The Five Sences

人間の五感

I had the idea of doing this scent project during the Covid-19 pandemic that has changed everyone’s life including mine. I used to travel a lot for my work, but my travelling was all suspended and restricted at the time, it gives me a lot of time to refresh my memories of certain cities and places. It came to my mind that scent is probably the deepest connection with our memory, when I think of some cities that I worked in during my life, for example Paris, a type of sweet and romantic smell will rush into my mind, it’s a mixture of things in Paris, it could be trees along Seine, French perfume, wine, croissants or something else. It is hard to describe every element, but I know it is somehow unique.

Scent is such a sensory experience that triggers a rush of memories often long past, or even seemingly forgotten. I looked into the scientific explanation, the conclusion is also convincing, smell and memory are closely linked because of the brain’s anatomy. During pandemic, we’ve lost the freedom to travel to places, or to visit family and friends, we’ve lost the freedom to spend time with people that we care. If there is a way, to revoke the memory and re-establish a strong linkage, I think of using scent in an artistic expression to make the beautiful memories come alive, and to bring comfort to our hearts to go through this, probably one of the darkest moments in human history.

Scent

香り

I always focus on the harmonious integration with the natural environment in my architecture design, from an architect’s perspective, scent is also an important part of the surrounding environment, it represents the uniqueness of a certain place. I chose five different cities of Japan that reflect different beauty and style of our culture, each city has its own personality and charisma, hence its own scent. The scent diffusers have distinct size and shape, they are delicately designed to diffuse the scent in way that can create an immersive atmosphere for people to reflect memories and feel the spirit of the nature. Each art piece represents a different city, a different scent and a different outer colour too.

Kengo Kuma

A meeting point between heaven and earth.
A sea of trees and Ice.

Mt.Fuji

富士山

The main concept is the sacredness and purity of this highest peak in Japan. The main scent is a blend of the Japanese umbrella pine and rosemary. Clear herbal scent.

Old and New, Mean and Gentle at same time. A water surface continually reflecting sounds, and lights.

Kyoto

京都

As a scent reminiscent of Zen meditation and sedation, the main concept of Kyoto piece is "calmness " -a feeling of presence at temples and shrines in Kyoto. The main scent is Kitayama cedar from Kyoto along with the cypress and pine trees. Woody scent.

My own place. Big, Small, Dry, Humid.
A blend of cold and hot. With a large void in the center.

Tokyo

東京

Tokyo, one of the world's largest cities, has various cultures and is new and old as a capital. The main concept is the scent of cherry blossoms, which is said to be linked to the diversity and spirituality of the Japanese people. A blend of palmarosa and ylang-ylang to express the cherry blossoms, creating a scent that gives you a feeling of love and sophistication. Floral scent.

Wet forests. Volcanic rocks. Countless rows of karamatsu pine and birch groves.

Karuizawa

軽井沢

Karuizawa has long been loved as a summer resort and a healing place for people. A blend of eucalyptus and rosemary herbs centered on spicebush and Japanese white pine, as a scent that makes you feel the calm, soothing and tonic of Karuizawa surrounded by deep green. Green spicy scent.

The Gray-beige hue of Ryukyu limestone.
Sweet Turquoise Sea.

Okinawa

沖縄

Vibrant color fruit in the blue sky and the sea. Okinawa is a beach resort where you can relax in a warm climate. The scent of citrus expresses the image of "fun" and "active" during such time in Okinawa. The orange and tangerine are blended with geranium for a gorgeous vibes. Fruity scent.