented essay built around 101 questions to separate fact from fiction.
Personal experiences — a childhood car accident at seven, a battle with leukemia at eleven — shaped my interest in resilience, in art therapy and in music as a form of healing.
These early experiences inform the way I work today, both with brands and with my own practice: a preference for cultural depth over trend, for clarity over noise, and for the long form over the disposable.
Working from Fukuoka.
Since 2017, I've been operating full-time as a creative director in Japan, supported by Fukuoka's Startup City Fukuoka programme as a registered business manager. I work primarily with international hospitality clients — hotels, restaurants and brands that value cultural depth and visual restraint.
Fluent in French and English, conversational in Japanese. Available for new collaborations: art direction, brand identity, editorial design, and creative consulting between Europe and Asia.
Quick facts.
- Based in
- Fukuoka, Japan · since 2017
- First time in Japan
- Tokyo · 2008
- Languages
- French · English · 日本語 (conversational)
- Disciplines
- Art direction · Brand identity · Editorial design · Percussion · Photography
- Books
- 3 published works on nutrition and matcha
- Company
- Handpan Japan LLC · 合同会社ハンドパンジャパン
- Available for
- Hospitality & international branding · Editorial direction · Consulting
- Independent since
- 2009
Let's talk.
Brand · art direction · hospitality · editorial.
hello@jimmybraun.org