If you read any quantity of perfume writing, you probably know that the Japanese have a reputation for loving light, almost-not-there perfumes. Notes in such Japanese-beloved/Japan-inspired scents are often citrus-y — or watery: water lily, lotus, cyclamen, tulip and the like. The perfumes I’m writing about today are made by companies based in Japan; I was curious if they would fit the “supposed” Japanese scent target.
Parfum Satori Hana Hiraku (A Flower Blooms)
[by perfumer Satori Osawa: listed fragrance notes of melon, bergamot, galbanum, magnolia, iris, jasmine, tuberose, rose, ylang-ylang, chamomile, miso, kogashi-shōyu (‘burned’ soy sauce) , beeswax, sandalwood, cedar, mitarashi (sweet soy sauce)]
Read Hana Hiraku’s list of notes and you’d expect a powerhouse. Hana Hiraku certainly has one of the most interesting openings I’ve smelled in ages: a combo of realistic muskmelon, ramen and thick soy sauce (a salty-sweet delight). If the perfume stopped right there, I’d be a customer ASAP. But Hana Hiraku still has some interesting developments in store…
