d’Annam is quickly becoming one of those fragrance brands that feels truly special. Based in Vietnam, the brand focuses on telling cultural stories through scent, working closely with local artists and crafting fragrances in small batches using high-quality natural ingredients. Every release feels thoughtful, personal, and rooted in a sense of place.
Their Chapter 2: Memories of Japan collection is exactly that — a scented journey inspired by different facets of Japanese culture, landscapes, and traditions. This is not a “safe” or mass-appeal collection. Instead, it’s creative, sometimes challenging, and often incredibly transportive.
I spent the weekend exploring the entire lineup, and here’s my full breakdown of each fragrance and how they fit together as a collection.
Overall Impressions of the Collection
What stands out immediately is the variety. This collection doesn’t stick to one mood or style. You’ll find dark, woody, incense-heavy scents alongside soft florals, powdery musks, and even hyper-realistic gourmands.
Some fragrances feel very wearable, others feel more like olfactory art pieces. But every scent has a clear identity and a strong connection to its inspiration. You can tell a lot of care went into making these feel authentic rather than stereotypical.
Moonlight Samurai
Moonlight Samurai opens the collection on a deep, serious note.
With sake, steel, leather, wildflowers, and cedarwood, this is easily one of the darkest and most masculine scents in the lineup. The opening has a subtle sweetness — almost like sweet rice wine — before quickly shifting into a strong leather accord.
As it dries down, the leather becomes dominant and slightly animalic, paired with dry woods that give it a sharp, disciplined edge. It feels powerful, stoic, and a little intimidating, like armor worn under moonlight.
If you enjoy bold leather fragrances with a unique twist, this one is worth exploring.
Tokyo Nights
Tokyo Nights continues the darker theme but takes a slightly warmer, more sensual approach.
Notes include Japanese plum wine, amber, soft smoke, osmanthus, and tobacco. The opening is boozy and rich, with the plum wine adding a fruity sweetness that blends into the smoky tobacco and amber base.
While it’s very well done, this was one of the less unique scents in the collection for me. Boozy plum, tobacco, and amber is a combination we’ve seen before. That said, performance is strong — just a few sprays filled the room.
This is a cozy, winter-appropriate fragrance that will appeal to fans of rich, nocturnal scents.
Sakura Snow
Sakura Snow is a complete shift in mood.
With cherry blossom, snow, solar notes, juniper berries, lily of the valley, and white musk, this is a clean, musky floral that feels soft and gentle. I didn’t personally get a strong “snow” or cold impression, but I did get a very clean, airy floral vibe.
The cherry blossom is the star here, supported by a light green freshness from lily of the valley. As it dries down, it becomes powdery and musky, almost soap-like, but in a pleasant, comforting way.
This is delicate, pretty, and very wearable — especially for those who love clean florals.
Matcha Soft Serve
Despite the name, Matcha Soft Serve is not a dessert fragrance — at least not in the traditional sense.
This scent smells like pure matcha powder: earthy, green, grassy, and slightly bitter. There’s no immediate creaminess or sweetness, which might surprise some people. If you’re expecting ice cream, this may feel challenging at first.
As it develops, subtle florals appear, along with a light nutty note reminiscent of hazelnut. Only in the deep dry down does a soft, warm milkiness show up.
Think matcha tea rather than matcha dessert. It’s bold, realistic, and definitely not for everyone — but very interesting.
Strawberry Mochi
Strawberry Mochi is easily the most gourmand fragrance in the collection.
With strawberry, glutinous rice, red bean paste, brown sugar, vanilla, this scent is impressively realistic. The mochi dough note is spot on — powdery, chewy, and starchy. The red bean paste adds a nutty, slightly savory sweetness that feels authentic rather than sugary.
Interestingly, the strawberry is quite subtle. It doesn’t scream “strawberry candy” but instead gently supports the overall composition, becoming more noticeable in the dry down.
This one feels like edible art. Personally, it leans a bit too foodie for my taste, but I can absolutely appreciate how well it’s done.
Kimono
Kimono is soft, elegant, and comforting.
Notes include magnolia, red rice flour, lipstick, silk, and powdery accords. The rice note here is much more subtle than in Strawberry Mochi — cozy, clean, and powdery rather than edible.
The magnolia opens bright and floral before fading into a soft, musky, powdery scent that feels like freshly washed silk. I didn’t get a strong lipstick note, but there is a gentle cosmetic vibe that adds sophistication.
Kimono feels intimate and refined, like slipping into a freshly pressed garment.
Arashiyama
Inspired by bamboo forests and rain, Arashiyama is one of the most atmospheric scents in the collection.
With bamboo leaves, rain, fresh grass, violet, and bamboo wood, the opening is stunning. It smells dewy, watery, and green — like standing in a bamboo grove after rainfall.
I get more violet leaf and ozonic freshness than floral violet, which adds to the natural, spa-like feel. As it dries down, it becomes more grassy and earthy, but the opening remains the highlight for me.
This is calming, meditative, and beautifully transportive.
Hinoki Meditation
Hinoki Meditation smells like a place rather than a person.
With hinoki cypress, forest leaves, incense, spices, Japanese cedar, and sandalwood, this is a dry, woody, incense-heavy fragrance. It’s smoky, grounding, and very natural.
There’s a faint sweetness from the incense and spices, but this is all about dry woods and quiet intensity. It smells like walking into a wooden temple deep in the forest, incense burning softly in the background.
If you love woody, meditative scents, this is a standout.
Japanese Whiskey (Coming 2025)
My absolute favorite from the collection is Japanese Whiskey, which isn’t even officially released yet.
With whiskey, oak, malted barley, clary sage, sandalwood, and chestnut, this fragrance is smooth, sexy, and incredibly elegant. It smells like whiskey-soaked oak barrels with creamy, slightly sweet chestnut.
It’s boozy without being harsh, warm without being heavy, and beautifully unisex. This one feels refined, chic, and addictive. I’ll be buying a full bottle the moment it launches.
Final Thoughts
d’Annam’s Chapter 2 Memories of Japan is a bold, creative collection that rewards curiosity. Not every scent will be for everyone — and that’s exactly the point. These fragrances are about storytelling, atmosphere, and authenticity.
Whether you’re drawn to matcha, mochi, incense, bamboo forests, or whiskey barrels, there’s something here that will transport you.
If you’ve tried this collection, I’d love to know which scent stood out to you most.
