What filled up space is transparent

hinoki LAB

在手邊搜索,讓心裡安定下來的一點什麼,這時想起袋裡那一小瓶。眼前的身影,個個在追趕著什麼的紊亂,好像倏然靜了下來。聲音抽走了,剩下畫面輪轉。氣息是透明,空間的質地卻已經變得不一樣。

發現路原來好闊,推翻麻木久了的習慣,像提醒我,身體需要的是比舒適再多一點的,可能是擱淺的形狀。

氣味,會是讓人安心的發明嗎?製作氣味的人,像是在復刻某些經歷,能喚醒某些感覺。有人習慣進入酒店房間後做的第一件事,是點一枝線香,讓熟悉的氣味包圍著。

I was trying to fetch something to calm down my nerves, and that little bottle resting in my pocket just instantly came to my mind. The chaotic hustle and bustle then suddenly found peace. The sound got muted, leaving the images looping endlessly around me. What filled up space is transparent, but you can tell the atmosphere has become entirely different.

The road turned out to be wider than expected. I refused to get numb and stopped using habit as an excuse. A reminder from nowhere is taking shape — My body requires something more than mere comfort.

Is scent an invention to sooth and calm? People who produce fragrance are actually reproducing a specific experience to arouse certain feelings. You may have heard people having the habit of lighting up an incense stick once they have checked into a hotel room, only to get surrounded by a familiar aroma.

來自日本岡山縣的hinoki LAB,以當地盛產的檜木製作出一系列芳香產品。由岡山縣西北邊一個小村莊「新庄村」的村民,人手採摘並提取精油。新庄村是日本最美麗的村莊聯盟之一,擁有珍貴的景觀與文化資源,總人口更少於一千。這條小村裡還有樹醫生,專門照料生病的櫻花樹呢,非常可愛。但跟很多地方一樣面對著人口老化的情況,hinoki LAB希望透過僱用村民生產,能幫助這美麗小村柔柔的閃亮下去。

幾瓶檜木精油,分別以葉子;葉子和樹枝;木枝為原料,以當地的山區泉水來蒸餾,不添加合成香料與防腐劑。成分單純的很吸引,可用在浸浴時、加到香薰機、或滴在擴香石、紙巾、手帕上,讓氣味自然漫遍房間。像是把森林搬到了面前呢,想像著未曾到過的一片土地,這樣先遊歷一趟也不錯吧。

hinoki LAB from the Okayama Prefecture in Japan has been hand-picking leaves and extracting essential oils from Japanese cypress for years. The distillery is located in an idyllic village called Shinjo that is located in the north-western part of the prefecture. With a population of less than 1000, the charming village is a listed member of the Association of The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan, boasting a picturesque landscape and abundant culture. There are even “tree doctors” on duty in the village to take care of the ill cherry blossoms. Facing an aging population, which is also commonly seen in many other places, hinoki LAB’s effort in hiring local villagers is a way to sustain this great village.

The three types of hinoki extracts are wood, leaf and branch, and hand-picked leaves. Using the local spring as a water source for the distillation, the essential oils contain no processed fragrance or any preservative — purity is its key feature. When taking a bath, you can either fill a few drops of the oils into the essential oils diffuser or drops them on aroma stone, tissue paper or handkerchief, and let them vapourize. The scent will then fill up the whole room and make you feel like being surrounded by the essence of the village forest. Imagine you are experiencing a new realm and just let your soul be carried away.

hinoki lab0

Available at Midway

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