31/01/2026
The Scent of Plum Blossoms in Japan
Before cherry blossoms appear, spring in Japan is first announced through scent.
I have just published a new essay on Substack exploring the subtle fragrance of plum blossoms—flowers that bloom quietly in January and February, long before the famous sakura season.
As a specialist in fragrance, I experience seasonal change not only through sight, but through smell. Plum blossoms invite us to slow down, approach closely, and listen. Their delicate scent has shaped Japanese aesthetics for over a thousand years, appearing in classical poetry and later influencing incense culture.
In this essay, I write about:
・Why plum blossoms matter in Japanese sensibility
・How fragrance signals the arrival of spring
・Why winter in Tokyo is an ideal season for quiet walking and sensory awareness
・And how this way of “listening to scent” continues in my work today
📖 Read the full essay here:
👉 https://substack.com/home/post/p-185680214
This piece is part of my ongoing exploration of scent as a cultural, seasonal, and inner experience.
Eriyo Watanabe
Master of Incense
Founder, The Renshin School of Incense
Director, Incense Research Institute
