fiBona

The Around Beauty Meetup is an event in which innovators, both internal and external, related to beauty gather and interact at S/PARK. In order to consider everchanging beauty from a variety of perspectives, the fourth session focused on the experience that people have through their "five senses." We invited Shinnosuke Tsukagoshi, who is active in a wide range of fields including tea tasting and blending, as a guest speaker to deepen participants’ understanding of "mariage" (the French word for combinations that enhance aroma and taste) created through the mingling of the five senses. Mr. Tsukagoshi talked about his culinary experience, which involves examining the elements of taste, aroma, and texture, as well as visual and auditory sensations, and bringing them together into mariage.

On this day, many people from multiple industries gathered, joining groups of three or four and introducing themselves under the concept of "one kanji character that represents your 2019", which is something typically done in December.

One participant shared, "In 2019, I often collaborated with people from other industries and teams, so I chose the kanji “新” for new. Also, my wedding marked the beginning of my “new” life!" The participants enjoyed themselves sharing details such as this with each other.

Yuko Nakanishi, the leader of fibona, then grabbed the microphone to introduce the background behind the guest speaker. "I think beauty changes with the times, but when I was thinking about the beauty of the future, one of my focuses was the five senses. It was at that time when I met Mr. Tsukagoshi, who works as a sommelier at a restaurant where I had gone to eat. The food and drink pairings that he provided, including the explanations, were amazing. Mr. Tsukagoshi's story resonated with what I felt when developing a cosmetic prescription."

Next, Mr. Tsukagoshi introduced himself. "Hello, everyone. I usually serve wine as a sommelier at the Michelin one-star restaurant “sio” in Yoyogi-Uehara, and I value pairing drinks not only tailored to the meal but also to the customer and space. In addition to being a sommelier, I also work as a tea taster, providing consulting services and developing bottled tea called “Bottling Tea.”

A sommelier suggests wines for alcoholic pairing, and tea and other soft drinks with fruit, herbs, and spices for non-alcoholic pairing. For making these pairings, "mariage" is important.

Mariage is the French word for “marriage.” However, this word is also used to describe how when you combine two or more kinds of things that are well-matched, they become more flavorful. In the food and drink industry, it refers to the combination of food and drink, but I personally think that it can also occur with anything, like the space, people, or music."

Mr. Tsukagoshi then went on to explain the three elements important for mariage: harmony, neutralization, and complementation.

"Harmony is combining together items with similar elements, like adding a berry sauce to a fruit tart. On the other hand, we often squeeze lemon or lime on raw oysters, but when paired with wine, it is possible to further enhance the taste of the oysters by pairing their minerality with a sharp acidity. This complements the dish by adding an acidic element that oysters lack. Another example is how people say that red wine goes with meat because they both have strong flavors. However, the astringency of the wine also suppresses the fattiness of the meat. Sometimes, a wine that may not taste very good on its own is easier to drink after eating some meat. This is a pairing based on neutralization."

Mr. Tsukagoshi then explained that "taste," "flavor," and "texture" are important factors in bringing about mariage.

"In Japan, understanding the compatibility of the five tastes (sweetness, umami, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness) is the secret to producing something delicious. Sometimes, it's said that “sweetness and bitterness are compatible” or “bitterness and umami are compatible.”

Flavor is said to be based on understanding the aroma given off by food and drink. For example, if you have ever had strawberry milk, you can understand that strawberries are compatible with milk. So, if something has a milkiness, you can think of it as being compatible with strawberries, through a chain of connection.

Finally, there is texture, which encompasses both elements such as mouthfeel and temperature. Generally speaking, it is said that the temperatures of things should be about the same. But have you ever eaten ice cream while soaking in the bath? Eating something cold in a warm setting can make it even more delicious. There are a lot of other cases in what is felt in everyday life can supersede what is written in textbooks.”

After Tsukagoshi's lecture, a delicious aroma wafted in the air, and two kinds of tea were handed to him along with two dishes.

Mr. Tsukagoshi went on to explain. "We wanted everyone to have a real pairing experience today. We paired the tea in the black-patterned cup with duck and the tea in the white-patterned cup with azuki guimauve. When taking a bite, the duck meat is tasted first followed by the delicious flavors that slowly spread from the mushrooms and cheese. As you chew, the dill changes the aroma to that of herb. To match this sequence of flavors, we prepared a tea from Sri Lanka. The tea paired with the azuki guimauve has a savory aroma and was aged for three years. It features a milky quality and a fresh caramel-like aroma that comes from the ripening of its flavors. Its aroma and taste is very similar to that of the guimauve. It has been served chilled."

"Wow, the flavor has intensified!", "I feel like it has become even more delicious!" and other exclamations were said, and the venue was enveloped by many smiles due to the deliciousness.
Having their fill of the food and tea, next, Tsukagoshi talked about the restaurant “sio,” where he works, and the aspects there that he is particular about in addition to cooking.

"The first thing that customers touch when they come to the restaurant is a wet towel," Tsukagoshi said. "We use Imabari towels instead of the general white ones that can smell excessively of bleach. The service staff washes and maintains them every day and takes good care of them." And because people concentrate on taste when they eat in a dark location, the lighting in the restaurant has been dimmed. They are also quite thorough with the music they play. Guests are usually at the restaurant for about three hours, and they have a contract with a DJ to make sure guests don’t hear the same music during their time there. "We play music in line with the style of the course, which usually take around two to two and a half hours to finish, and we use this to help us pace our service to our guests." He also taught us about the combination of space, sound, and service.

This was followed by a panel session between Higashi and Kurashima from the Shiseido Global Innovation Center. Higashi is a researcher responsible for the development of perfumes for cosmetics, and Kurashima is in charge of the development of products such as shampoos and conditioners. First, fibona member Toyoda asked, "What are the important points in researching and servicing the optimal combination and mix within each of your specialties?" The three of them then introduced the "mariage" that is practiced in their respective specialized fields.

Mr. Tsukagoshi responded, "For example, when tailoring a drink, like a cocktail, to a meal, there is the method of not using something that is too similar. For instance, it’s easy for yuzu flavor to linger, and if you combine it with lemon, the lemon flavor disappears. In this way, if the flavors are too similar, the complex flavors can’t be tasted. Simply using flavors that are alike cannot be called a mariage. I always think about gradually mixing flavors and bringing out the complex elements."

Higashi answered, "When we feel psychological tension and stress, there is a "stressful odor," which is a distinctive odor of sulfur compounds. With our products, those stress odors are masked by using fragrances so they are less pronounced. Similar to this, we are working on R&D with the perspective of creating a fragrance that is in line with what our customers want to solve."

Kurashima said, "What is important in the combination of shampoo and conditioner is the state of the hair after washing out the shampoo to prepare the foundation. Furthermore, after that, how many of the ingredients are left in the hair when the conditioner is used. In fact, very complicated things are happening to the hair. In order to make the ingredients of the conditioner remain more easily in the hair, we sometimes design it so that the shampoo doesn't become too smooth on its own. In that case, the ultimate finish can be attained after using the conditioner."

There was also a request from Kurashima to Mr. Tsukagoshi. "Today, I realized that I had never really thought about overall fragrance as I was going through my bathing routine of washing my hair, face, body and then taking a bath. Therefore, I would like you to tell us if you are particular about the fragrance of the entire “sio” space.” "We haven’t added any scents to the interior of the restaurant, but the bathrooms have a very fragrant smell. Therefore, customers who go to the bathrooms often leave with a smile (laughs). Here, there is a contrasting atmosphere. Also, if you have a course full of dishes with strong smells, it can get tiring, so we pay particular attention to the flavors. When the temperature goes up, the aromas increase at the same time, so we use differences in temperature to pace things. I think that aroma is one of the elements that adds an accent to the course," Mr. Tsukakgoshi replied.

"I would like to think about a proposal for an overall fragrance in the bathroom, just like your story about sio," Kurashima said. "The space of the bath is definitely very small, so if you think about mixing scents together, it would be interesting to see a mix of scents that are not just the same, but separate ones that have a very pleasant overall smell when put together. However, it is quite the hurdle to have people use everything from the shampoo to the body soap, but it may be worthwhile in that sense (laughs)," Higashi said smiling.

After that, time was set aside for a question-and-answer session and for the highly-anticipated networking time for group discussions on the participants' impressions and ideas. S/PARK Cafe once again catered the event, and all of the participants, including Mr. Tsukagoshi and the presenters, enjoyed themselves.

The fourth Around Beauty Meetup wrapped up in a friendly atmosphere. It inspired us to think about new beauty experiences based on the combination of the "five senses," while fully experiencing the mariage of food.

As a follow-up, the fourth Around Beauty Meetup meeting led to a collaboration between Juchheim Co., Ltd. and Hakuhodo I-Studios Inc. and the start of a new experimental initiative.

Through Around Beauty Meetup, we will continue to stimulate the ideas of participants and accelerate movements that will bring about new collaborations such as this one.