Living environment and aroma-culture in modern Japan, social background of Japanese aromatherapy: 2 Verbal expression in the mass media

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to clarify the social background of the acceptance and expansion of Japanese aromatherapy in the economic situation and living environment from the Meiji period to 2000. Here, the authors surveyed the change of “aroma-culture.” The authors used the phrase “aroma-culture” to refer to the indoor usages of aroma to create pleasant environment. In this research, the authors investigated verbal expressions in newspaper accounts from 1980 to 2000, to study the acceptance and expansion of Japanese aromatherapy promoted by education, publication, marketing, and the tide of popular opinion. Accordingly, the significance of aromatherapy was determined to be characterized by the consumers' expectations for healing.