Founded in 2015, RYOKO is a multidisciplinary creative studio and sensory escape. We met founders Ryoko Hori and Daniel Kula in Neukölln to talk about how scent connects to emotion and memory, their creative process, and the influence of Shinto beliefs and nature on their work with ceramics.
Voo: What does scent mean to you?
Ryoko: Scent is something you can almost touch, like sound—it bypasses your judgments, going straight to memories and emotions. It's a powerful, unfiltered impact on daily life. It’s about how you feel when you smell it, not just knowing what’s in it. It’s very intuitive.
Daniel: Scent is deeply personal. It triggers emotions, memories, and states of mind. People often use it like therapy, choosing a scent based on how they feel.
V: How can we experience scents to the fullest? Do we always need to close our eyes?
R: Yes, closing your eyes really enhances the experience. But also, just taking your time, walking around, and getting some fresh air helps. It’s interesting how much sight influences us, more than we realise. Even with food, when you see something, it affects how you taste it. It’s all connected, even though you’re not actually tasting with your eyes.
D: Closing your eyes can help focus. But you can still experience it in other ways, like in a more subtle way, when you’re walking through a space or when you’re with a person. It’s about paying attention.
V: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind Ryoko Berlin and how it came to be?
R: We have a deep appreciation and respect for ancient civilisations and indigenous cultures, including Japanese Shinto beliefs, their rituals, traditions, healing systems, and plant medicines. We are equally inspired by botanical culture, the beauty of nature, and the magic and wonder of human senses—especially scent and touch—which are at the core of our creative journey. Since establishing our boutique in 2015, craftsmanship has also held a special place in our hearts, as have other forms of art that resonate deeply with both of us, whether it be painting, music,
contemporary dance, architecture, design, and more.
D: I used to travel a lot for filmmaking, but now I’m more stationary because we run a personal shop, and it’s a community. We know our clients and their preferences. It’s a journey together. We don’t have employees, and we enjoy the exchange with our customers.
V: You offer a variety of aromatic objects such as raw oud, Japanese incense, and natural perfumes. How do you curate these products?
R: We trust our senses, expertise, and experiences, knowing that price or marketing messages don’t always reflect true value. Our curation policy starts with determining whether a material or product is natural and carries a “soul.” From there, we evaluate how it is made and who is behind its creation.
V: How do the ceramics complement the aromatic objects in your store?
D: We both have the same aesthetic and background in the arts. We combined our skills, not in sight, but in scent and touch, which is why ceramics are so important to us.
V: What are the most unusual or unexpected scents you've experimented with?
R: I think the most unexpected scent would be raw oud. It’s very complex, and it’s a bit of an acquired taste. It’s so different from anything people are used to. But when you start to understand it, it has this deep, rich quality that can be really grounding.
D: I agree. Oud is definitely a big one. But also the Japanese cedar—there’s something about it that’s subtle and earthy. It’s not as strong as some of the other fragrances, but it has a quiet intensity that’s really special.
V: Every city has its own unique scents, positive or negative. Is there a specific scent that you feel represents Berlin?
D: For me, Berlin’s scent is a mix of London and other influences, depending on the season. We worked on a scent for a friend’s 25th anniversary, which captures Berlin in a bottle. It’s part of creating memories for people who travel often. Scent helps create identity, as it’s connected to memory.
V: How do Shinto principles like mindfulness and connection to nature shape your workshops and approach to scent and ceramics?
R: Yes, it’s a big part of our life. In Japan, we have Buddhist and Shinto practices. For example, during the New Year, we do a Shinto ritual, but we don’t necessarily think of it as "Shinto" in the strict sense. It’s just something we do naturally, like going to the shrine. Shinto is rooted in respect for nature, and in Japan, nature is very powerful—it can bring happiness but also disasters. The core belief in Shinto is that we are a small part of nature, not in control of it, but existing within it. This mindset shapes everything. I use plant-based ingredients in my work, which is very much in line with nature. I create scents, but at the end of the day, they come from nature, and I believe the result reflects that connection.
V: Is there a scent that you really did not like at first, but started to love after a while – can a scent grow on you?
R: Of course, like everything around and within us, the world of scent is dynamic, constantly shifting—especially influenced by our mood of the day, and our physical or mental state. Our scent preferences are often deeply rooted, shaped by our experiences, associations, and socialisation. These factors influence the fragrances we are drawn to and those we may prefer less.
Voo Visits is a series introducing new and old friends of Voo, like-minded creatives and people from Berlin who inspire us. Discover our selection of RYOKO in-store and online.
