Fragrance house

Shiseido

Shiseido was founded by Arinobu Fukuhara in Ginza, Tokyo, in 1872 as Japan’s first private Western-style pharmacy. In 1897, it entered cosmetics with Eudermine, a lotion developed from a pharmaceutical formula, marking its development from pharmacy into beauty. Its visual identity took shape after Shinzo Fukuhara established a design department in 1916, with the Shiseido typeface and karakusa arabesque pattern becoming enduring brand elements. Shiseido’s identity brings together Japanese aesthetics, science and technology, and art and design. In the 1930s, its Miss Shiseido representatives used theatrical beauty tutorials before evolving into modern beauty consultants. The company reshaped its portfolio in 2021, transferring its Personal Care Business to Oriental Beauty Holding, now FineToday, and bareMinerals, BUXOM, and Laura Mercier to Advent. Its fragrance history includes Zen, developed in 1964 for entry into the U.S. market and still available as an eau de cologne, as well as L’Eau d’Issey, launched with Issey Miyake in 1992 and described by TIME as a cult classic.