Yoyogi Park is one of the most beloved and celebrated green spaces in Tokyo. Nestled between the ultra-hip youth fashion mecca of Harajuku and the bustling social center of Shibuya, Yoyogi is a serene oasis, miles of soft grass, sparkling ponds, and the shade of gingko trees- a park for everyday Tokyo residents to congregate, relax, and play. Tyler Brûlé, the founder of Monocle Magazine, found himself inspired during his morning jogs there, and so with the help of Comme des Garcons he set out to create a scent that captures the unique feeling of natural serenity that can occur in one of the world's busiest metropolises.
And true to form, Yoyogi is a scent both serene and energetic, a perfect combination of soothing green notes resting on the negative space of the smoky, spicy cityscape beyond. Aromatic cypress lends a distinctly contemplative Japanese character, while the unmistakable crispness of freshly cut grass immediately puts us in Brûlé's jogging shoes on a dewey morning, the sun still low in the sky, the park nearly deserted and silent. As sweet, herbaceous chamomile and bitter, resinous wormwood emerge in the latter stages, we begin to experience the park- and Tokyo- at midday, an escape from the traffic and hustle but still fundamentally at the centre of the city- the kind of modern touch CDG is beloved for. Serene and natural, modern and exciting, all at one- that's the undeniably striking effect of a single spray of Yoyogi.
