Japanese Luxury Magazine Richesse Showcases California Sustainable Luxury

Richesse, Japan’s leading luxury magazine for women, showcased California sustainable luxury in a 24-page feature in its October issue. This opportunity arose as a direct result of the CEO Mission to Japan led by Visit California President and CEO Caroline Beteta in March 2023. California’s appeal as a sustainable travel destination was a key part of the messaging during the mission and inspired the visit. 

Visit California and its partners hosted the editorial team from Hearst Publications on their visit to Los Angeles, Napa Valley and San Francisco in July. “Next Level Sustainable Living — The Future of West Coast Highlife for Culinary, Travel and Lifestyle” details why California is a leader in sustainable living. It began with an extensive profile on Alice Waters, who they dubbed a “food revolutionary” and told of her considerable impact on organic and sustainable farming, her groundbreaking Chez Panisse restaurant and her influence on as many as 14 different Japanese chefs who trained with her over the years. It goes on to spotlight restaurants known for their sustainable practices as well as their excellence. Restaurants featured included The Charter Oak and PRESS in St. Helena; LULU, Providence, Osteria Mozza and Café Gratitude in Los Angeles; and Boulettes Larder and Copra in San Francisco.

The feature also highlights California’s “new wave” wines showcasing Napa Valley standouts One Hope Wine — jointly owned by Japanese rock star Yoshiki and Robert Mondavi, Jr., Continuum Estate and Rudd Estate.

The editorial team was hosted by Conrad Los Angeles, 1 Hotel San Francisco, and Carneros Resort and Spa in Napa, each featured as leaders in sustainable luxury. Hertz Rent-a-Car Japan sponsored an EV for the team so they could experience the ease of a sustainable road trip through California. 

Richesse magazine is distributed to 40,000 of Japan’s high-net-worth households. This single feature generated an estimated $450,000 in media value for California in the Japan market and additional online stories will be forthcoming.