The Forest, Reimagined for Summer—A Conversation with Perfumer Naomi Hirano
Summer heat has grown more punishing in recent years, and many people now end the day with a quick shower instead of a bath. But a shower alone can't always loosen the tension knotted into your body and mind, or lull you into deep, restful sleep.
KITOWA answers that need with fragrance, bringing a little freshness and ease to the everyday lives of those worn down by the heat.
This season, the brand introduces BATH ESSENCE HINOKI COOL, a summer edition of its signature BATH ESSENCE HINOKI. A pleasant coolness meets hinoki's quiet elegance, settling softly onto the skin. More than pursuing coolness for its own sake, KITOWA set out to create a fragrance that felt gentle above all. After countless trials, it finally captured the sensation of taking a deep breath in the heart of a forest.
We spoke with perfumer Naomi Hirano, who oversaw the fragrance's development,
about the inspiration behind it and the thinking that shaped its composition.
Forest Bathing, Distilled—Balancing Coolness with Hinoki's Stillness
—Which aspects of the fragrance took the most time to develop? Were there any particular challenges in creating the composition?
KITOWA has always built its fragrances around a single concept: ki to wa—wood and harmony. Most people associate the scent of wood with warmth and a sense of comfort. With Hinoki Cool, our greatest challenge was holding onto that warmth while bringing it into balance with a clear, crisp coolness. That was the part of the composition we spent the most time refining.
Hinoki is often associated with the serene atmosphere of a traditional hinoki bath, but this time we wanted to explore a different side of it. Hinoki forms the core of the fragrance and is layered with bergamot, eucalyptus, lavender, cedarwood, and patchouli to evoke the clarity and calm of breathing deeply in the forest. Each note dissolves into the next, and as they harmonize, the scent fills the bathroom with something tranquil yet quietly invigorating. We designed the fragrance so you can feel that sense of forest bathing—stepping into the woods and simply breathing.
—What makes hinoki distinctive as a fragrance?
Hinoki is one of Japan's defining woods, and its scent has been cherished here for centuries. It's said to have a calming effect on the mind, gently encouraging relaxation and even deeper breathing. Among woody fragrances, hinoki has a particularly clean, refined character. There's an elegance to it that feels distinctly luxurious, which is perhaps why it has such enduring appeal among women. Countless hinoki-based bath products exist, but what matters to KITOWA is the texture of the fragrance. With Bath Essence Hinoki Cool, the sensation that makes you want to breathe deeply comes from the generous use of high-quality natural materials. We hope that this bath, at the close of a tiring day, can become more than a daily ritual—a moment to release tension, restore balance, and simply pause.
A Softer Kind of Cool—Created with Women in Mind
—Menthol and cooling products tend to have a sharp, bracing quality that many women find off-putting.
Conventional menthol fragrances are prized for their sharp, immediate freshness, a profile often designed with men's preferences in mind. For women, that same intensity can feel overwhelming, sometimes even stinging slightly on the skin. So this time, we chose not to let menthol take the forefront. Instead, we brought in citrus, herbs, and sandalwood to give the fragrance a mellow, rounded coolness—refreshing without the sharp edge of menthol. We revisited the balance again and again until we arrived at a sensation that felt genuinely pleasant and calming.
It may read as a simple fragrance at first. But beneath that simplicity is an exceptionally careful composition, built to respond to the most delicate nuances of the way fragrance is experienced. I hope you'll take a moment to discover that subtlety for yourself.
A More Restorative Bath—A Lingering Woody Trail to Ease You Into Sleep
—Summer is a season when it's tempting to settle for a quick shower instead of a bath. What can fragrance add to the experience of soaking in the tub?
There's something uniquely restorative about inhaling a fragrance as it rises from warm water. It offers a moment of cooling relief from the summer heat while gently easing the mind into a more relaxed state. That sense of calm comes from taking the time to immerse yourself in the tub—a shower simply can't offer the same transition. We've also designed the fragrance to leave a faint, woody trace on the skin after bathing, so you can savor its lingering scent as you drift into sleep.
—And how do you personally enjoy fragrance?
Choosing fragrances according to the season and my mood has become a daily habit of mine. There are times I want to feel more focused, and times I want to unwind—matching a scent to whatever mood I'm in helps me shift naturally from one to the other, and paying attention to each ingredient's properties seems to deepen that experience even further. Fragrance isn't only about setting a mood; it enriches the everyday in small, intangible ways. I would be delighted if Bath Essence Hinoki Cool could earn a place among your everyday fragrances—a scent you return to as part of your own ritual.
Meet the Perfumer
Naomi Hirano
Perfumer. After graduating from a fragrance school in France, Hirano worked in the fragrance research laboratory of a leading Japanese fragrance company before joining Nippon Kodo. She has since contributed to the development and composition of numerous KITOWA fragrances.
Make Space to Reset—A Private Ritual at the End of the Day
For women navigating the many demands of modern life, making time to reclaim a sense of balance can be an essential act of self-care. BATH ESSENCE HINOKI COOL offers more than simple relief from the heat. Its coolness gently envelops both skin and senses, transforming the bath into a private moment of forest bathing, even if only for a few minutes.
On days when there's no time to get out into nature, and on evenings when life feels especially demanding, fragrance can offer a quiet way to reset both mind and body. This summer, let Bath Essence Hinoki Cool become part of that restorative routine—a few unhurried moments to breathe, unwind, and return to yourself.
