SCENTMATIC Developed a Relaxing Aroma for Kazuyasu Minobe, a Leader in the Japanese Fencing World, Using AI

-What Supports Minobe was Something We didn�t Expect: a Personalized Fragrance and “The World’s Best Glove”-

TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SCENTMATIC, INC. (“SCENTMATIC”), which proposes a new customer experience through fragrance digitization, developed a relaxing aroma blend in collaboration with Kazuyasu Minobe, an epee fencer on the Japan national team as well as a Chief Sports Officer in company’s KAORIUM project. Using the “KAORIUM” AI, which expresses fragrances in language, SCENTMATIC supports Minobe to attain a state of maximum relaxation in preparation for upcoming matches.

Two factors are behind Minobe developing the confidence for his rapid progress and gaining success as an epee fencer on the Japan national team: fragrances and “the world’s best glove.”

One thing he needs to reach peak condition for a match: fragrances

Minobe explains that fragrances are indispensable for performing at his peak in a match.

Working with SCENTMATIC, Minobe developed his original relaxing aroma blend in July of 2021. “The most important thing for athletes is creating peak performance for a match”, said Minobe. That means athletes must bring themselves into optimal condition on match day. For him, fragrances are indispensable in achieving this.

In order to maximize performance in a match, adjustments have to be made a few days in advance, considering not only physical but also mental aspects. Minobe treasures being able to relax, which even now means recreating his home environment as closely as possible. To do so, since he had a strong affinity for fragrances, he brought a room spray with him when traveling to away matches.

SCENTMATIC used the “KAORIUM” AI to support Minobe in creating an environment where he could relax as much as possible for a match by making an original fragrance that intrinsically matched him. The presence of this fragrance may have played an outsized role in his performance.

“After putting on the world’s best glove, I have to be the world’s best”

Japan’s only domestic producer of fencing gloves is the Scherma glove factory in Kagawa prefecture, operated by the Hosokawa family, a husband-and-wife team. They receive orders from overseas as well as from within Japan, and have become so popular that just about everyone in the fencing world knows Scherma gloves.

The distinctive feature of gloves made by this couple is that the fencer feels like they are fighting with a bare hand. Scherma gloves use a special iron that makes the fingertips bend in a distinctive “U” shape. This is different from most gloves—which usually wrinkle when the fingers bend—and is said to give the fencer the sensation of holding the sword in their bare hand.

Minobe has a strong commitment for this glove, saying that “after putting on the world’s best glove, I have to be the world’s best.” It has become a driving force behind his success as an athlete.

Heading into a match day, there are two things that power Minobe’s success: his personalized fragrance, indispensable for creating the conditions for him to relax, and “the world’s best glove,” which shows big results on match days.

Contacts

Press inquiries
SCENTMATIC Public Relations Office (part of Initial, Inc.) PIC: Yohei Miki

TEL: +81-3-5572-7332

FAX: +81-3-5572-6065

E-mail: scentmatic@vectorinc.co.jp