Scent of Home | Fumi

The subtle scent of smoke and spice lingers in the air as I first enter the home of Fumi, a new multi-disciplinary brand in Portland, Oregon. Burned incense always leaves its mark with an atmospheric warmth and the fragrance of its distinctive ingredients, so I spend most of my first moments trying to decipher the origin of this scent in the air. 

Though incense is often unappreciated by most in the West, to me, its subtle attributes create a foundation of delight and discovery when entering a space.

After being served iced tea and a small plate of grapes, I sat down with founder Mia Reiko Braverman and her handsomely stoic cat, Ku, in a conversation about the makings of Fumi. We talked about traveling to Japan, the importance of home, finding purpose, and how we both dislike our photos being taken. There was such an honest, joyful, and human quality to her responses that makes it a pleasure to share parts of this conversation despite wanting to selfishly keep the memory all for myself. 

We eventually made our way down to Mia's basement and working space to capture the creation of her signature scent, Okaeri. Meaning 'welcome home' in Japanese, Okaeri is made up of only three ingredients (sandalwood, clove, and frankincense,) and is a mild but recognizable aroma that transports you to a memory and place that feels warm and familiar.

With Okaeri now stocked on our shelves, I find myself reflecting on the journey that brought us to this moment. Though my relationship with Mia is relatively new, it is already greatly marked by community and a mutual appreciation for story, home, and self-discovery.

Visiting Mia's home studio, as depicted in these behind-the-scene photos, was a true honor. I hope this glimpse into her work and creative process beautifully showcases her seamless blend of artistry, experimentation, and reverence for tradition.

Hello Mia! Could you tell our readers how you got started making incense?

Incense has always been in the background of my life. I’ve loved it and sought it out for my homespaces. I had thought about learning to make it years ago with a friend but it never came to fruition. Then several years ago during the pandemic, I was one of many returning to backburner lists and began searching for ways to learn. Being half Japanese, it felt particularly valuable to learn through the Japanese diaspora of incense culture.

That’s how I found my teacher, just a google. Unfortunately, her classes were out of my budget but she suggested we do an exchange: I help her correct her English for a booklet she was writing about incense for a discount on her classes. I could not pass up the opportunity. For 6 months or so we worked on the booklet. I learned so much about incense in the process. After we were done, the online classes began. She sent me a box full of materials to work with. They were a mix of nostalgia and brand new for me. It was magic. All I had been learning about came to life. I continue my relationship with my teacher (she actually just visited Portland) as well as learning on my own through new connections and opportunities. 

The deeper I go into this world, the more I know I don’t know. It has opened new doors not only on the craft of making incense, but also the history surrounding it and its interconnection with world history, avenues of spirituality, and olfactory arts. I have a lifetime of learning ahead of me and I’m here for it.  

It's a huge leap to transition a hobby into a business. What made you decide to start Fumi? 

Fumi has been many things in my head for decades. Maybe never named Fumi, but always a cafe/gallery/inn/shop in some way. Fumi was just the one I was ready for. Incense is central to Fumi and will always be because it taps into the underlying current that drives me to be a maker: conduits for presence. I know it will evolve and bring in these other elements that my dream began with over time. 

In addition, as I get older, and more importantly, as my Japanese immigrant mama gets older, keeping connected to Japan is deeply valuable to me. The best way I know how to do that is time and work is one of the biggest uses of time so why not focus my work on things connected to something I wish to be connected with. Fumi is only a few months old but I already feel the benefits of this choice. I have lots of ideas about how to grow and bring others with me. Fumi is incredibly personal which feels a bit vulnerable and scary but I am committed to trying to make it sustainable. 

You currently offer three scents made up of one, or a combination, of three ingredients: clove, frankincense, and sandalwood. What drew you to these ingredients specifically? 

The olfactory options for incense are vast and the combinations limitless. It helped me to start with less.  I wanted to get to know the ingredients - how they sit in space in relation to one another. I knew I wanted to begin in the traditional Japanese diaspora of ingredients, from there the choice to work with these three specific fragrances was instinctual and based on personal associations and memories. 

For example, I knew from the beginning of my journey I wanted to use cloves. I’ve always been drawn to their spicy sweetness whether for perfume or incense. The fragrance of clove also took me back to my college days smoking clove cigarettes with my dear friend, Manon, in the Bay Area. Perhaps not my healthiest choice but alas, not one I regret. 

The sense of smell can be particularly evocative of memory and place. What feelings do you wish to elicit with the scents you create?

I’m not sure I wish to elicit any particular feeling as I know scents are so personal. Generally I hope my incense brings a sense of calm, presence, and a connection to nature, and ancestral history. These fragrances are ancient and have been used widely across the world. They are part of our shared history. 

It's amazing that you make each cone by hand, one at a time. What drove you to do this rather than default to more 'streamlined' methods of making? 

I have spent most of my adult life working in nonprofits and the private sector and recently decided to quit so I can focus all my time on Fumi. I wanted to move years of primarily cerebral energy back to my hands. I knew that would take practice. Making a hundred, or a thousand cones will do that. You begin to think with your hands and read information from the materials you are working with – texture, weight, moisture, shape, and the geometry of your finger tips. And especially as I begin, it feels good to start slow. I hope that energy transmits through each cone. 

Can you give us a view into your state of mind while making a batch of incense? I imagine it could be both meditative and tedious at times. 

Sometimes I completely lose track of time and am in full flow state and sometimes it can feel like an uphill hike, especially as I am making cones by hand. I celebrate the flow. The patience of the tough moments feel good to move through.

You've written a lot about your roots and how you seek to reconnect with that part of yourself. How has Fumi helped further that connection? 

Connecting to Japanese culture through craft has been incredibly powerful for me. Learning about incense has been a rich lens to learn about Japanese history as well as its connection to world history. As I mentioned before, it is a lifetime of learning to go. I am so curious where it will take me. 

Another thing is the Japanese community that it has connected me with as well as others with similar visions or interests. Part of my work in developing Fumi is asking big questions about my mixed race identity and its relationship to art, culture, and belonging. Perhaps those questions are not always explicit and forefront in Fumi but they are imperative to my personal process and I could not be more grateful to ask those questions in community. 

Fumi is your maternal grandmother's name; what comes to mind when you think of her? This could be an image, an interaction, a scent even! 

Scent is certainly a big part of my memories of my grandmother (baba in Japanese), specifically the smell of her suitcase when she would visit from Japan. Some combination of sandalwood, cement, and wet earth. She always brought tasty snacks and treats for us so as a kiddo, even the thought of that smell brings me a kind of anticipatory joyful hunger.

What type of other passions and interests do you have outside of your work with incense?

Placemaking is a deep passion of mine, whether through interior design or community building. I enjoy the process of thinking about and intentionally building cozy, comfortable, and welcoming spaces. I also love thrifting which is a big part of how I think about space. I love the patina and self expression that comes with decorating with “found” objects. Even if they are not one-of-a-kind, they kind of feel like they are which adds a preciousness and care for whatever the object is.

Additionally I love paper crafts (paper making, stationery, bookmaking), sewing, ceramics, writing, and design. Fumi will certainly feature these different passions over time. 

We live in a world where so much of our identity is surrounded by the things we consume. How do you approach mindful living and sustainability in the context of your work and your everyday life?

Close proximity to nature is kind of it for me. Both as a lens for Fumi and my daily life. Using all natural ingredients is a celebration of nature's gifts - respecting their abundance and their scarcity. Sharing and talking about identity is less an expression of what you need than what you/we already have. Time in nature slows me down, always grounds me, promotes flow states, and reminds me how small I am and the ripple effect I can have. I just try to return to this lens whenever I veer off course or just need a reset.  

Think of an object in your home that has the most significance to you. Could you share what it is and the memory behind it?

The symbolic wedding rings my partner and I made out of coconut fiber and other natural beach debris. We had decided to get engaged the morning of the day we made them. Neither of us had prepared anything else for the occasion so we wanted to commemorate the day in some way. We were visiting my family on Kauai and decided to go to our favorite beach and perform a little ritual. Making the rings just happened naturally. It was so fun searching for materials and coming up with the designs together. Both quite different from one another but certainly an expression of our respective spirits. They are a precious capture of that day and live on an altar in our home.  

What do you want people to take away from your brand? How do you want Fumi to be remembered?

Whether burning the incense, coming to an event, or a studio visit, I hope any engagement with Fumi just feels like a good use of time.

Lastly, where do you see Fumi going in the future? Any exciting news or events coming up that our readers should know about?

I’m headed to Japan for a whole month with my husband this fall. While this will be a pause in some ways for Fumi, I will also be doing research for incense as well as bringing home vintage/retro goods and homewares to sell! I used to live in the Kochi prefecture and have some great sources I plan on returning to. I will also be sharing parts of our trip on Instagram. Beyond that, I have a custom collaboration cone with my buddies at Ship John coming out down the line, holiday markets in December, incense making workshops, and building out my online shop with a selection of work from other artists, secondhand goods, and new Fumi incense fragrances.