“NOBIYAKA”describes a manner that is free of constraint, where you are true to yourself, and are relaxed and unhurried.”
――Shogakukan Thesaurus of Japanese Synonyms
NOBIYAKA was created to express that sense of ease and unhurried freedom through scent. Here I share my journey from inspiration to finished fragrance.
Fragrant Sketches—Where Inspiration Begins
To give visual form to the inspiration behind the scent, I always begin with sketches.
The photograph below shows the final sketch from the last stage in the planning of NOBIYAKA.
At the center is a volcano of saffron. The bulb has split, the shoots surge upward, the flowers, stamens, and leaves stretch up to the sky. A sea of clouds above represents the scent of L-muscone. A loquat heavenly maiden, gently wafts around the volcano, lute in hand.
Bright and open, this is a scent that vividly liberates the heart. That was the image behind this sketch.
Spirit of the Age―The Aspiration Behind NOBIYAKA
The COVID-19 pandemic locked the world down for three years. As society began to open up again, I wanted to offer people a sense of liberation with a single spray―and that is how NOBIYAKA came about.
When creating a perfume, sometimes the title comes first, and at other times, the blend of ingredients dictates the name. With NOBIYAKA, the image of a wish came first.
And my wish was to lift everyone’s spirit going forward.
Fragrance Profile
Fragrance notes suggested by the title.
- Aquatic floral, fruity
- Ozone marine, fruity
- Watery ozone, fruity
- Sheer floral
Fragrance Concept
“The scent is clean, yet not plain or obvious. It opens on the skin with a quiet nuance you can actually feel.” This was the first rough design.
The Design Takes Shape―An Encounter with Saffron
Soon after undertaking my study of the lotus (hasu), which has an aquatic feel, I was introduced to a domestically produced ingredient, Akaito Saffron®.
Saffron is the most expensive spice in the kitchen. Its scent fascinated me; but I didn’t know how to use it.
Saffron originated in the Middle East, and most other perfume houses treat it as a dark, heavy, oriental. I took the converse approach. “If this is Japan’s finest saffron, it belongs in a clear perfume, so that you could pair it with the delicate tastes of Japanese cuisine.”
The Architecture of Scent―Loquat and Plum in Harmony
The clean lotus notes acted as a kind of dashi base—it held the other notes up. For the top note, I had a fruity fig in mind, but the greenness of the stemone was too bitter, and the lactones milked it into a haze.
So here, I switched to a milder Japanese fruit, the loquat (biwa). Both the blossom and fruit sit in an anisic register, and the anisic ingredient canthoxal was particularly close to the scent you experience when eating loquat.
I evened the formula with every successive draft to keep it sheer. And as I adjusted the mix, the vague outline of the scent slowly began to take shape.
In order to make sure the floral and musk stayed sheer in the drydown, I added a hint of sandalwood as a hidden note.
I wanted an additional hook. So, I searched through my scent bottles and came across davana; it smells like brown sugar plum wine. The warmth of plum added a soft depth to the fragrance.
Loquat, saffron, and plum wine. When these three scents merged, the fragrance opened out and a sense of comfort was achieved.
In Closing―A NOBIYAKA Moment
And finally, when I added a trace of L-Muscone, it enhanced the projection of the top notes until they popped.
There was a sense of freshness, liberation and ease—a heart-lifting experience. That was the moment the sketch before me took on color and motion.
――Launched in May 2023.
Satori Osawa
Founder and Perfumer, Parfum Satori.
Bringing you articles about the creative process and background of fragrance ingredients and perfumes.
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