Wild Aroma of Mt. Fuji, Japan

noi is a wild aroma brand based at the foot of Mt. Fuji.
We venture into the lush forests, sustainably harvesting trees to distill and extract essential oils that capture the vitality of nature.

The concept revolves around "living with our wilderness".
Discoveries and insights gained from real experiences in the forest inspire noi's creative activities.

We emphasize natural and wild materials, from homegrown natural herbs to the harvesting and pruning of forest trees, aroma extraction, and blending, all crafted by hand.

For extracting essential oils, we use steam distillation with water filtered over many years from the underground streams of Mt. Fuji, drawing out the pure aromas woven by the local ecosystem.

Our herbs are grown in small farms at the foot of Mt. Fuji, experimenting with organic cultivation without chemical fertilizers, animal manure, or pesticides.

noi aims to transcend boundaries in all fields, fostering relationships where forests and people, as well as people themselves, mutually enrich one another.

 

 

Our Values

- 01 -
Activities based on actual experience in the forest

The forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji, where noi's activities are based, is the source of our discoveries and ideas, and is also a place to nurture fragrant trees and wild plants.

Forests are made up of a variety of living things, including plants, insects, birds, animals, and even fungi in the soil, all of which coexist and coexist, each with its own unique scent, and their scents and shapes change from season to season in synchronization with the Earth's rotation and revolution. I'll go.

As I go into the forest every day, I discover not only the scent, but also the view of life in the forest and its perspective as an ecosystem, the feeling that opens up all five senses, the tension of being an animal that sleeps deep within humans, and the beauty of the changing seasons. There are various things such as sanity and the cycle of life.

We value our activities based on such real-life experiences.

 

- 02 -
Create time to return to your natural self

The vital scent of plants has the power and potential to awaken the wild side of humans and restore their natural selves.

Before moving to the foothills of Mt. Fuji, we lived a busy life in Tokyo. The harder people work, the more they tend to put their mind and body on the back burner and get further away from their natural self.

Each piece is carefully made by loved ones working hard in various locations, with the hope that they will be able to regain their natural self.

By returning to your natural self, you can realize that you are pushing yourself too hard, be a little kinder to yourself and those around you, accept yourself as you are, and live your life in your own way.

noi takes pleasure in creating such moments in everyday life through the scents of plants.

 

- 03 -
Creating relationships between forests and people that benefit each other

Living organisms are fragile when taken alone, but when they come together and form a cycle of mutual survival, their life energy becomes many times more powerful.

We learned this from the forest.

For modern consumers, there are fewer opportunities to interact with forests other than outdoors. However, if we look back at the long history of humankind, we find that people's lives have had a close relationship with forests, living together by circulating energy.

"noi" is "we" in Italian.

Instead of humans taking center stage and exploiting the blessings and energy of the forest, what can we do to circulate energy and coexist?

By working hand-in-hand with fellow nature-lovers across disciplines, we aim to create relationships where forests and people, and people and people, can benefit from each other.

 

Our Story

Born and raised in Tokyo. Every day I live a busy life centered around work in Tokyo. We moved there because we were fascinated by the rich forests and water at the foot of Mt. Fuji.

Our original experience was an encounter with a plant called Kuromoji (black letter) in the forest.

When I tore apart a Japanese black moji tree that grows naturally in the forest, rubbed it, and brought it close to my nose, I could smell a rich, sweet and spicy scent that was full of vitality.

I couldn't imagine that such a scent could come from a plant, and it blew my mind. When I smelled the other plants, they all had completely different scents.

When you smell the energetic scent of plants, your five senses open unconsciously, purifying your mind and giving you energy. It also affects your body, making you feel hungry, clear-headed, and able to sleep soundly.

At the same time, I was able to notice my own condition through the scent, such as my breathing being shallow and my body and mind feeling tired.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that among the five senses, only the sense of smell has the role of sending signals directly to the cerebral unilateral system, which controls emotions and instincts, and the hypothalamus, which controls autonomic nerves and hormonal balance. I felt strongly that it was possible.

When I took my friends from Tokyo to a forest or herb field, some of them were surprised by the scent and started playing as if they had returned to the wild, while others took deep breaths and calmed down, and everyone looked natural and lively. .

After this experience, I started to think that if we could deliver the wild scent of the forest, even people who lead busy lives or who are far away from nature could have an experience that frees their mind and body and awakens their natural self. I did.

At the same time, noi was born with the hope that people who have had such experiences will become interested in forests and become closer to them.

I go into the forest of Mt. Fuji and study the forest and scents every day through trial and error, following the cycles of nature.

 

Founders

Makiko Tanaka

Favorite tree: Kobushi in early spring, wild sansho

Favorite moment in the forest: The forest after the rain. In a forest that receives the blessings of rain, all living things such as trees, moss, mushrooms, soil, and bacteria are moist and vibrant. The scent of each living creature is filled with the scent of the forest, which blends together to give you the energy to live.

Profile: After studying abroad in a small village in northern Italy at the age of 16, he became interested in the relationship between food and happiness. After graduating from university, he launched a cooking recipe platform in Italy and France, and became independent after returning to Japan. Worked as a freelancer in food event planning/product development, etc., and moved to Fujiyoshida in 2022. At noi, he is in charge of the scent formular.

 

Beppu Taiga

Favorite trees: spring buds, larch sprouts

Favorite forest moment: The fresh green forest and rain forest from April to May. The forest has finally begun to sprout after a chilly winter where the leaves have fallen and the leaves have fallen, and the fresh green buds are still a little damp and have a beautiful yellow-green color. The rain forest is surrounded by a magical deep green color, the sound of rain becomes the background music, and I feel like the forest is happy, and I feel like I've stepped into another world while sheltering from the rain under the trees.

Profile: Since university days, I have been working as a freelancer, doing a variety of producing, editing, and copywriting with a focus on branding both domestically and internationally. After that, he joined a restaurant planning and management company and was responsible for a wide range of business planning. Currently moving to Fujiyoshida, he is involved in marketing D2C food brands and regional revitalization projects in the city.