Japanese Hinoki Cypress

Making aromas, and protecting the forests.

Located at the foot of Mt. Koya, Northern Wakayama, in the middle of Kii Peninsula, this forest harbours a rich ecosystem of various species of trees,  ... Continue readingand it is a place where nature and humans live in harmony. In this region, they have been planting Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress trees for over 100 years. Planted densely to grow thick and straight for building material, these cypress trees are periodically thinned out to keep air and sunlight circulating. Wood from this process plus any curved wood that is unsuitable for market are used to make Hinoki Japanese Cypress Essential Oil.

The scent of the forest, condensed to just one percent of its volume.

The moisture content of freshly-cut Hinoki (also known as Japanese cypress) is about 50 percent. The wood is processed at a sawmill and transported to the distillery within one week, in order to keep the wood's fragrant compounds intact. The fragrant compounds are extracted by steaming the Hinoki chips in a distillation. After the process is complete, the heat from the boiler that generates the steam is used to dry the Hinoki chips, which in turn are reused for fuel. In every distillation cycle, 350 kilograms of Hinoki are used to produce about 3.5 litres of essential oil. The result is the scent of the forest, condensed all the way down to just one percent of its original volume.

Italian Bergamot Oil

An aroma born beneath the generous warmth of the sun.

Located across the Strait of Messina from Sicily, Reggio Calabria is on the "toe" of the Italian peninsula. Despite being at a seaside location,  ... Continue reading olive trees and fruit trees are grown in abundance. The most eye-catching of all is a fruit that grows in grape-like bunches: The Bergamot Orange. Even among citrus fruits, the bergamot orange stands out as being especially acidic, and it is not eaten. However, its skin contains a gentle, delicate, warm aroma. With its perfectly-suited soil and climate, Italy is home to 99 percent of the world's bergamot production.

Exposed to as little heat as possible.

Lovingly-grown bergamot oranges full of their fresh, sharp aroma are transported to the factory and processed into an essential oil.  ... Continue readingOxidation and heat are the worst enemies of citrus oils. The process of extracting the essential oil of bergamot remains largely unchanged since the days when it was done entirely by hand, and is designed to expose the oil to as little heat as possible. Additional processing is then done. In the end, 1 kilogram of fruit yields only 30 grams (0.3%) of the finished product. This precious, much-loved oil has a floral scent, and is also used to flavour Earl Grey tea.