Chairman of the Board Tajima and Director Imai were awarded the 2011 Ig Nobel Chemistry Prize.

The prize was awarded for the development of a fire alarm which used an offensive odor as an alarm; the idea originated as a way to help the hearing impaired, who cannot hear the audible alarm of standard fire alarm equipment. For that purpose, they developed wasabi as an irritant odor to wake people from sleep, proved its potential in that capacity in clinical trials, developed machinery that could effectively spread the odor even during a fire, and put it into production. The concept of using a wasabi odor to alert people to danger was extremely well-received throughout the world, and earned that year's prize.

We would be extremely gratified if this prize contributed in some small way to the development of the fragrance industry and its marketing.

Fragrance Marketing Association

Chairman Yukinobu Tajima