Fragrance has an uncanny ability to transport us back to a moment, place or a feeling. If you’re into perfumes, you’ll be no stranger to Maison Margiela’s Replica collection that famously harnesses this power, with scents such as Jazz Club or By the Fireplace designed to evoke specific memories and scenarios.
If you’ve ever wished you could bottle the feeling of a springtime hanami or the calming stillness of a mossy temple, you’re in luck. Here are four perfume houses offering scents that capture the essence of moments you might remember from your time in Japan.
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Shiro: Minimal, Clean Beauty
Offering skincare, makeup and fragrances, Shiro is a Hokkaido-based beauty brand renowned for its signature sleek, white packaging. The clean formulations and gentle scents make Shiro’s items perfect for daily wear. Plus, the products are cruelty-free and commit to sustainable practices by actively reducing packaging waste and carbon emissions, as well as incorporating natural plant-based ingredients, such as sake lees and yuzu citrus peel.
Shiro’s scents are designed to integrate seamlessly into daily life while evoking the quiet beauty of nature. Kinmokusei captures the delicate, apricot-like aroma of osmanthus trees in fall, calling to mind a crisp morning walk down a tree-lined street, the air filled with golden blooms. Sakura 219 is a tribute to Japan’s beloved cherry blossom season, with an airy, subtly sweet fragrance that feels like a spring afternoon beneath fluttering pink petals.
Shiro also offers limited collections that explore Japanese ingredients. Matcha presents a refined green floral scent, blending the calm earthiness of matcha with fresh citrus notes of yuzu and lemon, designed to evoke a quiet pause while you enjoy a cup of matcha. Wakoucha, inspired by Japanese black tea, layers warm tea notes with fresh citrus and a bouquet of florals, creating a scent that feels both grounding and uplifting. It’s perfect for a peaceful afternoon break.
Shiro’s online store can be found here, or see the full list of stores.
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J-Scent: An Olfactory Postcard From Japan
Known for its playful approach, J-Scent transforms familiar experiences into wearable moments, whether it’s sipping down a fizzy drink on a hot summer’s day or the excitement of watching a sumo match for the first time.
Hanamizake blends the soft aroma of cherry blossoms with a sake undertone, evoking the joyful ritual of hanami picnics, as people laugh and share bento boxes, while petals fall around them. Ramune captures the fizzy, citrusy sweetness of Japan’s nostalgic marble soda, bringing back memories of bustling summer festivals, fireworks and sticky fingers clutching glass bottles.
Sumo Wrestler takes a bolder turn, offering an earthy, musky scent that reflects the hidden world of sumo stables and their wooden floors and tatami mats. J-Scent’s ability to distill cultural icons into scent makes its fragrances feel both personal and distinctly Japanese.
J-Scent’s online store can be found here, or see the full list of stores.
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Sholayered: Build Your Memory, Layer by Layer
Sholayered invites wearers to create their own olfactory stories through layering, allowing for endless combinations that reflect personal moods and styles. Each fragrance stands strong on its own but is designed to harmonize when combined, offering a playful approach to scent.
Some of the standout scents are taken from the renowned holiday regions in Japan, including the Niseko Powdery, a cool, airy and musky note that captures the crispness of freshly fallen snow, evoking Hokkaido’s famous ski slopes and the calm before a downhill run.
Hakone Roten, on the other hand, is warm and mineral-rich, inspired by the experience of soaking in Hakone’s open-air hot springs. Notes of steam, stone and cypress wood recreate the peacefulness of dipping your toes into a warm onsen bath, mist rising around you as mountains loom in the background.
Sholayered’s flexible approach invites fragrance lovers to experiment, making each scent a personal creation.
Sholayered’s online store can be found here, or see the full list of stores.
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Kitowa: Nature’s Stillness in a Bottle
Kitowa focuses on Japan’s natural landscapes, particularly its forests, translating their calm and grounding energy into elegant fragrances. Designed to evoke the tranquility of nature, Kitowa’s scents feel like quiet moments of reflection.
Eau Eclosion Moss Temple, for instance, transports you to a moss-covered Kyoto temple just after a spring rain — damp stone pathways, cool earth and the soft green scent of thriving moss. It’s meditative and grounding, like wandering through a shaded garden in complete stillness.
Eau Éclosion Hinoki highlights Japan’s iconic hinoki cypress, blending its fresh, woody and slightly citrusy aroma into a scent that feels both clean and ancient, just like walking through the corridor of cypress trees in Meiji Jingu Shrine.
It’s a sensory escape to the forest, perfect for moments when you need a breath of fresh air amid the chaos of daily life. Kitowa’s fragrances are designed not just to be worn, but to be felt — as if you’re carrying a piece of Japan’s natural beauty with you.
Kitowa’s online store can be found here, or see the full list of stores.
