Key Features of "Literary Scents: Osamu Dazai"

Sony has uniquely developed scents inspired by the aromas imagined to pervade five memorable scenes from Osamu Dazai's "No Longer Human." This offers a novel experience, allowing users to contemplate "What was the protagonist feeling at that moment?" through scent.

One: "Really, among all the people up to now,"
"I liked Tsune-ko, even though she was so poor."
"you see."
Two: "I quietly closed the door, and I went to Ginza again,"
"and never returned to that apartment after that."
"I did."
Three: "Ah, but I am an unknown manga artist, with neither"
"great joy nor great sorrow."
Four: "I was just being honest."
"I said I drank, but that's a lie, a lie, a lie."

~Collaboration with the Executive Committee for Promoting Tourism for the 110th Anniversary of Osamu Dazai's Birth~
To realize the new experience of "Literary Scents: Osamu Dazai" through scent, Sony has initiated a collaboration with the Executive Committee for Promoting Tourism for the 110th Anniversary of Osamu Dazai's Birth, comprising Aomori Prefecture and the city of Goshogawara, among other entities.

The executive committee, centered around Goshogawara City in Aomori Prefecture, Dazai's birthplace, has been involved in creating PR logos featuring his likeness, operating the "Dazai Kawaraban" website for the 110th anniversary, and organizing related events.

For the commercialization of "Literary Scents: Osamu Dazai" by AROMASTIC, the committee provided comprehensive coordination, including product advice and outreach to related facilities.

<Comment from Takuya Tobiashima, Chief of the Tourism and Products Section, Economic Department, Goshogawara City Hall, Aomori Prefecture>
Our city views the 110th anniversary of Osamu Dazai's birth as a prime opportunity to attract tourists. We are striving to capture visitors, including new demographics, by adapting to changing travel patterns and aiming to invigorate the entire northwestern region.
We saw potential in this challenge of combining literature and fragrance and were pleased to cooperate.
※ Details of this project can be found on our website. (https://www.dazai-osamu.com/


~Supervision of the interpretation booklet by Masahiro Shindo, Professor of Modern Japanese Literature, Faculty of International Studies, Department of International Japanese Studies, Otemon Gakuin University~
To deepen the experience of "Literary Scents: Osamu Dazai," Sony is including a booklet with interpretations of each scene and explanations of the fragrances. Masahiro Shindo, Professor of Modern Japanese Literature at Otemon Gakuin University's Faculty of International Studies, Department of International Japanese Studies, supervised this booklet.

<Comment from Masahiro Shindo, Professor of Modern Japanese Literature, Faculty of International Studies, Department of International Japanese Studies, Otemon Gakuin University>
Smells and scents can sometimes have a somewhat mysterious effect. For example, olfactory hallucinations.
This is the feeling that a smell lingers, even when there is no actual scent. Conversely, a fragrance can suddenly evoke distant memories.
Human imagination, unique to us, plays a significant role in these wondrous experiences.

Reading a novel, too, is an act supported by this very imagination.
The joy of imagining and recreating a rich world from mere lines of text.
Could not the act of actually smelling the scents described in the text during reading, by stimulating this imagination, allow for a more vivid recreation of that world?

Osamu Dazai, who grappled his entire life with his own overpowering ego, reveals in his literary works the conflict between a raw, realistic world and a soul too pure to escape it.

Through our senses, particularly smell and scent, I wish to experience, even slightly, the presence of the world Dazai struggled within. I want to grasp, even a little, the sorrowfully deep, rich, and persistent connections with others.
The revival of the presence of smells and scents, which seems to have faded recently, is also part of an experiment to reclaim our humanity, which is full of the five senses.


AROMASTIC is a product born from Sony's "Sony Startup Acceleration Program (SSAP)," which supports the creation and operation of startups. Despite its compact, palm-sized design, it allows users to enjoy different scents by switching cartridges containing multiple fragrances. The dedicated aroma cartridges have included a total of six types, featuring essential oils from the British heritage brand Neal's Yard Remedies and the Japanese forest aroma brand yuica. With the addition of "Literary Scents: Osamu Dazai," featuring Sony's original scents, the range of fragrance variations has been further expanded. We will continue to propose new scent experiences in collaboration with various partners.

● Product Details & Purchase Page
https://scentents.jp/aromastic/(Official AROMASTIC Website)
https://scentents.jp/aromastic/product/cartridge/401_bungakunokaori/index.html(Introduction to AROMASTIC Dedicated Cartridges)
https://first-flight.sony.com/pj/aromastic/sc401(E-commerce)
※ For details on available stores, please check the official AROMASTIC website above.

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