Japan, she says, has one of the most advanced attitudes towards the olfactory sense and its relationship to place, going as far as declaring “One Hundred Sites of Good Fragrance” across the country. From the sea mist of Kushiro to the Nanbu rice cracker of Morioka, not to mention the distinct smell of glue that hangs in the air around the doll craftsmen’s homes in Koriyama, all now have protected status.
— Victoria Henshaw, "town planner turned odour advocate at the University of Sheffield"; read more at The woman kicking up a stink about urban life: 'Cities are losing their smell' at The Guardian.
What a delightful way to preserve the uniqueness of a location!
I’m not sure what it really means in terms of preservation, but it does *sound* nice!