My father was stationed in Japan back in the mid 50’s. My mother told me how much she hated riding the trains as all the salarymen would carry their lunches in their briefcases (fish heads and rice - you could tell by the smell). That and since EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM put rose oil in their hair made train rides rather nauseating.
I can understand that completely.
During WWII, the combination of foreign smells (to them) was so pronounced that it was instantly recognizable to a generation of combat veterans.
There was a case of liferaft bound sailors in the pacific who were alerted to the presence of a surfaced Japanese sub one night by the smell of their cooking...a peculiar combination of fish, spices, and cooking oil.