Plum Japonais Tom Ford 2013

I wander through the streets of Tokyo, thoughts buzzing in my head, unique Japan. If I want to explore the landscape, I take the train to Mt. Fuji. Nature rushes past me. It's spring, cherry blossom time and the Hanami festival. Japanese gardens are famous for their fragrant, delicate flowers. Apart from cherries, other stone fruits such as apricots, plums and peaches are also included, whose trees blossom during this time.

The first flowers are those of Prunus mume, the so-called Japanese plum or apricot. An independent species native to Japan. Since its flowers appear on bare branches as early as January or February, they are considered a symbol of the will to survive and promise good luck.

I'm dreaming, sitting alone in my train compartment - what do Japanese plum trees smell like? No one here. I get off in the city of Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture and breathe fresh air. I grab a bike and take a little ride around the city. The smell of spices in the air, maybe saffron? Light sweetness. Delicious... Vanilla and cinnamon. I drive past happy people in bars. Alcohol is in the air. In the distance I can already see them, plum trees and flowers. I get off my bike, I find myself in the plum garden of Atami. Beautiful. Bright pink, white trees, natural spectacle, waterfall, small streams, narrow bridges - the sun is shining and a light wind is blowing. I dream along the path. Plum liquor. I wonder what this smells like when it's dried I remember. A perfume in my backpack, I take it out, standing on the bridge surrounded by plum trees. A spray, sensuality. Perfection. Tom Ford Plum Japonais. I knew it, a fragrance worn by angels. Ume flowers and Ume fruits have always been omnipresent in daily life, but also in Japanese art and poetry. The fragrance combines fruity plum with a dash of liqueur, unobtrusive sweetness accompanied by adult spiciness. Minute by minute the sillage slips into a dreamlike mix that cannot be described with words. I continue walking along the narrow paths, catching a breath of this fragrance again and again and am forced to close my eyes and enjoy it. I think I am in paradise. I never want to leave here again.

"Plum Japonais" reveals the extraordinary beauty of the Ume plum by combining it with an unconventional blend of exotic Asian ingredients. The fragrance is rich and luxurious and of an irresistible complexity.

I go back, get on my bike and dream towards the sunset. In my nose still the smell of plum blossoms. He'll probably stay there for a long time - that's the way angels must smell.