Owner of "M.Herbs & Aromatherapy"
AEAJ certified aromatherapist, JAMHA certified herbal therapist
I have known and known Ono Mitsuko for almost 10 years now.
In the midst of busy days, I had been neglecting myself, but meeting her definitely gave me the opportunity to stop and reflect on myself.
The scent, power, presence, and how to interact with plants, which can be caring, healing, and sometimes invigorating.
There is still so much I want to learn from her. Whenever I meet her, I feel a sense of freedom.
Above all, it's because she herself is a very gentle and soothing person, a truly natural and relaxed person.
The Erni fragrance was born from her.
- I would like to introduce Ono-san, who supervised Erni's fragrance items. I would also like to hear about the specific activities that Ono-san is involved in working with fragrance.
I have been studying naturopathy for nearly 20 years.
Even though it is called natural therapy, it started with aromatherapy and began as a way to improve one's own health.
- What exactly is aromatherapy?
It's aromatherapy.
Before I started studying aromatherapy, I had been working in the household goods industry for a long time, which meant I was very busy and had to travel overseas a lot. One day, I became ill and had to be hospitalized. I was enjoying my work and working hard at it, so I felt like a thread had snapped in my heart and I wondered, "Why me?"
I hadn't been able to take a bath for a few days and was feeling depressed, when a nurse brought me hot water and aroma oil and wiped my body down. I think it was citrus oil, but the scent was so pleasant that I suddenly felt a surge of energy well up inside me.
I thought, "Aromatherapy has mysterious powers." After I was released from the hospital, I had about a month off, so I started studying it little by little at home.
-Aromatherapy is not just about enjoying scents, but about using the power of scent to affect the body and mind.
I agree.
I had always loved the natural scent of plants, but it was then that I first realized that the power of scent can be beneficial to people.
Whether you're feeling restless after something painful has happened or excited after something fun has happened and can't sleep, there are aromas to calm your mind for each reason.If you're feeling low in energy or unable to concentrate in the morning, there are aromas that can revitalize your mind and body.
They have a variety of effects. I also learned that blending each aroma oil creates a synergy that is not just 1 + 1 = 2, but can even be 3 or 4.
Plants can survive without humans, but humans cannot survive without plants. I think the power of nature and the mysteries of plants are truly amazing.
I started with aromatherapy, but I became interested in what kinds of plants have nice scents and are beneficial to humans, so I started studying medical herbs.
Blending herbal tea to suit your physical condition that day is also a fun form of self-care.
Also, when it comes to aromatherapy, I started to wonder how it can actually be put to use, and so I started making various aroma crafts.
For example, you can dilute it into an oil and use it for massage, make a room freshener or deodorizing spray, or create your own natural perfume...there are many ways to enjoy it.
I also learned about and started making additive-free handmade soap.
When you try something and think it's good, you want to recommend it to others, so I introduced it to my friends and people around me and had them try it.
My friends told me, "It's so good, you should commercialize it," so I'm gradually starting to commercialize it.
-Is that your main job now?
Yes, but I also continue to work on lifestyle goods. This is a brand that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and I've been involved with it since it was first established, so it feels like it's become a part of me. So, I work on product planning and table coordination for the store a few days a week.
-So, in the past you were so busy that you injured yourself, but now you're busy with two things! Are you pushing yourself too hard?
Just using your brain in a different way can help you relax.
When I was only working in the household goods industry, I would usually take my rest by sleeping all day on my days off or going out to eat with friends in the evening.
But humans only need about seven hours of sleep. I realized that using different parts of my brain during my waking hours would be more refreshing and restful, so I started going to aromatherapy school on Saturdays.
-Oh ! You're really busy.
That's right lol
However, I didn't have to raise children, so I'm spending that time learning and helping those around me, hoping that it will give me a sense of purpose and enjoyment in life.
-So, you are currently working in this situation in order to maintain a balance between your body and mind.
I do it because I think there are things I need to do. I think that when there's nothing left to do, I'll be the one who knows best. But now I have a role to play, and ideas are flowing.
-As you get older, there comes a time when you feel like you have nothing left to do, right?
You may feel like you're running out of things to do in this field, but there are probably things you can do in other fields.
I am so glad that I am now working on aromatherapy and herbal medicine at the same time. I believe that this has allowed me to balance my work and everyday life and enjoy them.
-You also hold workshops to share your own activities and things you think are good, right?
Yes. Rather than planning workshops myself, my friends are active in their respective fields, so they often ask me to help them.
For example, when my best friend holds an exhibition for her clothing brand, I am asked to hold a workshop to provide something fun to go along with the exhibition. The lovely aroma fills the exhibition hall, creating a synergistic effect with the lovely clothes.
This is not a serious aromatherapy course, but rather an enjoyable experience for everyone to enjoy, so that participants can easily incorporate it into their daily lives as a form of self-care.
-Mr. Ono's strength is that he is not just an expert, but also has the ability to apply his knowledge of aromatherapy in many different areas.
When creating the Erni fragrance items this time, I first explained the image I had in mind to Ono-san...
Although we ourselves are interested in aromas, we don't have much knowledge about them, so this time we gave an abstract image, like the stems and soil of a greenhouse when you water plants in the morning.
Ono suggested several scents , which we selected in line with the brand policy , and asked them to make minor adjustments to bring us closer to the overall world view .
There is a synergistic effect in receiving requests and responding to them. If I were working alone, the direction would be similar, but when I receive a request to make something like this, I see, and my imagination expands and develops, which is interesting.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to commercialize this product. 
I felt that Ono's ability to understand the feelings of others is what drives her to put the various therapies she has experienced to good use for the many people she cares about.
As we talked, it became clear that at the core of his story is a desire to share his beneficial experiences with people who are yet to learn about them and who are struggling.
We have "aroma" and "therapy" to address the stress and physical discomfort that everyone has experienced, as well as beauty, which many people are likely to be interested in.
As I got to know Mr. Ono's personality, all of these things combined to make me even more interested in aromatherapy.
Next time, we will continue our column on Erni products supervised by Ono-san.