The Scent that Unlocks Summer Memories
Scents have the power to bring back forgotten memories in an instant.
For many Japanese people, one such scent is that of a mosquito coil.
Through the scent of mosquito coils, this column invites you to discover why this familiar scent still evokes memories of summer across Japan.
When I was a child in the 1960s, air conditioners were not yet common in Japan. During the summer, many families spent their evenings with the windows open and an electric fan gently circulating the air. Because Japanese summers are hot and humid and mosquitoes are common, mosquito coils became an essential part of everyday life.
Used night after night throughout the summer, their distinctive scent naturally became associated with the season. Even today, that familiar scent instantly brings back memories of summer for many Japanese people. Although they are no longer common in most urban households, mosquito coils are still used in rural homes, gardens, farms, and campsites.
My family was no exception.
On summer evenings, a gentle breeze from the fan filled the room, while everything outside was quiet.
After my bath, my mother would gently dust my neck and arms with baby powder to prevent heat rash. Then I would climb into bed, feeling the cool breeze from the fan. Looking back now, I realize how safe and loved I felt, surrounded by my family and cared for by my mother.
When the mosquito coil was lit, a thin stream of smoke slowly rose into the air, filling the room with its distinctive scent. Even the next morning, a faint scent still lingered. Whenever I caught its scent, I felt as if I had been carried back to those peaceful summer evenings.
The scent of a mosquito coil still reminds many Japanese people of the summer evenings they grew up with. For me, it is a precious reminder of childhood and the comforting evenings I spent with my family.
If you ever come across the scent of a mosquito coil while visiting Japan, I hope it will inspire you to imagine the quiet summer evenings that were once part of everyday life in many Japanese homes.
Yoshiko Niino is a midwife dedicated to improving Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) throughout her career. After gaining clinical experience as a midwife, she lived in the United States for about seven years, where she gained intercultural experience and polished her English by taking a Master’s degree in Biomedical Ethics in English. She then returned to Japan and has since gained experience in administrative positions in the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and at an international health economics institution, during which she took a Ph.D. in medicine, followed by professor’s positions at undergraduate and master`s levels in nursing and midwifery. She now seeks to leverage these life experiences as a column writer in Tokyo.
