Encens Asakusa
A mystical incense inspired by a winter prayer at a Tokyo temple, where olibanum and myrrh meet the powdery softness of iris and violet.
Perfumer: Amélie Bourgeois, Anne-Sophie Behaghel
Encens Asakusa pictures a temple in Tokyo, where a winter prayer is answered by the serene sound of a koto. Each L'Orchestre Parfum scent is paired with music, and the page marks this one "Mezzo Piano," "Deep Vibes" and "63 BPM." Encens is French for incense; Asakusa is a district of Tokyo.
Olibanum, listed first, gives the smoky, resinous glow of frankincense. Pink berries add a bright, sparkling lift and cypress a green, coniferous edge, keeping the smoke from settling too heavily.
Iris and violet bring a soft, powdery texture, matching the house's own description of the scent as powdery. Bittersweet, resinous myrrh joins white musk underneath, and the whole resolves into the mystical, woody incense the brand describes.
The fragrance was composed by Anne-Sophie Behaghel and Amélie Bourgeois, with musical interpretation by Fumie Hihara, who began the koto at nine and became a koto master at seventeen. The brand titles the piece "Off the Tumult," and that idea of stepping away from noise links her playing to the quiet of the scent.
