Hinoki Essential Oil × Bar Manager | A "forest for one" lit on the bar counter on a quiet night

There are nights when the bar is open but no one comes.

Ryo Mamiya, 37 years old.

He runs a small authentic bar in a back alley of Kichijoji.

There are 7 seats at the counter.

No sign.

It's not even advertised.

But still, customers would come -- or so they thought.

rain.

A weekday, Tuesday.

I didn't even announce it on social media.

On nights like this, even the regulars don't come.

I break the ice and wipe the glasses by myself.

Only that sound is absorbed into the space.

Mamiya took out a small wooden box from behind the counter.

Inside was Kyoto Asanoha's "cypress essential oil."

Cypress.

To him, it was the scent for "sober nights."

A drop on the aroma stone.

Soon the scent of conifers fills the chilled air.

A deep, refined smell, like damp wood.

It's like being alone in a deserted forest.

"It would be nice to have a day where we serve things other than alcohol."

I remember a regular customer once saying that.

On days when you feel emotionally down, the aroma may be more effective than a highball.

For Ryo, cypress essential oil is like a "cocktail made for himself."

Not for anyone.

No words are needed.

Just create space and let the breath flow.

As the aroma filled the air, the soundless store seemed a little more "alive."

There's no excuse for being alone.

That may be the greatest benefit of this fragrance.

In the end, no one came that night.

But before he turned off the light, Ryo put on another drop of hinoki.

Another routine for nights when you're not making cocktails.
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