Lavender

2021/07/01

(July is the best time to see the flowers)

Takao Umino

President and Representative Director, T. Hasegawa Co., Ltd. / 1970 Economics

When one hears the word lavender, the first thing that comes to mind is likely the carpet of purple flowers blooming across the plains of Furano. Its scent, like that of jasmine and chamomile, is known for its ability to heal the mind, relax, and refresh.

In the world of fragrances, essential oils extracted from flowers are highly prized as natural aromatics. High-quality essential oil is obtained by trapping the aromatic components of the flower in steam, but in the case of lavender, only 5 grams of essential oil can be harvested from 1 kilogram of flowers. This oil contains over 300 types of aromatic components. While its core structure is an Earl Grey-like scent, it is a complex blend that also includes notes reminiscent of matsutake mushrooms and cherry blossom rice cakes (sakuramochi). Perfumers, the professionals of scent, describe the fragrance of lavender as "fresh, powerful, and masculine."

Summer has arrived once again. The faintly sweet herbal scent of lavender makes one feel the refreshing breeze of early summer.

Michiko Nakata

Guest Professor, Sapporo University; Former Managing Director, FM Hokkaido / 1972 Literature

As a young girl, the scents I longed for were lavender and heliotrope. I knew both from novels; lavender wafted just before a time travel journey, and heliotrope was a clue used by a detective to find a culprit. In 1972, I moved to Hokkaido alone for work, and my longing drew closer to reality. A senior at the broadcasting station told me, "The vast lavender fields are harvested and vanish overnight." At that time, lavender in Furano was "agriculture" for oil extraction. In fact, around that year—the year the Winter Olympics were held—domestic lavender was facing a difficult path, pushed aside by cheap imported fragrances. Tadao Tomita of Farm Tomita (now deceased) once said that when he felt the limits of agriculture and tried to plow the fields under with a tractor, he heard the plants scream and stopped his work. Eventually, a lady appeared, told him to "make scent bags," and vanished. He says that traveler might have been the incarnation of lavender. Thus, lavender became potpourri and sachets, becoming a symbol of Hokkaido. Many stories that want to be told lie dormant in the lavender fields.

Hitoyasu Sato

Editor / 1982 Literature

Under an endless deep blue sky, a carpet of purple stretches out—a lavender field. It is a seasonal tradition of early summer in Southern France. Of course, there is also plenty of wild lavender. Nearly 30 years ago, when a global bestseller swept Japan into a Provence boom, wild species formed many thickets in the inland areas, such as the foothills of Mont Sainte-Victoire, which Cézanne painted throughout his life.

It is characterized by a slightly sweet and woody scent that many have likely experienced through aromatherapy. It is also a panacea effective for relaxation, sedation, and even respiratory and skin troubles. In Southern France, considered the best production area, harvest festivals called "Lavender Fêtes" are held colorfully in various places during this season. The villages are enveloped in a refreshing scent, and for this brief time, they are stifling with the heat of travelers and large crowds from the surrounding areas. However, by the next morning, the quiet village returns.

Come to think of it, once when I entered Provence from Paris, a general strike stopped both planes and the TGV the next day. A vast island on land!? I unexpectedly had the lavender-colored earth at its peak all to myself.

Misato Tanaka

Representative Director, AKEBONO TEA Co., Ltd. / 2015 Commerce

"Why is it that Japanese tea is hardly on the shelves, even though it is so familiar to Japanese culture?" Eight years ago, I went on an exchange program to Sciences Po. A small question I had while strolling through Le Bon Marché, a long-established department store near the campus on Rue Saint-Guillaume, drove me to start a business more than five years later. The catalyst was the lavender I saw in the Provence region of Southern France during my travels.

The brilliant sun shines on mimosa, bougainvillea, and lavender. To eyes accustomed to the city center, it appeared particularly vivid. A purple carpet spread across my entire field of vision, with a stone house standing solitary within it. Van Gogh must have been captivated by such scenery when he settled in Arles.

When I want to forget the stress of work, I put a few drops of essential oil on a steamed towel, cover my face, and set aside time to think of nothing. Recently, I have come to feel more moved by that scent than I did during my student days.

Lavender reportedly carries the message "be your true self." Or perhaps, it is proof that I have become better at facing myself over time.