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The moment of capticity

There are various of colorful enjoyments in our daily life, I can tell you how to enjoy them as a proficient.

Fragrance of solicitude

Written by Miki TANAKA

Miki TANAKA
Acts as aromatherapist・perfumer since 1998 in Kyoto.
With the special way to express the “languages” of fragrance.
Main work in the Kabuki area (Kabuki/歌舞伎 is a classical Japanese dance-drama.) and entertainment circles, serve the original fragrance.

追風用意(pronunciation: oikazeyoi)—
This is a word which is used to expresses fragrance in ancient books frequently. “追風” (oikaze) means the wind which brought the smell of the fragrance from the clothe which was incensed, in the other words, It is a smell that drifts on the air after passing. “用意” (yoi) means consideration, concern and addiction. It’s an exquisite consideration about personal upbringing, temperament and interest, to make a faint fragrance smell from the clothes were incensed, left to someone who just passed by.

Not only the clothes incensed, but even the paper (letter paper) incensed was also very important for the nobilities. Because the amativeness between nobility rank was always started with a love letter in Heian period. The love letter must be checked by the nurse of the adoring lady (princess). It was a severely check, to evaluate if the nobleman suitable for the lady (princess). It would be checking from the kind of the paper, the hobbies and taste of the attached leaves (spear leaf, plum, wisteria etc.), the writing style, the skills of poems, and the fragrance from the incensed paper. Since the aristocracies rarely showed their face, the burning incense played an important role in expressing dignity and upbringing, and it was the greatest means of appealing to others. In the dark night, when a noble passed by, people could recognize him or her from the fragrance drifted on the air. And for the instant, nobles took time to prepare the incensed clothes. And for the people who were in love, the incense could express their yearning and help imagining their partner with letters, sealed the seasonal flowers and the self-made incense in the envelope. So, prepared the incense for the moment of releasing the fragrance for who read the letter joyfully. It is the aesthetics of the fragrance of the nobleman who did this not for flaunt, but for the treat wouldn’t be noticed.

The function of fragrance is, sometimes brings the warm humanity, and sometimes has a dignified elegance to moderate the human relationship, and, at the time, the fragrance is not a simply good smell, but the accumulated good behaviors make the hearts of himself and the persons around are compounded and wrapped by the peace. Even if it doesn’t give off a special smell, there’s still various lingering charms. It is a pleasant breeze, such as a gentle smile, a refreshing attitude, and kind words. It is a culture that expresses the feelings of Japanese people who are friendly and elegant.

The spirit of consideration and preparation of Japanese is precious, it is such an etiquette when the incense is disorderly used in modern time. We want to make your car and special space elegant with a deep fragrance, as the spirit of [追風用意] (oikazeyoi), make you joy whenever. 

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