The values cherished as a pioneer in herbs and aromatherapy.

In the bustling area of Omotesando, located in the prime district of Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo, you’ll find the Harajuku Omotesando store of "Tree of Life." The moment you step inside, the lively noise of the surroundings fades away, and you are gently enveloped by the soothing aroma of herbs in the tranquil space, prompting you to take a deep breath...
Founded as a pottery shop in 1955 at this very location, "Tree of Life" began handling herbs in the 1970s. It quickly gained recognition as a pioneering company that introduced herbs and aromatherapy to Japan. Today, the company operates 100 stores nationwide, promoting a Wellness & Well-being lifestyle that incorporates the blessings of plants. In addition to selling products, it also runs educational programs such as aromatherapy schools.

"In line with our slogan 'Living with Nature - Well-earth, ' we cherish the blessings of plants and aim to create a sustainable lifestyle where the earth, animals, and all people involved can live in peace," says Manager Mr. Shigenaga. As the grandson of the founder and the son of the current CEO, Mr. Shigenaga continues, "Our company philosophy is 'to enrich people's lives by providing nature, health, and enjoyment.' A significant characteristic of our company might be that all our staff deeply understand this philosophy and communicate it while staying close to our customers."

From providing raw materials to upcycling into our own uniforms.

At Tree of Life, we import and sell over 100 types of carefully selected organic herbs from partner farms around the world. "Echinacea, for example, is a herb used for herbal tea. However, during the process of filling tea bags, some parts that don't meet product standards due to their color or shape end up being discarded.
It felt like such a waste to simply throw them away. It was during this time of pondering over what could be done that we encountered Mr. Toyoshima," they explained. At that time, Toyoshima had just launched its Food Textile business, and a representative who was considering dyeing with herbs reached out to Seikatsu no Ki. This marked the beginning of their collaboration.
Starting with "Blue Mallow" and "Echinacea," they now also utilize residues from herbs like "Rooibos." Moreover, rather than simply providing raw materials, from 2020 to the summer of 2023, Seikatsu no Ki's sales staff wore aprons dyed with Blue Mallow from Food Textile.

In the fall of 2023, the original uniforms were revamped using fabric dyed with residues from "Echinacea." Additionally, sacoches dyed with "Juniper" were also created.
"The reason we decided to create aprons in the first place was that the philosophy of Food Textile aligned perfectly with our 'Well-earth' concept," says the manager.
"By upcycling herb residues into aprons for our staff, it becomes easier to convey our philosophy to customers as a story. Why these aprons?
The aprons themselves provide an answer that everyone can understand and agree with."

The original uniform and sacoche born from staff feedback.

Until now, the uniforms had been updated in cycles of 3 to 4 years, but this time, there was a significant change from aprons to shirt-style uniforms and sacoches. The renewal of the uniforms was driven by requests from the staff. Many voiced concerns such as, "Carrying items in the apron pockets causes strain on the neck and shoulders," making the resolution of this issue the primary goal. Additionally, with staff members of various ages and genders, there was a request for comfortable attire that everyone could wear with ease.
On Toyoshima's side, they faced challenges in determining the right sizing due to the diversity in gender and age. Moreover, they were tasked with producing only two sizes: M and L. Toyoshima created several samples and had male and female staff repeatedly try them on, making detailed adjustments to sleeve length, body width, and overall length through multiple iterations.

"When conducting workshops, long sleeves can get in the way.
So, we asked them to add buttons to the sleeves. Additionally, we requested functional adjustments, such as ensuring the fabric wouldn't sag under the weight of the nameplate. We also conveyed style-related preferences to Toyoshima, such as wanting the uniform to flatter different body types or having a slightly longer length to give it a more modern look."
To ensure a sleek appearance when worn, the uniform was intentionally designed without pockets. However, there was significant demand from staff for pockets. This led to the creation of the sacoche. A vertical pocket was added to the sacoche, designed to hold "mouette," the slender strips of paper used in stores to let customers experience the scent of essential oils. The material chosen was durable canvas that maintains its shape. However, when dyed with echinacea, the same dye used for the uniforms, the difference in fabric resulted in a different color. After much trial and error, juniper was selected as it produced a color closer to the desired shade.

Collaboration in Each Area of Expertise! We Want to Challenge Infinite Possibilities.

The comfortable and stylish uniforms, along with the functional and user-friendly sacoches, have been a big hit among the staff. The soft olive-green color not only matches the brand image of "Tree of Life" but also enhances the smiles of the staff.
"We've received numerous comments from staff working in department stores saying that other brand staff members complimented them, saying, 'Your uniforms are amazing!' It's always nice to receive compliments on uniforms, isn't it? Of course, our staff feel refreshed and energized, and with the addition of the sacoches, I believe the story we want to convey to our customers has become even clearer. Moving forward, we plan to wear these uniforms at pop-up events and other occasions to further establish the brand image of 'Tree of Life.'"

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in time spent at home due to teleworking and other factors, which has heightened people's interest in fragrances. In particular, there has been a growing demand for products from Tree of Life, which handles carefully selected natural materials. Looking ahead, Shigenaga expressed his desire to explore new developments with "fragrance" as the key theme. "Since we first started this project together, Toyoshima has been expanding its scope at an incredible pace. I hear they recently collaborated with a popular theme park in Aichi Prefecture. I hope to continue working with them in the future, and looking further ahead, it would be exciting to explore collaborations with third parties through Toyoshima. With fragrance as the keyword, I believe there are endless possibilities in areas like textiles and spaces."

TEXT/MASHIMO SATOKO
PHOTO/ SHIMIZU TOMOSHIGE