Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2013

A rather tenuous play on words, Co-Tri is pronounced “kotori” (“baby bird” in Japanese) and also works in the pseudo-English “collaboration trifecta.” It’s an aromatic reed diffuser for the home that is much more than just a small smelly work of art. Created and sold by Grasse Tokyo, a shop that specializes in Japan-only aromas (cue Shinjuku at 5am jokes here… ), actual dried reeds are dipped into aromatic oils such as yuzu, citrusy kabosu and bitter orange and Akita cedar. They are then placed in kiln-fired clay pots made by Mashi No Kam from Mie Prefecture that are baked with a hydrangea-blue, textured glaze. The final touch is added by Kyoto shop Musubi who wrap the whole affair in a traditional duo-sided furoshiki cloth in either colorful Akita cedar, kiso or Aomori cypress patterns. The diffuser can be unwrapped and the furoshiki used for almost anything else—the Co-Tri website even provides handy photo instructions on how wrap a tissue box.
¥4,725 at select department stores such as Seibu and Lumine.
www.grassetokyo.com