Character
The Story of Hinoki Wood
Sacred Japanese cypress. Camphoraceous and lemon-tinged woodiness, grounding yet luminous. A meditative note prized in fine perfumery.
Heritage
The Japanese regard hinoki as sacred. Its pale wood and straight grain have built temples, shrines, and torii gates for over a thousand years. Shinto tradition assigns the wood purifying properties, and its warm, lemony aroma fills sacred spaces believed to connect the physical and spiritual. Steam distillation of the heartwood captures this essence, bringing the material into Western perfumery only in the late twentieth century. It remains one of the most prized materials in Japanese culture and perfumery alike.
At a Glance
1
Feature this note
Japan
Primary source region
Ingredient Details
Steam distillation
Heartwood
Did You Know
"Hinoki contains hinokitiol, the first non-benzenoid aromatic compound ever identified, a seven-membered ring that upended aromatic chemistry."