On March 19th we went to the Takasago Collection Gallery in Kamata.
Housed on the upper floors of a corporate building in outer Kawasaki (Takasago is one of the ‘Big Six’ global perfumery conglomerates along with IFF, Firmenich et al), on the cold, misty day we went there was nobody there, except for the receptionist at the desk – above, seated not far from the most exquisite Baccarat Eucalypte bottle – and groups of executives having meetings behind frosted glass.
For a few wistful moments – the grey white of the treeless metropolis beyond the window lent an eerie hum to the carpeted silence – I wondered to myself whether I, too, should have been a J-fluent, bespoke-suited exec having hush hush launch planning meetings behind closed doors. But as d said, that would, in fact, necessitate having been born a totally different person.
“You haven’t got a business bone in your body”.
While I yearned, badly, to possess the vast majority of the bottles on display, I also coveted the beautiful incense paraphernalia from a variety of historical periods that were part of the collection ( it is only a modest sized museum and is free entry):
A pulse-calming space, once outside, we found ourselves in the freezing urban slush – it had been snowing that morning ; but the air was so crystalline, the new blossoms opening in rain droplets on pine needles, I found it brain-sluicing, cathartic.
Beyond fabulous, if I were given the opportunity to have one of those bottles, it would take forever to choose. Maybe the frog spawn one…
Yes ! That was the one we were fawning (spawning ?) over. Unusual and delicate.
The whole gallery, while small, was very pleasing
It’s so exquisite. Puts all the luxury perfume bottles to shame.
The grey office like surroundings is an interesting contrast.
Yes – I LOVED that.
It was really pleasingly contradictory. You could see the muffled shapes of conglomerate goings on, but also feast on the Laliquean stillness.
And I liked the corporate tables and chairs where you could just stare out into the great nothingness of the city
Plus the inert lady on reception
So, so beautiful! I want them all… I sent this to my daughter who will be visiting Japan for a couple of weeks soon
If she likes a birra perfume and has a quick lacuna in the schedule, I do recommend. It’s a curious place. We only went there because we had stayed overnight nearby the night before to see PJ Harvey and had to kill the morning and afternoon before making our way to the airport. Ordinarily I would never go anywhere on a flight day but it was close to our hotel and when d said, oh, there is a perfume museum nearby, you know I said yes.
I TRY to resist gorgeous bottles ~ I want to spend my $$s on the perfume itself … but OMG! Works of art! Thank you for sharing.
I had to.
Wonderful! I took a digital bath of repose.
And the outside pictures were mindsoothing as well.
That was precisely my intention.
Beautifully put.
If I could have just ONE of those Laliques..
Beautiful photos…thanks for sharing them with us. You guys sure get around.
I suppose we do ! Which one would you choose if you could only have one?
Those treasures in the confines of the corporate world. Love your pics.
Thanks.
Yes, that was the paradoxical pleasure of it all. Dreary – with mesmerizing masterpieces.