The Stars of the Evening: Nicaraguan Cigars and Berluti's Artisans

In the photo below, Mamoru Hiromi, the creator of Japan's premium Nicaraguan cigar "Aroma de Nica," holds a newspaper from April 27, 2005, the Nicaraguan paper *La Prensa*. Its headline reads—

Aroma de puros nica cruza el Pacifico. (The aroma of Nicaraguan cigars crosses the Pacific.)

This was published the day after Hiromi's visit to inspect cigar factories in Nicaragua. It reportedly stated, "An importer from Japan has visited. Japan can be expected to be a significant market. The export of Nicaraguan cigars to Japan is expected to begin in earnest."


In Japan, there was a request from industry insiders for "affordable, high-quality cigars." With great anticipation from the Nicaraguan side, Hiromi decided to bridge the gap, leading to the decision two years later, in 2007...

...to create an original cigar with members of the TLC (National Tobacco Shop Leaders Club), who also attended this "Cigar & Patine Evening." After tasting samples from Nicaragua's Plasencia company, they decided on the final selection. The last step was naming the cigar. After much thought, the name "Aroma de nica," a shortened version of the newspaper headline, was born.

"Aroma de nica" means "the scent of Nicaragua," and it also carries the sentiment of cigar producers: "May Nicaraguan cigars reach Japan across the Pacific."

At the venue that evening, a performance showcasing Berluti's unique "patine" technique was also presented. Since its founding in Paris in 1895, Berluti has consistently offered shoes that combine elegant design with a comfortable fit that "gently envelops the foot."