Kungyokudo

Since 1594, Kyoto.

In the third year of Bunroku era (1594), Kungyokudo, a long-established incense company, opened in front of Nishi Honganji temple and they served as an apothecary. From that time, they have been serving many temples, Buddhist establishments, and ceremonies across Japan. With more than 420 years of heritage, Kungyokudo is Japan’s oldest incense manufacturer which has been making their scents for ceremonies and everyday life of each era. While keeping the tradition and the unique skills of blending natural fragrances and medicinal plants nurtured over a long period of time, they create gentle scents and experience for the present lifestyle.

Yamadamatsu

Since 1600’s, Kyoto.

Originally founded as a medicinal pharmacy that processed and purified fragrant woods and raw materials to be offered for healthful benefits, Yamadamatsu has been a respected family business for over 200 years, manufacturing high quality incense from their unchanged recipe they originated during Japan’s Edo Period. Introduced to Japan hand in hand with the sweeping influence of Buddhism, the deep rich fragrances of incense came to be used not only during spiritual rituals but also in everyday life, flourishing as a culture beyond its original religious context. Since the incense tree was washed ashore in Japan at the end of the 6th century, Yamadamatsu continues to develop proprietary recipes for traditional incense using some of the finest varieties of Aloeswood, Kyara, and Sandalwood. After hundreds of years perfecting their approach to production, today Yamadamatsu is recognized as one of the world’s finest producers of high quality incense. With such extensive, first-hand knowledge of the history of Japanese incense, Yamadamatsu possesses a uniquely rich understanding and sensibility of the culture surrounding it and the importance it can hold in our modern lfestyles, and they are happy to share that knowledge with the world.

Kousaido

Since 1994, Kyoto.

Kousaido was founded in 1994, born out of the concept of “colouring your life with incense.” For all their incense, traditional sandalwood is used as the base. A wide range of scents are layered together with the sandalwood, creating a mellow aroma out of more characteristically sharp scents.

Shoyeido

Since 1705, Kyoto.

Since the establishment in 1705, Shoyeido has worked diligently to perfect the art of manufacturing Japanese incense, also known as “Koh” (香). They offer a wide variety of Japanese incense for use in many applications, for praying in a religious setting, for special activities such as tea ceremonies, and simply to scent a room for mind and atmosphere. Shoyeido believes it is not only their responsibility to appreciate and protect the ecological integrity of all natural elements.  Their products are made with the greatest care for quality and preserving the traditions of incense blending that have been passed down from generation to generation with their concept; “life with fragrance”.

Rinnesha for Kikka Senkoh

Since 1977, Hokkaido.

Making the best use of traditional Japanese raw materials for their products, Rinnesha takes responsibility for the entire cycle of production, from cultivation to consumption. Based in Takigami-cho, Hokkaido, Rinnesha works with local and Chinese farmers to preserve the traditional raw material of the pyrethrum plant, which was once produced in abundance but is now almost extinct. The flowers and stems of the pyrethrum are milled and used as the main ingredient in their Kikuhana Senkou incense, the smoke from which acts as a natural insect repellent. This method of insect repellent had been used since ancient times, but had been all but forgotten with the invention of synthetic chemical pesticides. In 1998 the Rinnesha company developed the Kikuhana Senkou incense as a solution to chemical sensitivities experienced from using domestic insecticides. This all-natural product was successfully resurrected from the past! Today, Rinnesha works closely with pyrethrum farms in Hokkaido and China to make sure the plants are grown without chemicals or pesticides, ensuring that the final product remains safe, reliable, and produced in a consistent environment. 

ITSUMO

Living within Tradition

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