Domingo is collaborating with towns in Hokkaido for a month to bring you the second installment, this time focusing on Memuro Town! We will be delivering information on how to enjoy the town and its special local products over a period of four weeks. This time, we would like to introduce Irodori Farm's "2052" essential oil (Japanese Abies monad) as a specialty product of Memuro Town.

What is "2052" essential oil (Japanese pine)?

This essential oil is extracted from Japanese Sakhalin fir grown in Tokachi, Hokkaido.

"2052" Japanese Sakhalin fir essential oil is 100% natural. The fragrance extracted from the leaves and branches of Japanese Sakhalin fir trees grown in Tokachi, Hokkaido, is characterized by its freshness and softness that evokes the lush greenery of a forest. You can use it in spaces where you want to relax, such as the sauna, living room, or bedroom, when you want to relax and rejuvenate your body and mind.

"Irodori Farm" creates fresh and soft fragrances

The person who made this "2052" was Mr. Tobita of Irodori Farm.

I was originally from Obihiro and spent my time there until high school, then moved to Tokyo to attend university and lived there for 10 years. In 2014, Tobita returned to his hometown of Obihiro and started working in sales at his father's company. He often drove around the country, mainly in eastern Hokkaido. He discovered the charm of his hometown, Tokachi, where he spent his early years as a high school student, and says that if he had the chance, he would like to do farming that was rooted in the land. Then, in the spring of 2018, he finally started farming here in Memuro Town, located in the center of the Tokachi Plain. Originally, he was attracted to the farmland and house where a man who had moved from Kyoto had been cultivating herbs, haskap, and other crops for 23 years, so he purchased it and decided to start organic farming. Although Tobita had no intention of cultivating herbs at first, he became completely captivated after drinking the herbal tea made by the former owner. Although large-scale agriculture is the norm in Memuro Town, Tobita chose to grow herbs and fruit organically, and began producing organic herbal tea and herbal salt.

While cultivating herbs and producing and selling herbal tea and herbal salt, Tobita became fascinated with "aroma" and began to think that he wanted to do various things with "organic aroma" as the core. "While thinking about what scent would be unique to Hokkaido, I came up with the idea of 'Japanese Sakhalin Fir,' which grows wild in Hokkaido. I have a strong desire to promote organic scents derived from plants, rather than artificially created fragrances."

The thoughts behind "2052"

One of the reasons Tobita moved to Memuro Town was the scenery and climate created by the Hidaka Mountains. He fell in love with the beautiful scenery of the fields and mountains, as well as the "Tokachi sunny" weather, which means the Hidaka Mountains hold back the clouds and there are an overwhelming number of sunny days. "To show our gratitude, we named our product after the 2,052m elevation of Mount Poroshiri, the highest mountain in the Hidaka Mountains."

The raw materials used to make “2052” are the branches and leaves of Japanese Sakhalin fir trees. The trunks of Japanese Sakhalin firs are often used as building materials, while the branches and leaves are often simply dumped in the mountains. Tobita himself extracts the essential oil from the branches and leaves of these Japanese Sakhalin firs, and it is 100% produced in Tokachi, Hokkaido.

Furthermore, since the Japanese Sakhalin fir is an evergreen coniferous tree that does not die during the winter, it can be produced even during the winter when herbs cannot be cultivated, making it suitable for farming alongside crop cultivation.

How to use "2052" essential oil (Japanese sedge)

You can carry it around on a handkerchief, add a few drops to your bath, or use it as an aroma diffuser or reed diffuser to enjoy the scent... There are many ways to enjoy essential oils. One of the most recommended uses is in the sauna! "We recommend using it in the sauna loyly. Pour water with 2052 dissolved in it onto the sauna stones and enjoy the scent in the rising steam. The essential oil ingredients have the effect of relaxing the mind and body and purifying the air, similar to the effects of forest bathing, and you can feel this not only through your nose but also through your skin."

This is a way to enjoy yourself that Tobita highly recommends, as he loves hot springs and saunas. The sauna at the Hokkaido Hotel in Obihiro City has sauna days about three times a month where you can enjoy the scent of Japanese Sakhalin Fir. We also recommend enjoying the scent with your entire body in the sauna at Hokkaido Hotel. "I love the sky, the weather, the scenery, the hot springs and saunas here, and I don't think I'd want to live anywhere else in Japan." Tobita said this, and created "2052" with a focus on "organics" and "fragrance." Be sure to check it out at Saito and other stores!