Director

Nicolas Fiévé

Nicolas FIÉVÉ

directeur@efeo.net

Assistant to the Director
Loane Dimet
loane.dimet@efeo.net

22, avenue du Président Wilson
75116 Paris
Tél : +33 01 53 70 18 60
Fax : +33 01 53 70 87 60

 

Nicolas Fiévé

Architectural historian - Medieval and premodern Japan

After studying architecture in France and Japan, and obtaining a doctorate in classical Japanese, Nicolas Fiévé was a researcher at the CNRS from 1993 to 2007, when he became professor at the Historical and Philological Sciences Section of the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, where he teaches the history of Japanese architecture and gardens. 

His research is based on the study of ancient documents (literary and administrative texts, technical manuals, plans and maps) relating to architecture, urbanism, landscape and gardens in 14th-17th century Japan. In addition to the study of texts, Nicolas Fiévé also conducts in situ studies of ancient buildings or urban districts in Japan. These two complementary approaches are the fruit of the two schools of thought that trained him: Japanese studies and architecture.

As a medievalist working on the Muromachi period (1336-1573), Nicolas Fiévé has studied the history of the city of Kyoto, the architecture of the tea pavilions and the Ashikaga palaces. Recently, he has broadened his field of study to include 17th-century Japan and has focused his research on the secondary villas of the court nobility and the domain lords. 

Member of the EFEO, from 2009 to 2010

Director of the EFEO, since April 2022

CV of Nicolas Fiévé

EFEO News
Welcoming delegations to the EFEO 2026-2027
Paris, France, 14 October 2025
The recruitment campaign for delegates to the EFEO for the year 2026-2027 is now open. Applications must be submitted no later than 14 October 2025.

Learn more (in French)
Lecture
Paris, France, 18 June 2025
On the occasion of the exhibition Angkor Royal Bronzes: Art of the Divine presented at the Guimet - Musée national des arts asiatiques until September 8, of which he is co-curator, Brice Vincent will present "Bronzes royaux d'Angkor, un art du divin: nouveaux regards sur la métallurgie du cuivre dans le Cambodge angkorien". This lecture is organised jointly by the Association des Amis d'Angkor and the EFEO.

At 5.30 p.m. in the Grand Salon of the Maison de l'Asie, subject to availability.
Conference
Paris, France, 12 June 2025
On Thursday 12 and Friday 13 June, Fabienne Jagou, in collaboration with Cameron Warner (University of Aarhus, Denmark) and Nicole Willock (Old Dominion University, USA), is organising a conference entitled ‘Succession in Times of Change in the Tibetan World’ at the Maison de l'Asie.
Library
Paris, France, 04 June 2025
The Paris library is open at its usual times, from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.

Please make your book reservation requests via the catalogue, and your archive consultation requests via the form on https://archives.efeo.fr/ (bottom left of the home page).

Consult the catalogs and digital tools:
Books and periodicals catalog
- Archives and manuscripts catalog
- Digital heritage library

Please check the EFEO's Facebook page and Twitter account regularly for any updates to the conditions of public access.
Announcement
Indonesia, 29 May 2025
On the occasion of the French President's State visit to Indonesia on 28 and 29 May 2025, the Director of the EFEO, Nicolas Fiévé, has signed a partnership agreement with the Indonesian Heritage Agency (IHA) in the presence of Madame Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture.