Interview  •  Portraits

Itinéraires Singuliers Podcast - From translator to sports commentator: how Florent Dabadie built his place in Japan

Arriving in Japan in 1994, Florent Dabadie did not plan to work in sports. A literature lover, trained in Oriental languages, he discovered a country whose social framework matched his sensibilities: a highly codified attention to others, politeness viewed as the foundation of living together. Where many see constraint, he sees a structure that reassures and stimulates.

The turning point came almost by chance. Then a young editorial coordinator for Hachette in Tokyo, he responded to a job ad: the Japan Football Association was looking for an interpreter for a French coach. A rare profile, a unique opportunity. He suddenly found himself thrust into the heart of professional football: crowded press conferences, the discipline of the locker room, travels to the four corners of the world. A crash course not only in language, but in observing cultures.

This immersion revealed a paradox to him: on the international stage, Japanese players face a cultural shock as much as a sporting one. Domestic football remains sheltered, perhaps too much so. These athletes therefore need to be prepared for what awaits them beyond the national cocoon: intensity, confrontation, unpredictability.

Moving into sports journalism, first in football then in tennis, Florent observed that sport has become in Japan a vector for openness. The national team captures public attention far more than the domestic league. Organizers take great care in their hospitality, foreign athletes feel confident, journalists find it easier to engage in conversation than elsewhere. Top-level sport has become a showcase for the country to the world.

Yet everyday life does not come down to the hospitality extended to visitors. Integrating the codes takes time: hierarchy, rituals, caution in relationships. One must find room to maneuver without upsetting the balance. Florent speaks of adaptation, not renunciation: learning the rules in order to know when and how to deviate from them.

On the pitch as in the stands, another distinct feature remains: the atmosphere is passionate yet controlled. Supporters are committed, but helpful. Few disturbances. It is a family experience. A notable contrast with the image of football in Europe.

After 25 years in the field, his conclusion is pragmatic: curiosity is a method. It makes it possible to listen, to decode, to build bridges between two cultures that sometimes struggle to understand each other, especially in humor or direct expression. It also helps one remain oneself without becoming isolated.

Florent Dabadie did not choose Japan for its exoticism, but because he feels at ease there. By speaking about sport, he connects two worlds every day that are trying to understand each other better.

With the support of Matsue City