SL Cocoal Incense FAQ

A: Steam Locomotive Coal Scent was developed for people who find the distinctive smell of burning coal nostalgic. It is intended especially for those who spent their youth in the mid-Showa era, and who have fond memories of things like elementary school classroom stoves and steam locomotives. However, if you find the smell of burning coal unpleasant, we ask that you refrain from using it unnecessarily. As the product's creator, we would be delighted if this product brings back fond memories and provides a pleasant experience through the Proust effect.

A: The Proust effect (also known as the Proust phenomenon) is when a scent unique to each individual brings back memories and recollections of the past associated with that scent. The name comes from a passage written by the great French writer Marcel Proust at the beginning of his masterpiece, "In Search of Lost Time," in which he writes, "The smell of madeleines dipped in tea brings back all of my memories and recollections of the past in a pleasant way."

A: The manifestation of the Proust effect depends on the memories each person has of a scent. From my own experience, coal is the only scent that I can be certain of manifesting the Proust effect.

A: All are genuine. Many of the domestic coal mines have been closed for several decades, but we do our best to obtain authentic coal from the past.

A: This is the coal used by modern dynamically preserved steam locomotives.

A: Steam Locomotive Coal Scent uses bituminous coal, which was used in school stoves and steam locomotives during the Showa era. By the way, anthracite, which is considered to be of higher quality, has a higher carbonization rate and better combustion efficiency, so the smell is less noticeable.

A: This is so that you can enjoy different scents depending on the production area. Bituminous coal contains 10-20% impurities, and this composition varies slightly depending on the region of production. Each of these gives off a unique odor.

A: I think it's a fair point, but there are more than 100 coal mines that existed in the past in Japan alone, so we have determined that it is impossible to have a product lineup that covers all of them. In the future, if there is a request and we can obtain the original material, we will respond to it as a limited edition item.

A: Coal has been consumed in large quantities around the world for more than 100 years, and although there have been problems with excessive inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning caused by incomplete combustion, in general, the combustion of coal itself Toxicity has never been an issue.
The amount of gas generated by a single SL coal incense stick is extremely small.

A: Since the amount of coal particles contained in SL Coal Incense is very small, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted is also very small. Thermal power plants burn 100 tons of fuel every day, so the amount of exhaust gas is an issue, but with this product we believe it can be ignored.

A: None. Coal has been formed underground for over a million years, so it has an infinite shelf life. However, there is a risk of mold growing on the adjuvant used in manufacturing this product, so please store it in a cool, dry place.