Thursday, a one-day Tokyo adventure

When it comes to Japan, one of the hottest topics recently has been Mount Fuji’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Both locals and overseas tourists have had their radars on high alert, afraid of missing even the slightest update. The conversation around Mount Fuji seems to have instantly overshadowed Tokyo, the favorite city of many Japanese, and various Mount Fuji travel packages are being talked about everywhere.

 

However, the charm of Tokyo is absolutely not limited to the glamorous image painted by its fashion scene and the Skytree. On a Thursday street in Tokyo, office workers are still hurrying along with their heads down. But turn into a small alleyway shop, and you’ll find a slower, more elegant pace, as well as the relaxed atmosphere of a holiday.

The first stop of the day was LE LABO in Daikanyama, which also left me with my most special souvenir. LE LABO is a perfume brand founded in New York, and its Daikanyama branch is its only store in all of Asia. Known in the fashion world for “custom perfumes,” LE LABO was founded by Fabrice Penot and Eddie Roschi—two young perfume enthusiasts who believe that perfume is a unique work of art, not a boring, mass-produced commodity. Thus, they launched LE LABO with an experimental concept. At this “perfume lab,” you can create a scent that is truly one of a kind. This innovation even caught the attention of Parisian fashion boutique Colette, which dedicated a special section to LE LABO in its store.

 

The experience of customizing a perfume at LE LABO in Daikanyama was really fun. When I asked to create my own fragrance, the perfume consultant accurately pinpointed my base scent with just a few questions. LE LABO currently offers 12 base scents, each labeled with a different number after the fragrance name, indicating the types of ingredients it contains. The consultant selected BERGAMOTE 22 for me. It smelled not only fresh and citrusy like sweet orange or lemon, but also floral and spicy, with layers of aroma emerging distinctly over time. Even though the consultant recommended it, I tried every single perfume available. In the end, BERGAMOTE 22 was still my favorite. While sampling, I didn’t feel overwhelmed or lose sensitivity to the different scents. The consultant explained that this is because LE LABO uses only premium ingredients sourced from Grasse, the perfume capital of southern France, which are then transported to the headquarters where perfumers conduct countless experiments to create the current 12 base notes. Each has an independent and distinct scent, offering not stimulation but inspiration—“allowing you to smell more.”

Once you’ve chosen your preferred base note, the perfume-making expert will don a white coat, bring out the ingredients and alcohol chilled and flown in from New York to Tokyo, and enter the transparent lab to create your scent on the spot. Upon completion, they will affix a label on the perfume bottle with the names of the customer and the perfumer, as well as the production date. The LE LABO perfume consultant told me that the time of creation is a crucial factor affecting the scent. “So if you come on a Friday, even if you choose BERGAMOTE 22, the resulting fragrance will be completely different from today!”

 

Can’t wait to try the freshly made perfume, but the scent feels a bit different from what you experienced earlier—it’s refreshingly new yet unfamiliar. The consultant smiles and says, “At this stage, the perfume is like a newly formed fruit. The scent is clear but not yet mellow. After two to three weeks of ‘maturation,’ it will release its most pleasant fragrance.”

 

Besides custom perfumes, LE LABO has also developed a series of fragrance products, such as city-limited perfumes, candles, room sprays, fabric fresheners, and even a scented notebook that releases fragrance when you rub it gently with your hand. If you get the chance to visit LE LABO, remember to take your time savoring the scents. The brand founders, Fabrice and Eddie, designed LE LABO to resemble a bar counter, creating a relaxed, unrestrained atmosphere—even though it’s called a lab, it doesn’t feel cold at all.

 

Freedom Hills, always unhurried and elegant, is not only the area Tokyoites most want to live in but is also considered a paradise for stationery and dessert lovers. You can stumble upon delightful corners without even trying, making it perfect for those who want to wander aimlessly. On a quiet Thursday afternoon, I experienced the joy of “stealing a half-day of leisure” in Freedom Hills—enjoying afternoon tea, browsing little shops—and by the time I headed back, I found myself walking at a slower, more relaxed pace, feeling light and happy.

 

Compared to cafes serving Western-style desserts, the Taisho-era tearoom “Kosouan” is arguably one of the most unique sights in Freedom Hills. After spotting the canvas sign with the shop’s name, I walked along a gravel path toward the interior. The afternoon sun filtered through the trees, casting dancing shadows that made the ground look like rippling water. Even before entering the shop, I was drawn to the old well by the front yard and the traditional Japanese house built with Kosou trees. The classic Japanese architectural charm not only condensed historical memories but also exuded a serene, carefree tranquility.

After removing our shoes, we were led by a smiling woman to a window seat bathed in natural light. Once seated, my photographer and I ordered matcha red bean mochi and anmitsu (a traditional Japanese dessert), both popular items at Kosouan. The mochi in the matcha red bean mochi was chewy but not too soft, paired with unsweetened yet smooth matcha and sweet red beans that enhanced the flavor without being cloying. Both texture and taste were perfectly balanced. The eye-catching anmitsu was equally delightful—featuring fresh fruits, jelly powder, brown sugar jelly, and sweet red beans. Paired with a sip of fragrant roasted green tea, a wave of happiness spread from my taste buds.

 

After finishing the desserts, while the woman was clearing the table, we asked her about the story of Kosouan. She kindly showed us a small booklet and explained the history. It turns out the name “Kosouan” comes from the large amount of mulberry wood used in the construction of the house, and the name was given by the owner’s grandfather’s writer friend—Matsuo Jaku. Matsuo Jaku was quite famous in Japan, not only for his own literary works but also because he was the son-in-law of the literary giant Natsume Soseki. This added a nostalgic literary charm to Kosouan. Leaning against the floor-to-ceiling windows, we jotted down our thoughts and slowly enjoyed the peaceful afternoon. The interior decor, the artworks, and even the conversations carried a refined and rich atmosphere. There was nothing overly flashy, yet everything felt deeply meaningful.

 

Be a stationery fan for a day