A. If you mean somewhere you can easily drop in, there is no such place in Japan. For Guerlain, you can smell the classics at a sales counter, but if you also want to smell or see earlier versions, a counter cannot offer that. Still, that does not mean there are no options at all: you can ask perfume lovers who have bought many fragrances to let you try theirs. This is often how people experience older classics.
For example, Parfum Satori’s atelier should have a whole array of older classics owned by Satori Osawa, so if you ask politely, there may be a chance of being shown them. For the same reason, getting to know people who sell perfume, or perfume enthusiasts on X, may give you more opportunities like this.
Other possibilities might be a lucky find at a flea market or a visit to a shop overseas that sells antique perfumes. Personally, I think it would be good to get to know other perfume lovers better and organize gatherings to sample fragrances, and I would actually like to do so. (In fact, when I worked in perfume sales, I joined like-minded colleagues for a study session and tried fragrances including an older version of Guerlain’s Samsara.
You may also be able to experience a range of classic fragrances at La Causette Parfumée, the fragrance conversation gatherings organized by Yumi Jibiki. http://lacausetteparfumee.com
