WHAT I SMELL:  Dõjima has a soft and subtle opening which quickly gives rise to a warm and milky rice and a nutty amber.  The perfume is quiet and contained and it seems to possess a zen like reverence.   While the miky rice note remains as it develops, the amber takes on more a floral hue.  And the florals seem to float above the milkiness as if they are dancing lightly atop a ripple on a quiet pond.  The remaining nutty amber seems to flicker in and out which makes the perfume lightly gourmand with hints of green tea.  Dõjima is slow to transform, but being true to the serenity of the fragrance, its gentle unfolding is like a quiet journey for the soul.

From the Mona di Orio website:

The name derives from the Dōjima Rice Exchange founded by Samurai in 1697 in Osaka, Japan. Let us travel back to this moment in time, have the beauty and serenity of a single rice grain work as your seductive armor.

Dõjima turns to powder as it combines with the warmth of the skin and a cloud of rice powder surrounded by jasmin and orris radiates through the day. The soft texture of rice is lifted by a warm powdered amber speckled with dry spices and woods on a creamy musk base.

Rice Accord, nutmeg absolue, ambrette, jasmin, orris, clary sage absolute, labdanum CO2, sandalwood and precious musks.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Lotus flowers scattered amongst the rice fields.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE DÕJIMA:  quiet, serene, balanced

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DÕJIMA:  CaFleureBon, Colognoisseur

BOTTOM LINE:  I am a big fan of perfumer Fredrik Dalman, his Mona di Orio debut Bohea Boheme was one of my picks for new releases of last year.  Like Bohea Boheme, Dõjima quietly unfolds the mysteries of the east.  There is nothing brash, nor hard about this gem, but like a jewel, its beauty sparkles with a reverent dignity.

• Bone Rating:  4 out of possible 5 bones
• Scent: Floral Woody Musk
• Nose: Fredrik Dalman
• Classification: Unisex
• Expense:  $200 for 75 ml eau de parfum