At Asahi Shimbun Publications. Shinma-san is holding her book, "Koi wa Kaori kara Hajimaru."

An "Absolute Sense of Smell" Acquired Through Passion and Perseverance

Kaori NakanoIt's a pleasure to meet you. I thoroughly enjoyed your essay and am honored to be here. Today, I'd love to hear your thoughts on your career and views on perfume, as well as the profession of perfumer and the differences in perfume culture between France and Japan. Thank you for your time.

Miya ShinmaThank you. The pleasure is all mine.

NakanoIn Japan, the image of a "perfumer" is often that of a researcher in a lab at a fragrance or food company, wearing a white coat and working with chemical formulas. But you, after working as an office lady, decided to become a perfumer and moved to Paris alone. What prompted that decision?

ShinmaActually, I didn't even know the profession of perfumer existed! (Laughs) When I was an office lady, I was reading a women's magazine and came across an interview with a perfumer. It said something like, "The work of a perfumer is similar to that of a composer. It's like combining notes to create chords like do-mi-so."

NakanoThe olfactory scale, you mean? Were you interested in composing?

ShinmaI had been taking piano lessons since I was a child, and my teacher was the kind of person who would casually say, "Well, shall we try composing too?" So, my memories of the joy of expression are tied to music. During my time as an office lady, I couldn't even clearly state my own feelings and felt like I wasn't being myself.Perfuming could be a way to express my feelings, just like composing......I learned that, and thought, "That sounds wonderful, I'd like to try that."

NakanoDid you have a good sense of smell?

ShinmaPeople used to ask me things like, "Is this meat still okay?" when I was little (laughs). Before going to Paris, I did get my nose checked by a doctor.

NakanoTo see if it was suitable for a perfumer?

ShinmaNo, just to see if it was functioning normally.

NakanoIt's okay if it's just normal? (Laughs)?You can become a perfumer with a normal nose?

ShinmaYes, it doesn't need to be exceptionally good. As long as it functions normally. The most important thing is passion. And then, the perseverance to keep going.

NakanoPassion and perseverance.That applies to anything, doesn't it?

ShinmaEspecially the work of perfumery requires quite a bit of perseverance. To start, you have to memorize hundreds of scent ingredients. Until you can recognize each smell. It's like having perfect pitch.

NakanoAn absolute sense of smell?

ShinmaYes, an absolute sense of smell (laughs). You need to be able to break down chords and know what's in them. Then, you train to assemble them in your mind to create fragrances.

The Perfumer as Artist

NakanoHow long is the training period to become proficient?

ShinmaIt varies from person to person... You study under a teacher for about two years, and then in the actual creation phase, you have to determine whether what you're making is what the market demands. You constantly need to be aware of the scents that are in demand at the time, so including research in that...

NakanoThere's no end to it, is there? (Laughs) Are there any official qualifications or certifications?

ShinmaI've never been asked about that in France. Perfumery is an art. Just as composers don't have qualifications, perfumers don't have them either. In France, the perfumer is positioned as an artist.

NakanoI see, perfumery is art! I had mistakenly thought there might be some kind of qualification, like for hairdressers or chefs. I should call you a perfumer-artist.

ShinmaLike a composer or a painter (laughs).

NakanoAlso, in Japan, don't perfumers often have an image of being researchers, perhaps presenting research findings at academic conferences or working in white coats? Of course, not all of them are like that. They are people who can decipher complex symbols like structural formulas of scents.

ShinmaUnderstanding structural formulas is essential, but it's not that important. For example, chemical formulas are necessary for blending scents like those in Bathclin, and those who have studied it professionally do create them in labs wearing white coats. But the perfumer for Chanel, for instance, was a heavy smoker.

NakanoErnest Beaux, wasn't it? ...Wait, is it okay for perfumers to smoke!?

ShinmaIt seems he even smoked while in the process of creating fragrances (laughs). The smell of tobacco was neutral for him. So, it didn't bother him while he was working.His philosophy was to enjoy life, and to create scents from that enjoyment.

NakanoI see. Indeed, if you view fragrance as art...

ShinmaIt stops being about the accuracy of structural formulas. With music and art, it's the expressions of emotion, rather than the technical skill, that move people's hearts. When you ask people in the perfume industry why they do this job, most of them say they wanted to create something beautiful, or they wanted to enjoy life.

NakanoSo, the fundamental difference in fragrance culture between Japan and France lies in the very position of the creator! From researchers versed in chemical formulas to...artists expressing life's emotions... This was a truly exciting discovery.

To be continued in "Part 2: The Meaning of Perfume in the Respective Cultures of Japan and France"To be continued

Miya Shinma's Website
http://miyashinma.jp/index.html

Based on her experiences in Paris since flying there with a love for fragrance, this book recounts the author's encounters and observations on the perfume scene in the city.
It covers how Parisian women master the art of fragrance, and their approach to perfume and romance...
A story filled with the scents of Paris.